tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post2843675542006723244..comments2024-02-15T05:42:18.307-05:00Comments on Nats Insider: Defense is offensive no moreMark Zuckermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13525315258889435961noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-41581431409820325732011-02-01T10:05:45.697-05:002011-02-01T10:05:45.697-05:00I like Desmond's athleticism, but Desmond has ...I like Desmond's athleticism, but Desmond has simply never been able to make the plays at SS at any level. He might be able to get it together, but the odds are long that after something like 6 years in pro ball all as a SS that he gets it together all of a sudden now. <br /><br />They need a short leash on that kid. They lost game after game last year because he could not make plays that SS's in MLB have to make. This rotation more than most cannot give away any outs. There had to be a Plan B for SS ready to go from day 1.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-18619476477819090712011-02-01T08:40:00.214-05:002011-02-01T08:40:00.214-05:00Wally:
I liked the watchability post.
I'd sugg...Wally:<br />I liked the watchability post.<br />I'd suggest maybe we get one more watchability point for this year's bench compared to last year's bench.<br />2010 - Harris, Nieves, Gonzo, JMax +1<br />2011 - Ankiel, Ramos, Hairston, Morse +1sunderlandnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-20870679382532311142011-02-01T08:23:44.693-05:002011-02-01T08:23:44.693-05:00Morning everyone.
@Wally, I kind of like the &quo...Morning everyone.<br /><br />@Wally, I kind of like the "watchability" factor as another sort of barometer to judge the team. But since I'm on the "perfectly happy that Dunn's gone" side of things, here's the argument as to why LaRoche will be more watchable:<br />- Same # of RBIs, much better defense, same # of RBIs, much better defense...<br />- Zimmy's a wash. I've heard the whole "less protection" thing but I saw Zimmy get pitched around at least 10 times last year to get to Dunn. At worst, that's going to be a wash again this year.<br />- Strike-outs plus over-shifted infield = me gritting my teeth harder than ever on every Dunn at bat. Dunn's AB's are actually painful to watch for me - his odds of getting a base hit are less because he's got less area to put the ball in. So you're constantly waiting for something big to happen and that's painful when the outcome is much more likely to be a K, a big 'ole major league pop fly, or a DP. We'll still see a lot of K's with LaRoche but at least we've got the whole field to watch.<br /><br />NatsliferAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-41252165292350576202011-02-01T02:42:02.615-05:002011-02-01T02:42:02.615-05:00_______________
joemktg said...
"On the posi..._______________<br />joemktg said...<br /><br />"On the positive side regarding the IF defense: their collective range has dramatically improved. The lateral quickness on the left side is proven, and the Espinosa/LaRoche combo on the right side is a 180 degree range improvement over last year's combinations. If it's not going to get caught, then those grounders are at least going to be knocked down, and that's going to prevent runners from advancing beyond one base."<br /><br />Rizzo went for Laroche over Dunn because Laroche makes the entire infield better. He wasn't impressed by Dunn's "efforts" to improve his defense. A good first baseman with mobility and range picks up a lot of the hurried throws which all of our young IF have a propensity to make.Nattydreadnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-58409616588788165542011-02-01T01:43:59.452-05:002011-02-01T01:43:59.452-05:00this is the first time the nats have actually had ...this is the first time the nats have actually had a full lineup to even begin to be able to "walk the walk" of playing defense and emphasizing the fundamentalsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-80869765839975528642011-01-31T21:32:28.553-05:002011-01-31T21:32:28.553-05:00Anon at 8:11, I agree. The guy always looks like h...Anon at 8:11, I agree. The guy always looks like he is waiting for a bus at the plate, but he is an athlete underneath there. And such a contrast from his brother on the mound... Nothing flamboyant, nothing even to indicate that he might actually get the ball over the plate. But he does and I for one am glad he does for us. Go Nats! Go Livo!,JaneBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04882101532666365432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-23784250080543903112011-01-31T20:11:50.179-05:002011-01-31T20:11:50.179-05:00Some pitchers are better overall athletes (Drysdal...<i>Some pitchers are better overall athletes (Drysdale, Marichal, & Don Wilson from the "old" days; Greg Maddux, </i><br /><br />Livan Hernandez most definitely falls in this category. Let us hope that Yuniesky Maya follows suit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-18571528329762343012011-01-31T20:06:06.499-05:002011-01-31T20:06:06.499-05:00@Theopilius: Your last paragraph opener @7:19 rang...@Theopilius: Your last paragraph opener @7:19 rang the winners' bell "It's not the biggest source of improvement; defense is". The hitting capabilities of the pitching staff should'nt be overlooked, but overall team defense is huge. <br /><br />Defensively...<br />Pudge/Ramos/Flores > Pudge/Nieves/Ramos; Probably.<br />LaRoche > Dunn at 1B; Absolutely.<br />Espinosa > Guzman/Kennedy at 2B; Yes, in a heartbeat.<br />Desmond '11 > Desmond '10; Probably. <br />RZim '11 > RZim '10; Possibly. <br />Bernadina/Morse > Willingham/Bernadina; A wash.<br />Morgan '11 > Morgan '10; Time will tell, but a wash at worst. <br />Werth > Bernadina/Taveras/Morse; Absolutely. <br /><br />In short, the team has improved (on paper, at least) at a minimum of five positions defensively, with one more probable & two being equal. If the Nationals can cut their errors to near the NL average, that could be worth 3-4 more wins at the least.BinMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-44506655801279310712011-01-31T20:00:16.598-05:002011-01-31T20:00:16.598-05:00Wasn’t this column about defense?
For a team that...Wasn’t this column about defense?<br /><br />For a team that was tied for last in errors, 28th in fielding % and 26th in put outs yea sure I expect the defense will be better this year because it couldn’t get much worse. Sure assist and total chances were average 13th and 12th but they should probably stay the same or improve slightly at least assist might get better. The main problem with the defense is that it really improved on the corners and not up the middle which is the most important. If Espinosa becomes a regular and Ramos does well and catches 40 to 50% of the games I think it is within reason that the Nat’s defense could be average and make a 3 or 4 game difference to the team. If Desmond has a big improvement and Morgan plays well, which I doubt both happening, the defense could be above average and you might add 2 or 3 more games to that total. <br /><br />As for pitchers who can handle a bat it does make a difference if you are comparing them to Daniel Cabrera or Jason Bergmann both of whom should never be allowed to have a bat in their hands. I’m pretty sure you could pull anyone from the stands and they could handle a bat better.Tegwarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05014621891563545863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-21780708592172795792011-01-31T19:37:18.787-05:002011-01-31T19:37:18.787-05:00@Tcostant: I agreed with your argument regarding R...@Tcostant: I agreed with your argument regarding RZim slipping after the team surrendered Dunn, then traded Willingham; Today, I'm not so sure. <br /><br />Werth is a faster, better-fielding replacement for 'the Hammer' defensively, and his rough equal (except for walks) offensively. And while it's difficult to replace Dunn's HR/OBP threat offensively, I hope LaRoche can come close to his overall run production (RS+RBI minus HR), and better him defensively by 15-20 runs saved over the season in 2011. <br /><br />If the team shows continued improvement from the back-to-back 100-loss years in '08-'09, RZim will be OK.BinMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-74463389757340126242011-01-31T19:28:03.444-05:002011-01-31T19:28:03.444-05:00In re No. of AB for Nats pitchers, 292 AB over 162...In re No. of AB for Nats pitchers, 292 AB over 162 games means Riggleman was pinch-hitting (or switching) in the 5th innning or earlier, most of the time. Part of that was egregious starting pitching; some, however, has to be they couldn't guard their wicket. And, as your starting pitching gets better, you have to hope that they don't have to be yanked for a PH just because there are runners on second and third in the 6th or 7th inning.Theophilusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-73119050874014518972011-01-31T19:24:43.854-05:002011-01-31T19:24:43.854-05:00BinM said... On the current Nationals staff, Livo,...<i>BinM said... On the current Nationals staff, Livo, Marquis & Stammen can all 'handle the bat' reasonably well; The rest, not so much. Granted, having pitchers who can lay down a sacrifice or drive an occaisional mistake helps the team, but it isn't a massive 'swing-point' for the teams success or failure, imo. </i> <br /><br />Sadly, I am laughing because those 3 can hit and Justin Maxwell couldn't and one person on here wrote, "Well he could if he played regularly". Well, those pitchers don't play regularly and Bryce Harper only played twice a week in the Arizona Fall League.<br /><br />It is about preparation and the right mind set which leads me to bunting----preparation and the right mind set.Anonymous8noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-79409756240256311722011-01-31T19:19:53.670-05:002011-01-31T19:19:53.670-05:00Livo can't bunt. The reason, I think, is it i...Livo can't bunt. The reason, I think, is it involves bending. He can defend himself up there but bunting isn't part of what he does.<br /><br />The reason I think this is an important issue for the Nats is they are a marginal team. I.e., no margin for error. One run in the 5th is more important than the same run for Philadelphia, Cincinnati or Milwaukee. Therefore, attributes that might be marginal for the Phillies need to be sharpened for the Nats to be successful. <br /><br />It's not the biggest source of improvement; defense is. TB improved by a run a game on defense (not pitching, because the players were mostly the same) and went from last to first a few years ago.Theophilusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-57441495108004603252011-01-31T18:52:23.613-05:002011-01-31T18:52:23.613-05:00@Theopilius: Some pitchers are better overall athl...@Theopilius: Some pitchers are better overall athletes (Drysdale, Marichal, & Don Wilson from the "old" days; Greg Maddux, Micah Owings & Carlos Zambrano, for a more current reference), while some pitchers were more "one-dimentional", shall we say (Koufax, Bert Blyleven, Gaylord Perry, or Mike Pelfrey, John Lannan & Aaron Harang as current references). [h/t to Baseball Reference & Jerry Crasnick @ESPN for references]<br /><br /><br />On the current Nationals staff, Livo, Marquis & Stammen can all 'handle the bat' reasonably well; The rest, not so much. Granted, having pitchers who can lay down a sacrifice or drive an occaisional mistake helps the team, but it isn't a massive 'swing-point' for the teams success or failure, imo.BinMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-4959199403523770422011-01-31T18:09:28.987-05:002011-01-31T18:09:28.987-05:00Have to agree with Njack on this one. Dunn was fu...Have to agree with Njack on this one. Dunn was fun and he was a great power hitter but I will not miss his K's or his lack of clutch hitting....he never seemed to hit when the game was on the line or like Njack said....two out and two on....like one hit all year it seemed.....Ryan Z will miss Dunn on the road trips but not so much in the line up. Willingham....healthy...that is a loss to the offense more than Dunn.JayBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11448827055342357809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-15699211429987133392011-01-31T17:33:08.569-05:002011-01-31T17:33:08.569-05:00Tcostant,
I think that the concept of protection...Tcostant,<br /><br /> I think that the concept of protection is more or less nonsense. You think pitchers will now walk Zim or pitch around him because they were scared of Dunn and they no longer are? I don't think so. We won't have Wil Nieves batting behind him anyway.<br /><br /> The idea that missed bunts or pitchers hitting makes a discernible difference is also more or less nonsense (overall maybe 1 or 2 games a year). It's still mostly about pitching, hitting and defense; bunts, double switches, stolen bases are fun to dissect but they are not that big of a deal.JDnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-69558697091435084862011-01-31T17:05:40.765-05:002011-01-31T17:05:40.765-05:00Are you talking about Dunn's 199 K's or hi...Are you talking about Dunn's 199 K's or his abysmal BA with runners in scoring position and 2 outs?NatsJack in Floridanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-68616060775521868352011-01-31T16:58:56.135-05:002011-01-31T16:58:56.135-05:00One thing everyone needs to consider is that Ryan ...One thing everyone needs to consider is that Ryan Zimmerman will have a worse year without Dunn's production protecting him. This is the most underestimated reported item from this offseason.Tcostantnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-68551777889327922582011-01-31T16:57:25.056-05:002011-01-31T16:57:25.056-05:00A team's pitchers don't get 480 PAs in a s...A team's pitchers don't get 480 PAs in a season. My quick addition tells me the Nats' pitchers had 292 ABs last year, which becomes a difference of 32 hits between .150 and .260. 32 hits by pitchers does not produce enough runs to get 10 more wins, even adding their sacrifices.<br /><br />Statistically I'm going to guess the difference is worth about 2 wins.N. Cognitonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-22554617265709745692011-01-31T16:40:55.458-05:002011-01-31T16:40:55.458-05:00The difference between opposing pitchers hitting ....The difference between opposing pitchers hitting .150 and .260 is 50 hits over 480 PA. That's a lot.Theophilusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-77966284633688646602011-01-31T16:32:41.019-05:002011-01-31T16:32:41.019-05:00There's no way you get 10 wins out of our pitc...There's no way you get 10 wins out of our pitchers and opposing pitchers hitting the League norm. <br />Waaaaay overestimated.N. Cognitonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-65709091034336313122011-01-31T16:26:09.224-05:002011-01-31T16:26:09.224-05:00I stopped after the 3rd sentence. My brain hurts....I stopped after the 3rd sentence. My brain hurts. :)N. Cognitonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-70874526222583727362011-01-31T16:23:08.687-05:002011-01-31T16:23:08.687-05:00OK, this is ridiculous so feel free to skip. I am...OK, this is ridiculous so feel free to skip. I am bored at work, and reaching for new topics to pass the last few weeks ‘til ST. <br /><br />Here is what I came up with: the Nats are 3 players more watchable, on balance, than last year. Let me explain: in the spirit of Theophilus’s ‘I read an article 25 years ago on pitcher hits + sacs = wins’ which triggered me searching for new topics, watchability is my self-created stat that, while watching at home (not at the park where with enough hot dogs, beer and ice cream, they could redo the President’s Race 4 times with me watching each one), after the kids are in bed and the wife (or hubby) is catching up on whatever didn’t get done during the day, and so you actually have the remote to yourself with full channel-changing authority, that you actually stay on the Nats game at various points instead of searching for a rerun of Chuck. And in old-school stats style, I give pitchers full credit for the fielders (ie not Fielding Independent) but let each batter rest on his own laurels. <br /><br />My grade is, as I said, 3 players more watchable. On offense, 3b, SS, LF (same guys, just moving them from RF), CF and ½ of C are the same, so we really are just evaluating the remainders. Dunn was more watchable then I expect Laroche to be, but Espy, even if they removed his entire hand instead of just his hamate, is more watchable then Kennedy et al. And either Ramos or Flores is vastly more watchable than Nieves; enough so that I am awarding a full point even tho it is a backup role. We are left with the Hammer v. Werth, which is tough because I liked to watch the Hammer, but I give the nod to Shaggy (hoping he grows the beard back, too). So we are plus 2 on offense.<br /><br />For SP, it is kind of a mess to figure out since we trotted out so many different ones, but I am going to assume that Lannan and Marquis pitch like their EoY performance rather than redo their beginning of year, so I am going to give them a combined +1 for 2011. Livo is Livo. Class act and I love what he gave us last year, but I am going to subtract 1 from both years for the Nats making me watch him. That leaves us without 12 or so starts from Strasburg, which is probably a -2 by itself. But I think that Gorzy is going to be much more watchable than anything Atilano/Chico etc had to offer (+1), and we get a full year of Zimm (+1). So SPs are a net +1 (I know, the math is getting confusing).<br /><br />And the BP is a draw – losing Capps hurts; those heart attacks really got the blood moving; but the addition of the flame throwers like Rodriguez really could be exciting, so they net themselves to 0.<br /><br />So +3 – pretty good offseason, I think.Wallynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-71377852835115356432011-01-31T16:14:32.290-05:002011-01-31T16:14:32.290-05:00So, there are at least four areas in which the Nat...So, there are at least four areas in which the Nats should/could improve by four-five games this year: (A) defense; (B) better fundamentals/bunting/moving up runners/not getting picked off (up and down the lineup); (C) getting opposing pitchers out; (D) more consistent (to the point of at least mediocrity) starting pitching. Eighty-one wins are easily in sight.Theophilusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3442809928829881676.post-30639641525749180052011-01-31T16:05:12.407-05:002011-01-31T16:05:12.407-05:00I've often wondered if pitchers spent the offs...I've often wondered if pitchers spent the offseason seriously working on bunting and hitting, and if not, why not. Last season was dreadful.N. Cognitonoreply@blogger.com