Hicks activated, Cowser optioned

[JimGinSP]

Now this is not meant to derail the thread with an argument over Hyde’s roster power but in the course of a couple days recently: 1.) Hyde referred to Hicks as “Hicksey” in an injury update.  Hyde likes you when he adds the “ey” to your name.  
2.) Hyde called on Cowser to enter a game and I guess Cowser had some hesitation to which Hyde had to yell “get out there!” and turned to Fredi Gonzales and said “god damn!”

Totally unscientific but underlying clues.

[Jammer7]

4 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

I get that, I just don't think he looks that overwhelmed or timid.

I also think he's hit the ball hard, he's just drilled it right at fielders.  His patience at the plate is fantastic and I think overall he's pretty good.

He’s been too patient, mostly. He has let the ball travel to a fault. Look at his spray charts, Moose. Almost all of his contact is to the left side, even balls on the inner half of the plate. He is not competing in the upper half of the zone right now either. He got blown away in his recent at bats upstairs, albeit against the Astros.

In the field, he lays back and let’s the ball land on balls he should be more aggressive on. They are not errors in the scorebook, but the pitchers don’t appreciate having to throw more pitches after balls land that should often be caught.

I’m not down on his future, not at all. He is just in-between right now. He has to get comfortable and figure out that he actually belongs. I believe he’ll do that, probably in 2024. His body language right now isn’t good. 

[dystopia]

7 minutes ago, JimGinSP said:

Now this is not meant to derail the thread with an argument over Hyde’s roster power but in the course of a couple days recently: 1.) Hyde referred to Hicks as “Hicksey” in an injury update.  Hyde likes you when he adds the “ey” to your name.  
2.) Hyde called on Cowser to enter a game and I guess Cowser had some hesitation to which Hyde had to yell “get out there!” and turned to Fredi Gonzales and said “god damn!”

Totally unscientific but underlying clues.

I think Hyde and Gonzo were yelling at an umpire.

[Hallas]

18 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

I get that, I just don't think he looks that overwhelmed or timid.

I also think he's hit the ball hard, he's just drilled it right at fielders.  His patience at the plate is fantastic and I think overall he's pretty good.

 

I like his plate discipline, but he's not getting any elevation on the ball, like at all.  There aren't many guys in the majors that can succeed with a 4 degree launch angle.  He needs to make a small adjustment to start elevating the ball a little bit instead of pounding the ball into the dirt.

 

He wouldn't be hitting it right at fielders nearly as often if he got the ball out of the infield on the fly.

Edited August 15, 2023 by Hallas

[Sports Guy]

1 hour ago, gtman55 said:

Totally disagree here. This is not the time or place for "on the job training".

So, you think we should drop Fuji? 

[Sports Guy]

42 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

I get that, I just don't think he looks that overwhelmed or timid.

I also think he's hit the ball hard, he's just drilled it right at fielders.  His patience at the plate is fantastic and I think overall he's pretty good.

Well, when you just want to throw sh** at the wall and see if it sticks, that’s the type of stuff you say. It doesn’t matter that it’s nonsensical or not true..it’s just something that sounds good.

Edited August 15, 2023 by Sports Guy

[deward]

1 hour ago, gtman55 said:

Totally disagree here. This is not the time or place for "on the job training".

There's no substitute for playing in the major leagues. Every rookie goes through on the job training. It's how that works. Unless you just don't want to ever play rookies.

[Moose Milligan]

9 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Well, when you just want to throw sh!t on the wall and see if it sticks, that’s the type of stuff you say. It doesn’t matter that it’s nonsensical or not true..it’s just something that sounds good.

I guess so.

I just find the sense of entitlement around here exhausting at times.  And by that I mean sometimes some people expect these rookies to come up and dominate right away.  Sometimes that happens, sometimes it doesn't....but the freaking out about guys when they don't hit right away is insufferable.  

[Sports Guy]

1 minute ago, deward said:

There's no substitute for playing in the major leagues. Every rookie goes through on the job training. It's how that works. Unless you just don't want to ever play rookies.

Same mentality where we had morons in the Os fan base that wanted Gunnar sent down, that thought Adley wasn’t ready, etc…people just can’t/refuse to learn. 

The thing that really is flying over my head is why there is so much loyalty to players that aren’t good, have little to no upside and are old and over the hill.

I just don’t get that aspect of this. As I said, even if you want to say Cowser has to go down, fine. I disagree but I can at least say there is some justification for the decision. As @Hank Scorpiosaid, he didn’t make the decision hard enough and I do agree with that but my issue is more with the defense, not the offense.

Then bring up someone else..Kjerstad or Ortiz. 
 

To just want Hicks back, knowing he’s going to get a lot of playing time, is insane to me.

 

BTw, it’s almost certain he homers tonight.

[Brian88]

45 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

It's OK if he does more damage than good, as long as it's a specific type of good.

And as long as he does it fast

[LA2]

4 hours ago, LA2 said:

.144 / .217 / .249 / .466

.115 / .286 / .148 / .433

One is for Brett Phillips in 2022 and the other for Colton Cowser this year. I'd rather have Phillips.

Seems like a few people are missing my point above. Colton Cowser is having a significantly worse season than even Brett Phillips last year (225 PAs)--a player almost no one here could stomach and berated Elias for taking a flyer on. At least Phillips was a polished defender and fast runner. So now Elias has demoted a player doing worse than Phillips in favor of a switch-hitting, superior defender with streaky power, high walk totals, and a batting average that is literally TWICE Cowser's and think it's a horrible move!

[spleen1015]

2 minutes ago, LA2 said:

Seems like a few people are missing my point above. Colton Cowser is having a significantly worse season than even Brett Phillips last year (225 PAs)--a player almost no one here could stomach and berated Elias for taking a flyer on. At least Phillips was a polished defender and fast runner. So now Elias has demoted a player doing worse than Phillips in favor of a switch-hitting, superior defender with streaky power, high walk totals, and a batting average that is literally TWICE Cowser's and think it's a horrible move!

If you can't see the difference between Cowser and Phillips, well.... 

[Hallas]

11 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

I guess so.

I just find the sense of entitlement around here exhausting at times.  And by that I mean sometimes some people expect these rookies to come up and dominate right away.  Sometimes that happens, sometimes it doesn't....but the freaking out about guys when they don't hit right away is insufferable.  

 

I would have been in favor of DFAing Hicks if Cowser OPSed .600.  That's Jorge Mateo level, and Mateo provides defense and baserunning contributions that Cowser doesn't.  He's gotten a little unlucky, but he's hitting horribly even with his luck.

[Frobby]

2 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

Hicks xBA/xSlug/xwOBa: 204/309/278

Cowser xBA/xSlug/xwOBa: 205/274/302

Hicks hard hit %: 30.1%

Cowser hard hit %: 42.5%
 

Statcast has Cowser as the faster runner and higher max exit velo.

 

Are Hicks’ numbers for the whole season, or just his time with the O’s?

For me this is a simple example of conservative roster management.  If they kept Cowser and DFA’d Hicks, Hicks would likely be claimed by another team and would be unavailable to us if Cowser continued to struggle.  If the send Cowser to the minors and Hicks struggles mightily, they can always go back to Cowser later.  So, absent a compelling reason why we need to have Cowser on the major league team right now, we preserve our options down the road by bringing Hicks back.  

As I write this, Hicks boots a ground single in LF and allows Bogaerts an extra base.  Cut him!
 

 

[Hank Scorpio]

16 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Same mentality where we had morons in the Os fan base that wanted Gunnar sent down, that thought Adley wasn’t ready, etc…people just can’t/refuse to learn. 

The thing that really is flying over my head is why there is so much loyalty to players that aren’t good, have little to no upside and are old and over the hill.

I just don’t get that aspect of this. As I said, even if you want to say Cowser has to go down, fine. I disagree but I can at least say there is some justification for the decision. As @Hank Scorpiosaid, he didn’t make the decision hard enough and I do agree with that but my issue is more with the defense, not the offense.

Then bring up someone else..Kjerstad or Ortiz. 
 

To just want Hicks back, knowing he’s going to get a lot of playing time, is insane to me.

 

BTw, it’s almost certain he homers tonight.

Or immediately boots a routine single into a double.