Coaches Who Played the Game

[Edgy MD]

If you remember the start of the dramatic season, Philadelphia had a minor scandal after telling Nick Castellanos not to report to spring training.

Castellanos was growing into an embarrassment, having not only admitted to bringing beer into the dugout during the game, but openly questioning his managers and coaches because "they hadn't played the game" or "they haven't paid their dues" or the like.

I largely consider this to be jock posturing, and there are certainly plenty of managers who have had long and more or less successful managerial careers despite no MLB playing experience (Manny Acta, Dave Bristol, Terry Collins) or scant MLB experience (Tommy Fucking Lasorda).

But the two jocks in the booth (Darling and Hernandez) and the guy who likes to be liked by the jocks (Cohen) were giving some credence to (if not outright endorsing) the notion today, claiming that there are techniques for managing your body over the course of a season, and plays that you don't pick up — and presumably cannot therefore teach — except through the repetition of a 162 games at the top level.

This was mostly directed at Tim Leiper — who in fairness, has had a pretty unimpressive (to the extent that a third base coach can impress) — debut season with the Mets, and to a lesser extent Carlos Mendoza (who they couldn't praise enough two weeks ago), as well as the other non-MLB-experienced coaches on the staff.  Leiper had just failed to coach AJ Ewing into breaking for the plate when an infielder tried to freeze him up and then go for the double-play.

I still think it's jock posturing.  On the other hand, taking the small data set of the team at hand into account, it's not like this team has looked well coached.

[Centerfield]

I didn’t watch today’s game, but that runner on third, potential double play ball has befuddled the Mets all year. 
 

I don’t know if Lieper is a bad coach because he didn’t play or simply because he’s a bad coach. I don’t necessarily think you had to play MLB to understand proper baserunning. 

[Edgy MD]

I'm starting a new band called Coaches Who Played the Game.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

When you're the third-base coach of the Mets, you're the only guy who has that positon in the entire world at that moment. If you're not the absolute best at what you do what are you doing there

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

21 minutes ago, Edgy MD said:

I'm starting a new band called Coaches Who Played the Game.

First album Play This Game The Right Way

[seawolf17]

MLB:

Split	PA	R	H	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB	GDP	SF	BAbip	tOPS+	sOPS+
0 out, 1-3	500	322	120	17	275	41	97	.325	.348	.526	.874	194	34	69	.318	140	100
1 out, 1-3	1166	665	254	26	631	92	220	.293	.317	.442	.759	383	111	165	.290	109	100

NYM:

Split	PA	R	H	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB	GDP	SF	BAbip	tOPS+	sOPS+
0 out, 1-3	15	7	2	0	6	1	1	.200	.267	.200	.467	2	1	3	.167	40	15
1 out, 1-3	42	24	4	1	23	6	6	.143	.244	.321	.565	9	5	7	.107	64	50

[Edgy MD]

So, in the former situation, the runner on thoid scores 64.4% of time league-wide, vs. 46.7% of the time for the Mets.

In the latter case, the runner scores 57.0% of the time (putting aside for the moment that a handful of those runs in the run column include the runner from first and/or the batter scoring, but the Mets plating him 57.1% of the time, despite the puny batting average.

[The Hot Corner]

The stats posted by Seawolf indicate that, as Frayed Knot has mentioned numerous times, this Mets team just doesn't hit with men in scoring position.  

Taking it one step further, they just don't hit very well in most any circumstance.

Mets Team Offensive Rankings:  

• AVG.:  .234   26th
• OBP:  .304   29th
• SLG:  .382   26th
• OPS:  .686   28th

Defensively the Mets are tied for 28th with 69 error in 100 games.

This should likely be in the Tracking the Noffense thread, but Frayed Knot does a great job keeping that current.  I posted it here because I think it is pertinent to the point of the Mets lack of offense and their need to maximize their productivity through smarter baserunning and play.

[Edgy MD]

OH!  SUCH A HIJACK!

[The Hot Corner]

7 hours ago, Edgy MD said:

OH!  SUCH A HIJACK!

Sorry.  Regarding coaches with or without MLB playing experience, I don't think it matters much as far as knowledge of the game.  I do think, that many players may have greater respect and place greater credence on information or instruction that is conveyed by someone who has been through the grind of MLB.  I think they view them more as a peer who has been there and knows what they are talking about.  

Regardless of his experience (or lack there of) as a player, I have not been overly happy with many of the decisions Tim Leiper has made this season.  I am rather indifferent to to the Performance of Gilbert Gomez as first base coach.  Antoan Richardson was very impressive as the first base coach last year.  Just one person's perspective, but much like the line up construction I feel took a definite step back from last year, I believe the same can be said with the coaching changes last fall.