Game 1 thread- UCSB

[Homedawg]

But when our players take healthy swings , they get called out by Cohen for taking" softball swings".

Swinging harder does not generate more power. It just doesn't.

[whosyourdawgy]

No clue. But they have double digit hits, have gotten the lead runner on 6 or 7 innings and scored 8.

[bully99]

Didn't say harder, said healthy.

[whosyourdawgy]

Damn we have used 7 pitchers in this game

[CJDAWG85]

We need line drives... Not ground balls

[msstate7]

How many of UCSB's hits are extra base hits?

I have no problem with single hitters if they're clutch and don't have a high k rate

[HancockCountyDog]

We are going to have games like this, we aren't a good hitting team. It's ok though, we won't give up 8 runs many times this year.

Just regroup, and win the next three.

[sack07]

It's a philosophy thing. There is no one right way to do it, otherwise everyone would do it. We rode the patient approach to the Title game last year. I know it's frustrating this game, especially against UCSB's aggressive success this game. However, anyone who has been around the game (which by the intelligent discussion here many of you have) knows that tomorrow that aggressive approach might K and pop up all game long and allow the starter to go into the 8th on 50 pitches. It's a philosophy that Cohen has built this program on and has been successful. Single games can be very frustrating, but over the course of the year we'll be fine.

[CJDAWG85]

We just don't have timely hitting... twice we had the table set to have a big inning and twice we ground into a DP that kills the inning.

[blacklistedbully]

Swinging harder does not generate more power. It just doesn't.

This is incorrect, unless you are assuming, "swinging harder" causes a less accurate swing, resulting in less power as opposed to hitting the, "sweet-spot" at a slightly slower speed.

But if we consider it scientifically, with all things equal with regards to bat (assuming the same bat), identical impact point, etc, with the only variable bat speed, then a faster swing would absolutely generate more power.

In reality, it is likely a trade-off, as swinging harder/faster can potentially produce a less accurate swing, resulting in a less optimal impact point on the bat itself. Then again, if one can generate better bat speed, it can buy perhaps another few feet of seeing the ball before having to complete the swing.

[smootness]

But swinging harder doesn't necessarily equal better bat speed. It can screw up your mechanics and do the opposite.

[CadaverDawg]

Swinging "hard" and swinging "fast" are 2 different things. Vlad Guerrero takes an animated "hard" cut, but Griffey and Bonds had more bat speed while making it look effortless. I would take their bat speed over Vlad's harder cuts.

Rea doesn't swing as "hard" as Pirtle, but Rea has more power.

Everybody needs to relax, we have good hitters and several future power hitters on our roster. The bats will come around and this will be a good season. Just don't expect last year's results and you will probably end up happy happy.

[RougeDawg]

Lefty...CT hits in to a double play..

I'm at work and didn't watch, but was this DP hit to the 1B or 2B?

[Homedawg]

This is incorrect, unless you are assuming, "swinging harder" causes a less accurate swing, resulting in less power as opposed to hitting the, "sweet-spot" at a slightly slower speed.

But if we consider it scientifically, with all things equal with regards to bat (assuming the same bat), identical impact point, etc, with the only variable bat speed, then a faster swing would absolutely generate more power.

In reality, it is likely a trade-off, as swinging harder/faster can potentially produce a less accurate swing, resulting in a less optimal impact point on the bat itself. Then again, if one can generate better bat speed, it can buy perhaps another few feet of seeing the ball before having to complete the swing.

I don't care what kind of science u pull out. When I say swinging harder, I mean swinging as hard as u can, muscling up. A faster swing, quick swing generated by hands which creates bat speed, creates power. Fact. Baseball fact.

Eta. I re read your post. Yes faster bat speed will create more power. No question. But that isn't created by swinging harder.

[RougeDawg]

I don't even know where to even begin after reading this thread. Let me start off by saying, I have been posting here and the old board since Cohen arrived, that the hitters did not have proper hitting mechanics, to which I get bashed even by the so called "baseball experts on here". I have also stated that Renfroe's mechanics were not completely text book until his summer in the Cape. One thing that he wasn't either taught or listened to, is knowing the situation and predicting the pitch. I could type for hours about both, but bottom line is, either Cohen does not teach proper hitting mechanics and in game at bat approach, or our hitters do not listen.

The proper swing is almost like a bench press of the bat THROUGH the hitting zone, which Hunter and Frazier displayed last year. Thus their observed power and ability to hit the ball to all fields with authority. The hands only press forward toward the pitcher through the zone, from the back shoulder to way out in front of the plate in a motion similar to a plane doing a touch and go landing. Depending on location of pitch the hands are directed inside or outside thus making the same essentially the same for inside or outside pitch, in turn leading to power to all fields. This approach also helps go the other way because you teach the hitter to look away every pitch. If ball is inside you just pull hands in 6 inches during swing to make contact. Keeping the bat flat through the zone allows more contact, even when your timing may be off a little, resulting in a much higher batting average and contact percentage.

We definitely aren't showing any pop at all today. Weak ass grounders and lazy pop ups. Nothing on the nose

But look at most every other one of our hitters outside of Robson, and they all swing AROUND the zone. The swing resembles a gate, revolving around an axis. Prime example is CT. This approach requires almost perfect timing to reach maximum power output. The bat goes around the body and has to be in the zone the exact time the baseball is in the zone. Being too quick or slow, results in jam jobs, whiffs and que balls off the end of the bat. This type of swing also results in a lot of pull side weak ground balls and lazy pops to the opposite field. These types of swings also tell a defense where to play a hitter, based on the pitch. Calling the pitches on defense is also beneficial.

sack07 is offline
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It's a philosophy thing. There is no one right way to do it, otherwise everyone would do it. We rode the patient approach to the Title game last year. I know it's frustrating this game, especially against UCSB's aggressive success this game. However, anyone who has been around the game (which by the intelligent discussion here many of you have) knows that tomorrow that aggressive approach might K and pop up all game long and allow the starter to go into the 8th on 50 pitches. It's a philosophy that Cohen has built this program on and has been successful. Single games can be very frustrating, but over the course of the year we'll be fine.

As for aggressiveness, I'm not sure what UCSB was doing, but I am going to assume. They were making contact often and most times early in the pitch count? They were also attempting steals and putting runners in motion on hit and runs? This is not aggressive, it's smart baseball. It shows a team that has been taught the game and mental aspect by their coach. Another knock I've repeatedly made about Cohen, to which I get bashed. The game is fairly simple if you learn it and it's frustrating to watch college players not know the game. I can tell most of you have never played at the college level, but a good college coach teaches the game. I see our hitters get fooled alot of the time, when they shouldn't, if they read the scouting report, know the game, and then pay attention to every batter during that game. Every pitcher has tendencies, in every situation. Those tendencies can also change throughout the game depending on numerous factors: 2nd time through lineup, certain hitters hitting specific pitches well, etc. A game is constantly evolving and you have to constantly adjust your thinking. Scouting reports tell you the percentages of how a pitcher will approach every type of hitter in every situation. He will also adjust those percentages, based on success during the game. A good hitter takes all of this into account and can pretty much call the next pitch before the pitcher thinks about it. This is why its so frustrating to watch us play. I can sit in the stands or watch on tv and predict 80% of the pitches. How much better do you think our hitters would be if they knew what pitch was coming 80% of the time?

Last year in Omaha, while sitting behind the dugout, I was calling pitches the entire game and some Omaha resident turns around and asked me how I was doing it. I tried to explain the best way I knew but it takes a while to learn.

And just like that Vickerson with a lazy pop out to opposite field. Rusty Gate swing.

[Bully13]

I don't care what kind of science u pull out. When I say swinging harder, I mean swinging as hard as u can, muscling up. A faster swing, quick swing generated by hands which creates bat speed, creates power. Fact. Baseball fact.

Eta. I re read your post. Yes faster bat speed will create more power. No question. But that isn't created by swinging harder.

Barry Bonds agrees. some of the strongest hands and forearm action I've ever seen. roid induced but just saying.