Game Thread, Twins v. Tigers April 29 12:10

[Mike Sixel]

I have been using cream more lately in my coffee.....I forgot how much drinking coffee is just an excuse to drink cream.....

[Mike Sixel]

 

In a way, this series has been good because it shows that the Twins can play with the Tigers.

 

In another way, it has been very disheartening to see that they just can't get over the hump and close things out.  (Not talking about you, Glen Perkins).

 

I think we are seeing things differently, given that they mostly lose. Most baseball games are close, because of the nature of the game.

[D. Hocking]

Derek Whetmore's tweet:

 

That's it. Twins lose, 10-7. Perhaps more importantly, lose Hughes, Schafer, Fien to injury in the process. Uff da.

 

Three people leaving due to injury - Nolasco already on the DL.  Not to state the obvious, but I hope this is not a trend.

 

13 pages for a daytime weekday thread -- it looks like the game-thread posters are toughing it out through whatever aches and pains they have and posting their tails off (or paying attention to details - whatever the new motto is).

[Halsey Hall]

I swung my tail off on the golf course today.  Looks like I missed some good, and alot of bad. 

[wavedog]

Disappointing loss after taking a 7-3 lead.  Detroit won the battle of the bullpens today which is further depressing.  Hopefully the injuries to Hughes and Fien are minor. 

[Platoon]

The Tiger broadcasters were making a big deal that he hadn't gotten one all season, so it was sweet.

according to the Cory and Danno no Twin catcher had a throw out this year????

[AlwaysinModeration]

If the Twins catch the pop up in the 8th inning, there are two outs, and the go ahead run likely doesn't score. The Twins could have scored in the 8th...or possibly Miggy doesn't bat in the 9th (he would have been third up.) little things can make a big difference.

[JB_Iowa]

 

I think we are seeing things differently, given that they mostly lose. Most baseball games are close, because of the nature of the game.

 

I think we are seeing things differently because I'm an optimist -- especially in the spring -- and you would just "like to be more positive."  

[Platoon]

A thought on Pinto. He is not a good defensive catcher. But he can hit. And he would not be replacing or taking games from Johnny Bench. Kurt's ball blocking ability has not been there this year, he has had some big passed balls, and it's April 29th, and he has started the majority of the games, and still does not have a caught stealing. Maybe I am missing something. And maybe there is something more to the Perkins thing. Perk pitches maybe less than 5% of the innings the Twins play, and he sets the tone for catchers??

[JB_Iowa]

 

Kurt's ball blocking ability has not been there this year, he has had some big passed balls, and it's April 29th, and he has started the majority of the games, and still does not have a caught stealing. 

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/suzukku01-field.shtml

 

Either I'm reading this wrong (along with ash, I think) or Gladden/Provus are wrong.  It looks to me like Kurt is credited with 3 "CS" (caught stealing) while FIELDING (18%).  He has not been caught stealing while on the basepaths so on his batting page, his CS is 0 because he apparently hasn't attempted to steal.

 

This is still a low amount and BRef could be wrong or I could be reading it wrong but until someone shows me that, I'll believe that Gladden/Provus were just wrong and that this "stat" should not be repeated. 

[Platoon]

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/suzukku01-field.shtml

 

Either I'm reading this wrong (along with ash, I think) or Gladden/Provus are wrong.  It looks to me like Kurt is credited with 3 "CS" (caught stealing) while FIELDING (18%).  He has not been caught stealing while on the basepaths so on his batting page, his CS is 0 because he apparently hasn't attempted to steal.

 

This is still a low amount and BRef could be wrong or I could be reading it wrong but until someone shows me that, I'll believe that Gladden/Provus were just wrong and that this "stat" should not be repeated.

[/quote I will bow to whatever the fact is, I was listening on the radio, and quoted those two noted experts! . That said, it ain't good either way. And I always was impressed with the way he blocked balls in the dirt. That has regressed this year. As for his hitting, that has returned to his days of yesteryear. And no I don't just want to bench him, I just think Pinto should be up here also. This is a BAD baseball team, and the roster should not be so inviolate. It's not only bad, it's undisciplined, and I was hoping Molitor would change that.

[Platoon]

If I can't trust Corey and Danno, who can I trust??

[JB_Iowa]

No problem with saying he's bad at throwing out runners (or that his his ability is regressing).  He's at about 1/2 the successful percentage he had at times in the past and about 10% less (18% vs. 28%) than league average.

 

It's just that when it is "hasn't done that yet this year" about anything, that really tends to grab people's attention so it Gladden and Provus need to be accurate.  (And BRef could still be wrong or I could be reading it wrong).

[USAFChief]

I don't think those 3 are actually runners caught stealing. I think they represent pickoffs.

[Zachary]

That has got to be one of the more frustrating, if not the most frustrating loss of the season. Trying to close out a series against the Tigers and they take a 7-3 lead and things just catastrophically fall apart. 

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

Looking at the game logs, here are the three plays that Suzuki is getting credit for a CS this season:

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?id=suzukku01&t=f&year=2015

 

April 10th at Chicago - bottom of the 3rd "Johnson Caught Stealing 3B (P-3B)"

April 27th vs Detroit - top of the 7th "Cabrera Caught Stealing 3B (P-3B)"

April 27th vs Detroit - top of the 8th "Martinez Caught Stealing 2B (P-2B)"

 

So... he plays his best defense when he doesn't touch the ball.

[JB_Iowa]

 

Looking at the game logs, here are the three plays that Suzuki is getting credit for a CS this season:

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?id=suzukku01&t=f&year=2015

 

April 10th at Chicago - bottom of the 3rd "Johnson Caught Stealing 3B (P-3B)"

April 27th vs Detroit - top of the 7th "Cabrera Caught Stealing 3B (P-3B)"

April 27th vs Detroit - top of the 8th "Martinez Caught Stealing 2B (P-2B)"

 

So... he plays his best defense when he doesn't touch the ball.

 

Thanks for digging up the 3 incidents!

[tobi0040]

 

Looking at the game logs, here are the three plays that Suzuki is getting credit for a CS this season:

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?id=suzukku01&t=f&year=2015

 

April 10th at Chicago - bottom of the 3rd "Johnson Caught Stealing 3B (P-3B)"

April 27th vs Detroit - top of the 7th "Cabrera Caught Stealing 3B (P-3B)"

April 27th vs Detroit - top of the 8th "Martinez Caught Stealing 2B (P-2B)"

 

So... he plays his best defense when he doesn't touch the ball.

 

So we play Kurt every day and leave Pinto in AAA because of his defense.  In just 17 games, 14 guys have stolen on Kurt and he has not thrown anyone out.  He has only been credited with 1 passed ball, but the pitchers have 9 wild pitches.  A few I have seen he should have had. 

 

Is anyone surprised the Twins maybe i denail about the defense of a veteran?  And not balancing what we are giving up in terms of offense by a younger player?  Where have we seen his before?

 

Career MLB Numbers:

 

Pinto   .784 OPS

Suzuki .690 OPS

 

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

I guess the nuance of the stat is that the pitcher only gets credit for a pickoff if the runner is out returning to the base, and the catcher gets credit for a caught stealing if the running is out advancing to the next base...

 

When catchers like Ivan Rodriguez would make a quick throw to first and catch a runner leaning off the bag after a pitch, would that be a pickoff, or a caught stealing? Seems like it would be called a pickoff....

[Beemo]

If anyone is interested in a catcher's actual caught stealing numbers, baseball-reference.com has advanced catcher fielding statistics that have it.  Here's a link to Kurt Suzuki's page as an example. CSctch is the stat showing how many runners that catcher has actually thrown out himself.

[tobi0040]

 

If anyone is interested in a catcher's actual caught stealing numbers, baseball-reference.com has advanced catcher fielding statistics that have it.  Here's a link to Kurt Suzuki's page as an example. CSctch is the stat showing how many runners that catcher has actually thrown out himself.

 

Interesting.  11 of 21 from last year were not his either.  Thank you for sharing.