May 13, 200916 yr The last time a Sox hitter put up a sub .500 OPS in 100+ PA? Toby Hall: .466 in '07. Non catcher? Willie Harris: .499 in '03. Sub .450? Esteban Beltre: .447 in '92. Brent Lillibridge currently sits at .159/.254/.190/.444 through 72 PA.
May 13, 200916 yr Maybe if we had a hitting coach who actually preached to him to line-drive stroke instead of a puny Buck-O-five pounder with a big loopy uppercut hitting fly balls might have helped.
May 13, 200916 yr Greg Walker has always sucked, we have been blessed with veteran homerun hitters. That saves his job!!
May 13, 200916 yr Getz has been getting away with his homerun swing because he's just an all around better ball player than Lillibridge. But we need a hitting coach that can actually fix them. Cause Walker ain't getting the job done, and it's gone on for far too long. They need a knew approach and either they're stubborn as muals, or Walker isn't getting through the them. I tend to think it's the later.
May 13, 200916 yr QUOTE (Wanne @ May 12, 2009 -> 11:41 PM) Maybe if we had a hitting coach who actually preached to him to line-drive stroke instead of a puny Buck-O-five pounder with a big loopy uppercut hitting fly balls might have helped. Do you honestly believe that Walker is in the cage everyday teaching Lillibridge a long, loopy uppercut swing? You don't think he's telling him to focus on a quick, level swing and keeping the ball out of the air? Walker's inability to get through to a young hitter with a terrible approach is disappointing but I'm not about to dump the blame on him for the failures of a seemingly untalented hitter who really hasn't done anything exceptional at the plate since high A ball 3 years ago. Personally, if I'm s***-canning Walker it's because I believe a new voice could be needed to get through to some of these young hitters. I'm sure Walker has a fine philosophy on hitting but I'm not convinced he's much of a teacher.
May 13, 200916 yr QUOTE (Kalapse @ May 12, 2009 -> 11:54 PM) Do you honestly believe that Walker is in the cage everyday teaching Lillibridge a long, loopy uppercut swing? You don't think he's telling him to focus on a quick, level swing and keeping the ball out of the air? Walker's inability to get through to a young hitter with a terrible approach is disappointing but I'm not about to dump the blame on him for the failures of a seemingly untalented hitter who really hasn't done anything exceptional at the plate since high A ball 3 years ago. Lillibridge has had this silly notion that he is a power hitter in a 12 year olds body for a while now. It was something that they tried to get out of him in Atlanta, and they still have to get out of him here. It will take minimum of a year to rebuild his swing if he is a willing participant. And so far he hasn't shown the effort or the want to rebuild his swing. He has one marketable skill and that is speed. Him hitting the ball in the air is the equivalent of a power guy bunting. Once he figures that out, if ever he can become a nice utility guy.
May 13, 200916 yr QUOTE (BearSox @ May 12, 2009 -> 11:49 PM) Getz has been getting away with his homerun swing because he's just an all around better ball player than Lillibridge. But we need a hitting coach that can actually fix them. Cause Walker ain't getting the job done, and it's gone on for far too long. They need a knew approach and either they're stubborn as muals, or Walker isn't getting through the them. I tend to think it's the later. Getz doesnt have a home run swing, nor is he swinging for the fences. Right now there is an adjustment that has been made on him that he needs to overcome. Line drive hitters, who let the ball get deep on them like Getz will eventually get the inside treatment. Once he learns to get around on that pitch instead of letting it get deep and popping it into left softly he will take the next step. Oddly this is the same approach people are taking with your man crush Sweeney. The chess move has been played, its time for Getz to adjust.
May 13, 200916 yr QUOTE (Kalapse @ May 12, 2009 -> 09:54 PM) Personally, I'm s***-canning Walker because I believe a new voice could be needed to get through to some of these young hitters. I'm sure Walker has a fine philosophy on hitting but I'm not convinced he's much of a teacher. I do get tired of you making good points.
May 13, 200916 yr QUOTE (Kalapse @ May 12, 2009 -> 10:54 PM) Do you honestly believe that Walker is in the cage everyday teaching Lillibridge a long, loopy uppercut swing? You don't think he's telling him to focus on a quick, level swing and keeping the ball out of the air? Walker's inability to get through to a young hitter with a terrible approach is disappointing but I'm not about to dump the blame on him for the failures of a seemingly untalented hitter who really hasn't done anything exceptional at the plate since high A ball 3 years ago. Personally, I'm s***-canning Walker because I believe a new voice could be needed to get through to some of these young hitters. I'm sure Walker has a fine philosophy on hitting but I'm not convinced he's much of a teacher. I'm not saying Lillibridge isn't at fault too...because obviously when you get to this level you were coachable at some point...he didn't get here on raw talent alone. So it is probably a little of both. For 3 years in a row people have been calling for Walkers head. He obviously just can't get through to anybody...
May 13, 200916 yr Lillibridge has had this silly notion that he is a power hitter in a 12 year olds body for a while now. That was a great way to describe Lillibridge in your above quote. I would hate to see a stiff like Lillibridge cost Walker his job.
May 13, 200916 yr QUOTE (Kalapse @ May 12, 2009 -> 11:54 PM) Do you honestly believe that Walker is in the cage everyday teaching Lillibridge a long, loopy uppercut swing? You don't think he's telling him to focus on a quick, level swing and keeping the ball out of the air? Walker's inability to get through to a young hitter with a terrible approach is disappointing but I'm not about to dump the blame on him for the failures of a seemingly untalented hitter who really hasn't done anything exceptional at the plate since high A ball 3 years ago. Personally, I'm s***-canning Walker because I believe a new voice could be needed to get through to some of these young hitters. I'm sure Walker has a fine philosophy on hitting but I'm not convinced he's much of a teacher. QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ May 13, 2009 -> 12:03 AM) Getz doesnt have a home run swing, nor is he swinging for the fences. Right now there is an adjustment that has been made on him that he needs to overcome. Line drive hitters, who let the ball get deep on them like Getz will eventually get the inside treatment. Once he learns to get around on that pitch instead of letting it get deep and popping it into left softly he will take the next step. Oddly this is the same approach people are taking with your man crush Sweeney. The chess move has been played, its time for Getz to adjust. Two great posts that post great together.
May 13, 200916 yr So on Baseball Cube, somehow Lillibridge's power is 84... that makes me laugh. For reference, Brian Anderson is an 85 (sounds about right) and Fields is 93 (also right). Getz is a 25. Who the hell thinks Lillibridge is a power hitter? He hasn't been since college.
May 13, 200916 yr The two biggest enigmas in Chicago sports are Mr. Walker and Mr. Pulford. No one has milked jobs longer, on less results, than those two. Well maybe Shipps, but at least he entertains us.
May 13, 200916 yr QUOTE (lostfan @ May 13, 2009 -> 01:51 PM) Who the hell thinks Lillibridge is a power hitter? He does.
May 13, 200916 yr QUOTE (Texsox @ May 13, 2009 -> 08:50 AM) The two biggest enigmas in Chicago sports are Mr. Walker and Mr. Pulford. No one has milked jobs longer, on less results, than those two. Well maybe Shipps, but at least he entertains us. Yeah, the Sox were only 5th in the AL in runs scored last year. WALKER HAS SKATED BY WITH ZERO RESULTS. Don't let the facts get in the way of a good bashing. Walker has been the hitting coach since the middle of 2003. In his 5 full seasons of being the coach the offense in rank of runs scored 2004-3rd 2005-9th 2006-3rd 2007-14th 2008-5th During the same timeframe, Don Cooper, who walks on water and the team ERA ranking 2004-12th 2005-tied for 1 2006-10th 2007-12th 2008-6th One is bowed down to and the other is slammed mercilessly. If you look at the results, things may appear like they should be a little different. Please don't blame USCF as the reason as White Sox pitchers generally have better splits at home. Edited May 13, 200916 yr by Dick Allen
May 13, 200916 yr Author QUOTE (Kalapse @ May 12, 2009 -> 11:54 PM) Do you honestly believe that Walker is in the cage everyday teaching Lillibridge a long, loopy uppercut swing? You don't think he's telling him to focus on a quick, level swing and keeping the ball out of the air? Walker's inability to get through to a young hitter with a terrible approach is disappointing but I'm not about to dump the blame on him for the failures of a seemingly untalented hitter who really hasn't done anything exceptional at the plate since high A ball 3 years ago. Personally, I'm s***-canning Walker because I believe a new voice could be needed to get through to some of these young hitters. I'm sure Walker has a fine philosophy on hitting but I'm not convinced he's much of a teacher. I am still waiting for one single quote, link, clip, or anything else that proves that Walker has ever said anything like that, well, ever.
May 13, 200916 yr Fields just has WAY too many moving parts in his swing now. It's no wonder he can't hit a Pavano fastball down the pipe. Lillibridge is probably beyond hope for this year...he wasn't even able to pull Jeremy Sowers, but continued to flare lazy flyballs to RF. Getz stands almost as much on top of the plate as Quentin. Of course he's going to get busted inside, and unless he turns on those balls and drives them to RF, it's going to keep happening. It's strange to see a LH hitter struggle so much will pitches that are low, but it's the pitches that are low AND inside that he's specifically dealing with, like a cutter from a RH pitcher.
May 13, 200916 yr QUOTE (Dick Allen @ May 13, 2009 -> 09:17 AM) Yeah, the Sox were only 5th in the AL in runs scored last year. WALKER HAS SKATED BY WITH ZERO RESULTS. Don't let the facts get in the way of a good bashing. Walker has been the hitting coach since the middle of 2003. In his 5 full seasons of being the coach the offense in rank of runs scored 2004-3rd 2005-9th 2006-3rd 2007-14th 2008-5th During the same timeframe, Don Cooper, who walks on water and the team ERA ranking 2004-12th 2005-tied for 1 2006-10th 2007-12th 2008-6th One is bowed down to and the other is slammed mercilessly. If you look at the results, things may appear like they should be a little different. Please don't blame USCF as the reason as White Sox pitchers generally have better splits at home. OK, add Cooper to the list. Not certain where you picked up the ZERO RESULTS from?
May 13, 200916 yr QUOTE (Texsox @ May 13, 2009 -> 09:30 AM) OK, add Cooper to the list. Not certain where you picked up the ZERO RESULTS from? The Walker bashing is ridiculous. The results speak for themselves. Everyone bashes every White Sox player as they are done but when they don't go 4 for 4 its the hitting coach's fault. Its BS. Look at the line-ups and tell me how someone is going to get more out of what is out there? And if Walker must go, no one has come up with a name of a replacement to date. There have been a couple of "get the Texas coach's assistant" from a few. First off, does he even have an assistant? I'm not for firing Cooper. I just think the Walker bashing is beyond old and beyond ridiculous, and just wanted to point out that the offense generally outperforms the pitching staff during Walker's reign and the pitchers generally do better at home than on the road so USCF isn't the reason.
May 13, 200916 yr QUOTE (Dick Allen @ May 13, 2009 -> 09:43 AM) The Walker bashing is ridiculous. The results speak for themselves. Everyone bashes every White Sox player as they are done but when they don't go 4 for 4 its the hitting coach's fault. Its BS. Look at the line-ups and tell me how someone is going to get more out of what is out there? And if Walker must go, no one has come up with a name of a replacement to date. There have been a couple of "get the Texas coach's assistant" from a few. First off, does he even have an assistant? I'm not for firing Cooper. I just think the Walker bashing is beyond old and beyond ridiculous, and just wanted to point out that the offense generally outperforms the pitching staff during Walker's reign and the pitchers generally do better at home than on the road so USCF isn't the reason. Not so fast. WHITE SOX TEAM ERA on the Road (the best independent variable we can use to compare the offense and pitching) 2008 5th in AL, 13th in MLB 2007 7th in AL, 15th in MLB 2006 8th in AL, 18th in MLB 2005 1st in AL, 1st in MLB 2004 7th in AL, 19th in MLB AVERAGE ranks for White Sox pitching on the road, 5.6/14 in AL, 13.2/30 IN MLB Runs Scored Per Game on the Road 2008 12th in AL, 23rd in MLB 2007 14th in AL, 29th in MLB 2006 4th in AL, 8th in MLB 2005 8th in AL, 11th in MLB 2004 7th in AL, 13th in MLB Average ranks for White Sox RSPG on the road, 9th/14th in the AL, 17/30 in MLB
May 13, 200916 yr Brian is supposed to be in the lineup for Charlotte today, hopefully this will be a very short rehab assignment.
May 13, 200916 yr QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ May 12, 2009 -> 10:03 PM) Getz doesnt have a home run swing, nor is he swinging for the fences. Right now there is an adjustment that has been made on him that he needs to overcome. Line drive hitters, who let the ball get deep on them like Getz will eventually get the inside treatment. Once he learns to get around on that pitch instead of letting it get deep and popping it into left softly he will take the next step. Oddly this is the same approach people are taking with your man crush Sweeney. The chess move has been played, its time for Getz to adjust. Excellent post, excellent.
May 13, 200916 yr QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ May 13, 2009 -> 05:50 AM) Two great posts that post great together. Agreed, both are easily posts of the week and I completely agree with both of them.
May 13, 200916 yr Fields just has WAY too many moving parts in his swing now. It's no wonder he can't hit a Pavano fastball down the pipe. Lillibridge is probably beyond hope for this year...he wasn't even able to pull Jeremy Sowers, but continued to flare lazy flyballs to RF. Getz stands almost as much on top of the plate as Quentin. Of course he's going to get busted inside, and unless he turns on those balls and drives them to RF, it's going to keep happening. It's strange to see a LH hitter struggle so much will pitches that are low, but it's the pitches that are low AND inside that he's specifically dealing with, like a cutter from a RH pitcher. What is your point? Is Walker supposed to make all guys hit the same way? This is why players fail. If their swings suck, they are THEIR swings, they suck and they'll be out of baseball soon. We talk way too much about hitting coaches on here.
May 13, 200916 yr QUOTE (greg775 @ May 13, 2009 -> 02:42 PM) What is your point? Is Walker supposed to make all guys hit the same way? This is why players fail. If their swings suck, they are THEIR swings, they suck and they'll be out of baseball soon. We talk way too much about hitting coaches on here. Simple, he's supposed to help/assist/mentor in order to maximize the ability of each hitter.
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