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Nope against it.  I've seen too many pitchtracks that were so off.  I don't trust them.  In some of the past gameday threads, would have people come in that was watching the pitch track and asking how all these strikes were not being called.  All the while the pitcher was wild and missing the plate by a good distance.

 

For Tennis and Soccer, it was either past or not past the line.  The line doesn't move.  The camera doesn't move.  With baseball you are dealing with a three dimentional box.  In which, depending on the batter, and really the umpire the strike zone will vary on top to bottom.  And unfortunately with some umpires, it varies from side to side also. 

Gameday tracking and the actual tracking used on TV are way, way different.  The locations on the gameday app/site are atrocious and seem almost completely unrelated to the actual location, which is what causes those posts.  

The "foxtrax" system and whatever you see sometimes on other channels is much more accurate - an article I found from 2013 claims that the system is accurate to within an inch, assuming it hasn't improved since then.  At least with a machine you'd have more consistent calls and no variation umpire to umpire.  I'd like to see something where each team (pitcher or batter) can challenge 4-5 pitches a game with an animated representation of the pitch like in tennis.  The system is incredibly quick and easy in tennis and it wouldn't completely eliminate umpires.

The big thing with Houston is they really buy into obscure defensive metrics and ones that are also becoming better understood like pitch framing. Conger is supposed to be pretty good at pitch framing. He also comes with considerable offensive upside.

But then reality strikes. Fact is, Hank's arm was never better than below average, both in strength and accuracy. His footwork so reheat lagged despite his athleticism. And as for his bat, I kind of feel like if he were going to make good on the upside, it would've occurred by now.

The Astros were fine with sending Perez. He didn't figure into their catching situation, and perfectly for the bill of a backup C (strong defensive) which is what we were looking for. They were reluctant to add in Tropeano, but again, they had pitching prospects with more upside like McCullers, Kuechel and Appel.

Just really glad to have them both.

Is his arm strength really below average?  Honest question, not trying to be rude.

I grew up near him and went to the same high school (graduated a year behind him) so I saw him play a lot.  As a kid he had an absolute cannon for an arm and even in high school (if I remember correctly) he pitched a lot because he simply threw harder than anyone on the team.  I recall friends saying he could hit 90 in high school, though that was hearsay so it could be completely wrong.  Is the skill in the MLB so high that a catcher that can throw 90 off the mound still has below average arm strength or has he lost velocity somewhere along the way?  

Going to my first MLB postseason game.  I'll be in one of the dugout suites.  SO EXCITED!

Been a big Angels fan all my life but in 2002 I was only 14 and no one else in my family was really into baseball, so I had to settle for watching the games on TV.  Tonight, I'll be experiencing my first MLB playoff game (and from a dugout suite no less)!  Going to be a hell of a night

Something like moving Santiago to the pen, even for Rasmus (who has admittedly been good) seems reactionary to me.  This is the same Santiago that, in spite of the recent meltdown, has a post All-Star Break ERA under 3.5 and is holding batters to a .232 average with runners in scoring position on the season.

Considering the lack of other options I'd rather see them trust in Santiago to pull it together and be the reasonable starter he's been most of the year.  I know this is the playoffs we're talking about and there isn't much room to mess around but many pitchers have a stretch of a few bad starts and pull out of it.  Of course, Santiago isn't exactly the most dominant pitcher to start with but it's not like he's generally terrible either.

Rasmus was clearly gassed in the 5th yesterday... I was there and it was pretty clear.  I doubt he gets stretched out enough in the last few games of the year to pitch 5-7 innings in the playoffs, especially considering the arm issues that caused him to be converted in the first place.  I can see him being incredibly useful if CJ or Santiago decide to blow up but I'd rather start them than him.

I went to high school with Hank, he was always a smart/nice kid.  The little league team team he was on that made it onto TV was ridiculously good and Hank always had a CANNON for an arm.  It's a shame his bat hasn't come around like it looked like it would - I remember being at the all star futures game where he hit that home run and being really excited to watch him hit in the big leagues, but he hasn't completely figured it out yet :\

That said, he's eloquent, a good club house guy, has a great attitude, and has been fantastic with the pitchers and pitch framing - according to statcorner, he's #3 in +calls (and 20 calls from first) with a roughly 4000 less sample size.  It's hard to quantify how important an extra 153 strikes is but from what I've read it's huge.  He's way higher in +strikes/gm than anyone who has played more than 2 or 3 games this year.  Iannetta is currently sitting in the negatives (-39), getting some strikes called balls due to his framing.  Obviously, Chris is a much better hitter but I wouldn't mind seeing Hank start more even with his lack of hitting this year.  I really hope they keep him around and keep giving him chances.

Yep. Lesson for everyone on here who panics after we get shutdown by a no name. It happens to everyone.

Great start by leblanc for sure. Would have liked to see some pinch hitting in the 9th after conger brought us close. Shame to waste a decent rally.

Kudos to leblanc for matching felix

This!!  I wasn't all that concerned about a loss (frankly, even with the A's slumping like crazy I'd rather the Halos face a Seattle team right after Felix has pitched in a Wild Card game than the A's) until ol' crooked hat Rodney came in.  Then I wanted them to destroy him, as Rodney is probably my least favorite player in the game right now.

I saw Kole taking swings in the training room in the ~6th or 7th inning so I expected him to pinch hit at some point but other than him and Cron (the DHs are always in there) no one was even warming up.  I wish they'd have had Howie or Aybar taking a few hacks just in case there - you knew with Tony Campana coming up to bat the game was probably over and I wish they'd have at least made an attempt at the end there. 

I haven't been to AA, I don't know what its like or how the whole thing works.

I'm just going off the experience I have had with someone I know personally.

I also said that not everyone is the same and people deal with it in their own way. The guy I know just happened to not really let it affect him that strongly.

Also not really how it works.  It's not that your buddy is "stronger" or CHOOSING to not letting it affect him.  For Josh, it's not "in his head," he doesn't need to "just ignore it," or "be stronger" or any of those other ridiculous platitudes.  Your anecdotal experience with a friend (sample size = 1) isn't really statistically significant >_>.  Some recovering addicts will have intense, unbearable cravings when seeing their trouble substance for the rest of their life.  I mean, look at all the celebrities like Phillip Seymour Hoffman who were clean for YEARS before suddenly falling off the wagon.  It doesn't take much, it's hard to know what will trigger it, and it never really goes away.

Source:  I'm a scientist.

Also, a little disappointed they didn't at least do what the rangers did in 2010 I think?  Where they initially partied with non alcoholic beverages before moving on after he left.  Though it looks like he might have scheduled that chiropractor's appointment intentionally to avoid being labeled as a "downer" or being judged or whatever.  

Uhh, oblique injuries are not minor.

Is it not possible that he misses part of the post-season?

 

I know that the Halos have a history of injuries lasting longer and being worse than originally described but when the first MRI came back they weren't even sure he'd miss a start and Shoe was saying (I can't seem to find the quote) that he felt like he could go out there for his next start.  Considering the situation they're in (already clinched and clinching the division soon) there's no real need for deception so I doubt they're lying when they say that the one start he's missing is simply precautionary.  Shoemaker is also a gamer so he can probably pitch through a little pain in the postseason if he has to.

Of course there's some small possibility that he comes back pitching differently or that the injury nags when he tries to come back but I'm inclined to take this at face value given the situation.  I don't think it's a big deal even though it's an oblique injury.  "minor ____ strain" is basically what they say when the MRI doesn't show anything ><  I've been told that a few times and the only one that took a while to recover from was my lower back, which took 6-8 weeks, but I doubt that's the case here.

Terrible. All the things the Angels have overcome and a "very mild oblique strain" is the one that should make us panic?

The writer also does a fantastic job trivializing all the accomplishments of the Halos and their ability to succeed without key players while contradicting himself frequently.

Great job by Pujols taking as small a jump as possible there. Gotta love his defense.

long way to go in both games but liking it so far.

as far as Shoe being back for the playoffs -- yeah, that's great but he's still having that MRI tomorrow........or whenever -- not comfortable until the results are in.

may be best to shut him down until ST -- hard to say until the results are in.

Rasmus should go five tonight but let's see who takes the mound in the fifth.

I'm switching back and forth between Halos game and Cards-Brewers game -- 2-2 in the 10th at St. Louis.

Wait... what? Are you serious?

Shut him down until SPRING TRAINING for what is being dubbed a "very minor oblique strain?"

Afaik they already did the MRI...

Talk about humpty dumpty doom and gloom >.>

It's time to seriously consider using this strategy in the playoffs over CJ, and have Wilson pitch out of the pen. Rasmus has given up 3 ER in 12 IP since becoming a starter.

Edit: Rasmus also has 13 Ks during that stretch

Going to be both difficult and risky to do that with a playoff roster. You just don't have a ton of relievers available at will like that - what if the starter falls apart the next game?

What a BLAST. That looked like a routine fly ball off the bat and just kept carrying.

I'd probably start CJ on a VERY short leash with Rasmus warming up, personally.  It's pretty clear just a few batters in whether CJ has it or not.  If it looks like he's going to struggle, get Rasmus up and make it a "bullpen start."  Obviously you won't have the flexibility you do now due to the 40 man roster but I think CJ at least has the potential to pitch well and if he doesn't then the bullpen is good enough to bail him out.

Can someone please explain to Eddings that the "neighborhood rule" applies to force plays at second, not the strike zone?

Errors don't inherently mean bad defense. Oftentimes players with greater range commit more errors because they get to more balls, including ones that are hard to play.

 

This isn't to say that errors are meaningless or that all players with good range commit more errors. Chase Headley and Josh Donaldson have similar range, but whereas Donaldson has committed 22 errors, Headley has committed 8. But reducing defense to errors and fielding percentage is like reducing hitting to Batting Average - it is important, but a very narrow slice (there's a huge difference between a player who bats .300 and walks 80 times a year and slugs .500, vs. one who walks 25 times a year and slugs .400).

Agreed.  I'm grossly oversimplifying here but assuming Donaldson's crazy range/reactions/fielding ability get him to 50 balls that would have been hits against another third baseman and he makes errors on 15 plays that a normal third baseman would have made, he's still coming out on top.  And that's discounting that it's possible that some of his "errors" might have been clean hits or at least plays that other fielders would have had a more "difficult" play on, turning it into a hit.  For example, Donaldson or Headley might get a great jump and quick reaction and then make a mistake on a play that would have been a diving attempt on a fielder like Freese.  Against Headley/Donaldson it's an "error" since they make it to the ball and against Freese it isn't because it was a diving attempt - on the same ball.  I doubt this happens frequently but it's certainly possible that 1 or 2 of the errors are situations like this.

Not saying that range is everything or that his errors don't matter but if I've got some theoretical fielder that makes it to 100 more ground balls than Freese while making 50 more errors I'd take that guy over Freese any day of the week.  Mathematically he's still making a higher percentage of the plays.

Thanks! Missed it the first time due to my beer league hockey game, caught it this time. Wow, all with 2 outs. That was fun.

I don't know, maybe he had visions of being clobbered by the runner and possibly hurt. He backed off there at the last second. They already had a sizable lead and it wasn't early in the game. MVP and Cy Young caliber pitchers do not cover home on plays like that, especially with a six-run lead. They're too valuable.

This seems like the most reasonable explanation.  I'm surprised he even dove for the ball right before that - why risk injury in an 8-1 game when you're the consensus best pitcher in the entire game?  I think he made the right call backing out there and I agree with the announcers.  They won anyway and even if they didn't it wouldn't be worth losing Kershaw over.  I'm not saying they shouldn't cover their bases or perform their responsibilities or anything like that, but on that abomination of a play I don't think backing out is a huge deal. 

I'm not worried.  This is really what we should expect on the road.  He's still good (2.7 ERA) at the Big A where he's got the rockpile and the large park/marine layer to work with but he's a 4.5+ ERA pitcher on the road, which is almost precisely how he did today.  Honestly this isn't even anything new.  His career splits are 2.66/3.9 home/away.

I just really hope Sosh starts Weaver exclusively at home during the playoffs.

RBI Machine!

I dont wanna make a new thread about this but is Beckham that much better then Freese defensively at 3B?  He looks like he is, although he just made an error on a fairly routine play last Friday vs Oakland.  

Yes.  I know he's seemed less than impressive with the bat (he was brought in to crush in lefties and most of his contributions thus far have come against righties) but he's really been a pleasant surprise to me.  Granted, I've always liked the guy, but he's been able to get Freese off the field before the 8th inning without bringing in the offensive black hole that is Mcdonald and he's allowed a few people to get semi-rest days as DH while bringing above average defense.  He promptly made up for that error with a great play the next at-bat and has been solid defensively.

Frankly, while his overall stats haven't been great with the halos, he's come through in some high leverage situations and made the most of his opportunities.  He had that big home run and has 5 RBIs in just 7 games and 20 at bats.  Obviously, RBIs are dependent on others around you and the situations you come up in but when he has had those opportunities he's come through.  Considering what they got him for I think he's a good asset and a good flyer to take - you never know with ex-highly touted prospects like this when they might just suddenly find it.  It's not quite the same situation but Alex Gordon comes to mind.  I'm certainly not suggesting some revelation or epiphany followed by sudden stardom but I think with some different coaches and a change of scenery he might end up as a passable starter.

The biggest difference for us is that we can now safely round 3rd base when we play the A's.

This is what I think is being overlooked a bit.  Despite his propensity for some sloppy plays in the outfield his UZR/150 is silly high because of his absolute cannon of an arm.  I don't think losing him has had a massive effect on their offense (he was pretty overrated offensively) but that cannon was the bane of the Angels' existence for a while there.

That would imply a dislocated kneecap, actually

Interesting. Surprised that would be noticeable through loose baseball pants but I'm not a doctor. Gubi and Smith said repeatedly that something was sticking out or bulging around the knee area.

The radio announcers were saying that it looked like something was sticking out of his pants around the knee area when I was listening. Is that true? Because that is concerning (and seems nearly impossible honestly).