The Defense Thread, 2024

[ledzepp8]

45 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

The replay is hard to tell but what makes you think Mateo had to jump 11 feet in the air?    With how quickly the catch and throw were by Mateo, my feeling is that he barely left his feet if at all.

https://www.mlb.com/video/corbin-burnes-in-play-out-s-to-luke-raley?q=GamePk %3D [747035] AND PitchSpeed %3D {{ 36%2C 105 }} Order By ExitVelocity DESC&cp=MIXED&p=0

Yeah I don't get why people keep saying this. It looks like Mateo barely left the ground and it was more him positioning to throw home. I don't know what some people are looking at. First it was 6 feet yesterday and now it's 11 feet today. 

[SemperFi]

4 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

Better view of it from this (incredible) camera angle. Mateo played it beautifully as he used the momentum from jumping for energy to put on the throw. Aside from the slight bobble I don't think it was a bad play by Cowser:

 

 

It was an almost perfect throw and if it sails as CC's throws tend to do Mateo has to reset and he is safe at the plate.  He was sent because it would take a perfect relays and they were.

[RZNJ]

58 minutes ago, SemperFi said:

It was an almost perfect throw and if it sails as CC's throws tend to do Mateo has to reset and he is safe at the plate.  He was sent because it would take a perfect relays and they were.

Great shot, thank you.   That was another thing.  Palmer immediately said terrible play by trying to score.  I’m thinking, what.  There’s 2 outs.   That’s especially when you when you gamble that they won’t make the play.  He kills me sometimes.   Pitcher throws a curve middle middle and batter swings and misses.  Nice pitch.  Same pitch gets hit for a double.  “And that’s what happens when you throw the ball there”.

Edited May 20 by RZNJ

[SemperFi]

11 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Great shot, thank you.   That was another thing.  Palmer immediately said terrible play by trying to score.  I’m thinking, what.  There’s 2 outs.   That’s especially when you when you gamble that they won’t make the play.  He kills me sometimes.   Pitcher throws a curve middle middle and batter swings and misses.  Nice pitch.  Same pitch gets hit for a double.  “And that’s what happens when you throw the ball there”.

That's the call if I am 3B coach, I think they will test CC's arm until he makes plays like that.  Mateo is deadly on relays and has one of the quickest transfers I have ever seen.  

[interloper]

2 hours ago, RZNJ said:

Great shot, thank you.   That was another thing.  Palmer immediately said terrible play by trying to score.  I’m thinking, what.  There’s 2 outs.   That’s especially when you when you gamble that they won’t make the play.  He kills me sometimes.   Pitcher throws a curve middle middle and batter swings and misses.  Nice pitch.  Same pitch gets hit for a double.  “And that’s what happens when you throw the ball there”.

I think he just wanted to quote Pretty Woman lol

[RZNJ]

Here’s my take on the double off Cedric’s glove last night.   When he’s about 20-30 feet away from the wall he turns his head to see how close to the wall he is.  He turns his head back to get sight of the ball again.  The ball is headed for his glove but about 1-2 feet before landing he once again turns his head to see how close he is to the wall.

1. Baseball 101.  You’ve got to track the ball into your glove

2. You’re going to run into the wall whether you catch the ball or not so why not make sure you catch the ball.

3. It would have been a really nice catch but it should have been a really nice catch.

4. That, being too shy close to the wall, is something I haven’t seen from Cedric in some time.  I was disappointed to see it last night.

 

 

[bobmc]

9 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Here’s my take on the double off Cedric’s glove last night.   When he’s about 20-30 feet away from the wall he turns his head to see how close to the wall he is.  He turns his head back to get sight of the ball again.  The ball is headed for his glove but about 1-2 feet before landing he once again turns his head to see how close he is to the wall.

1. Baseball 101.  You’ve got to track the ball into your glove

2. You’re going to run into the wall whether you catch the ball or not so why not make sure you catch the ball.

3. It would have been a really nice catch but it should have been a really nice catch.

4. That, being too shy close to the wall, is something I haven’t seen from Cedric in some time.  I was disappointed to see it last night.

 

 

Cowser woulda had it!  

[RZNJ]

Just now, bobmc said:

Cowser woulda had it!  

Ha.  I was going to say Kiermaier would have had it but I’m sure he isn’t perfect either.

[ChuckS]

8 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Here’s my take on the double off Cedric’s glove last night.   When he’s about 20-30 feet away from the wall he turns his head to see how close to the wall he is.  He turns his head back to get sight of the ball again.  The ball is headed for his glove but about 1-2 feet before landing he once again turns his head to see how close he is to the wall.

1. Baseball 101.  You’ve got to track the ball into your glove

2. You’re going to run into the wall whether you catch the ball or not so why not make sure you catch the ball.

3. It would have been a really nice catch but it should have been a really nice catch.

4. That, being too shy close to the wall, is something I haven’t seen from Cedric in some time.  I was disappointed to see it last night.

 

 

I don't equate checking your distance to the wall while in a full sprint to be "too shy" about crashing into the wall.  Gauging your distance to the wall is part of being able to make the catch.  I think it's just one of those things that takes an extreme amount of focus and coordination, and usually he makes that play.  In this instance he didn't.  But you can't take it for granted when he makes those plays look easy, because they are not easy plays. 

[RZNJ]

Just now, ChuckS said:

I don't equate checking your distance to the wall while in a full sprint to be "too shy" about crashing into the wall.  Gauging your distance to the wall is part of being able to make the catch.  I think it's just one of those things that takes an extreme amount of focus and coordination, and usually he makes that play.  In this instance he didn't.  But you can't take it for granted when he makes those plays look easy, because they are not easy plays. 

I agree it wasn’t an easy catch.  The 2nd time he checked the wall had nothing to do with making the catch.  The ball was tracked and heading into his glove.   Looking for the wall at that point isn’t going to lessen the impact.   He took his eye off the ball and went into the wall with the same impact whether he caught the ball or not.  He took his eye off the ball too soon because he was concerned with how close to the wall he was.  I think he misjudged that too because it wasn’t nearly as bad as I think he was expecting.   
 

 

[Frobby]

23 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

I agree it wasn’t an easy catch.  The 2nd time he checked the wall had nothing to do with making the catch.  The ball was tracked and heading into his glove.   Looking for the wall at that point isn’t going to lessen the impact.   He took his eye off the ball and went into the wall with the same impact whether he caught the ball or not.  He took his eye off the ball too soon because he was concerned with how close to the wall he was.  I think he misjudged that too because it wasn’t nearly as bad as I think he was expecting.   
 

 

This is a very easy thing to say for those watching on television, but a lot harder to do when you’re running full speed towards an immovable object.  I was disappointed he didn’t catch it but I’m not going to blame him for checking where the wall was.   That’s just human instinct, and those who ignore it too often end up crumpled in a heap on the ground.  

[RZNJ]

17 minutes ago, Frobby said:

This is a very easy thing to say for those watching on television, but a lot harder to do when you’re running full speed towards an immovable object.  I was disappointed he didn’t catch it but I’m not going to blame him for checking where the wall was.   That’s just human instinct, and those who ignore it too often end up crumpled in a heap on the ground.  

Sure, it’s easy for me to say but:

He wasn’t at full speed.   He did a stutter step and then actually jumped greatly reducing his momentum.   I also couldn’t come close to hitting 85 mph changeups or 95 mph fastballs but I still criticized Cowser for looking at fastball down the middle last week.   I think you did too.

He should have caught the ball.  That’s what’s expected of a plus ML CF.  

 

[Frobby]

Just to close the loop on the ball that Mullins couldn't quite catch on Tuesday in St. Louis, Statcast rated it a 20% probability catch.

[RZNJ]

26 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Just to close the loop on the ball that Mullins couldn't quite catch on Tuesday in St. Louis, Statcast rated it a 20% probability catch.

Good.  He did everything right ………. except catch the ball because he took his eye off the ball.  He got to it.  It was going in his glove and then it didn’t.

[Greg Pappas]

Bump.  I've seen posts calling us a terrible defensive team.  Would you all agree?  I'm unsure how to look up defensive numbers AND understand their validity, but this is how I 'see' the team.  

• 1B:  Mountcastle seems above average to me and has for years. O'Hearn is solid as the backup. 
• 2B:  Westburg didn't seem elite, but pretty solid overall (at 2B/3B).  Holliday has had his issues as well and the jury is still out, but I believe he'll settle into a solid defender at 2B.  Perhaps he can be a CF candidate if 2B doesn't work out.
• SS:  Gunnar has had real issues, but I believe he's a positive at SS.
• 3B:  Urias is solid, but no longer elite, and Mayo has a lot to prove in the field to earn a spot at 3B moving forward.  IMHO, Westburg will likely be our 3B moving forward.
• CA:  Rutsch is solid overall.  McCann is as well, but this will almost certainly be his final season.
• OF:  Cowser is very good, if not elite.  Mullins is still a quality defender, as is Santander in RF.  

Your thoughts?