Video: 10 reasons Alex Rios should not play center field
by Jim Margalus on Jan 10, 2012 6:03 AM CST
in Analysis
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PrintWe still know nothing about Robin Ventura, but we'll learn a lot about him when we find out where he plans to play Alex Rios.
Ozzie Guillen, of course, cemented Rios in center field. He also used Rios as a defensive replacement in center field, even if it meant shoving the superior defender Alejandro De Aza to a corner spot. (He also never pinch-hit for Rios, but that's neither here nor there.)
In the event that Ventura is thinking Rios should be first in line for center field duties, allow me to present some video evidence. I'm knee-deep in player profiles for White Sox Outsider 2012, which means I have to relive the worst moments of the season -- multiple times! -- in order to accurately recount them. I may as well try to make lemonade out of lemons.
Below are 10 videos depicting the Alex Rios 2011 Center Field Experience. And mind you, there aren't just 10 times poor defense occurred; MLB.com only has embeddable highlights of misplays that result in runs. For instance, the drop against Colorado that got him benched, and the misplayed ground-rule double that set up two Texas runs in a 2-1 loss, aren't shown, because no runs scored on that particular play.
Nor am I counting a couple of homers he probably should have saved -- both hit by Eric Hosmer, one on July 4, and the other on July 6 -- because they have an above-average degree of difficulty by definition.
No. 1: April 22, 2011
An indirect route on a liner by Jhonny Peralta turns into a triple.
No. 2: April 23, 2011
The very next day, Rios takes a right-angled route on what ends up being an Alex Avila triple.
May 3: May 1, 2011
Rios underestimates the carry of Felix Pie's drive to center, which bounces off the wall and turns into a triple.
No. 4: July 10, 2011
Rios gives up a base by making a fruitless throw home. The disgust in Tom Kelly's voice, both during and after the throw, is downright palpable.
No. 5: July 25, 2011
This is the kind of play that Mark Gonzales seems to pin on Ramirez, but Ramirez had to chase these kinds of pop-ups while having no clue whether he could go at them 100 percent, or whether Rios would lurk underneath him at the last second. And Juan Pierre did this to him, too.
No. 6: July 30, 2011
Rios allows a runner to score from first on a single by snaring a single awkwardly and taking his sweet time throwing the ball back in. And then he throws to the wrong bag.
No. 7: Aug. 4, 2011
See No. 5.
No. 8: Aug. 4, 2011
Rios misses the cut-off man.
No. 9: Aug. 4, 2011 (skip to 0:49)
Rios gets caught in between charging a sinking liner, and lets it skip past him for a triple.
No. 10: Sept. 14, 2011
Rios gets caught in between charging a sinking liner, but at least gets part of a glove on it. Which means he actually gets charged with an error.
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And the bad memories return. Thanks!
by PaulyPinkShoes on Jan 10, 2012 6:12 AM CST via mobile reply actions 3 recs
Alex Rios shouldn’t play CF?....pfft He shouldn’t play at the Major League level at all!
For 2012 season: ALEX RIOS is my new TONY PENA.
by JofpGallagher on Jan 10, 2012 6:36 AM CST reply actions 2 recs
Wow...that's ugly.
Can we also think of it as “10 reasons why it’s ok to immediately dislike men named Alexis”?
The ShortStop says, "Hey, wtf did I do?"
To my knowledge, certain things were not known.
-James Murdoch
by 2ndHalfAdjustments on Jan 10, 2012 12:13 PM CST up reply actions
By whom, of course, I mean
To my knowledge, certain things were not known.
-James Murdoch
by 2ndHalfAdjustments on Jan 10, 2012 12:20 PM CST up reply actions
Holy shit, last summer was more depressing than i remembered?
I’ll have to thank you for not using Hawk broadcasts though.
It came from afar and traveled sedately on, a shrug of eternity
On an individual basis...it didn't seem so bad.
But lumped together like that…yow.
What?! I ain't no Professor Pickles!
The MLB.com highlights only give the announcers of highlighted team.
Still, I’m glad it wasn’t Hawk or this would have been much worse. I think we were spared a few non-CF specific moments, too- I remember Rios camping under balls only to have them bounce off his glove a few times, though that may not have all been this last year.
If Rios gets benched all together, we’re looking at a totally new starting OF from the last two years. I don’t mind that one bit.
by mechanical turk on Jan 10, 2012 9:30 AM CST up reply actions
Jim, make sure Ventura sees this.
Sabermetrics hurt my head, just give me the facts.
Dear Venchie, please don't look at salary when filling out line-up card
Much Love,
Greenlight
White Sox 2012: Helplessly rebuilding?
i don't know how anyone could relive any of this.
I may as well try to make lemonade out of lemons.
i think it’s more akin to making it out of cat piss.
by obnoxious american on Jan 10, 2012 9:48 AM CST reply actions
To the degree that a lot of these sound like poor decisions as opposed to the results of a drastic loss of physical skills alone, I'm hoping he can make a partial recovery in 2012.
The guy was a generally OK fielder prior to 2011. Would like to see him get back to being an average CF / plus corner OF.
a VERY AVERAGE Sox Machine refugee
attitude, ability & effort
He was lacking in all 3 last season. I hope you’re right. Maybe the change in regime will help.
It's 106 miles to Chicago, we have a full tank of gas, 1/2 pack of cigarettes...it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses.
Juan Pierre
Combine these with all of Juan’s miscues from last year and you have a full evening of fun.
Just imagine if Quentin hadn't been serviceable in RF...
that OF could have been a horror show.
by polodude017 on Jan 10, 2012 11:47 AM CST up reply actions
Look at that instincts score.
Sounds about right.
"That baseball is the smartest thing out on that field." —Hawk Harrelson
Alex Rios: Where triples go to thrive.
"I'm holding out hope Reinsdorf can somehow use his amnesty clause on Rios"
-Duck99
by Hazymania on Jan 10, 2012 11:03 AM CST reply actions 11 recs
#5 happened a lot.
from Aug 5th.
Why buy the cow when the milk is kinda bitchy?
by SkanchoDanza on Jan 10, 2012 11:44 AM CST reply actions 6 recs
From the ESPNChicago chat:
JK (Chicago): I know Rios makes a ton of money, but are the Sox at least entertaining the idea of him playing a corner with De Aza in CF? I am still recovering from the Rios “highlight” feature on South Side Sox blog today.
Doug Padilla: When we asked Ventura last month he said he had not yet entertained that idea. He’s going to have to, though, because De Aza in center and Rios on a corner is their best defensive outfield. If we can see that, they should be able to see it too.
by Jim Margalus on Jan 10, 2012 12:40 PM CST reply actions 4 recs
SSS is the tail that wags the tail that wags the dog.
Why buy the cow when the milk is kinda bitchy?
by SkanchoDanza on Jan 10, 2012 12:52 PM CST up reply actions
Left field
Hopefully he is in
Left this year.That will be better,right?
For future reference, the format for haiku is 5-7-5. Good try, though.
by FlyingSpaghettiMonster on Jan 10, 2012 1:27 PM CST up reply actions
haiku
Now that Pierre is gone
Alex Rios can move to Left Field
That will be better,Right?
Valiant effort.
Not 5-7-5 words, though.
Instead, syllables.
by mechanical turk on Jan 10, 2012 1:41 PM CST up reply actions 7 recs
I disagree here,
I always end up counting
on my fucking hand
"I'm holding out hope Reinsdorf can somehow use his amnesty clause on Rios"
-Duck99
In that case expect
below replacement level
haiku by Rios.
The lords of dawn are men such as Mr. Lucy.
by Uribe Down on Jan 10, 2012 3:40 PM CST up reply actions 4 recs
Not his only fault.
The money-finger symbol
makes it hard to write.
The lords of dawn are men such as Mr. Lucy.
Haikus are great fun
But hard to do wittily
So Fuck Nick Swisher
We play on the "bad" side of town, we were supposedly cursed, and we wear black. Let's play.
Do any of the defensive metrics
pick up these kinds of mistakes? I know UZR, etc, does more than count errors, but just wondering if this is the kind of play only “see-able” in video or is there a stat that can comprehend Rios’ badness?
by son_of_sophist on Jan 10, 2012 12:53 PM CST reply actions
Rios is fast enough to make up for some mistakes.
So he’s not going to score as poorly as many outfielders who make the same bad reads. And UZR and Plus-Minus did have him as below-average, with a big drop-off from 2010.
by Jim Margalus on Jan 10, 2012 3:06 PM CST up reply actions
Bud Selig will be fielding fans' questions at Soxfest for what I'm sure is a good reason.
Now I’m all tempted to go, because I’ve got some doozies.
(source)
by mechanical turk on Jan 10, 2012 1:42 PM CST reply actions
I can't go so could you ask Bud if he thinks the investment in the Large Hadron Collider is worth the risk or if he thinks
we should go small and nimble in our science. Thanks!
White Sox 2012: Helplessly rebuilding?
I've already posted his highlight reel.
by Jim Margalus on Jan 10, 2012 3:07 PM CST up reply actions
Don't remind me
Only game I went to last season and Juan Pierre seemed like an offensive god. Dunn hit nothing but weak nubbers to first and Paulie saw nothing.
Pathetic
If Rios had a damn work ethic, he’d be very good.
Funny how the knowledge of the game is inversely proportional to the price of the seats.
Shouldn't Rios get a pass for being dreamy?
This space is available.
by MrBungle on Jan 10, 2012 6:18 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
Check that - my bad - it's the baked goods maker, not the ball club
Baseball is life.
by elgonzo4sox on Jan 10, 2012 7:48 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Shouldn't the headline for that article be...
No Longer the Hostess With the Mostess?
Well, boys, it's a round ball and a round bat and you got to hit the ball square. ~Joe Schultz, 1969
Rios
SOX should send him down to the minors until he gets the right attitude about the game. That should keep him out of Chicago a long time!
by Hillerich N Bradsby on Jan 10, 2012 8:49 PM CST reply actions
That'd be sweet.
I can heckle the shit outta the bum
by Shoeless In SC on Jan 10, 2012 8:59 PM CST up reply actions 3 recs
Call me and we'll tag team his sorry ass
Sabermetrics hurt my head, just give me the facts.
by CATDADDY47 on Jan 11, 2012 11:10 AM CST up reply actions 4 recs
If it only worked like that for veterans
Rios would never accept anything like that. He’d be happy sitting on the bench or getting DFAed (I wish).
My hope for Rios this season is to play just well enough to have some trade value so we can eat 75% of his salary instead of playing him or wasting 100% of his salary on a DFA.
by ObsidianXIII on Jan 10, 2012 9:13 PM CST up reply actions
You mean teams can't just send their players wherever they want as if they were prisoners or in the military?
This is devastating news. My off-season plan is ruint!
by Shoeless In SC on Jan 10, 2012 9:24 PM CST up reply actions 3 recs
I thought you hated military analogies.
by Jim Margalus on Jan 10, 2012 10:19 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Only when you blogger-types use them
which reminds me, you still owe me a military reference-laden article
by Shoeless In SC on Jan 10, 2012 10:23 PM CST up reply actions
I fell on the sword and did it for him
Member?
It came from afar and traveled sedately on, a shrug of eternity
Rios Videos
Imagine – getting paid all that money and the best this guy’s got are 10 video reasons why he should never put on a SOX uniform again. cubs would be a perfect fit!
by Hillerich N Bradsby on Jan 10, 2012 8:50 PM CST reply actions
I took a look at the current Twins outfield .....LOL
For 2012 season: ALEX RIOS is my new TONY PENA.
by JofpGallagher on Jan 11, 2012 5:59 AM CST up reply actions
Mandatory
Once a week release info on Rios. DE AZA MUST NOT BE DENIED! I don’t want that guy in center field next year.
"Rooting for the Twins is just a roundabout way of rooting for a first-round playoff bye for the Yankees." by big_fun
Finally watched those videos
F.A.R.
No wonder everyone was in such a bad mood last season.
It’s taken years of practice to be such an asshole.
by Chiburb on Jun 1, 2010 10:35 AM PDT
Every time I get depressed about the Dunn and Rios 2011 saga
I always think back to the “pact” that the two made to carry the team in the second half, and I find it tough to suppress a smile.
Everyone makes the occasional physical error, which can be forgiven.
But many of his errors are mental, or rather, lackadaisical. It seems that he is often ill-prepared as to what he plans to do with the ball if it comes to him. Perhaps he just doesn’t give a crap at this point.
The reality is setting in that I won’t see another good Sox team until I’m in my…gulp…50s.
"They're a dead team walkin'." - Joe Cowley commentary on the Sox 2012 rebuilding year (WSCR interview, 12/7/11)
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