Matt Wieters needs to be benched for a few days

[Lucky Jim]

That was kinda tiring and only slightly entertaining.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.

Right? I've been watching The Killing, so I'm an expert on that combination.

[OFFNY]

That was kinda tiring, and only slightly entertaining.

You actually read all that **** ??? :eektf:

[OFFNY]

So, Wieters appears to be heating up.

Good post !!! :clap3:

[MrOrange82]

Right? I've been watching The Killing, so I'm an expert on that combination.

I'll admit...drawing The Killing comparisons stings a bit.

I gave up on that show after the intentional "big reveal" fail at the end of season one.

[Flash- bd]

You actually read all that **** ??? :eektf:

Hahah!

We tried. It was all really a rather elaborately conceived plot to educate the kids out there on the dangers of internet message board feuds, right, AgentOrange??

[MrOrange82]

Hahah!

We tried. It was all really a rather elaborately conceived plot to educate the kids out there on the dangers of internet message board feuds, right, AgentOrange??

Jesus...I spend thousands of words illustrating the psychologically deleterious effects of prolonged exposure to sock puppets, and internet feuding is your takeaway?

Figures.

[Dipper9]

You actually read all that **** ??? :eektf:

I know, right!

Good post !!! :clap3:

I agree. Matt is definitely hot! (Bob, that's for you to send to the OOCT)

[weams]

Jesus...I spend thousands of words illustrating the psychologically deleterious effects of prolonged exposure to sock puppets, and internet feuding is your takeaway?

Figures.

He was fighting with Lucas and we did not even know it. Ok. Mr.

[Frobby]

I don't believe Wieters' slumps are tied to overuse. Players slump, and it's part of the game. Wieters has been a better second-half hitter than first-half hitter and you'd expect that pattern to be the opposite if overuse were the issue.

[24fps]

I've noticed that trolls have slumps as well. Their pattern seem to be inversely connected to how consistently the Orioles are winning.

[Lucky Jim]

I don't believe Wieters' slumps are tied to overuse. Players slump, and it's part of the game. Wieters has been a better second-half hitter than first-half hitter and you'd expect that pattern to be the opposite if overuse were the issue.

Some slumps may be the result of fatigue, some may not. Fatigue may strike in distinctly punctuated ways for Matt. The fact is, the last two years, Buck has played Matt more (with fewer days off) at the beginning of the year. If, in fact, Matt is getting more days off in the second half of the year, then his upswing would be correlated with days off, undoing your conclusion.

I don't think any of it is that easy, obviously. I do think that Matt was looking remarkably fatigued - mentally and physically, and it showed in tiny mistakes all over the field, as well as at the plate. My visual impression, however, is not proof. That said, it wouldn't kill us to give him a few more days off.

[Frobby]

Some slumps may be the result of fatigue, some may not. Fatigue may strike in distinctly punctuated ways for Matt. The fact is, the last two years, Buck has played Matt more (with fewer days off) at the beginning of the year. If, in fact, Matt is getting more days off in the second half of the year, then his upswing would be correlated with days off, undoing your conclusion.

I don't think any of it is that easy, obviously. I do think that Matt was looking remarkably fatigued - mentally and physically, and it showed in tiny mistakes all over the field, as well as at the plate. My visual impression, however, is not proof. That said, it wouldn't kill us to give him a few more days off.

I wonder if he'd be getting more time off if Teagarden were healthy. I don't think Buck has much faith in Paulino, and Exposito couldn't hit.

[DrungoHazewood]

Some slumps may be the result of fatigue, some may not. Fatigue may strike in distinctly punctuated ways for Matt. The fact is, the last two years, Buck has played Matt more (with fewer days off) at the beginning of the year. If, in fact, Matt is getting more days off in the second half of the year, then his upswing would be correlated with days off, undoing your conclusion.

I don't think any of it is that easy, obviously. I do think that Matt was looking remarkably fatigued - mentally and physically, and it showed in tiny mistakes all over the field, as well as at the plate. My visual impression, however, is not proof. That said, it wouldn't kill us to give him a few more days off.

I have to think there's some cause-and-effect to minor dings and nicks from catching. He might not be fatigued, as in just draggin' himself around, but there's probably a combined effect of bruises and sprains and soreness from catching that sometimes combines to throw him off enough physically to make hitting more of a challenge.

But that's just catching, it's part of the job description.

[Lucky Jim]

I have to think there's some cause-and-effect to minor dings and nicks from catching. He might not be fatigued, as in just draggin' himself around, but there's probably a combined effect of bruises and sprains and soreness from catching that sometimes combines to throw him off enough physically to make hitting more of a challenge.

But that's just catching, it's part of the job description.

Yep. Heck, I'm not sure mental fatigue isn't a lot of it. And there's no real way to train for that. If Matt's pitch-recognition suffers when he gets mentally fatigued, then it would make sense that slumps would result. (My experience with mental exhaustion clearly makes me lean toward assuming it does.)

A lot of times we think of fatigue as simply bodily, but Matt was handling a relatively volatile staff that (while pitching well) was also (i) new to him (Hammel and Chen), (ii) inconsistent (Arrieta, Matusz, Hunter) and (iii) involved fragile/marginal guys (Matusz, Hunter) all the while playing the first relatively high-leverage games the O's have played in a long time and which included an inordinate number of close and extra-inning games.

If he's as analytical and detail-oriented as Buck makes him out to be, I would have to think mental fatigue is a real issue, too. Hate to say "give Matt some mental health days," but maybe we should give Matt some mental health days.

This would be another aspect of catching that wouldn't be universally applicable, I guess. Also - to be clear, I don't view this as an excuse. Just something to take into account.

[RShack]

No one is going to establish causality on this message board. There's no way to do it.

We're left w/ three likely possibilities:

1. He's slumping because he's inconsistent.

2. He's slumping because he's tired.

3. He's slumping because he's not very good.

I believe there is a 4th very likely possibility: he's a baseball player, slumps happen...

ps: I can't believe I read this whole thread... it's main value to me is as a reminder of the things I don't miss one bit... benching somebody for a slump... heh-heh ;-)