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       #Post#: 216531--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Today's Game 2015 (04/15 - 08/15)
   DIR By: brjones
       Date: April 6, 2015, 7:55 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Watching ESPN tonight, I've found an announce team of theirs
       that I actually don't mind--Jon Sciambi and Doug Glanville.
       Unfortunately, they have Sutcliffe in the booth too, which kind
       of ruins it.
       #Post#: 216539--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Today's Game 2015 (04/15 - 08/15)
   DIR By: Jes Beard
       Date: April 6, 2015, 8:45 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: brjones link ---
       >
       > Watching ESPN tonight, I've found an announce team of theirs
       that I actually don't mind--Jon Sciambi and Doug Glanville.
       Unfortunately, they have Sutcliffe in the booth too, which kind
       of ruins it.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       The audio levels in the game are so terrible it is hard to tell
       whether I would mind the announcing team for the game.
       #Post#: 216540--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Today's Game 2015 (04/15 - 08/15)
   DIR By: craig
       Date: April 6, 2015, 8:45 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: Jes Beard link ---
       >
       > Here is a record of Lester's pickoff attempts by year:
       >
       > Year 
       > 2009 
       > 2010 
       > 2011 
       > 2012 
       > 2013 
       > 2014 
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Thanks.  Hadn't seen that.  So he's had this for years, but it's
       gotten more extreme.   I think the 7 kind of bit is quite
       different from zero.  If I know he NEVER throws, I might take a
       REALLY long lead.  If I know he CAN throw, I can't extend a
       ridiculous lead.
       If I'm the baserunner, do I want to take a really big lead and a
       big running start?  If I know Lester's totally scared to throw
       it, I can do that with impunity.  But if he throws it 7 (or 12)
       times a year, and can do so if the lead gets really long, then I
       don't want to go so far off.
       #Post#: 216541--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Today's Game 2015 (04/15 - 08/15)
   DIR By: davep
       Date: April 6, 2015, 8:46 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Why would this thread care one way or the other?
       #Post#: 216543--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Today's Game 2015 (04/15 - 08/15)
   DIR By: Jes Beard
       Date: April 6, 2015, 8:54 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: craig link ---
       >
       > Thanks.  Hadn't seen that.  So he's had this for years, but
       it's gotten more extreme.   I think the 7 kind of bit is quite
       different from zero.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       While I agree completely, let me add a bit of information to
       that graphic:
       Year    P.O. Attempts    ERA
       2009         79              3.41
       2010         98              3.25
       2011         70              3.47
       2012          5               4.82
       2013          7               3.75
       2014          0               2.46
       #Post#: 216585--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Today's Game 2015 (04/15 - 08/15)
   DIR By: brjones
       Date: April 7, 2015, 10:00 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Buster Olney's column today talks about the Cubs shortstop
       situation.  Like always when the national media gets involved,
       it turns to undeserved criticism of Castro:
       Everything about the Cubs seems to be accelerating, from the
       timetable for contention to Maddon's push for them to pay
       greater attention to detail to the rise of their young talent,
       but Castro's rpm rate seemingly remains the same. On Sunday
       night, there was a popup in short left field, and Castro
       drifted, never got to the ball, and left fielder Chris Coghlan
       was unable to glove it; the ball landed for a hit in a key
       moment. Later in the game, veteran catcher David Ross, who had
       his hands full with the issues that Jon Lester was having, fired
       a throw to second base, skipping the ball in front of the bag.
       Castro reached for it but failed to prevent the ball from going
       into center field, and at least two executives watching the game
       on TV interpreted Ross' reaction as a death stare toward Castro,
       as if he wished his shortstop had made a better effort.
       So let's get this straight...Coghlan doesn't have the range for
       a ball that was clearly his, but it's Castro's fault for not
       making what would've been a spectacular catch?  And Ross bounces
       a throw (if I remember correctly, it was a little to the first
       base side of the base, so the runner may have been in Castro's
       way), La Stella isn't in position to back up the throw, and
       Castro is to blame?
       #Post#: 216588--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Today's Game 2015 (04/15 - 08/15)
   DIR By: grrrrlacher
       Date: April 7, 2015, 10:06 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: brjones link ---
       >
       > So let's get this straight...Coghlan doesn't have the range
       for a ball that was clearly his, but it's Castro's fault for not
       making what would've been a spectacular catch?  And Ross bounces
       a throw (if I remember correctly, it was a little to the first
       base side of the base, so the runner may have been in Castro's
       way), La Stella isn't in position to back up the throw, and
       Castro is to blame?
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       My reaction to the bounced throw was he should have blocked it.
       I told my son sitting next to me that you can't let that throw
       get by you.  He did an Ole and watched it go into center.  The
       pop fly wasn't his fault but he does need to make more of an
       effort to keep that throw in the infield.
       #Post#: 216589--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Today's Game 2015 (04/15 - 08/15)
   DIR By: CurtOne
       Date: April 7, 2015, 10:08 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I agree with you, br.  On the bloop to left, jeez, sometimes
       seeing eyes just drop in regardless of shortstop effort or
       outfielder range.  I did think Castro olayed the throw from Ross
       and could have pivoted and kept the ball in front of him, but I
       saw no death stare from Ross.  Frankly, such a showing up of a
       new teammate could have bad mojo for a part time third catcher.
       I think the expectations for the Cubs is so high this year and
       with Russell and Baez waiting in the wings, scrutiny will be
       higher, and, like I posted yesterday, baseball announcers and
       writers seem to have a book on what they're doing:  "I'm going
       to Wrigley?  Okay, prep the Bartman tape, I gotta remember
       Maddon is a genius, Castro's lazy, Rizzo's the savior, Bryant's
       the new savior, Lester won't throw to bases, the rooftop people
       have issues.  What else do I need?  I'm going to be fantastic
       and entertaining!"
       #Post#: 216590--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Today's Game 2015 (04/15 - 08/15)
   DIR By: JR
       Date: April 7, 2015, 10:16 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       It kind of looked to me the popup in left was pretty passively
       played by both of those guys.  Coghlan needed to take charge on
       that and call Castro off, though.  At least someone needed to
       take charge on it, and neither of them did.
       --- Quote ---
       > My reaction to the bounced throw was he should have blocked
       it.  I told my son sitting next to me that you can't let that
       throw get by you.
       --- End Quote ---
       I agree with that take.  As for the throw into center, I think
       Castro just doesn't have a great idea of the concept of at least
       making sure a ball doesn't get through the infield.   At this
       point, you kind of have to live with it if he's your shortstop.
       There's some unfair criticism of Castro, and perhaps Olney was a
       little harsh on him.  Still, I think one thing you just have to
       live with on Castro is he's just a pretty passive player, and it
       shows up at times like that.  Maybe Russell will show some more
       fire and more of a take charge, "captain of the infield"
       attitude if/when he's ready to come up, and Castro can move to
       more of a role player type position on the infield.
       #Post#: 216591--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Today's Game 2015 (04/15 - 08/15)
   DIR By: brjones
       Date: April 7, 2015, 10:19 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Yeah, Castro could have made more of an effort on the ball into
       CF.  But still, Ross made the bad throw--it's his error.  And I
       felt like La Stella was just jogging to get in to position to
       back it up (haven't watched a replay, though, so I can't be sure
       on that), so I'm not sure Castro was the only middle infielder
       who played that poorly.  To put that play entirely on Castro is
       just silly.  And the "death stare" comment is laughable--that
       was ESPN/scouts seeing what they wanted to see.
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