Chris Davis and Vision Issues

[pastorfan]

Forgive me if I missed a conversation on this, but the Fox broadcasters mentioned Davis taking so many called strike threes, and they said that he said something like, "he was having trouble seeing the ball." This is alarming. You can't fix that with batting practice and it very well could explain why he takes fastballs right down the middle for strike three. I mean, If I were Buck I would tell him to gear up and be ready to swing with two strikes as if it were a 3-1 pitch. But if he can't see, then he can't see.

[esmd]

I don't think they were alluding to any vision problem.  You hear players use the phrase, "I'm seeing the ball really well right now," or the opposite, as Davis apprarently said.  It's referring not to a medical vision problem, but just how quickly the batter is picking up the ball from the pitchers hand, seeing the spin of the ball, etc.  You hear guys on a hot streak say that the ball seems as big as a beach ball, that's because they're seeing the ball well.  Davis has just been in a terrible slump, I don't think he has any kind of medical issue with his vision.

[Sanfran327]

Maybe he should get some of Brian Roberts' old contact lenses that helped him pick up the seams on the ball. They were probably illegal, but hey, so is Adderall. 

[pastorfan]

2 minutes ago, esmd said:

I don't think they were alluding to any vision problem.  You hear players use the phrase, "I'm seeing the ball really well right now," or the opposite, as Davis apprarently said.  It's referring not to a medical vision problem, but just how quickly the batter is picking up the ball from the pitchers hand, seeing the spin of the ball, etc.  You hear guys on a hot streak say that the ball seems as big as a beach ball, that's because they're seeing the ball well.  Davis has just been in a terrible slump, I don't think he has any kind of medical issue with his vision.

Ok, I know exactly what you are talking about and that is not what I thought he was saying. I know at times hitters say it looks like a beach ball and other times they aren't "seeing it well." I thought he was alluding to something more. It must be a mental issue then, like the "Sax" syndrome or something, because dude takes third strikes at an amazing clip. I mean by now certainly a coach would say to him, "you are swinging no matter what." I've watched baseball regularly for almost 40 years and I do not ever recall such a pattern with an established hitter.

[Frobby]

6 minutes ago, pastorfan said:

Ok, I know exactly what you are talking about and that is not what I thought he was saying. I know at times hitters say it looks like a beach ball and other times they aren't "seeing it well." I thought he was alluding to something more. It must be a mental issue then, like the "Sax" syndrome or something, because dude takes third strikes at an amazing clip. I mean by now certainly a coach would say to him, "you are swinging no matter what." I've watched baseball regularly for almost 40 years and I do not ever recall such a pattern with an established hitter.

That's because there's never been a hitter who took strike three as often as Davis has been doing it this year.     Never in the history of the game, or even close.    

[pastorfan]

3 minutes ago, Frobby said:

That's because there's never been a hitter who took strike three as often as Davis has been doing it this year.     Never in the history of the game, or even close.    

Then there has to be some sort of mental phenomenon going on. Again, how hard is it to just decide that you are going to swing and let it rip. Certainly Buck or Scott has suggested this to him. 

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, pastorfan said:

Then there has to be some sort of mental phenomenon going on. Again, how hard is it to just decide that you are going to swing and let it rip. Certainly Buck or Scott has suggested this to him. 

If only he had access to something to help him focus...

[weams]

21 minutes ago, pastorfan said:

Then there has to be some sort of mental phenomenon going on. Again, how hard is it to just decide that you are going to swing and let it rip. Certainly Buck or Scott has suggested this to him. 

Do you think that they ever suggested anything to Steve Sax or Rick Ankiel?

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, weams said:

Do you think that they ever suggested anything to Steve Sax or Rick Ankiel?

Or Pedro or Lester?

[OFFNY]

41 minutes ago, weams said:

 

Do you think that they ever suggested anything to Steve Sax or Rick Ankiel?

 

o

 

Fortunately, both of those players were bale to overcome their problems.

Sax did it with practice, and Ankiel did it by becoming dropping his role as a pitcher to become a position player. In fact, 6 years after he started having the routine throwing issues, Sax led the American League in both fielding percentage and double plays.

 

Mackey Sasser also had a similar problem when he caught for the Mets. Shortly after a collision with another player on a play at home plate, he couldn't throw the ball back to the pitcher without pump-faking his arm about 3 or 4 times. Fortunately for him, Sasser was eventually able to resolve his issue.

 

o

[Frobby]

When Davis has his PED suspension, his explanation for why he'd done it was he was having trouble focusing on the ball.     https://www.google.com/amp/www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/why-did-davis-do-it-thanks-to-condition-ball-began-to-look-like-blur/amp/.      It does make you wonder if there's something going on with his medication now.

[mdbdotcom]

7 minutes ago, Frobby said:

When Davis has his PED suspension, his explanation for why he'd done it was he was having trouble focusing on the ball.     https://www.google.com/amp/www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/why-did-davis-do-it-thanks-to-condition-ball-began-to-look-like-blur/amp/.      It does make you wonder if there's something going on with his medication now.

I've been wondering that exact thing. He sometimes looks like he's blissed out as he watches strike 3 go by.

[Can_of_corn]

8 minutes ago, Frobby said:

When Davis has his PED suspension, his explanation for why he'd done it was he was having trouble focusing on the ball.     https://www.google.com/amp/www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/why-did-davis-do-it-thanks-to-condition-ball-began-to-look-like-blur/amp/.      It does make you wonder if there's something going on with his medication now.

 

Just now, mdbdotcom said:

I've been wondering that exact thing. He sometimes looks like he's blissed out as he watches strike 3 go by.

The idea that Davis has stopped taking his medication is an intriguing one.

If he has, and I am MLB, I don't issue him a TUE going forward.

[mdbdotcom]

Just now, Can_of_corn said:

 

The idea that Davis has stopped taking his medication is an intriguing one.

If he has, and I am MLB, I don't issue him a TUE going forward.

I'm not suggesting that he's stopped. I wonder if he is over-medicated.

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, mdbdotcom said:

I'm not suggesting that he's stopped. I wonder if he is over-medicated.

Didn't say you did.  I was just taking what you two said and throwing out a theory.

He did stop once before correct?  When it was Adderall?