8 replies to this topic

[David Laurila]

Worthy of a link IMO:

http://www.fangraphs...oia-on-defense/

[Savin Hillbilly]

DL: You’ve committed 50 errors in nine professional seasons. What does that mean to you?
DP: Is that a lot?
DL: Derek Jeter had over 50 in his second professional season.
DP: Oh, nice, I guess it’s not a lot.

Priceless.

[Mugsys Jock]

Thanks for posting this (typically) insightful piece. Dusty again shows there's more going on than just the laser-show wise-ass (whom we love).

Still, this did crack me up:

DL: You’ve committed 50 errors in nine professional seasons. What does that mean to you?
DP: Is that a lot?
DL: Derek Jeter had over 50 in his second professional season.
DP: Oh, nice, I guess it’s not a lot.


Edit: You got me, Hillbilly... but I'll have my day. Oh yes, I'll have my day...

Edited by Mugsys Jock, 02 November 2012 - 09:09 AM.

[mr_smith02]

It would have been more priceless if he had responded, "Well, Jeter sucks."

[The Gray Eagle]

Great article. Lots of talk about how positioning changes for every batter and even every pitch, and how often it's the player who decides where to position himself, but sometimes it's the bench. And how a teammates positioning will affect a different player's positioning: "his swing path was dead-pull — so I’d pretty much know he’s never going to hit a ground ball to me. I can play way up the middle and help our shortstop by letting him get more in the hole, so hopefully he can take a hit away."

Good to keep this stuff in mind when looking at defensive stats.

[JimBoSox9]

I don’t remember… you know what, to be honest with you, I was fatter when I was younger.

I really love that he started this sentence off with a vague brush-off and then decided to get real midstream.

[someoneanywhere]

David, great stuff.

I am especially interested in how he positions himself. If you watch him pre-pitch, he'll take one or two steps and hop into fielding ready positions. I've seen no other big leaguer take that kind of "creep" -- most do as we were all taught: bend and get into the quads and hips, creep forward with offhand and glove at fielding ready, get in athletic position on the front of the feet. You didn't by chance ask him about this, did you?

[adam42381]

I like the article, but I don't think comparing their minor league fielding stats is entirely above board (professional seasons).

[Archer1979]

I like the article, but I don't think comparing their minor league fielding stats is entirely above board (professional seasons).

I liked the article too. But, more important than the comparison of "professional" stats, I'm curious why was there a comparison between a shortstop's stats and a second baseman's?