Did anyone actually see that steal????? I doubt it, since you would have known that Ohka stole that base on Yates (the pitcher) not Piazza. Yates made no attempt to hold him and Ohka got a huge jump on the pitch with a huge lead. Plus, Ohka is an athelete too and can run fast. Pudge wouldn't have thrown him out in 1998.
I agree Piazza sucks defensively, but in this case someone's got to come to his defense in this thread.
Xtreemes wrote:i'll take a win and a stolen base by a pitcher on the opposite team every game.
but yes its true piazza can't throw anyone out, thats why he's being moved to first. although i hate when people say he's weak defensively, cause hes great in every other aspect of the defensive game; calling pitches, blocking the plate, not givin up passed balls, etc. he just cant throw anyone out.
I completely agree with what you said - he is a good defensive player EXCEPT for the fact that baserunners steal at will against him. That exception in itself is so bad however, that it overshadows a lot of everything else he does so well. Base stealing is such an important factor in games, I just couldnt imagine how Id feel if my team essentially decided to just give up 2b with every single.
I know he's your boy because he's on your team, but seriously now - you cant honestly say that you dont think that the defensive hole in his game doesnt affect the way teams play against the Mets and ultimately may even affect the outcome of games.
And as Zaz commented about how Ohka stole the base (getting a huge lead, etc...) - how can you not at least keep the runner in check if you are a Mets pitcher? You know you have a defensive lapse behind the plate if he tries to steal, so how do you rationalize letting someone get a big lead off first? If I were a Mets fan, thatd be one more thing Id be upset with.
I understand about Homerism - trust me - but at the same time, no player is bigger than my team. Piazza needs to give up playing C for the good of his team.
Expect bigger numbers from pepperoni next year. He will be playing Catcher a lot less making him very durable and very powerful while still qualifying there. Yikes, 2005 maybe first catcher taken.
Forget the man crush. I drop what I'm doing to watch Zack Greinke pitch.
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It was indeed a mental lapse on Yates' part and it was a mistake to assume a pitcher was not going to steal a base but it was not that big of deal. The Mets won so who cares. LOL. Let's Go Mets!
Concerning Piazza's inability to throw runners out: absolutely it changes the dynamics of the game and the way teams play the mets. But it is more than counter-balanced by everything else Piazza brings to the table and adding the fact that IRL stolen bases are horribly overrated, it is not that big of an issue.
Maine has a good swing for a pitcher but on anything that moves, he has no chance. And if it's a fastball, it has to be up in the zone. Basically, the pitcher has to hit his bat. - Mike Pelfrey
Amazinz wrote:It was indeed a mental lapse on Yates' part and it was a mistake to assume a pitcher was not going to steal a base but it was not that big of deal. The Mets won so who cares. LOL. Let's Go Mets!
Concerning Piazza's inability to throw runners out: absolutely it changes the dynamics of the game and the way teams play the mets. But it is more than counter-balanced by everything else Piazza brings to the table and adding the fact that IRL stolen bases are horribly overrated, it is not that big of an issue.
whats IRL stolen bases?
Are SBs overrated? Getting into scoring position is overrated?
What we are essentially talking about here involves 2 players:
Piazza @ C and a 1B
or a C and Piazza at 1B
It seems to me that Piazza's ability to call a good game, get in front of pitches in the dirt, and block home plate are pretty easily replaceable, right? Besides his bat and leadership (because we arent talking about taking him out of the lineup, just making a position move), and the 3 points mentioned in this paragraph, what is "everything else Piazza brings to the table" that makes up for the inability to defend against teams putting guys in scoring position when they should be on 1st?
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by ZAZ » Tue Apr 20, 2004 1:38 pm 
