Josh Bell doesn't want to hit RH

[Lucky Jim]

Let's assume that he's right. Could it be his agent that's pressuring him into being a switch hitter? He's the only one that's been outspoken about him batting from both sides if I'm not mistaken. I'm not saying that he's demanding that he do it. Just may be telling him that he'll be more marketable and increase his chance of making it the bigs. That wouldn't be bad advice if the player had the abilities.

I doubt it. It's probably more like the Casey Kelly situation - a guy does two things better than everyone else for long enough, sometimes it takes a while to give one of them up.

[Boy Howdy]

I for one appreciate Komminsk's candor. Baseball could use more truth tellers and less wannabe diplomats IMO.

As for Bell, he'd hardly be the first player to abandon switch-hitting this close to reaching the majors. Just off the top of my head, I recall Mariano Duncan & Luis Polonia breaking into MLB as switch-hitters, then abandoning it to go strictly righty & lefty respectively.

For a developing player who still has work to do on defense, essentially cutting his offensive practice load in half wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. It's only a negative if you believe he could develop into a big league hitter from the right side, and apparently a lot of people closer to the situation than us have determined that's unlikely to happen.

[Arthur_Bryant]

When did he even start switch hitting, and why? Did the Dodgers just say, "hey kid! You're Eddie Murray! This guy's gonna pitch to you, um, who can he be? Ooh, Steve Carlton. Eddie, this is Steve Carlton, get up there and take some hacks from the right side. Oh and put on this afro wig."

"But skip, I don't wanna hit righty!"

"Joshua!!!!" /menacing glare/

My guess he wanted to do it at some point and is tiring of it because he's struggling.

He has apparently been switch-hitting since high school. I seem to remember hearing that his father got him started when he was a kid. (Wouldn't be the first time). This might've been mentioned on the AFL All-Star broadcast. He is a natural righty.

His agent posted here a few times in August. The impression I got was that Bell wants to switch-hit, and that he would have to be convinced to go all-lefty. But Komminsk seems to refute that... bluntly.

I know that managers love the flexibility of having a switch-hitter or two in the lineup, and it's true that there's a certain class of LHP who absolutely shut down lefties. But by all reports, borne out by the stats, Bell is so advanced and powerful as a lefty hitter that he could probably hang in there pretty well. I'll settle for a .100-point OPS platoon split... from a guy who might put up .900-plus against righties within the next couple of years.

[Arthur_Bryant]

For a developing player who still has work to do on defense, essentially cutting his offensive practice load in half wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.

I agree, but it would actually increase his workload for a while. He would be looking at a lot of hours in the cage, getting used to picking up the rotation and dealing with movement that he hasn't seen from that side. Lefty facing lefty is a look all its own.

[byrdz]

He has apparently been switch-hitting since high school. I seem to remember hearing that his father got him started when he was a kid. (Wouldn't be the first time). This might've been mentioned on the AFL All-Star broadcast. He is a natural righty.

His agent posted here a few times in August. The impression I got was that Bell wants to switch-hit, and that he would have to be convinced to go all-lefty. But Komminsky seems to refute that... bluntly.

OK well that blows my whole agent conspiracy theory out of the water.

By the way, I think JT Snow was another ML player who gave up switch hitting.

[allstar1579]

All of the rumblings that I can recall indicate that it was Josh who doesn't want to stop switch hitting.

It was his agent that said that, not Josh.

[Lucky Jim]

It was his agent that said that, not Josh.

That's probably why he called it rumblings. Josh's agent made it clear that it was Josh's desire.

[rhall]

He has apparently been switch-hitting since high school. I seem to remember hearing that his father got him started when he was a kid. (Wouldn't be the first time). This might've been mentioned on the AFL All-Star broadcast. He is a natural righty.

His agent posted here a few times in August. The impression I got was that Bell wants to switch-hit, and that he would have to be convinced to go all-lefty. But Komminsk seems to refute that... bluntly.

I know that managers love the flexibility of having a switch-hitter or two in the lineup, and it's true that there's a certain class of LHP who absolutely shut down lefties. But by all reports, borne out by the stats, Bell is so advanced and powerful as a lefty hitter that he could probably hang in there pretty well. I'll settle for a .100-point OPS platoon split... from a guy who might put up .900-plus against righties within the next couple of years.

I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, but there is no way we should assume this. There are plenty of left-handed hitters that destroy right-handed pitching but are lost against lefties. Will I be surprised if Bell shows the ability to hit lefties from the left side of the plate? No, but I don't feel comfortable assuming anything.

And a 0.100 OPS righty/lefty split would actually be pretty awesome. There's no settling there. Even a masher with great career numbers like Ryan Howard (I know he's not the same type of hitter as Bell, give me a break) has never had an OPS split better than 0.220.

Prince Fielder is probably a better comp as a hitter. He had a weird rookie year with a split of just 0.016. He actually managed a higher SLG%, but his AVG & OBP went way down. In 2007 & 2008 he settled into more normal splits of 0.266 & 0.222. Last year he improved it to 0.099. If Josh Bell can hit righties to the tune of a 0.900+ OPS, I'd be very happy with a 0.200-0.250 split. Those would still be very successful seasons.

[allstar1579]

That's probably why he called it rumblings. Josh's agent made it clear that it was Josh's desire.

Well apparently not if his coach thinks and isn't afraid to publicly say so as a member of the organization.

Watching him in batting practice you could kind of speculate that from his body language though. He would kind of go through the motions RH, but would swing with a lot more effort and vigor from the other side, and it was about a 2/3 split for LH. I wondered, but I didn't want to be rude and ask him that.

[Lucky Jim]

Well apparently not if his coach thinks and isn't afraid to publicly say so as a member of the organization.

Watching him in batting practice you could kind of speculate that from his body language though. He would kind of go through the motions RH, but would swing with a lot more effort and vigor from the other side, and it was about a 2/3 split for LH. I wondered, but I didn't want to be rude and ask him that.

How does that change anything? Do I trust BK more than Bell's agent? Not particularly, especially w/ how much from BK gets lost in translation.

Why are you only bringing this observation up now, btw? Why not back during the season?

[Capn Vivi]

I'd be curious as to what issues Bell is even having hitting RH anyway. Obviously they're showing up in the statistics, but is he seeing the ball well? Is his swing level? Is his motion through the zone consistent? How is his plate vision?

I'd like to know the likelihood of his being able to adapt these weaknesses to the rigors of the Major Leagues before suggesting he give up switch hitting.

[Frobby]

The comment could be read as a little prod at Josh, to tell him he needs to work harder on his weaknesses from the right side. You know -- "if you say you want to be a switch hitter, then act like it! Do what you need to do."

[rhall]

I'd be curious as to what issues Bell is even having hitting RH anyway. Obviously they're showing up in the statistics, but is he seeing the ball well? Is his swing level? Is his motion through the zone consistent? How is his plate vision?

I'd like to know the likelihood of his being able to adapt these weaknesses to the rigors of the Major Leagues before suggesting he give up switch hitting.

Me, too. Most say that his RH'ed swing is a mess, but I've also heard that it's actually not that bad and it just needs a few tweaks. If that was true, then maybe the problem isn't just his swing from the right side. Of course, this is all speculative. We don't know who's telling the truth or what their motivation is for saying what they say anymore than we do in this case (Komminsk's interview).

[Tony-OH]

I talked with Brad last night and he stands by his comments 100 percent. His main point is that the guy is a much better hitter from the left-side of the plate (and the stats back that up). He said that during BP, Bell could hit the ball over the scoreboard left-handed but could barely make the warning track right-handed. The power difference between the sides is steep. In fact, we both agreed if Bell only hit right-handed he wouldn't be a prosect at all, he's that bad right-handed.

So, if a guy has never hit well right-handed and has a tremendous power difference between the sides, why not see if he can handle left-handed pitching from the left side? His left-side is special. Honestly, if we're talking about a guy who hits like a light-hitting second baseman from one side of the plate, why not see if he can handle left-handed pitching from his special side?

[allstar1579]

How does that change anything? Do I trust BK more than Bell's agent? Not particularly, especially w/ how much from BK gets lost in translation.

Why are you only bringing this observation up now, btw? Why not back during the season?

I did bring it up in season, that's what kicked off the whole debate of him dropping RH hitting, I was one of the first to suggest it. It just kind of got buried in the 246 threads about who was the better prospect, will he be ready this year, and how bad are his splits.

BK is a very straight shooter, and he's been around long enough to know how something comes back to you when you say things publicly, that and I just happen to very much agree with him, if you see JB in person you'll see what I mean. And I'd think that if one of the two had a bit of a bias and would say something just for public benefit I'd say it'd be the agent more than the coach.