Top Cubs' prospect

[CubsWin]

I don't think confidence breeds success but I do think lack of confidence may lead to not-having success. In other words the ability to come through in the clutch more than normal doesn't but the ability to fail in the clutch more than anticipated is true.

I agree, generally, but that's not the issue I was addressing. The issue was can confidence, or the lack thereof, affect success. And, judging by your words, it sounds like you think it does too.

 

I don't think Guzman's issue has anything to do with confidence in his stuff, but more or less the execution. He's had Blanco and Barrett call the game through Larry's gameplan. All Guzman has to do is throw it where they call it. He might not "trust" his stuff and is more catious, but this would lead to the walks but not the not the pitches down the middle. He could trust his stuff too much and challenge everyone down the middle, but this wouldn't lead to walks.

I couldn't agree more and said as much a few posts back.

 

The simple fact is right now Angel is doing two things and not doing one.

 

He IS:

1.) Throwing the ball down the middle.

2.) Throwing the ball off the plate for balls.

 

He IS not:

3.) Throwing the ball on the black or outerhalf with consistency.

 

Guzman will dominate one hitter, then look like crap to the next. His inconsistency from at-bat to at-bat has little to do with confidence or anything in his head. It's simply execution of his pitches.

 

Guzman has NO idea where the hell the ball is going when he throws it.

 

He MIGHT be overthrowing too much, which is probably the cause of the poor command but this has more to do with his approach than his confidence, I think.

Yep, again, I agree. None of my examples regarding confidence were about Guzman. They were all about Hill.

 

EDIT: Why should i trust a quote from Dusty Baker. He'll tell you walks clog bases. My point is just because someone in the business says it, it doesn't make it true. In fact there are a lot of psychologists who think that athletes at this level don't choke or whatever. Probably because the ones who don't have what it takes mentally get weeded out WAY before the reach the Majors.

Interesting, I would love to read something from one of these psychologists. Seriously, I have a professional curiosity in this matter. Can you provide a name of book or a link?

 

As to the relevence of Baker's quote, he has first hand knowledge and experience that none of us have. He is an intelligent human being with good insight and a track record of getting the most out of his players. He is not a good sabermetrician or X's & O's manager, IMO, and he still views the game from a 1970s POV, but what the heck would that have to do with being able to tell if someone is throwing their pitches with confidence or is dealing with a mental block about being in the big leagues? Answer: nothing. All you'd have to do is talk to the guy.

 

How many times have any of us been able to chat candidly with Rich Hill in the locker room?

[CubsWin]

Why should I trust a quote from Dusty Baker. He'll tell you walks clog bases.

 

=D>

I took this comment as a joke, too. And a funny one. If it wasn't meant to be funny but actually make a point, then I think it failed.

 

For the record, I think there are many reasons to not want Dusty as your team's manager. I'm not a big fan of his. But the way his quotes are twisted sometimes just goes too far, and I believe that quote was one of them. I wish I could find it and the context in which it was said, but I'm probably just going to have to go on memory which I hate to do. I could be wrong but, I recall him actually praising walks in the same quote. It seemed to me that in context what he was saying is that walks aren't always a good thing. That in certain situations, you would prefer to get a hit rather than a walk and that the walk actually will help the other team get out of the inning easier by "clogging the bases".

 

Again, as joke, I thought it was funny, but it doesn't carry any water in the argument why Baker wouldn't be a credible witness as to whether Hill was suffering from a mental block about pitching in the bigs.

 

If I were quoting Baker about something to do with sabermetrics or pitcher abuse, then it would be valid, and I probably should be taken out and shot.

[Mephistopheles]

It was in one of my phychology books a few semesters back. I don't have them any more but it was tied into the gambler's fallacy.

 

Actually my professor used to date BP's Jim Baker so there's an issue there heh.

[Donzo1679666396]

Not a bad list, imo... I know a lot of this has been talked about, but I have some questions.... Thanks in advance.

 

Could someone give a 1 or 2 sentence breakdown on Veal? What's his stuff & how far away is he?

 

On Gallagher, I remember him as a control pitcher, but still a decent prospect. From reading a couple threads here, I understand he now pitches in the mid 90's. How did this happen?... From what I remember, he wasn't projected to gain velocity

 

If he can still pitch like he did when he threw 88-91mph, his ceiling is about as high as it gets.

 

I saw that EP had a monster run in AAA. I know it was a small sample size, but does he have a shot with ther Cubs next year? Since the Cubs didn't call him up, I think I already know the answer.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Not a bad list, imo... I know a lot of this has been talked about, but I have some questions.... Thanks in advance.

 

Could someone give a 1 or 2 sentence breakdown on Veal? What's his stuff & how far away is he?

 

91-94 mph FB, curve and change, good deception. He's going to start next year at AA and will probably find his way to Wrigley sometime late next season. His biggest problem is his control.

 

On Gallagher, I remember him as a control pitcher, but still a decent prospect. From reading a couple threads here, I understand he now pitches in the mid 90's. How did this happen?... From what I remember, he wasn't projected to gain velocity.

 

If he can still pitch like he did when he threw 88-91mph, his ceiling is about as high as it gets.

 

He did gain velocity and his fastball is about 92-94 right now. The reason he wasn't projected to gain velocity was because he was already filled out - Sean credits his jump in velocity at least partly due to lifting weights last offseason.

 

He did struggle with his control at AA.

 

I saw that EP had a monster run in AAA. I know it was a small sample size, but does he have a shot with ther Cubs next year? Since the Cubs didn't call him up, I think I already know the answer.

 

I'm sure he has a shot at the second base job, but I'm guessing the Cubs go with a veteran at second base. The Cubs didn't call him up because he's not on the 40-man roster and he doesn't need to be added for one more year - so why add him now and start his free agent clock for a Sept. call-up? I expect we'll see him get a cup of tea sometime next season too (just like Gallagher and Veal).