The defense thread 2021

[InsideCoroner]

If anyone missed it, McKenna made a nice diving catch in the left-center field gap to rob Kurt Suzuki of a double. 

[Legend_Of_Joey]

47 minutes ago, InsideCoroner said:

If anyone missed it, McKenna made a nice diving catch in the left-center field gap to rob Kurt Suzuki of a double. 

 

[jabba72]

Mystic McKenna, I like that nickname. Its pretty catchy. 

[Frobby]

Game 94, July 20

After the O’s narrowed the Rays’ lead to 5-3 in the top of the 8th inning, the O’s defense destroyed the momentum.  First Leyba booted a belt-high one-hopper to allow the leadoff man to reach.  The next hitter hit a ground ball that scooted past Urias’ backhand side that was scored a hit but looked playable and could have been the start of a DP.   Reliever Anderson pretty much did the rest on his own, but with the bases loaded Mullins narrowly missed a spectacular diving attempt at a ball in the RCF gap, and when Hays made a relay throw in, the cutoff man (Leyba I think) double clutched and didn’t throw anywhere while the third run scored and Mejia went to 3B.    The replays weren’t good so I couldn’t tell if there would have been a play at the plate on a good relay throw home, but I think so.    

To be fair, the Rays’ defense played a large part in the Orioles’ two run rally in the top of the inning as well.  
 

[Frobby]

Game 95, July 21

Ahead 4-3 in the 9th, the O’s gave Tampa an opportunity when Mountcastle and Valaika collided while chasing a pop up in short RF that either could have caught.   That set up a 2-out, 2 run single and Tampa won the game 5-4.   Definitely a game where you could say bad defense cost us the game.   

[Frobby]

Some comments on the play:

“I called it pretty late there and honestly I didn’t know Pat was over there,” Mountcastle said. “At The Trop you can’t really put your head down and run, you’ve got to stare at the ball the whole time so you don’t lose it. So I think we were both just doing that and it was sort of a tough play for both of us and unfortunately collided a little bit and let it fall. But it’s a tough play, I think.”

https://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2021/07/alexander-wells-solid-in-debut-rays-with-walk-off-win.html

I take his point about the abysmal conditions at the Trop.  Still a very disappointing play.

 

[fansince1988]

2 hours ago, Frobby said:

Some comments on the play:

“I called it pretty late there and honestly I didn’t know Pat was over there,” Mountcastle said. “At The Trop you can’t really put your head down and run, you’ve got to stare at the ball the whole time so you don’t lose it. So I think we were both just doing that and it was sort of a tough play for both of us and unfortunately collided a little bit and let it fall. But it’s a tough play, I think.”

https://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2021/07/alexander-wells-solid-in-debut-rays-with-walk-off-win.html

I take his point about the abysmal conditions at the Trop.  Still a very disappointing play.

 

What's almost as disappointing is that MLB isn't providing a replay of this game changing play. I happened to listen to it on the radio, but the video replay is absent from the MLB platforms. 

[Oriole1940]

Yes, it was   sort of  a tough play.      Thats what you are getting paid tons of money to make successfully. Ryan.  

[Legend_Of_Joey]

47 minutes ago, fansince1988 said:

What's almost as disappointing is that MLB isn't providing a replay of this game changing play. I happened to listen to it on the radio, but the video replay is absent from the MLB platforms. 

 

[OriolesMagic83]

35 minutes ago, Oriole1940 said:

Yes, it was   sort of  a tough play.      Thats what you are getting paid tons of money to make successfully. Ryan.  

Shouldn't they be calling for it.  I can't believe it was that loud at the Trop.

[TommyPickles]

Ryan Mountcastle: -1.1 dWAR in 2021 according to Baseball Reference

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

7 minutes ago, TommyPickles said:

Ryan Mountcastle: -1.1 dWAR in 2021 according to Baseball Reference

Mountcastle's UZR/150 in left field is -21.3, yikes. Trumbo was only at a -13 UZR/150 when he played right field regularly in 2016.  

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/ryan-mountcastle/18373/stats#fielding

[Frobby]

2 hours ago, TommyPickles said:

Ryan Mountcastle: -1.1 dWAR in 2021 according to Baseball Reference

dWAR is a terrible stat to use, because for certain positions the default value is negative.   At this point in the year, a full time 1B who is an average defender will have -0.5 dWAR; an average LF will have -0.3 dWAR; a DH will have about -0.8 dWAR without even playing in the field.   So, obviously -1.1 dWAR is worse than an of those, but you need to get understand that about -0.6 of that is the result of the positions Mountcastle plays and he’d be well into negative territory even if his defense at those positions was average.  

[MurphDogg]

40 minutes ago, Frobby said:

dWAR is a terrible stat to use, because for certain positions the default value is negative.   At this point in the year, a full time 1B who is an average defender will have -0.5 dWAR; an average LF will have -0.3 dWAR; a DH will have about -0.8 dWAR without even playing in the field.   So, obviously -1.1 dWAR is worse than an of those, but you need to get understand that about -0.6 of that is the result of the positions Mountcastle plays and he’d be well into negative territory even if his defense at those positions was average.  

Mountcastle has been, by UZR anyway, above average at first. His UZR/150 at first is 5.0 this year.

It is because of his terrible play in 143 innings in left (along with the negative default value that you mention) that his dWAR is so terrible.

I have no idea whether Valaika called him off, or whether Mountcastle failed to call for it himself, but the idea that Mountcastle should be blamed for not catching that ball while getting trucked by Valaika is silly.

[Moose Milligan]

5 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

Mountcastle has been, by UZR anyway, above average at first. His UZR/150 at first is 5.0 this year.

It is because of his terrible play in 143 innings in left (along with the negative default value that you mention) that his dWAR is so terrible.

I have no idea whether Valaika called him off, or whether Mountcastle failed to call for it himself, but the idea that Mountcastle should be blamed for not catching that ball while getting trucked by Valaika is silly.

I saw it somewhere, either on here or twitter...RMC took responsibility, said first that he couldn't take his eye off the ball because of the ceiling in Tampa.  Second, said that he either didn't call anyone off or call loudly enough, I can't remember.

Either way, RMC didn't have to run as far and had a better angle on the ball.  He shouldn't be blamed at all.