2016 second half offensive struggle

[Ori-Al]

What can Buck and our hitting coach do to prevent a recurrence, let alone the offense starting this season like they played after last year's All-Star break? Quite a few hitters, led by Manny and Jonathan, became less selective at the plate (in some cases, much less selective), leading the teams' run-scoring to decrease. Averages and on-base percentages tumbled. Why they changed their approaches is a mystery. They still hit some home runs, because that's what they do. In my opinion, the decreased offense was the main reason the team finished as a wildcard, rather than the division winner (also the main reason they lost the wildcard game.)

To name a few, Jonathan went from a .300 hitter before the break to someone lost at the plate until the last week or so of the season. Manny stopped accepting walks, and swung at more non-strikes.  Trumbo hit quite a bit worse after the break.I, like my fellow Orioles fans, am hoping for improved starting pitching this year, but even improved pitching requires run support to win consistently. Our first half 2016 offense would likely be sufficient, but I don't think our second half offense would be enough.

[weams]

7 minutes ago, Ori-Al said:

What can Buck and our hitting coach do to prevent a recurrence, let alone the offense starting this season like they played after last year's All-Star break?

Guys get hot. Then Not. And hurt. And then they face better pitchers as the race tightens up. With more mega relievers. So. I think it is not something Buck or any coaches can really do much with. 

[Can_of_corn]

They changed assistant hitting coaches.  What more could you want?

[Frobby]

I'm not sure there's much that can be done.    Hypnosis?

[weams]

32 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I'm not sure there's much that can be done.    Hypnosis?

Aromatherapy. Or Pilates. Yes. 

[pwhite]

Don't play Schoop every single day. I love Buck, but I think his biggest fault is not giving the position players enough rest.

[brianod]

Pretty simple answer is to improve the back end of the team so they don't have to play as much.  Tough to do given our salary restrictions but DD seems to have a strength when it comes to doing that.

[crissfan172]

1 hour ago, pwhite said:

Don't play Schoop every single day. I love Buck, but I think his biggest fault is not giving the position players enough rest.

I don't know if their struggles at the end of the season were necessarily due to fatigue, but I tend to believe that it is a factor, and I completely agree that Buck should rest his guys more. 

[AnythingO's]

Remind them to pass the baton

[terps19]

17 hours ago, crissfan172 said:

I don't know if their struggles at the end of the season were necessarily due to fatigue, but I tend to believe that it is a factor, and I completely agree that Buck should rest his guys more. 

It is very much so a factor.  Playing baseball is more taxing than you might think.  Take into consideration they dont leave the ballpark most nights until 11 pm, get home by 11:30 pm, and then have to be back at the park around 2-3 pm.  Take hitting, fielding, etc.  Then play.  Wash, rinse, repeat.  

So yeah you could sleep until noon every day too, but these guys have families and I am sure most get up by 7 am to see their kids off to school, or so that they are able to spend the mornings with their families.  

Extrapolate that out to a 162 game season and there it is.  I only play baseball during the summer months 2 games a week, and one of those games I catch.  And let me tell you the next day I am pretty beat and wouldnt want do go catch a game that night.  Although I am not a professional athlete... 

[Number5]

 

It is very much so a factor.  Playing baseball is more taxing than you might think.  Take into consideration they dont leave the ballpark most nights until 11 pm, get home by 11:30 pm, and then have to be back at the park around 2-3 pm.  Take hitting, fielding, etc.  Then play.  Wash, rinse, repeat.  

So yeah you could sleep until noon every day too, but these guys have families and I am sure most get up by 7 am to see their kids off to school, or so that they are able to spend the mornings with their families.  

Extrapolate that out to a 162 game season and there it is.  I only play baseball during the summer months 2 games a week, and one of those games I catch.  And let me tell you the next day I am pretty beat and wouldnt want do go catch a game that night.  Although I am not a professional athlete... 

And how, exactly, does this change if a player sits on the bench the whole game rather than playing?  The hours, the warm-ups, the bp, the travel, etc. - all of it remains the same whether you bench a guy for a game to give him "rest" or not.  Catching and pitching are clearly specialized positions where sitting out games is necessary and does help, and those players at those two positions are indeed given that needed rest by Buck.  It doesn't matter nearly so much, if at all, at all of the other positions, IMO.  It isn't like these guys are really given the day off and get to stay home.  Now, if they have tweaked something, then sure, sit them out to give it a chance to heal.  Do you think that's not being done?

[terps19]

 

And how, exactly, does this change if a player sits on the bench the whole game rather than playing?  The hours, the warm-ups, the bp, the travel, etc. - all of it remains the same whether you bench a guy for a game to give him "rest" or not.  Catching and pitching are clearly specialized positions where sitting out games is necessary and does help, and those players at those two positions are indeed given that needed rest by Buck.  It doesn't matter nearly so much, if at all, at all of the other positions, IMO.  It isn't like these guys are really given the day off and get to stay home.  Now, if they have tweaked something, then sure, sit them out to give it a chance to heal.  Do you think that's not being done?

Just not being on your feet, running, in the "ready position" etc all take a bit more effort than just sitting on the bench.  You run a guy out there 160 games in a 162 game season, they get tired.  You run a guy out there 140 games they have less said wear and tare... thats just my opinion.  And Jones had some things tweaked, and he didnt sit out all that much.  Davis had his thumbed messed up and he didnt sit out.  This is just my experience from playing and I think some of it is relevant.    

[pastorfan]

 

Guys get hot. Then Not. And hurt. And then they face better pitchers as the race tightens up. With more mega relievers. So. I think it is not something Buck or any coaches can really do much with. 

Trumbo is always a first half guy. I don't know that the pitchers are any better in August than in June. Obviously the O's weren't very worried about this, bc they did little to address it. 

[weams]

 

Trumbo is always a first half guy. I don't know that the pitchers are any better in August than in June. Obviously the O's weren't very worried about this, bc they did little to address it. 

Oh. Ok. I guess it was predictable then. Maybe they should trade for some second half guys when the market tanks on them. Or just trade for Josh Hamilton. He's well rested. 

[Number5]

 

Trumbo is always a first half guy. I don't know that the pitchers are any better in August than in June. Obviously the O's weren't very worried about this, bc they did little to address it. 

Except when he's not.  Check out 2015.