Hitters hit. It’s an axiom as old as baseball itself. It’s as true today as it ever was too, albeit somewhat diluted by steroid usage, the differences in home ballparks and the odd manager who keeps moving a batter around in the lineup.
I read the other day that only about 10 percent of players are being tested for steroids. That means that we’ll continue to see some big surprises, maybe even bigger than the shock to us all when Manny Ramirez tested positive. But the really smart cheaters won’t get caught. And, as long as the situation prevails, we’ll continue to see wildly aberrant performances. Some presumed hitters won’t hit.
Then there’re the ridiculous differences in the dimensions of ballparks. San Diego and New York Mets hitters won’t hit quite as well, or for as much power as those lucky enough to call Colorado or Philadelphia or Texas their home ballparks. In the course of a 162-game season, there isn’t a level playing field.
Then there are the odd brainiac managers who think they will re-invent the wheel. They’ll bat leadoff hitters third and vice-versa, not to mention moving lefties down against lefty pitchers and so on. It’s a manager’s prerogative of course to set the lineup and many of them totally abuse the responsibility.
There can be other variables involved in a batter’s performance too, not the least of which is a batter changing teams, moving from a small media outlet to a much larger one. I’m thinking of course of Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez moving from Tampa Bay and San Diego respectively to the craziness of Boston. Or, closer to home, there were the first-year failures of Carlos Beltran and, more recently, Jason Bay.
Some short-term poor performances defy any explanation. Take David Wright. Here’s a great hitter who just won’t swing the bat, a guy who seems to have lost all confidence at the plate and a guy who has so far steadfastly refused to change his approach, either to stand closer to the plate or, from time to time, to stop swinging up at the ball.
Of course, there is something to be said for ignoring suggestions too. Take Derek Jeter. Try as he might to change his stride in order to get that bat around quicker, which just about everyone thought his 37-year-old wrists, arms and reaction-time just couldn’t do anymore, he just couldn’t do it. The very minute he stopped thinking, he started to hit again, in a very big way.
Then there is the curious case of Curtis Granderson. He was taught to change his approach so that he’d hit lefties better. He so far has been able to do just that. And, so far at least, he’s proven adaptable in just about every way. He’s been moved around in the batting order to no effect. He just keeps hitting and many of the balls he hits go a long way.
So it must be ego. A guy with just a touch of ego can take a good suggestion and run with it. He’ll recognize a shortcoming in his game and try to do something about it. The David Wrights of the world will not change. The little voices in their heads say no. You’ve been successful before. You’ll be successful again.
Do I have a point here? Actually, to be perfectly honest….no. It’s just that the entire subject of hitting is fascinating, in large part because it’s totally perplexing.
I have forgotten one other big variable and that is the manager’s approach to hitting, specifically that of wearing the opposing pitcher down by taking as many pitches per at-bat as possible. Terry Collins is obviously a very strong proponent of taking pitches. The David Wright’s of the world take the pitches in the middle of the plate and swing at balls in the dirt after taking two strikes.
The approach should be a little more specific than just taking as many pitches as possible. A batter has to have the opportunity to swing at a ball down the middle, no matter that it’s the first pitch, especially when facing pitchers with great control, the Cliff Lee’s and Tim Lincecum’s of the world.
Making matters worse for the Mets, many of the great pitchers in the game reside in their division, in Philadelphia and Atlanta and Florida. Take pitches against these teams and lose. Why even play the game? Just roll over and play dead. That’s exactly where you’ll be anyway. There are no rewards given out at season’s end for number of pitches taken.
Terry Collins strikes me as one of these guys who will treat everybody the same. He’ll treat David Wright the same as he’ll treat a Jason Pridie or a Justin Turner. Well, that’s just great. But it doesn’t work. David Wright is a hitter. Carlos Beltran is a hitter. Too many of the others are just not. All the players can’t be treated the same way.
There are enough obstacles to hitting. The pitchers are getting better. They’re all developing new pitches. The strike zone is made artificially big by umpires who just want to go home early. Added to that stupidity, there are the vindictive umpires who’ll continue to punish any player who has the temerity to question them. Ask Ike Davis about that phenomenon.
Given the Metsies incredibly bad start, a Mets fan really can’t be too unhappy with their current position. The players playing for contracts have been great. Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran are proving themselves worthy of big money. They’ve been hitters, are hitters right now and will probably be hitters in the future.
But Reyes swings at strikes. So does Beltran, no matter whether it’s the first pitch or not. Pitchers are afraid to walk Reyes. It’s the worst case scenario for them. Beltran is too smart for pitchers to have their way with.
A walk is not as good as a hit, David. Not feeling confident? Sit yourself down.
Showing posts with label Collins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Collins. Show all posts
Monday, May 9, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
What A Difference A Bay Makes
Do you believe in coincidences? Do you think the Mets having won two in a row has nothing whatever to do with the return of Jason Bay to the Mets lineup? Well, I believe in coincidences myself but this 2-game streak is not one of them.
Are two games won a streak? For the Mets it is. The Mets are what, 7-13? Some things looked a lot better in spring training, especially the Mets bats. But once the regular season started, all the bats went cold right about the time the pitchers started using every pitch in their repertoire. Some guys just hit fastballs.
But they haven’t gotten one break. Or so it has seemed. But since they were making stupid plays each and every game, it was kind of hard to figure what was bad luck and what was bad baseball.
Watching Scott Hairston play left field was torture, worse almost than when Daniel Murphy was out there. Of course, watching his plate appearances was almost as bad. Willie Harris looked better at the plate and the field but Willie is one of those guys who have the ability to bunt but just won’t. He’d rather foul off a couple of tries and then swing away, only to strike out.
There are a lot of Willie Harris’s. Scott Hairston’s grow on trees. There are only several Jason Bay’s . With the weaknesses already built in at second base and sometimes at catcher, having still another spot filled by a minor leaguer was just too much to overcome.
But there were problems with the established players too. Angel Pagan had been awful in general, at the plate and in the field. Beltran was only mediocre in his new right field position. The second basemen, every one of them, were awful at the plate. Such are the fortunes of players with their heads down.
This column has been very critical of Jason Bay, especially since his latest stint on the DL. But Bay’s return fueled a reason for optimism. Bay has been an established hitter. And he looks like the Jason Bay of old thus far. The elbows are out of the way. He’s holding his hands higher, naturally pulling those elbows out of the way.
David Wright had been shooting for the right field porch every time up, regardless of the game situation. That stopped upon Bay’s return and it was so nice to see Wright pull a couple of pitches into the hole between left and center, especially the homer to the seats in left-center.
It didn’t help that the pitchers that looked so good last year came out flat too. The best performances came from the pickups, from Chris Young and Capuano. Mike Pelfrey was especially dreadful, but that stopped last night too.
So things are looking up….way up. Even Jason Pridie from the minors, filling in for Angel Pagan, looked as if he could perform at least as well as Pagan. As this is written, he just got his first hit, and it wasn’t a fastball that he smacked to right.
It’s even beginning to look as if Daniel Murphy, who can hit a little bit in the majors, can play second base. He looks much better there than he ever did in the outfield. And his comfort in the field is maybe making him relax more at the plate. He’s a contact hitter too, and the second spot in the lineup seems perfect for him, at least until Pagan remembers how to hit again.
Dillon Gee provided a nice lift too and is pitching well today. Last night Pelfrey pitched with confidence for the first time this year. It seemed as if there were first times for a lot of things once Bay returned. Hitters hit. Pitchers pitched. Fielders…well, you know.
It can’t be totally a coincidence. Bay solidifies the outfield. Bay protects Beltran or Wright in the lineup. Bay provides still one more scary guy appearance in the lineup, which eventually wears on an opposing pitcher. As pitchers bat in the National League, there is already one built-in hole in the lineup. The Mets had holes all over the place.
And Jason Bay just homered to right center. He only hit 6 all of last year. He single-handedly gave the Mets a 3-1 lead in this Arizona game and, lo and behold, Ike Davis just killed a hanging slider way out to right field for a 4-1 lead. Now Thole creams another pitch to right. No, it can’t be a coincidence.
Of course no player’s return can account for all ills. Murphy just pulled an ole on a grounder he should have had and Ike Davis just dropped a tough over-the-shoulder popup he ordinarily makes and it’s now 4-2 in the 4th inning. It remains to be seen how Gee will handle these bad breaks.
Uh-oh, after getting the second out, Gee just allowed another hit and it’s now 4-3. Growing pains are in the offing. Soon we’ll be learning more about the relief corps. What we’ve learned so far about the bullpen hasn’t been encouraging. In fact, as of a couple days ago, the Mets had the worst ERA in the National League.
Well, Gee got out of the inning with the lead but only after Pridie in center had to run back to about the 400 foot mark to make the catch. One wonders what Collins will decide for the fifth inning. It looks as if Gee could use a breather.
Whatever happens in this game, the future certainly looks rosier than the past has been. The team is healthy again, at least the players who had been playing well. Pagan is the only player still hurt and, as I mentioned, he had been dreadful.
Some things never change, I guess. Wright just hit into a double play with two men on base. At least he didn’t look as if he was swinging for that rightfield porch.
Even Jason Bay can’t change everything.
Are two games won a streak? For the Mets it is. The Mets are what, 7-13? Some things looked a lot better in spring training, especially the Mets bats. But once the regular season started, all the bats went cold right about the time the pitchers started using every pitch in their repertoire. Some guys just hit fastballs.
But they haven’t gotten one break. Or so it has seemed. But since they were making stupid plays each and every game, it was kind of hard to figure what was bad luck and what was bad baseball.
Watching Scott Hairston play left field was torture, worse almost than when Daniel Murphy was out there. Of course, watching his plate appearances was almost as bad. Willie Harris looked better at the plate and the field but Willie is one of those guys who have the ability to bunt but just won’t. He’d rather foul off a couple of tries and then swing away, only to strike out.
There are a lot of Willie Harris’s. Scott Hairston’s grow on trees. There are only several Jason Bay’s . With the weaknesses already built in at second base and sometimes at catcher, having still another spot filled by a minor leaguer was just too much to overcome.
But there were problems with the established players too. Angel Pagan had been awful in general, at the plate and in the field. Beltran was only mediocre in his new right field position. The second basemen, every one of them, were awful at the plate. Such are the fortunes of players with their heads down.
This column has been very critical of Jason Bay, especially since his latest stint on the DL. But Bay’s return fueled a reason for optimism. Bay has been an established hitter. And he looks like the Jason Bay of old thus far. The elbows are out of the way. He’s holding his hands higher, naturally pulling those elbows out of the way.
David Wright had been shooting for the right field porch every time up, regardless of the game situation. That stopped upon Bay’s return and it was so nice to see Wright pull a couple of pitches into the hole between left and center, especially the homer to the seats in left-center.
It didn’t help that the pitchers that looked so good last year came out flat too. The best performances came from the pickups, from Chris Young and Capuano. Mike Pelfrey was especially dreadful, but that stopped last night too.
So things are looking up….way up. Even Jason Pridie from the minors, filling in for Angel Pagan, looked as if he could perform at least as well as Pagan. As this is written, he just got his first hit, and it wasn’t a fastball that he smacked to right.
It’s even beginning to look as if Daniel Murphy, who can hit a little bit in the majors, can play second base. He looks much better there than he ever did in the outfield. And his comfort in the field is maybe making him relax more at the plate. He’s a contact hitter too, and the second spot in the lineup seems perfect for him, at least until Pagan remembers how to hit again.
Dillon Gee provided a nice lift too and is pitching well today. Last night Pelfrey pitched with confidence for the first time this year. It seemed as if there were first times for a lot of things once Bay returned. Hitters hit. Pitchers pitched. Fielders…well, you know.
It can’t be totally a coincidence. Bay solidifies the outfield. Bay protects Beltran or Wright in the lineup. Bay provides still one more scary guy appearance in the lineup, which eventually wears on an opposing pitcher. As pitchers bat in the National League, there is already one built-in hole in the lineup. The Mets had holes all over the place.
And Jason Bay just homered to right center. He only hit 6 all of last year. He single-handedly gave the Mets a 3-1 lead in this Arizona game and, lo and behold, Ike Davis just killed a hanging slider way out to right field for a 4-1 lead. Now Thole creams another pitch to right. No, it can’t be a coincidence.
Of course no player’s return can account for all ills. Murphy just pulled an ole on a grounder he should have had and Ike Davis just dropped a tough over-the-shoulder popup he ordinarily makes and it’s now 4-2 in the 4th inning. It remains to be seen how Gee will handle these bad breaks.
Uh-oh, after getting the second out, Gee just allowed another hit and it’s now 4-3. Growing pains are in the offing. Soon we’ll be learning more about the relief corps. What we’ve learned so far about the bullpen hasn’t been encouraging. In fact, as of a couple days ago, the Mets had the worst ERA in the National League.
Well, Gee got out of the inning with the lead but only after Pridie in center had to run back to about the 400 foot mark to make the catch. One wonders what Collins will decide for the fifth inning. It looks as if Gee could use a breather.
Whatever happens in this game, the future certainly looks rosier than the past has been. The team is healthy again, at least the players who had been playing well. Pagan is the only player still hurt and, as I mentioned, he had been dreadful.
Some things never change, I guess. Wright just hit into a double play with two men on base. At least he didn’t look as if he was swinging for that rightfield porch.
Even Jason Bay can’t change everything.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
The Masters and the Morrow
Yup, the Mets lost another tough one today and it was lost by Carrasco and the relievers, most of whom didn’t do much. The ones who did perform were in for just a batter. The right fielder Duda let one go right over his head. The Mets wasted 7 innings of terrific starting pitching from the resurgent Chris Young. The Nats Tyler Clifford made the Mets lineup look like monkeys.
But all that was nothing, just 1 more of 153 left to go. The real excitement is happening in Augusta at the Masters. It seems as if there’re ten guys who could win it and Tiger is one of the guys. The 21-year old phenom from Northern Ireland has faltered, finally. Woods may not win this thing but he sure made a lot of folks uncomfortable.
First, I have to say that Masters course looks great on an HD TV. Mine is just 42 inches but everything looks just beautiful. It can’t be much nicer in person. But the really amazing thing going on there is this phenomenal race to the finish line amongst 6 or 7 really different horses.
There’s the swaggering Woods, of course. Compare him to the sturdy and reliable K.J. Choi or either of them to the lumbering Angel Cabrera, all of these real pro’s pros. They’re pitted against the young lions of the game, Jason Day and Luke Donald and Charl Schwartzel , older fellas Geoff Ogilvy and Bo Van Pelt.
It’s each of them against the course, of course, but it sure doesn’t seem that way.
As this is written, Tiger’s round is nearly done. He gets a big hand from the crowd around the clubhouse. But he misses his 20-footer for birdie. So he’ll finish at 10-under, the most popular score, it seems, for the last nine holes. Now he’s done and the crowd gives him another hand. So I guess he’s forgiven, or everybody’s just overwhelmed by the moment, or maybe they’re just being nice Southern people.
It’s really a mind-bender to watch. The variety of shots that present themselves, the impossible lies and the rolls this way and that, the skinny fairways and gigantic traps, the water and the trees. Adam Scott is actually the leader right now. But somehow I can’t see him leading this thing at the end. I figure it’ll be Choi or Ogilvy, the more experienced players.
But, whatever happens, you know there is only one of these Masters crowns handed out each year. The tension is palpable. The only one not feeling anything is Choi. An explosion might not even do it. Now Ogilvy finishes his 10-under. Now we see Schwartzel on the fairway, he’s 10-under too but his seemingly nice approach shot rolls over the impossibly narrow and sloping green.
The baseball game, the Mets game of course, was interesting though, if just for the decisions that went awry for Mets manager Terry Collins. He took the starter who was rolling out after 7 innings and replaced him with a guy who just wouldn’t throw a strike. Pitch count anxiety claims still another victim. The theory is that he’ll live to pitch another day. Sure. What about today?
This golf tournament is all about today. The guy I haven’t been expecting much from, Adam Scott, is now 12-under. Go figure. He seems to be enjoying the attention. Here’s Jason Day again. I wonder what could’ve happened if he could have been in the final pairing again with the youngster Rory McIlroy. They played so well together. I knew pairing him with Cabrera would be a problem.
Now Schwartzel, the young South African, makes an incredible downhill putt from at least 10 feet to make his 12-under and share the lead. He extends the lead to 13-under later and stands just about 15 feet and two putts from keeping it that way. And he doesn’t look that worried, even for a downhill runner speeding toward a tiny pocket in the green. Maybe that’s why it goes in in one. The new Masters Champion is now this unflappable South African fellow.
There was no tomorrow in any one of these guys fighting for the green jacket. There’s nothing but tomorrows for our Mets. Collins just trots his pitchers out there. If they do the job, fine, but he doesn’t worry that much about it. Maybe he should start acting with a little urgency for a win. When a team gets the opportunity, it should close the door.
My worst fears about this Mets team look to be coming true. The starters who surprised us last year with some very good performances all year have thus far stunk it up in 2011, starting with Mr. Pelfrey but Niese hasn’t blown anyone away either this year. Dickey looked ridiculous on the mound Friday. The best pitchers have been the new guys, Chris Young and Chris Capuano, but one wonders how long that can last. And the relievers have been just awful.
The lineup has potential but doesn’t fulfill its potential very often. Wright’s been good but strikes out a lot. Beltran had a big day with 2 homers and Collins immediately gave him an off day. Reyes gets in position to steal a lot but never attempts a steal. I’m forced to say that Collins’s situational awareness kind of sucks.
As a manager so far, I’d give him a D+. He’s a nice guy though. Geez.
There’s not a lot of pop in the lineup. And if Jason Bay ever stops feeling “discomfort in his ribs”, we’ll find out how long it takes him to get hurt again. His willingness to play through discomfort is non-existent. The concussion in July was discomfiting enough for him to miss the entire rest of the 2010 season. This is a man who wants to be traded. This is a man who’s afraid to show himself at CitiField.
This team might show some feistiness and contend or it might just wait for tomorrow.
But all that was nothing, just 1 more of 153 left to go. The real excitement is happening in Augusta at the Masters. It seems as if there’re ten guys who could win it and Tiger is one of the guys. The 21-year old phenom from Northern Ireland has faltered, finally. Woods may not win this thing but he sure made a lot of folks uncomfortable.
First, I have to say that Masters course looks great on an HD TV. Mine is just 42 inches but everything looks just beautiful. It can’t be much nicer in person. But the really amazing thing going on there is this phenomenal race to the finish line amongst 6 or 7 really different horses.
There’s the swaggering Woods, of course. Compare him to the sturdy and reliable K.J. Choi or either of them to the lumbering Angel Cabrera, all of these real pro’s pros. They’re pitted against the young lions of the game, Jason Day and Luke Donald and Charl Schwartzel , older fellas Geoff Ogilvy and Bo Van Pelt.
It’s each of them against the course, of course, but it sure doesn’t seem that way.
As this is written, Tiger’s round is nearly done. He gets a big hand from the crowd around the clubhouse. But he misses his 20-footer for birdie. So he’ll finish at 10-under, the most popular score, it seems, for the last nine holes. Now he’s done and the crowd gives him another hand. So I guess he’s forgiven, or everybody’s just overwhelmed by the moment, or maybe they’re just being nice Southern people.
It’s really a mind-bender to watch. The variety of shots that present themselves, the impossible lies and the rolls this way and that, the skinny fairways and gigantic traps, the water and the trees. Adam Scott is actually the leader right now. But somehow I can’t see him leading this thing at the end. I figure it’ll be Choi or Ogilvy, the more experienced players.
But, whatever happens, you know there is only one of these Masters crowns handed out each year. The tension is palpable. The only one not feeling anything is Choi. An explosion might not even do it. Now Ogilvy finishes his 10-under. Now we see Schwartzel on the fairway, he’s 10-under too but his seemingly nice approach shot rolls over the impossibly narrow and sloping green.
The baseball game, the Mets game of course, was interesting though, if just for the decisions that went awry for Mets manager Terry Collins. He took the starter who was rolling out after 7 innings and replaced him with a guy who just wouldn’t throw a strike. Pitch count anxiety claims still another victim. The theory is that he’ll live to pitch another day. Sure. What about today?
This golf tournament is all about today. The guy I haven’t been expecting much from, Adam Scott, is now 12-under. Go figure. He seems to be enjoying the attention. Here’s Jason Day again. I wonder what could’ve happened if he could have been in the final pairing again with the youngster Rory McIlroy. They played so well together. I knew pairing him with Cabrera would be a problem.
Now Schwartzel, the young South African, makes an incredible downhill putt from at least 10 feet to make his 12-under and share the lead. He extends the lead to 13-under later and stands just about 15 feet and two putts from keeping it that way. And he doesn’t look that worried, even for a downhill runner speeding toward a tiny pocket in the green. Maybe that’s why it goes in in one. The new Masters Champion is now this unflappable South African fellow.
There was no tomorrow in any one of these guys fighting for the green jacket. There’s nothing but tomorrows for our Mets. Collins just trots his pitchers out there. If they do the job, fine, but he doesn’t worry that much about it. Maybe he should start acting with a little urgency for a win. When a team gets the opportunity, it should close the door.
My worst fears about this Mets team look to be coming true. The starters who surprised us last year with some very good performances all year have thus far stunk it up in 2011, starting with Mr. Pelfrey but Niese hasn’t blown anyone away either this year. Dickey looked ridiculous on the mound Friday. The best pitchers have been the new guys, Chris Young and Chris Capuano, but one wonders how long that can last. And the relievers have been just awful.
The lineup has potential but doesn’t fulfill its potential very often. Wright’s been good but strikes out a lot. Beltran had a big day with 2 homers and Collins immediately gave him an off day. Reyes gets in position to steal a lot but never attempts a steal. I’m forced to say that Collins’s situational awareness kind of sucks.
As a manager so far, I’d give him a D+. He’s a nice guy though. Geez.
There’s not a lot of pop in the lineup. And if Jason Bay ever stops feeling “discomfort in his ribs”, we’ll find out how long it takes him to get hurt again. His willingness to play through discomfort is non-existent. The concussion in July was discomfiting enough for him to miss the entire rest of the 2010 season. This is a man who wants to be traded. This is a man who’s afraid to show himself at CitiField.
This team might show some feistiness and contend or it might just wait for tomorrow.
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