Mechanical flaw in Brewers' swings

[shelmark]

Do we have a team hitting philosophy? Are they being told to take certain pitches early in the count? I don't really agree with such things. Is everyone encouraged to do the same thing in terms of their approach? Maybe a minor thing like think up the middle is effective but other than that thinking can get you into trouble. I think the job of the hitting coach should be to help individuals to see when they are not swinging the way they normally do; make minor corrections when things get out of hand. The other job of the hitting coach should be to make sure each hitter has a clear understanding of the pitchers we are facing and how they try to get you out. Now is Skaalen doing those things? I have a feeling he does. These guys are for the most part, very young, and selection is clearly an issue. Good pitches go by, bad pitches we swing. I still spend a lot more time worrying about the pen mroe than anything else.

[TooLiveBrew]

These guys are for the most part, very young, and selection is clearly an issue. Good pitches go by, bad pitches we swing.

 

But we also mash good pitches, and let bad ones go by... just like other MLB squads. I don't feel that age has much (if anything) to do with it.

[brettac1]

Fire Wynegar!

[naivin]

Fire Wynegar!

 

Couldn't have said it better.

[joepepsi]

So, the theory is that Skaalen might be teaching them all the right things but they've all choosen to defy him and continue using an approach that is obviously wrong to people on the internet? I just don't see it.

 

I think much of this approach talk is kind of questionable, anyway. If the results were better they'd probably be praised for their approaches right now. For example, Braun's approach last year was to basically swing at everything and it worked so no one cared. Now, he's not crushing the ball when he does guess right, so he has a bad approach. It's good to be patient unless it results in a K. It's good to be aggressive unless it results in a first pitch pop out. Swing as hard as you can, unless you pop out.

 

I think that each batter has a different skill set, so they need to find the approach that works best for them. The coach can only help so much. That's why batters get paid millions and batting coaches are a dime a dozen.

OK, well stated. I hope those who are arguing for cooler heads to prevail are correct. Maybe it is they've faced a rash or really good pitchers. It seems someone wrote a new edition of "How to Pitch to the Brewers" in the off season and every team has a dog-eared copy tucked under the pitching coach's arm. The thesis must be, "they'll swing at anything, so give 'em nuthin'." And maybe it's the youthful inexperience of the team's core that makes it tough for them to adjust quickly.

 

It's also true it's been damn cold so far and sluggers can often be slow to get going at the start of the season. Hopefully they can each shake off the rust and get going soon. It's certainly been frustrating waiting for a big break out on the offense...

 

[rluzinski]

I'm not trying suggest that we simply ignore the offense's recent struggles. I just don't think there is one simple explanation for it. I think better insight will be had by examining things at the player level, not the team level. We also have to keep in mind that most players are still under 100 AB, so there's a lot of uncertainty in that sample as well.

[thunderbat30]

There is no way this can come off as being a smart allect even though I don't mean it this way but no one in this thread is qualified to correct a MLB player's swing.

[joepepsi]

I have no idea how to correct a player's swing and am proud to admit it!

[davego]

I really do enjoy posts that discuss the mechanics of playing the game. Interesting stuff. While thunder is correct, we can ask why a player takes a certain approach and what are the possible effects. For example closing off a stance, or hitting more wide-open.

[Oldcity]

Looking to hit homeruns, swings are getting long and loopy. They need to try to go up the middle or to the opposite field. it is easier said than done

This I don't agree with. They aren't struggling because they're trying to hit home runs; they're struggling because they're swinging at bad pitches (generalized). There's nothing wrong with trying to hit home runs, because sometimes you get a home run out of it.