I'm sick of this

by damayor on Apr 4, 2007 4:40 PM CDT Comment 21 comments

This team frustrates the hell out of me. I am sitting here watching it on MLB.tv and I feel like taking my damn computer and throwing it across my office. K-Rod is up in the pen and this thing looks about over. I am sick of seeing these guys take 3rd strikes looking. I know it is early, but after waiting six months for the season to start it is a bit frustrating seeing your team start out like this.

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strikes

whats the difference between looking at a third strike and striking out swinging? there is none they are both outs.

"Pimps be damned, it's harder out here for a Rangers fan!" "If you don't throw strikes first, you're last."

by rentz on Apr 4, 2007 4:40 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The difference is...

if you swing, the possibility exists that you'll hit the ball.

by akathelorax on Apr 4, 2007 6:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah

but it also takes away the possibility of a walk if the pitch is questionable

"Pimps be damned, it's harder out here for a Rangers fan!" "If you don't throw strikes first, you're last."

by rentz on Apr 4, 2007 6:37 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I would much rather

see them at least go down swinging. If you have 2 strikes on you you should be protecting the plate and swinging at almost anything that is around the plate.

by damayor on Apr 4, 2007 4:44 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

doesnt matter

and out is an out, either way you go...why swing at a borderline pitch when theres a chance it could be called a ball.

"Pimps be damned, it's harder out here for a Rangers fan!" "If you don't throw strikes first, you're last."

by rentz on Apr 4, 2007 4:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Basic baseball

dictates you should be swinging at anything close with 2 strikes. The hitter should be battling, cuting down on thier swing. The goal is to get a piece of it if it is anywhere close to the strike zone. If you hit it fair. . . fine. If it's a real tough pitch in a tough location try to foul it off. The more pitches you make the pitcher throw in these situations, the greater your advantage.

by damayor on Apr 4, 2007 5:02 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

what do you do when the pitch

is a foot and a half outside of the strike zone and you can't reach it with your bat even if you wanted to swing at it?

------------
:) - Obligatory smiley showing I don't mean whatever mean
spiritedness is likely contained in the preceding post

by jtts on Apr 4, 2007 5:05 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

My thoughts exactly

I wish the Rangers would have at least attempted to adjust to that awful strike zone. Shaking your head after every called strike doesn't do them any good. Just choke up and try to make contact.

by cgolden on Apr 4, 2007 5:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Choking up...

shortens the effective length of the bat. How is that going to help on pitches on the outside corner?

by benmor78 on Apr 4, 2007 5:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I was

using that as an expression more than anything. The old saying "choke up and protect the plate," my bad. I should have used the second part instead of the first.

by cgolden on Apr 4, 2007 5:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

Sitational hitting. Man on 3rd with one out, you don't take strike 3 looking.

buffering....

by SteveP on Apr 4, 2007 5:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Question

If it is 3-2, do you still swing if it is anywhere close to the strike zone?

by Adam J. Morris on Apr 4, 2007 5:10 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't care

If the pitch bounces ten feet in front of the plate and rolls behind the batter. If the umpire has continually called that pitch strike then you'd better get ready to turn and golf the damn ball off the ground.

As sorry as the rule is, the umpire dictates the strike zone and if the hitters don't adjust to him then he definitely isn't going to adjust to their complaints.

by cgolden on Apr 4, 2007 5:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That wasn't the question

by Adam J. Morris on Apr 4, 2007 5:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Swing or Not

If it's a 3-2 count and the pitch is close, not always. Better to take the walk if it can be taken. OTOH if there are two out and RISP, don't take a chance on a marginal call. Just try to square the damn pitch, and if that's difficult, just spoil it.

Time does funny things. The worst of which is, it keeps moving when you don't.

by Ed Coffin on Apr 4, 2007 10:31 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

We had this same...

...discussion before, and you were involved.

I think you and I agreed that the hitter's style has the most to do with it. You have your Pudge Rodriguez's and your Mark Teixeira's. Either type of hitter can be productive.

Not every hitter can spoil close pitches one after the other. Those are the types of guys who do shorten up. If players with other hitting styles try to do that, they just ground out weakly. The odds of getting an IF hit are probably about the same as getting a borderline strike called a ball.

by Dustin on Apr 4, 2007 10:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Basic Baseball

I don't think it's quite that simple. When you're playing high school ball, you protect the plate. When you have the vision that major league batters do, you don't have to swing at everything with two strikes.

I think the team's just a little sluggish coming out of camp. As long as they don't get off to a 5-10 start or something, I don't care. I think they'll pick it up a little. That's not to say I expect them to be a great offensive team, but they'll do better than they have in this series.

by Dustin on Apr 4, 2007 5:17 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

0-162

It's looking like a distinct possibility.

Thank ye, thank ye. Good to be hither.

by thedirkatron on Apr 4, 2007 5:29 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Well

That's certainly the current pace...

In the immortal words of Rob Schneider:
"We suck again!!"

"I feel like I have an idea about what we can do to keep the A's from beating us so much." Ron Washington

by hubcityraider on Apr 4, 2007 5:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Calm down

Anyone remember when the Mavs started the season 0-4 and we constantly heard they wouldn't contend this year and they were scarred from the Finals? I'd have to say that start didn't have much of an impact on the season overall. And how often have the A's looked dead in the water to start a season? They usually turn out ok, too.

Relax, take a deep breath, and realize that it's game three of a 162 game season. The only definite is that we're not going undefeated this year. Personally, that's not really a surprise.

by AmnGuest2006 on Apr 4, 2007 8:42 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs