I hate to make these kinds of posts becuase everyone will have their own interpretation of why Rios is sucking so much when it comes to hitting. I for multitude of reasons, the largest being my lack of god given talent and the truth that I am a 5'11", red headed jew, who is 27 ys old, and has never weighed above 160 lbs, i have always taken a crucial importance to the mechanics of hitting. I was always taught, and I believe its the "industry standard" in the softball I play know, and baseball I love to watch, that the most important piece of hitting is "head on the ball and hands to the ball".

 

Watching Rios at the plate now vs last year his arms and hands are in completely different positioning. I was always taught that the motion of throwing your hands to the ball should be static. That is, there should be no other movements associated with your arms and hands other than that of starting from a still position and moving them directly to the ball. Thats how "solid contact" and line drives are generated, by this proper hand and wrist rotation to and through the ball. Then the power is generated by proper body/weight shift and rotation through the ball, but the hand process comes first, and that is becuase it is the most important. That is what I know about hitting and I know Rios isnt doing any of that.

 

Rios isn't bad becuase hes slumping or his timing is off, hes bad becuase he is mechanically incorrect. Look at how his hands and arms aren't extended out in a set static position. Look how he keeps them closer to his body and how that creates a longer path for your hands to get out in front and meet the ball. Your hands path to the ball is so much shorter when your hands are positioned out further from your body vs. tucked in close. Furthermore, see how he has hands and arms oscilating all the way up until he actually starts to swing. I was always taught that was a big no-no, though it worked out well for Juan Gonzalez and Gary Sheffield. I have no problem with leg kicks for timing, see Jose Bautista for how something like that can really help a hitter. Yet, with most good hitters, you can see they have their hands out away from their bodies, and they keep their hands absolutely static until they "throw them towards the ball". After which they rotate their body weight through this process to generate power, this is Paul Konerko's exact swing. But the most important process and catalyst for the correct swing is and always has been hand/wrist positioning and hand/wrist path.

 

But that being said, I cannot be the only one who sees Rios completely removed from this fundamental aspect of hitting, I cant be the only one who sees the positioning and motion of his hands (so tucked close to his body) in this years swing is completely different from last years. I cant explain why hes the way he is, but I do think the longer he sucks the more obvious it is that his issue is purely mechanical, and rather fundamental. Nothing that some self recognition and extra BP and time in the cage couldn't fix in just few short days.

 

Good luck Alex, its gonna take some work to get out of it, but you are not "done" in baseball terms just yet.

 

 

Edited April 26, 201114 yr by joeynach

Rios, Beckham and Morel have mechanics that make it nearly impossible to make consistently solid contact.

Rios, Beckham and Morel have mechanics that make it nearly impossible to make consistently solid contact.

 

This I believe to be true. And I believe guys like Juan Gonzalez and Gary Sheffield got away with this and had great careers is becuase they had amazing upper body strength (steriods) and/or god given talent in generating bat speed (hand eye coordination).

Rios, Beckham and Morel have mechanics that make it nearly impossible to make consistently solid contact.

[citation needed]

Rios, Beckham and Morel have mechanics that make it nearly impossible to make consistently solid contact.

 

Beckham and Rios both start with their hands low. This stance worked great for Rios during the first half of last year. It appears his hands are a bit lower right now than it was last year. I think it was Walker who revised Rios' stance and it worked great for a while. Don't know what's wrong now, but it might have something to do with Rios being hurt.

Jesus were the ESPN guys gushing over Rios tonight saying he really doesn't know how good he really is. In all actuality it's true. He's got all the tools...it'd be nice if he'd get his head outta his arse and put it together.

This I believe to be true. And I believe guys like Juan Gonzalez and Gary Sheffield got away with this and had great careers is becuase they had amazing upper body strength (steriods) and/or god given talent in generating bat speed (hand eye coordination).

 

 

Don't forget Julio Franco. He used one of the heaviest bats in baseball too, well into his 40's.

 

 

Am I the only one who's reminded of former Cub Moises Alou when I see Rios' batting stance?

Am I the only one who's reminded of former Cub Moises Alou when I see Rios' batting stance?

 

Maybe the stance, but Alou had a very fluid swinging motion and a lightning quick bat. Rios is ridiculously mechanical.

Am I the only one who's reminded of former Cub Moises Alou when I see Rios' batting stance?

 

Maybe urine on the hands is the answer?

Don't forget Julio Franco. He used one of the heaviest bats in baseball too, well into his 40's.

 

True dat, I remember his patented wrist/hand gyrationthing while he waited to start his swing. Worked for him, doesnt work for Rios.

Maybe urine on the hands is the answer?

 

 

LOL, I remember hearing he did that....what was his reasoning for that again?? Just superstition?

LOL, I remember hearing he did that....what was his reasoning for that again?? Just superstition?

 

Toughens up the skin supposedly.

Toughens up the skin supposedly.

 

Yeah, helps with blisters. It's stupid, though. Who rubs urine on themselves? It's gross. I just drink mine.

Yeah, helps with blisters. It's stupid, though. Who rubs urine on themselves? It's gross. I just drink mine.

 

hello Kevin Costner. Remind me to kick your ass for Waterworld. Thanks.

Beckham and Rios both start with their hands low. This stance worked great for Rios during the first half of last year. It appears his hands are a bit lower right now than it was last year. I think it was Walker who revised Rios' stance and it worked great for a while. Don't know what's wrong now, but it might have something to do with Rios being hurt.

or that he plain stinks .... I also don't blame Walker for Rios, he just has an awful work ethic. How many MLB seasons can a guy be hyped before people realize that he's plain lazy? The guy's a bum, but we're the suckers who bought his contract, so shame on us.

Rios is lazy? What exactly are you basing that on?

Despite all evidence to the contrary, I think Rios is going to be just fine. Look, the guy was en fuego during ST, absolutely tagging the ball. And if you'll remember, he hit a ton of balls very hard last year that were atom balls. He gets his hands in a good position when starts his swing, even though his timing is off right now, and it's a pretty compact swing. So maybe this is the rut after a hot spring, but I have faith it will return. My problem with Rios is that he brings his bat with him on the field and IMO it effects his defense.

Rios is lazy? What exactly are you basing that on?

Toronto Blue Jays blogs when he played there, ESPN / CBSSports columns you can Google, and more importantly, the amount of time he puts in at the cage pre-game (pls witness for yourself the next time you go see a game). That and the fact that with all the hype about his 'super-sized' talent, that he has had significant droughts that baseball writers smarter than I tend to blame on mechanical issues. Mechanics can be fixed with hard work and practice as anyone who has played baseball can tell you. Sounds like lack of effort to me ... If not, then he just stinks

Despite all evidence to the contrary, I think Rios is going to be just fine. Look, the guy was en fuego during ST, absolutely tagging the ball. And if you'll remember, he hit a ton of balls very hard last year that were atom balls. He gets his hands in a good position when starts his swing, even though his timing is off right now, and it's a pretty compact swing. So maybe this is the rut after a hot spring, but I have faith it will return. My problem with Rios is that he brings his bat with him on the field and IMO it effects his defense.

Tagging the ball when pitchers are throwing 80% is not all that impressive...

Tagging the ball when pitchers are throwing 80% is not all that impressive...

Ah, so that's what ST is? 80% effort? Never mind then, I stand corrected.

Toronto Blue Jays blogs when he played there, ESPN / CBSSports columns you can Google, and more importantly, the amount of time he puts in at the cage pre-game (pls witness for yourself the next time you go see a game). That and the fact that with all the hype about his 'super-sized' talent, that he has had significant droughts that baseball writers smarter than I tend to blame on mechanical issues. Mechanics can be fixed with hard work and practice as anyone who has played baseball can tell you. Sounds like lack of effort to me ... If not, then he just stinks

 

I can read the first part, but the second part is garbage. A guy is lazy because he goes into long slumps? There are players that have year long slumps. Plus "watching a game" can only tell you so much about a guys work ethic. That stuff is doing mostly in the weightroom, the videoroom, and on the practice fields. We don't really see any of that stuff. Judging it by a slump is just crazy if you ask me.

Isn't the Sox BP was done before the gates open?

Isn't the Sox BP was done before the gates open?

Lamar owns a helicopter.

Isn't the Sox BP was done before the gates open?

 

Yes. They don't open the gates until they are done most days.