well, just to beat something into the ground first before I get to today's topic: are you thrilled with guy hansen's carefully crafted program for brian anderson yet? you know, the "take four months off, then throw together a delivery much different than you've been doing your entire professional life" thing? it seems there aren't many who really agree with me about this being a cause for concern, so hopefully it won't be. although Jeffrey flanagan's article about the previous problems with hansen, including the little editorial note about hansen's previous work ethic ("Naturally, there were whispers that Hansen should have been concentrating on his job description, which didn't include video making.") don't really speak too highly of his preparation skills. I'll just say, the results for mr. Anderson so far:
days missed due to a stiff neck: 2 ("It's probably from practicing my (new) delivery 10,000 times in the mirror,” anderson said. sounds like something to work on, oh, before you face actual batters, huh?)
IP: 4.0
ERA: 6.75
H: 4
BB: 4
K: 1
24 days to get good!
* * * * *
anyway, the thing that's caught my attention most so far this spring – it's probably not ever going to be "this guy has been GREAT in four innings!" or "this guy is hitless in his last seven at bats!" because, uh, 1-2 games worth of stats is exciting? – is the article yesterday where a couple of "royals" expressed their opinions of zack greinke's lame performance in a spring training game against the brewers. woo boy, that's news!
I mean, the nerve! experimenting with pitches during spring training! at least he knows how to do his wind-up at this point, right? honestly, it's sad that major league players are whining about playing in the 80 degree sun – "A complete waste of time" is how one "player" characterized it, obviously experiencing a brief moment of nostalgia for the awesome spectacle of last season – although that attitude is not surprising coming from a player. still, I'll always find it sad, considering that after accounting for all the time I spend at work all week, I actually think the idea of spending my free time catching fly balls in a completely meaningless game sounds like fun – that would certainly suck to get paid for it and all. of course, that's why 'ol Joe Blow's planning to try out for the local adult baseball league here in a couple weeks.
not that I've actually played competitive baseball in, oh, 10 years, but there is no goddamn way I'm going back to softball this year. and if these guys are anything like most of the guys that populate the local softball circuits – and all signs from the message board indicate they are – I'm content to sit out the summer parked next to the radio. anyway, as I'm sure you're now dying to know how it goes: I will keep you informed.
but enough of that – back to our point here, what's bothering me about this whole "coach! coach! greinke ain't tryin'!" thing the most is the reaction of the coaching staff itself. to read into it, here's a quote from greinke himself about talking to some veteran players:
"It's spring training. It doesn't really mean anything. But they told me they still like to see everyone give 100 percent. After talking to them, I know I can't go out there and just (experiment) anymore."
no, no, no! that is not a good attitude to instill in a young player. practicing during the offseason is one thing, but actually getting to face live hitters from a different team with an opportunity to work on techniques and ideas in a game situation is not something you have unlimited chances to do. from what I've read since he joined the organization, greinke seems to be the type that actually approaches the game with a plan in mind. he seems to realize that while possessing unusual abilities is what gets you to the major leagues, understanding the game and applying some thought and intelligence is what allows you to succeed. the problem with a lot of players – royals especially, it seems – is that they're either old, weak, or "tools guys". basically, most of the players either don't possess the abilities to succeed on talent alone, or they don't seem to understand how to play the game. hence, you end up with a team full of players that always end up out of position, throwing pitches that are expected, getting hit in the back with relay throws, etc. the pitchers don’t seem to grasp the philosophy of pitching, and the hitters always seem off-balance against every pitcher.
and I think it's players with ideas like the above that are the problem. you take a guy that tries to be ahead of the game, and whine to him that you don't like standing in the field while hitters hit the ball in spring training. shut up! and, what (finally) brings me to the coaching aspect is: these guys seem to (quietly) agree with the complaining!
allard baird:
"I don't think he wasn't competing," Baird said. “That would be an issue with me. I like the approach. I like the upper-echelon level of thinking for such a young man. That's great.
“But as you start to move to the next game, you want to see him throw a change-up that paints the black. That his fastball at that speed hits the spot. That you stay out of the middle of the plate.”
ok, ok, not bad. although I would also say, "no shit, allard!" at the same time. of course we have tony pena and guy hansen offering such dynamite information as "But he said he wanted to throw the ball down the middle to see if they could handle it. I guess they could.” and " “I think he stayed with that too long.” funny guys, those coaches. he obviously didn't expect to blow that shit by 'em, but nothing positive about his willingness to experiment is ever going to come out of these guys' mouths, you know?
unfortunately, what allard's done is, while not directly chastising greinke, thrown in that, "but…" and indirectly indicated that he didn't really like what he was doing at the same time. as in, "but, next game, he better do it different." the thing is, allard is the one that needs to celebrate his approach and not add any caveats. by saying nothing more than what he's said, he seems to be allowing the other players' complaints to stand as is. there's nothing wrong with experimenting, and the royals can't be afraid of acknowledging that. unfortunately, while lately they seem to be spouting more common-sense, intelligent approaches to their player selection and development, the royals will seemingly be forever behind the curve. this team needs just about everyone to take a different, thoughtful approach to the game, not a team full of guys trying to stop the ones that are. we need smarter players, and we need smarter characters in the front office that are able to identify them. it just doesn't seem that there's anybody in this organization that's a forward-thinker at all. what we get instead is a front-office desperately trying to keep up-to-date on what other organizations are doing, and a coaching staff built on cheerleading and "hunches".
but, hey, I hear we're working on teaching our catchers/first basemen to tag up from first and all.
thoughtfully,
Joe Blow
3 comments:
Your webpage temporarily blinded me.
whichever LJ person you are...shut up!
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