The Detroit Tigers require improved decision-making from their newly appointed third base coach.
Less than a week into the regular season, the Detroit Tigers are already seeking improved decision-making from their new third base coach.
Joey Cora, who joined the Tigers this offseason after his contract with the New York Mets expired, resumed his familiar role as third base coach under A.J. Hinch’s leadership. However, his performance thus far has been under scrutiny.
While the Tigers have shown strong defense and received solid pitching performances from both the starting rotation and bullpen, their offense has been inconsistent. Given that offense might be a challenge for the Tigers this season, it’s crucial to avoid detrimental decisions on the base paths.
Hinch emphasized during spring training the team’s desire to play aggressively, but there’s a fine line between being aggressive and being reckless.
In the second game of the season, a costly error occurred on the base paths in the first inning. Despite already scoring a run and having nobody out, a player attempted to advance to third base on a play where staying at second would have been wiser. This decision resulted in an out and stifled a potential rally.
While the Tigers managed to come back and win the game, this early misplay was a significant turning point. Such decisions can have a substantial impact on the game’s outcome, as seen with Chicago’s pitcher settling down after the Tigers gifted him an out.
The following day, Detroit benefited from an error made by the White Sox, demonstrating how crucial sound decision-making on the base paths can be in influencing the course of a game.
Less than a day after Dominic Fletcher’s throw resulted in Kerry Carpenter being tagged out at third base, Joey Cora once again attempted to send a runner home when it wasn’t advisable. This time, it was Mark Canha who had started the play on first base and was easily making the turn towards third base. Despite the recent mishap, Cora decided to test the right fielder once more, only for Fletcher to throw Canha out by a significant margin, approximately 20 feet ahead of him. Replay footage indicated that Fletcher had fielded the ball before Canha even reached third base.
In another game on Monday, which went into extra innings with a scoreless tie, the Tigers missed a crucial opportunity to score. With Carson Kelly on second base and two outs in the sixth inning, Andy Ibanez hit a single into left field. Although Brandon Nimmo fielded the ball before Kelly reached third base, Cora signaled for him to continue running home. Consequently, Kelly was easily thrown out at the plate.
While I acknowledge that there were two outs in the inning, it’s essential to consider the situation: the Tigers would have had their key hitters – Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene, and Canha – coming up to bat with runners at the corners. Torkelson and Greene are expected to be significant run producers in the future.
Sending a catcher, especially one with relatively slow sprint speeds in recent seasons, requires careful consideration. If such a decision is made, it should either be a close play or one made with absolute certainty.
The Tigers may argue that given their struggles to score runs, they want to capitalize on any opportunity. However, it’s crucial to value and capitalize on these rare scoring chances rather than risk squandering them.
Cora and the Tigers shouldn’t abandon their aggressive mentality entirely after just a week, but they must improve their ability to assess the balance between risk and reward. Additionally, Cora should refrain from sending players who aren’t even in view on TV screens when the catcher receives the ball.
While the Tigers have generally played clean baseball, base running remains an area where they can make significant improvements.