WTH is wrong with Hill?

[E.J.]

His line tonight:

 

0.2 IP, 3 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 2 WPs, 45 pitches, 23 strikes

 

 

He's completely lost it. I don't understand how things have gotten so bad for him. Have to wonder what his trade value is becoming after all this mess.

[CubbieBum]

about 10 bats

[cubsclapp]

Headcase. It's been pretty obvious for awhile.

[JimSorgi]

:cry:

[ChiCubsfan0502]

What's wrong with Hill? Well, he just isn't very good. I don't think we'll be seeing Mr. Hill anymore in 2008 and I suspect he will be gone after the season.

[JonnyRed]

Boy, I was hoping we could bring him up to fill in for a couple of starts with Z out.

[TruffleShuffle]

What's wrong with Hill? Well, he just isn't very good. I don't think we'll be seeing Mr. Hill anymore in 2008 and I suspect he will be gone after the season.

 

he was very good last year.

 

at this point one would have to think it's some mental block. his command was fine the last two years. i suspect that he's going to have to figure it out himself at this point.

[JimSorgi]

What's wrong with Hill? Well, he just isn't very good.

False.

[ChiCubsfan0502]

What's wrong with Hill? Well, he just isn't very good.

False.

 

He has been terrible all year.

[imb]

Two or three years ago, someone flipped his switch into the on position. He went from a wild curveballer into (more of) a strike throwing machine.

 

Then for some reason, Rothschild turned it off.

[Garwilly]

What's wrong with Hill? Well, he just isn't very good.

False.

 

He has been terrible all year.

 

 

I suppose Travis Hafner just isn't any good.

[TruffleShuffle]

What's wrong with Hill? Well, he just isn't very good.

False.

 

He has been terrible all year.

 

 

I suppose Travis Hafner just isn't any good.

 

actually he might not be any more.

[Garwilly]

What's wrong with Hill? Well, he just isn't very good.

False.

 

He has been terrible all year.

 

 

I suppose Travis Hafner just isn't any good.

 

actually he might not be any more.

 

Oh I agree. Disgusted with how my draft went this season.

[NCCubFan]

What's wrong with Hill? Well, he just isn't very good.

There's a world of difference between not being very good vs. having a bad year. Many good players have had bad years and rebounded just fine. Will that be the case with Hill? Nobody knows. But it's unquestionably premature to completely write him off.

[Sammy Sofa]

Man, this stinks. I was really looking forward to seeing him cement himelf as the Cubs' #2 this season after doing so well last year and so amazing the second half of 2006. I really hope he can turn it around, especially since making a big splash by the trade deadline could easily involve moving guys like Marshall and/or Gallagher.

[NotSoSober]

Wasn't ther esometing about the Cubs trying to change his mechanics? If so why, was it to cut down own the ammount of stolen bases agaisnt him? Half the Cub pitchers can't hold runners, so why change someone who was pretty effetive. I can only laught at our minor league system while we just got swept by the [expletive] devil rays. The Trib needs to get someoen who can actually draft.

[CyHawk_Cub]

I hope this isn't turning into a Rick Ankiel scenario, especially since I kinda doubt Hill will be roaming CF for the Cubs in a couple years.

[third eye]

What's wrong with Hill? Well, he just isn't very good. I don't think we'll be seeing Mr. Hill anymore in 2008 and I suspect he will be gone after the season.

 

he was very good last year.

 

at this point one would have to think it's some mental block. his command was fine the last two years. i suspect that he's going to have to figure it out himself at this point.

 

 

His control was more than fine last year. His K rate, control and WHIP were excellent for a full year and a half, a period during which he was better than Z. I don't believe he's lost it for good, as he was able to recover from several demotions in the past. But, I'm certainly losing faith in his ability to contribute this year. I wonder if they had not screwed with his dead by sending him down this year, whether he would have righted the ship with up here. He wasn't pitching that badly at the time, but the demotion started this ridiculous spiral.

[RynoRules]

What's wrong with Hill? Well, he just isn't very good.

There's a world of difference between not being very good vs. having a bad year. Many good players have had bad years and rebounded just fine. Will that be the case with Hill? Nobody knows. But it's unquestionably premature to completely write him off.

 

While I certainly agree that we should not write him off, he is having more than just your avg bad year.

 

This is truly a shame. In fact, it sucks.

[C.C.]

I'm not even sure it's mechanics anymore. Mechanics you can fix but, he's progressively getting worse and worse. He can't even last 1 inning??!?! It's gotta be purely mental at this point, unless his back it worse then he's saying it is.

[CuseCubFan69]

Hill just needs to breath through his eyelids.

 

Where has it been said that the Cubs wanted to change his mechanics? They were fine with them last year until this year. Is it possible that batters just are not swinging at his balls as often as they did in the past? Granted, he seemed to be way out of the strike zone but I wonder if the lack of swings early in the count has changed his approach and aggressiveness in challenging hitters. I always thought when he came up with Dusty he was trying to be too cute and didn't go after hitters like he did before he was called up.

[Jon]

DesMoinesRegister.com[/url]"]"We've been watching a lot of video, and then trying things according to what we see on the video," said Hill, expected to be a mainstay in the Chicago Cubs' pitching rotation, but instead doing it for the Iowa Cubs. "Other than trying to get my back healthy, my problem's been mechanics."

 

What happened to the Rich Hill who had an 11-8 record in 32 starts for the Chicago Cubs last season remains a mystery.

 

"For some unexplained reason, my arm path was a lot different from last year," Hill said while sitting in the clubhouse long before Friday's game. "You can't pick it up from watching a game, that's why we watched so much video."

 

He worked with pitching coach Larry Rothschild until being sent to Iowa, where his tutor now is Mike Mason.

 

"It's almost like you've got a bunch of keys and you're trying to find the right one that fits the hole," Hill theorized. "You keep trying different things until you find the right key.

I suppose if that is really their approach right now, it could at least partially explain why his control is much worse.

 

Let's see if the Orioles wouldn't mind renting out Alan Dunn.

[C.C.]

Well, I'm glad it's just mechanical. Hopefully, eventually, that'll be corrected. I'm just worried 2 pitching coaches haven't been able to correct it.

[gerby23]

Two or three years ago, someone flipped his switch into the on position. He went from a wild curveballer into (more of) a strike throwing machine.

 

Then for some reason, Rothschild turned it off.

 

AH! Its Rothschild's fault. I just knew it couldn't be the beloved wunderkind Hill.

How about maybe the previous year and a half were more of an aberration and the league figured him out? One good pitch, one average pitch and he wasn't able to be aggressive anymore.

[C.C.]

Two or three years ago, someone flipped his switch into the on position. He went from a wild curveballer into (more of) a strike throwing machine.

 

Then for some reason, Rothschild turned it off.

 

AH! Its Rothschild's fault. I just knew it couldn't be the beloved wunderkind Hill.

How about maybe the previous year and a half were more of an aberration and the league figured him out? One good pitch, one average pitch and he wasn't able to be aggressive anymore.

 

Yea, I'm not sure it's LR fault. Hill clearly states his arm angle changed from last year.