Comments on: Rangers Ability to Focus on One Game at a Time in August, May Well Mean Extra Dates in October

By: obagain

obagain — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:46:44 +0000

for all you guys giving up on the division, remember that pitching is what gets you into the playoffs and the angels pitching has not been good.
If you have to score 8 runs a night to win you will hit a slump at some time, the angels cant keep scoring like they are, we have tried it for the last 10 years and should know it wont work.
if they slip even a little we can take the division.

By: Fred

Fred — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:25:19 +0000

@Adam D-1) You’re right. He wouldn’t have been a LH 3B. Wasn’t thinking.
2) Admittedly, I haven’t read all of this thread, but do they factor in a !Bman’s primary function, which I always saw as caching the ball with his foot on the base–with poor throws? This is, his “range” around the bag on an imperfect throw–scoop, stretch, etc? If so: how do they do it? How do they adjust for CD’s hight vs. Blalock on high throws? How do they handle woulda/shoulda/coulda on a high or low throw, or the stretch to beat the runner.

By: Adam D

Adam D — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:09:13 +0000

wait… blalock only HITS left handed. he fields right handed.

By: Jack Daddy

Jack Daddy — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:59:22 +0000

@fred – that’s interesting.

my other theory – Davis has been great on reaction plays, plays down the line, scoops and stretches. Was he really that good in the hole? We know he didn’t have good range at 3B, its seems weird to expect it at first.

In other words, the things he did well, HE DID SO WELL, that our opinion might be inflated on how good he really way (maybe he hdidn’t have great range to his right).

By: Adam D

Adam D — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:52:59 +0000

bear in mind, there are always error bars on these statistics…

as for the range, i’m not sure. i don’t really have the time right now to dive into the numbers. i was just taking them from fangraphs.

as for fielding metrics in general, there is a wide consensus that nothing we have right now is anywhere close to optimal. but it certainly quantifies a whole lot more than we could even 5 years ago.

By: Fred

Fred — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:43:54 +0000

@Adam D-I don’t understand or put much stock in esoteric fielding stats, especially when the belie what my eyes,which have a bit of experience tell me. However, on the range issue, could a factor be that Blalock is left handed and CD right handed (bats left/throws right)? There’s more room to range in the hole than toward the line and you cover more ground to your right if the glove’s on your right hand, especially on reaction plays.

By: Adam D

Adam D — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:23:27 +0000

i’ll try to address both CF and 1B…

at 1B, 74 games of CD gives a UZR/150 of -0.7, while Blalock has a 5.7 in 45 games. I’m not sure I can explain this without looking further into the calculations. The only major metric that HB exceeds CD in on a per-inning basis is double play’s turned, and surely that’s not as important for 1B since they are generally only on the receiving end. Otherwise, the two look comparable in most of the counting metrics per-inning, or CD slightly is better, but I can’t explain the disparity in UZR/150. It says Blalock has a better range than CD. However, in 2008, CD rated a 2.2 in 51 games while Blalock rated -16.9 in 34 games. Maybe HB is learning the position better.

In 2008, Josh Hamilton was one of the worst everyday center fielders in the game, rating -17.7 for 111 games, and Marlon Byrd rating 15.3 for 57 games. This year, Hamilton is GREATLY improved, rating 18.8 over 46 games while Marlon Byrd is -0.7 over 72 games (effectively, neutral).

I don’t think you can move MY to 1B.. what about CD and Smoak? And then who would you put at 3B? Despite his shortcomings, I think you have to be happy that he’s an improvement over 3B last year (Hank Blalock, Travis Metcalf, German Duran, Chris Davis, and Ramon Vazquez)

By: Adam D

Adam D — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:12:09 +0000

yes, ian has improved immensely, both to the naked eye and to the measurables. in 121 games last year, had a UZR/150 of -8.1. in 98 games so far this year, Ian rates at 6.8! In fact, 15 games of Omar Vizquel at 2B rating at -3.3 is bring down our average, in large part because Omar simply doesn’t have the range that Ian does.

But let me be fair to Omar. Where as 101 games of Elvis at SS has a UZR/150 of 10.1, Omar rates out at 19.6 for his 22 games. While Omar doesn’t have nearly the range Elvis does (and Elvis turns about 10% more DP’s per inning), he also makes no errors (Elvis has 15).

By: JustSaying

JustSaying — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:05:13 +0000

@adam d those are some very enlighening numbers…….CF is the one number that really jumps out as a surprise……..haven’t noticed that nearly as much as the change at short……..
Does 3B numbers indicate that MY might eventaully be looked at to move to first?
other surprise is the mild improvement at 1st….would have though cd is much better than that number….is blalock the reason it is only 1.4

By: Jack Daddy

Jack Daddy — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 20:59:59 +0000

@adam – i think Ian’s D has greatly improved this year as well. He’s always had terrific range. This year isn’t making the sloppy errror and, despite the error yesterday, has geatly improved the back hand on the grounder up the middle.