MLB Off-Topic

[Money99]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Yeah that's another thing that used to be a no-no to teach, and now guys are trying to create more bat speed by getting that "flail" in their swing. Javy Baez is a really good example of that.

It's amazing how much video has changed how hitting it taught now versus 20 years ago. Barrel plane, launch angle, momentum, etc.. all of this stuff wasn't taught (even though so many hitters did it naturally) 15-20 years ago, and now it's ingrained in any coach under 40 years old.

This style of hitting is, in my mind, the main cause of the spike in HRs and strikeouts. It's all about hitting the ball with maximum exit velocity, but all of the moving parts needed to create that maximum force delivered to the ball creates other issues with timing. Like I said in my previous post: less movement makes it a lot easier to make consistent contact, but much more difficult to generate power.

It also helps that every young pitcher throws 97+ these days.

Had the opportunity to attend a Best Ever Coaches Clinic in Torono this past Winter.
A number of the coaches there, specifically the Astro's hitting coach and the Danish national team manager, both pushed the same message; stop giving so many instructions - just give the player a goal.
The Danish manager spoke about converting Kenley Janssen from a catcher to pitcher.
His first several bullpen sessions they just told him to throw the ball as hard as he could at the catcher. Done.
Same with the Astro's hitting coach. He said if you want to teach kids launch angle, tie a rope up on a backstop and tell the kids to hit above that rope off a Tee.
To teach hitting it hard, setup markers and tell them to hit over them - again, off a Tee.
Both coaches said that if you give them a goal, their bodies will adjust to what you want them to do. They'll naturally learn the mechanics needed.
Thinking about Babe Ruth, this was basically him. He emulated a priest at his boys home who would use an uppercut swing to hit popflys. He simply mimicked his approach and the next thing you knew, he basically invented a HR launch angle to become the greatest HR hitter of all time.

[Jr.]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Yeah that's a great teaching philosophy for kids. The body can do a lot more than people give it credit. I know on the pitching side, many of the kids I see at the high school level are so robotic in their movement because they're trying to be perfect instead of athletic in their mechanics

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[Money99]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Yeah that's a great teaching philosophy for kids. The body can do a lot more than people give it credit. I know on the pitching side, many of the kids I see at the high school level are so robotic in their movement because they're trying to be perfect instead of athletic in their mechanics

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I agree. And it's not their fault. Coaches today (and I'm certainly guilty of this) have so much information at their fingertips that they feel the need to tinker and overcoach.
Every hitter, pitcher, fielder is different. It's a tough line to walk.

I have a parent on my kids team who believes he's the greatest hitting coach of all time.
Meanwhile, his own son (a righty) will routinely hit foul balls into the 1st base on-deck circle. We routinely have our lefties warmup by the 3rd base line. We've even had to tell the opposing coaches not to stand outside the dugout when he's up.
He's a big strong kid, but his swing is so messed up. It's because his dad is yelling instructions between pitches. The poor kid (who also suffers from severe ADHD and Red Dye #6) has no idea what he's doing up there.
When he was 6, his dad had him move up to Machine Pitch and all he did was launch balls deep into LF. But his dad has tinkered so much, his kid is basically a soft-out every AB now.
He can only hit for power to Right-Center and even then it's only 1 out of every 30 hits.

[Speedy]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Yeah that's another thing that used to be a no-no to teach, and now guys are trying to create more bat speed by getting that "flail" in their swing. Javy Baez is a really good example of that.

It's amazing how much video has changed how hitting it taught now versus 20 years ago. Barrel plane, launch angle, momentum, etc.. all of this stuff wasn't taught (even though so many hitters did it naturally) 15-20 years ago, and now it's ingrained in any coach under 40 years old.

This style of hitting is, in my mind, the main cause of the spike in HRs and strikeouts. It's all about hitting the ball with maximum exit velocity, but all of the moving parts needed to create that maximum force delivered to the ball creates other issues with timing. Like I said in my previous post: less movement makes it a lot easier to make consistent contact, but much more difficult to generate power.

I agree with your assessment...it used to be preached to use your hands and now I rarely hear that now. Today's hitters have a stride where they essentially pick their foot/leg up, load up on the back leg, then put their foot down in the same place. It's interesting to watch the stars of old versus today and see how they generated power.

Look at Hank Aaron:



It's like he's just standing like normal then moves his front foot/leg forward (almost like a 1/2 step?) in his stride while using his hands to generate power. There is so few moving parts in this swing and it's easy to replicate.

[CMH]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I agree. And it's not their fault. Coaches today (and I'm certainly guilty of this) have so much information at their fingertips that they feel the need to tinker and overcoach.
Every hitter, pitcher, fielder is different. It's a tough line to walk.

I have a parent on my kids team who believes he's the greatest hitting coach of all time.
Meanwhile, his own son (a righty) will routinely hit foul balls into the 1st base on-deck circle. We routinely have our lefties warmup by the 3rd base line. We've even had to tell the opposing coaches not to stand outside the dugout when he's up.
He's a big strong kid, but his swing is so messed up. It's because his dad is yelling instructions between pitches. The poor kid (who also suffers from severe ADHD and Red Dye #6) has no idea what he's doing up there.
When he was 6, his dad had him move up to Machine Pitch and all he did was launch balls deep into LF. But his dad has tinkered so much, his kid is basically a soft-out every AB now.
He can only hit for power to Right-Center and even then it's only 1 out of every 30 hits.

Red dye #6

Sorry if I'm misunderstanding. This sounds like a joke but maybe I don't know something.

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[Money99]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I agree with your assessment...it used to be preached to use your hands and now I rarely hear that now. Today's hitters have a stride where they essentially pick their foot/leg up, load up on the back leg, then put their foot down in the same place. It's interesting to watch the stars of old versus today and see how they generated power.

Look at Hank Aaron:



It's like he's just standing like normal then moves his front foot/leg forward (almost like a 1/2 step?) in his stride while using his hands to generate power. There is so few moving parts in this swing and it's easy to replicate.

Ted Williams would get so frustrated with Aaron's swing.
He was a front foot hitter which typically does not equate to power.
But Aaron was so strong, with massive wrists, that it didn't matter.
I read his biography and Williams would watch him jack homeruns and he'd yell "He shouldn't be able to do that!!", LOL.

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[Money99]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Red dye #6

Sorry if I'm misunderstanding. This sounds like a joke but maybe I don't know something.

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LOL, it is kind of a joke.
This kid is allergic to the substance, which is in a lot of processed foods.
It seems to be common with kids today.
When he consumes Red Dye #6, this kid is on another planet.
So naturally his parents don't bother to watch his diet. And they rely on him to remember to take his ADHD medice.
On games where he's consumed #6 and forgot to take his medicine, we basically have to sit him.
Completely uncoachable.
When you call his parents out on this, they always answer "That's Manny being Manny".
Unreal.

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[Money99]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

MLB Network just ran a segment on South Carolina prospect Carlos Cortes who learned to throw right-handed when he was a kid.
A natural lefty, he broke his left arm and played 1B with a cast.
When throwing the ball back to the pitcher, he'd drop his glove and toss it back with his right.
His dad (who totally comes across as That Dad), thought his form didn't look that bad and began to train him to throw with his right.
It appears to have paid off as he will play 2B as a righty and RF as a lefty.
The video's they showed, you couldn't tell which arm was his natural noodle.

Cortes came across really well in the video; soft spoken, humble, intelligent.
I'll be watching his career. Hopefully he can make it.

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

^ Just a side note, Pablo Sandoval is also naturally left-handed. Many people don't know this.

[Money99]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

^ Just a side note, Pablo Sandoval is also naturally left-handed. Many people don't know this.

I remember hearing that during the 2014 World Series, I believe.
I forget who is boyhood idol was, but I think he started throwing RH'd out of admiration for him, right?

[Speedy]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Billy Wagner is a natural righty who threw left.

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[Mabster]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Saw this break down on payroll dollars per win at this point in the season.

1. Oakland Athletics - $2.50 MM

2. Milwaukee Brewers - $2.60 MM

3. Tampa Bay Rays - $2.68 MM

4. Pittsburgh Pirates - $3.06 MM

5. Philadelphia Phillies - $3.12 MM

6. Atlanta Braves - $3.63 MM

7. San Diego Padres - $3.94 MM

8. Houston Astros - $4.44 MM

9. Seattle Mariners - $4.60 MM

10. Cleveland Indians - $4.62 MM

11. Chicago White Sox - $4.65 MM

12. Colorado Rockies - $4.75 MM

13. New York Yankees - $4.7931 MM

14. Arizona Diamondbacks - $4.7938 MM

15. Miami Marlins - $4.86 MM

16. Cincinnati Reds - $4.90 MM

17. Detroit Tigers - $5.07 MM

18. St. Louis Cardinals - $5.40 MM

19. Minnesota Twins - $5.64 MM

20. Washington Nationals - $5.80 MM

21. New York Mets - $5.81 MM

22. Los Angeles Angels - $5.94 MM

23. Texas Rangers - $5.99 MM

24. Boston Red Sox - $6.00 MM

25. Chicago Cubs - $6.14 MM

26. Toronto Blue Jays - $6.64 MM

27. Kansas City Royals - $6.92 MM

28. Los Angeles Dodgers - $7.25 MM

29. San Francisco Giants - $8.06 MM

30. Baltimore Orioles - $8.54 MM

[CMH]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Billy Wagner is a natural righty who threw left.

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I hate this one the most.

Sure found a way to make people jealous they can't throw 100 with their NATURAL arm.

I thought I read Johan Santana taught himself to throw left handed because of an injury as a kid.

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[Jr.]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I hate this one the most.

Sure found a way to make people jealous they can't throw 100 with their NATURAL arm.

I thought I read Johan Santana taught himself to throw left handed because of an injury as a kid.

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Wagner switched because he broke his arm when he was 12 or something

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[Money99]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Wagner switched because he broke his arm when he was 12 or something

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Read up on this a bit and yeah, a neighbour kid broke his arm (twice) while playing football.
He didn't want to sit around all summer so be learned to throw left handed.
Incredible.

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