RV-Team Meeting/Strategies for improving defense?

caulfield12 · May 12, 2013

http://www.chicagotribune.com/videogallery...lled-by-Ventura

Other than watching and rewatching the Tom Emanski video starring Fred McGriff with the all-blue, knockoff Blue Jays cap...what ideas does everyone have for "fixing" our defensive issues and constant set of nightly miscues?

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-leag...-230358448.html

Here's one suggestion!

Another...

http://www.google.com.hk/url?sa=t&rct=...XuwcflZMxABVKwg

Dunn looks at bright side of Sox's subpar startDunn looks at bright side of Sox's subpar start

The rest of this season has to be better than the first month and a half for the fifth-place White Sox, right?

At least that's how Adam Dunn has it pegged.

"We're only five or six games out of first place and we're playing about as bad as we can possibly play," Dunn said Saturday. "A lot of times there are not a lot of positives you can take out of playing as bad as we have been playing. But if there is one thing to take out of it, we're not out of it by any means."

An unearned run was the difference.

The Sox are tied with the Angels for the most errors (27) this year.

Dropped popups, wild throws, booted balls in the outfield … and that doesn't even take into account passed balls, missed cutoff throws and mental lapses. The generally placid Ventura called a team meeting following Saturday night's loss.

"I did say some stuff, I did," Ventura said cryptically when asked about the impromptu postgame session.

Ventura says he is pretty much at a loss when it comes to solving the repeat defensive gaffes of his players.

"It's more staying on top of it. Where we're at right now, it's not acceptable," Ventura said. "I mean, they understand that. You work at it, preach it, harp it. You do all of that stuff because you can't win unless you are playing good defense."

After setting a franchise fielding percentage record of .988 in 2012, the Sox have been botching too many routine plays this season.

Fred Mitchell, chicagotribune.com/sports/whitesox

Edited May 12, 2013 by caulfield12

winninguglyin83 · May 12, 2013

1. pray for a quick return by Beckham. Tightens the infield defense considerably. Much better rapport with ARam.

2. Paste HIT THE CUTOFF MAN post-it notes on the forehead of every player.

3. get the Donkey off first base.

4. Have a heart to heart with DeAza about his Ks and lack of concentration in the outfield.

5. Reduce playing time for Flowers.

6. Wait 'til next year. Or 2016, actually.

Ross · May 12, 2013

QUOTE (winninguglyin83 @ May 12, 2013 -> 08:21 AM)

1. pray for a quick return by Beckham. Tightens the infield defense considerably. Much better rapport with ARam.

2. Paste HIT THE CUTOFF MAN post-it notes on the forehead of every player.

3. get the Donkey off first base.

4. Have a heart to heart with DeAza about his Ks and lack of concentration in the outfield.

5. Reduce playing time for Flowers.

6. Wait 'til next year. Or 2016, actually.

I like #6.

caulfield12 · May 13, 2013

Robin Ventura is not a huge proponent of team meetings.

But the Sox manager called one after Saturday night's 3-2 loss to the Angels in which his team committed three errors and had a passed ball that led to an unearned run.

"Mine was just me talking," Ventura said Sunday.

"I've been in a lot of (team meetings). I don't like 'em. I just think that teams that scuffle have meetings a lot. So I don't want to have too many meetings. Teams that win don't seem to have that many meetings because you don't need to. I would rather that be the last one of the year."

Paul Konerko said Ventura did not lose his cool during Saturday night's session.

"It wasn't like he was jumping us like crazy, but it also wasn't the upbeat, positive one either," Konerko said.

Getting ready: John Danks pitched six innings Sunday to earn a rehab win for Triple-A Charlotte over the Pawtucket Red Sox. He allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits. He walked three and struck out five.

Danks has been on the disabled list all season after undergoing left shoulder surgery last year.

"The good news is that he is on his way. And hopefully soon he's up here and pitching well," Ventura said.

Error of their ways: The Sox entered Sunday night's game with seven multi-error games, and they were tied with the Angels with the most errors (27) in the American League.

"When you see it happen, you don't want to be the next guy to (make an error)," Ventura said. "I've been through it too. Let your physical abilities take over and just play the game."

Fred Mitchell/Tribune.com/sports/whitesox

balfanman · May 13, 2013

QUOTE (winninguglyin83 @ May 12, 2013 -> 08:21 AM)

2. Paste HIT THE CUTOFF MAN post-it notes on the forehead of every player.

How would players read a post it note that is on their forehead? :huh:

southsider2k5 · May 13, 2013

QUOTE (balfanman @ May 13, 2013 -> 07:57 AM)

How would players read a post it note that is on their forehead? :huh:

That would explain some of the errors though...

cabiness42 · May 13, 2013

How would players read a post it note that is on their forehead?

They read it on everybody else's forehead.

Jake · May 13, 2013

My column for today, Defensive Miscues Costing Chicago White Sox

The gist:

-We aren't playing so badly as the errors suggest

-This team does not have a track record of making errors, which suggests something has changed

-Errors are preventable via coaching, focus

-Coaching must be held accountable until and unless the errors cease

caulfield12 · May 14, 2013

So basically, besides the one ACTUAL error, there were at least 4-5 additional mistakes made...that don't show up in the boxscore but are absolutely killing this team right now....

Daryl Van Schouwen/Sun-Times.com

MINNEAPOLIS — The Sox led the American League with a franchise-record fielding percentage last season.

This year they rank last.

And are somehow getting worse.

Another bad act in the comedy of errors that is threatening to trash a 2013 season before Memorial Day was staged at Target Field on Monday night in a 10-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins. The box score shows one error, a misplayed grounder to shortstop Alexei Ramirez’s left that manager Robin Ventura saw as an inning-ending double play. But there was more bad defense for a team that — get this — was built on pitching and catching the ball.

The pitching has been good. The Sox went into the game with a 3.40 ERA, right behind the AL-leading Texas Rangers. But the defense has been miserable with 29 errors, missed cutoffs, misplayed pop-ups and opposing baserunners stealing bases at an 80 percent clip.

There was more of the same gawky horror miscue show in the Twins’ third inning, in which three of the four runs scored were unearned. Leading 2-0, starter Hector Santiago (1-2) got himself into a bases-loaded jam but had a chance to escape. Ramirez couldn’t cleanly glove Justin Morneau’s grounder and then one sacrifice fly and one Trevor Plouffe double later, the Sox were down 4-2.

Almost every play that inning besides Ramirez’s error was an adventure. Left fielder Casper Wells skipped a throw past Ramirez on Pedro Florimon’s double. Catcher Tyler Flowers couldn’t handle a one-hopper from Alex Rios in short right on Willingham’s short fly, scrambling to the Twins’ on-deck circle to retrieve it while Santiago dashed to cover the plate. And Alejandro De Aza threw to third base instead of second on Doumit’s sacrifice fly, allowing Morneau to take second.

None of the throws were scored as errors. Every one of them made high school coaches everywhere scratch their heads.

There was more.

Ramirez cleared out of the way of a pop-up that a charging De Aza couldn’t get to and it fell in for a leadoff double in the Twins’ four-run eighth. Flowers couldn’t hold a pop near the rail of the Twins’ dugout and pitcher Deunte Heath played a sacrifice into a bunt single.

And to think manager Robin Ventura held a pregame meeting Saturday to talk about cleaning up the defense.

“Eventually you get to the point where if you don’t pay attention to what’s going on, we’ll find somebody else to do it,’’ Ventura said.

“We have to be better and work at it. Hector’s grinding, you have to help him out. He gets the ball he wants, and there’s lapses. We’ll work on it. We’ll have plenty of time to work on it.’’

On the other side of the field, the Twins sparkled. Center fielder Aaron Hicks had the night of his life, leaping above the wall to rob Adam Dunn of a homer and sandwiching two homers around the catch.

The Sox miss second baseman Gordon Beckham, a standout glove man who will take batting practice Wednesday or Thursday as he gets closer to returning from a broken hamate bone. But that’s only part of the problem.

“At the end of the day, yeah, focus [on defense],’’ Beckham said. “You have to be thinking. You have to be into the game. If you’re thinking about the last at-bat, or last night, or anything, it’s going to take away from how well you play defense.

“It’s weird. That’s the only way I can describe it because I know how we can field. It seems like we can’t get any worse.’’

greg775 · May 14, 2013

Amazing our team is already at this stage, where the manager has to have a team meeting and imply changes will be made. I guess Danks deserves a shot. Bench DeAza will be the first move it sounds like.

caulfield12 · May 14, 2013

Or Ramirez.

Ironic, as they both were the leading hitters last night.

kitekrazy · May 14, 2013

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 11, 2013 -> 11:59 PM)

The Sox are tied with the Angels for the most errors (27) this year.

Dropped popups, wild throws, booted balls in the outfield … and that doesn't even take into account passed balls, missed cutoff throws and mental lapses. The generally placid Ventura called a team meeting following Saturday night's loss.

"I did say some stuff, I did," Ventura said cryptically when asked about the impromptu postgame session.

Ventura says he is pretty much at a loss when it comes to solving the repeat defensive gaffes of his players.

"It's more staying on top of it. Where we're at right now, it's not acceptable," Ventura said. "I mean, they understand that. You work at it, preach it, harp it. You do all of that stuff because you can't win unless you are playing good defense."

After setting a franchise fielding percentage record of .988 in 2012, the Sox have been botching too many routine plays this season.

[/i]Fred Mitchell, chicagotribune.com/sports/whitesox

Guys like that have no business playing professional baseball.

cabiness42 · May 14, 2013

Going to be hard to platoon Danks when he's in Charlotte.

cabiness42 · May 14, 2013

Obviously he would have to be called up. Post padder.

So who does he replace if he's called up?

Harry Chappas · May 14, 2013

Maybe all of the innings Ramirez has played are catching up to him.

elrockinMT · May 14, 2013

The team needs to relax and quit trying to do more than can be done. Concentration is the key. These guys are pros. They made it to the pros for some reason and just need to quit pressing, which is what losing does to you. Don't panic!

southsider2k5 · May 14, 2013

QUOTE (bbilek1 @ May 14, 2013 -> 12:42 PM)

Dewayne Wise. Who we should have never signed in the first place.

Wise is one of the few players who has done his job this year.

southsider2k5 · May 14, 2013

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 14, 2013 -> 12:32 AM)