Roch: Hitting Coach Terry Crowley is coming back

[LookinUp]

they probably won't listen to what he has to say.

It should go without saying, but this circumstance would be less than ideal for any franchise/business.

[Hank Scorpio]

My new theory is the Orioles are looking for a new Elrod and Crowley has been chosen to be just that...a lifer coach as long as he wants to stay or as long as an Angelos owns the team.

This does put the offense at a disadvantage to start, but as long as we acquire players who are already established patient hitters and have their own routine, they probably won't listen to what he has to say.

I love your theories, Sly.

[Can_of_corn]

I think you have to put that quote in context. Obviously Crowley thinks Nick is a good hitter and has a good approach at the plate. I happen to agree that Nick sometimes is a little too patient. As I posted the other day, the percentage of the time he swings at the 1st pitch has gone from 27% in 2007 and 2008 (his best two seasons) to 21% in 2009 and 17% this year. Has that really helped him? I think there are times he looks at a fat pitch that he could really do something with, and then ends up behind in the count swinging at pitches that are harder to hit. Overall, I'd much rather have 9 guys like Nick than 9 guys who follow the approach of most of our other hitters. But yes, I think there are times when Nick is too patient.

And I think you also have to put it in context. He made the quote knowing he was on the record and talking about one of the O's best young hitters. When you consider that context his feelings may actually be stronger then the very mild rebuke he used.

I am on shaky ground with this but didn't he and Markakis have some issues with Nick's patience when he first got called up?

Regardless as I stated earlier the O's main division rivals all have a very patient attack and the O's current offensive strategy is hurting their chances to succeed.

I will also say I can't imagine the Sox or the Yankees getting stymied by a junk throwing left hander that throws change ups all night because the opposing team never adapts. Which happened this season to the O's against the Blue Jays. I see very little in game adjustments from this team.

[Frobby]

Perhaps they have... we've all heard whispers about PGA's loyalties to Crow.

I don't think this is the universe-ending decision it'll be made out as around here, but it'd be disturbing yet unsurprising if Buck clamored for someone else and was overruled by Angelos.

I'd be shocked if Crowley is being retained for any reason other than that Buck wants to retain him. PGA may or may not like Crowley, but I can't see a team owner protecting a hitting coach, and I can't see Buck putting up with it if he thought Crowley wasn't doing a good job.

[Bradysburns]

I think you have to put that quote in context. Obviously Crowley thinks Nick is a good hitter and has a good approach at the plate. I happen to agree that Nick sometimes is a little too patient. As I posted the other day, the percentage of the time he swings at the 1st pitch has gone from 27% in 2007 and 2008 (his best two seasons) to 21% in 2009 and 17% this year. Has that really helped him? I think there are times he looks at a fat pitch that he could really do something with, and then ends up behind in the count swinging at pitches that are harder to hit. Overall, I'd much rather have 9 guys like Nick than 9 guys who follow the approach of most of our other hitters. But yes, I think there are times when Nick is too patient.

All of this is the worst news I've heard since Buck came onboard. Why can't we GET RID OF THIS GUY??? A guy who criticizes Nick for having too much patience? So I guess we can put to rest those old arguments about whether the hitting coach concerns himself with "approach"... Clearly, TC does, and he's putting the wrong mentality out there based on what I'm hearing.

[VAB2110]

He's a hitting coach not a hitting teacher. His job is to help these guys do what they already do, better. I defy anyone to show me an example of a hitter had a significantly lower walk rate here than they had before they got here or after they left. If they want more patient hitters they have to go out and get them and preach it in the minors where guys actually are learning how to hit. Crowley can't do it.

[cindyluvsbrady]

http://www.masnsports.com/school_of_roch/2010/10/staff-injections.html

The title pretty much says it all.

No other decisions have apparently been made, though some of the top targets are obviously going to be interviewing for multiple jobs, which you all know but does pretty definitively explain the delays.

I wanted BRADY:eek::002_scry:

[Sports Guy]

As the Orioles have shown us fans for 13 years, results just don't matter with this organization.

I know everyone thinks Buck is god and does no wrong but this is a flat out idiotic decision.

I don't care that the guy is good with mechanics..I don't care if the players like and respect him. I don't care if you want to say the hitters haven't been very good. All of that may be true.

But the results are still not there and haven't been there for THIRTEEN YEARS!!!

At some point, results have to matter....but again, with the Orioles, results mean nothing.

[Bradysburns]

I love your theories, Sly.

I second that. But if Crow is just so loveable that we need to keep him around forever, please put him in the bullpen where his wrongheaded theories will do less harm.

[cindyluvsbrady]

The guy has naked pictures of somebody important locked away in a safe somewhere.:002_scry:

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:laughlol:

Yup

[Bradysburns]

as the orioles have shown us fans for 13 years, results just don't matter with this organization.

I know everyone thinks buck is god and does no wrong but this is a flat out idiotic decision.

I don't care that the guy is good with mechanics..i don't care if theplayers like and respect him. I don't care if you want to say the hitters haven't been very good. All of that may be true.

But the results are still not there and haven't been there for thirteen years!!!

At some point, results have to matter....but again, with the orioles, results mean nothing.

thank you - dead on.

[cindyluvsbrady]

Not a bad theory, but a big part of Elrod was the community relations role...shaking hands, signing autographs, making appearances...Crowley isn't really that kinda guy. Seems like a plenty nice guy but I don't see him out shaking hands and kissing babies.

NO ONE can EVER replace My Elrod:(

I still miss him terribly!:002_scry::002_scry:

[Sports Guy]

Disappointing. I agree with SG's post about results. If this was 100% Showalter's decision then so be it, but there's always the feeling that it wasn't.

I think there is reason to think that AM and PA had their hand in this...People may not want to believe that...They may want to say Buck wouldn't have that but that is being naive IMO. There is at least some reasonable thought that they could have had their hands in this.

However, let's take that away..Let's assume that this was 100% Buck's decision. Does that mean it was the right one? Will Buck always make the right decision? Was he right when he felt Eaton was better for the Rangers than AGon?

[Frobby]

All of this is the worst news I've heard since Buck came onboard. Why can't we GET RID OF THIS GUY??? A guy who criticizes Nick for having too much patience? So I guess we can put to rest those old arguments about whether the hitting coach concerns himself with "approach"... Clearly, TC does, and he's putting the wrong mentality out there based on what I'm hearing.

Look, there are arguments for getting rid of Crowley, but his comments about Nick aren't one of those arguments. He didn't "criticize" Nick. Here's the entire quote:

"He's a confident hitter and he's got good makeup and good habits and he never wonders too far from his mechanics," Crowley said. "Sometimes, I think, he is a little too patient. But it's proven to be good for him. He's still young. ... I still think Nick is one of the top 10 hitters in the American League, and he does it against the toughest pitching in baseball, which is in the East. If we get ourselves in a situation next year where we have a more balanced lineup and we have some thump surrounding him, all his numbers that he did in the first couple of years will come out again."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-markakis-1010-20101008,0,7437706.story

Meanwhile, here's what Nick said about Crowley earlier this summer:

"You have to go up there with an approach. [Crowley] has 110 percent nothing to do with the way we are going about our business at the plate and on the field right now. You can have anybody come here and you still are going to have a couple of guys who are not going to change their approach and fix it. It’s worthless. You can point your fingers here and there, but it is what it is. You’re in the big leagues. You have to change your approach on your own. If you go up there clueless, you’re going to come back [to the dugout] clueless. It’s that simple."

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/2010/06/markakis_expresses_frustration.html

I don't think there is anything to see here.

[Moose Milligan]

I think there is reason to think that AM and PA had their hand in this...People may not want to believe that...They may want to say Buck wouldn't have that but that is being naive IMO. There is at least some reasonable thought that they could have had their hands in this.

However, let's take that away..Let's assume that this was 100% Buck's decision. Does that mean it was the right one? Will Buck always make the right decision? Was he right when he felt Eaton was better for the Rangers than AGon?

What's in it for AM and PA to keep Crowley aboard?