Sending the runner on 3-2

[Jocephus]

well, heck, you could be manager!

[dmarx114]

I like sending the runner on 3/2...but I also think you have to take on all considerations of who is on base, at the plate, etc. I think with the Kozma/Descalso combo sending the runner works because Kozma has a good chance of stealing the base. Things aren't always going to work but sometimes you have to get something going in a variety of ways and not wait around on the bases. I would like to see the Cards do more running in more situations.

Why would you want to increase the chances of making an out in an inning?

This team doesn't need to get cute. Just let them rip away.

Cards wasted 2 outs last night on the basepaths. Could have cost them the game.

Rip away? We're 18th in slugging, we are scoring because we're moving up on singles/doubles.

4th in OBP!

Yes, precisely. We're hitting, just not for the kind of power we're used to. So, when we're getting mostly singles and doubles, we have to get the guys moving to make things happen.

Cards are dead last in steals (which I am plenty OK with) and 9th in runs. So I don't know what you mean by this.

[ghostrunner]

I like sending the runner on 3/2...but I also think you have to take on all considerations of who is on base, at the plate, etc. I think with the Kozma/Descalso combo sending the runner works because Kozma has a good chance of stealing the base. Things aren't always going to work but sometimes you have to get something going in a variety of ways and not wait around on the bases. I would like to see the Cards do more running in more situations.

Why would you want to increase the chances of making an out in an inning?

This team doesn't need to get cute. Just let them rip away.

Cards wasted 2 outs last night on the basepaths. Could have cost them the game.

Rip away? We're 18th in slugging, we are scoring because we're moving up on singles/doubles.

Precisely. Slugging is down this year (not just ours). The people who were clamoring for a return to Whitey-ball ought to be happy.

It's funny, though - for all those years under TLR people were here on the boards complaining about station-to-station AL-style offense. Now that we're running again, people are complaining about "giving up outs". Can't have it both ways, people.

I think you too readily accuse this place of groupthink. There has always been a wide variety of approaches advocated here, and I don't see any evidence of individuals flip-flopping. Those who disagree with whatever the current practice is are going to be more vocal. Having said that, people here and elsewhere gave TLR plenty of grief for some of his more "aggressive" practices, hit and runs in particular but also bunting.

[CardsofSTL]

I like sending the runner on 3/2...but I also think you have to take on all considerations of who is on base, at the plate, etc. I think with the Kozma/Descalso combo sending the runner works because Kozma has a good chance of stealing the base. Things aren't always going to work but sometimes you have to get something going in a variety of ways and not wait around on the bases. I would like to see the Cards do more running in more situations.

Why would you want to increase the chances of making an out in an inning?

This team doesn't need to get cute. Just let them rip away.

Cards wasted 2 outs last night on the basepaths. Could have cost them the game.

I was speaking more generally than specifically to the instances in that game; not that I necessarily thought those were bad choices; just lack of results. Fact is if those plays work then no one complains. I think when you have a team that runs; it puts more pressure on the pitcher and on the defense and in the long run gives you more chances to have big innings. Waiting around on base for a bomb or hoping to get three or four singles strung together is a losing philosophy long term. The Cardinals are winning right now because they do employ all of the different things and are winning in multiple ways; be that with the homerun, the hit and run, the excellent pitching, etc.

[Jmodene]

I like sending the runner on 3/2...but I also think you have to take on all considerations of who is on base, at the plate, etc. I think with the Kozma/Descalso combo sending the runner works because Kozma has a good chance of stealing the base. Things aren't always going to work but sometimes you have to get something going in a variety of ways and not wait around on the bases. I would like to see the Cards do more running in more situations.

Why would you want to increase the chances of making an out in an inning?

This team doesn't need to get cute. Just let them rip away.

Cards wasted 2 outs last night on the basepaths. Could have cost them the game.

I was speaking more generally than specifically to the instances in that game; not that I necessarily thought those were bad choices; just lack of results. Fact is if those plays work then no one complains. I think when you have a team that runs; it puts more pressure on the pitcher and on the defense and in the long run gives you more chances to have big innings. Waiting around on base for a bomb or hoping to get three or four singles strung together is a losing philosophy long term. The Cardinals are winning right now because they do employ all of the different things and are winning in multiple ways; be that with the homerun, the hit and run, the excellent pitching, etc.

That's what I was trying to say.

And I'm not talking about this forum, specifically, when I speak of "people" - I'm speaking of fandom in general. There's more than one forum out there, you know.

[dmarx114]

I like sending the runner on 3/2...but I also think you have to take on all considerations of who is on base, at the plate, etc. I think with the Kozma/Descalso combo sending the runner works because Kozma has a good chance of stealing the base. Things aren't always going to work but sometimes you have to get something going in a variety of ways and not wait around on the bases. I would like to see the Cards do more running in more situations.

Why would you want to increase the chances of making an out in an inning?

This team doesn't need to get cute. Just let them rip away.

Cards wasted 2 outs last night on the basepaths. Could have cost them the game.

I was speaking more generally than specifically to the instances in that game; not that I necessarily thought those were bad choices; just lack of results. Fact is if those plays work then no one complains. I think when you have a team that runs; it puts more pressure on the pitcher and on the defense and in the long run gives you more chances to have big innings. Waiting around on base for a bomb or hoping to get three or four singles strung together is a losing philosophy long term. The Cardinals are winning right now because they do employ all of the different things and are winning in multiple ways; be that with the homerun, the hit and run, the excellent pitching, etc.

The Cardinals have scored the 9th most runs, are dead last in steals, and we can count on one hand how many times the hit and run has been successful this season.

Seems to me that the strategy of stringing singles doubles, and walks together is working out just fine.

In fact, I bet the Cards would be top 5 in runs if they didn't take as many chances on the base paths as they have been.

[jim]

I like sending the runner on 3/2...but I also think you have to take on all considerations of who is on base, at the plate, etc. I think with the Kozma/Descalso combo sending the runner works because Kozma has a good chance of stealing the base. Things aren't always going to work but sometimes you have to get something going in a variety of ways and not wait around on the bases. I would like to see the Cards do more running in more situations.

Why would you want to increase the chances of making an out in an inning?

This team doesn't need to get cute. Just let them rip away.

Cards wasted 2 outs last night on the basepaths. Could have cost them the game.

I disagree that you increase the chance of making an out. You keep saying that and saying that but you don't back it up with anything other than a folow up statement saying the exact same thing.

How many times have you seen Kozma being aggressive on the bases and said to yourself "Wow, we *almost* wasted an out there"? I'm guessing never, you gladly take the positive that the agressive base running brings you while constantly berating the manager and player when it backfires.

[Felix The Cat]

As a team, we're second to last in Ultimate Base Running FWIW. Doesn't seem like w/e we're employing on the basepaths is really working.

[jim]

I like sending the runner on 3/2...but I also think you have to take on all considerations of who is on base, at the plate, etc. I think with the Kozma/Descalso combo sending the runner works because Kozma has a good chance of stealing the base. Things aren't always going to work but sometimes you have to get something going in a variety of ways and not wait around on the bases. I would like to see the Cards do more running in more situations.

Why would you want to increase the chances of making an out in an inning?

This team doesn't need to get cute. Just let them rip away.

Cards wasted 2 outs last night on the basepaths. Could have cost them the game.

I was speaking more generally than specifically to the instances in that game; not that I necessarily thought those were bad choices; just lack of results. Fact is if those plays work then no one complains. I think when you have a team that runs; it puts more pressure on the pitcher and on the defense and in the long run gives you more chances to have big innings. Waiting around on base for a bomb or hoping to get three or four singles strung together is a losing philosophy long term. The Cardinals are winning right now because they do employ all of the different things and are winning in multiple ways; be that with the homerun, the hit and run, the excellent pitching, etc.

The Cardinals have scored the 9th most runs, are dead last in steals, and we can count on one hand how many times the hit and run has been successful this season.

Seems to me that the strategy of stringing singles doubles, and walks together is working out just fine.

In fact, I bet the Cards would be top 5 in runs if they didn't take as many chances on the base paths as they have been.

What is working out fine is 2 out hitting that almost surely will not continue at the rate that it has.

[jim]

I like sending the runner on 3/2...but I also think you have to take on all considerations of who is on base, at the plate, etc. I think with the Kozma/Descalso combo sending the runner works because Kozma has a good chance of stealing the base. Things aren't always going to work but sometimes you have to get something going in a variety of ways and not wait around on the bases. I would like to see the Cards do more running in more situations.

Why would you want to increase the chances of making an out in an inning?

This team doesn't need to get cute. Just let them rip away.

Cards wasted 2 outs last night on the basepaths. Could have cost them the game.

Rip away? We're 18th in slugging, we are scoring because we're moving up on singles/doubles.

4th in OBP!

All the more reason to send the runner ... good chance the guy gets a walk and it's all moot.