Aaron Hicks and the warning track

[Willihammer]

In case you missed it, Big Papi hit a ball to dead center that Aaron Hicks misplayed. Watch it here.

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/v143227983/minbos-ortiz-plates-pedroia-with-rbi-double/?game_pk=414415

 

That ball hit the bottom of the wall, right by the 379 ft. marker. I was listening to the radio at the time and Gladden described the ball as a misplay as well.

 

Is it just me or does Aaron Hicks look lost at sea every time he touches the warning track?

[jokin]

It isn't just you.  He's improved his routes and his reads quite a bit this go-round, but not too much on balls hit beyond him.

[Shane Wahl]

Are you watching the same video? Are you listening to the same audio? He clearly wasn't getting the ball so he tried to deke Pedroia.

 

Why would anyone trust Dan Gladden's interpretation of events?

[Shane Wahl]

 

 

It isn't just you.  He's improved his routes and his reads quite a bit this go-round, but not too much on balls hit beyond him.

 

Not you too! Uh, the Red Sox announcers were on the call and had it right.

[jokin]

 

Not you too! Uh, the Red Sox announcers were on the call and had it right.

 

Are you really saying that Hicks doesn't have problems reading balls at the wall and over his head?

[Shane Wahl]

 

Are you really saying that Hicks doesn't have problems reading balls at the wall and over his head?

 

I am saying that this play was in no way an indication of that.

[jokin]

 

I am saying that this play was in no way an indication of that.

 

It would have been nice to see him attempt a catch, the LF had the carom off the wall backed up already.

[mickeymental]

no doubt hicks tried to deke pedroia, who stopped briefly rounding second. one of the camera angles from the boston broadcast showed that hicks clearly pretended to camp under a fly ball for an easy catch. still, there was something odd about the way the ball hit low off the wall behind hicks and he didn't try to reach it. but it was hit very hard, so he apparently figured he couldn't get there. if there was a misplay, it was trying the deke rather than going for the catch. but the boston announcer (remy?) called it "a pretty good deke ... that almost got pedroia."

[TheLeviathan]

It was a deke because he realized he wasn't catching it, but he also wasn't anywhere near the ball or in a good position for that carom off the wall.  He is a good 20 feet too far towards right field for where that ball eventually hit.

 

It's the first time we've seen a mistake like this since he's been up though.

[TheLeviathan]

And the more I watch that the more I'm convinced that ball could've been caught.

[Craig Arko]

Other documented incidents? One play doesn't mean a whole lot. If there are several, maybe there's a trend that needs to be addressed.

[Kwak]

Hicks was never catching that one--nor anybody else--given where he was positioned at the start.  OK, you don't like Hicks, I get that, but there is no need to manufacture reasons to support your perception.

[TheLeviathan]

His positioning was a few steps towards RF....how is that catch impossible?

 

I implore people to focus on the catcher view. The deke didn't work because the trajectory was obviously well to Hicks' right and Aaron is standing around deking for several seconds that would have been more than enough time to get to the ball.

 

You won't hear me say this often, but Gladden is right.

[goulik]

Well, the more I watch it, the more I think it was a good play. He got to the ball pretty quickly off the carom and relayed it in. Plouffe standing behind Santana was in perfect line to attempt a relay but Santana was in line for second base and that is what made the deke not work. Santana dives to stop the ball and is in no position to get pedroia at home. If Santana gets that ball on his feet, there is a play at home.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Did he learn the deke move from Hunter? Torii does it quite frequently, I think.

[blindeke]

 

And the more I watch that the more I'm convinced that ball could've been caught.

 

Not me. That hit right in the crevasse. I don't think anyone could have gotten there, at least not playing where Hicks was positioned.

[Willihammer]

Wetmore also considered it a misplay

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/Wetmores_5_thoughts_Boston_tags_Hughes_Dozier_pulls_another_homer060315
 

 

Hicks intended to play the ball off the wall, and the trick was meant to keep Pedroia wondering if he'd have to retreat to first base on a caught fly ball. It would have been a great ploy if the ball actually had bounced high off the wall, but unfortunately for Hicks, he might have misread the flight of the ball, because it appeared to be a catchable ball on the warning track.

 

[Willihammer]

Other documented incidents? One play doesn't mean a whole lot. If there are several, maybe there's a trend that needs to be addressed.

Sept 14, 2014 game against the Angels

 

 

The Twins aren’t doing much catching, or much winning, these days. During Sunday’s 14-4 rout by the Angels, Aaron Hicks pulled back from a fly ball on the warning track, then bobbled the carom for an error

I am pretty sure there are at least one or two others from last summer.

[USAFChief]

I don't think it's fair or reasonable to expect OFers to catch every ball that reaches the OF. Particularly ones that smash off the CF wall.

[TheLeviathan]

 

Sept 14, 2014 game against the Angels
 

I am pretty sure there are at least one or two others from last summer.

 

And didn't he concuss himself at least once awkwardly running into the wall?

[TheLeviathan]

 

Particularly ones that smash off the CF wall.

 

Is that how you characterize this flyball or are you speaking generally?

[Willihammer]

 

I don't think it's fair or reasonable to expect OFers to catch every ball that reaches the OF. Particularly ones that smash off the CF wall.

What about this ball? Looks more like a towering fly to me that hung up a while.

[jimmer]

Hicks has been playing outstanding defense.  He may or may not have misplayed a ball.  No defender is perfect (though Andrelton Simmons is pretty close).

[USAFChief]

It wasn't a lazy fly ball, Lev. And it hit the wall a long way from where Hicks started, not to mention that's a quirky wall that is tricky to play, with odd angles and weird bounces.

 

Nobody catches that.

[TheLeviathan]

 

Hicks has been playing outstanding defense.  He may or may not have misplayed a ball.  No defender is perfect (though Andrelton Simmons is pretty close).

 

A good point to make.  I'm just being honest with this take personally, I still think on the whole he's played remarkably better in the field since coming up.

[TheLeviathan]

 

It wasn't a lazy fly ball, Lev. And it hit the wall a long way from where Hicks started, not to mention that's a quirky wall that is tricky to play, with odd angles and weird bounces.

Nobody catches that.

 

You should watch where it hits again.  I'm not even sure it hits the wall.

 

And it was a good distance away, but Hicks had time to make that play because of his range.

[drjim]

Even if he did misplay the ball, which I am quite skeptical of, it seemed he did it with a plan, not because he was scared of the wall or warning track. In flight he determined he couldn't make the catch so he tried to make a good play in freezing Pedroia, it almost worked.

[Craig Arko]

I suppose the thing to do is wait a year or so, and when a similar situation comes up, see how Buxton does.

[TheLeviathan]

I take that back.  I'm sure it doesn't hit the wall.  It hits the warning track and bounces off the wall later.

[Willihammer]

 

Hicks has been playing outstanding defense.  He may or may not have misplayed a ball.  No defender is perfect (though Andrelton Simmons is pretty close).

I agree he has looked better since the call-up  overall. I do think this ball was catchable as do Wetmore and Gladden, at least.