Baseball Basics
Reyes was Wrong
Jose Reyes‘ baserunning gaffe from Friday night’s game was exactly that: a gaffe. Meaning, a blunder, or a foolish mistake. It doesn’t matter that Bob Ojeda was a former MLBer and he supported this blunder, because there are former MLBers who, if you asked them, would say it was a dumb move. And it doesn’t [...]
Davey Lopes On Head-First Sliding
With all the ballyhoo about Jose Reyes’ headfirst slide into third last night and the ensuing discussion about whether it’s safer / smarter / faster to slide head- or feet-first, here are some interesting points. First, a mechanical engineer came to the conclusion that sliding head-first was faster. Though, other researchers — including a physicist [...]
Wally Knows Keystone Coverage
This is elementary, but useful for kids and amateur coaches. Wally Backman explains how middle infielders decide who is going to cover second base in a stealing situation and how that decision is communicated.
What’s Wrong with Jose Reyes?
If it were still April, the “shaking off the rust” excuse would still apply to Jose Reyes. However, we’re now getting into mid-May, and Reyes is floundering with a .229 batting average and a .281 OBP. Those certainly are not the numbers you’d expect from the best offensive player on your team — a.k.a. the [...]
Josh Thole’s Catching Stance
RED FLAG ALERT! Take a look at the above photo, taken in Port St. Lucie from yesterday’s intrasquad game by Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog. It’s Josh Thole in his “runners on” catching stance. Notice the flat back, weight forward on the balls of the feet (and off the heels), arms extended out in front. It’s [...]
Igarashi Wants to Throw 100 MPH
Newly signed import Ryota Igarashi is the owner of the fastest ball thrown in Japan, a 98-MPH heater. However, his goal is to hit triple digits, and he believes the harder clay mounds in the USA will give him that opportunity (do they play on sand in Japan?). From Yakyubaka.com: Ryota Igarashi is apparently interested [...]
Ron Swoboda on Outfield Play
Before Endy Chavez, “The Catch” in Mets history referred to the diving snare made by Ron Swoboda in the 1969 World Series. I had the great pleasure of talking to Ron about that catch and how he turned himself — through hard work, pride, and dedication — into a Major League outfielder capable of making [...]
Ryota Igarashi: Mechanical Evaluation
The Mets and Ryota Igarashi have reached an agreement on a two-year deal. The 30-year-old Japanese hurler is expected to compete for the setup role in front of Francisco Rodriguez. I’ve never seen him pitch (other than the video below) and therefore cannot comment on his skillset or demeanor. However, Patrick Newman of the outstanding [...]
Reese Havens: Swing Evaluation
The 22nd pick of the 2008 draft — shortstop Reese Havens — has quickly emerged as one of the Mets’ top prospects. He is a strong all-around player, both in terms of talent and sound fundamentals, and has the “makeup” that scouts adore. Recently, the Mets decided to move him from his natural shortstop position [...]
Listen To a Pro Baseball Scout
What exactly does a pro baseball scout look for when evaluating a ballplayer? What kinds of things does a scout consider, in addition to raw baseball skills? How can an amateur ballplayer attract the interest of a pro scout? Find out by listenting to an interview I did with Tyrone Brooks, a professional baseball scout [...]
Podcast with a Pro On Pitching
Do you know what LHP is the all-time leader with the fewest walks per 9 innings since 1900? Hint: it’s not Johan Santana. A few weeks ago I had a conversation on pitching with the lefthanded pitcher with the best control in MLB history —
Can the Mets Use a Mental Coach?
If you are a Mets fan, you are all-too-familiar with: – Mike Pelfrey’s “yips” – Oliver Perez’s “Jekyll and Hyde” routine – Frequent mental lapses on the bases and in the field – Team-wide choking that led to late-season collapses in 2007 and 2008 – Finger-pointing and under-the-bus throwing by players These issues were running [...]
David Wright is Unorthodox?
At first I thought this was the reason Wright played on the high holy day of Yom Kippur. Then I realized I had read the quote too quickly, and also realized Wright isn’t Jewish (though he and many Mets had plenty to atone for). Jerry Manuel had this to say about David Wright’s problems at [...]
Fernandog Revisited
Maybe I’m a weirdo, but wins don’t necessarily make me feel wonderful about a ballclub. For me, the process is just as, if not more, important as the result. Do not read on unless you have a good 5-10 minutes of time to waste — this is a long one.
Basics: Bunting
While commenting on a replay of Oliver Perez dropping a beautiful sacrifice bunt in the third inning, Ron Darling brought up a fundamental that I don’t necessarily agree with. Darling said that you should hold the bat at chest level, and if the ball is above it, you let the ball go because it will [...]
