One and done for Coolbaugh?

[Il BuonO]

You need to swing at strikes. I really don't mind swings early in the count, but not at pitches that aren't strikes or that are in the pitcher's location.

More than that, hitters have to look for their pitch early in counts not just strikes. They should be looking for pitches they can square up.

[Frobby]

More than that, hitters have to look for their pitch early in counts not just strikes. They should be looking for pitches they can square up.

There are three teams ahead of us in homers. They are ahead of us in walks by 132, 127, and 77. In my opinion the O's hit a lot of homers in spite of their lack of patience, not because of it.

[Il BuonO]

There are three teams ahead of us in homers. They are ahead of us in walks by 132, 127, and 77. In my opinion the O's hit a lot of homers in spite of their lack of patience, not because of it.

Oh, I agree. Unlike some here, though, I don't believe power is diminished by having a better approach.

[tntoriole]

Nice outing by TJ...better fastball tonight.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[spiritof66]

Coolbaugh is supposed to be helping our hitters, or some of them, be more productive. Has he had a positive effect on anyone on this team? The only possibilities that occur to me are Joseph, Davis and Schoop.

I don't know the answer, but I think it's worth asking the question.

[Can_of_corn]

Coolbaugh is supposed to be helping our hitters, or some of them, be more productive. Has he had a positive effect on anyone on this team? The only possibilities that occur to me are Joseph, Davis and Schoop.

I don't know the answer, but I think it's worth asking the question.

Machado.

[sportsfan8703]

More than that, hitters have to look for their pitch early in counts not just strikes. They should be looking for pitches they can square up.

Exactly, they shouldn't be looking for first pitch breaking balls away. Why look for a pitch that at best you hit it to the opposite side of the IF. I thought players we're supposed to shrink the strikezone and look for a particular pitch until they got to two strikes or at least behind in the count. If the opposing pitcher drops in a breaking ball or paints the black with a FB you just have to tip your cap. Not hit it to an infielder.

Giambi might be a good guy to bring in.

[weams]

What does this mean?

Hitters hit fat fastballs (middle/middle) and mistakes (hanging changeups, splits, and changeups) for home runs, for the most part. I doubt that Cal Ripken was much different than most hitters.

Cal rarely swung at a first pitch.

[weams]

Exactly, they shouldn't be looking for first pitch breaking balls away. Why look for a pitch that at best you hit it to the opposite side of the IF. I thought players we're supposed to shrink the strikezone and look for a particular pitch until they got to two strikes or at least behind in the count. If the opposing pitcher drops in a breaking ball or paints the black with a FB you just have to tip your cap. Not hit it to an infielder.

Giambi might be a good guy to bring in.

The strike zone has gotten bigger. Hitters are unable to shrink it.

[weams]

Exactly, they shouldn't be looking for first pitch breaking balls away. Why look for a pitch that at best you hit it to the opposite side of the IF. I thought players we're supposed to shrink the strikezone and look for a particular pitch until they got to two strikes or at least behind in the count.

That was a theory during the PED era of enhanced offense and walks.

[DrungoHazewood]

Cal rarely swung at a first pitch.

I'd love to see the numbers. I bet he swung at quite a few first pitches in '99, when he walked 13 times in 86 games but hit .340.

[DrungoHazewood]

A quick glance of Baseball Reference splits on balls in play according to count, show Weams to be horribly wrong on this one. Ripken, in his career, put the ball in play on the first pitch more than any other count.

Cal Ripken had 11,551 career AB's. He put the ball in play 994 times. That's 8.6%. That doesn't even count the times he swing and missed or fouled a pitch off.

By comparison, J.J. Hardy has 5072 career AB's and has put the ball in play 216 times on the first pitch. That's 4%.

Adam Jones has 4682 career AB's. He's put the ball in play on the first pitch 644 times. That's 13.7%.

Miguel Cabrera

Where can I find first pitch swing percentage?

Not entirely sure, and for seasons earlier than maybe 10 or 15 years ago it's probably not even recorded. That's the thing a lot of folks miss when looking at splits by count - they're almost always results when that count was put in play, not when you tried and failed to put that ball in play. So the 3-2 results are a mix of things, that include stuff like a foul on 3-0, and a foul on 3-1. And since most non-Vlad batters only swing on 0-0 when it's a meatball, you'll see people argue that everyone should swing at the first pitch since the OPS on first pitches put into play is ridiculously high.