Pie's Patience

[TheDude]

Felix Pie has certainly been much more patient since his call-up, but he is getting killed by umpires on borderline pitches. This is not just a reaction to today's game, there have been numerous games where he has been called out on strikes by questionable (reads balls) pitches.

 

Without having this kid lose his discipline, someone needs to teach him the art of the two-strike foul off, because umpires are not going to give the rookie the benefit of the doubt.

[Skyballer]

Agreed. Perhaps he should ask the Brewers hitters they're doing a good job today.

[cbbryan]

The 2 today weren't that borderline. The first K looking was right down the middle. The second one wasn't quite as good a pitch, but I didn't think it was that bad of a call.

[Burtonbell]

He's just not putting good wood on the ball, gotta tip your hat to the pitchers. :P

 

He's really just in a slump. He will get out of it. I hope Lou keeps him in there still, he isn't hurting the team badly right now.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

FELIX WALKS!!!

[TheDude]

The 2 today weren't that borderline. The first K looking was right down the middle. The second one wasn't quite as good a pitch, but I didn't think it was that bad of a call.

 

You're not watching the same game I am. The first might have been barely in the corner of the zone. The second was definitely off the plate by several inches.

 

What upsetting about the calls is the fact they have been only strikes against Pie. Both of those pitches were balls against other Cubs and all Brewers. Hell, Wuertz had that corner 3 times in an eight-pitch stretch, and it was ball all three times.

 

Regardless, Pie needs to fight those off.

[Amazing_Grace]

Felix Pie has certainly been much more patient since his call-up, but he is getting killed by umpires on borderline pitches. This is not just a reaction to today's game, there have been numerous games where he has been called out on strikes by questionable (reads balls) pitches.

 

Without having this kid lose his discipline, someone needs to teach him the art of the two-strike foul off, because umpires are not going to give the rookie the benefit of the doubt.

 

Which is worse, striking out looking or swinging? It's a trick question because there's no difference.

 

Having a patient approach will benefit Pie more over the long term. I'm willing to tolerate some bad strikeouts looking.

[Mephistopheles]

Looking strikeouts won't teach [Cherry] Pie anything.

[Balsa]

I like the approach of Pie recently. He's been very patient, not swinging at pitches that look like balls.

 

He just needs to turn up the aggressiveness a tad. It's a balancing act, and I think he's pretty close.

[Sammy Sofa]

I like the approach of Pie recently. He's been very patient, not swinging at pitches that look like balls.

 

He just needs to turn up the aggressiveness a tad. It's a balancing act, and I think he's pretty close.

 

True. I'm more worried about Cub prospects getting the patience thing down first. The looking strikeouts are annoying, but I have more confidence in him fixing that than if he still showed that he needed to take more pitches in general.

[CubColtPacer]

I like the approach of Pie recently. He's been very patient, not swinging at pitches that look like balls.

 

He just needs to turn up the aggressiveness a tad. It's a balancing act, and I think he's pretty close.

 

Agreed. He's just trying to find that balance. When he came up the first time he was too aggressive. They sent him down to the minors and told him that he needed to work on his patience, and it's obvious that he has done that. Now he just needs to be a little more aggressive and put the two things together and he can really start having success.

[T313]

Felix got hosed by Froemming various pitches today. He gets hosed by many umps because he is a rookie. Even Brenly commented numerous times today about Froemming. Felix has not been quick enough when he does get the pitch to hit for the past two weeks. He always has a great 2nd half of the season. If Lou keeps putting him out there the star in Felix will come out. His approach has been good.

[Magnetic Curses]

Looking strikeouts won't teach [Cherry] Pie anything.

 

still, he won't be able to be an effective hitter long term if he's afraid to strike out looking.

[UK1679666180]

Pie is one of the few hitters that would benefit more by putting the ball into play early rather than later and hitting behind the count more than ahead in the count. He has the speed and the line drive swing to prob. maintain a higher than usual success rate when he puts the ball into play ala Ichiro.

[Soul]

Pie is one of the few hitters that would benefit more by putting the ball into play early rather than later and hitting behind the count more than ahead in the count. He has the speed and the line drive swing to prob. maintain a higher than usual success rate when he puts the ball into play ala Ichiro.

 

I dunno. At this early stage in his career I'd rather see him continue to exercise patience, even if it doesn't work out as much. I'd hate to see him go 'first-pitch crazy' like CPatt did. Yes, his swing is much better than CPatt's, but still.

[Amazing_Grace]

Pie is one of the few hitters that would benefit more by putting the ball into play early rather than later and hitting behind the count more than ahead in the count. He has the speed and the line drive swing to prob. maintain a higher than usual success rate when he puts the ball into play ala Ichiro.

 

I dunno. At this early stage in his career I'd rather see him continue to exercise patience, even if it doesn't work out as much. I'd hate to see him go 'first-pitch crazy' like CPatt did. Yes, his swing is much better than CPatt's, but still.

 

How did Patterson make it to the majors with that terrible loopy swing anyway?

[Outshined_One]

Pie is one of the few hitters that would benefit more by putting the ball into play early rather than later and hitting behind the count more than ahead in the count. He has the speed and the line drive swing to prob. maintain a higher than usual success rate when he puts the ball into play ala Ichiro.

 

I dunno. At this early stage in his career I'd rather see him continue to exercise patience, even if it doesn't work out as much. I'd hate to see him go 'first-pitch crazy' like CPatt did. Yes, his swing is much better than CPatt's, but still.

 

How did Patterson make it to the majors with that terrible loopy swing anyway?

 

You don't see many quality four seam face-high fastballs and sliders low and away at AA and below.

 

He never learned to recognize those pitches and it's just absolutely creamed him at the major league level.

[Amazing_Grace]

Pie is one of the few hitters that would benefit more by putting the ball into play early rather than later and hitting behind the count more than ahead in the count. He has the speed and the line drive swing to prob. maintain a higher than usual success rate when he puts the ball into play ala Ichiro.

 

I dunno. At this early stage in his career I'd rather see him continue to exercise patience, even if it doesn't work out as much. I'd hate to see him go 'first-pitch crazy' like CPatt did. Yes, his swing is much better than CPatt's, but still.

 

How did Patterson make it to the majors with that terrible loopy swing anyway?

 

You don't see many quality four seam face-high fastballs and sliders low and away at AA and below.

 

He never learned to recognize those pitches and it's just absolutely creamed him at the major league level.

 

That makes sense. It's kind of odd that none of the ML hitting coaches he's seen have been able to improve him much. The whole Patterson saga was bad coaching from a lot of different people. He never should have been allowed to get to the bigs with the kind of problems he had.

[Magnetic Curses]

Pie is one of the few hitters that would benefit more by putting the ball into play early rather than later and hitting behind the count more than ahead in the count. He has the speed and the line drive swing to prob. maintain a higher than usual success rate when he puts the ball into play ala Ichiro.

 

if he can sustain a good average on early count swings, i'm all for it. i don't mind him swinging on the first pitch at all. i just can't stand it when he makes up his mind to swing before the pitch is thrown, that bugs me.

[UK1679666180]

Pie is one of the few hitters that would benefit more by putting the ball into play early rather than later and hitting behind the count more than ahead in the count. He has the speed and the line drive swing to prob. maintain a higher than usual success rate when he puts the ball into play ala Ichiro.

 

if he can sustain a good average on early count swings, i'm all for it. i don't mind him swinging on the first pitch at all. i just can't stand it when he makes up his mind to swing before the pitch is thrown, that bugs me.

 

He has to improve on 1st pitch contact, he's only 2-12 on the 1st pitch, which is usually one of the better hitting counts.

 

While 2-12 is horrible, he is hitting 5-65 when he has two strikes (0-2, 1-2, 2-2, 3-2).

 

65 of his 136 ABs have been with two strikes, not many (especially rookies) will be able to handle that.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

That makes sense. It's kind of odd that none of the ML hitting coaches he's seen have been able to improve him much. The whole Patterson saga was bad coaching from a lot of different people. He never should have been allowed to get to the bigs with the kind of problems he had.

 

You can't teach pitch recognition. It's a skill based on eyesight and reflexes, and if you don't have it there is nothing you can do about it. Patterson had other, raw athletic talents that let him do decently in the minors, but no amount of coaching could change that basic fact.

 

I suspect the same will end up being true of Pie.

[Soriano12]

Looks like Pie has a foot in the Lou Piniella doghouse already. I really thought he would get a chance against a below average righty like Dave Bush today.

 

 

It really looks like Pie trying to show more paitence up there, but he really has been getting some jabbed with some calls of late.

[TheDude]

Looks like Pie has a foot in the Lou Piniella doghouse already. I really thought he would get a chance against a below average righty like Dave Bush today.

 

I don't think he is in the dog house. I think he is getting the Theriot treatment just for a few days. With Pie, everyone from the GM to the manager to the scouts knows this kid is the future everyday CF. He is the only minor league position players in years to have that distinction.

[YearofDaCubs]

Levine was on the radio this morning and he mentioned that he's talked to people in the organization and told him that they are going to rework Pie's swing in the offseason.

[Derwood]

I don't think he sees the inside pitch well right now. He's jumping away from borderline pitches. He needs to fight those off