Matt Wieters WAR Is Officially 0.0

[oriolesmagic9]

His swing looks noticeably loopy to me lately. Not very level, extra unneeded motion, and almost impossible to square up on the ball. I'm not surprised whenever he gets on top of a ball and puts it right to second, because his swing looks like it's designed to do that.

He may not need a lighter bat, but he sure does need to figure out how to shorten his swing. He looked his best at the plate when his swing was compact, now its almost a windmill.

Shorten his swing.....much better way of putting it.

[wompfump]

He's having a bad year offensively. Deal with it. All players have slumps, and all players have bad years (relative to them). He's fine. I do think they should switch the order around a bit. I don't like him hitting behind Davis.

[Prayin4Reign]

When Matt gets hot he can get going pretty good. He's struggling at the plate now but the guy means so much to this team. I think as the season progresses we'll see at least a couple of good stretches from him and he'll probably wind up around .240-.245 with over 20 homers and 80 plus RBI...and that's fine!

[Bradysburns]

This off season Matt needs to be signed to a 5 year contract with an option year. He is a key part of the team. His hitting is what it is. Take his three year average and pay him accordingly. He is too valuable to lose.

This pretty much sums it up for me. I think they should sign him - and taking his 3-year average numbers makes sense. Thing for me is, he hasn't earned that "back up the truck" money that I once believed was his birthright. So... I have a feeling the negotiations will become very interesting between Matt's people and the Warehouse. I would not be terribly shocked to see him get a higher dollar offer elsewhere.

[anrynike]

I would just once like to see him run out a ground ball.

[Catch 8]

Shorten his swing.....much better way of putting it.

His swing is as long as the B&O Warehouse and he has a slow bat. I'm impressed that he hits as well as he does.

[Going Underground]

When Matt gets hot he can get going pretty good. He's struggling at the plate now but the guy means so much to this team. I think as the season progresses we'll see at least a couple of good stretches from him and he'll probably wind up around .240-.245 with over 20 homers and 80 plus RBI...and that's fine!

He is close to last years stats. In the 83rd game in 2012, he had 12 homers,44 RBI's and 14 doubles. He has more doubles and a few less RBI's and homers. He also was batting .239 September 1st of last year. He should come in around the same stats. He only hit one more homer and had 5 RBI's for the rest of the month of July last year.

[foxfield]

I would just once like to see him run out a ground ball.

That is Matt running. He once hit a ball so hard off the green monster that the ball bounced back into the infield. He was out at first by a full step.

:smile11:

[DrungoHazewood]

That is Matt running. He once hit a ball so hard off the green monster that the ball bounced back into the infield. He was out at first by a full step.

:smile11:

He's faster than Ernie Lombardi, who really once was thrown out at first after hitting a rocket off the left field wall.

[glenn__davis]

He's faster than Ernie Lombardi, who really once was thrown out at first after hitting a rocket off the left field wall.

I don't like to doubt you Drungo, but I can't believe this actually happened, unless he fell coming out of the batter's box or something.

[foxfield]

Not sure about Drungo's statement, but Bill James once said, that Ernie Lombardi "was the slowest man to ever play major league baseball well."

He was of course.....a catcher.

[Can_of_corn]

I don't like to doubt you Drungo, but I can't believe this actually happened, unless he fell coming out of the batter's box or something.

The opposing infielders played on the grass when he was at bat. That is both a testament to how hard he hit the ball and how slow he ran.

[glenn__davis]

The opposing infielders played on the grass when he was at bat. That is both a testament to how hard he hit the ball and how slow he ran.

I don't doubt that he was extraordinarily slow.

I doubt that any professional athlete could hit a ball off of the left field fence and be thrown out at first base. The physics and timing just seems impossible.

[Can_of_corn]

I don't doubt that he was extraordinarily slow.

I doubt that any professional athlete could hit a ball off of the left field fence and be thrown out at first base. The physics and timing just seems impossible.

Not sure you caught both pieces of what I said. Not only was he historically slow, he was a very fearsome batter. His career BA was 306, he won a pair of batting titles. He used to hit absolute rockets.

So not only was he slow, and right handed, but the ball got to the wall very quickly.

Of course it is also possible that Ernie wasn't "running" full out.

[glenn__davis]

Not sure you caught both pieces of what I said. Not only was he historically slow, he was a very fearsome batter. His career BA was 306, he won a pair of batting titles. He used to hit absolute rockets.

So not only was he slow, and right handed, but the ball got to the wall very quickly.

Of course it is also possible that Ernie wasn't "running" full out.

No, I got your point.

Do you think he hit the ball with any more velocity than some major league hitters today? Is there a single major league player today that you can imagine coming at all close to being thrown out at first on a ball hit to the wall?

Even if a Molina brother hit a rocket off the green monster with Jeff Franceour playing left, the play would not even be close.