GAME THREAD RANGERS/DODGERS

Just watched the video ... and my first observation was 'wow look at Kemp lumber around 3B' !!!

merely jogging.. shuffling no faster than my fat ass hustling in front a car in an Albertson's parking lot... you know the 3/4 old man shuffle


Point: Kemp is hitting .335 and we 'love' him again BUT... his old lazy 'non-hustle' self is still alive and well. If he rounded 3B like Puig or Kike, or even fat Joc, he 'might' have beat the throw or had a much closer play at the plate. Instead old slacker Kemp lumbers around 3B slower than Gonzo or Pujols and has no choice left but to take out the catcher. Because. No face saving to be had otherwise, now that you're an hour late for your ten minute flight to the plate.

And then he gets up butt hurt at not knocking out the ball? WTF did the catcher do wrong except apply the tag and takes his lumps?

Sort of OK with lazy Kemp getting tossed for the chest shove. No place for that.
Not agreeing with the catcher getting tossed. What did he do so wrong? If it was Grandmal or Barnes taking the charge we'd be pissed at Kemps antics.

Repeat: Glad Kemp is hitting .335... full on disappointed that he's not learned the value of hustle.. And at this point he's not going to learn.

 

Yeah. As long as he hits .335 then EVERYTHING else is OK.

And to support your point, so long as he hits .300 no one will mind the sloth. Especially when NO ONE ELSE is close to .300 this year.

 

If Kemp is a 3 win left fielder he can moonwalk to first for all I care.

Just the same, if he’s replacement level I don’t care how hard he runs they should cut him.

 

Watched the video several times.. I can't hear what they are jawing to each other about but I still cannot see Chirinos 'doing' anything inappropriate... and each review shows Kemp getting up with a lather going after Chirinos.

Both dismissed it later so whatever..

 

Yeah except for the 'how hard he runs' part "IS" a component of what makes him a replacement player.

 

Kemp ran him over, Chirinos didn't like it so he gave him a little shove, then Kemp didn't like that so he gave him a hard shove. Chirinos then tried to punch him with his glove on then Beltre and Cole Hamels got Kemp away from Chirinos and that was that.

 

it was stupid to send him and i don't need him pulling up w a hammy on that play either

 

Matt Kemp is not fast anymore and he should not have been sent home on that play.
Repeat: Matt Kemp is slow, it has nothing to do with hustle, he is just slow.

 

With his knees and hips i’m absolutely amazed he was moving that fast, and how well he navigates the OF (which is horrible). But it is nothing short of a miracle that he wasn’t injured in the collision and didn’t get Milton Bradley’d being held back from the commotion. Divine intervention.

 

#fakenews

Yes Rube actually his lack of effort does matter. And apply expressly to his WAR. Which is 1.7 and not 3 as suggested elsewhere.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/about/war_explained.shtml
https://www.baseball-reference.com/about/war_explained_position.shtml

Both esteemed sources cite "Baserunning" and "Fielding" as key components to WAR. Which as I recall is one of DSP's fav stats.

No one argues that Kemp sucks at baserunning and it appears all agree that he's now "just slow". So YES.
No one argues that Kemp sucks at fielding and gets moved wherever he's the smallest defensive liability. So YES.

You argue his effort doesn't come into play. Indeed it does.

 

So everyone agrees? Kemp is slow. Kemp fields poorly. Kemp's speed/lack of hustle and his inferior fielding clearly affect a players WAR.

And when he doesn't hustle he should be sat. Like ANY player that doesn't try hard to win.

That stated I do agree that the 3B coach, KNOWING Kemp does not / cannot / will not hustle should not have sent him at all. Be thankful he made it to 3B successfully. Treat him like a 40 year old DH if that is all he's capable of... but then do not claim otherwise in the same post.

 

I think we all pretty much disagree with you.

I get what you’re saying, but Kemp busting his ass down the line during some random game in June isn’t a priority to me. The fact that he’s a positive for us this year is incredibly fortunate. I’ll take what I can get from a guy that analytics viewed as like the 60th best baseball player on the roster heading into this season.

 

That's how I saw it.

 

Marlins helping us out and tied it late against the Giants. In the 12th now, but Marlins new pitcher can’t find the strike zone. Don’t care who wins at this point, though it’d be nice if this thing could go another inning or two.

 

Even better, Bochy was expressing concern yesterday about how exhausted the bullpen is. Now Blach is in. Hopefully this thing goes 20.