Scott Coolbaugh

[tntoriole]

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that you can pretty much get Jones, Schoop, Trumbo, and Machado out with sliders in the dirt. Exchanging Scott Coolbaugh for Ted Williams' frozen head attached to Scott Coolbaugh isn't going to change the approach of these players.

We need to get a better mix of players. We could really use a Kim equivalent in right field, but with a better glove.

Except for the 250 times when they hit it out of the ballpark. Those pitchers must have not gotten the expert advice, since it is so easy to get these guys out.

I do agree that running hitting coaches down and out is like changing the dress code when an organization has other issues. This same thread occurred about Terry Crowley for years. It is the GM's responsibility to acquire and grow the structure of the team. Hitting coaches are superficial compared to that.

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[eddie83]

Of course coaches matter, otherwise teams would not employ them. That said if they made that much of a difference their pay would be much higher.

[weams]

I've always thought Millar would make a good hitting coach. Plus be fun to have around.

Cheat on the fastball. Bend at the knees.

[DrungoHazewood]

His interest waned as the season progressed.

Bonds: It's simple, guys. Wait for a pitch on the inner half about thigh-high. Don't swing unless you get it. When you do, just hit it 525'. Otherwise take your 175 walks a year.

Marlins hitters: It doesn't work that way.

Bonds: I tried, didn't work, outta here bros.

[DrungoHazewood]

Except for the 250 times when they hit it out of the ballpark. Those pitchers must have not gotten the expert advice, since it is so easy to get these guys out.

I do agree that running hitting coaches down and out is like changing the dress code when an organization has other issues. This same thread occurred about Terry Crowley for years. It is the GM's responsibility to acquire and grow the structure of the team. Hitting coaches are superficial compared to that.

It's a common misconception that hitters like the Orioles only hit mistakes, and only mediocre pitchers make mistakes. The Orioles beat a lot of good pitchers this year.

[atomic]

You must not have been following baseball back when Belle was an active player. He doesn't have the disposition to be a coach or even a well-liked teammate. I can't imagine him having the interpersonal insight and social skills required to teach or guide a struggling hitter.

I was joking. People seem to think if a player has success hitting he is going to be a good hitting coach. But it doesn't work like that.

[Here!]

You could bring in Ted Williams but nothing would change until the individual batters were convinced that they needed to reconsider their approach at the plate. Buck, not a hitting coach, is the one that has to deliver that message and back it up with consequences if the individual refuses to change.

[sportsfan8703]

I like the idea of Jim Thome. Also seemed like a buck guy.

[PaulFolk]

Some/many of these players are not going to listen to anybody. Self-confidence is the hallmark of a professional athlete and they are often convinced that only they know best. They have a lot on the line and sometimes coaches are just white noise. In many cases, the only way that a hitting coach's methods are going to be adopted is if he is backed up by the head coach. If AJ found that swinging at pitches in the dirt caused him to bat in the #8 spot, perhaps he would reconsider his approach. He was a terrible leadoff hitter this year but never paid the price, at least not publicly. If Buck did speak to him about it, it had zero impact. Frankly, I think that Buck treats AJ with too much deference and the rest of the team sees that. This undermines the entire coaching staff.

You seem to think that pitch recognition and plate discipline is a simple skill that absolutely anyone can learn if they just tried harder.

It's not that easy. Certain players are inherently better or worse at pitch recognition than others, just as certain players are inherently better at hitting home runs, or fielding, or running the bases, etc.

Do you really think hitters want to swing at pitches in the dirt, and that they're purposely ignoring Coolbaugh's advice to stop chasing bad pitches? It's just not a skill they're good at, and I don't think it's because of subpar coaching or players being arrogant. You might as well ask why the O's don't coach up Paul Janish to hit more home runs, or Matt Wieters to steal more bases.

[Bradysburns]

I actually wonder if Davis's problem isn't a lack of discipline... It's him trying TOO hard to be disciplined at the plate. He has more walks, but also more strikeouts. In other words, he's not going with what the pitcher gives him, and going opposite field. When he's going opposite field... he is flat-out dangerous. When he's either watching the ball go by or swinging for the fences, that's when he loses his effectiveness and becomes a streaky, predictable pull hitter.

My point being, it comes back to the players over the coaches in terms of hitting. A player's basic nature is not changeable. He can tweak and adjust, but he can't change his fundamental approach at the plate. So the key is in the acquisition of players, like Kim, who have better discipline and a better batting eye... and who are willing to take what pitchers give them.

[DrungoHazewood]

You seem to think that pitch recognition and plate discipline is a simple skill that absolutely anyone can learn if they just tried harder.

To be fair, many people have difficulty translating their experiences to the context of the absolute far right end of the baseball talent distribution curve. We've had hundreds of threads debunking myths like this over the years, and we'll have a lot more in the future.

[atomic]

You seem to think that pitch recognition and plate discipline is a simple skill that absolutely anyone can learn if they just tried harder.

It's not that easy. Certain players are inherently better or worse at pitch recognition than others, just as certain players are inherently better at hitting home runs, or fielding, or running the bases, etc.

Do you really think hitters want to swing at pitches in the dirt, and that they're purposely ignoring Coolbaugh's advice to stop chasing bad pitches? It's just not a skill they're good at, and I don't think it's because of subpar coaching or players being arrogant. You might as well ask why the O's don't coach up Paul Janish to hit more home runs, or Matt Wieters to steal more bases.

I think Adam Jones is hitting the best he can. My problem is more the guys who have extreme shifts against them who also don't change their technique with 2 strikes. Instead of swinging for the fences with a 2 strike country trying to put the ball in play and perhaps hitting the ball the other way might get you a hit instead of a strike-out.

[Redskins Rick]

Remember how Scotty fixed Miley?

Try less!

If you think too much, you are not going to succeed.