Games » Minnesota Twins
Apr27Defense
Lee Judge
The Kansas City Star
It started in the first inning — Eric Hosmer made a sliding catch of an attempted bunt. Then Alex Gordon went up and over the wall to bring back a home run. Jarrod Dyson made a sliding catch in center. Alcides Escobar made two outstanding plays — ranging to the right-field side of second base to rob a hit and going up and over a base stealer while making the catch and tag. Brayan Pena came out from behind home plate to get an out on a difficult sacrifice bunt. And Jeff Francoeur made a sliding catch in right, then doubled up a runner caught off base.
The Royals also turned two more double plays and prevented a run in the 6th inning with a perfectly executed relay from the left field wall — Gordon to Escobar to Pena — that forced the runner to stop at third.
With the possible exception of opening day — and the wind was a factor — the Royals have generally played good to outstanding defense. My belief that this team is better than teams in the recent past is mainly based on their improved abilities on the defensive side of the ball.
And Salvador Perez is yet to play an inning.
Game stuff
I’ve heard a variety of numbers — all large — about how often leadoff walks score. Let’s just leave it at this: leadoff walks score more often than George Clooney. Everett Teaford issued two and both came around to score.
Teaford was using a variety of arm angles — a trick he picked up from Bruce Chen last season.
You may have noticed Brayan Pena run Teaford off a pop fly. It was out in front of the mound and Teaford had a better angle than Brayan. Pop flies are affected by “infield drift” — the tendency to move back toward the mound as they come down. (The ball has just barely been clipped by the bat and is spinning very fast, so they come down in a curving motion.) So why not let Teaford catch the ball if it’s moving toward him and away from Pena?
Because nobody trusts a pitcher. They’re not out there all the time and — as Jason Kendall put it — for the most part, they’re non-athletes. (Hey, he said it. I didn’t.) Jason then said any pitcher who disagreed, could come find him.
Joe Mauer beat a shift in the 3rd inning, taking the ball to left field. A reader asked me if the shifts the Royals are starting to use have worked. I’ve seen hitters beat them and I’ve seen hitters beat by them. I asked around and apparently the sample size is still too small to give a definitive answer. But if the shifts are working and the Royals have evidence, why would they let anybody else know?
In the 2nd inning Brayan Pena walked to the plate with two outs. Mike Moustakas had made an out on the second pitch he saw and Yuniesky Betancourt did the same. So Brayan could be selfish and do whatever he could to have a good plate appearance or he could put the team first and take some pitches. Brayan took some pitches. A veteran pitcher — and Carl Pavano matches that description — will recognize the situation and groove a couple strikes to get ahead. Carl did, but after taking two strikes, Pena still got a hit. The same thing happened to Brayan in the 4th: Pavano had only thrown six pitches to get two outs and Brayan once again took a couple strikes so Everett Teaford could get some rest between innings. It may look like a lousy at-bat to fans that don’t know any better, but knowledgeable observers appreciate a player who puts his team before himself.
Why his teammates love Mitch Maier
Same thing. In Thursday’s game against Cleveland, Mitch came to the plate in the second inning with two outs. The pitcher had only used three pitches to get them, so Mitch stood there and took pitches. He saw six and eventually walked. Maier also recently gave up two at-bats in attempts to move a runner from second to third.
Mitch doesn’t get to play regularly and, like all players, would like to make a good impression when he gets on the field. Being willing to give up that chance in an effort to help his team is a big deal. So maybe he’s made that good impression after all.
A grain of salt
Speaking of Thursday’s game: one of the questions I get asked most often is what I do when the team is on the road and the game’s not on TV. I listen to the radio. If the announcers say something that makes me believe I need to see a play, I watch that play later on MLB.com. (They don’t post them until after the game is over.)
I tried to bribe Ryan Lefebvre to say “That was an outstanding defensive play!” so I’d know when to score one, but he wasn’t buying. So that brings me to my main point: take the scoring in the Polk system with a grain of salt. If you’re into sabermetrics, a grain of salt the size of your average Shetland pony.
Some great plays go completely unnoticed. Alex Gordon has turned doubles down the line into singles with hustle, a great route and a strong arm. Keeping the double play in order is not always noticed by fans, but it is by ballplayers. If the radio guys don’t mention it, I may not know it happened. So individual plays can get missed, but the larger pattern of play won’t. I wouldn’t swear on a stack of Bibles that I recorded the precise right number of outstanding plays for Eric Hosmer in 2011, but the pattern was unmistakable. He was saving his teammates far more errors than Billy Butler did in 2010.
One mental mistake doesn’t mean anything. A pattern of mental mistakes does.
So if you hate the point totals or the subjectivity of the system, ignore both. Look for patterns of play instead. They can tell you some very interesting things.
Gordon
Butler
Escobar
Phil Schreck
1 year agoLee, this is what we’ve been dreaming about for a long time….clutch hitting and great defense. It seemed like all the guys were really in to the game tonight. It would be easy to let down on a chilly night in Minneapolis between two cellar dwellers after a series win in Cleveland. They showed some intensity and it’s nice to see that.
Joel Kallem
1 year agoLee, your comments are right on the mark, especially the focus on defense. It was also nice to see the Royals coming up with the key hits with men on as opposed to what they were having happen during the “streak”. And while I agree that you need to look for patterns in the scoring system, I want to put in a “pitch” early in the season for a modification to the scoring for relief pitchers (something for a hold or an exceptional job). Tonight, Hottivy’s role was critical. Our substitute starter only went 4 innings and our bullpen was already shaky following heavy use in Cleveland, especially Collins and Crowe. The two innings he gave us as a bridge were key even though he gave up one run. For him to get only 2 points for such an effort is to undervalue what he has done. Without him, Braxton may not even be in a save position when we get to the ninth inning.
Derek Taylor
1 year agoI can still remember last season reading what you wrote about Gordon being more excited about the prospect of taking a home run away from someone than hitting one himself… I wonder if he ever expected to do both within the span of two innings?
Lee Judge
1 year agoPhil: I’m learning to avoid predictions—everybody seems to want one—but the truth is, I don’t know what the Royals final record will be. Neither does anybody else.
So when I say this team is getting better, it’s mainly based on the fact that I see a much-improved defense on the field.
Old-time baseball people say you win championships with pitching and defense—so does an essay in a Baseball Prospectus book—more on that later.
The good part about defense is that if you’re a good defender, you can be a good defender every night. Good hitters can crush the ball and have nothing to show for it…but good defense is pretty reliable.
And you’re right about the intensity. Teams that have lost their way can be too cautious, afraid to screw up. How many outfielders would’ve pulled up on that ball Frenchy caught not wanting the ball to get by them?
Frenchy is a gambler on the field (sometimes that burns him), but he thought he could make that catch and did…probably.
Lee Judge
1 year agoJoel: Thank you. We’re talking about changing the way the numbers are done here on the site. Once we get that worked out and in place I’ll let everybody know what we’ve decided.
Lee Judge
1 year agoDerek: I thought about the same thing—Alex telling me he really wanted to rob a home run from someone.
(That video is still up on the site.)
That takes incredible focus: you’ve got the ball, the wall and sometimes the crowd to deal with. Timing it all perfectly isn’t easy.
Doug Sisson told me when Gordon and Hosmer started hitting, the Royals would look like a different team.
There’s a reason I listen to Doug.
Reid Atkinson
1 year agoLee, is the shift ever used to force a batter into a different game plan? When watching for shifts I always assumed that they were playing based on the spread chart of balls in play. The idea being they are shifting to the spot the is most likely to get an out. I wonder though, when a really good hitter is at the plate, one with power, has anybody ever used a shift to try to force them the hit to opposite field? The logic behind it being that if he is going to get a hit, lets try to force him to go where he is least comfortable, and if he does beat the shift, maybe we have deterred an extra-base hit or homer?
Donald Wilson
1 year agoI have something I don’t understand about the coaching staff and Danny Duffey. When I saw him pitch his very first game this season and it was down right cold set me to wondering. Here he is sitting in the dugout between innings with no jacket on and no towel wrapped around his left arm. WHY???????? When everyone else has jackets on and are all hunched up like they are freezing this guy does NOTHING to protect his arm and worse than that - the coaches let him do it. Okay - if he doesn’t want to pitch with a long sleeve shirt I’ll give him that even though I don’t understand it. But to sit in the dugout between innings and not protect his arm (which is his future) is beyond being stupid!!!!!! It’s one thing to be macho and it’s another thing to be ignorant. Worse yet - it borders on being illiterate on the coaches part! Another thing - after he pitched his last game (in cold weather) he did the same thing (and the coaches let him do it) and now he is missing a start because of soreness in his elbow. GO FIGURE!!!!!!!!!!
Larry Tindle
1 year agoGreat win. Love the way these kid keep battling. Going to be a while before I stop getting nervous when the bullpen comes in.
What’s with all the teams doing so much over shifting this year? It just seems like the in fad. I know it is just playing the law of averages but why did everyone start it all at once. Usually baseball is slow to change. They would watch one team be successful, for a while, then change.
Lee Judge
1 year agoReid: Great point that I meant to include when talking about shifts: some people think if you convince a power hitter to settle for an opposite field single, the shift has worked.
Lee Judge
1 year agoDonald: Couldn’t tell you for sure why Duffy’s doing that, but most dugouts (including the one in Kansas City) have heaters blowing hot air at the players on cold nights. (Much like I do after the games.)
The ones in Kauffman are quite toasty.
I’m guessing Danny was sitting in a hot spot.
Lee Judge
1 year agoLarry: When they were in the middle of the losing streak and people were sticking their heads in any available oven, it was clear that the Royals were still playing good defense and fighting until the last out.
Two nice building blocks for any team.
The shifts are becoming a big deal in baseball and I’ll be interested to know how they finally work out.
And I’m with you on the bullpen.
Kevin Flanagan
1 year agoLarry, I think you can thank the Devil Rays for the new shifting fad. They were the most aggressive shifting team in baseball last year and they were also the most efficient defensively as far as turning batted balls into outs so now everyone is trying to emulate them.
Lee, you are right on the mark about the Royals’ defense last night, it was flawless. And they are starting to look much, much more confident at the plate. When Hosmer and Frenchy get it going — lookout. The Royals have gotten excellent production out of C, SS, and 2B so far, something no one really expected. Hope they can keep it up.
I was a little surprised at the Dyson callup, mostly because I thought that Maier, the 2 bunts notwithstanding, was playing good baseball. He always gives you a quality at bat and reliable, though unspectacular, defense. I’m not sure if he would have made the sliding play that Dyson did last night, but then again, Mitch always positions himself correctly and gets good jumps so who knows? It also looks to me like he has worked on his hitting mechanics and, like Getz, is driving thru the ball a little better.
I was looking forward to seeing what Maier could do with a month’s worth of regular playing time.
I like Dyson’s speed and defense, but it seems like ML pitchers just knock the bat out of his hands with hard stuff.
As always, I enjoyed your column, Lee.
Jim Fetterolf
1 year ago“How many outfielders would’ve pulled up on that ball Frenchy caught not wanting the ball to get by them?”
Took yet another look at Frenchy’s diving catch and one reason he could gamble is that Dyson was backing him up. Even if the ball got past Frenchy it would have still been a single. That was something Melky was also good and conscientious about and allowed Gordon to make a number of diving catches. Frenchy made a great play but it was subtly a team effort.
That play also is an example of why I question some defensive metrics’ use. The catch clearly saved at least one run from the runner on second scoring, and maybe more as a non-catch gives a run in and runners on first and third with one out.
Joel Kallem
1 year agoJim, good “catch” on Dyson. I missed that, but noticed him backing up on several other plays. Part of that good defense everyone is seeing.
Lee Judge
1 year agoKevin: This is total speculation, but the Dyson call-up may have had more to do with Jason Bourgeois than Mitch.
Unfortunately for Maier, I think they want Dyson to play wherever he is, Omaha or here—they still think Dyson can be an impact player.
You make a good point though: people love diving catches—me too—but sometimes good positioning, good jumps and routes make them unnecessary. Yet many fans think the guy who made the dive is the better defender
And thanks for stopping by.
Lee Judge
1 year agoJim: Nice job spotting Dyson doing his job…but I’m still betting double if Frenchy doesn’t catch that ball.
Dyson throws right and was going left to back up the play. That meant a complete spin to get a throw off. On the other hand, Doumit—who hit the ball—may not be that fast.
Your larger point is entirely correct though: if you know your teammate does a good job of backing up plays, you can attempt catches you might not otherwise.
Lee Judge
1 year agoBTW: The level of attention you guys are exhibiting is admirable. That was the point of this site from the beginning: pointing out the small things that many fans miss.
It starts with the players, I carry the information back here and you guys take it with you when you watch a game.
Makes the whole thing more interesting, doesn’t it?
Larry Tindle
1 year agoSomething I have noticed with Moose on defense is when the pitcher throws to first on a pick off he moves and backs up the throw back to the pitcher. A little thing but could pay off. Most third basemen are grooming the dirt during this time. One of those things you will never see on TV. Have to be at the ballpark.
Rain delays suck
Lee Judge
1 year agoLarry: I agree with everything you just said, especially about rain delays.
Lee Judge
1 year agoGame’s cancelled. We’ll try again tomorrow. Heck, an unexpected day off that I’ll pay for later.
Jim Fetterolf
1 year agoAlso on Moose, I noticed that on Frenchy’s double-play catch and throw, Moose not only took the throw at first, but threw to Esky covering second just in case the ball was ruled a trap and Mauer wandered.
Jim Fetterolf
1 year agoOff-day gives Danny and Luke another day to heal up. Probably not the worst thing that could happen and won’t phase Master Chen.
Brian Robinson
1 year agoLooking forward to today’s game. Glad to see previous comments I made regarding Alex Gordon batting second were in line with Ned Yost’s philosophy as well. Gordon has too much pop to bat lead off when he can potentially drive in runs batting one spot down. Now I’m interested to see how long Yost goes with Hosmer in the critical three-hole. At this point it might be worth to drop him further down in order to move Gordon to #3 and Alcides Escobar to the #1 or #2 spot in the lineup. Like I stated earlier this team is too young to have an established lineup like that of a NY Yankees or Detroit Tigers where roles are more defined. While Hosmer is driving in runs he needs to hit better to reach base more often. The #3 spot is so critical because the batter must be able to both drive in runs and reach base. It’s a lot of pressure on a young hitter to bat there.
Jim Fetterolf
1 year agoGood look, Brian. One thought, Ned Yost, and other managers, like L-R-L-R batting orders, so if Dyson stays lead-off, Esky might work at 2, Alex 3, Billy 4, Hoz 5, Frenchy 6, Moose 7, Getz 8, Pena 9.One reason for leaving Alex as lead-off is that it allows the line up to be structured so the bigger bats have the chance for more at bats.
Lee Judge
1 year agoHey guys, another thing to remember is Hosmer is hitting the ball hard and but not getting hits. A manager will stick with a player when he sees that.
Brian makes a good point about hitting in the 3-hole: some guys see their name written in that spot and start pressing: “I’m hitting third, I’ve gotta produce.”
A better mindset is, “I have to have good plate appearances no matter where I hit.”
Ned must think highly of Hosmer’s ability to handle pressure to hit him third at this point in his career.
And Jim has a good point about breaking up the lefties at the top of the order and getting your big bats more trips to the plate. If the bottom of the order gets on, the lead-off guy can find himself in an RBI spot.
Jim Fetterolf
1 year ago“If the bottom of the order gets on, the lead-off guy can find himself in an RBI spot.”
A lead-off hitter is usually only that for the first at-bat of the game, so I wouldn’t object to Dyson batting 9th, Esky 8, Getz 7 with Gordon 1.
Most at-bats other than the 1st inning, Gordon has a good chance of having a fast guy on, setting the table for him. Alex did have 87 RBIs last year, although they came at various spots in the order, but last year he had 56 RBIs in 89 games hitting 1st, 30 in 51 games batting 3rd, only 1 in 9 games batting 4th. His RBI%/G of 63 as lead-off, 59% batting 3rd.