What are a hitting coach's accountabilities?

[windycityfan]

Disclaimer: I understand there's other fish to fry when it comes to hitting prowess or lack thereof, but I aim my frustration at the two players for reasons herein explained.

 

Is the role of the hitting coach to provide assessment and suggestions, while creating opportunities for more repetitions? Or they can extend as far as to demand adjustments if needed? Anything else?

 

I've taped most of this season's games and watched them twice uninterrupted. I cannot for the life of me comprehend Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez's approaches at hitting (I guess I'm just frustrated to see such productive hitters waste opportunities when seemingly minor adjustments can turn them into Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez, so to speak, respectively).

 

Soriano's plate IQ (a steady off-plate diet with get him out, every-time-out) and Ramirez hitting 'mechanics' (must murder the pitch, every-time-out) are every smart pitcher's dream to get these two hitters. I have no recollection of what went wrong with them in the playoffs last season but I seem to recall they struggled mightly (Soriano is quickly building a reputation as 'unclutch') - though the same can be said for others who tanked at the plate against the D-Backs.

 

Point is, I have yet to see any adjustments whatsoever. I understand Soriano and Ramirez will still kill the ball to the extent enough pitching mistakes will give them the numbers they produce each and every season, but I just don't see this translating into a playoff where top competition and pitching awaits them.

 

Do old dogs learn new tricks? Am I seeing ghosts where there are none? On the flip side, can you provide proof of any player on this team that has benefited/produced above career norms from Mr. Perry's coaching?

 

Discuss.

[Jon]

It may not even be a question of whether or not old dogs can learn new tricks. Personally, if I was a hitting coach trying to improve an established "star's" swing and approach at the plate, I'd be very, very careful not to screw anything up. There isn't a whole lot of job security as a hitting coach, especially when performance is based on overall results, not necessarily the improvement or lack there of for a few hitters.

 

Soriano came to the Cubs with an established history of being a very streaky low OBP, high OPS guy. I can't imagine that many hitting coaches would want to mess around too much with sugh a huge investment. The risk of trying to take a little away from what helps produce their numbers in order to make them an even better hitter can just as easily make them worse. Of course, there are lots of things that can be done and I'm sure the Cubs and Soriano work on them, but we're not going to see any major overhaul.

 

Soriano is what he is. Actually, I was relatively pleased with his numbers last year. That's probably only because my expecations for him weren't that high, though. He signed a horrible contract from the Cubs' perspective and came pretty close to matching his best numbers. My worry was that we weren't going to even get that for the first few years of the contract. I just hope that he can stay somewhat close before it goes south for the last five years or so.

[mcgoobs]

Even with established and productive hitters though there is value in trying to correct specific holes. Derrek Lee closing the hole on the inside of his swing before the 2005 season, or Sosa learning plate patience and the ability to hit to the opposite field are two examples. Tony Gwynn tells of a conversation he had with Ted Williams, whereafter he began turning on inside pitches more and produced the 2nd highest slugging percentage of his career at the age of 37.

 

To correct serious flaws though seems to take significant time and best achieved during the offseason. I can't imagine that Soriano's overall approach to hitting, which he's probably developed since he stared playing as a child, could change during the course of a season.

 

Also as long as we're here....

 

I've taped most of this season's games and watched them twice uninterrupted.

 

Dude. Wow. Commitment.

[Rob]

Aramis Ramirez's PA/BB:

 

2005 - 14.46

2006 - 13.20

2007 - 12.98

2008 - 8.00

 

P/PA

 

2005 - 3.61

2006 - 3.71

2007 - 3.67

2008 - 4.18

 

Aramis seems to be making a concerted effort to improve his plate discipline. It should pay off eventually. Should we be crediting Perry for that?

[Lefty]

You tinker with a successful pro very carefully. See Hill, Rich 524 U.S. 53.

 

I know a couple MLB hitting coaches. Most of their brethren got their jobs because they were former pros who knew somebody. They can teach most of us a lot about hitting. But when it comes to the pros, they usually wait until the player comes to them. So radically altering somebody is not going to happen unless the hitter wants to be torn down and rebuilt.

[Cubfanintheknow]

This is a quote from White Sox hitting coach Greg Walker in Tuesday's Tribune. He's talking about trying to teach players how to be patient at the plate and promote on-base percentage:

 

"I've talked to a lot of Oakland people, and they said they didn't have much luck changing guys [to their style]," Sox hitting coach Greg Walker said. "They draft them, and they trade for them."

 

I imagine it's tough being a hitting coach and telling a player like Soriano, who has had success in the majors, to change his approach. Even if it could make him a better player.

[Abe Frohman]

If I was a hitting coach, the first thing I would do is have all my guys read Ted Williams' book "The Science of Hitting." People can learn plate discipline.