• Welcome to OGBoards 10.0, keep in mind that we will be making LOTS of changes to smooth out the experience here and make it as close as possible functionally to the old software, but feel free to drop suggestions or requests in the Tech Support subforum!

LOCK, DELETE.

Spring Training is absolutely awesome. I will be doing this every year.

first pitch yesterday.

522415_10200176151999250_1466828629_n.jpg
 
FWIW, the Orioles, Ravens, MLB, MLBPA, the stadium services and everybody else couldn't figure it out so the Ravens will not be hosting a home opener on the first Thursday night game like all the other Super Bowl champions. They'll open on the road instead.
 
Good suck it NFL. Love the O's sticking to their guns.
 
If i was a Baltimore dan I'd rather see the Orioles turn a double play in Spring Training than a Raven's Super Bowl victory.
 
Jim Salisbury ‏@JSalisburyCSN
Today is the day #Phillies have to decide whether to keep INF Yuniesky Betancourt or not. Hearing Yankees are poking around. Cardinals, too
Click to expand...

Multiple teams are interested in Yuniesky Betancourt.

Yuni has a career .324/.356/.518 slash line in spring training, compared to .266/.287/.386 in the regular season. So that's how he finds his way onto opening day rosters, I guess.
 
Shane Victorino is 7/45 this spring if you include the WBC, guess he's saving his hits for when it counts.
 
That's probably it. But if not, at least he'll run into walls. And provide gifs.
 
Ellsbury left the game in the second inning due to injury
 
Desmond Jennings is going to go off this year
 
I really see no reason for this to be Mo's last year. Dude still has it
 
Simmons named top defensive player in an ESPN Insider article. Anybody care to post so i can get the full read?
 
Deadspin has a picture of Royals' mascot with a stripper giving him a lap dance. It's awesome.
 
YoungBuck95 said:
Simmons named top defensive player in an ESPN Insider article. Anybody care to post so i can get the full read?
Click to expand...

On May 30, 2012, the Braves were in fourth place in the NL East and their rookie shortstop, Tyler Pastornicky, wasn't hitting. But even worse than his .243 average was his defense.

At Baseball Info Solutions, we evaluate a player's defensive contributions in a holistic statistic called defensive runs saved. DRS breaks defense into components such as range and arm and looks at specific types of plays, such as bunts and potential double-play balls. It then combines those factors and puts them in the context of the runs saved or cost for a team by each player.

In just 332 innings at shortstop (roughly 25 percent of the season), Pastornicky cost the Braves 16 runs. Enter Andrelton Simmons. Simmons had much less experience in the upper minors than Pastornicky, but scouts raved about his defensive tools. He did not disappoint. He saved the Braves 19 runs in 426 innings before a broken finger shortened his season.

Because of that stellar defense, Simmons ranks at No. 137 on the BBTN 500, and he has the best defensive projection of any player in baseball. Check out the top five, according to Baseball Info Solutions.


Simmons
1. Andrelton Simmons | SS, Atlanta Braves
Projected DRS: 20

It may seem like a bold prediction to designate Simmons as the DRS leader before he has even played 50 games in the majors, but when you look at his numbers from his limited time in 2012, you may wonder if we are still too conservative. Simmons saved 19 runs with his stellar defense in only 49 games in 2012, likely one-third of the playing time he'll receive this season. He had the second-most runs saved at shortstop -- still well short of Brendan Ryan's 27 runs saved -- and the 10th-most runs saved at any position.

So far, Simmons has not shown any real weaknesses in his defensive game, but he is perhaps most effective due to his lateral range. He, Ryan and J.J. Hardy were the only three shortstops to make seven or more plays above average to both their left and their right last season.


Lawrie
2. Brett Lawrie | 3B, Toronto Blue Jays
Projected DRS: 19

Even with an injury that limited him to 123 games last year, Lawrie still edged David Wright (20 to 16) for the most DRS at third base.

In his two seasons, he has converted 25 of his 43 double-play opportunities, which is right at the league average, and his excellent range is somewhat counterbalanced by a slight tendency to misplay some balls. Still, those small imperfections pale in comparison to his truly elite skill.

Lawrie is the best in baseball at fielding straight-on balls, a skill that shines at third base, where he has the opportunity to aggressively charge down-the-line swinging bunts. Last year, he made 14 plays above average on straight-on balls, which was the most of any infielder since 2009.


Ryan
3. Brendan Ryan | SS, Seattle Mariners
Projected DRS: 17

Ryan may not generate the excitement of some of the younger players on this list, especially those who can contribute offensively as well as defensively, but he is the safest bet to produce an elite defensive season in 2013.

It took a few years for Ryan to find regular playing time at shortstop, but from 2009 to 2012, he played in at least 830 innings at short per season and saved at least 18 runs in each of those four seasons. Combined, his 92 DRS since 2009 are 18 more than the second-best player, Ben Zobrist, who has 74.

Ryan's defensive profile is similar to Simmons'. In his four years as a full-time player, Ryan has never cost his team a run in any component of DRS, and he has converted 21 plays above average on plays to his left and right per season.


Gordon
4. Alex Gordon | LF, Kansas City Royals
Projected DRS: 15

Gordon broke into the majors as a third baseman, and despite some modest defensive success in his first season, he cost the Royals nine runs over the course of the 2,800 innings he played at third for them. That all changed when Gordon became a full-time left fielder in 2011. In the two years since, he has saved 44 runs, nearly double the 24 saved by Brett Gardner, the left fielder closest to him.

Gordon's success has been built more on his arm than his range, which explains why third base seemed like a natural position for him. Gordon has thrown out 26 baserunners without the help of a cutoff man over the past two seasons, more than any other outfielder. Still, Gordon has shown much better range on fly balls in the outfield than on ground balls in the infield. Some of that is likely due to the competition.

Left field is a position where some teams still try to hide their offense-first players with limited defensive capabilities, and that can make Gordon appear better by comparison. However, it also seems likely that Gordon is better at covering ground in left field than at third base, which may be due to the decreased importance of reaction time to range.


Reddick
5. Josh Reddick | RF, Oakland Athletics
Projected DRS: 15

Reddick is the lone name on this list that had some serious competition from the other players at his position. His projected 15 DRS beat Jason Heyward by one run. Last year was similar, as Reddick and Heyward (at 22 and 20 DRS, respectively), distanced themselves from the rest of the players at their position.

The defensive duel between Reddick and Heyward is made all the more interesting because of their contrasting styles. Heyward has elite range, saving 19 or more runs with his range in each of the previous three seasons. However, Heyward has also cost the Braves eight runs over that span because of his modest arm. Meanwhile, Reddick has good (but not elite) range -- he saved 13 runs because of his range in 2012 -- but bridges the gap with Heyward with his arm, with which he saved six runs in 2012.
 
Also, looks like Yanks are picking up Vernon Wells from the Angels with th Halos eating $32 of the remaining $42 million on his final two years of the contract.

Assuming yanks arent sending back much for this. Also, Alfonso Soriano is still available.
 
DaDeacs said:
Also, looks like Yanks are picking up Vernon Wells from the Angels with th Halos eating $32 of the remaining $42 million on his final two years of the contract.

Assuming yanks arent sending back much for this. Also, Alfonso Soriano is still available.
Click to expand...

If Angels are eating 32 million, they have to get someone decent I'd think.
 
I don't know, I'd think to get something decent back they'd have to eat $42MM, and even that may not be enough.

Are their really no better options out there than committing two years to Vernon Wells??

Oh man, I hope they're the team that signs Yuniesky Betancourt.
 
I lied, looks like the Angels are only eating $29 of the $42.

Didn't realize Vernon was having a good spring - kudos to the Angels for getting rid of him.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top