Make It Official! Twins 5, Royals 1: Byron Buxton Doubles Down for Minnesota

[AlwaysinModeration]

4 hours ago, ashbury said:

Satire is apparently lost at this site unless it's labeled as such.

…

The ball thrown by the catcher goes at a far higher velocity than a human can run. So the distance being a few inches shorter,, thrown a few feet toward the first base side, does not make up for the speed differential of throwing to where the runner must eventually arrive in order to steal the base.  … the shortness of the throw does you no good if the runner is already past that point.

I knew you were joking with the screen grab.  But the discussion got me thinking about the fact that you see more and more out calls being made to throws to the body as opposed to the hands right at the base—including on pick-off throws to first.  I think the advent of replay has had a big impact on these calls and by extension, throw and tag placement.  Before replay, those *close* body tags rarely got an out call, even if they were, in fact out.  Very hard for an ump to see a body tag and the hands touching the base at the same time, and thus the default on those close plays was typically “safe.”

And that’s the point, really.  We are talking about REALLY close plays, essentially how to optimize nabbing a runner when he is two inches from touching second base.  The ball is obviously moving way faster than the runner, but if the ball has to travel a foot less reach him, that could provide the (replay reviewable) difference.  Not to mention the fact that the runner can avoid the tag at the bag by moving his hands, whereas it’s much harder to avoid the tag by shifting his body.

[Johnny Ringo]

So Byron Buxton looks again like the HOF player we have always dreamt of and we can't soak it in even for a day? Instead the main focus is arguing over one possibly errant throw down to Correa. Nice. I am going to launch an alternative site for those fans: Pedantic Inanities Daily. 

Since I am taking cheap shots, it will be accompanied by a companion podcast, Richard Measuring Weekly. It will only be available on Patreon and will cost $100 an episode. If you balk at the price, when then we know how you measure up. 

[DJL44]

8 hours ago, wabene said:

Yeah I don't think I would've used Stewart there. Save him for the finale.

Once he's warm they might as well use him. He was burned either way.

[Peter]

Vasquez was mvp!!! Came through big time with clutch game winning rbi and throw out of Witt which was turning point of game! Royals are good team and better then last year. Even though it’s only 3 games in season this is big win! Buxton has stepped up as well! Let’s get sweep!!!

[wabene]

29 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Once he's warm they might as well use him. He was burned either way.

Yeah I mentioned that in the game thread. Gotta watch the dry humping.

[madtowntwin]

When you have an all-world shortstop who plays the game one step ahead as well, that makes your team pretty damn strong up the middle...

[mikelink45]

I know this is off the wall and not part of the main discussions, but I always look at the BP use chart and it made me wonder a couple things about Sands.  Number one, what game will he be called on this season and how many days of major league service does he have versus number of games pitched?  He has two years and -0.2 WAR,  And BR says he has 26 games - I don't remember that many.  

[JD-TWINS]

17 hours ago, USAFChief said:

Can't understand pinch running for Wallner in that situation. 

Leave the better hitter in the game.

But...nice rally and win.

 

No problem with replacing Wallner for key speed & to have the RH bat in line-up against Will Smith from the Pen, eventually. I didn’t get pinch hitting Margot for Martin - seemed unnecessary.

[JD-TWINS]

Starting pitchers through 2 games:

12 1/3 innings - 10 hits - 1 walk - 2 runs - dozen K’s!!! 1-0.

Not bad, even if against the Royals.

Looking forward to Ober today.

[joefish]

I thought Buxton got lucky on the bouncing double. His swings were not finding the ball. It looks like a good game on paper but he doesn't yet pass the eye test.