Rangers Can’t Do That Again
In the grand scheme of things, Vladimir Guerrero didn’t matter last night. The Giants would have won that game no matter who was playing right field. But after watching Guerrero stumble around, Washington cannot put him back in the field this series. Right? Maybe not.
“No, I don’t,” Washington said when asked if he’ll have to reconsider the idea of using Guerrero in the field with the designated hitter not in effect. “A couple balls got by him.”
That is one way to describe what happened when the ball was hit his way. I think most people would go with something a bit more accurate, like “That was the worst outfield defense anyone has ever played.” This wasn’t just a ball dropping in that we think Murphy could have gotten to – last night was simply confirmation that Vladimir Guerrero should never wear a glove again.
The first inning pop-up that Kinsler caught and turned into a double play was a routine fly ball – Guerrero wasn’t anywhere close to it. If the Rangers’ second baseman doesn’t make a tremendous play, the Giants would have been on the scoreboard in the first inning. Then there were the obvious miscues – the inability to cut off a ball down the line; the horrifying misplay of Renteria’s base hit that gave him two extra bases; and then kicking around the ball in the corner. It was painful to watch. And, if Ron Washington is trying to win this series, we can’t see it again.
Joe has already laid out the case for why David Murphy is a better player against right-handers than Guerrero, and that should be fairly obvious to everyone at this point – he hit better against RHP this year, and the defensive gap is enormous. Guerrero’s problems are probably big enough that it would be smarter to start Jeff Francoeur or Julio Borbon over Guerrero if they were the only option.
Last night, Guerrero playing the field didn’t change the outcome. Tonight, or in Game 6 and 7, it could. The Rangers do not have the luxury of hoping that Guerrero’s inability to field the position doesn’t end up costing them games. It’s the World Series – put your best team on the field and give yourself the best chance to win.
The Rangers best team does not include Vladimir Guerrero wearing a glove.
Dave is the Managing Editor of FanGraphs.
Wow! Those were some serious errors! You’re right, for last night’s game it didn’t matter I suppose. In a one or two run game? Absolutely!
vlad must be quite embarrassed. he used to be a decent fielder, especially with the arm he used to boast.
Exactly. I actually felt bad for the guy. I remember him as an Expo when he was actually a good RF. It must be tough to suffer that type of decline due to health issues.
Maybe it was his sparkling .615 OPS in the ALCS that convinced them or perhaps his amazing .616 OPS in the ALDS. Guerrero in RF was an “adventure” to say the least.
“That was the worst outfield defense anyone has ever played.”
Chris Duncan begs to differ.
Carlos Lee is on Line 2…
I don’t think either has ever been as bad as what I witnessed last night. Hell, Manny Ramirez on his worst day was probably better.
Adam Dunn in his final days as a LF? That was pretty gruesome.
Vlad looked really really bad out there though.
i honestly dont think dave’s line was hyperbole at all. that was the worst defense ive ever seen at the major league level. i think ive seen manny, carlos lee, and adam dunn all at their worst, but none of them compare to vlad last night.
it truly was historic.
Chris Duncan actually dropped two routine fly balls in Game 5 of the 2006 WS. Had the Cardinals lost that game, they would be remembered by more people. Vlad’s errors only lead to extra bases. He didn’t give away any actual outs.
Jose Canseco when the ball bounced off his head and into the stands for a homer?
vlad wouldnt have come within 10 feet of the ball that bounced off canseco’s head. he would have pulled up huffing and puffing… probably wouldve wound up an inside-the-parker anyway
I guess they burned the tapes of me playing in the outfield. Thank goodness.
Nice to see the DH actually HURT the AL team, for a change.
You’re not a White Sox fan, are you?
Don’t disrespect Mark Kotsay…at least he kept things interesting for the 1998 Marlins. Growing up in Miami that was about the only thing worth watching following the World Series…
Then again…he is quite the terrible DH.
But at least he didn’t clog the bases like that useless slug Jim Thome. OzzieBall! (TM)!
Even Giants fans had sympathy for Guerrero last night. He was awful, but the talking “experts” on ESPN said he had to be out there in RF tonight with the Rangers down a game.
There will surely be more balls hit to RF with a Wilson pitching tonight, and Guerrero miffed even on routine plays. If a ball goes into Triples Alley tonight, a Giants player might have a chance for an inside the park homerun.
“There will surely be more balls hit to RF with a Wilson pitching tonight,”
Why?
at least throw him in LF if you’re going to play him in the field at all. and don’t play him in the field at all by the way.
I’m a huge Vlad fan, BUT what you state is so true. It was painful to watch last night; and it reminded me of one Willie Mays playing center field for the Mets against Oakland during the World Series. Great fielders far past their primes. Painful, indeed.
You really didn’t need to write anything except the title.
Watching those escapades in RF reminded me of co-ed softball games I’ve played in the past where teams stuck one of their worst girls in RF and then the other team’s hitters, some of them, would deliberately try to hit it to her, knowing full well that she couldn’t catch it, field it, or throw it. I wonder if there’s talk in the Giants clubhouse like “try to hit it to RF; Vlad’s liable to turn it into a double or triple.” The Giants aren’t great offensive players but they do have guys who can hit line drives to the right side.
But let us not put too much fault on Vlad’s shoulders. To me the key play was Young’s error to start the 5 inning with Rentiria at the plate. That play has to be made. It was a routine play!! And the line drive that was inches from Young’s reach, if you see Young’s footwork just before the hit, he moved ever so slightly to the 3rd base bag. While Vlad played horrible defense, the big blow-out 5 inning was set-up by very poor play at third-base. Texas had better play better on Defense if it has any notion of winning this series.
I think it’s well understood that Michael Young is just short of horrible at 3rd base. The difference here is that the Rangers don’t have any other options there. With Vlad, you’ve got 3 better outfielders sitting on your bench, at least 2 of which can hit worth a damn.
Vlad was never a “great” fielder. He did have a powerful arm (not necessarily accurate) however.
He was never great but he used to be at least good. His arm made up for a lot.
Bengie Molina wishes he was still a Giant so he could have a chance at an inside the park homerun.
Um sorry, but even yesterday’s Vlad combined with AT&T’s right field wall couldn’t make that happen.
Great arm, good fielder, good speed. Certainly not in May’s class. I stand corrected.
I offer you Dave Kingman as an outfielder without any idea about what was going on. Or, Alfonso Soriano.
Alfonso Soriano as in the same Alfonso Soriano who has the greatest defensive season in history according to UZR. Soriano is an excellent fielder.
Vlad sits.
It was always an insane idea for Wahington to start Vlad in RF at AT&T. It’s only the hardest corner OF to play in the entire majors, and Vlad hasn’t been even and average-fielding outfielder in at least 7 years. As somebody else posted above, if you absolutely must have Vlad in the lineup, put him in LF. His plus arm is no weapon in RF if he can’t get to the ball quicker than an old geezer.
On a side note, I must say that the coverage of the Giants on this site during the entire postseason has been piss-poor. Except for the game 1 gem by Lincecum in the NLCS, every post on games the Giants have played, or were going to play, have been about their opponents or about the luck and/or deficiencies of the Giants’ players, coaches, or team. I understand they don’t have a sexy offense, but they’re in the Series now, so maybe it’s time to start giving them some credit? Not to mention that it would be nice to see at least a few in-depth or different point-of-view articles (that I have come to expect from FG) on the Giants now that they’re 1 of only 2 teams left that are still playing.
Case in point.
It’s now almost 15 hours after the Giants blew-out the heavily-favored Rangers in Game 1 (and only 3 hours before the start of Game 2), and FG has a grand total of 2 articles posted on the WS. This one that is about Vlad and the Rangers, and another about how Cliff Lee was off his game (“Cliff Lee Was Not Living On The Edge”). Surely no credit goes to the Giants hitters on man-handling the invincible Cliff Lee.
that was co-ed softball right field, all right (cough, cough)
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