Brewers Not Picking Up Signs

[rickh150]

From Ed Sedar at Veterans Hospital, after question and answer session on Tuesday.....

I have been looking for this answer, or simply an answer, for years on this topic. Media wouldn't ask the question.

I asked him point blank if Brewers had a take sign. I told him I was wondering because when the team is down 4 in the 8th, too many (poor hitters) are hacking on 2-0 instead of making the pitcher throw a strike. We simply need base runners.

He said yes they do have a take sign.

However, he said, many guys don't look down on 2-0, usually only on 3-0

Also, he said some guys aren't picking up the signs. I took that as not JUST the take sign.

I'm encouraged that they do have a take sign, but I am troubled that guys are not following or not understanding coaches' signs on strategy.

Ed was very good to all there, energetic and willing to listen.

I talked to Bill Schroeder, as well, congratulated him on Wall of Fame honor, and thanked him for coming to the VA. He too was very humble, talkative, and friendly to all in attendance.

Only about 50 people in attendance (half of them vets) for Q and A. Tons of brats left over.

[TURBO]

So if many guys don't look down on 2-0, why don't they remind them to look down on 2-0?

 

That is just plain unacceptable to me, to allow things like that to go on in the organization...

[logan82]

You shouldn't just take a pitch to take a pitch. If you think you can drive the ball you should swing.

[Pugger]

So if many guys don't look down on 2-0, why don't they remind them to look down on 2-0?

 

That is just plain unacceptable to me, to allow things like that to go on in the organization...

 

There is more than one guy in our lineup these days that shouldn't be in the majors.

[pogokat]

taking 2-0 is lousy strategy, that's how you move from getting a decent pitch pitch back into a pitchers count. You should be selective 2-0. The problem the brewers have is that 4 out of their 9 hitters on any night right now are awful.

[FVBrewerFan]

I would have asked the obvious question. Do you have a stop sign?

[nate82]

The take sign has to be the dumbest sign in all of baseball. If you have a pitch that you can drive you better be swinging! I don't care what the count is.

[markedman5]

I think the point is that the players should be doing what the manager wants.

 

Unless of course you are Chucky Carr.........

[rickh150]

The take sign has to be the dumbest sign in all of baseball. If you have a pitch that you can drive you better be swinging! I don't care what the count is.

 

Pure ignorance of baseball strategy......

Are you telling me that ANY player.... Stress ANY player... who THINKS they can drive a pitch...... which technically is any pitch they initially swing at... In ANY situation in ANY count is not only ok, but should be encouraged by the manager.

 

Taking a pitch 2-0 has it's place all the time, especially when:

....you are down late in the game and are looking to just get base runners on base

.... A struggling hitter or pitcher is up and walk gets you to a much better hitter

.... You DO NOT want to hit into a double play with bases loaded and a top hitter is on deck

..... A pitcher just walked two guys and you do not want to let him off the hook by swinging

 

 

Does this mean you aren't swinging if the pitcher then makes the count 2-1? No. There are times to take a pitch, show some patience to better the team's overall game situation. Getting a walk or into a better walk count has its place. Our players need to be taught/shown this on and off the field.

[yfinn6]

The take sign has to be the dumbest sign in all of baseball. If you have a pitch that you can drive you better be swinging! I don't care what the count is.

 

I don't like when a hitter swings at the first pitch if a pitcher is struggling with command and has just walked the previous hitter on four straight pitches.

[jerichoholicninja]

The take sign has to be the dumbest sign in all of baseball. If you have a pitch that you can drive you better be swinging! I don't care what the count is.

 

Pure ignorance of baseball strategy......

Are you telling me that ANY player.... Stress ANY player... who THINKS they can drive a pitch...... which technically is any pitch they initially swing at... In ANY situation in ANY count is not only ok, but should be encouraged by the manager.

 

Taking a pitch 2-0 has it's place all the time, especially when:

....you are down late in the game and are looking to just get base runners on base

.... A struggling hitter or pitcher is up and walk gets you to a much better hitter

.... You DO NOT want to hit into a double play with bases loaded and a top hitter is on deck

..... A pitcher just walked two guys and you do not want to let him off the hook by swinging

 

 

Does this mean you aren't swinging if the pitcher then makes the count 2-1? No. There are times to take a pitch, show some patience to better the team's overall game situation. Getting a walk or into a better walk count has its place. Our players need to be taught/shown this on and off the field.

 

You take 3-0 99.9% of the time. Taking 2-0 just for the sake of taking 2-0 is only applicable when the pitcher can't find the zone or the pitcher at the plate. A 2-0 pitch is almost certainly going to be a fastball unless the batter is being pitched around.

[nate82]

 

Pure ignorance of baseball strategy......

Are you telling me that ANY player.... Stress ANY player... who THINKS they can drive a pitch...... which technically is any pitch they initially swing at... In ANY situation in ANY count is not only ok, but should be encouraged by the manager.

 

 

Baseball strategy = lets let a pitcher get back into the count while letting him throw a pitch over the plate that is clearly hittable because it is a 2-0 count? What happens if you let a pitch go by that is hittable and that is the last hittable pitch you see in the AB then what?

 

You get to go back to the dugout and say at least I took that pitch I could have hit on that 2-0 count. The objective of baseball is to score more runs than the other team. That is all the strategy that there needs to be in baseball quit making it more complicated than it really is.

 

Taking a pitch 2-0 has it's place all the time, especially when:

....you are down late in the game and are looking to just get base runners on base

.... A struggling hitter or pitcher is up and walk gets you to a much better hitter

.... You DO NOT want to hit into a double play with bases loaded and a top hitter is on deck

..... A pitcher just walked two guys and you do not want to let him off the hook by swinging

 

Again what happens when the batter lets the pitcher back into the count on 2-1 and then throws two perfect pitches? You just missed your opportunity to make that pitcher pay for throwing a pitch over the plate. This has to be the second dumbest unwritten rule in baseball with only the throwing at the opposing team because someone on your team got hit by a pitch or got buzzed.

 

It is boggling my mind why anyone would want a batter to watch a pitch go by them that is perfectly hittable and something that they can handle just because they want to what? Work the count? All you are doing is allowing the pitcher to get back into the game. I just can't understand this way of thinking at all.

[AKCheesehead]

I think on 2-0 the appropriate sign would be one that means "Pounce on a fastball over the plate. If it looks like any off speed pitch, then take."

[rickh150]

It is boggling my mind why anyone would want a batter to watch a pitch go by them that is perfectly hittable and something that they can handle just because they want to what? Work the count? All you are doing is allowing the pitcher to get back into the game. I just can't understand this way of thinking at all.

 

 

Are you watching the same game that I am? This isn't slow pitch softball. There is so little time to decipher if the pitch is good to hit. Guys swing at balls all the time. Pitches look good, they swing, the ball falls out of the zone. .220 hitters or pitchers have a better chance of getting on base.... Sometime that is all the manager is looking for..... by taking a pitch 2-0 than hacking. Also, it never hurts to make the pitcher work more for an out.

 

Am I for EVERY player taking 2-0 in every situation? Of course not! Yet, there are times when it is beneficial to simply take a pitch, be patient, make the pitcher throw multiple strikes in a count.

[FVBrewerFan]

Yet, there are times when it is beneficial to simply take a pitch, be patient, make the pitcher throw multiple strikes in a count.

 

Yes, that time is when a pitcher is AB, and the count is 3-0.

[pacopete4]

A lot of it has to do with the timing of the count. Are we down in the game? Are we up? What inning is it? Who's at bat? etc... But it is hard to hear that a group of players basically ignore coaching. Maybe if they sucked up their ego's they wouldn't be struggling to win 70 games this season.

[olliegjw]

Even the best hitters will fail 70% of the time. If you are down several runs it is definitely the right move to take a pitch. 2-1 is still a hitters count. A walk is almost as good as a homer in this situation. If Braun is up, and he is the tieing run, that is a totally different situation.