Is anybody watching the Twins/Tigers game?

[star18]

It is the quickest way to get to the ball and the quickest way to release it.   Mike Schmidt did it all the time.  He barehanded the ball and threw the guy out. Thomas takes too many steps to get to the ball, he doesn't continually sprint at it either, he slows up while the ball is approaching him, letting the ball come to him instead of going in to pick up the ball.    He could have picked that ball up 5-10 feet closer to home than where he got it.   Its not a knock at Thomas at all.  It is fundamentally the wrong play.   

[Rondo2287]

It is the quickest way to get to the ball and the quickest way to release it.   Mike Schmidt did it all the time.  He barehanded the ball and threw the guy out. Thomas takes too many steps to get to the ball, he doesn't continually sprint at it either, he slows up while the ball is approaching him, letting the ball come to him instead of going in to pick up the ball.    He could have picked that ball up 5-10 feet closer to home than where he got it.   Its not a knock at Thomas at all.  It is fundamentally the wrong play.   

You are just wrong

[MBz]

It is the quickest way to get to the ball and the quickest way to release it.   Mike Schmidt did it all the time.  He barehanded the ball and threw the guy out. Thomas takes too many steps to get to the ball, he doesn't continually sprint at it either, he slows up while the ball is approaching him, letting the ball come to him instead of going in to pick up the ball.    He could have picked that ball up 5-10 feet closer to home than where he got it.   Its not a knock at Thomas at all.  It is fundamentally the wrong play.   

You cannot compare this play to barehanding a ball in the infield, the play is extremely different.  The ball is rolling much slower and he's on the correct side to barehand it.  He needed to glove the ball in this case so he could get the power to reach homeplate.  Had he barehanded it, there would have been a much better chance of the throw not being accurate.

[star18]

Its astroturf and the ball bounces higher off the ground then on grass.   It is much more difficult to make a barehanded play in the outfield, then in the infield.  Either way it is the quickest way to get to the ball and release it.  Otherwise infielders would never do it.   I agree it is extremely difficult to do.  Yes there would have been a much better chance of the throw not being accurate, and it that situation that is the chance you have to take.  The play was not run fudmamentally correct. 

[Roy Hobbs]

The play was not run fudmamentally correct. 

No, it absolutely was run fundamentally correctly.  What you're advocating is a "hail mary" type of approach that is anything but fundamental.

[MBz]

Its astroturf and the ball bounces higher off the ground then on grass.   It is much more difficult to make a barehanded play in the outfield, then in the infield.  Either way it is the quickest way to get to the ball and release it.  Otherwise infielders would never do it.   I agree it is extremely difficult to do.  Yes there would have been a much better chance of the throw not being accurate, and it that situation that is the chance you have to take.  The play was not run fudmamentally correct. 

So everything you just said shows that the play you want him to make is not fundamentally correct.  You need to make the play which you feel as if you have the best chance of getting him out.  Which means that youre taking the play with the highest percentages, you basically just said your play would be a low percentage play.  IF he could have over ran the ball, which I still do not believe could have, maybe your play is executed faster, but if he could not have, barehanding and spinning to make the throw, takes more time then gloving it and taking it out of his glove to throw.

[Rondo2287]

The play was not run fudmamentally correct. 

No, it absolutely was run fundamentally correctly.  What you're advocating is a "hail mary" type of approach that is anything but fundamental.

Come on Roy, To quote a great baseball player, "Fundamentals are the crutch of the talentless."  Thomas relied on fundamental baseball because of this lack of talent. 

[star18]

Its the last play of the season.  That is the only time a "hail mary" type of approach is fundamental.  

I watched the replay 50 times.    1.After a few quick steps, he slows up to get in front of the ball.   2.He catches it with his glove.   3.He takes 4 steps after he catches the ball to throw.

This is what should have happened.    1.After a few quick steps, he make another quick two step to get on the left side of the ball so he could barehand it.   2.He picks the ball up with his throwing arm.  3.He takes 1 step to throw the ball, the last step of his sprint towards the ball.

[Donoghus]

So let me get this straight.  You expect an outfielder to cleanly field a bouncing grounder on fieldturf barehanded and throw the guy out at the plate?  Do you understand that is nearly impossible to pull off and even if he did field it cleanly with his barehand, that throw is not going to be on target due to his body's momentum?

I've watched the replay a few times and that run is probably scoring no matter what.  The kid made the right play on the ball. Its one thing to barehand a ball as an infielder. Your Mike Schmidt comparison is apples and oranges. You don't see outfielders.  And that hit certainly wasn't a squibber, the ball was moving pretty fast when he was playing it.

[Roy Hobbs]

Its the last play of the season.  That is the only time a "hail mary" type of approach is fundamental.  

I watched the replay 50 times.    1.After a few quick steps, he slows up to get in front of the ball.   2.He catches it with his glove.   3.He takes 4 steps after he catches the ball to throw.

This is what should have happened.    1.After a few quick steps, he make another quick two step to get on the left side of the ball so he could barehand it.   2.He picks the ball up with his throwing arm.  3.He takes 1 step to throw the ball, the last step of his sprint towards the ball.

Okay, so as a fundamental question, which ball will get to home plate faster?

1) A play where the fielder sets his feet and makes a balanced throw; or

2) An off-balance throw where the fielder is relying almost entirely on his arm strength?

[star18]

Slowing up before the ball to make sure you are in front of it.   Fielding it with your glove.  Taking 4 steps after the ball is caught to throw.  

Those are three things that are not the best chance of getting him out.

Doing it the regular way, like he did, gives you 0% chance of getting him out.

Doing it the way I've stated gives you at least a 0.1% chance and that is called trying, not giving up and doing what everybody expects you to do.

[star18]

Its the last play of the season.  That is the only time a "hail mary" type of approach is fundamental.  

I watched the replay 50 times.    1.After a few quick steps, he slows up to get in front of the ball.   2.He catches it with his glove.   3.He takes 4 steps after he catches the ball to throw.

This is what should have happened.    1.After a few quick steps, he make another quick two step to get on the left side of the ball so he could barehand it.   2.He picks the ball up with his throwing arm.  3.He takes 1 step to throw the ball, the last step of his sprint towards the ball.

Okay, so as a fundamental question, which ball will get to home plate faster?

1) A play where the fielder sets his feet and makes a balanced throw; or

2) An off-balance throw where the fielder is relying almost entirely on his arm strength?

It depends.  Most of the time #1 works best.  However in extraordinary circumstances #2 can get it there quicker, and it doesn't necessarily mean the throw will be off balanced.

Its funny you think an outfielder can't make a barehanded play
Ever heard of Kevin Mitchell?

[ChampKind]

Its astroturf and the ball bounces higher off the ground then on grass. 

It's fieldturf, which is actually often softer than grass depending on the climate.  Barehanding and rushing the throw gives you a 99% chance of total failure.  If he cowboys it and misses, that run definitely scores.  If he plays it right and there's a mistake on the basepaths, he's got a chance to get the runner.  If he rushes it and somehow pulls off a barehanded grab combined with a laser throw on target to home on one leg, then he still doesn't get the runner unless the runner makes a mistake.

I think he made the right call.

[Rondo2287]

Slowing up before the ball to make sure you are in front of it.   Fielding it with your glove.  Taking 4 steps after the ball is caught to throw.  

Those are three things that are not the best chance of getting him out.

Doing it the regular way, like he did, gives you 0% chance of getting him out.

Doing it the way I've stated gives you at least a 0.1% chance and that is called trying, not giving up and doing what everybody expects you to do.

You have to slow up when you barehand the ball not so much when you use the glove.  Thats one of the reasons why people wear gloves. 

[Donoghus]

Its the last play of the season.  That is the only time a "hail mary" type of approach is fundamental.  

I watched the replay 50 times.    1.After a few quick steps, he slows up to get in front of the ball.   2.He catches it with his glove.   3.He takes 4 steps after he catches the ball to throw.

This is what should have happened.    1.After a few quick steps, he make another quick two step to get on the left side of the ball so he could barehand it.   2.He picks the ball up with his throwing arm.  3.He takes 1 step to throw the ball, the last step of his sprint towards the ball.

Okay, so as a fundamental question, which ball will get to home plate faster?

1) A play where the fielder sets his feet and makes a balanced throw; or

2) An off-balance throw where the fielder is relying almost entirely on his arm strength?

It depends.  Most of the time #1 works best.  However in extraordinary circumstances #2 can get it there quicker, and it doesn't necessarily mean the throw will be off balanced.

Its funny you think an outfielder can't make a barehanded play
Ever heard of Kevin Mitchell?

That was a flyout with Mitchell.  We're talking about a fast moving grounder here. 

Totally different plays.  Pretty safe to say that the Mitchell play is nowhere relevant here.