Author Topic: Today's Game - 2021  (Read 43701 times)

Bennett

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7414
Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #1590 on: May 27, 2021, 03:30:39 pm »
Like Like x 1 View List

craig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13098
Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #1591 on: May 27, 2021, 03:56:55 pm »
I don't think I've ever seen a play like that crazy infield hit off Winkler, which reflected some of the complexities of some shift plays.  I suspect that Green and the analytics and the infielders might talk that one over, I suspect Bote maybe didn't play that one quite perfectly.  But everything happens so fast, hard to diagnose on the fly.   

Runner on 1st, lefty batter, shift on.  With runner on, Bryant is on the bag, so not one of the no-hold shifts where Hoerner is playing in shallow RF.  Sogard was only a step or two onto the grass, Baez stayed on the SS side of 2nd but he was still shading a bit up the middle, and Bote was playing pretty much like where a normal 2B might play. Baez and Bote were almost equidistant from 2b, and almost equally deep, right at the edge of the grass.  Sharp grounder up the middle, Baez made a fine diving stop not far from 2nd, stretched out to stop it on the RF side of the bag.  Less than two body lengths from the bag.  Normally on a hard grounder up the middle that either middle infield snags, the other middle infielder covers the bag and takes the force throw.  But with both guys equidistant from the bag, and the ball almost right over the bag, both players went for the ball, and Baez's diving stop carried him toward the RF side.  Bote was heading towards center to try to stop the ball, not to the bag.  So when Baez laid out, Bote was kinda behind him, sorta distant from the bag, and had to take a circuitous route to the bag.  Baez made the stop with plenty of time to get the force, but then had nobody to throw it to.  After using up time preparing to throw to 2B only to find nobody there, he threw way wild to 1st.  Had Bote more quickly chosen to cover the bag instead of heading towards center, or simply been unblocked by Baez, it could have been a great stop and a nice force play.  If Baez hadn't anticipated somebody being at 2nd to receive the short throw, he'd have had time to pop up and get the runner at 1st. 

Just a really crazy play.  Really lucky Frazier in the split second chose to try to advance to 2nd on the crazy throw, but Bryant got a great bounce and Bryant's throw beat Frazier to 2nd by a mile, so got an out anyway. 

Another interesting thing is that Difo may have actually gotten to 3rd even if Baez hadn't made the crazy throw.  Baez was on the ground behind 2nd; Bote was kind of bopping around off-balance on and off 2nd; I'm not sure there would have been anybody there to take a throw at 3rd even if Baez had not thrown to first, and if Difo had realized there was an uncovered 3B?  Some crazy scenarios emerge sometimes with the shifts. 

Dave23

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12697
Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #1592 on: May 27, 2021, 04:16:36 pm »
True enough on Winkler today, results-wise...I was only half-watching that half inning, but his stuff looked good from what I saw...

Reb

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5086
Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #1593 on: May 27, 2021, 04:21:16 pm »
Yeah, Winkler’s stuff is terrific.

His CAREER opposition BA is .202—and he’s even better than that this season.

Deeg

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 16920
Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #1594 on: May 27, 2021, 04:24:10 pm »
https://twitter.com/bubbaprog/status/1397975925971632128?s=20

"The calliopes can be heard from here to Sewickly"
Funny Funny x 2 View List

Reb

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5086
Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #1595 on: May 27, 2021, 04:27:55 pm »
Team   W   L   Pct   GB   Home   Road   East   Central   West   Last 10   Streak
Chi Cubs   27   22   .551   -   16 - 9   11 - 13   8 - 6   14 - 13   3 - 0   8 - 2   W 4
St. Louis   27   22   .551   -   15 - 10   12 - 12   10 - 10   13 - 7   3 - 3   4 - 6   W 1
Milwaukee   25   25   .500   2.5   12 - 14   13 - 11   4 - 9   12 - 9   8 - 3   5 - 5   W 1
Cincinnati   21   26   .447   5   11 - 13   10 - 13   1 - 1   10 - 8   6 - 14   3 - 7   L 1
Pittsburgh   18   31   .367   9   8 - 14   10 - 17   1 - 3   7 - 19   5 - 6   1 - 9   L 6

ticohans

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5080
Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #1596 on: May 27, 2021, 04:32:49 pm »
https://twitter.com/bubbaprog/status/1397975925971632128?s=20

"The calliopes can be heard from here to Sewickly"

Pirates announcers dropping obscure circus instrument references. Wow. Deep clown cuts.

Dave23

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12697
Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #1597 on: May 27, 2021, 04:40:08 pm »
That’s hilarious...

Reb

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5086
Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #1598 on: May 27, 2021, 04:41:09 pm »
Take a look at the photo in this link—-the sixth image down in the link.

If somebody showed you that photo and you’d never seen the video as to what happened, how might you explain how and why all those players are around home plate???

You might think attempted steal of home but how to explain the 1B so near the plate?

If saw only the photo, impossible to explain how everybody is there.

https://www.mlb.com/news/javier-baez-s-amazing-pickle-in-gifs
« Last Edit: May 27, 2021, 04:43:52 pm by Reb »

Deeg

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 16920
Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #1599 on: May 27, 2021, 04:46:52 pm »
Pirates announcers dropping obscure circus instrument references. Wow. Deep clown cuts.

That's a job where you damn well better have a sense of humor.

Reb

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5086
Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #1600 on: May 27, 2021, 04:48:41 pm »
One more thing about the play.

I posted a link the other day showing that Contreras was Cubs most efficient baserunner so far this season in terms of taking the extra base.

Let’s also give Contreras credit for running hard to home from 2B on the batted ball and helping to create the chaos with the play at the plate.

craig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13098
Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #1601 on: May 27, 2021, 04:52:48 pm »
Great point, reb.  Yeah, you'd have to guess it was a suicide squeeze and that both the pitcher and the 1B were charging hard to defend a possible bunt.  Maybe the pitcher might get that close, but no way would even a charging Rizzo be THAT close....  Amazing. 

craig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13098
Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #1602 on: May 27, 2021, 04:58:32 pm »
One more thing about the play.

I posted a link the other day showing that Contreras was Cubs most efficient baserunner so far this season in terms of taking the extra base.

Let’s also give Contreras credit for running hard to home from 2B on the batted ball and helping to create the chaos with the play at the plate.

When I first watched it, I didn't realize there were two outs.  So I assumed the 1B was doing what he did to prevent Contreras from scoring before he got Baez out.  But even *if* my namesake Craig thought there was only one out, he still had the play and Contreras right in front of him.  Craig had clear sightline to see Contreras coming home and could have thrown to the catcher three steps sooner to get Willson. 

dogstoothe

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1170
Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #1603 on: May 27, 2021, 05:11:47 pm »
Watching it on the feeds I don’t think Craig was confused on the number of outs like I thought at first, no, he was flabbergasted at Baez backtracking and thought it was sort of ridiculous until it wasn’t.  Goes to show you never can tell.

Deeg

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 16920
Re: Today's Game - 2021
« Reply #1604 on: May 27, 2021, 05:59:31 pm »
Javy seems to have some weird baseball instinct that occasionally makes him do things no one would ever arrive at using rational, systematic thought.  And they work.  He’s the epitome of the “you can’t teach it” adage.