Meoli: Orioles’ D-III draftee Toby Welk, Juco hitting coach Tom Eller showing ‘opportunities are in unusual places’

[Tony-OH]

I think this excellent article should be read by all as it's more than just about the interesting strides that Toby Welk has made, but the technologies and teachings that are now available to Orioles minor leaguers.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-aberdeen-toby-welk-tom-eller-hitting-20190821-cndmryznjrdc7h5knufjnbxppm-story.html

[tntoriole]

Great article...I assume this new technology is all new since the new regime? 

[canonfaz]

Awesome article. It will be interesting to see where Eller will be coaching next year. Makes me very hopeful for the future of our position players.

[Frobby]

Apparently I’ve reached my limit of free articles for the month.   

[MCO'sFan]

Very happy for Tom... he is a good dude! Took some crap from folks for his beliefs.

[MCO'sFan]

2 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Apparently I’ve reached my limit of free articles for the month.   

Here is a brief part of the technology description. I think I am allowed to post part of the article.

Players wear K-Vests from K-Motion, which features motion sensors that track body movement in the pelvis, torso, arm and hand, providing real-time data in the cages.

“It allows us to be more efficient in practice. It cuts to the chase,” Eller said. “It’s not like, ‘Oh I think I see this, I think I see that, I think you’re doing this.’ We have high-speed video. We have motion-sensors. We have 4D motion sensors that are on the body. We know what’s going on, and we know what’s effective and what’s not effective. I think it’s just going to allow the players to develop faster, honestly. It’s going to be great for the hitters.”

 

[Greg Pappas]

5 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Apparently I’ve reached my limit of free articles for the month.   

Quote

For Welk, getting drafted also provided a quick reality check. He reported to Aberdeen confident it was still the same game, and one he’d succeeded at all his life. But the first workout showed him he was in for a big jump in competition.

Early on, his work on the hitting machine with minor league hitting coordinator Jeff Manto and his first live at-bats made him realize he was going to have to adjust to a much higher velocity than he’d seen on a regular basis.

“That was the biggest part, I think, but I was always pretty good at hitting off-speed, and I can always see spin,” Welk said. “That translated pretty well. I was able to stay back on those pitches, see them pretty early, and once I got used to the velo, starting early, and you’ve really got to stay even more relaxed.”

All that natural ability has only been enhanced by the Orioles’ new technology, or at least the teaching points gleaned from it. While the boom in data-generating equipment and philosophies has been used on the pitching side for years, teams are only just starting to harness that on the hitting side. Every swing taken by every Orioles minor leaguer, in practice and in games, is taken with a Blast Motion sensor on the bat knob that tracks their swing path and motion.

Players wear K-Vests from K-Motion, which features motion sensors that track body movement in the pelvis, torso, arm and hand, providing real-time data in the cages.

“It allows us to be more efficient in practice. It cuts to the chase,” Eller said. “It’s not like, ‘Oh I think I see this, I think I see that, I think you’re doing this.’ We have high-speed video. We have motion-sensors. We have 4D motion sensors that are on the body. We know what’s going on, and we know what’s effective and what’s not effective. I think it’s just going to allow the players to develop faster, honestly. It’s going to be great for the hitters.”

It was easy to identify where this would help Welk early, Eller said. Welk, a right-handed hitter, was spinning off toward the third-base side and getting through the zone too quickly. Perhaps it was a way to compensate for the new velocity. Perhaps it went unpunished against the pitching he was facing at Division III.

The K-Vest data showed that inefficiency right away, and “when players can see that, they trust science,” Eller said.

 

[Frobby]

Very cool, thanks for the excerpts.  

[hoosiers]

Nice to see we are on the cutting edge with the offensive technologies.  It would be interesting to hear from Welk how many teams were on him.  Good drafting.

Did not realize Jeff Manto was with the organization.  I owe him a beer for razzing him something fierce at a Richmond Braves game while reasonably intoxicated.  Me and a bud were on him the entire game and he booted two balls.  It was a home game for Richmond - the team he was on - and I am sure he couldn't believe he was getting it like he was at a home game.  Our seats were first or second row third base side and I guess he was on the field right in front of us when we decided to pick on someone.  Manto hit a HR in the 8th or 9th and he was looking at us the entire time running from second to third.  I think he had half a mind when rounding third on the HR to simply keep on the same running line from second and to go into the stands and introduce his fists to us.  Not sure if ballplayers remember particular games when fans are razzing them good, but I imagine there is a 25% chance he remembers.  Anyway, I figure I owe him a few beers.

[interloper]

47 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Apparently I’ve reached my limit of free articles for the month.   

Clear your browser cache.

[Tony-OH]

55 minutes ago, tntoriole said:

Great article...I assume this new technology is all new since the new regime? 

I certainly never heard of these techniques being used before this year, so it's pretty safe to say that this is due to the new regime. 

[Frobby]

Just now, Tony-OH said:

I certainly never heard of these techniques being used before this year, so it's pretty safe to say that this is due to the new regime. 

The real question is: were the other 29 teams already doing it?

[Tony-OH]

33 minutes ago, hoosiers said:

Nice to see we are on the cutting edge with the offensive technologies.  It would be interesting to hear from Welk how many teams were on him.  Good drafting.

Did not realize Jeff Manto was with the organization.  I owe him a beer for razzing him something fierce at a Richmond Braves game while reasonably intoxicated.  Me and a bud were on him the entire game and he booted two balls.  It was a home game for Richmond - the team he was on - and I am sure he couldn't believe he was getting it like he was at a home game.  Our seats were first or second row third base side and I guess he was on the field right in front of us when we decided to pick on someone.  Manto hit a HR in the 8th or 9th and he was looking at us the entire time running from second to third.  I think he had half a mind when rounding third on the HR to simply keep on the same running line from second and to go into the stands and introduce his fists to us.  Not sure if ballplayers remember particular games when fans are razzing them good, but I imagine there is a 25% chance he remembers.  Anyway, I figure I owe him a few beers.

I've stood next to Manto and chatted with him before, you're lucky he didn't decide to come at ya!

I talked with Welk last month and he didn't indicate anyone was seriously on him besides the Orioles.

[weams]

55 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Apparently I’ve reached my limit of free articles for the month.   

Check your personal email. 

[Frobby]

Eller seems like he’s doing a really good job.    He was with Delmarva before moving to Aberdeen once their season started.    Here’s a couple of pieces on him:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-tom-eller-harford-cc-20190128-story.html%3foutputType=amp

 

https://www.cecildaily.com/spotlight/elkton-s-tom-eller-settling-in-as-ironbirds-hitting-coach/article_0a1e9c54-b65e-50bd-bab5-0dbadc9bfcdb.html