Author Topic: Today's Game - 2021  (Read 43712 times)

dogstoothe

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Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #615 on: April 13, 2021, 01:43:50 pm »
I did not like at all that laugh Biaz let out after his  throw from a routine grounder sailed into the right field seats.  Slugger Rizzo thought it was funny too.  It was not funny.

wmljohn

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Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #616 on: April 13, 2021, 02:11:51 pm »
The first batter of the game yesterday was Happ.  They played the shift on him as the first batter of the game!  He could have laid down the bunt and been on first base.  The next batter walked.  The Cubs could have had the first two on with no outs in the top of the first.

Instead...

Ground out by Happ right into the shift to kill what could have been.

Playtwo

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Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #617 on: April 13, 2021, 02:14:00 pm »
As I said previously, if they aren't hitting, make them bunt when the shift is on.

brjones

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Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #618 on: April 13, 2021, 02:48:06 pm »
I don't think it's fair to assume that hitters can just bunt for hits any time the shift is on. Bunting isn't easy, and it's getting harder all the time as pitchers get better. I think the success rate would be a lot lower than most people think it would be.

dogstoothe

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Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #619 on: April 13, 2021, 03:06:12 pm »
Well so we don’t practice bunting because it’s so hard against today’s pitchers.  Don’t hit and run or steal bases because it’s so hard to do against today’s pitchers. 

CurtOne

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Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #620 on: April 13, 2021, 03:10:09 pm »
**** me up when the announcers were talking Certain Outcomes, a predictive tool two women in Milwaukee  developed for Robb Deer.  3 outcomes.  Strike Out, walk, or home run.  The implication was that pretty much our entire lineup.   They even joked about the defense could stay in the dugout.    Sad.

CurtOne

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Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #621 on: April 13, 2021, 03:10:54 pm »
Cr ac ked is fofbotten?

Playtwo

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Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #622 on: April 13, 2021, 03:19:54 pm »
I just figured out what is wrong with the Cubs offense.  I have been fast forwarding through their ABs and the hitters probably haven't been able to pick up the pitches.  I'm going to try watching at real time speed tonight.

craig

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Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #623 on: April 13, 2021, 03:45:38 pm »
I don't think it's fair to assume that hitters can just bunt for hits any time the shift is on. Bunting isn't easy, and it's getting harder all the time as pitchers get better. I think the success rate would be a lot lower than most people think it would be.

I agree.  Getting on top of a high-spin high-in-zone fastball?  Tough.  Getting a good directional bunt down on a high-movement breaking ball?  Tough.  Bunting is hard, and it's never been harder against modern pitching. 

It's one of the reasons why sac-bunting is of such iffy value.  It would be one thing if you're sacrificing an out for a base.  But most attempts to sacrifice-bunt fail to advance the runner.   

Bennett

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Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #624 on: April 13, 2021, 03:45:55 pm »

dogstoothe

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Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #625 on: April 13, 2021, 04:02:02 pm »
Craig, but aren’t those same pitches just as hard to hit for singles or extra bases?  I’m with WMLJ, if the shift is on then the batter should be able to execute a bunt single.
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Dihard

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Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #626 on: April 13, 2021, 04:06:34 pm »
I just figured out what is wrong with the Cubs offense.  I have been fast forwarding through their ABs and the hitters probably haven't been able to pick up the pitches.  I'm going to try watching at real time speed tonight.
Whew! So glad there’s a solid, reasonable explanation.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

craig

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Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #627 on: April 13, 2021, 04:27:01 pm »
Craig, but aren’t those same pitches just as hard to hit for singles or extra bases?  I’m with WMLJ, if the shift is on then the batter should be able to execute a bunt single.

Yeah, given that our team batting average is .164, you'd think Happ might be able to have a better than .164 chance of getting a bunt down and beating it out.  I don't disagree there. 
-Rizzo, not so sure? 
-I'm just saying that it's still really hard. 
-It's not like I'd be expecting Happ and Rizzo and Heyward to be able to get bunt singles whenever they wanted, or that they'd bat .500 on bunt-single attempts or anything like that.
-But yeah, you'd think with some practice and intent, they might be able to hit variably north of .200 bunting against the shift.... 

Dave23

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Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #628 on: April 13, 2021, 04:29:25 pm »
It would be one thing if teams played a shift, and then worked the batter with nothing but pitches on the inner half to coax them into hitting into the shift.

But no...these pitchers are working the batters away more than ever, and the dumbass batters continue to roll over on pitches away and ground them right into the shift...instead of taking what the pitcher and the defense are giving them on a silver f’ing platter.

And it’s painful to watch...

If defenses dared to shift on a Gwynn or a Boggs, they would hit .450...
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CUBluejays

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Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #629 on: April 13, 2021, 04:49:08 pm »
Happ was an expected wOBA of .351 based off of the quality of his contact.  Kris Bryant has a wOBA of .368 this year.  Don't bunt Ian, keep mashing the ball and they will fall.