MLB - 2008 Season

[-Jrabbit]

The outfield wall rises up to 21 feet behind right field (in honor of the Pirates legendary right fielder #21, Roberto Clemente) and drops down to just six feet in front of the left-field bleachers.

The ball in question was a high fly ball that bounced off the top of the wall. Soriano was standing right there. It was eminently catchable.

[Ming]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
A home run that "should have been caught"? How many times do defenders take a ball that's a HR away? It isn't exactly common.

Who cares if it isn't common... the fact is, he should have caught the ball. That made him look like a lazy bum to everybody watching the game. It showed just how bad he's gotten since the injury. But yeah, it doesn't show up in the any of those wonderful fielding statistics. It just shows up as a Home Run, and a lost game for the Cubs.

There are things that can be seen about defensive skills by watching the game that do not appear in the stats.
To assume the stats tell the whole story... just ask Mark Twain

[Imran Siddiqui]

They tell it more than subjective opinions .

[Will9]

Originally posted by Ming

It just shows up as a Home Run, and a lost game for the Cubs.

And that is bad thing?

[Ming]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
They tell it more than subjective opinions .

Watching somebody miss catching a home run that ended up costing the Cubs a game is not a "subjective opinion" but a fact

[rah]

I work with statistics all day.
We lie with them all the time.
They are nice to have in an arguement but it's great when they are augmented with personal observations.
Neither is sufficient without the other.
And after years of dealing with statistics, I sometimes lean more towards direct observations

[Imran Siddiqui]

Which is why you use a number of statistical tools (none which are biased for a particular individual or team) for comparison to make sure one isn't just off.

[rah]

Agreed, but personal observation is probably the most important component when putting everything together. Trust me, I've seen multiple statistical models come up with some real doozers because nobody gave them a reality check.

[snoopy369]

The problem with statistics is you can't be sure you're measuring the RIGHT statistic. In the case of a brilliant OF, the 'key catches' often are the difference - taking away a HR, etc.

With someone who converted to OF, you expect to see consistent improvement for the first several years - probably about 5, but you'd have to look at stats to know - as they figure out how to break in on balls properly, etc. A slight decrease could really be a significant decrease compared to the expected value...

Also, Carlos Quentin

[Arrian]

I can live with Soriano batting leadoff; I can even live with him in LF. But I can NOT abide him being out there in the 9th inning with a 1-run lead. Piniella has to come to terms with this.

I would agree that this is a reasonable statement... IF the Cubs have a superior defensive LFer available to replace him in such situations. Do they, though?

-Arrian

[-Jrabbit]

Edmonds and Fukudome is all the Cubs have in the majors right now. Pie is down on the farm having his confidence shattered, er I mean, refining his hitting stroke.

In the majors, right now, Reed Johnson and Mark DeRosa are their only real options.

[rah]

DeRosa is not an option

The dart will never hit him.

[snoopy369]

Reed Johnson is an excellent choice IMO... honestly he's an excellent choice to replace Soriano entirely but that's just my opinion...

[-Jrabbit]

Spoken like a true White Sox fan.

[rah]

We need him in center, especially after the JE experiment fails. Which was right after the FP experiment failed, again and again.