How to Get Hardy out of this Funk

[RobDeer 45]

Ok, maybe this sould be under the Hart/Hardy thread but I think this is a different topic. What should be done to try to get Hardy out of this slump? I don't think the answer is switching him with Hart. Should we sit him a few games here? Should we move him down in the order? Should we just let him swing himself out of this?

 

I'm confident he will get his stats but it's painful to watch him right now. I hope he can turn it around sooner than later. We all know he will get on one of those hot streaks and boost his stats but in the mean time is there anything that should be done to help start that?

[Teatoe993]

Personally I wish he went back to his old batting stance. This new one he has looks awkward and it obviously isn't helping, although his spring numbers were good.

[brewizard]

Yeah. I'm starting to fear posting because my signature is looking decidedly out of date. Hmm... What would Uecker say now? Hardy's so cold we could just throw a couple Millers on him? Something funnier, I hope...

[Ennder]

I'm a little worried that his back is bothering him still so the first thing I would do is just rest him a game or two.

[FVBrewerFan]

His back isn't causing him to consistently swing at sliders in the dirt.

[Ennder]

If he is playing with pain it can do all sorts of bad things including committing to swings earlier than normal or just outright guessing, which is generally what swinging at sliders in the dirt really is.

 

A day off many times helps a slumping player, a day off many times helps an injured player. Seems like a natural place to start things, much better than just moving him around in the order hoping that magically works.

[southpaw121505]

As Ennder said, if the back is sore then it can cause him to try and overcompensate for a lack of quickness by starting his bat earlier. It also makes it a lot harder to check or stop swinging once you commit at all.

[thebruce44]

He needs to go out on the town and find a slump buster.

[ELCABALLO45]

I agree that his stance does look a little more "out there" this year.

 

I think he needs to shorten his swing up a little, it seems like his swing is really long right now.

[patrickgpe]

he has said he was more confortable batting second, why not give it a try?

[theavrock]

He needs to go out on the town and find a slump buster.

 

HAHAHA!!! Best response ever.

[FVBrewerFan]

he has said he was more confortable batting second, why not give it a try?

Because you would be removing a guy who is hitting very well and replacing him with a dead bat in front of Braun and Hardy. You don't TRY to solve one problem by creating another. Especially when there's no way to know it will turn him around anyhow. If his back and/or stance is the reason for his struggles, hitting #2 won't solve that. He is increidbly streaky. The best you can do is hide him at #7 until he heats up again. Contrary to popular belief, he is getting plenty of fastballs to hit. In fact, part of his problem is that he almost always takes the 1st pitch- which is often a fastball down the middle.

[RobDeer 45]

He needs to go out on the town and find a slump buster.

 

HAHAHA!!! Best response ever.

I second that! Hahaha. Maybe call Giambi too and get that gold thong.

[clancyphile]

Hmmm... Hart took off after being placed in front of Braun and Fielder, but slumped late last year while lower in the order.

 

Hardy, who had been in that spot and who cracked 50 homers over two years in that spot, is now slumping with his drop to lower in the order.

[Baldkin]

So, if batting order matters so much, why move a guy who's absolutely KILLING the ball out of the spot where he's doing just that?

 

And if this supposed "Hitting in front of Braun and Fielder means you see more pitches to hit" thing were so true, Corey wouldn't have an OBP 100 points over his BA.

[southpaw121505]

They have both always been extremely streaky hitters. One is really hot right now and one is really cold, it just looks bad being this cold to start the season because the numbers get ugly.

[DHonks]

Hardy wasn't hitting that great last year, but in early June he took some time off to rest his shoulder. Not only that, he started noticeably hitting more balls to RF, and the results were terrific.

 

This year Hardy has been crushing the ball to warning tracks in left, but not hard enough to leave the yard. He hasn't been driving it to RF as much, although he has had his share of balls going to RF. To me it appears that he's just trying to hit the ball 400 feet to dead leftfield, and that's the problem

 

On a related note that I've never seen discussed, has it ever been mentioned why Hardy uses a golf grip rather than a baseball grip? He's always done this in the big leagues. He overlaps his fingers and has his thumbs up the bat rather than across.

[RU Rah Rah]

Personally I wish he went back to his old batting stance. This new one he has looks awkward and it obviously isn't helping, although his spring numbers were good.

This has to be going through his mind, no? I know I'd revert, if the new stance = a month of scuffling right off the bat.

[DHonks]

RU Rah Rah? What new stance? He looks the exact same as in years past. Slightly open stance, hands held kind of differently (elbows out), golf grip...it's been that way for a few years. The biggest thing is that he's pulling off with his head, trying to crush everything to left field

[Invader3K]

I'd swear it looks like he's holding the bat out more, for some reason.

[Dragonbait]

I thought something looked different, but I really cant place it. It does look like he's more open this year than years past.

[JCREW]

This is a little bit out there, but with the recent numbers, it's starting to make some sense...

Move Corey to the top of the order, JJ to the second spot and Rickie/Cameron in the 5/6 spots.

 

Corey is getting on base and taking walks. JJ is comfortable at two. Rickie's power numbers are up but his walks are down.

 

In my opinion, the only thing we lose is a little bit of speed at the top of the order, but with our putrid SB numbers, I don't think it would make a huge difference.

Uecker and Provus keep saying that it doesn't make much sense to steal in front of Braun and Fielder. I agree. Stealing in front of Kendall and the Pitcher, however does make pretty good sense to me.

[Never Outhustled]

Theres nothing we can do to get Hardy out of his slump, but we can switch him in Hall in the order so Hardy stops killing rallies, only to see Hall leadoff the next inning with hits, including HRs. Hall is back, lets use him.

[FVBrewerFan]

Theres nothing we can do to get Hardy out of his slump, but we can switch him in Hall in the order so Hardy stops killing rallies, only to see Hall leadoff the next inning with hits, including HRs. Hall is back, lets use him.

Exactly. Maximize what IS working, rather than upset the apple cart trying to get one guy out of a funk.

[Tbadder]

I could be wrong, but I'm among those who think his hands are extended, and I don't like it one bit.

 

JJ does have a stiff body when swinging the bat which affects how he hits in certain pitching-planes. He limits himself more on the high and low strike than other players. Only Fielder is worse (obviously the low pitch is a low percentage experience for Prince). In the past I've not noticed JJ to be this stiff, so I'm guessing that an injury is affecting his swing. I'd drop him in the order and give him an off day once a week.