Felipe Lopez and Brandon Phillips

[reds44]

Alright what is the deal board? It seems to me last weekend out all-star shortstop had a rough go on defense. He made a few bad plays against the Cubs, and there was a 3 page thread titled "Hang this series loss on Lopez."

Now let's go to last night. 9th inning man on 1st Jermaine Dye hits a bloop that drops in front of Dunn, Dunn makes a good throw into 2nd base to get Dye in plenty of time. Phillips misses the tag.

Same inning. Bases loaded 1 out.
Joe Crede hits a bouncer up the middle that Felipe makes a nice back handed play on and flips to Phillips who, in turns throws it into the dugout allowing (eventually) 2 runs to score. Was it an easy play? Nope not at all, but one that kid have been made.

Last night Top 4 Felipe Lopez. Joe Crede up.
Lopez makes a fantastic play up the middle and shows his strong arm to save a run and throw him out at 1st. He also made a few other very nice plays.

Bottom 5
lead off homer to tie the game at 1-1.

And before someone talks about his groundout in the 9th, he was robbed by Ozuna.

Why no "Hang this loss on Brandon Phillips" thread?

Ok now Saturday's loss wasn't all Phillips fault it was mostly the pens, but the Cubs series loss wasn't all Lopez's fault. I am a big BP backer, and I am not bashing him.

All I am trying to say is there seems to be a double standard on this board when it comes to Phillips and Lopez. Sometimes I think we are spoiled by BP's defense, and use it to bash Lopez. Felipe is an all-star and is having another fine year. Does he make some errors? Yes, but he also makes plays that go unnoticed.

[remdog]

I think it may be that Brandon has been pretty solid all along plus SS is the more visible of the two positions.

With Lopez I am just as often surprised at the balls he doesn't get to as when he makes a spectacular stop.

By the way, IIRC, the potential double play ball was hit to Lopez' glove side and he slid laterally and slightly backwards to play a longer hop. I was surprised he didn't play it on the short hop. It would have been a harder ball to field but would have made the pivot at second pretty easy.

I'm not saying that Phillips shouldn't have made the throw anyway but a quicker relay would have ment that the runner would not have been close to Brandon when he threw the ball. The thing I liked in the paper this morning was when Brandon said he learned a lesson that he won't forget; the runner comes in high he's got a good chance of ending up with a baseball where his nose used to be. (I will say that I have to wonder why Brandon is just 'learning' this now, though. Most SS' and 2nd basemen learn it about the age of eight.)

Rem

[wheels]

I think it's because there it's becoming less and less plausible that the team's better young players are the cause of the team's woes.

The bullpen stepped to the front of the class bare naked, and they're looking worse in the buff than Will Farrel's "nude homeless guy".

[jimbo]

I think there hasn't been the outlash against Phillips because he has not made it a habit of making mental mistakes. Lopez has been making bonehead mental mistakes in the field for the majority of the season, most of his 13 errors coming on routine plays demonstrates this. This team has a lot of physical talent but not very many players who have a good baseball mind......Phillips in my opinion is one of the few who has both the talent and the smarts.

[RedsMan3203]

Because last night is the only night I remember Phillips really "costings" the Reds a game....

Lopez on the other hand......

[reds44]

Because last night is the only night I remember Phillips really "costings" the Reds a game....

Lopez on the other hand......

Let's hear all the games he "cost" the Reds.

People exaggerate how bad his defense is, and he is one of the better offensive SS in baseball.

[lucky bugle boy]

Lopez: 13 errors
Phillips: 4 errors

It was a very dissapointing play Saturday night though. He might not have made the play even with a good throw, and based on other things happening that inning, I think the Reds would have lost anyway.

[edabbs44]

I think the double standard is based on people expecting more from Lopez. Phillips cost us nothing and Lopez, after last year, had very high expectations placed upon him by the fans. Now if Phillips were to continue to have a great year, next year the boo birds will be out if he were to have some more of these issues.

[remdog]

Let's hear all the games he "cost" the Reds.

People exaggerate how bad his defense is, and he is one of the better offensive SS in baseball.

I'm sorry but I can't agree with that. His range is (sometimes) surpriseingly limited and I think he sometimes makes poor judgements in the field. Those are just my objective observations from the times I've seen him play.

I really am hopeful that the Reds flip-flop Phillips and Lopez in ST next year.

Rem

[RedsMan3203]

Right Now.. I'm drawing a blank on the games... Only one sticking out is against the Tigers... But I know his D has cost us a few more games....

But, this infield D needs a rework...

I like the idea of... Lopez to 3rd, Edwin to 1st, and Phillps to SS... Ray-Ray or William B to 2nd.

[reds44]

Right Now.. I'm drawing a blank on the games... Only one sticking out is against the Tigers... But I know his D has cost us a few more games....

But, this infield D needs a rework...

I like the idea of... Lopez to 3rd, Edwin to 1st, and Phillps to SS... Ray-Ray or William B to 2nd.

His D didn't cost us the Tigers game, David Weathers giving up a 2 out homer in the 9th did.

Sorry but IMO that arrangement makes the infield offense and defense worse.

[jimbo]

I'm sorry but I can't agree with that. His range is (sometimes) surpriseingly limited and I think he sometimes makes poor judgements in the field. Those are just my objective observations from the times I've seen him play.

I really am hopeful that the Reds flip-flop Phillips and Lopez in ST next year.

Rem

I agree with you. I think Phillips would make a better defensive SS than Lopez. I'm not so much knocking the talent of Lopez, only his mental lapses.

[RedsMan3203]

His D didn't cost us the Tigers game, David Weathers giving up a 2 out homer in the 9th did.

Sorry but IMO that arrangement makes the infield offense and defense worse.

Weathers had part in it.. Lopez gets about 95% of the L on that one... A routine grounder to SS if I remember correctly... And a throw that sails... (normal stuff)

---

Can't see how it makes it worse? A lil practice for EE at 1st he'll be good.

Lopez has the range/arm to play 3rd... Might even cut down on some Errors... Not as long of a throw... (Or even move him to 2nd, doesn't matter to me)

Phillips can play SS... The Kid is all over the place at 2nd... HE has a good enough arm to play SS...

2nd base is up the air... Freel/Ray/William/Aurrila/Castro any of them can play 2nd...

Gonna have to find someone to man 1st soon... Aurrila/Hatte aren't going to be around forever...

[reds44]

Weathers had part in it.. Lopez gets about 95% of the L on that one... A routine grounder to SS if I remember correctly... And a throw that sails... (normal stuff)

---

Can't see how it makes it worse? A lil practice for EE at 1st he'll be good.

Lopez has the range/arm to play 3rd... Might even cut down on some Errors... Not as long of a throw... (Or even move him to 2nd, doesn't matter to me)

Phillips can play SS... The Kid is all over the place at 2nd... HE has a good enough arm to play SS...

2nd base is up the air... Freel/Ray/William/Aurrila/Castro any of them can play 2nd...

Gonna have to find someone to man 1st soon... Aurrila/Hatte aren't going to be around forever...

Joey Votto and Adam Dunn say sup.

Bergolla can't hit in AAA, what makes you think he will hit up here?

Moving EE after 2 months at 3B is a bad move. He has all the tools to be a good defensive 3rd baseman. To me it seems like Felipe has a better arm then BP does.

Felipe couldn't get the ball out of his glove it happens. He still threw a very pickable ball to 1st that RA made a half-hearted attempt to pick. You don't remember it that well if you thought the throw "sailed".

That L was 95% Weathers fault, and 5% Felipe's.

[CTA513]

If you want I can make a "Hang this loss on Brandon Phillips" thread.