Hunter Hines

[StarkVegasSteve]

Our 1st baseman had a rough series at the plate. Need to get him going again. He is still batting .297 and has scored 30 runs.

Luke had a bad weekend at the plate but as CC24 stated, we don't win those games without Luke in the field. He saved us a few times. His ability to pick balls and stretch out for bad throws differentiate him from Hunter. I'll live with him struggling a bit at the plate if he's playing 1B as well as he is.

[Leroy Jenkins]

Hes struggling a little at the plate for sure but he did save forsyth about 3 more errors and that could've cost us game 2. Even as it was forsyth errors cost us 2 runs in a one run game. If Luke doesn't come up with a couple of those throws we lose that game. He's a much better defensive 1B than Hines and why Hines has been Dhing

Yeah, Lane ran him into the base runner 2 or 3 times without getting him hurt.... then over corrected and nearly pulled him off the bag into right field 2 or 3 more times.

[SPMT]

Hes struggling a little at the plate for sure but he did save forsyth about 3 more errors and that could've cost us game 2. Even as it was forsyth errors cost us 2 runs in a one run game. If Luke doesn't come up with a couple of those throws we lose that game. He's a much better defensive 1B than Hines and why Hines has been Dhing

What is the deal with fielding?

I see it in my kid and others. They are younger. But you know the ability but sometimes they hit a rough patch in fielding as they can in the other areas.

With hitting is usually seems to work itself out but fielding I don?t know any slumbusters.

[Commercecomet24]

I feel bad for Lane, he's been so reliable defensively in his career but now it's in his head and the hardest slump to overcome is the mental ones. You can just see the tentativeness in him, the way he goes after the ball, the throws, he's just hoping and praying he catches it and then makes a good throw, instead of going at it with aggressiveness. Really hard to watch someone who's been really good suffer like this. If you've been there you know what I mean. He needs a break and hopefully he can help us in the future.

[Leroy Jenkins]

I feel bad for Lane, he's been so reliable defensively in his career but now it's in his head and the hardest slump to overcome is the mental ones. You can just see the tentativeness in him, the way he goes after the ball, the throws, he's just hoping and praying he catches it and then makes a good throw, instead of going at it with aggressiveness. Really hard to watch someone who's been really good suffer like this. If you've been there you know what I mean. He needs a break and hopefully he can help us in the future.

It really is strange to see someone in such a fielding slump, you expect it at the plate, but I cant get my head around how you forget how to catch and throw. One thing for sure, he is a much better defender than he has shown recently. Its baffling.

[SPMT]

I feel bad for Lane, he's been so reliable defensively in his career but now it's in his head and the hardest slump to overcome is the mental ones. You can just see the tentativeness in him, the way he goes after the ball, the throws, he's just hoping and praying he catches it and then makes a good throw, instead of going at it with aggressiveness. Really hard to watch someone who's been really good suffer like this. If you've been there you know what I mean. He needs a break and hopefully he can help us in the future.

Yep.

[Commercecomet24]

What is the deal with fielding?

I see it in my kid and others. They are younger. But you know the ability but sometimes they hit a rough patch in fielding as they can in the other areas.

With hitting is usually seems to work itself out but fielding I don?t know any slumbusters.

Funny you just posted this, but I just made a post about this exact thing. And there aren't really any slumpbusters for fielding. You just have to change the mindset and get aggressive again. You literally cannot let the ball play you on defense because it will and that's what's happening with Lane. He's hoping they don't hit it to him and then he's just hoping to field it and make a good throw, instead of going at it aggressively. Some guys never get over it and some have to change positions. Mickey Mantle started as a ss but if you think Lane was bad, Mickey made like 60 errors his first year in them minors so they moved him to CF.

[Commercecomet24]

It really is strange to see someone in such a fielding slump, you expect it at the plate, but I cant get my head around how you forget how to catch and throw. One thing for sure, he is a much better defender than he has shown recently. Its baffling.

It's all mental at this point. He hasn't lost his ability to play defense, he's basically scared to make an error and when you do that, you're definetly gonna make them.

[MStateDawg]

He is still batting .297 and has scored 30 runs.

In SEC play, he's hitting just .227 with 6 RBIs.

[SPMT]

Funny you just posted this, but I just made a post about this exact thing. And there aren't really any slumpbusters for fielding. You just have to change the mindset and get aggressive again. You literally cannot let the ball play you on defense because it will and that's what's happening with Lane. He's hoping they don't hit it to him and then he's just hoping to field it and make a good throw, instead of going at it aggressively. Some guys never get over it and some have to change positions. Mickey Mantle started as a ss but if you think Lane was bad, Mickey made like 60 errors his first year in them minors so they moved him to CF.

Makes sense

[BrunswickDawg]

It's all mental at this point. He hasn't lost his ability to play defense, he's basically scared to make an error and when you do that, you're definetly gonna make them.

It's a terrible feeling. I went through a patch so bad playing SS that I actually flipped a ball to the 3B to make a routine throw because I had convinced my self I would throw it away. Coach finally realized I was done and moved me back to 2B.

[Activated Alpha]

That’s why I will never boo Lane or call him derogatory nicknames because I know the level of defense he can play. Without his defense during the ‘21 run I don’t know if we win a natty. This is all in his head and a couple of weekends to sit and watch might be the reset he needs. Every player has been there and even elite players.

[Commercecomet24]

It's a terrible feeling. I went through a patch so bad playing SS that I actually flipped a ball to the 3B to make a routine throw because I had convinced my self I would throw it away. Coach finally realized I was done and moved me back to 2B.

Yeah, it's just so mental. If you've ever been in fielding slump it seems like every ground ball is bouncing like a super ball and first base looks like its on the next continent!

[Commercecomet24]

That’s why I will never boo Lane or call him derogatory nicknames because I know the level of defense he can play. Without his defense during the ‘21 run I don’t know if we win a natty. This is all in his head and a couple of weekends to sit and watch might be the reset he needs. Every player has been there and even elite players.

Amen to this, 100%!

[The Federalist Engineer]

He?s barely hitting his weight and leading the team in k?s. I wouldn?t call that squaring the ball up.

He weighs 339 lbs?

He has 17 HRs with half an SEC season to go. Just on HRs, this is a historically significant statistic.

In his miracle year, Rooker hit 23. Let that sink in.

This is the best HR total since Renfroe hit 16 with a dead bat. That would have been 32 with today's bat.

[Goldendawg]

Yeah, it's just so mental. If you've ever been in fielding slump it seems like every ground ball is bouncing like a super ball and first base looks like its on the next continent!

Wasn't there a pro infielder who got into this type slump with his throws to first and never got out of it? Can't recall his nam. Cost him his career, I think.

[State82]

You might want to check the date of the post you're replying to. It was a month ago.

This rejuvenated thread from weeks ago has some people contotally fused.

[State82]

Wasn't there a pro infielder who got into this type slump with his throws to first and never got out of it? Can't recall his nam. Cost him his career, I think.

Steve Sax

[Commercecomet24]

Wasn't there a pro infielder who got into this type slump with his throws to first and never got out of it? Can't recall his nam. Cost him his career, I think.

There's been a few. Chuck Knoblauch was the last i remember, had to become a DH because he couldn't make the throw from 2nd to 1B anymore. Steve Sax of the Dodgers got the yips too. Dale Murphy was a catcher but they had to move him to CF because he couldn't throw the ball back to the pitcher without throwing it away, he was throwing balls into CF trying to make the return throw back to the pitcher. There's others but those are just the ones I can recall off the top of my head. It's happened to many pitchers(the yips), where they just lose all ability to throw strikes. Baseball is so mental and anything can trigger these things to start. Most times they get corrected but sometimes it never gets corrected.

[Commercecomet24]

This rejuvenated thread from weeks ago has some people contotally fused.

Yes it has lol!