Bad Fundamentals hurt MLB playoff teams

Coaches, just wondering if you saw what I saw in some recent MLB playoff games regarding a bad fundamental play costing the team the game. J. D. Drew played a short fly ball into the game-winning sac fly by catching the ball behind his head with no momentum to the plate. I believe the fundamental play there is to play back and catch it on the run and crow hop into a strong throw (he had time to do so as he was standing flat-footed when he caught it). With no momentum toward the plate he got off a two-hopper from only 175 feet that was up the line by about ten feet. The field turf took a lot of speed off the ball and there was no play on the fast runner. Making the catch on the run also makes it harder for the runner to judge when he can leave the base. I think Clemente, Dave Parker, Ichiro, etc. would have made the play the right way. Last night, I thought Furcal set up for the backhand play on the ground ball that eventually became a double error when he had time to square up in front of it and make the higher percentage play. I assume the third error was just pressure following the previous errors....to make a throw that was ten feet short from 95 feet away in that situation had to be a great disappointment to Dodger fans.

 

I would be disappointed if one of our 15 yr old's didn't make a stronger throw...imo , Major League OF arms in general stink .

 

...and the number of times they missed the cut off man made me want to scream. I saw some tremendous plays made by world class athletes, but I saw some boneheads that you don't expect at that level.

 

Braves thank you so much for bringing that one up. It has happened numerous times this postseason. At least 2 occasions by Pat Burrell alone where he overthrew the 3rd baseman trying to cut down a runner at home. One allowed a runner to advance to 3rd who scored on a sac-fly by the next batter. The other allowed both runners to advance and a run scored on a 1-out groundout which should've been an inning ending double play.

Thankfully though, there was a play in Game 4 of the Sox-Rays series that was played perfectly. Willy Aybar (i believe) with the basehit to left-field, Carl Crawford scores from second, Youkilis cuts off Jason Bay's head-high throw and catches Aybar with a wide turn around first for the out. Picture perfect.

I got on our centerfielder about that exact thing so many times last year. Kids don't understand the consequences of giving up the extra base. Apparently, neither do some Major Leaguers.

 

Future

You do know that these guys are the same ones that after their MLB contracts are up. Will be using money earned to open new training facilities.

 

PD- do you have anything positive to say or to contribute? Everything you've been posting lately is attacking something or someone. That's not a good thing

 

But if you notice closely, the yungun's for the Rays have played very solid fundamentally all season long. A "ray" of sunshine when I have watched them, except for the times Maddon has "reigned" (pardon the pun) in Upton.

 

In this post; I have thought that I have. Is it not these same players that you and others have pointed out. Make the big money. Make what you and others see as mental errors or dumb choices. Will after their MLB careers are over. May open some type of training site or hold clinic? That parents will pay for their kids to go to learn from the guys that played in the majors.

 

Yes, until last night

Yes, until last night. When the Sox scored the tying run it was on a very sharp hit to right with Kotsay trying to score from second and the throw from right never even made it home...Chip Caray described it as awful but they never said why or showed a replay of the throw itself. There is no way that throw was cutoff if it was decent...I know they got Crisp out after the first baseman picked the ball up. Crisp never dreamed the ball would not go to the plate on a ball hit that sharply, that close to home and with Kotsay running behind on the play. I did see a split screen that showed Kotsay just rounding the bag as the throw was being attempted...even just a fair throw should have gotten Kotsay. Longoria made a sensational grab of Youkalis' hard grounder down the line with two outs and PLENTY of time of to square his legs and make the higher percentage throw. Instead he threw off the wrong leg as his momentum was carrying him to home and bounced the throw and put the winning run on second. Make that throw and the Sox are retired. I know he has made that throw many times, but out of 100 throws he makes the squared up throw 98 times and the crossover throw 85 times...it's those 13 less good throws that will occasionally come at the wrong time, as it did last night. Young players need to see that you should always make the high percentage play when time permits.

 

Using that logic you could blame the players for the financial crisis. I believe the topic is bad fundamentals, not bad investments