Austin Hays 2022

[Frobby]

On the post game show, they asked Hays what had made a difference in the last part of last year and this year.   He said that Cedric Mullins had helped him with some things and he’d gotten much better at recognizing breaking pitches.  As he put it, before he was taking breaking pitches that ended up being strikes and swinging at ones that ended up outside, whereas now he’s swinging at breaking pitches in the zone and taking the ones off the plate.  Palmer also mentioned during the broadcast that Hays used to be a dead fastball hitter but now he’s hitting breaking pitches very well.   

[vab]

18 minutes ago, Frobby said:

On the post game show, they asked Hays what had made a difference in the last part of last year and this year.   He said that Cedric Mullins had helped him with some things and he’d gotten much better at recognizing breaking pitches.  As he put it, before he was taking breaking pitches that ended up being strikes and swinging at ones that ended up outside, whereas now he’s swinging at breaking pitches in the zone and taking the ones off the plate.  Palmer also mentioned during the broadcast that Hays used to be a dead fastball hitter but now he’s hitting breaking pitches very well.   

It's called getting better. It's what young players often do but you have to keep running them out there to see if they can figure things out. We will see it with Rutchsman and Bradish and all these youngsters coming up but you have to keep running them out there. 

[spiritof66]

2 minutes ago, vab said:

It's called getting better. It's what young players often do but you have to keep running them out there to see if they can figure things out. We will see it with Rutchsman and Bradish and all these youngsters coming up but you have to keep running them out there. 

This. Some prospects who have the talent to be good ML players, even stars, need experiential learning to enable adjustment and improvement that they won't get in AAA or as a backup. They can be mediocre or even bad players during that process, and there's a risk that their struggles at the ML level will undermine their confidence. Deciding whether even the best prospects are keepers -- possibly requiring a change in positions or starter/reliever role -- may take a month or two, or even a season or two. But there's no good alternative, other than the much more expensive route of using that young talent and cash to acquire proven veterans.

When you're trying to build a contending club, it makes sense to have on hand some solid veterans who have gone through this process (and seen others go through it, some unsuccessfully) and who will keep the team afloat or even improving, even if you hope to replace them in a few years with younger players who will be even better. The Orioles are fortunate to have a few of those guys who have or will soon have arbitration or free agency rights. Unless they can trade them for other established players who will provide an upgrade, the Orioles should retain some of that proven talent, even if doing so will double or triple the team's miserly payroll.

Otherwise, we're talking about an even more protracted rebuild that's certain to protect ownership's profits but is otherwise fraught with risk of failure.

 

[RZNJ]

He still needs work on laying off the breaking pitch 6 inches outside but he's come a long way. Solid all around player.  

[Sports Guy]

Interesting to me that OAA doesn’t love his defense.

[NashLumber]

10 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

Scrappy doesn’t mix with 464 foot homers. 

One would think. 

 

Don't ask me how, but somehow he finds a way to do it all and look like a member of the Gas House Gang doing it. 

[bobmc]

Nice little interview with Austin today by Matt on the MLB Network.  Check it out on the Orioles MLB videos.  Having trouble pasting with the IPad.

Hé talks about his long homer and having an opportunity to get the ball from lady who retrieved it.  He autographed it and returned it to her since it had no real meaning to him.  He’s such a good guy!  Tony is biggest eater, Chirinos and Roughie take care of the young players at meals and he mentioned Luke Scott as living near him in FL and inviting him to his « Friendsgiving «  party.

 

[Riggodrill44]

As hard as it is to get hits in MLB, who decides what is or isn't a hit?

Hay's  ball that was scored a 2 base error was a hit. I don't know who has final say but, these weird home stadium scoring decision bug me.

[Beysbol]

1 hour ago, Riggodrill44 said:

As hard as it is to get hits in MLB, who decides what is or isn't a hit?

Hay's  ball that was scored a 2 base error was a hit. I don't know who has final say but, these weird home stadium scoring decision bug me.

What!? They scored that an error!? I didn't know that. Wow...

[eddie83]

On 6/8/2022 at 10:07 AM, Sports Guy said:

Interesting to me that OAA doesn’t love his defense.

I’ve seen more balls fall in this year in LF because of the obvious reason the fence was moved back. 

[Riggodrill44]

1 hour ago, Beysbol said:

What!? They scored that an error!? I didn't know that. Wow...

I saw in New York a ball hit right at Urias scored a bit for Stanton. Didn't have to move and got glove on it. This scored a hit.

Hay's ball, the guy had to go hard left and couldn't get there ,the ball hit off the end of his glove.

they need to change their scoring decision.

[Frobby]

Hays looks to be in a mini-slump, one for his last 15 with 8 strikeouts and one walk.  Last night he wore the Golden Sombrero and looked bad doing it.  He did make a nice sliding catch in the OF though.   Hopefully he snaps back tonight.  

[Pickles]

10 hours ago, Frobby said:

Hays looks to be in a mini-slump, one for his last 15 with 8 strikeouts and one walk.  Last night he wore the Golden Sombrero and looked bad doing it.  He did make a nice sliding catch in the OF though.   Hopefully he snaps back tonight.  

Good call.

[ShoelesJoe]

Hays with a single, HR, and triple in three ABs. Would likely get two more chances at the cycle, but it’s pouring at the park and they might just call it as a regulation game. 

[linedrive]

Cycle!!!