Sexson’s at-bats, quickly summarized
Since I spent so much time picking apart his awful game….
1st inning:
Curve up, called strike
“Cutter” way outside, ball
Fastball way inside, ball
Slop up, swings and misses, slop, slop in and down, swings and misses.
Strikes out.
All off-speed down the middle. Huh.
4th, v. Trachsel
Bunch of slop, mostly over the plate, and then Sexson doubles off a 86mph “fastball” way up and in.
6th, v. Trachsel
All off-speed, all off the plate except for the 85mph change inner-half and up, which he fouled off. Good that he didn’t go after that outside slop, as we’ve seen so far this year. Walks.
9th inning, v. Aquino
Three fastballs, the first way in, the second and third both up out of the strike zone, 93mph. Sexson homers on the second. Don’t throw a series of low-90s fastballs up over the plate.
It’s a weird day for Sexson. Being baffled by Trachsel – especially Trachsel’s crap over the plate – it’s strange to see him mashing stuff that’s up and in.
This day, on the whole, fits really well with the Jennings at-bats: Trachsel fed him off-speed junk around the zone, and Sexson couldn’t deal with it. However, put it up and in, and he’s swinging like mad, tonight with good results.
I’m going to say the same thing I said earlier this week: if that’s an effective approach, it’s one that nearly every pitcher in the majors can exploit. If the battles really come down to whether opposing pitchers can hit the outer corners with breaking stuff – and Sexson can’t discern balls from strikes or make effective contact when he swings at them – that’s brutal.
Here’s hoping that’s not the case or, at least, that they keep giving him meaty stuff to hit, telegraphing it repeatedly so he knows it’s coming, or they leave it up in his sweet spot.
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I want to see this Sexson experiment end soon. I would rather see Morse play first base and have Sexson and Bloomy film a remake of the movie “Twins”.
Well, a double and a homerun, huh? Blind luck?
Look, I don’t mean to be a pessimist. He produced today. But I’m pretty sure he’s done.
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Unfortunately for Sexson, his swing is broke and too much so, to be fixed.
Richmond has historically done OK at pitch recognition, at least by looking at his BB/SO ratio. His BB/PA was actually better in 2007 than it was in 2006, and so was his BB/SO ratio. That wasn’t why he sucked, he has always struck out a lot. I don’t know what the answer is but his 2007 stats compared to the rest of his career don’t seem to match your diagnoses.
In the 9th inning, did you mean he homered on the third pitch, rather than the second?
Looks like he meant that, of the two fastballs up and out, the 2nd and 3rd pitches, Sexson hit the second for a homer. Confusing, sure, but accurate.
I still think we’re seeing classic old-player skills. Walks are up, as he bails on stuff he can’t hit anymore. He’s still got power to drive one out if you pitch him meatballs, but more and more of those homers are going to be doubles from here on out.
Paul B _ He didn’t say he homered on the second pitch. He said he homered on the second of the last two that were the same, third over all.
Look I know that isn’t exactly a sign that Sexson has rebounded, but if a double and a dinger doesn’t give us hope, what will?
That’s exactly what I’m saying. Was it great that he produced? Yes. Could it have come at a better time? Yes. Do I need to see more? Absolutely. Look, if Richie can go on an absolute tear and prove us all wrong, then, by all means, proceed. I just don’t see it happening.