June 22, 200818 yr I don't think anyone picked up on this here. A very interesting read... Marlins' defense concerns Beinfest Click-2-Listen By JOE CAPOZZI Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Friday, June 20, 2008 OAKLAND, Calif. ? The Marlins have made more errors than any team in the National League. Their pitching staff's ERA is 11th in the league. Their hitters are striking out at a record pace. Yet, with a little more than two weeks until the All-Star break, the Marlins are just two games out of first place in the NL East. "It's been interesting," said Marlins Baseball Operations President Admin Beinfest, whose team opened a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics on Friday night. "I don't want to sound negative, because I'm really proud of the way the guys have been playing. But when you look at the hard numbers, sometimes, it doesn't all add up." Beinfest isn't worried about the team's 613 strikeouts. After all, the Marlins lead the majors with 106 home runs. And the team's 4.42 ERA has improved lately. But the main area of concern is Florida's 63 errors, which came after the Marlins made improvement on defense a priority on the first day of spring training. "Some of the errors we make, make you scratch your head," Beinfest said. "It's just not physical errors. It's (errors) that are avoidable." A case in point came Tuesday night in Seattle. With the Marlins trailing 4-1 in the fifth inning, the Mariners had runners at first and second with one out when Kenji Johjima hit a grounder up the middle. Reliever Logan Kensing knocked down the ball but made a wild throw to second, allowing a run to score, which was critical in what became a 5-4 loss. "We are physically capable of not making those errors," said Beinfest, who did not single out Kensing's error when making his remarks. "At some point, it's going to be up to me to say enough is enough, and we are going to change some things defensively to get back where we were. But, in the interim, these guys should be able to play better defense." Still, the Marlins are optimistic they'll open the second half of the season with a shot at a playoff spot. Rookie right-hander Ryan Tucker has been encouraging in his first three starts and right-hander Ricky Nolasco, who starts tonight, has won six of his past seven decisions. Left-hander Andrew Miller has pitched well lately, and the team hopes right-handers Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez return from the disabled list before August. "I sit here and talk all the time about pitching, speed and defense," Beinfest said. "But we're not exactly a model for that right now. We'd like to get back to that. "You can see it: When we pitch, we generally are in it or are victorious. We just have to keep improving on that and the defense." Source -- http://www.palmbeachpost.com/marlins/conte...rlins_0621.html
June 22, 200818 yr Don't be surprised when Beinfest finds a way to ship out Jacobs and keep Cantu at first, Helms at third.
June 22, 200818 yr If Jacobs is in fact traded you gotta believe McPherson gets a good hard look at third. A bench with Gonzo and Helms available is what was anticipated in the first place.
June 22, 200818 yr I like Mike Jacobs but his glove is such a liability , particularly in the context of our overall defense , I think we need to move him .
June 22, 200818 yr What type of trade value does a first baseman with below average defense, OBP, OPS, AVG have?
June 22, 200818 yr What type of trade value does a first baseman with below average defense, OBP, OPS, AVG have? None.
June 22, 200818 yr Not that i am a Jacobs fan but it is a bit difficult to give up a 1st who is projecte to hit over 30 HRs.
June 22, 200818 yr What type of trade value does a first baseman with below average defense, OBP, OPS, AVG have? We probably could've gotten Olli Jokinen for him, but that's about it.
June 22, 200818 yr Not that i am a Jacobs fan but it is a bit difficult to give up a 1st who is projecte to hit over 30 HRs. Even if he can't do anything else atleast average?
June 22, 200818 yr Not that i am a Jacobs fan but it is a bit difficult to give up a 1st who is projecte to hit over 30 HRs. Even if he can do anything else atleast average? you are right not really lets ship him out
June 22, 200818 yr we need to get rid of helms 2 i mena other than coming off the bench he really doesnt hit hes useful at 1st but not so great at third with willingham comming back and amezzgag coming back we could see some move in the infield posibly a trade 4 catcher nd 1 or 2 more pitchers
June 23, 200818 yr I'd like to see abreakdown of errors by position but I'm too lazy to do it myself. :shifty
June 23, 200818 yr I'd like to see abreakdown of errors by position but I'm too lazy to do it myself. :shifty There is more to defense than errors, as well. Like range (which there are stats for). Which...I can say a good portion of the team is below average in, at their respective positions (especially when you put Jake at 1B).
June 23, 200818 yr As usual he's been streaky. Started off the year hot and now it's sort of all or nothing. He's on a good home run pace but other than that not much. Low average, isn't taking walks, same old defense. The guy's on pace for like 40 homers and a .266 obp. :| I'm not even sure where to go with that.
June 23, 200818 yr As usual he's been streaky. Started off the year hot and now it's sort of all or nothing. He's on a good home run pace but other than that not much. Low average, isn't taking walks, same old defense. The guy's on pace for 40 homers and a .266 obp. :| I'm not even sure where to go with that. :mis2
June 23, 200818 yr does anyone remember the beginnind of the year when Mike jacobs was KILLING the ball AND playing good defense. And we all thought he stepped up and became our "leader". what happened?
June 23, 200818 yr I'd like to see abreakdown of errors by position but I'm too lazy to do it myself. :shifty There is more to defense than errors, as well. Like range (which there are stats for). Which...I can say a good portion of the team is below average in, at their respective positions (especially when you put Jake at 1B). I don't feel like putting all the numbers, but I'll just mention who is around average, under, or over league average range factor for our starters this year. C: Treanor: Average Rabelo: Below 1B: Helms: Below Jaocbs: Below Cantu: Average 2B: Uggla: Above 3B: Cantu: Average Helms: Above SS: Ramirez: Average LF: Gonzalez: Average Willingham: Average CF: Amezaga: Average Ross: Above RF: Hermida: Average For numbers, you can find them here.
June 23, 200818 yr does anyone remember the beginnind of the year when Mike jacobs was KILLING the ball AND playing good defense. And we all thought he stepped up and became our "leader". what happened? he has a quad injury
June 23, 200818 yr Range Factor is right there with CERA in the bucket of retarded stats. I can't believe people use it.
June 23, 200818 yr does anyone remember the beginnind of the year when Mike jacobs was KILLING the ball AND playing good defense. And we all thought he stepped up and became our "leader". what happened? he has a quad injury so he's batting so terrible and playing piss poor defense because he had a quad injury like a month ago?
June 23, 200818 yr Here's your answer 06/22/2008 3:18 PM ET Jacobs handling DH duties for Marlins First baseman not playing in field while nursing sore quad By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com OAKLAND -- Playing in American League parks has given Mike Jacobs a chance to make a difference with his bat while getting a few extra days to rest a nagging leg problem. Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez has used Jacobs as the designated hitter in six of the nine games on the three-city, Interleague road trip, which wraps up on Sunday. Since the DH is used in American League parks, Jacobs can get extra treatment for a right quad ailment while still coming to the plate. Jacobs initially tweaked his quad on May 7, and he's been playing through some discomfort ever since. The Marlins' regular first baseman anticipates dealing with it for the remainder of the season. Not having to play the field for several days has allowed the quad more time to recover. "It's been feeling pretty good lately," the left-handed-hitting slugger said. "I think it probably affects me more defensively than it does hitting. I can't push off on it or get that real fast first step like I was earlier in the season." For the most part, the quad bothers him the most when he is running full speed. Of late, though, he is feeling better running. So much so, he told third-base coach Bo Porter that he could be waved home from second on a single. "I think definitely having these days off helps me," said Jacobs, who connected on his 17th homer of the season as a DH in Seattle on Wednesday. "I told Bo, 'I'm good to go. If there is a single, I'm going to be able to score.'" There is an adjustment to being the DH, Jacobs said. Mostly, it is mental. "The challenges of being the DH are when you come up in a spot and you don't get the job done, you've got nothing to do but just sit there until your next at-bat," Jacobs said. "You have nothing to get your mind off it, like having to make a play [defensively]. That's probably the toughest part." The Marlins have been going with Jorge Cantu at first base and Wes Helms at third base when Jacobs is the DH. The situation will change on Tuesday when the Marlins return to Dolphin Stadium to play host to the Rays. While it will be Florida's final Interleague series, there will not be the DH in a National League park. That means Jacobs will go back to being the regular first baseman. He last played first on June 14 at Tampa Bay. http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/news/articl...sp&c_id=fla
June 23, 200818 yr Here's your answer 06/22/2008 3:18 PM ET Jacobs handling DH duties for Marlins First baseman not playing in field while nursing sore quad By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com OAKLAND -- Playing in American League parks has given Mike Jacobs a chance to make a difference with his bat while getting a few extra days to rest a nagging leg problem. Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez has used Jacobs as the designated hitter in six of the nine games on the three-city, Interleague road trip, which wraps up on Sunday. Since the DH is used in American League parks, Jacobs can get extra treatment for a right quad ailment while still coming to the plate. Jacobs initially tweaked his quad on May 7, and he's been playing through some discomfort ever since. The Marlins' regular first baseman anticipates dealing with it for the remainder of the season. Not having to play the field for several days has allowed the quad more time to recover. "It's been feeling pretty good lately," the left-handed-hitting slugger said. "I think it probably affects me more defensively than it does hitting. I can't push off on it or get that real fast first step like I was earlier in the season." For the most part, the quad bothers him the most when he is running full speed. Of late, though, he is feeling better running. So much so, he told third-base coach Bo Porter that he could be waved home from second on a single. "I think definitely having these days off helps me," said Jacobs, who connected on his 17th homer of the season as a DH in Seattle on Wednesday. "I told Bo, 'I'm good to go. If there is a single, I'm going to be able to score.'" There is an adjustment to being the DH, Jacobs said. Mostly, it is mental. "The challenges of being the DH are when you come up in a spot and you don't get the job done, you've got nothing to do but just sit there until your next at-bat," Jacobs said. "You have nothing to get your mind off it, like having to make a play [defensively]. That's probably the toughest part." The Marlins have been going with Jorge Cantu at first base and Wes Helms at third base when Jacobs is the DH. The situation will change on Tuesday when the Marlins return to Dolphin Stadium to play host to the Rays. While it will be Florida's final Interleague series, there will not be the DH in a National League park. That means Jacobs will go back to being the regular first baseman. He last played first on June 14 at Tampa Bay. http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/news/articl...sp&c_id=fla poo pow surprise! OHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
June 23, 200818 yr Here's your answer 06/22/2008 3:18 PM ET Jacobs handling DH duties for Marlins First baseman not playing in field while nursing sore quad By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com OAKLAND -- Playing in American League parks has given Mike Jacobs a chance to make a difference with his bat while getting a few extra days to rest a nagging leg problem. Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez has used Jacobs as the designated hitter in six of the nine games on the three-city, Interleague road trip, which wraps up on Sunday. Since the DH is used in American League parks, Jacobs can get extra treatment for a right quad ailment while still coming to the plate. Jacobs initially tweaked his quad on May 7, and he's been playing through some discomfort ever since. The Marlins' regular first baseman anticipates dealing with it for the remainder of the season. Not having to play the field for several days has allowed the quad more time to recover. "It's been feeling pretty good lately," the left-handed-hitting slugger said. "I think it probably affects me more defensively than it does hitting. I can't push off on it or get that real fast first step like I was earlier in the season." For the most part, the quad bothers him the most when he is running full speed. Of late, though, he is feeling better running. So much so, he told third-base coach Bo Porter that he could be waved home from second on a single. "I think definitely having these days off helps me," said Jacobs, who connected on his 17th homer of the season as a DH in Seattle on Wednesday. "I told Bo, 'I'm good to go. If there is a single, I'm going to be able to score.'" There is an adjustment to being the DH, Jacobs said. Mostly, it is mental. "The challenges of being the DH are when you come up in a spot and you don't get the job done, you've got nothing to do but just sit there until your next at-bat," Jacobs said. "You have nothing to get your mind off it, like having to make a play [defensively]. That's probably the toughest part." The Marlins have been going with Jorge Cantu at first base and Wes Helms at third base when Jacobs is the DH. The situation will change on Tuesday when the Marlins return to Dolphin Stadium to play host to the Rays. While it will be Florida's final Interleague series, there will not be the DH in a National League park. That means Jacobs will go back to being the regular first baseman. He last played first on June 14 at Tampa Bay. http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/news/articl...sp&c_id=fla well that sucks. does anyone think jorge cantu will go back to first base if he and jacobs continue their terrible play defensivley at third and first base?
June 23, 200818 yr Here's your answer 06/22/2008 3:18 PM ET Jacobs handling DH duties for Marlins First baseman not playing in field while nursing sore quad By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com OAKLAND -- Playing in American League parks has given Mike Jacobs a chance to make a difference with his bat while getting a few extra days to rest a nagging leg problem. Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez has used Jacobs as the designated hitter in six of the nine games on the three-city, Interleague road trip, which wraps up on Sunday. Since the DH is used in American League parks, Jacobs can get extra treatment for a right quad ailment while still coming to the plate. Jacobs initially tweaked his quad on May 7, and he's been playing through some discomfort ever since. The Marlins' regular first baseman anticipates dealing with it for the remainder of the season. Not having to play the field for several days has allowed the quad more time to recover. "It's been feeling pretty good lately," the left-handed-hitting slugger said. "I think it probably affects me more defensively than it does hitting. I can't push off on it or get that real fast first step like I was earlier in the season." For the most part, the quad bothers him the most when he is running full speed. Of late, though, he is feeling better running. So much so, he told third-base coach Bo Porter that he could be waved home from second on a single. "I think definitely having these days off helps me," said Jacobs, who connected on his 17th homer of the season as a DH in Seattle on Wednesday. "I told Bo, 'I'm good to go. If there is a single, I'm going to be able to score.'" There is an adjustment to being the DH, Jacobs said. Mostly, it is mental. "The challenges of being the DH are when you come up in a spot and you don't get the job done, you've got nothing to do but just sit there until your next at-bat," Jacobs said. "You have nothing to get your mind off it, like having to make a play [defensively]. That's probably the toughest part." The Marlins have been going with Jorge Cantu at first base and Wes Helms at third base when Jacobs is the DH. The situation will change on Tuesday when the Marlins return to Dolphin Stadium to play host to the Rays. While it will be Florida's final Interleague series, there will not be the DH in a National League park. That means Jacobs will go back to being the regular first baseman. He last played first on June 14 at Tampa Bay. http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/news/articl...sp&c_id=fla poo pow surprise! OHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! Doesn't change the fact that he sucks at first base and Cantu is better than him.
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