MASNsports.com is your online home for the latest Orioles and Nationals news, features, and commentary. And now, you can connect with MASN on every digital level. From web and social media to our new mobile alert service, MASN has got all the bases covered.
Get the latest breaking news direct to your phone with our free mobile texting service. Text "MASN" to 29292, or click the join button below!
I devoted my final entry last night to the Orioles' defense.
I hope it didn't contain any errors.
I recall a time when the organization stressed tightening up the defense to assist the young starting pitchers. Just using last night as an example, you've got center fielder Corey Patterson in left, rookie work-in-progress Josh Bell at third, corner infielder Scott Moore at second and third baseman Ty Wigginton at first. Most nights, shortstop Miguel Tejada starts at third. We've seen plenty of shortstop Julio Lugo at second. We've occasionally seen designated hitter Luke Scott at first.
Tejada no longer belongs at shortstop, but it's been a bumpy transition to third. He'll make a nice stop, and he still has a cannon for an arm, but then he'll mishandle a fairly routine ball.
Moore broke into professional baseball as a shortstop, but he's more of a third baseman who also can play first. He's trying hard at second and the Orioles will continue to tutor him, but he's lost at times trying to get in the proper position, and he's far from polished when trying to turn a double play.
How many extra outs can the Orioles keep giving these teams?
Patterson is 12-for-24 during a six-game hitting streak that includes a homer, three doubles, two RBIs and two walks. He has 10 multi-hit games in his last 18.
But about that defense...
Patterson is proving that playing one outfield position doesn't mean you can play all three. He's getting poor reads on balls, with the obvious difference in angles, and it's become more than a job for him. It's an adventure.
Felix Pie will soon replace him in left. That would be center fielder Felix Pie.
Adam Jones won a Gold Glove last year. He won't win one this year.
I'm told that MASN analyst Jim Palmer used the term "atrocious" to describe Jones' play in center, proving again that the Hall of Famer needs to stop mincing words.
The Orioles need a big bat in the middle of their lineup. That's the No. 1 priority this winter. But they also must address their deficiencies in the field.
One suggestion: Have Paul Blair tutor Jones, since the Orioles are suddenly so keen on bringing back former players to offer instruction.
Just be prepared for a harsh assessment from Blair, who would rather hold a rabid dog than his tongue.
It'll be good to watch Oakland's Ryan Sweeney from the rearview mirror. He's 14-for-33 (.424) with six RBIs against the Orioles this season, has a 10-game hitting streak against them - batting .432 during it - and is a career .364 hitter against them.
Trade for him.
Hey Josh Bell, again, welcome to the big leagues. And good luck tonight with knuckleballer Tim Wakefield.
My guess is Bell serves as the designated hitter, with Tejada returning to third base. And we could see Bell again on Sunday against John Lackey.
Not so sure about Saturday and lefty starter Jon Lester.
Has anybody seen Jake Fox?
Trade for Sweeney if only for the reason we won't have to face him 6 or 9 times a year.
Erik Bedard made his final rehab start in Tacoma last night, 4 and a third with 81 pitches and 3 k's...1 run.
Seattle has a wealth of pitching but it is said that Cliff Lee will be dealt before the deadline.
Bell has a good looking demeanour at the plate. When you look at the DH average in the AL, it sure would be nice to have somebody hit .270 plus with power at that spot.
Thanks for keeping us in the loop as always Roch. Here are my two questions this morning:
1) Was Jake Fox worth trading for if he's not going to play anymore than this?
2) Did Miggy booting all of those balls on Thursday night have a large impact on bringing up Bell (a 3rd baseman) as opposed to someone else?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bell could be optioned when Pie comes off the DL. Tejada's problems Thursday weren't a factor in the decision. - Roch
Thanks!
Cut fox and leave bell on the team for the rest of the year and let him get some on the job training. Tejada patterson cezar wiggy all wont be with this team next year so let the guys that are going to be here next year play
Great post Roch, and I'm glad to see this penchant of playing guys at positions other than their natural one being brought to light. For me, it started in the offseason when we signed a SS to play third base when other third basemen were out there, and then signed a third baseman to play first with other first basemen out there. And now more recently, first baseman Scott goes down with an injury, so we promote..drumroll please.. a third baseman.
This from the Sun: MacPhail and Samuel said they still want Felix Pie to play a couple of games in the outfield before he rejoins the club. When they scanned the rest of their options, Bell stood out because he has been swinging the bat well.
"The more you looked at it and the position you had to potentially fill, the clearer the picture became," MacPhail said.
Please, for the love of all things holy, explain to me why the position we had to fill (first freaking base) made it obvious to promote a third baseman? That logic doesn't make sense to this Baltimore boy.
An excellent post Roch!
Instead of having quality players at "most" position, this team has been assembled in a patch work method. More players are playing out of position and there is no wonder our defense is a major liability.
I have been a big fan of Palmer since the days of our WS runs. As he gets older I like him even more. He tells people the truth instead of what you want to hear. He doesn't sugar coat it. The ball hit to AJ last night which went over his head. A center fielder playing deeper, certainly has a better shot at catching that ball. Simple solution. AJ...either play deeper or you will be learning at Norfolk. Stop lettign the cart pull the horses.
The next two games are going to be tough on a rookie 3rd baseman. I wish him luck and hope he can figure out the wiffle ball from Wakefield
I think what bothers me about the defense (other than it flat out stinks), is that we seem to look for players who can play multiple positions. While it is a good thing to do to some extent, very rarely do these types of players play all around good defense (Jeff Reboulet did play well at all positions for example). I think we need to stop stockpiling the roster w/utility players. I want a manager to come in and tell Jones he has to play deeper in center or else take a seat.
We for sure need to tighten the D....we are not good enough to overcome this crap....any help that is available to get this better should be used....Blair or anyone worthy.....Bell hopefully is the 3B next year and continues to get better....it is for sure the biggest off season wish for a 1B guy with pop and a real 1B guy....I think out boy Wiggy is going to be gone this year...I think they trade him to the Philies sooner rather than later...but who knows...just a guess....barring injuries we are OK except 1B as long as Bell pans out...oh yeah SS....god knows what they must be thinking about that....the Philies wana trade Rollins for Wiggy....yeah right....can't wait to see it all play out...
Aside from calling Jones atrocious ( true since opening day), Palmer also said Jones doesn't work at his craft. That's pathetic.
Jones is a farce right now as a defender. He is the one that needs to be moved to LF with Pie going to CF. If the kid doesn't want to work, then get him out of there. Teach him a lesson. Humble him. Everytime I see that MASN ad promoting Jones as a six tool ( blowing bubbles is #6)player I want to puke. I notice he managed another bubble on that ball he didn't get to last night. Disgusting. I can tell you that if Buck Showalter gets the job, and I believe he's by far the best candidate, Jones will be corrected.
Great piece Roch! Our starting pitchers spent most of the season knowing that if they surrendered more than two runs in a game, it would likely end up as a loss. Now that we have scored some runs in the last week they have to deal with the idea that there will be at least an inning, or two, where they will neeed to get 5-6 outs. Walk a guy or throw in a hit or two and you have the makings of a big inning, like the 4th on Wednesday and 2nd last night. Tough way to pitch! Arrieta and Millwood deserved better.
I just don't get the whole Scott Moore thing at 2nd base. At 6-2, 200 he's an awfully big 2nd baseman which explains why he can't get out of the way on a doubleplay. Prior to this season, he has played four games(only one in the majors) total at 2nd base. He has more prior experience in leftfield. In 28 games at 2nd base this season, 14 each in the majors and minors, he has six errors and a combined fielding % around .950. As you state above he is a corner infielder, not a 2nd baseman. Why then are we trying to make him one? Especially, assuming that Brian Roberts will return one day. We can assume that, right?
Ty Wigginton, on the otherhand, is a natural 2nd baseman. In over 500 minor league games he spent over 300 of those at the position. His fielding % was .970. Not shabby at all on minor league fields. In the majors, he has 164 games of experience at 2nd base with a .980 fielding %. He has stated that he feels more comfortable at 2nd rather than first and he has certainly hit better as a 2nd baseman this season.
AS for Jones . . . Palmer did use the words "atrocious defense" and he just wasn't talking about Jones. He was referring to the entire evening. He mentioned that we have a centerfielder who is on cruise control. Paul Blair played as shallow as any centerfielder I have ever seen, yet rarely did a ball get over his head. With Jones, it's almost a nightly occurrence. I think the only solution for him now would be to bench his butt for 2-3 games. Maybe he'll get the message from that.
I'm surprised that Palmer wasn't all over Mata in the 7th. The hit that Jones air-mailed to third should have never gotten to him. Mata waved at it as it passed by him. He falls off the mound so much, the ball had a better chance of hitting him
in the butt than it did hitting his glove. Who's idea was it to put this guy in a major league uniform?
People got excited here a couple of nights ago when Juan Samuel was the first to come outof the dugout when Lugo got it. So this year as manager we have had a really nice guy and now a guy looking for a fight. I would prefer a manager who 1) has the ability to put players in a position where they can be successful and 2) holds them accountable when they don't perform like major leaguers!
I've noticed that Patterson and Jones(not asmuch lately) play more in, making it harder to get deep balls. Not sure why Tejada can't play short anymore besides his age. Markakis is the only solid fielder on the team it seems at times, I don't count Wieters as fielder, but he's been doing great behind the plate.
Checking in with a few random thoughts:
1) Roch, why are you never harsh on the Orioles (please note obvious sarcasm here)? Actually, your item was very well said. I watch these guys and wonder whether some of them have true baseball instincts ... simple things like where to position yourself while covering the base.
2) I have never seen so many misplays in the outfield as I have seen this year. Even in the days of the immortal Carlos Lopez (1978), it was never this bad.
3) As for Bell, perhaps bringing him up is a way of whetting his appetite, sort of like saying, "Hey, this is what it's like. If you want to be here, work hard to stay here."
4) I've been hoping for Buck Showalter all along. I like Rick Dempsey as a TV guy, I always liked him as a player, and he seems like a fun guy to be around, but I don't know about him as a manager. Rick loves the Orioles and Baltimore, no doubt, and I guess in some ways it comes back to this: How do you know whether someone will make a good manager if he never gets the chance? I don't know whether this would be the right time for this organization, though.
5) It amazes me how many people don't know the rules concerning player options ... well, on the other hand, I guess it doesn't.
I think we've seen enough of Mata. Who's the next pitcher in the queue to come up? Gonzo? I don't know if I'd want to wait that long to ditch Mata, maybe we go with an extra member of the bench when Pie comes back up since there will just be a week till the ASB. I guess it hinges on how our pitching looks this weekend.
Hey Roch, you are right on the money about this. I was at the game last night and this is getting really painful. I wish someone were keeping track of how many runs this horrible defense is costing the team every game. Missed double play opportunities alone must have resulted in many runs to this point this season. I didn't see Wigginton's and Bell's errors last night since I was intently watching the police subdue a customer behing the A's dugout who appeared to have enjoyed way too much of the local brew during the game and maybe for several hours before. I think it finally took about 4 of them handcuff him. The best part about it was that it kept me from watching what was happening on the field for 5 minutes or so.
Roch,
Yeah, I basically posted the same thing the other night. A team can have one, maybe two, players playing out of position. When you get to four or five, you're asking for trouble. Wiggenton is the perfect guy if you have a solid line up. He can rotate through three or four positions to give guys a break, ala Tony Phillips. He's got a good stick but he's not good enough defensivily to stay at any one position. I bet the Phillies would love to have him right now.
Injuries to Roberts, and Pie have signiifcantly hurt the O's defensivily.
I don't know what to say about Jones other than he really needs an established veteran to straighten him out. I thought John Shelby could be that guy but apparently he's not getting through to Adam. A benching might be in order.
Josh Bell does not deserve a ringing review of his first game for the Birds; but, he has the look and the movements of a ballplayer – in the field and as a hitter.
Last night was the shortest of a limited sample; however, my Oriole Fever, contracted in 1954, rewired my brain to be ever hopeful and positive until bludgeoned into accepting the reality of hopes dashed.
I like what I see – the young man moves like a natural ballplayer whose power will develop. Furthermore, he can play the initial sack if he can’t master third base – just so we end up with “canons at the corners.”
Harvey (alias Elwood P. Dowd),
Perhaps in practice, T-bone could hold a bunch of carrots where he wants Adam to set up; or, offer carrots as a reward for playing deeper.
This goes way back: I remember, from the mist of early childhood memory, that Bob Nieman -- our left fielder and long-term holder of the highest batting average (.320 - from memory; someone, please check it out and gleefully correct me) -- was teased by his teammates who claimed he had green paint on the backside of his uniform from setting up as deep as the green left field wall would allow. Nieman -- who, charitably, could be described as a lumberer, was determined that no ball was going to land beyond him.
Skates Revisited; Last night, when I compared the misadventures of Corey Patterson to the uncertain fielding of Lonnie “Skates” Smith, I failed to mention that Lonnie ended his career with a one-year stay in Baltimore.
Also, it is reported in Wikipedia, that Lonnie -- depressed that he could not catch on with a team for the 1988 season -- blamed John Schuerholz of the K.C. Royals for blackballing him.
Fortunately, for both parties, Skates -- who had gone so far as to purchase a handgun with which to remove the evil Schuerholz -- regained control of whatever good sense he once had, and dropped his plan to assassinate Baltimore native John Scheurholz*.
Why is there an elephant maneuvering a circus ball on the Athletics' logo? Read on....
During one of the early "World's Series," (I don't remember which, probably 1911) John McGraw's Giants faced Connie Mack's Athletics. McGraw claimed the Athletics were scared of the Giants and looked like a bunch of "white elephants." A couple of seasons later (1913?) the same teams faced in the World Series again. This time, Mack had white elephant silhouettes sewn onto the Athletics jerseys just to stick it to McGraw. According to this site, the elephant didn't become permanent until 1920. (Lifted verbatim from a very interesting site: http://www.sportslogos.net/index.php
*At one time, under Harry Dalton, the Orioles Farm System employed Jim Russo, super scout; John Scheurholz, who built two juggernauts in K.C. and Atlanta; and Lou Gorman who rose to prominence after he moved to Boston. And, not to forget the remarkable Frank Cashen who kept the Birds flying high until the Mets lured him away. Any resemblance of the 1966 “scout and develop” personnel to today’s – shall we say – more streamlined efforts is purely coincidental.
As the recent reunion underscored, 1966 – 1971 was an era when giants walked the clubhouse and front office of the Baltimore Orioles.
I fear that this season has revealed that our leadership is average, fans are not in awe of the players, and that the ground does not shake when the Oriole “greats” of the 21st century walk the fields of Baltimore and Sarasota.
I totally agree that Jones won't win any gold glove.Lackadaisial play is one of his faults-i.e. the runner going 1st to 3rd on a single to center which he nonchalantly fielded.Made him look like a fool.I hope he sees the replay and maybe wakes up.CP has been ok at times,completely at sea at other times.Infielders are so inconsistent it makes me ill.But then again,i'm from the Brooks,Belanger,Blair era.The best hustler,down and dirty out there is Wiggy,who doesn't pretend to be a great glove,but at least gives 100%.
I curse the day Ozzie Smith,and Roberto Alomar started strutting their acrobatics-everyone wants to be an espn highlight and can't make the routine plays due to atrocious habits.A pox on espn and their "arena baseball"attitudes. We need defense and teamwork.
Roch,
Great post! I think the Orioles lead the league with guys not playing their natural position.
Regarding the Blair comment.....couldn't agree more....the team needs to tap these resources and it's high time someone is harsh. The organization has (and has had) too many "nice" guys. That's why I wanted to see Valentine get the manager's job.
Jim Carter
I haven't seen that many players out of position since Gary Roenicke played 3rd, John Lowenstein played 2nd and Len Sakata went behind the plate. Maybe the plan was for Arrieta to pick off all those players reaching on errors.
MacFail is chomping at the bit to get his boy back here. I have to laugh if he or anyone else thinks Pienutbrittle is an upgrade defensively in LF. Last year he set new lows on OF play with virtual little league mistakes. His poor man's version of Rickey Henderson snatches don't impress me either when he does catch the ball. A little more humbleness & less attitude there, & at the plate ,would go a long way....
The Nats D is getting mocked nationally ,but truthfully, this team isn't much better.
Bringing in Paul Blair to tutor Adam Jones is an excellent idea. Perhaps Jones will become so proficient at center field that he can tutor the position when his playing days are over.
Paul Blair can't teach Jones to keep his head in the game. Last night with a runner on first and a single hit right to Jones, Jones casually approached the ball as the aggressive runner from first continued past second and into third. So many times this year it appears that Jones has no concept of the game situation.
Roch, you left one out Garrett Atkins was a 3rd baseman playing 1st. I am not sure if changing positions play a part in his struggles this year. It will be interesting to see if he clears waivers, if the O's will give him the 3rd base job at Norfolk. Blake Davis played there last night but i don't think he will be there long term.
I have never, ever seen a major league team start so many players out of position night after night. It's past riduculous. It's absurd!
I would disagree about Patterson being worse than any of our other options. Who's a better option? Scott, Pie, Wiggington, or anyone else would be far worse out there. Also, Tejada has made a great transition to third. He is the least suspect on the field, other than Markakis and Izturis (and yes, I'd include Jones in that assessment. I still have no idea how Jones won the gold glove over Markakis. I guess flashy wall catches win more votes than steady play and a great arm.
What the heck happened with MacPhail in the winter of 2010? In the winter of 2009, he quietly grabbed defensive whiz Cesar Izturis to shore up the infield defense. He traded for Felix Pie to take over in left (Brian recalls the miscues on an all-too-frequent basis, ignoring the very many balls Pie flagged down which resulted in his high positive UZR in LF; we can have this debate forever, but stats that include the "little league mistakes" still showed him to be an above average defender and there are plenty of good eyes out there that noticed Pie make exceptional plays as well as the mistakes). MacPhail outright stated that young pitching needed a good defense behind it. Then this winter? Yuck. Defense was entirely ignored, save the recognition that we shouldn't ever try Tejada at shortstop.
We need to clean house in the coaching staff. While our record under Samuel is a marginal improvement, it's luck and regression to the norm (should you call it regression when you're moving up to the line?). Check out the run differential in Samuel's tenure. It's ugly. Let's get coaches that understand and can teach fundamentals: defense, batting approach, baserunning. And please, let's do it soon before we further corrupt and ruin the young talent this organization finally has.
Ever hear of a corner infielder that Earl Weaver decided to make a shortstop, even though everyone said he was too big to play the position? You people act like once a player plays a position he should never play anything else.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, but he also played it well. Big difference. - Roch
Roch:
When Mike Hargrove got fired I wanted the whole coaching staff gone. Funny how things stay the same even as they change. As hard as it would be Crow isn't cutting it. Shelby has to do better. I know they don't play, but neither did Trembly.
I was at Thursday nights game. What an embarassment. The best part of the game was the fight over in section 50ish. Twice in that game Jones double clutched allowing runners to advance. Patterson, well, what can be said there? Two nights in a row he looks like a little leaguer. Arietta, at one point had thrown 43 strikes and 38 balls! Shocking! This isn't the cavalry headed for the Little Big Horn, is it? On the flip side (you were there so you know the plays I'm talking about) the A's make breath taking plays in the field at first, third and left field.
The Birds are only a Triple A team at best--and not a very good one. Nice job AP.
First to Roch, thank you so much for separating the defensive issues into a post of its own. It's bad enough it should be forced to stand trial.
Ray, Palmer did take Mata to task for his off-balance delivery and poor fielding attempts. Of all the times to jump into the game, I came in during the 7th inning. What a show piece for a disaster. Without looking at the stats for that inning, I'd say there was probably an opportunity for eight different outs just in the 7th.
The airball over Jones' daydreaming head. The triple-clutch airmailed throw from Jones to Tejada pulling him off base (and as Palmer pointed out the A's were trying to give us that out at 3rd). The slapping grounder which appeared to pass right through a drawn-in Izturis' falling down body.
And don't forget the two wavings at balls up the middle by Mata. In direct contrast to that was Oakland's Cahill, who made at least two successful stabs and throwouts while playing the same position. I really like Cahill.
I heard on 1370 this morning Tampa is possibly looking to trade Carl Crawford soon instead of letting him walk for nothing after the season. If I'm MacPhail, and I'm not, I call Tampa right now and offer Jones (who should be in LF, not CF), and either Tillman, Bergesen or Arrieta in exchange for Crawford and a 48-hour exclusive negotiating window. If I couldn't get CC to agree to at least a 2-year extension, I wouldn't make the trade. But you have to make that call. Crawford is everything that Jones is not.
Exactly what does John Shelby need to do better? Relay signals, take batting gloves, clap????
Let us know if Adam Jones seems weary today. Jim Palmer definitely pounded him to at least a standing 8 count. If you get a chance to hear it, do so.
Your a pro baseball player, if you can play CF you can play LF....excuses excuses How many positions does Youklis play ? Oh wait, he's a real baseball player
And by the way, Jones should be in CF. He's a good CF who has had some errors this year. He will be a great CF. Get off his back,,,,man, O's fans are clueless
The O's need to find a way to trade for Philly AA 1B Domenic Brown,,,just offering Wiggy may not get it done
Maybe the Orioles need some girls to play on their team.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmSZwj4q3Lc
Roch I agree with Maddy.My observations are the following:Corey and Adam both need to play deeper to get to the balls which are getting over there heads. Nick appears to be the only defensive outfielder we have now that can get to deep flyballs. Scott Moore should be playing third. Miggy or Cesar at shortstop.Both appear to be adequate. Josh Bell or Ty Wigginton at second and Ty Wigginton or Jake Fox at first. Matt at catcher. Your thoughts are always appreciated as i enjoy reading your blogs each day that i can. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to comment. Your Faithful Fan.
I'm starting to hear more about international signings and I'm surprised how little Andy MacPhail has seemingly spent on international free agents. Its certain that the front office was trying to recover their image internationally, but it seems like its time to spend.
Have you heard anything from scouts?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nope. - Roch
The Orioles sure have some dumb defensive ball players ( or shuld I be politically correct and sa "lacking in baseball instincts". Surprised some of them don't go to their devensive positions and wear their hats backwards or at a 90 degree angle.
Sporry to be so negative but this bunch stinks
At this point the best thing for the O's is to trade Adam jones. Felix Pie is a better defensive centerfielder and matt Angle is putting up big numbers at Bowie. He is about 1 and a half years away from the majors. O's have alot of options in left field. Reimold if he makes it back. Carl Crawford is an unrestricted free agent after the season. Crawford plays leftfield. jones has demonstrated that he is unwilling to change his style. When Trembley asked him to play deeper he refused and he also is not improving his patience in the batters box.
sheets, I didn't even mention the poor routes he takes to balls too. If he was better at that, he wouldn't need to be diving & lunging for the occasional "great catch". It's all part of the larger issue.... next time, we can discuss the throwing... :-)
maybe Paul Blair would loan Adam Jones his horse...
Your post and Palmer's comments last night, were right on target. The unfortuante thing, NOBODY SEEMS TO LISTEN OR WATCH, EXCEPT the people who scout for the other teams. The word is out, unless the ball is hit right at the left, or center fielder, take the extra base. They won't do it to Nick. The sad thing, I think I'm watching my grandsons 9-10, where its required to have kids play at various positions. Most time, they have to ask, "Where's that?" In defense of some of these guys, it's really not their fault. They've been told, or forced to play various positions and HOPE THEY DO A GOOD JOB? Juan keeps saying, "I want this team to play the game like I did." Well, if he played this way, I don't remember it. And, if he is SUPPOSED to get on these guys backs for doing something wrong, I don't see it. He has his "favorities" and nothing is said to them. Whomever takes over, I hope they have the guys to pull some of these guys and put them on the bench to wake them up. This farce has gone on too long and is getting old. IT'S TIME TO HAVE INFIELD AND OUTFIELD PRACTICE. IT'S TIME TO HAVE THE OUTFIELDS THROW TO THE VARIOUS BASES. IT'S TIME TO HIT THE CUTOFF MAN. IT'S TIME FOR THE OF TO KNOW HOW TO BACKUP EACH OTHER. THE ONLY ONE TO DO IT IS NICK.
JO
"Exactly what does John Shelby need to do better? Relay signals, take batting gloves, clap????"
Failed attempt at sarcasm...
or you don't understand the other duties of base coaches.
Roch - Great post. It totally calls into question what AM's thinking was when
he put this team together. How many guys can you have playing out of position,
before you see the defensive calamity that we've witnessed? How would you
like to be a young pitcher trying to adjust to the big leagues, and have this
cast of characters playing behind you? Trembley took the fall, but AM has had
an incredibly bad year. Not only did he fail to aquire the bats that he
promised the fan base, his entire thought process on who to send down, who to
call up, and where to play them, has been pathetic. I was a big fan of AM,
when he first arrived, and I give him credit for building up a very weak farm
system. That said, his handling of Turner, Arrieta, Bergesen, Tillman,
Moore, Sarfate, etc, has been inexplicable. If you win with pitching and
defense, you can't have short stop's playing third, corner infielder's playing
second, center fielder's playing left,etc. All pitchers, but particularly
young pitchers, need a solid defense behind them ( Arrieta should have allowed
only one run last night, and probably could have gone 7-8 innings, instead of
6 ). The same thing happened to Matusz on Tuesday, leading to a 4-2 loss. This
plus the general lack of run support has to be wearing heavily on these kids.
Now AM has a chance to show the boldness that he displayed 3 years ago ( but
has totally lost ) and make a trade for a legit power hitting corner ( I'd
gladly package Jones, Millwood Tillman, and Wigginton/ Scott for a decent
corner and maybe a short stop prospect. Then hire a manager from a winning
culture ( Davey Johnson 1148 wins- 888 losses, winning % .564, 1 Pennant,
1 World Series ring, 1 Manager of the Year, or Buck Showalter 882 wins-833
losses, 2 Manager of the Year awards ). Both of these men would demand
accountability ( something that has been sorely lacking in the 13 years since
Davey Johnson left. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but we've only been in the
playoffs twice in 27 years ( Davey's only 2 years managing the team ). Roch,
thanks for all your great work. Enjoy the holiday weekend, and keep unpacking
those boxes.
You're missing the point again. Maybe his routes aren't great. Maybe some of those impressive looking catches are a product of getting a poor jump or taking a poor route. Even if those are always true, his UZR is still very good: the bottom line is that he's making more outs in LF than the majority of MLB outfielders. That's a lot more valuable than a player who takes wonderful routes on every ball but lacks the speed to get to many of them. Greg Luzinski had a killer fielding percentage - would you like to argue he was a great defensive LF? Pie hasn't amassed many innings in LF, so with experience it's easy to argue that his routes and jumps will improve. For what it's worth, the portion of Pie's UZR that is attributed to his throwing is also positive.
I'm not saying ignore what your eyes tell you and worship at the altar of advanced statistics. What I am saying is that the stats can show you where your eyes are likely to be biased, and if you accept that and watch more closely while being aware that you could be evaluating a player unfairly, your eyes can be a lot more valuable.