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https://x.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/19 ... 4330439878

I had the sound off and I could still hear that ball clank off his glove.

:Wow. Didn't look like a guy who wanted to be out there.

Another sign that Pirate ownership continues to throw logs on the fire to make players want to hurry up and leave that team.

Very unfortunate. The NL is better when the Pirates are good.

It's bad optics, but as a player you can tell right away the other OF'er can get to the ball before you can.
Still, it's a bad initial reaction that will likely get overblown, but unless the other OF'ers are dogging it by not backing up, it's a bad error made to look even "badder" by not hustling futility after it.

JDW wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 07:15 am It's bad optics, but as a player you can tell right away the other OF'er can get to the ball before you can.
Still, it's a bad initial reaction that will likely get overblown, but unless the other OF'ers are dogging it by not backing up, it's a bad error made to look even "badder" by not hustling futility after it.

Correct

His hair blocked his vision.

3dender wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 08:06 am

JDW wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 07:15 am It's bad optics, but as a player you can tell right away the other OF'er can get to the ball before you can.
Still, it's a bad initial reaction that will likely get overblown, but unless the other OF'ers are dogging it by not backing up, it's a bad error made to look even "badder" by not hustling futility after it.

Correct

Tough play too. Hard hit ground ball with spin taking it away from you. OF don't take groundballs like IF do

JDW wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 07:15 am It's bad optics, but as a player you can tell right away the other OF'er can get to the ball before you can.
Still, it's a bad initial reaction that will likely get overblown, but unless the other OF'ers are dogging it by not backing up, it's a bad error made to look even "badder" by not hustling futility after it.

Yea it looks bad because it is bad no excuse for bing lazy. And it looks like as fast as Cruz is he could have probably beat the right fielder to it as slow as it was going but no one knows because he was lazy the ball rolled to almost a complete stop before right fielder got to it

billybaseball wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 10:09 am

3dender wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 08:06 am

JDW wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 07:15 am It's bad optics, but as a player you can tell right away the other OF'er can get to the ball before you can.
Still, it's a bad initial reaction that will likely get overblown, but unless the other OF'ers are dogging it by not backing up, it's a bad error made to look even "badder" by not hustling futility after it.

Correct

Tough play too. Hard hit ground ball with spin taking it away from you. OF don't take groundballs like IF do

No need to play that ball off the side with a runner at first base. He had time to get in front of it. It's the modern game. Fundamentals are not taught.

Ozziesfan41 wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 10:13 am

JDW wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 07:15 am It's bad optics, but as a player you can tell right away the other OF'er can get to the ball before you can.
Still, it's a bad initial reaction that will likely get overblown, but unless the other OF'ers are dogging it by not backing up, it's a bad error made to look even "badder" by not hustling futility after it.

Yea it looks bad because it is bad no excuse for bing lazy. And it looks like as fast as Cruz is he could have probably beat the right fielder to it as slow as it was going but no one knows because he was lazy the ball rolled to almost a complete stop before right fielder got to it

The RF was already backing the play up. No way Cruz could have went from a full stop to getting there before the RF. A courtesy jog would have been the right play but Cruz isn't getting to that ball.

What a Jack A**. He is totally overrated too.

ScotchMIrish wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 10:22 am

billybaseball wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 10:09 am

3dender wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 08:06 am

JDW wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 07:15 am It's bad optics, but as a player you can tell right away the other OF'er can get to the ball before you can.
Still, it's a bad initial reaction that will likely get overblown, but unless the other OF'ers are dogging it by not backing up, it's a bad error made to look even "badder" by not hustling futility after it.

Correct

Tough play too. Hard hit ground ball with spin taking it away from you. OF don't take groundballs like IF do

No need to play that ball off the side with a runner at first base. He had time to get in front of it. It's the modern game. Fundamentals are not taught.

OF always play the ball off to the side because it's easier to get a strong throw off.

billybaseball wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 10:32 am

Ozziesfan41 wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 10:13 am

JDW wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 07:15 am It's bad optics, but as a player you can tell right away the other OF'er can get to the ball before you can.
Still, it's a bad initial reaction that will likely get overblown, but unless the other OF'ers are dogging it by not backing up, it's a bad error made to look even "badder" by not hustling futility after it.

Yea it looks bad because it is bad no excuse for bing lazy. And it looks like as fast as Cruz is he could have probably beat the right fielder to it as slow as it was going but no one knows because he was lazy the ball rolled to almost a complete stop before right fielder got to it

The RF was already backing the play up. No way Cruz could have went from a full stop to getting there before the RF. A courtesy jog would have been the right play but Cruz isn't getting to that ball.

Cruz isn’t slow he’s fast and the ball had rolled almost to a stop and wasn’t even going to make it the warning track before the right fielder even got to it it was several feet before the track lol

shortstop playing CF
I sure hope Weatherholt is way better than that when he is swiched to CF

JK

billybaseball wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 10:33 am

ScotchMIrish wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 10:22 am

billybaseball wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 10:09 am

3dender wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 08:06 am

JDW wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 07:15 am It's bad optics, but as a player you can tell right away the other OF'er can get to the ball before you can.
Still, it's a bad initial reaction that will likely get overblown, but unless the other OF'ers are dogging it by not backing up, it's a bad error made to look even "badder" by not hustling futility after it.

Correct

Tough play too. Hard hit ground ball with spin taking it away from you. OF don't take groundballs like IF do

No need to play that ball off the side with a runner at first base. He had time to get in front of it. It's the modern game. Fundamentals are not taught.

OF always play the ball off to the side because it's easier to get a strong throw off.

Not always. Runner at first base. Ball up the middle not right field. Should have gotten in front of that ball.

ScotchMIrish wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 10:22 am

billybaseball wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 10:09 am

3dender wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 08:06 am

JDW wrote: ↑21 Jun 2025 07:15 am It's bad optics, but as a player you can tell right away the other OF'er can get to the ball before you can.
Still, it's a bad initial reaction that will likely get overblown, but unless the other OF'ers are dogging it by not backing up, it's a bad error made to look even "badder" by not hustling futility after it.

Correct

Tough play too. Hard hit ground ball with spin taking it away from you. OF don't take groundballs like IF do

No need to play that ball off the side with a runner at first base. He had time to get in front of it. It's the modern game. Fundamentals are not taught.

Looks like to me it took the RF about 4 seconds to get to it, and without the backwards momentum OC's would have had so the RF'ers throw was quicker and more accurate than Cruz's likely would have been.
Also, although we tend to forget them, OF'ers from the 60's or whenever occasionally had misplays like this.
The fields are so manicured these days, aggressive approaches are less risky, but the key is to watch it all the way into the glove. On that particular play, I'd be trying to get more in line with my throwing side, but the ball was hard hit and maybe one wouldn't have had time. But yes, with just a runner on 1B, he was overly aggressive with his approach, but made up for it with no aggressiveness going after it, lol.
Lots of posters didn't like him, but Bader was good at aggressive approaches on hits which helped reduce base running advancements, enough that even with the occasional error, IF you're using good judgements on which plays to be aggressive, it still can pay off overall.
OC was also lacking good judgement on being that aggressive on this particular hit imo.