Fielder's defense?

[logan82]

EdgarDiazRocks wrote:

That play was all on Prince and the rumbling, bumbling, stumbling.

 

All I'm saying is Derek Lee or Pujols at first, that pitcher's not out for the season. They could have tagged the runner without trying to make any ankle tackle at the same time.

I agree that we can't blame Fielder for that injury. If Gallardo gets over to the base sooner to cover it Fielder doesn't have to try making a tag.

[jeffy]

Wasn't the Gallardo play one where he went for a tag when it would have been just as easy to go to the base for the force? I know he has made that bone-head move at least once or twice this year.

[1992casey]

I don't know. Was he referring to my post or the thread as a whole?

I don't know either. I have no clue what he's talking about. It doesn't seem to fit into this discussion at all.

[TheCrew07]

I was watching a game 2 weekends ago with my parents and extended family up at the lake property, and Prince failed to scoop what I though was relatively easy Sunday hop throw. I went on a miny tirade about it, saying that I'd throw him so many short hops he'd look like Roger Dorn in Major League when he took his shirt off. I had been drinking at the time, but the more I think about it, the more I wish I could do that.

 

However, Rickie continues to make some of the weakest and poorest throws I have ever seen from a Brewer 2B on those turns, but I agree with the general point that if Prince could dig a ball out of the dirt, the infield defense would be drastically improved. Quite honestly, I saw our 1B at the highschool level dig out tougher balls than Prince on back to back balls Tuesday. I don't have many complaints about Prince, but his lack of aptitude for the short hops drives me absolutely nuts.

[Brian the Automator]

This is the biggest case of bandwagonitis I have ever seen

 

 

Signed,

 

Long time reader, 5th time poster.

This didn't add anything to the discussion.

 

[Thurston Fluff]

What bugs me is he really hasn't shown any signs of improvement of defense. They can say he wants to be a complete player all they want. They can tell us that he works as hard on defnese as offense but all that tells me is he really is that bad and won't improve in that area. If it is true he wants to improve and has worked on it then it should be all the more abvious that he really is only a DH.

[crewcrazy]

Here's where Prince stands on the basic fielding stats this year (they aren't very good, I know, but I couldn't seem to find the more advanced stats anywhere):

 

Fielding Percentage: .986 (only Joey Votto and Rich Aurilia are worse)

Range Factor: 9.55 (14th of 29 qualified)

Zone Rating: .765 (next to last, only Adam LaRoche is worse)

 

Last year's numbers:

FP: .989 (only Conor Jackson was worse)

RF: 8.49 (worst of anyone that qualified)

ZR: .813 (Carlos Pena, Ryan Howard, Dmitri Young, and Richie Sexson were worse)

[Never Outhustled]

Good stats Crewcrazy. It shows what we're ripping him for is true, yet only part of it. As The Crew states, his biggest problem is scoping throws, which is made even more problematic by the small target he offers as a 5"11" man. The other 1Bs with poor range offer huge targets. Sexson couldn't move, but you couldn't get a throw past him.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

By saying that Prince plays bad defense and he's likely going to be a DH in a few years? Dude, this isn't anything new.

The reason that teams passed on Prince in the draft is because many scouts believed he was just a DH. Turns out they were right.

[jhart05]

"Not only can Fielder not bend from the wast over, when he does he looks like he is about to topple over."

 

 

Now that's funny.

[dvoiss]

Of all the disappointments this year I think Prince is my biggest. In the field he just looks god awful and don't get me started about the hitting.

[Hammer]

When does Prince's total lack of production get noticed? Seriously, he isn't hitting like a 1st baseman, he can't field at the easiest position on the diamond, he can't run from 1st to 3rd w/out still gasping for air at the end of the next half inning. I'm not skinny, but I'm not a Major League baseball player either. Prince is just flat out fat and that is hurting this team. How many other MLB players would have needed to be held at 3rd on the Hart should-be triple? Big Papi, D. Young, and a couple of catchers? Seriously, Prince needs to get in shape or get the heck out of the National League. He is terrible this year.

[theavrock]

When does Prince's total lack of production get noticed? Seriously, he isn't hitting like a 1st baseman, he can't field at the easiest position on the diamond, he can't run from 1st to 3rd w/out still gasping for air at the end of the next half inning. I'm not skinny, but I'm not a Major League baseball player either. Prince is just flat out fat and that is hurting this team. How many other MLB players would have needed to be held at 3rd on the Hart should-be triple? Big Papi, D. Young, and a couple of catchers? Seriously, Prince needs to get in shape or get the heck out of the National League. He is terrible this year.

 

Yeah lets just trade him or DFA him. What a cow.

[Hammer]

I'm not saying that a DFA is in order...but crap, he is not a big league 1st baseman right now. He has eaten his way into a DH role about 4 -5 years earlier that I had imagined.

[kramnoj]

he is not a big league 1st baseman right now.

 

What do you think a 1st baseman is? Right now, he's very low as rated by ZR, but he's not last among qualified players and his OPS is 14th among qualified players at his position.

[Hammer]

Wow, #14 in OPS...with the talent he has he should be in the top 5 if he was in shape. Also, the crap defense he plays knocks a lot of the luster off if the 14 ranking...

[kramnoj]

You said he wasn't hitting like a first baseman. If you want to assert that Fielder isn't doing everything he can to be the player he should be, that would make sense. I don't see what the point is in making false claims about his abilities though.

[Oldcity]

Today, Prince once again pulled what I like to call "A Prince." That is, ranging way too far to his right for a ground ball that would have otherwise been a routine grounder to second. It leaves nobody at first, and occasionally makes for a dangerous collision at first base (like today).

[endaround]

Thing is Prince wasn't really ranging that far. He was playing in front of the runner at 1B in an attempt not to hold him on but still keep him close, the ball wasn't that far from where he started the play.

[Oldcity]

I suppose today wasn't the worst, but he does that all the time. Even today, if he would have stayed home, Weeks would have had it pretty easily because it was hit slowly.

 

Edit: And I just realized this may have been the point you were making, but if he wasn't ranging that far, he should have been able to get to the ball.