toronto moneyballers (on defense?)

by sec119 on Apr 12, 2005 10:20 PM PDT

if almost every line drive we hit looks like it's hit right to a fielder, at least part of it is due to good defense on the part of toronto, and not just bad luck, right? i'm left wondering if we really are getting unlucky, or if toronto's outfield is that great. it's hard to see on tv (or even at the stadium, when you're looking at the batter) how much of a jump an outfielder gets on the ball, for example. given the debate over defensive stats, i'm not sure if there's a good way to answer this even if we had all the information available to us. any thoughts? are we getting hosed? did JP pull a moneyball on defense? or is it too early in the season for me to start thinking about these things...

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Great Question

Wells, Rios and Reed do have great reputations, but they seemed to always be in the right place at the right time.

by Eck on Apr 12, 2005 10:36 PM PDT reply actions

Positioning

has a lot to do with 90% of all good defenses. Speed makes up for the other 10%.

by Fongpay on Apr 12, 2005 10:46 PM PDT reply actions

I dunno, but...

I'm 100% sure that someone (other than me) will use the phrase "small sample size" somewhere on this thread.

by HigherPie on Apr 12, 2005 10:48 PM PDT reply actions

who cares?

this thread is too small of a sample size for us to draw any conlusions about our use of the term "small sample size".

devo's gf: "what is it that you write about all day when they don't even play any games?"

by devo on Apr 12, 2005 11:19 PM PDT up reply actions

there's a large enough sample size

to have correctly predicted that someone on AN would eventually make a sample size joke...

by xbhaskarx on Apr 12, 2005 11:33 PM PDT up reply actions

but it's far too small of a sample size

to show that these posts about small sample size indicate that such posts would occur at statistically significant rate.

But if we didn't have such a small sample size, we might be able to draw some conclusions about the power self fulfilling prophecies.

devo's gf: "what is it that you write about all day when they don't even play any games?"

by devo on Apr 12, 2005 11:49 PM PDT up reply actions

Lol

by kent1 on Apr 13, 2005 12:37 AM PDT up reply actions

It depends...

Many of those A's hits to their outfielders have come off the end of the bat. It makes a huge difference what part of the bat a ball comes off of.

Also, the Blue Jays have a very good defensive outfield. Wells is a Gold Glover and the corner fielders are no slouches as well. If their pitchers are hitting their spots it makes it that much easier for the defense to be set properly as well.

by RudiFan on Apr 13, 2005 7:33 AM PDT reply actions

Wells is spectacular,

and so is Orlando Hudson. They may be the two best at their position in the majors, although of course in CF, you'd have to consider Hunter and Jones, too.

Rios is supposed to be good in right, but who knows.

After that, the Jays don't have much going on. Zaun has never been considered a good defensive catcher, Koskie is mediocre at third, Hinske is learning a new position, the kid Adams is learning to play SS in the major leagues (!), and Catalanotto isn't good at all.

by jrbh on Apr 13, 2005 8:27 AM PDT reply actions