2021-08-12: Brewers (Woodruff) at Cubs (Hendricks) [Brewers win, 17-4 -- Crew batters combine for 22 hits including 11 extra base hits and 5 home runs]

[DuWayne Steurer]

blah. Let's get this over with.

[TURBO]

Just not 100% sure we can count on Urias in a close playoff/world series game, to make a decent throw.

 

He is surely a 2B.

[PinaMadness]

[sarcasm]Why isn't Urias out of the game for defensive purposes?[/sarcasm]

[DuWayne Steurer]

Not taking the blame off of Urias, but that's also what you get when you play a guy out of position at 1B because "first base is easy".

[clancyphile]

Just not 100% sure we can count on Urias in a close playoff/world series game, to make a decent throw.

 

He is surely a 2B.

 

At this point, his bat is such that I'm willing to put him at third or short if that is needed.

 

That bat will more than make up for just about shortcomings on defense.

[mtrebs]

When will Counsell realize that Escobar needs to play 3B and not 1B? Kills two birds with one stone: puts Escobar in a natural position and keeps Urias from airmailing throws from 3rd.

 

Edit: Urias would somehow need to stay in the lineup though since he’s got a great bat. I just don’t like Escobar at 1B.

[TURBO]

Not taking the blame off of Urias, but that's also what you get when you play a guy out of position at 1B because "first base is easy".

 

totally...

[Nola Beery]

Just not 100% sure we can count on Urias in a close playoff/world series game, to make a decent throw.

 

He is surely a 2B.

As noted by others, a better 1B might have snagged those throws, or at least one of them. But, yeah, he's not great and the corners are not very strong defensively.

Winning by 2 touchdowns covers a multitude of sins!

[homer]

Not taking the blame off of Urias, but that's also what you get when you play a guy out of position at 1B because "first base is easy".

 

[clancyphile]

Not taking the blame off of Urias, but that's also what you get when you play a guy out of position at 1B because "first base is easy".

 

totally...

 

Maybe Urias is a long-term answer at first?

 

He's certainly showing a power bat...

 

Just spitballin'...

[Nola Beery]

Not taking the blame off of Urias, but that's also what you get when you play a guy out of position at 1B because "first base is easy".

Add my "yea" to this.

[JET15]

Not taking the blame off of Urias, but that's also what you get when you play a guy out of position at 1B because "first base is easy".

 

 

I'm actually surprised that it's taken this many games for this to be an issue. I really expected it a lot earlier.

[PeaveyFury]

Not taking the blame off of Urias, but that's also what you get when you play a guy out of position at 1B because "first base is easy".

 

 

Literally both throwing errors would likely have been prevented by a legit 1B.

[pacopete4]

Escobar will be legit in a month. Just more reps needed.

[TURBO]

Hard not to love this team!

[DuWayne Steurer]

Escobar will be legit in a month. Just more reps needed.

 

 

And..... I'm ok with that. I just don't think it's fair to get super down on Urias either. If we had an average 1B over there, some (not all) of these throwing errors would likely just be "tough throws dug out of the dirt" and turned into outs.

 

A good or average 1B doesn't get noticed a lot. A bad one or below average one makes the rest of your infielders look worse, becuase he's not snagging a lot of those borderline catchable throws that turn into errors on those other guys. 1B defense is still pretty dang important. Guy is involved in 8 - 9 -10 plays a game.

[homer]

Escobar will be legit in a month. Just more reps needed.

 

 

And..... I'm ok with that. I just don't think it's fair to get super down on Urias either. If we had an average 1B over there, some (not all) of these throwing errors would likely just be "tough throws dug out of the dirt" and turned into outs.

 

A good or average 1B doesn't get noticed a lot. A bad one or below average one makes the rest of your infielders look worse, becuase he's not snagging a lot of those borderline catchable throws that turn into errors on those other guys. 1B defense is still pretty dang important. Guy is involved in 8 - 9 -10 plays a game.

 

Urias had 7 errors at 3rd before today. I wonder how many were with Hiura at 1st?

[pacopete4]

Escobar will be legit in a month. Just more reps needed.

 

 

And..... I'm ok with that. I just don't think it's fair to get super down on Urias either. If we had an average 1B over there, some (not all) of these throwing errors would likely just be "tough throws dug out of the dirt" and turned into outs.

 

A good or average 1B doesn't get noticed a lot. A bad one or below average one makes the rest of your infielders look worse, becuase he's not snagging a lot of those borderline catchable throws that turn into errors on those other guys. 1B defense is still pretty dang important. Guy is involved in 8 - 9 -10 plays a game.

 

Urias had 7 errors at 3rd before today. I wonder how many were with Hiura at 1st?

 

All 7. Don’t ask me for sources.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Escobar will be legit in a month. Just more reps needed.

 

 

And..... I'm ok with that. I just don't think it's fair to get super down on Urias either. If we had an average 1B over there, some (not all) of these throwing errors would likely just be "tough throws dug out of the dirt" and turned into outs.

 

A good or average 1B doesn't get noticed a lot. A bad one or below average one makes the rest of your infielders look worse, becuase he's not snagging a lot of those borderline catchable throws that turn into errors on those other guys. 1B defense is still pretty dang important. Guy is involved in 8 - 9 -10 plays a game.

 

Urias had 7 errors at 3rd before today. I wonder how many were with Hiura at 1st?

 

 

I think it would take a bit of digging to find that. What I can say is that both B-R and fangraphs don't like the Brewers 1B defensively. Of the guys that have played 1B for the Brewers, only Shaw and Billy McKinney grade out positive on fangraphs, and Shaw alone on B-R.

 

And I'm kinda over Shaw... Tellez is a DH, so is Vogelbach (seirously, can he even bend over?) and Hiura should be a DH. Escobar is a 3B and Jace Peterson is a utility guy who's not played a lot of 1B before.

[markedman5]

Tellez is fine at first from everything I’ve seen.

 

Fans seem to think every time a throw in the first isn’t dug it means the first baseman isn’t competent.

 

I think in reality most competent first basemen will pick most but certainly not all.

[SRB]

Not taking the blame off of Urias, but that's also what you get when you play a guy out of position at 1B because "first base is easy".

 

Considering the offensive production we are getting out of having Tellez/Urias/Escobar, I'd say a missed pick at first every once in a while is a small price to pay.

[LouisEly]

Urias raised his OPS 28 points today (756 to 784)

 

Make that 40 points

Pina raised his by 64 points.

[willie key]

Who’s worse. Cubs or pirates

[OldHeidelberg]

Urias raised his OPS 28 points today (756 to 784)

 

Make that 40 points

Pina raised his by 64 points.

 

 

9 homers in 131 AB’s now for Pina. It’s nice when your no hit defensive backup catcher can still do damage. An AAAA throw in on a krod trade continues to pay dividends.

[clancyphile]

I think it would take a bit of digging to find that. What I can say is that both B-R and fangraphs don't like the Brewers 1B defensively. Of the guys that have played 1B for the Brewers, only Shaw and Billy McKinney grade out positive on fangraphs, and Shaw alone on B-R.

 

And I'm kinda over Shaw... Tellez is a DH, so is Vogelbach (seirously, can he even bend over?) and Hiura should be a DH. Escobar is a 3B and Jace Peterson is a utility guy who's not played a lot of 1B before.

 

So, what does the Crew do about first base in 2021?

 

On the one hand, do they try to see if there is a change-of-scenery deal possible for Hiura? I'm sure there are some options on that front. Figure one of Tellez/Vogelbach should be dealt.

 

Would it help to move Yelich, and go with an outfield of Taylor-Bradley-Cain in 2022?

 

Or, perhaps the Crew can use Narvaez at first, and go with Feliciano/Pina at catcher.