5/2 - 5/8 Game Discussion Thread

[SPTO]

Re: 5/2 - 5/8 Game Discussion Thread

Crazy stat of the day:

This year's Tigers 7 game losing streak was the longest losing streak in Jim Leyland's managerial career. This totally floors me as I would think he'd have a bigger losing streak with the Pirates when he first took over or in his one year in Colorado.

Well at least this is something interesting for me to put in my memory banks.

[ImTellinTim]

Re: 5/2 - 5/8 Game Discussion Thread

Crazy stat of the day:

This year's Tigers 7 game losing streak was the longest losing streak in Jim Leyland's managerial career. This totally floors me as I would think he'd have a bigger losing streak with the Pirates when he first took over or in his one year in Colorado.

Well at least this is something interesting for me to put in my memory banks.

The Pirates were good when he managed them though - maybe not so much when he first started, but it didn't take him long to turn them around at all.

[SPTO]

Re: 5/2 - 5/8 Game Discussion Thread

The Pirates were good when he managed them though. Hard to believe, I know.

Actually 7 of the 11 years they were below .500

'86, '87, '89 '93-'97

[ImTellinTim]

Re: 5/2 - 5/8 Game Discussion Thread

Actually 7 of the 11 years they were below .500

'86, '87, '89 '93-'97

Yeah, I kind of changed my post.

Below .500, yes, but not by much some of those years. It's actually kind of hard to lose 7 baseball games in a row. A lot has to go wrong for a week straight. But you're right. Given his longevity, it's kind of amazing that 7 is his longest streak.

[Jgainsey]

Re: 5/2 - 5/8 Game Discussion Thread

Well if you have defenders with great range, you're using less of that range when you put them closer together.

They're still going to get plenty of opportunities to play straight up depending on base runners and other situations. So it's not like you're completely wasting all of the fielding talent. The rangiest SS isn't going to field most well hit balls up the middle anyways. Same thing goes for second base... Why wouldn't you want to give your team the biggest advantage possible?

Obviously, you're probably not going to use a shift as much if your team has great defense in the infield, but the advantage is clear cut. At least I know it is for the lefty shift we've been seeing for years now. The numbers don't lie, it can be very effective against many hitters in the league.

[Chaos81]

Re: 5/2 - 5/8 Game Discussion Thread

It's actually kind of hard to lose 7 baseball games in a row.

Tell that to the Royals.

[lonewolf371]

Re: 5/2 - 5/8 Game Discussion Thread

They're still going to get plenty of opportunities to play straight up depending on base runners and other situations. So it's not like you're completely wasting all of the fielding talent. The rangiest SS isn't going to field most well hit balls up the middle anyways. Same thing goes for second base... Why wouldn't you want to give your team the biggest advantage possible?

Obviously, you're probably not going to use a shift as much if your team has great defense in the infield, but the advantage is clear cut. At least I know it is for the lefty shift we've been seeing for years now. The numbers don't lie, it can be very effective against many hitters in the league.

You'd be surprised at how much ground some SSs can cover. Also, I'm under the impression that most teams at least do a little bit of shifting.

[ImTellinTim]

Re: 5/2 - 5/8 Game Discussion Thread

You'd be surprised at how much ground some SSs can cover. Also, I'm under the impression that most teams at least do a little bit of shifting.

Yeah. Especially in the outfield. They have the spray charts and use them. You only really notice it when the infield does some crazy shift.

One of these times I'd love to see Thome lay a bunt down the 3rd base line. Automatic hit every time if he did that.

[Sportsforever]

Re: 5/2 - 5/8 Game Discussion Thread

Yeah. Especially in the outfield. They have the spray charts and use them. You only really notice it when the infield does some crazy shift.

One of these times I'd love to see Thome lay a bunt down the 3rd base line. Automatic hit every time if he did that.

McCann has done that on a few occasions....the shift is on and he just lays it down and walks to first.

[Jgainsey]

Re: 5/2 - 5/8 Game Discussion Thread

You'd be surprised at how much ground some SSs can cover. Also, I'm under the impression that most teams at least do a little bit of shifting.

I know how much ground a good SS can cover, and of course, every team uses at least minor shifts here and there.

I don't think every team should do what the Brewers are doing. They tried one on Chipper of all people last night, and he poked what probably should have been an out down the left field line for a double. But the fact remains, if you look at the spray charts and BABIP numbers into the shift, it proves how effective it can be.

And sure, somebody like McCann can lay down a bunt single a couple of times a year, but that doesn't really do anything to change the effectiveness of the shift. I love when he drops one down in those situations, but at least 9 times out of 10 he's going to swing away. And when he puts one in play, the opposing team has a better chance of making an out than they would if they weren't using the shift.

Why not put an extra fielder(within reason) on the side of the field that a batter almost always hits too? McCann has 31 hits this year, and only 2 of them have been hit to the left side. Granted, he'd probably have a few more if there was a shift on for every at-bat, but that is more than compensated for all of the extra hits you take away up the middle and to the right.

[Kobalt]

Re: 5/2 - 5/8 Game Discussion Thread

Ethier at 30 now

[Blzer]

Re: 5/2 - 5/8 Game Discussion Thread

Look at that, Joe West acting as Angel Hernandez's personal bodyguard. I really hate those two as a team together.

[ImTellinTim]

Re: 5/2 - 5/8 Game Discussion Thread

Angel Hernandez and Joe West are turning another game into a circus. And it's only the 2nd inning of the series.

Missed balk call and a toss of Francona for arguing it. Then there was contact between Francona and West.

[Blzer]

Re: 5/2 - 5/8 Game Discussion Thread

Angel Hernandez and Joe West are turning another game into a circus. And it's only the 2nd inning of the series.

Missed balk call and a toss of Francona for arguing it. Then there was contact between Francona and West.

That'll surely be a fine, and it's unfortunate because all Francona wants to do is get a word in.

And I've never understood the "you can't argue a balk" rule for two reasons: 1) I just don't understand what it means... technically can't you not argue anything? 2) You should be able to at least be told what he did, and if so just put your say in for the umpire in case you think he missed the call. I guess though that a balk is just one of those calls that instead is not on-the-fly in the sense that it must be called as a result of the play only if observed, kind of like defensive obstruction or something. It can only be called if it is seen, therefore you'd presume they would not call it if it didn't happen. Maybe that's what the rule means.

[Mo]

Re: 5/2 - 5/8 Game Discussion Thread

I got Hosmer fever, I got it bad