Thursday, April 20, 2023

"Bad Metrics to the Left"

In the first game of this series with the Haloes, one of the mumblebums in the Yankees' television booth was talking about how well Gio Urshela had played for the Bronx team.

Surprisingly good hitter, with even a little pop...excellent fielder...

But then, no doubt after being passed a note from the GM's box, our brave observer remarked that apparently Gio had "bad metrics to the left, bad metrics, apparently, going to his left."

Bad metrics to the left. It almost matches the rhythm of that old Steve Gibbons Band song, "No Spitting on the Bus."


Well, overshadowed by Judge's heroics and that epic Yankees rally in the 10th, last night was a typical Gio game, full of small but vital contributions. 

Needing a run to tie the game in the 8th, he reached down to get a Wandy Peralta sinker out of the strike zone, and hit a duck snort into centerfield, plating the evener. Next inning, playing first base, he made a terrific play on a bunt, to cut down the lead runner at second and extend the game for the thrilling conclusion the Manfred Man always guarantees.  

Gio plays nearly every position for the California Angels of Anaheim near Los Angeles. Much like, say, IKF. Or an IKF who can hit.

Of course, Urshela always hit for the Yanks, .292/.335/.480/.815 in his 3 seasons. Even if the 21 home runs, 34 doubles and .314 average he ran up in his first year, 2019, was maybe a juiced-ball mirage, he was a pretty consistent hitter.

And a terrific fielder, as we saw when he slung himself into the visitors' dugout and preserve a Yankees playoff spot in 2012.  Oh, sorry: that was going to his right.


But Cashman said he was no good to his left, and Cashman is an honorable man—I guess.

So last year, he bettered the OPS of his replacement, Jackie Donaldson, by 50 points, .732-.682.

But Cashman said he was no good to his left, and Cashman is an honorable man.

Last year in Minny, Urshela fielded third at a .983 clip in 136 games there, making all of 6 errors and turning 25 double-plays—I guess all of them on balls hit down the line.

Jackie fielded third at a .961 clip, with 17 DPs and 12 errors in just 104 games. BUT, he did have 310 chances to Gio's 343, which comes out to a few more per game.  

How much of a difference did that make?

Well, baseball reference put Donaldson's defensive WAR at 0.8—as opposed to 0.7 for Gio. And calculated that Donaldson saved 7 runs more than the average third baseman—as opposed to 4 more for Gio.

Yep.  

That's what the (theoretical) difference comes down to: 3 runs. Over the course of a full season, that's 1 more run Donaldson saved in the field every 54 games.  More than negated, methinks, than Gio's offensive WAR of 2.8, compared to -0.1 for Jackie.

But hey, that was then, this is now.  And we can rest assured that Donaldson is still going to his left more effectively than Gio Urshela.

Going to his left for his beer, going to his left for a burger, going to his left for a magazine, as he sits and watches the Yankees game at home on TV, and hears all about his superior metrics to the left.






 


 

13 comments:

  1. IKF has made two "great" diving catches that were not great. The first resulted from getting a slow start charging a ball hit right at him--clearly a misjudgment The second resulted from taking a circuitous route to a ball hit in the gap. Both would have been routine catches for a competent centerfielder, which IKF is not.

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  2. Gio is a nice person and a decent ballplayer. But he is slow and unathletic, and the Yankees have at least three young infielders who are better. That Donaldson was not an upgrade is beyond dispute. That Cashman is in way over his head is also beyond dispute.

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  3. Neto has a terrible kick before his swing.

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  4. EB, DiMag always said that a good outfielder doesn't have to make spectacular catches.

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  5. It's great to be with a wiener.

    We win, 9-3.

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  6. I missed the game. I had a wonderful massage instead.

    I told my work husband ... hrrmm ... no, I told my work spouse (I have two actually. One in the hospital and one in the office.) (Hospital work spouse is the husband. Office spouse is definitely the wife. OOOOOHH, the nagging! Amirite or am I!?) ...

    Okay wait. Let's start over.

    I told my friend and work colleague that I'm only rooting for Big Aaron, Nasty, Little Tony and Big Tony in that order this season. I wasn't going to, but he insisted I add Big Tony.
    And lo we were rewarded with a big 3 for 3, 2 walks and an RBI. So that's it. That's how I'm going to cope with this season going forward. I'm rooting for Biggest Best Aaron, Nasty, Little Tony and Big Tony in that order.

    I may add a brace of Ozzies to that, but I don't want to get my hopes up.

    GO GO GO Biggest Best Aaron, Nasty, Little Tony and Big Tony in that order!!!


    The-uhuhuh-UHUH-uhuhuhhuuhhuuhh-UH-UH-UH Biggest Best Aaron, Nasty, Little Tony and Big Tony in that order WOOOONNNN EARLIER TODAY!!!






    Fuck Hal so very very much.

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  7. From MLB TRADE RUMORS

    The Yankees announced Thursday that they’ve signed free-agent outfielder Kole Calhoun to a minor league contract. Calhoun, a spent spring training with the Mariners but opted out of his minor league deal late in camp.

    Calhoun, 35, hit .250/.314/.281 in 35 trips to the plate with Seattle this spring and is looking to rebound from a tough pair of seasons in 2021-22. Over that two-year span, the longtime Angels right fielder slashed just .208/.269/.343 in 606 trips to the plate between the Diamondbacks and the Rangers.

    Cheer Down!

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  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  9. Cashman expands his collection of washed-up thirty-somethings. How about Bumgarner while we're at it?

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  10. Trading Gio was totally unnecessary. Even if the guy was a statue in the infield, which he most certainly was not, how do you trade a guy who hits for a guy who doesn't? In the Yankee Wonderland where up is down and down is up, small is large and large is small, it makes perfect sense.

    Yankee management can't wait to bring in these mid-western sounding names like "Willie Calhoun". To add to their already existing collection of gunslingers like Gerrit Cole, Clay Holmes, Michael King, Clarke Schmidt. Some southwestern Spanish cowboy names as well: Jose Trevino, Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza, Torres, Franchy Cordero. While you're at it, throw in Aaron Judge, a big cowboy from California, along with his sidekick Kyle Higashioka, a Japanese-American cowboy from San Fran. And throw in some Spaghetti Western faves like Marinacchio, Rizzo, Giancarlo Stanton, and Volpe. Even add a French Canadian cowhand DJ LeMahieu. The western is a true slice of Americana. If these guys were actors, they'd qualify to make a helluva bad ass western.

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  11. Yes, Gio had bad metrics. Just ask Loser Fishman. Done aldson did not, as did The GReat Joey Gallo. Fishman reported to The Genius, who made the great moves. And The Gio trade brought in Hole In Bat Falaffa.

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