Fascinating stuff re: stances that helps illuminate for me: "baseball is a game of adjustments" and
helps explain how Vinnie became the king of sac flies.
I really don't see how one of either Biggio or Castro does not go north; all the other candidates for the last spot bat right and you gotta have a lefty hitter, yes? Plus be versatile defensively, yes? Even Adam Frazier had his uses.
Marsh's shoulder impingement bothers me. I believe that's what derailed Luke Hochaver - that or something very similar.
Please explain why McArthur would NOT be placed on the 60-day to free a roster spot.
Vinnie's optimism re: playing is inspiring, but he came back from the thumb in the playoffs and did next to nothing as I recall. Pasquatch, heal thyself.
Agree with you on Biggio or Castro and you know I lean Biggio. But officially, Loftin is still in the mix. And I assume they won't make a call on him until they know if Vinnie needs time on the IL.
McArthur isn't on the 60-day because they need a full 40-man to do that. The 40-man is currently at 38, so there's still some room. They can shift McArthur over any time they need that spot.
I am becoming convinced that Savant will not rest until they analyze the effect of boogers and/or nose hairs on performance. Even then they shall soldier on.
Some of these batting adjustments are virtually microscopic; are they all intentional or are some more the reflection of a high-level professional athlete’s innate ability to (largely unconsciously) adjust to the enemy (curious more about, for example, Jr.’s than, for example, MJ’s), making this (really very interesting; stop apologizing) set of statistics more of a player learning tool than a reflection of preconceived modifications?
I think the margin of error is probably around an inch or so. I’m not sure about using it to teach necessarily, but it’s more conformation of how approaches can evolve over time or by situation.
That makes sense. And then they can use that data to build on performance. "Moving to a more open stance is working, so should you open a little more?" type of thing.
What a bunch of B.S. What ever happened to analyzing why a manager used a certain pitcher, did or did not pinch hit a guy or sacrificed...etc. etc. This stuff allows a bunch of meaningless discussion without offending anybody... it a waste of time...
I understand why you report on it...i just don't agree with all this technology been developed and discussed often in place of more relevant elements...like decision making.
I believe the technology allows for more informed decision-making. While the Royals haven't been at the forefront of this, under JJ Picollo there is a much greater emphasis here than in the past.
It’s not really an “either/or”, is it? We will get tons of the discussions you prefer once the real games begin; that doesn’t render the type of data Craig discussed today superfluous or meaningless (I can’t imagine, for example, that the players don’t find it helpful). Baseball has always been about data/numbers/statistics (hello, Moneyball), and I’m happy to see that universe expand. Now, Craig will ban me for starting an argument =)
I agree that some of it has relevance for sure... but when I watch a game and a guy hits a home run, the talk is about the launch angle versus why the pitcher threw a particular pitch or why that pitcher was still in the game... I think it becomes a point of useless discussion versus addressing the decision making element...
That batting stance stuff is absolutely wild. Makes me think of when I was a 12-year-old, deciding I was going to grow up to play pro baseball, pro football, and pro tennis all at the same time. Never once in the *mumble mumble* decades since then have I considered these kinds of minute batting stance adjustments that help these guys have success. How long until the idea of a dumb jock vanishes from the collective consciousness under the weight of all of the data that pro athletes have to be geniuses to keep track of everything they do to succeed?
There are all kinds. Some guys don't give a damn when it comes to using data. Others, like Vinnie, are aware. There will forever be the "grip-it-and-rip-it" group, and there will be others who absorb all the data and video they can get. Find a happy medium, I say!!!
I'm very sorry we missed out on a "Hokius knows" campaign from Nike. :)
Really enjoyed this, glad you made it back to terra firma to report.
I find Vinnie fascinating - heard some deep dive interviews with him and he seems to research anything that might help him improve a bit. I honestly think I heard him say recently that he does consciously make this adjustment at 2 strikes, but cant remember which wormhole that was in.
Hope to see you do an update to this as we get into season (especially MJ). I'm afraid if I go down the rabbithole, the SO will let go of the rope
Fascinating stuff re: stances that helps illuminate for me: "baseball is a game of adjustments" and
helps explain how Vinnie became the king of sac flies.
I really don't see how one of either Biggio or Castro does not go north; all the other candidates for the last spot bat right and you gotta have a lefty hitter, yes? Plus be versatile defensively, yes? Even Adam Frazier had his uses.
Marsh's shoulder impingement bothers me. I believe that's what derailed Luke Hochaver - that or something very similar.
Please explain why McArthur would NOT be placed on the 60-day to free a roster spot.
Vinnie's optimism re: playing is inspiring, but he came back from the thumb in the playoffs and did next to nothing as I recall. Pasquatch, heal thyself.
Agree with you on Biggio or Castro and you know I lean Biggio. But officially, Loftin is still in the mix. And I assume they won't make a call on him until they know if Vinnie needs time on the IL.
McArthur isn't on the 60-day because they need a full 40-man to do that. The 40-man is currently at 38, so there's still some room. They can shift McArthur over any time they need that spot.
I am becoming convinced that Savant will not rest until they analyze the effect of boogers and/or nose hairs on performance. Even then they shall soldier on.
Gross
Some of these batting adjustments are virtually microscopic; are they all intentional or are some more the reflection of a high-level professional athlete’s innate ability to (largely unconsciously) adjust to the enemy (curious more about, for example, Jr.’s than, for example, MJ’s), making this (really very interesting; stop apologizing) set of statistics more of a player learning tool than a reflection of preconceived modifications?
I think the margin of error is probably around an inch or so. I’m not sure about using it to teach necessarily, but it’s more conformation of how approaches can evolve over time or by situation.
Thanks. I didn’t mean “teach” necessarily; more of a “good to know that I’m doing this” sorta thing.
That makes sense. And then they can use that data to build on performance. "Moving to a more open stance is working, so should you open a little more?" type of thing.
What a bunch of B.S. What ever happened to analyzing why a manager used a certain pitcher, did or did not pinch hit a guy or sacrificed...etc. etc. This stuff allows a bunch of meaningless discussion without offending anybody... it a waste of time...
Noted
I understand why you report on it...i just don't agree with all this technology been developed and discussed often in place of more relevant elements...like decision making.
I believe the technology allows for more informed decision-making. While the Royals haven't been at the forefront of this, under JJ Picollo there is a much greater emphasis here than in the past.
It’s not really an “either/or”, is it? We will get tons of the discussions you prefer once the real games begin; that doesn’t render the type of data Craig discussed today superfluous or meaningless (I can’t imagine, for example, that the players don’t find it helpful). Baseball has always been about data/numbers/statistics (hello, Moneyball), and I’m happy to see that universe expand. Now, Craig will ban me for starting an argument =)
I agree that some of it has relevance for sure... but when I watch a game and a guy hits a home run, the talk is about the launch angle versus why the pitcher threw a particular pitch or why that pitcher was still in the game... I think it becomes a point of useless discussion versus addressing the decision making element...
Hah. I put away my ban hammer when I left Royals Review.
"Obviously, you're not a golfer"
Not in a longt time!
That batting stance stuff is absolutely wild. Makes me think of when I was a 12-year-old, deciding I was going to grow up to play pro baseball, pro football, and pro tennis all at the same time. Never once in the *mumble mumble* decades since then have I considered these kinds of minute batting stance adjustments that help these guys have success. How long until the idea of a dumb jock vanishes from the collective consciousness under the weight of all of the data that pro athletes have to be geniuses to keep track of everything they do to succeed?
There are all kinds. Some guys don't give a damn when it comes to using data. Others, like Vinnie, are aware. There will forever be the "grip-it-and-rip-it" group, and there will be others who absorb all the data and video they can get. Find a happy medium, I say!!!
I'm very sorry we missed out on a "Hokius knows" campaign from Nike. :)
This was great, Craig! Thanks!
Thanks, Murray! Glad you liked it.
You title an article Stand and Deliver and I don't get a single "finger man" reference? For shame, Craig. For shame.
My bad. But I have been trying to “finger man” to calculate wRC+. Harder than you would think.
Really enjoyed this, glad you made it back to terra firma to report.
I find Vinnie fascinating - heard some deep dive interviews with him and he seems to research anything that might help him improve a bit. I honestly think I heard him say recently that he does consciously make this adjustment at 2 strikes, but cant remember which wormhole that was in.
Hope to see you do an update to this as we get into season (especially MJ). I'm afraid if I go down the rabbithole, the SO will let go of the rope
Thanks, Herbie. I’ll definitely be looking at this throughout the year. I’ll head back down the rabbit hole for you. :)