Bill Hall wants to play more

[Menotti80]

neither is hitting into inning-ending double plays...

[twobrewers]

Last year, he averaged 4.15 pitches per PA, the 5th most in the NL.

Isn't that stat misleading?

 

Generally that gives the impression that the player is able to "work the count" and "has a good eye" - when in reality often the guys who average the most pitches per PA are the guys who strike out alot.

 

Bill strikes out quite a bit - so on every one of those at bats he sees at least 3 pitches.

 

Leading the league in pitcher per PA can just as well indicate that you make poor contact.

[zzzmanwitz]

as much as I wish he was performing now, Bill Hall just isn't doing anything to deserve more playing time. If he wanted more playing time, he should have taken today's game as an opportunity to prove his worth. I really hope he only plays against lefties the rest of the season, maybe even giving Joe Dillon a start instead at times.

[1992casey]

twobrewers,

 

On average, as OBP and SLG go up, Ks go up, too.

[dadofandrew]

p/PA is a very good down and dirty indicator of the best players in the game. You will not see any of the top hitters in the game at the bottom of that list.

[trwi7]

Boy Hall sure does have a funny way of showing he wants to play more.

[bsglorydays]

Being productive is the best way to get more playing time at this point in the season, not talking about it. So, striking out with one out and a runner at 3rd today wasn't the best thing to do if Billy wants to play more.

 

I also find it comical that Hall says he is one of the leaders. Last I checked, you don't get to appoint yourself as a leader - either other people "follow" your lead or they don't.

[logan82]

If Jenkins is gone next year, I don't think it would be out of the question to see a platoon of Hall/Nix or Hall/Gwynn in CF next year.

[RU Rah Rah]

My frustration with Billy has been simmering all season, and it finally boiled over a bit today with his horrible AB in the eighth inning. All he has to do is either get a clean hit, hit a reasonably deep fly ball to the OF, or ground out to the 2B -- and he K's. That's just inexcusable. Say what you want about TGJ, but I think he would have scored that runner, or worked the guy for a walk.

 

For what he's getting paid, and what's he's producing, he has zero right to complain about anything.

[logan82]

My brother says that Bill Hall has Hero syndrome. He always wants to be the hero in big situations, but usually ends up striking out. I don't know the numbers, but I doubt they bear this out. Hall just has never impressed me with his approach. He just seems lost at the plate more often than not. He is not the kind of guy who seems like he is just trying to put the ball in play.

[rluzinski]

Generally that gives the impression that the player is able to "work the count" and "has a good eye" - when in reality often the guys who average the most pitches per PA are the guys who strike out alot.

 

I wouldn't say it means he has a good eye, just patient. I think Hall is more of a guesser, like, Jenkins. I only brought it up because someone said he's always swinging at the first pitch, which isn't true at all.

[brewtank34]

keep playing Gross. I'm sorry...I love Billy!!! But I just love Gross's plate patience right now. Hall is either strike out or hit. Gross is either walk, hit or out...I like his chances better...plus I think he's got God on his side.....I'm not a big religious freak or anything, but I love the fact that Gross uses Mercy Me's "I Can Only Imagine" as his plate apperance song.

 

http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/pimp.gif

[brewtank34]

With my last post....I have a question to everyone...

 

Does Hall stand too far away from the plate? I've been watching him all season long, as well you all have, but it seems that he stands too far away from the plate.. With his swing, he should be standing one more step in closer to the plate....I think I'm right, and if so, why the hell hasn't Brewers Management seen this as well.

 

I think I may have an answer to my own question....If you notice Hall going back to first whenever there's a pickoff play, he always covers his face. I think he's been hit in the face before, leading me to the asumption that he's afraid to really stand in and force the outside ball. If he took one more step in, I think he'd get more HR's with his pull hitting, plus, be able to see the outside slider with more ease and take more walks....If I'm wrong, I'm wrong..please correct me....but if I'm right, WHY THE HELL HASN'T MANAGEMENT CORRECTED THIS??????

 

http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/pimp.gif

[mothershipconnection]

If Jenkins is gone next year, I don't think it would be out of the question to see a platoon of Hall/Nix or Hall/Gwynn in CF next year.

 

I'd be extremely worried about either scenario. If we have to put Laynce Nyx in Cyntyr Fyld for a considerable amount of time, we're in trouble. He and Gwynn are both seemingly best-suited for 4th OF duties. Nix put together a decent season, but he's also about to be 27 and repeating AAA.

I'd say we either have to wait for Hall to stick, or bring in someone who can. I can't see either of these other players doing better than even Hall's "off year", and he hasn't really been a butcher vs. RHP in his career (better than Nix's 733 AB).

[RightFieldCoder]

I disliked Hall's approach going back to last year. He is a total guess pitcher. He sits on one pitch and if it isn't what he was looking for he either takes it or takes those really bad swings and misses. He even said last year about the Pink Bat Walkoff, that on the 2-2 count he was sure that he would get a slider on the outside part of the plate. That was what the pitcher threw and he clobbered it. But if the pitcher had thrown a fastball outside he would have swung and missed, a fastball inside and he probably would have taken it since he would be in no position to hit it.

 

I don't think Hall stands too far away from the plate, he just has an open stance before the pitch. If he guesses it will be inside, he'll keep it open a bit. If he guesses outside he'll close up and go to RF. When Hall is hitting well, he goes to RF with authority. I don't think someone who can do this is too far away from the plate. And when Hall goes back to first, he's not watching the ball coming at him and that is the side of the head without the ear flap. Both of those probably increases his fear beyond what he feels at the plate.

[endaround]

My frustration with Billy has been simmering all season, and it finally boiled over a bit today with his horrible AB in the eighth inning. All he has to do is either get a clean hit, hit a reasonably deep fly ball to the OF, or ground out to the 2B -- and he K's. That's just inexcusable. Say what you want about TGJ, but I think he would have scored that runner, or worked the guy for a walk.

 

For what he's getting paid, and what's he's producing, he has zero right to complain about anything.

Yes that groundball to 2b would have been great except for the fact it would have been a double play and much worse than the strikeout. One thing people often assume is that all one needs is contact to score for 3B with less than two outs when its just not even close to being true.

 

[M Skjellyfetti]

I also find it comical that Hall says he is one of the leaders. Last I checked, you don't get to appoint yourself as a leader - either other people "follow" your lead or they don't.

 

For what it's worth, I highly doubt that Hall appointed himself as a leader. I'd be willing to bet that he just is a leader in the clubhouse, the young guys look up to him, stuff like that, and he was just making the point that as a leader, he feels he should be contributing. That's just my take, as Hall certainly looks the part of clubhouse leader out there.

[Patrick425]

I'm not sure if this was mentioned somewhere else..However, did anyone else notice last night after Fielder scored the go ahead run last night? Hall was in the on-deck circle and Fielder was approaching him with the high-five. Hall didn't extend his arm or acknowledge Fielder. Fielder passed him then had to go back to get his attention and get a high-five. It was almost as if Hall is so wrapped up in his own issues to get excited about the team scoring the go ahead run in a crucial game.

 

Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it was an awkward scene.

[dadofandrew]

Heh, heaven forbid Hall concentrate on his PA, rather than celebrating.

[Patrick425]

Heh, heaven forbid Hall concentrate on his PA, rather than celebrating.

That's funny. I thought it was baseball not golf. I see on-deck guys giving high fives all the time. I don't think it is really that distracting to give your teammate a little acknowledgement.

 

Anyways, I watched it again. It looks as if Hall was just watching Cox get ejected and wasn't looking at Fielder as he passed. Because he quickly turns back towards Fielder to get his attention and then points back towards the plate as if to say "Sorry, I was just watching the other manager get booted." So, yeah, I saw it wrong and was making too big of a deal out of it. It's here (click on yesterdays game, MLB.tv, it's at about the 2:24:45 mark):

 

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