Games » Los Angeles Angels
Jun12Vin Mazzaro's best friend wins a game
Lee Judge
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As we all know, the pitcher’s best friend is a dab of Vaseline strategically placed on a pitched ball … wait a minute … that’s actually a pitcher’s sleazy brother-in-law. Let’s start over. A pitcher’s best friend is actually the double play, and Vin Mazzaro’s best friend showed up five times in this game.
Vin would pitch his way into trouble: Three leadoff walks, two regular walks and a hit batter (Mazzaro put the leadoff hitter on base in five of his seven innings). Then Vin would pitch his way out of trouble thanks to those five double plays and 14 ground-ball outs. If a pitcher can induce ground balls, the only way he gives up an extra-base hit is if the ground ball goes right down one of the lines.
As bad as their defense was Saturday night, the Royals shook it off and were excellent Sunday afternoon. I don’t think we’ll be seeing five double plays on a regular basis, but having the same two guys up the middle every night ought to help.
*A short time out to discuss double plays: The double play is one of the reasons that Mike Aviles is in Omaha and Chris Getz is still here. Mike struggled with the footwork at times and would eat the ball on occasion. Chris is more adept at the footwork and gets the throw off.
As Getz said before leaving for the West Coast, the runner is always an issue. You either have to dance around him or be willing to take the hit. On Saturday night, Chris took a hit, but threw anyway. That’s how much confidence he has in first baseman Eric Hosmer. Getz pretty much spiked the ball and three-hopped it to Eric, but Hosmer came off the bag and kept the ball on the infield.
Oh, yeah. There is one other option for the pivot man who doesn’t want to dance around the runner or take a hit: “dropping down,” and you saw it in the ninth inning. Billy Butler was on first and Mitch Maier hit a hard grounder to Angels second baseman Howard Kendrick. Kendrick flipped to Erick Aybar at shortstop, and Aybar “dropped down” on Billy. Dropping down is throwing from a low arm angle. The ball usually is aimed in the vicinity of the runner’s head, and that’s why you saw Billy sliding about 15 feet short of second base.
OK. Enough about double plays. Back to our regularly scheduled program, which is about … let’s see … double plays. Royals catcher Matt Treanor kept a double play in order by blocking a pitch in the sixth inning.. It was one of those small, unnoticed details that led to a 6-4-3 later in the inning. Matt also blocked a pitch in the seventh inning with a runner on third, saving the shutout. Eric Hosmer also saved a double play with a backhand pick of a Chris Getz throw.
This infield could be really fun to watch.
Why didn’t Ned Yost pinch-hit for Escobar?
Hey, where have all those critics gone? Getting two hits in each of three games over the weekend doesn’t mean Alcides Escobar’s offensive problems are over, but it may mean he’s making progress. (Which is what Ned Yost said he would do, if given time.)
I know something about hitting mechanics (I can name every flaw in my swing), but nothing like Royals hitting coach Kevin Seitzer. (On the other hand, I bet I’m a much better hitting instructor than Kevin is a cartoonist.) Anyway, they were talking on the TV broadcast about corrections in Escobar’s swing, and I thought maybe you could use a glossary:
*SHORTENING THE SWING: Hitters do a lot of different stuff while they wait for the pitch, but once it’s on the way, they mostly do the same thing. When they stride, their hands go back. This is like the drawing back your hand for a punch or shooting a basket. It gathers energy and gets you ready to strike. When the front foot touches down and the hands are back all the way, this is called “launch position.” Ideally, the bat head gets to the ball without looping underneath or going outside the path of the ball and coming back to it. If the bat head has extra unnecessary movement, the hitter is said to be “long to the ball.” When Seitzer is “shortening a swing,” it’s the part of the swing between launch and contact.
*STAYING BACK: When hitters take their stride, some of them lunge forward. Once again, compared with a punch, this would take away power because the weight is gone and you have are the arms to hit with. So Esky is working on keeping his weight back until the appropriate moment. I don’t know what Kevin believes, but I was told that the hands are like the locomotive and the body is the train that follows, but I couldn’t hit Egypt if I fell off a pyramid, so take that with a grain of sand. (Free Egypt joke.)
*OVER-SWINGING: When you over-swing, everything gets tight, including you neck muscles. That makes your head move, and that makes you miss the ball (which might account for the hittable pitches that Esky fouls back). So Esky’s working on staying relaxed through the swing.
OK. This was pretty much like your fifth-grade science teacher explaining the theory of relativity. I might be in the ballpark, but I probably left out some pertinent details. (If Seitzer reads this, I’m sure he’ll tell me how I screwed it up.) At least when you hear these terms, you will have a vague idea of what they mean … and I do mean vague.
Scoring decisions
Mitch Maier advanced twice on wild pitches, so why only 1 point for heads-up base-running? Well, one pitch kicked sideways off the catcher. It was a swinging strike three by Mike Moustakas, and the throw had to be made to first base to complete the out. I thought most base-runners would be able to advance on that, and I try to give points for taking an extra base beyond what’s expected.
The other wild pitch was much trickier. The Angels’ catcher kept the ball in front of him, and it didn’t get very far away. Most of the time, runners can’t advance on that. Mitch made it because he broke as soon as he saw the catcher drop to his knees. A smart runner breaks right away knowing it is unlikely that the catcher is going to stop the ball and make a good throw from his knees.
Maier’s good base-running scored a run without a hit. He walked, moved to second and third on wild pitches and then scored on a balk.
And why wasn’t Alex docked points for getting picked off?
Technically, he wasn’t (it was scored a caught stealing), but that’s not the reason. Ron Polk meant the “picked off” category to be used for runners who fall asleep and get caught trying to get back to the base they already obtained. Alex was trying to steal third and got caught by an “inside move.” (The pitcher picks up his knee and instead of going home just keeps spinning toward second.)
This is kind of philosophical point, but Alex wasn’t asleep. He went on first movement and lost a gamble. Base-running coach Doug Sisson makes an interesting point on this subject. The Royals believe in aggressive base-running, and aggressive base-running is getting thrown out going to the next base, not coming back to the one you already have.
Escobar
Getz
Maier
Quick question on the season grid: Pena and Treanor have a combined 340 pts, probably the vast majority of which are at catcher. That combined total is second on the club, if I'm not misunderstanding. The question would be, is catcher really that outstanding of a position for the Royals?
Jim, you cannot take their combined points. Rather look at the average per game and get a balance between the two figures based on the number of games in which each one appeared. The resulting combined average will give you a better read on the value of the catching. While it is lower than second on the team, the catching combination has been pretty good considering the timely hitting they do and the fact that they have played pretty consistent defense especially in the area of blocking pitches. I'm not sure what our combined total of passed balls/ wild pitches is at this point in the season, but my impression is that we have improved dramatically in that area. Anyone out there have the numbers on this?
Lee - not sure if grid is complete at this time, but if it is, the pitcher should get credit for a quality start and a win
Great points as always Lee. And wow, Mitch seems like a perfect backup outfielder, great attitude and performance, with another great outing yesterday. And if I remember from an article months ago, Betemit may be the same as an infielder. If I remember, he credited someone for helping him learn how to become ready to hit well when the few chances come, as pinch hitter or otherwise. I don't think of him as having a steady glove, but he has gotten better at third this year. It would seem that having great attitude reserves (Brayan Pena also seems like that kind of guy) is important to the team's chemistry and doing well.
Any thought of giving Alex a mental mistake not for getting picked but for attempting a meaningless steal of third with two outs? After all, he would have scored on a base hit from second with two outs because he would have been going on contact.The reason I ask is because I noticed that Frank White was critical of his attempt.
Lee,
Two things: 1) How often to the Royals change their signals? With players being trade, call-ups, etc... Does it happen often? 2) How does this team compare to the 1984 division winners? In July we were 42-52 and 10 back in July with a bunch of Rookies and cheap free agents filling the void after the 1983 Drug Scandal (Think Sabes and Gubicza, along with Motely, Sheridan, Balboni) This year we have a solid core with Gordon, Melky, Frenchy, and Butler, along with a bottom that is starting to hit in a weak division. Hos and Moose, along with the Rooks pitching could be our Sabes, Gubicza, and Motely. (Also Butch Davis did well!) IF our pitching picks up, can we pull it off in a weak division? (NOTE: in 1984 we finished 84-78 to win.) Could be a great jump start to the future.
Hopefully Escobar's work can get him up to .250. I can live with that. And I guess Hos has to learn to lay off the high heat.
Maier is a good fourth OF. He hustles, can play D, and accepts his role.
Joel: Thanks for pointing out the problem with the grid, our IT department is working on it.
The numbers were put in correctly, but for some reason aren't showing up. We're trying to figure out why.
Jim: I would caution against taking the rankings too seriously. As Chris Getz pointed out, change the categories or the points and the results are different.
I made a conscious decision to highlight defense because it gets so little attention elsewhere. Someone else could score the system differently and the results would change.
Russ Morman was the one who suggested I give an outstanding play for every pitch blocked with a runner on third and I agreed with his reasoning.
Right now Tranor and Pena have 74 outstanding plays between them. I haven't kept track, but probably two thirds of those plays are blocks with a runner on third, so we're talking around 50 runs.
It's one of those things that usually goes unnoticed until someone does it badly (and it's part of why Buck and Olivo are no longer here).
I don't have a problem with anyone who feels differently than I do, but if a position had driven in 50 runs a month before the All-Star break I think we'd all notice.
If the totals still don't make sense to you I'd suggest focusing on the patterns. That's what every pro player had to say when they looked at what I was doing.
Steve: I hope we see improved play now that everyone has a set role. The reserves can improve their production by knowing they're reserves and approaching the game accordingly.
According to Mitch Maier that means being ready from the 5th on: starting to stretch, taking some swings and so on.
It can also be a mindset: don't try to do too much, pay attention to the fundamentals, that kind of thing.
If they will keep this group together (an open question) and add some starting pitching I don't think they're that far away from being competitive.
Phil: Good point about stealing third with two outs. The problem with dinging Alex mental mistake points is I've been told they're throwing the old bae running rules out.
The new rule is 'if you think you can make it, go'. That doesn't mean they want to take dumb chances, but it does mean if the math (pitcher's release time and catcher's throwing time vs. running time) says go, they'll go.
They're trying to find out if being more aggressive ends up paying off overall.
So it's hard to deduct points from Gordon if he's just doing what he's been told.
Jeff: You bring up an interesting point that got covered in a future Eddie Rodriguez video (still being edited).
How often do they change signs? They do have to pay attention to a former player being on another team. They might change the indicator and use the same signs or send false signs and see if the opposition is stealing them.
Of course, if the player didn't remember the signs when he was on your team (more common than you might think), you don't have to worry about him remembering the signs when he's with someone else.
Vinnie: The number I've heard tossed around about Escobar is .240. If he hits that, they'll live with it, although a lot of people think he's capable of more.
And of course there's a hard .240 (good slugging percentage) and a soft .240. Walking, being good in situations, all that plays a part in what they think of your offensive numbers.
OK, the IT dept. is going with "we don't know" why those numbers are in the system but not showing up on the game grid.
They are showing up on Mazzaro's player page. They think it might be 'cacheing" which I believe is computer talk for 'go away, I've got bigger fish to fry.'
The grid may correct itself by tonight. We'll see.
A couple of quick questions. On a double play, how is an assist figured? I'm assuming that the one that starts it automatically gets an assist but then what? Does the person relaying to 1st also get one? (Escobar had 5 assists, while Getz only had 2). Is every blocked ball by a catcher automatically given a defensive point? Thanks for the great info. Look forward to using it when i make it to the ball park (Here in Salt Lake it's to a AAA game, but would think most of it's the same).
Chuck, the double plays last night were not all 4-6-3 or 6-4-3. I remember a liner to Escobar who beat the runner at 2nd back to the bag himself... also a grounder directly to 2nd base that he fielded and threw to 1st himself.
The third was either the same as the latter, or it was a line-drive to Getz and a toss to Escobar at 2nd to double the runner back (this happened in one of the last two games, I just cannot remember which).
"If the totals still don't make sense to you I'd suggest focusing on the patterns."
The totals make sense and agree with the "eyeballs", I was just kind of surprised that what I've called the catchers' "manly defense" by blocking pitches and stonewalling baserunners at the plate and allowing pitchers to use their nastiest stuff without fear of it rolling to the backstop is quantifiable. Useful system.
Thanks, Jim, I think so, too. It's not the only way to look at things, but Polk's system does make you think about things in a different light.
Chuck: Michael was right, some of the double plays didn't involve Getz. I asked Ron Polk how to score the 'dp assist' category and he said he gave points for ball handling and footwork, but not to a guy who only had to catch the ball.
So on a 6-4-3 the shortstop and second baseman get points, but not the first baseman. On the other hand, Getz bounced one on a 6-4-3 yesterday so he and Esky got a point, but Hosmer got points for an outstanding play. (The athletic ones are easy, but any time someone saves a base that's worth considering.
As for blocking pitches: what I'm doing is by no means scientific. I give points for any block with a runner on third for a variety of reasons. It saves a run and allows the pitcher to continue throwing his best stuff.
On other blocks it really has to be athletic, usually with lateral movement, not something straight in front.
Scoring it this way probably accounts for what Jim pointed out: how well catchers do in this system.
If I gave them points for every block, they'd probably lead the point totals every year. On the other hand, making it a priority has probably affected the way we all look at it and I think that's good.
Lee, As an IT guy I can state that "caching" is not lingo for go away I have bigger fish to fry. It is more lingo for it is all there like it should but for some reason it isn't doing what it should so we will be rebooting things after-hours to see if that fixes the bug b/c we don't know what else to do.
To add a thought to the general discussion about the continuity of the roster as far as the offense and defense are concerned. It has to be refreshing for Getz to know he can just go out there and play his style of game without worrying about whether he is producing enough and it has to make Yost's job easier to know that he doesn't have to worry about being second guessed about when to play Aviles, and I am not just talking about the media and the fans. BTW, I think that Getz style of play is perfect for the Royals. He finds ways to get the job done offensively, and even though he booted the taylor made DP on Saturday, he is a pretty darn good defensive 2nd baseman. What I think is lost on alot of people is the effect that the lack of Steriods is having on the game. It is bringing stats back to 1992 levels. Think back to the late 80s and early 90s hard-core baseball fans. How many Chase Utley type of 2nd basemen were there in baseball?? Not that many, maybe 2 or 3? You see it with pitching too. There are more sub 4 ERA starting pitchers in the majors right now then at any point in the last 10 yrs. Sorry, went off on a tangent but my point is that we, as fans, need to re-adjust our expectations of positions players like Escobar and Getz to a time before the A Rods of the world. Does that mean they should get a pass and not be expected to contribute offensively? Of course not, but does it mean that you may see guys like Escobar and Getz be more coveted for doing the little things great offensively and then performing great on defense? I believe so.
Check me out at www.fluffyballskc.com
Darral: You SURE about that cacheing thing? OK, I'll take your word for it.
And I agree about the steroids.
It appears that thus far the Royals pitchers have combined for 25 wild pitches and our catchers have 2 passed balls, one each.
I double-checked with the Royals website and those numbers are correct.