Friday, June 22, 2018

Mookie Betts Adheres To "Extreme" Shift On Mauer, And It Seemed To Work

In yesterday's win over the Twinkies, there was a fascinating moment when Joe Mauer ripped a ball to right-center field in the bottom of the sixth inning. Mookie Betts barely had to move a muscle and caught the ball in his tracks—perfectly positioned by scouting reports on Mauer. After the play, Mookie playfully waved the little "pocket positioning card" in recognition of its accuracy. Said Alex Cora after the game, "Yeah that was a big topic before the game. It was an extreme one from the analytical department. We looked at the charts and we're like, it's right on, go with it. I know they were happy but I was the happiest guy, like thank God they hit it right there. It reinforces what we're trying to accomplish. You saw it it was very extreme with Mauer. It was good for him to be in that spot and catch it. Hopefully his range factor goes up and defensive runs saved and all that."