Thursday Links (4 Aug 11)

It’s not the space cowboy, the gangster of love, or even Maurice. It’s just links…

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4 Responses »

  1. Nice little article on the organization’s hitting coaches working with Rizzo and getting his swing back in shape. Hopefully he’ll keep doing whatever he’s been doing the last several games. I hope he’s not going up there swinging for the fences every time, though. Doubles into the gap would be just fine by me.

  2. “Mind the gap” should be the organization’s hitting philosophy motto.

  3. http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/playerbreakingnews.asp?sport=MLB&id=279&line=336016&spln=1

    Moseley done for the year.

    I didnt play ball past t-ball, so I don’t know know if it’s a mental thing or what, but the team’s situational hitting – especially with a runner at third and less than two out – has got to improve. If the hitting coaches should do anything it’s work on that. This year has been pathetic in that regard, as evidenced yesterday with two such situations in consecutive innings, zero RBI and multiple strikeouts. The exception being Jesus Hobbs-Guzman of course

  4. It’s not just situational hitting, Dave, it’s ALL their ABs. Some effort has to be made to purge the “work the count” mentality Sandy Alderson left behind. That works only with experienced, veteran hitters who know their hitting zone and won’t swing at ball four with a full count.

    Wally Joyner was probably right to teach our young hitters to go ater hittable pitches early in the count. When the get to 3 and 2, they’re fed high fastballs to foul off, and then a ball low and away the kids (and some veterans) can’t keep from swinging at. You can see the pattern pitchers are using, but Padres hitters don’t. Rightys kept feeding Rizzo inside pitches that were balls and he kept swing at them. Venable is still an easy out low and inside with two strikes.

    I don’t know if Bud or Balsley want to tell their hitters how their pitchers get batters out, but Bud should at least try the late Dick Williams’ method of urging his hitters to be aggressive early in the count and try to make solid contact. Instead of “work the count”, the mantra should be “put the ball in play”.