"I've always been underrated as a speed demon, primarily I guess because I don't steal a lot of...

"I've always been underrated as a speed demon, primarily I guess because I don't steal a lot of bases....That's never been like my prime focus. When I was young, I'd just run. Now I have an idea of when and how to steal bases -- when it's appropriate for the situation and when we might need a spark. If I pick those times to go, I think I can easily steal 40. And whatever above that is uncharted territory for me, but without a doubt, 40 is something I can just close my eyes and do."

Crisp sets sights on 40 steals

about 1 month ago RoyalsRetro Comment 29 comments 0 recs |

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"40 is something I can just close my eyes and do"

I think that’s Billy Butler’s baserunning philosophy, too.

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Nov 20, 2008 4:36 PM EST 0 recs

I'm pretty sure that was Buddy 's managing philosophy as well.

Let's Go Blues!

by powderbluesfor08 on Nov 20, 2008 4:51 PM EST up 0 recs

I don't like this quote at all

Instead of attempting to steal a lot more bases, he should be more selective in his SB attempts. Over the last 3 years, he’s been effective at stealing bases a little under 75% of the time. That’s just a little over break even. In short, his CS have hurt the team almost as much as his SB have helped the team. So he needs to run in better running situations and keep still in worse running situations. I bet he will steal 40 bases next year and probably be successful less than 70% of the team. So his aggressiveness on the basepaths would likely hurt the team. Unfortunately, I’m sure Hillman will give him the permanent green light. You know the Royals really need to be aggressive on the basepaths to diversify the offense!

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Nov 20, 2008 5:02 PM EST 0 recs

But he's a "true leadoff hitter"!

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Nov 20, 2008 5:03 PM EST up 0 recs

Upcoming snippet from Royals.com article

“Sure Crisp may have been thrown out trying to steal 25 times, but he managed to swipe 40 bases. I didn’t hear many fans complaining about all of those stolen bases.”

by Top Ramen on Nov 20, 2008 5:14 PM EST up 0 recs

I'm sick of you and your negativity

Who cares, sure, he was a below average defender in 2006 and 2008, but those were totally small samples sizes. I don’t hear too many people complaining about that +25 in 2007!

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Nov 20, 2008 5:30 PM EST up 0 recs

Please

That was a weak joke. It was a joke, right?

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Nov 20, 2008 5:43 PM EST up 0 recs

yes

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Nov 20, 2008 7:02 PM EST up 0 recs

Or alluding a KC fan criticizing Rob Neyers mistake on switching who was traded for who it was a week joke.

Go Royals!

by BabyBlues on Nov 20, 2008 9:31 PM EST up 0 recs

he did talk about being a selective base stealer.

Don't forget to send your broken maples to the US Forest Service.

by 306008 on Nov 21, 2008 10:22 AM EST up 0 recs

How do you get that

from his quote? I saw him as talking about being selective on when to steal.

Chaim Mattis Keller New York City's # 1 Royals fan!

by cmkeller on Nov 21, 2008 8:58 AM EST up 0 recs

Hopefully

But the numbers don’t show that he’s learned in recent seasons to be more effective at stealing bases. His SB% certainly didn’t go up in 2008. So I think he’s just going to attempt more SB’s. I don’t think that is going to make him more successful.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Nov 21, 2008 9:00 AM EST up 0 recs

Most bases Crisp has ever stolen in a year

28, in 2007.

Assuming that he could steal 40 bases, and only get caught 7 times (which he did last year on 27 attempts), how many runs would that be over not stealing or getting caught at all?

Actually, let’s say he goes 40-40. Unleveraged, of course. The lineaer weight of an SB is .17 runs. That’s 6.8 runs. If he goes 40-40, it gets the Royals a bit over half a win more.

But a CS is .33. So if he managed 40-47 (great rate), that’s -2.31 runs, so he’s already down to about 4.5 runs above no SBs or CSs.

In his 2007, which apparently is the only year with a samples size enough to count, he was 28-34. What does that mean over 0-0? 2.78 runs.

That’s nice, but I hope his speed still means he can play a +10 CF or better…

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Nov 20, 2008 5:02 PM EST 0 recs

Actually, let’s say he goes 40-40.

Are talking about a hypothetical of 40 SB and 40 CS? What is the point of that hypothetical? You could try 40 SB and 18 CS. That seems more realistic.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Nov 20, 2008 5:28 PM EST up 0 recs

thanks for your always charitble interpretation

it’s like going “3 for 3” on my bets. 40-40 means he doesn’t get caught a single time in 40 attempts.

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Nov 20, 2008 5:31 PM EST up 0 recs

Then that is an odd weighting

So if he managed 40-47 (great rate), that’s -2.31 runs, so he’s already down to about 4.5 runs above no SBs or CSs.

40/47 is a very high 85% SB. And you say that makes for a -2.31 runs? I’ve never seen any analyst put the break even for SB lower than 75. But you have him well below break even at 85? Either the math is wrong or your usage of a good weighting system is off.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Nov 20, 2008 5:42 PM EST up 0 recs

no....

The wording was a bit confusing, but I think he meant the 40 of 40 is +6.8 runs and the 0 for 7 is -2.31 runs, so 40 of 47 is +4.5 runs.

by kcdc1 on Nov 20, 2008 6:17 PM EST up 0 recs

Ok. I think my reading comprehension was significantly to blame as well.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Nov 20, 2008 6:21 PM EST up 0 recs

no, kcdc is right

I was grumpy, but my words were all over the place. WAY too much damn time thinking about Coco Crisp, Jim Callis, John Dewans, etc. in front of the computer without a break.

You know, I would have been happy with Nunez for Crisp. Elated. But adding Jacobs and not Ramram is going to make for a long offseason up moronic stewing on my part.

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Nov 20, 2008 7:04 PM EST up 0 recs

Where does that LW come from?

Something tells me that most real game stolen bases are more valuable than a vacuum stolen base would be.

by kcdc1 on Nov 20, 2008 5:31 PM EST up 0 recs

Didn't Gathright predict he was going to swipe some rediculous number of bases last season?

by Top Ramen on Nov 20, 2008 5:16 PM EST 0 recs

Here it is:

"I used to set goals, but now I just go out and see what happens every day. My goal used to be a 100.* Now it’s whatever."

* until I realized I would need to reach base nearly 100 times

by Top Ramen on Nov 20, 2008 5:19 PM EST up 0 recs

Not true

You only need to reach base 34 times to be able to steal 100.

Chaim Mattis Keller New York City's # 1 Royals fan!

by cmkeller on Nov 21, 2008 9:01 AM EST up 0 recs

Guys always say they're going to magically increase their performance going into ST

I remember Shea Hillenbrand saying he had decided to hit 25-30 homers one year.

Another year, Adam Dunn said he was going to steal 20.

Matt Stairs should say he’s going to out-field CoCo Crisp in 2009.

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Nov 20, 2008 5:32 PM EST up 0 recs

When strings of words do not a sentence make

“I can steal bases on just knowledge of the game and knowledge of the pitchers, but if you put me in a 100-yard dash, which we don’t have, I’ll finish a nose behind or in front of somebody.”

by kcdc1 on Nov 20, 2008 5:29 PM EST 0 recs

That's bad

Actually, the whole article doesn’t really make sense. I think the only way to defend him is that this was done during the press conference/conference call where it was like 6am when the deal was announced. He probably had no idea of his surroundings.

If he wasn’t groggy and sluggish due to being woken up then, yikes.

by Royal from Queens on Nov 20, 2008 7:23 PM EST up 0 recs