Is anyone else concerned?

[Rick2583]

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.

 

[yankeesince59]

...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.

 

[totus44]

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!

 

[bern_baby_bern]

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.

No. Can you believe he took a year and needs to find some rhythm?

 

[Mattingly23NY]

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

 

[yankeesince59]

..^^^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.

 

[Rick2583]

Okay, hope all you guys are right. But at this point I'd feel a lot better with a few fly ball outs.

 

[Mattingly23NY]

Okay, hope all you guys are right. But at this point I'd feel a lot better with a few fly ball outs.

That would be nice....even a weak fly ball in the gap.

 

[totus44]

That would be nice....even a weak fly ball in the gap.

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.

 

[Rick2583]

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.

The GREAT Kevin Long? How this ass-wipe still has a job baffles my mind.

 

[totus44]

He's the swing doctor for the stars, baby. Yeah! Wink....

 

[Mattingly23NY]

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.

Good point totus...

At this time, I'd like to see him bunt, and run one out, if that be possible...

 

[Mattingly23NY]

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

 

[yankeesince59]

...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.

 

[Rick2583]

...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.

 

[yankeesince59]

...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

 

[Rick2583]

...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?

 

[yankeesince59]

...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.

 

[Hammerojustice]

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.

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

 

[totus44]

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.

 

[yankeesince59]

...yup, and wasn't DiMaggio and Williams also hitting coaches, among others?

 

[Rick2583]

...yup, and wasn't DiMaggio and Williams also hitting coaches, among others?

And I've no doubt players benifitted from THERE teachings. As did several players of the Angels who credit Carew for improving there game.

 

[yankeesince59]

...neither DiMaggio nor Williams lasted very long as coaches, probably because both were egomaniacal dickheads...I never heard of any player/s who pointed to either of them as turning them into great hitters.

...my point is that regardless of how good a hitter was, they don't necessarily translate into good hitting coaches and conversely, just because hitting coaches did not distinguish themselves as good hitters when/if they played the game, they can be distinguished as coaches.

 

[Rick2583]

...neither DiMaggio nor Williams lasted very long as coaches, probably because both were egomaniacal dickheads...I never heard of any player/s who pointed to either of them as turning them into great hitters.

...my point is that regardless of how good a hitter was, they don't necessarily translate into good hitting coaches and conversely, just because hitting coaches did not distinguish themselves as good hitters when/if they played the game, they can be distinguished as coaches.

I don't know of ANY of the players that either DiMaggio & Williams may have coached in hitting so there's really no way to deny or confirm there success with the players. This much I think is VERY obvious. If I was having trouble with my hitting & two hitting coaches were standing in front of me that I thought could help, lets say Tony Gwynn & Kevin Long see if you could guss which one I'd lean toward.

 

[yankeesince59]

...how many of these guys are recognizable?

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/List_of_current_Major_League_Baseball_coaching_staffs

 

[yankeesince59]

I don't know of ANY of the players that either DiMaggio & Williams may have coached in hitting so there's really no way to deny or confirm there success with the players. This much I think is VERY obvious. If I was having trouble with my hitting & two hitting coaches were standing in front of me that I thought could help, lets say Tony Gwynn & Kevin Long see if you could guss which one I'd lean toward.

...well,if that's the case, like tote pointed out, you'd have to be a college player because that's where Gwynn is.

...DiMaggio barely lasted a year as coach...and Williams in general was not liked by most of his players.

 

[Rick2583]

...how many of these guys are recognizable?

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/List_of_current_Major_League_Baseball_coaching_staffs

Very few, which makes my point, why pay these buba's if all they can do is say things like, DOH! maybe you could choke up a little more, Maybe point your left foot a little more out. Maybe you shouldn't hold the bat so tight. And yes I do understand how even some Great hitters could be bad coaches (sought of) but they'd be a whole lot more helpful that most of the goober's known as hitting coaches today.

 

[yankeesince59]

...rick, they're not goobers and they do help at times...do you think they should do away with coaches?...of course not.

...their salary is really irrelevant because again, they simply don't make that much when compared to managers and players. Plain and simple, they are there to offer advice and assistance if/when a player needs it...just as with pitching coaches, they go over film together and try to spot something that will help them improve...they take that info to the batting cage and practice it...but when the games starts it's ultimately up to the hitter to apply it.

...I say it again, hitting coaches alone don't turn a poor or mediocre hitter into a very good one...and hitting coaches don't turn good.great hitters into bad ones because if a hitter is in a groove you don't try to fix something that is not broken.

 

[Rick2583]

...rick, they're not goobers and they do help at times...do you think they should do away with coaches?...of course not.

...their salary is really irrelevant because again, they simply don't make that much when compared to managers and players. Plain and simple, they are there to offer advice and assistance if/when a player needs it...just as with pitching coaches, they go over film together and try to spot something that will help them improve...they take that info to the batting cage and practice it...but when the games starts it's ultimately up to the hitter to apply it.

...I say it again, hitting coaches alone don't turn a poor or mediocre hitter into a very good one...and hitting coaches don't turn good.great hitters into bad ones because if a hitter is in a groove you don't try to fix something that is not broken.

To put an end to this ping pong match I'll just say this, if I was a career 280 hitter & started to slump where I was hitting in the 220s over a month, I think I'd have a whole lot better chance of getting out of that slump taking advise from Rod Carew then I would from Bobby Mechum.

 

[yankeesince59]

...what does Bobby Meachum have to do with this...you're comparing Long to Meacum?...quite a stretch don't you think?

...how about we stay in the real world and stay in the present...Carew is not a hitting coach and neither is Meachum...Long is one of the most highly respected hitting coaches in the game but for some unexplained reason you don't like him and you don't think he deserves the money he receives. As far as any tangible evidence that he has ruined anyone as a hitter or grounds for disliking him, I don't see any.

...if clubs did not truly believe that hitting/pitching coaches were necessary they would not employ them, period.


...and I don't recall any of these guys as having stellar hitting careers;

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/base...cle_641950d7-da2b-5c12-8711-9ecc16f65a2c.html