GDT: 1/3 Toronto Blue Jays @ Texas Rangers (8:05pm est)

[Spanky99]

I'm amazed how satisfied most Jays fans seem to be with clinging to the last wildcard for this team. When this season started I expected Division winners. At least home wildcard. It's no wonder the Leafs haven't won a Cup since I was 2 and fans were happy they didn't get wiped out embarrassed in the playoffs last year. Next year! (Yes. Not over yet)

 

Wow!

[Spanky99]

In 97 I went to almost every game Clemens pitched at home. I don't ever remember seeing less than 25K in attendance. Less than 10000, never.

 

Same, and I eye witnessed 4 dingers one night.

[Spanky99]

Coaching

 

lol

[Spanky99]

Tapia is so horrible. In ways the stats don’t even capture.

 

The blown hit and run. That route. Oh my god

 

He also f***ed up on the homer and could have had a jump at it

 

Like he literally can’t do anything right

 

lol

[Spanky99]

I remember getting s*** on by pretty much everyone in the spring for saying that Tapia was a bonehead in the outfield.

 

Not me?

[Spanky99]

Sac bunting is almost always 100% dumb to give up an out. It's just math. Its more dumb when someone can't do it asking them to. I blame Schneider for putting it on for both reasons.

 

Yup.

[Grant77]

Not me?

 

I went and read the thread again. Suffice to say, there are an awful lot of people with egg on their face.

[Olerud363]

I went and read the thread again. Suffice to say, there are an awful lot of people with egg on their face.

 

The thread was about baserunning and baserunning numbers. I don't remember outfield defense being discussed, but maybe that was a different thread.

 

I don't even recall most people really defending Tapia, it was one of those times you were claiming that based on your TV scouting you caught all these mistakes Tapia making, that weren't reflected in the baserunning stats, and people were arguing that wasn't true. And I don't think it was. I don't recall Tapia getting picked off once a week, or making a horrible baserunning mistake every game.

 

In fact it could be argued that Tapia won the game with his baserunning last night. That might be stretching it, but he didn't get picked off, ran on the right pitch, tagged up on a fly ball to left. At the very least he didn't make horrible mistakes.

 

I'm not arguing Tapia is good or anything, and if you were pointing his defense was horrible, and others were arguing then you deserve a victory. I don't remember people arguing that though, it was the baseruning they were arguing.

[Olerud363]

We could have just started Biggio, but that would have been too obvious.

 

Does anybody know what stats they are using to justify playing Tapia? I assume they went to the Keith Law school of super scouting and have some pitch type and batted ball data that indicates Tapia is the right guy all these nights.

 

Is it possible Biggio's numbers are only decent because they've been careful with who he faces? Have they kept him away from velocity? Is there data that shows his outfield defense is really that bad to justify Tapia? If they are keeping him away from velocity it did not seem the Texas starter last night was exactly Nolan Ryan.

[John_Havok]

Does anybody know what stats they are using to justify playing Tapia? I assume they went to the Keith Law school of super scouting and have some pitch type and batted ball data that indicates Tapia is the right guy all these nights.

 

Is it possible Biggio's numbers are only decent because they've been careful with who he faces? Have they kept him away from velocity? Is there data that shows his outfield defense is really that bad to justify Tapia? If they are keeping him away from velocity it did not seem the Texas starter last night was exactly Nolan Ryan.

 

Whatever numbers they’re using they need to burn. He’s straight garbage in the outfield every game he plays out there and his only half redeeming quality is the occasional stolen base and scamper from 2nd to home IF he manages to even get on base, which is seemingly more rare than a Vlad Jr fly ball.

 

He’s the exact prototypical player that never develops actual skills from his tools, has a brick between his ears, and hangs on by a thread due to athleticism.