Colton Cowser 2024

[Pickles]

5 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Perhaps he was trying to do what Jim Palmer wanted and didn’t execute.   When a player thinks they have to hit the ball to one side of the field it makes them a less effective hitter.   They start trying to force things like taking an outer zone off speed pitch and trying to pull it.  I’m not sure if that’s what happened or not.  When I see the replay it looks like his swing was geared to LF but he was too early on the pitch and cued it off the end of the bat.

He was in a hitter's count (and yes 1-0 isn't as good as 2-0 and 3-0 but it's literally better than the other 6 possible iterations ((someone check my math))) and he swung at a pitcher's pitch, and he made very weak contact.

The results were great; the process decidedly less so.

It's as simple as that.

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, Pickles said:

If he had hit the ball hard and at someone, I'd have been fine with it.  Remember, I'm the one arguing process here, not results.

 

And sometimes they don't make hard contact even on a pitch in the dead center of their sweet zone.

One at bat with poor exit velocity means almost nothing.   That might be a pitch he can drive 90% of the time, we don't know yet.

So it's premature to say him swinging, at a strike, was a bad swing decision.

[SemperFi]

22 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

I wouldn’t characterize them as hard plays…but I think you are right that he had good jumps.

Weather wasn’t ideal, so that’s a little feather in his cap too.

That said, the real key for me is that last year his defense (early on) was an issue. He didn’t appear to get good jumps, etc…that is behind him now. He started to look better out there towards the end of his time last year and looked very comfortable yesterday.  His arm is excellent too.

 

Looks so much better in the field-much more of the guy I was expecting to see from write-ups.  Quick, fluid and decisive with routes, hitting cut offs with strong, transferable throws-something he struggled with last year.  Amazing how confidence at the plate transfers to the field.  

[Pickles]

Just now, Can_of_corn said:

And sometimes they don't make hard contact even on a pitch in the dead center of their sweet zone.

One at bat with poor exit velocity means almost nothing.   That might be a pitch he can drive 90% of the time, we don't know yet.

So it's premature to say him swinging, at a strike, was a bad swing decision.

Not all strikes are equal.

We should all acknowledge this was a "pitcher's pitch."

And he was in a "hitter's count."

He didn't need to swing at all.

I'm sure part of their discussions about this involves the idea of not swinging at pitcher's pitches until the count dictates that you must.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, Pickles said:

Not all strikes are equal.

We should all acknowledge this was a "pitcher's pitch."

And he was in a "hitter's count."

He didn't need to swing at all.

I'm sure part of their discussions about this involves the idea of not swinging at pitcher's pitches until the count dictates that you must.

It might not have been a "Pitcher's pitch" for Cowser!

He might feast on balls there.

I don't know, do you?

If you've got evidence from his time in the minors showing that's a pitch location he struggles with I'll agree with your overall point.

If not, the jury is out.

 

Once again the pitch that Gunnar hit certainly wasn't a "hitter's pitch" and he drilled it.   Most players would be better off hoping the Ump got the call right and taking the walk.

[RZNJ]

I’m not saying he wasn’t trying to pull the ball.  I take issue with anyone who says they’re sure.  I watched again and paused at contact.   I don’t know.  As for picking an off speed pitch that is outside it doesn’t seem totally unreasonable as a hitter.   An outer zone fastball is tougher to pull and if you really think your job is to hit one to the right side, you don’t have the luxury of asking the pitcher for an easy pitch to pull.

If he was trying to pull, it just supports the idea that it’s a dumb idea @JimPalmer to give up an out (making a hitters job more difficult) when you’re down 3-0 and there’s certain no guarantee of getting a runner in from 3rd with one out either.

[Jim'sKid26]

20 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

lol ok.  
 

So now not only are you being over the top, you are also claiming that you know his intention. 
 

As I said, this is a little bat sh!t crazy.

In a somewhat rhetorical manner, what is more batsh!t crazy? Stating your convictions with enthusiasm, or trying to convince someone who is batsh!t crazy that they are batsh!t crazy?

[DirtyBird]

 

3 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

What’s wrong with Norby?  Solid platoon candidate.  He can hit.  Needs to be able to play defense in the OF adequately though.

Agree. Perfect fit for a bench player on this team at least top 5 hit tool in the organization and RH bat on roster with a lot of lefties.

And there is no height requirement to DH.

[Moose Milligan]

Never thought I'd see @RZNJ, @Sports Guyand @Can_of_cornon the same side of an argument.  Well done @Pickles that's an impressive hat trick.

[RZNJ]

10 minutes ago, Pickles said:

He was in a hitter's count (and yes 1-0 isn't as good as 2-0 and 3-0 but it's literally better than the other 6 possible iterations ((someone check my math))) and he swung at a pitcher's pitch, and he made very weak contact.

The results were great; the process decidedly less so.

It's as simple as that.

It’s not simple.  If you think your job is to hit the ball to RF do you just keep taking outside pitches for strikes or try to take an offspeed pitch and pull it.  Maybe that’s what happened.  Maybe not.  One thing I’m sure of is that everything you have said in this thread isn’t nearly as simple as you make it out to be.

[RZNJ]

2 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Never thought I'd see @RZNJ, @Sports Guyand @Can_of_cornon the same side of an argument.  Well done @Pickles that's an impressive hat trick.

That is impressive.

[Moose Milligan]

1 minute ago, RZNJ said:

That is impressive.

Let's watch him dig his heels in even more because he can't admit that he's wrong.

 

[Frobby]

I'm sure the Orioles have given him feedback on his swing decision, good or bad.   I do suspect he was trying to hit that ball down the left field line, as he did on his subsequent single.   And that's a reasonable thing to do when the 3B is essentially playing in the SS spot.

I think we need to remember that a pitch reaches home plate in 0.4 seconds.   The speed, spin, break and location all can vary.   It's not like the batter has all day to make his swing decision and execute a swing.  It's amazing to me that they can do it at all.   

[Sports Guy]

47 minutes ago, Pickles said:

Well, let's say his intentions were to hit the ball hard and to the right side.  Would you agree that was likely his intention as he's waiting for the pitch to come in?

Is that batshit crazy to assume?

Because if we assume that, then he swung at about the worst pitch imaginable (that's still a strike) in order to accomplish that, while being in a count where he didn't need to swing at all.

I think his intention was to swing and hit a pitch he thought could result in a productive at bat. 
 

 

[Sports Guy]

34 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Never thought I'd see @RZNJ, @Sports Guyand @Can_of_cornon the same side of an argument.  Well done @Pickles that's an impressive hat trick.

Makes me re-think my whole position.