Patience is not the problem.....

[Soul]

Plainly, the Cubs are playing bad baseball all around.

 

As per usual.

 

I have a good brick wall. I find it helpful at times like this. You are welcome to use it, just be careful of the blood stains.

 

](*,) ](*,) ](*,)

[cubfan1955]

Somewhere, someone has convinced some of these guys that if you take the first pitch no matter where it is thrown you are being patient. The problem with that though is if you get into a quick hole you can't be as selective. You have to swing at any pitch that is close once you have two strikes. The secret is to only swing at strikes. Your chances rise greatly when you do that. The Cubs as a team seem to swing at too many balls and let too many strikes go by.

[windycityfan]

Somewhere, someone has convinced some of these guys that if you take the first pitch no matter where it is thrown you are being patient. The problem with that though is if you get into a quick hole you can't be as selective. You have to swing at any pitch that is close once you have two strikes. The secret is to only swing at strikes. Your chances rise greatly when you do that. The Cubs as a team seem to swing at too many balls and let too many strikes go by.

 

Melikes.

[NomarSammy]

I dont know how to do the whole reply to what someone else said, so I have to do it the hard way

 

WarrenB--you are right, I needed to clarify that those would be separate ABs.

 

I feel that cubfan1955 said it best when he said that they swing at too many balls (or pitchers strikes) and leave too many hitters strikes go by.

 

Call it what you will--patience, selective or whatever, but they are not being good hitters from an approach standpoint. I dont know if you can teach it or not, but this is obviously something that a majority of the players on this team just dont get. It is sad because really you would think the talent is there.

 

I look at a guy like Barrett, he looks just lost this year at the plate--I am sure he is trying to do the right thing, but maybe he is just not good enough or smart enough to get it done

 

--maybe we need a visit from Stewart Smalley like MJ!!

[Soul]

Suckitude.

 

That's what it is, gentlemen.

 

General, nebulous, overall......suckitude.

[Guest]

I am not as concerned with first pitch swinging as much as popups and weak groundballs on 2-0 and 3-1 counts. Although popups and weak groundballs on first pitches aren't any better.

[Hacking Out Machine]

I am not as concerned with first pitch swinging as much as popups and weak groundballs on 2-0 and 3-1 counts. Although popups and weak groundballs on first pitches aren't any better.

 

This is absolutely correct. This Cubs team has done as well as any in a long time (at least since hendry has been GM) at working the count. The problem is what they do in those hitters counts. Never have I seen a team take so many weak swings, leading to weak contact in hitters counts in my life.

 

It's almost as if guys like Barrett, Ramirez, et al get themselves in hitters counts, and then say, "Whew! Now I don't have to worry about deciding whether to swing or not. I'm in a hitters count so the pitch must be coming right down the pipe. I'm hacking!!!"

 

You're supposed to get MORE selective in a hitters count, looking only for something you can drive. The Cubs get hyper aggressive in these situations, or so it seems to me.

[MPrior]

I am not as concerned with first pitch swinging as much as popups and weak groundballs on 2-0 and 3-1 counts. Although popups and weak groundballs on first pitches aren't any better.

 

This is absolutely correct. This Cubs team has done as well as any in a long time (at least since hendry has been GM) at working the count. The problem is what they do in those hitters counts. Never have I seen a team take so many weak swings, leading to weak contact in hitters counts in my life.

 

It's almost as if guys like Barrett, Ramirez, et al get themselves in hitters counts, and then say, "Whew! Now I don't have to worry about deciding whether to swing or not. I'm in a hitters count so the pitch must be coming right down the pipe. I'm hacking!!!"

 

You're supposed to get MORE selective in a hitters count, looking only for something you can drive. The Cubs get hyper aggressive in these situations, or so it seems to me.

 

While it's nothing more than my perception, I agree with your assessment. It seems as though hitters' counts make them trigger happy (I've noticed this A LOT with Jones in particular), and they'll just swing at anything that comes their way in a 2-0 or 3-1 count. It ticks me off like nothing else.