with Jeter being 0-9 this spring training. I mean I know its only ST & I know he's making contact & seems to be running well BUT.........I believe all or 98% of his outs have been on ground balls. He's not getting ANY lift on the ball at all. & has already grounded into 3-4 DPs.
...nah, he was doing the same thing a couple of years ago but he straightened it out...he'll be fine once his timing returns.
Hey its Oscars time, he just had to watch most of his own personal pinup calendar strut the red carpet. Even a hitting machine can get distracted, lol!
The Captain is a bit rusty, but he will get his timing back. It's got to be hard to miss a year, then come back. ST will give him the reps he needs. Once he hears the roar in the Bronx, ol Derek will come alive, light a fire, and show us why he is worthy of a first ballot HOF. Well, I hope so, anyway...... Hopefully he will have more of the "once you've ridden a bike, you never forget"effect. let us all pray, Kumbaya, LOL. J/K
..^^^yup, it's one thing to hit BP pitching in a cage, but it takes awhile to adjust to the pitching from a real pitcher.
Have to disagree regarding the Captains swing. Ground outs are closer to where he needs to be than fly balls. I'd rather him early, than late. His machine was probably pitching faster than what he's seeing in week one. If he's late, than he'd be putting a lot of torque on the left ankle. Besides, the great Kevin Long is there to save the day. If the swing doctor/guru isn't worried, you keyboard GM's shouldn't worry.
No kidding, the Cage Rat, should never of been hired. He could not hold Mattingly's jock strap, when Donnie became bench coach. The self appointed hitting guru, should be running a batting cage for little leaguers in China. No wait, he is not that talented to teach kids, let alone pros. Can anyone think of a Yankee Hitting Coach, who is/was less talented than K.Long? I can't. Hopefully when the Yanks play in Seattle someone will put some Rat poison in the club house, with the post game food, only Long would eat it
...hitting coaches don't make mediocre hitters into great ones...and they don't make great hitters into bad ones. ...their value is greatly exaggerated and if there was even one who was truly some sort of difference maker there would be teams lining up during the off season to sign him to a huge deal...and there's a reason why that has not happened.
Then IMO unless your name is Pete Rose, Tony Gwynn or Rod Carew they shouldn't have hitting coaches because for the most part they're as useful as tits on a bull.
...I didn't say or imply that they should not have hitting coaches...I said that their significance is exaggerated. ...and if, as you say, they "are as useful as tits on a bull" why blame them for a hitter's failure? ...without googling, how many hitting coaches can you name?...probably not more than 2 or 3...I can name 2, Long and Brett. edit; ...I'll take Joe Maddon's opinion on hitting coaches any day. http://www.tampabay.com/sports/base...k-shelton-target-of-fans-frustrations/1241081
I really don't blame them for a hitters FAILURES I just don't get the purpose of why ANY team pays a guy the kind of money they get. Because like I said, unless you're a PROVEN great hitter who could actually help someone why even have such a position?
...because even good hitters can get into bad habits or slumps and sometimes the problem is a simple adjustment in stance, bat position, mechanics, etc. A batting coach simply offers advice so they can work on it during BP because it's kind hard to make adjustment during the middle of a game. ...but ultimately, it's still up to the batter. ...as far as what they are paid, I believe they average about the same and "league minimum" for players. I don't think batting coaches are over-paid any more than many players.
I'm not at all worried... it's basically been what a year and a half since he's REALLY played??? I'm not that worried... just getting the rust out IMO
Hey if Tony Gwynn was a gr at hitting coach, we'd have a ton of hot prospects coming out of San Diego State. Thus far that program has produced one guy of note and he's a pitcher, Stephen Strasburg.
