Comments on: Game 35, Angels at Mariners

By: John D.

John D. — Fri, 18 May 2007 02:18:43 +0000

Re: # 135 – LAY/LIE
Reminds me of something. Once, when I was teaching 10th grade English, I was distinguishing between LIE and LAY, and said “I have laid tile often,” and a voice from the rear of the class asked, “Who’s Tile?”

By: Ralph_Malph

Ralph_Malph — Thu, 17 May 2007 23:29:30 +0000

You can teach 14/15 year olds, but can you teach 24 or 34 year olds?

Oakland’s example only proves that an organizational emphasis on drafting and signing players with good pitch recognition skills leads to a system stocked with players with good pitch recognition skills.

By: em

em — Thu, 17 May 2007 22:33:10 +0000

Granted, I’m only coaching 14/15-year olds, at the moment, but I certainly know that hitting approach can be taught, even to old geezers. I will also tell you that the majority of major league hitting coaches (Dave Hudgens is an exception) don’t have a clue on hitter improvement. Pentland is actually a terrible hitting coach (based on his comments regarding Beltre, Reed, and bat speed).

By: em

em — Thu, 17 May 2007 22:30:30 +0000

Oakland.

By: DMZ

DMZ — Thu, 17 May 2007 21:52:53 +0000

Please provide cases of where coaches and managers teach and enforce patient approach at plate and where that has had a significant effect on their players thanks in advance.

By: eponymous coward

eponymous coward — Thu, 17 May 2007 21:35:12 +0000

That’s fine. You just can’t be inflexible about it. It’a about pitch recognition AND discipline.

And let’s face it, I’m not telling Ichiro he has to turn into Ted Williams, either.

By: AuburnM

AuburnM — Thu, 17 May 2007 21:25:14 +0000

#255

My point is coaches and managers need to teach and enforce a patient approach at the plate.

By: eponymous coward

eponymous coward — Thu, 17 May 2007 21:13:29 +0000

What is â€œin-base percentage?â€

It’s a mistake made when attempting to type on-base percentage.

If that doesnâ€™t work, just before the hitter leaves for the on deck circle you say to him, â€œTake the first two.â€

At the major league level, a strategy like that is going to have you in a lot of 0-2 counts. Go look up what MLB batters hit from an 0-2 count and a 0-0 count.

No, you shouldn’t swing at everything, but an inflexible strategy of taking pitches won’t work, either.

By: AuburnM

AuburnM — Thu, 17 May 2007 20:47:25 +0000

#253
Coaches should constantly deliver the message that the organization expects hitters to be patient and work deep into the count. Pound that message home all the time.

If that doesn’t work, just before the hitter leaves for the on deck circle you say to him, “Take the first two.” When hitters are ahead 2-0 or 3-1 give them the take sign. If they ignore signs fine ‘em, bench ‘em, or trade ‘em.

I’m old school.

By: DMZ

DMZ — Thu, 17 May 2007 20:34:46 +0000

“Entirely the result of bad coaching.”

Please provide evidence that good coaching significantly improves player performance in this category or other evidence that coaching is responsible for poor performance here thanks in advance.