Bill Schroeder clones?

[There isnt a Spoon]

So a couple days I went to the batting cages for the first time in 8 years and did pretty well (I actually hit stuff). I was joking around with my family saying I should be trying out for teams this next spring. My brother chimes in asking what direction I was hitting them. I said I was hitting them to the left (I'm right handed). Everyone there not being baseball experts I didn't think it would be good to become technical... Anyway, he says "aww, I bet you can't pull the ball and hit the ball any direction," and using other Schroeder jargon.

 

It got me thinking, and lately I've been hearing many many people who claim to be experts talking like mini bill schroeder clones (talking about pulling the ball, relaxing, catchers being awesome, don't be too fine out there, etc).

 

My point is we better do something before everyone starts to sound like him, like dub his voice with Uecker's so we can all become Uecker clones instead.

[sheetswannabe]

Catchers are awesome. I love when I see Braunie work the count and just battle, then send a moonshot to right DOWNTOWN!!!!!!!!

[bjkrautk]

I guess I don't see 'pulling the ball' and 'hitting to the opposite field' as Schroeder-isms....so much as part of the business of calling a baseball game. It's jargon in the strictest sense, but important jargon as it explains the way defense lines up against a hitter (e.g. teams that shift when Prince Fielder is at the plate).

 

Maybe if you mean hitting the ball where it's pitched (ie, it's easier to pull an inside pitch, and to hit an outside pitch to the opposite field), that is something that could be attributed to Schroeder, but he's by no means the only one who says it.

 

 

(Of course, I've been listening to Bill for years, and since Brewers baseball is my primary source of baseball knowledge, my sample size is hardly neutral. And Catchers are awesome; B.J. Surhoff was one of my favorite Brewers!)

[brewcrew00]

My personal favorite is "Boy you said it partner"

[razzzorsharp]

I actually learned to hit to right in softball as a result of one of Bill's talks. Improved my game as I have very little power.

[TooLiveBrew]

Don't forget the feee-yast-ball. J.J. really handles those middle-half, up around the belt

 

http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[brettac1]

That was a good approach.

[twobrewers]

My goodness.

[zurch1818]

This pitcher has really good stuff!

[stoutdude04]

You know hes getting hot when hes taking the ball the opposite way. Razzz...I too go to right alot, as I have little-medium power.

[rluzinski]

O come on, no one mentioned one of his favorite:

 

"That one was too close to take with 2 strikes."

 

Get a lot of walks when you played, Bill?

[Glennron]

O come on, no one mentioned one of his favorite:

 

"That one was too close to take with 2 strikes."

 

Get a lot of walks when you played, Bill?

Hah, I was trying to post that yesterday but the site wasn't working for me for whatever reason. I swear he thinks the strike zone should be about 1.5 times bigger than it already is. "Hmm not sure where that missed." Another thing that's funny the first couple times of the season, but then annoying the next thousands of times is how he says, "Idn't parnter? Boy that was a nice throw wadn't it?" It makes it seem like he didn't finish middle school or something.

[bjkrautk]

O come on, no one mentioned one of his favorite:

 

"That one was too close to take with 2 strikes."

 

Get a lot of walks when you played, Bill?

 

58 BB : 1262 ABs. Safe to say he did not - in fact - draw a walk all that often.

 

(Edit: in all fairness....if my history playing baseball video games tells me anything, I'd be even worse at drawing a free pass.)

[Oldcity]

I was also going to throw out the "Tough pitch to take with two strikes" line. My personal favorite.

[endaround]

My favorite is his disdain for the homerun. The Brewers have been playing Bill Ball for the entire season now, lots of singles and hits with RISP and few home runs. Not exactly lighting the world on fire.

[theavrock]

Fouled it straight back. He was right on that one. I have noticed Brian starting to follow suit as well. Oh man.

[Badger61]

Boy, don't know where that one missed.

[Oldcity]

I also love his "scouting report" for pitchers which feature important points such as run support, good hitter, 13-5 (record in games he started), get ahead and Dana Demuth.

[TooLiveBrew]

I hope this thread never dies. This is the second consecutive day its posters have made me laugh to the point of my eyes watering. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[mothershipconnection]

if my history playing baseball video games tells me anything, I'd be even worse at drawing a free pass

 

It's easy to walk when you aren't a good hitter. If you know you only hit meat, you lay off everything questionable. The last year I played I probably lead my team in walks while maybe barely edging out the fat kid in the race for fewest hits. If a dude had nasty stuff I just went up hoping he'd miss 4 times out of 6 pitches.

[Diskono]

O come on, no one mentioned one of his favorite:

 

"That one was too close to take with 2 strikes."

 

Get a lot of walks when you played, Bill?

Don't know how you lay off that one. Now, let's look at the Piggly Wiggly Scatter Report!

[Glennron]

Did anyone catch what he said during the Astros series about Tejada? Something about "If you're not walking a lot you know you must be hitting pretty well." I would've been dumbfounded, but then again it's Bill Schroeder.

 

He also said the other day, when posed the question of "What comes around first for a hitter, patience/walks and then hitting, or hitting and then patience/walks." Of course he said that hitting comes before patience/walks. He must've missed Week's last two months last season.

[billyhallfan]

how about the same stuff he says after every ab...

 

didn't try and do too much with it...

 

just dropped the head of the bat...

 

just hit it where he threw it...

[pitchleague]

honestly, I understand that he's repetitive at times. But for all those of you "bashing" him, tell me, what should he say? Please, tell me, specifically, WHAT should he be saying instead. I'd say put some game footage up with what he does say and what you think he should say, but that'd be pretty tough, what with Youtube always pulling game footage off their site.

 

I just don't get the bashing since I don't know what else you want him to say. And save me the "he shouldn't say anything" smart remarks.

[Gobias Industries]

I agree Pitchleague. He's pretty good compared to what's out there. It's still funny to see that everyone has his "lines" memorized.

 

When you're a die-hard fan, you rarely miss a game. So that means you're spending ~150 nights a year with BA and BS. Of course they're gonna come off as annoying when they're having a one-way conversation with you for 3 hrs a nite for half a year.