Interesting comments from Yost: Too many fly ball outs

[AJAY]

"We need to find ways to score more runs. We're just making fly-ball out after fly-ball out. We need to make some adjustments."

 

- Ned Yost

 

 

I have never quite heard it put that way before, but it does sound interesting.

 

Are any of the stats experts familiar with the correlation between fly ball hitting and run scoring? Is there any data on this subject?

 

 

(unambigufied thread title)

[Ennder]

Fly balls tend to lead to more runs than ground balls but its different for different types of players.

 

On average for 2006 a Line drive was worth 0.391 runs, an outfield fly was worth 0.192 runs. A groundball was worth 0.045 runs and an infield fly was worth -0.088 runs.

 

What I'm assuming he means is we are hitting too many flyball outs and not enough line drives, unless you are a speedy type ground balls are generally always bad.

[nodderman]

While I dont remember the stats off the top of my head, there is a pretty big difference between fly balls and ground balls. My numbers could be off since I coach high school ball though...

[1992casey]

I wouldn't be surprised in the least if the value of different outcomes varied at different levels. nodderman, are you saying your stats support the value of fly balls?

 

Anyway, there's probably some validity to Ned's statement if he's referring to weak outfield flies.

[crewcrazy]

Seemed like there was a lot more infield flyballs than usual in the Cincy series, too, so that might be what Ned is getting at. It was frustrating how many balls didn't carry over the wall this past series, too, but I'm sure both teams would've liked to see the ball carry a little better this week.

 

Of course, one could take Ned's comments as indication that even he is starting to think that the Brewers hit "too many" home runs and struggle to score in other ways.

[JoeHova]

If the team starts trying to get guys to hit more grounders, I don't even know what to say.

[bklynbrewcrew]

Typical dopey Yost comment. The problem isnt with hitting fly balls its the fact that most of the balls he is referring to are weak popups. Line drives are fly balls too we just arent getting wnough of those. Yost really says some stupid things sometimes.

[endaround]

The ball just wasn't carrying at GAB. Both teams hit balls that looked gone only to come down on the warning track.

[nodderman]

I would say that I would support this Yost comment if he explained it more. I feel more fly balls are going to get caught, thats all. I don't think you can lump line drives in that category though. While I know that a liner would technically be on a fly, it is harder to catch obviously. In the end, Yost probably meant that his team swings for the fences too much, but did not word it right. I take his quote and interpret it as him wanting his guys to take a breath and not try and hit a home run every time.

[Invader3K]

At least a fly ball is putting the ball in play...better than a strikeout or weak grounder.

[RightFieldCoder]

I think it means Villy is a SP and can pitch more innings in a year than a closer.

[Brian the Automator]

Did he mean that players were popping up to much while trying to swing for the fences? Weird.

[Bruce Ciskie]

I guess this means we'll be changing hitting coaches once the Cubs run away with the division.

[Thurston Fluff]

I think if he meant all type of flyballs he would have said we don't hit enough ground balls. Obviously there are differant types of flyballs. Some are pop flys some are line drives and some are homeruns. When looking at a single quote some amount of context has to be inferred by the reader. Saying what he said was stupid by interpretating his comments literally probably misses his real point. Ned doesn't have the luxury of thinking it over a day or so then making a prepared statement or reading what is written then make changes to clearify his meaning. He's giving his impression after a game, in the heat of the moment, or answering a question impromto. Then the reporter takes the selected quote and adds it to an article. I've heard some of Ned's interviews after games then read the quotes the next day. Sometimes they are representative of what he meant sometimes the aren't.

[bsglorydays]

Fly balls tend to lead to more runs than ground balls but its different for different types of players.

 

Balls hit in the air become outs at a much higher rate than balls hit on the ground. There was a thread here with the stats about a year ago, but I can't find it right now.

 

Its not a "dopey" comment at all. Yost is probably frustrated that his team is going up to the plate flailing away at the fences. Unfortunately, there is nothing he or Skaalen can do about it once the player is in the box.

[RU Rah Rah]

Did he mean that players were popping up to much while trying to swing for the fences? Weird.

 

I think he might have meant this, but that's only my surmise.

[Ennder]

Quote:

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Balls hit in the air become outs at a much higher rate than balls hit on the ground. There was a thread here with the stats about a year ago, but I can't find it right now.

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That very well could be true, especially if you are lumping infield flies into the equation.

[1992casey]

We really need a link to the article containing this quote. I'm not finding one quickly. The statement is way out of context as it stands, and all we can do is speculate.

[Thurston Fluff]

We really need a link to the article containing this quote.

 

 

www.jsonline.com/story/in...?id=638724

 

about half way down the page.

[BillScottCanRake]

Balls hit in the air become outs at a much higher rate than balls hit on the ground. There was a thread here with the stats about a year ago, but I can't find it right now.

 

Its not a "dopey" comment at all. Yost is probably frustrated that his team is going up to the plate flailing away at the fences. Unfortunately, there is nothing he or Skaalen can do about it once the player is in the box.

 

I don't get the impression the players (as a team) are flailing for the fences. This is a team that is going to hit a lot of home runs with guys like Fielder, Braun, and Hart in the lineup, and to a lesser degree guys like Hall, Jenkins and Hardy.

 

JJ did tell Uecker that his swing developed a bit of an uppercut and that he was working hard to correct that, so I suppose it could be said that he is swinging too much for the fences

 

Teams that hit a lot of home runs also hit a lot of fly balls. Sometimes they don't go out of the park. It's just the nature of this team and how it's been built.

[1992casey]

I think this goes back to the Wynegar adage that Bill Hall likes to quote: Don't try to show your power; let your power show.

[augie46]

I think that our offensive problems are a result of our players trying to pull the ball too much. We don't seem to be going the other way as much as we did early in the year, especially when hitting breaking balls.

[theavrock]

Quote:

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I think that our offensive problems are a result of our players trying to pull the ball too much. We don't seem to be going the other way as much as we did early in the year, especially when hitting breaking balls.

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Bill?? Is that you??

 

Sorry I just couldn't help it. If I were trying to interpret tthat I would assume he is taking about pop ups and routine fly balls. I would find it hard to believe that he is saying fly balls and meaning line drives as well. THere is something to be said for making solid contact with balls and putting them in play whether it is hit right at someone or to open grass (obviously the latter being better).