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Wednesday, May 03, 2006 |
Sure, But One Of Them Still Has Upside
A couple days old, but USS Mariner takes a mighty rip:
Think Adrian Beltre’s been frustrating? Casey Kotchman, who many analysts (including me) have been heaping praises on for years, is hitting .155/.210/.172. As a first baseman.Well, there is a difference. We've seen Kotchman hit in Anaheim.
Comments:
And after a fine spring in 2005, Kotchman has a horrid month of April at SLC. He got himself straightened out, though.
I still think they should try putting Kotchman in the #2 spot in the lineup - in a "get on base" spot rather than a "drive in runs" spot.
Basically, I'd like to see him hit ahead of Vlad, GA and Salmon.
I still think they should try putting Kotchman in the #2 spot in the lineup - in a "get on base" spot rather than a "drive in runs" spot.
Basically, I'd like to see him hit ahead of Vlad, GA and Salmon.
# posted by 
: 5/03/2006 02:34:00 PM
: 5/03/2006 02:34:00 PM
I hear that "he'll see better pitches in the 1/2/3 slot" all the time. Didn't work out for Corey Patterson, did it? I mean, I guess my point is that until Kotchman can prove he's capable of hitting major league pitching reliably, he won't get anything to hit. I wonder that there isn't some previously unseen flaw to his approach. He's not like Beltre, swinging and missing at that slider a foot off the plate and in the dirt, but he rarely makes solid contact, either. The league has caught up to him; he needs to adjust back.
Maybe it's the desire for a scapegoat, but I want to lay the blame at the feet of Mickey Hatcher.
To me, Casey just looks kinda lost. I assume it's because he's listening to the Hacker's bad ideas, fighting his natural instincts.
Fire Hatcher.
But I really do believe that putting him in the #2 spot would help him see better pitches to hit.
To me, Casey just looks kinda lost. I assume it's because he's listening to the Hacker's bad ideas, fighting his natural instincts.
Fire Hatcher.
But I really do believe that putting him in the #2 spot would help him see better pitches to hit.
# posted by : 5/03/2006 06:57:00 PM
: 5/03/2006 06:57:00 PM
Matthew, I might agree with you, but the problem is organization-wide. Hatcher is but one head of the team hydra.
Why is it assumed that Hatcher (or the organization) screws people up? Is there any evidence that Hatcher is to blame for messing up Kotchman's swing? From everything I have heard about Hatcher, he tries to let guys work through their issues themselves and doesn't actually try to change them much. Maybe Kotchman is just in a bit of a mental jam, maybe he lost his spring in the offseason, who knows. Don't blame the hitting coach unless you can actually claim that he has been consistently screwing things up.
Well, to me there's a big difference between hitting leadoff and hitting second. At second the very next hitter is a real threat and a pitcher would rather try to get the #2 guy out than have to face the power hitters who loom immediately next, so said pitcher is wise to throw strikes. And throwing strikes has the benefit of avoiding walks before power hitters. I know there doesn't seem to be that much difference between leadoff and second, but psychologically, I think there is.
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