Don't Expect Any Power From Hardy Standing 2 Feet Off The Plate

[section18]

How much longer before the hitting coach or Buck says move closer to the plate JJ? You have 0 HR's and basically no power. When he swings he can't reach the center of the plate. So how do you pitch him? Away, away, away! Did I miss him getting hit by a pitch and injured? Is that why he stands so far away from the plate? Save your money DD.

[section18]

Interesting it appears 100 of the JJ fan club are the only ones who read this post. He is not helping us at the plate. No comments? Lough continues to strand runners as well and kill us at the plate. Great catch in LF to save a HR. DP with the based loaded that ruined an inning with no runs scoring with o outs. Back to Hardy. Why is he batting so far off the plate? We talked about this last season for weeks on here and it appeared he moved up a few inches and it helped a little bit. How much longer until he moves closer to the plate?

[Dipper9]

With each passing day, he is working himself from a $15 million per year slugger into a $4 million slap hitter.

[pollaxt]

As someone who has been historically a pull power hitter, I never understood why Hardy didn't stand closer to the plate, a la Jose Bautista.

[DrungoHazewood]

How much longer before the hitting coach or Buck says move closer to the plate JJ? You have 0 HR's and basically no power. When he swings he can't reach the center of the plate. So how do you pitch him? Away, away, away! Did I miss him getting hit by a pitch and injured? Is that why he stands so far away from the plate? Save your money DD.

Maybe you could post some photographs or even better GIFs of JJ from the last several years when he showed 20+ homer power, and today. Then compare and contrast the differences that have led to the power drought.

[webbrick2010]

I've never understood why players don't move around in the batters box.

Different pitchers have different stuff, strengths, weaknesses, tendencies.

Different counts / game situations create different tendencies.

I think I'd be moving all over the place.

I guess it must be difficult for some reason.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Maybe they want him to hit more up the middle and or to RF. A common method to get guys going who are struggling and trying to pull the ball to much. Plus Hardy likes to extend his arms. He's 9 for his last 19. He had been turning over and/or popping up balls like crazy for awhile earlier in the year. i'm sure the hitting coach is working with him. He's no where in the neighborhood of Lough at this point. His 80 OPS+ is actually about the same as 2012 when he 22 home runs. I'm sure the home runs will come. Maybe it'll only be a 12-15 hr year for him. His defense has been solid as always.

But yeah, maybe a 13 mil per year extension for him isn't such a great idea after all. That said,Hardy seems to be the least of our worries at the moment. if anything, it looks like he may be getting on track offensively.

[Can_of_corn]

Maybe you could post some photographs or even better GIFs of JJ from the last several years when he showed 20+ homer power, and today. Then compare and contrast the differences that have led to the power drought.

That sounds like work.

Easier just to make declarations.

[DrungoHazewood]

I've never understood why players don't move around in the batters box.

Different pitchers have different stuff, strengths, weaknesses, tendencies.

Different counts / game situations create different tendencies.

I think I'd be moving all over the place.

I guess it must be difficult for some reason.

I'm assuming it's tremendously difficult to successfully face the best pitchers in the world while using constantly changing approaches. You'd be constantly relearning a lot of basic stuff like hand placement and stride and swing mechanics.

Cal Ripken famously changed stances three times a week and he was pretty inconsistent year-to-year. One year he'd fire off a .950 OPS, another year a .718. Maybe if he'd kept things simple, consistent, and straightforward there wouldn't have been so many ups and downs.

I always wondered why more pitchers didn't vary their arm angles all the time. Throw straight over the top, then drop down sidearm, then 3/4, then submarine. It's probably because I'm an idiot when it comes to high-level pitching mechanics.

[Can_of_corn]

I'm assuming it's tremendously difficult to successfully face the best pitchers in the world while using constantly changing approaches. You'd be constantly relearning a lot of basic stuff like hand placement and stride and swing mechanics.

Cal Ripken famously changed stances three times a week and he was pretty inconsistent year-to-year. One year he'd fire off a .950 OPS, another year a .718. Maybe if he'd kept things simple, consistent, and straightforward there wouldn't have been so many ups and downs.

I always wondered why more pitchers didn't vary their arm angles all the time. Throw straight over the top, then drop down sidearm, then 3/4, then submarine. It's probably because I'm an idiot when it comes to high-level pitching mechanics.

If I recall correctly Murray had five stances, two that he would use from one side of the plate and three from the other.

[mdbdotcom]

Hardy hits like a guy recovering from a neck injury.

[Bazooka Jones]

I've always questioned why he stands so far from the plate. It's been showing a lot more lately with his short swing attempts to balls catching the outside of the plate. I think teams are highly aware of pitching him more away.

[MDK02]

Hardy hits like a guy recovering from a neck injury.

So are you saying he hits like Nolan Reimold?

[EagleOriole]

JJ Hardy is a veteran with a history of hitting home runs. His manager is elite. His hitting coach has coached a lot of power hitters. I think they can handle their job. He is underperforming this year. It will turn around.

[Can_of_corn]

So are you saying he hits like Nolan Reimold?

Except Nolan knows how to take a walk.