Do we have a baserunning or baseball IQ problem?

[caulfield12]

At first I thought it was confined to Carlos Lee and then Brian Anderson...or that the spirit of Jose Valentin's man-moustache had disappeared.

 

Why is our baserunning so bad?

 

I think Josh Fields specifically has made at least four bone-headed outs already this spring, and maybe I missed a couple...today he tried to advance to 3B on a hard ground hit in front of him with Cabrera right behind him.

 

Is this inexperience? Lack of playing time at OSU as he concentrated more on football? His desire to show off his health and newfound slightly above-average running ability? Or systemic minor league coaching failures over the last decade.

 

Between not being able to steal or having the technique (players like Ramirez and Anderson), we have others like Owens who can't simply be effective. It reminds me of Willie Harris or Pods after his injury in 2005, never the same after that first half on the basepaths.

 

Then, Getz and Ramirez were BOTH picked off...yet we lucked out twice. Getz was hit in the back by the throw from 1B and Cabrera whiffed on the tag on Ramirez because his slide was so unexpected and dangerous that he wasn't where Cabrera thought he would be (of course, had he torn his ACL or broken his ankle and been safe instead of being leaving without a scratch, we'd also be pissed off...except for those happy to see Beckham!)

 

Do we have the worse successful stolen base percentage in the majors this spring?

 

I just don't get it. The players with above-average speed (Lilli, Anderson, Owens, Getz, Fields, Ramirez, Wise) all have had their moments on the basepaths, but particularly Josh Fields. Of course, he's hitting about .450, so it's hard to complain, but it will be more of an issue when he does that and it costs us a real game as often happened with C-Lee/El Caballo.

 

Is it hopeless? Any thoughts or answers? Does anyone see this is as a real problem going forward, or is there a fix? (Obviously with Owens and Wise, probably not).

 

Also, can Wilson Betemit play CF? (Joking...sort of)

 

[chisox2334]

Think your getting a little picky there with base running.. today's game obviously was bad just due the lefty having a good move... I worry more about throwing runners out and doing run downs