Sox to hire Alex Cora as manager

[oldtimer]

I think that it is also interesting to note that Hyers previously worked with our budding young superstars (as some have called them) before in the minors. He knows them - they know him- what he will ask them to do might become very complicated to the prevailing think tankers and others who like to talk about the game as opposed to playing it but my guess would it be that any changes he asks our guys to make should be fairly simple -KISS.

If I was him I'd tell the hitters to avoid being predictable. By that I mean always taking the first pitch as some of our players we wont to do for much of the season is too predicable. If you get a good pitch early, go for it for goodness sakes. Just don't telegraph what you will do. Technical issues like the long looping swings can be discussed with the players. Maybe some can improve over last year. The effort needs to come from the player, without which I doubt if much can be accomplished.

[cp176]

If I was him I'd tell the hitters to avoid being predictable. By that I mean always taking the first pitch as some of our players we wont to do for much of the season is too predicable. If you get a good pitch early, go for it for goodness sakes. Just don't telegraph what you will do. Technical issues like the long looping swings can be discussed with the players. Maybe some can improve over last year. The effort needs to come from the player, without which I doubt if much can be accomplished.

I agree - The Red Sox have had a philosphy built around patience at the plate in an attempt to see as many pitches from opposing starters as they could. It was a philosophy that worked but I think worked very well when you had some of the best hitters in baseball coming repeatedly to the plate. Times have changed. How many of current hitters does anyone really want to see consistently getting in to 0-1 and 0-2 situations? Common sense might rule here again. There are times when you pretty much swing at good pitches.

[Bellhorn04]

As much as I was impressed with those aggressive Houston bats in the playoffs, I still think there's no answer to this conundrum. By taking pitches, you give your own starter some rest, and dispense of the other starter into the bargain.

If I were a manager I would game plan this. If we're playing the Yankees, and most of their great relievers are rested, I'd tell my players to be aggressive tonight. In contrast, if I'm up against a terrific starter, who has is backed up by average relievers, I would say "let's run the counts" tonight. To me there's nothing more impressive than to see a hitter see double figure pitches in one at bat, when up against a lights out starter.

I would agree with the idea of game planning. The only thing I would add is that the planning would also take into account the first-pitch tendencies of the opposing starter.

But to me all the armchair managing we like to do can be comical. I remember when I was a kid watching baseball games how often I would be thinking 'Why did he swing at that?' when the pitch was six inches out of the strike zone or something. It didn't really dawn on me how difficult it is to size up a baseball being thrown at up to 100 miles an hour, or with all different sorts of spin and movement, from 60 feet 6 inches away.

Ted Williams said it, hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports, and he was a pretty good authority on the subject.

[mvp 78]

As much as I was impressed with those aggressive Houston bats in the playoffs, I still think there's no answer to this conundrum. By taking pitches, you give your own starter some rest, and dispense of the other starter into the bargain.

If I were a manager I would game plan this. If we're playing the Yankees, and most of their great relievers are rested, I'd tell my players to be aggressive tonight. In contrast, if I'm up against a terrific starter, who has is backed up by average relievers, I would say "let's run the counts" tonight. To me there's nothing more impressive than to see a hitter see double figure pitches in one at bat, when up against a lights out starter.

I don't agree. If you are automatically going down 0-1, you're doing your at bat a disservice. There is a difference between swinging at every first pitch like Mike Greenwell seemed to do and swinging at the first pitch if it's in the location you're looking for.

[mvp 78]

I would agree with the idea of game planning. The only thing I would add is that the planning would also take into account the first-pitch tendencies of the opposing starter.

But to me all the armchair managing we like to do can be comical. I remember when I was a kid watching baseball games how often I would be thinking 'Why did he swing at that?' when the pitch was six inches out of the strike zone or something. It didn't really dawn on me how difficult it is to size up a baseball being thrown at up to 100 miles an hour, or with all different sorts of spin and movement, from 60 feet 6 inches away.

Ted Williams said it, hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports, and he was a pretty good authority on the subject.

Swinging and missing is part of the game. Dropping your bat on your shoulder before the ball even leaves the pitcher's hand isn't.

[Bellhorn04]

Swinging and missing is part of the game. Dropping your bat on your shoulder before the ball even leaves the pitcher's hand isn't.

I certainly agree. Standing there watching a straight fastball down the middle is not good. On the other hand, swinging at every first pitch that looks like it might be a strike coming out of the pitcher's hand is not either.

My feeling is that these guys are didn't get to the big leagues by not understanding all this stuff at least as well as the viewers at home.

Anyway, we can all hope Alex Cora and his staff instill a good approach this year.

[Hitch]

Swinging and missing is part of the game. Dropping your bat on your shoulder before the ball even leaves the pitcher's hand isn't.

Yup! It's been my No 1 biggest annoyance these past few years. Watching a hitter quite literally tell the pitcher - "The first one is on me. Throw it in there."

[mvp 78]

I certainly agree. Standing there watching a straight fastball down the middle is not good. On the other hand, swinging at every first pitch that looks like it might be a strike coming out of the pitcher's hand is not either.

My feeling is that these guys are didn't get to the big leagues by not understanding all this stuff at least as well as the viewers at home.

Anyway, we can all hope Alex Cora and his staff instill a good approach this year.

I never said "every pitch that looks like a strike." These guys are professional hitters. They know if a pitch is in the hit me zone. All I've said is if it looks like the pitch you are looking for it's a good idea to swing.

It was an organizational philosophy to not swing. Cora wants to change that.

[cp176]

No question for me that a lot of whether to take or not depends on the situation as much as the man at the plate. If anyone thinks that at on a consistent basis it is ok to have an over riding hitting philosophy that consistently puts the likes of Brock Holt, JBJ, Vazquez and a whole host of others in an almost automatic o-1 or maybe even an 0-2 hole is productive - your prerogative I guess - I find that very comical! I don't care what arm chair you are managing from - one size never fits all.

[Bellhorn04]

Yup! It's been my No 1 biggest annoyance these past few years. Watching a hitter quite literally tell the pitcher - "The first one is on me. Throw it in there."

They had the best offense in the majors in 2016, so it didn't seem to be much of a problem.

Last year was a whole different story.

[mvp 78]

They had the best offense in the majors in 2016, so it didn't seem to be much of a problem.

Last year was a whole different story.

2016 had:
Career years from Xander, Mookie, JBJ and Sandy Leon (remember how he hit down the stretch)
Pedey's best season since 2011
Papi's best season since 2007
Hanley was healthy all year
Chris Young's best season since 2010

That seems to be a very atypical season to me.

[notin]

Yup! It's been my No 1 biggest annoyance these past few years. Watching a hitter quite literally tell the pitcher - "The first one is on me. Throw it in there."

Few years? Really?

Until last year the Sox had one of the best offenses in the AL pretty much every year. In fact, even last year the Sox were SIXTH in the AL in sco ring despite being last - and a distant last at that - in home runs. Nine teams outnumbered the Sox BY A LOT and still scored fewer runs.

So clearly this approach is working and has always been working. Why would anyone want to change it? The 0-1 counts have never been a problem..

[mvp 78]

Few years? Really?

Until last year the Sox had one of the best offenses in the AL pretty much every year. In fact, even last year the Sox were SIXTH in the AL in sco ring despite being last - and a distant last at that - in home runs. Nine teams outnumbered the Sox BY A LOT and still scored fewer runs.

So clearly this approach is working and has always been working. Why would anyone want to change it? The 0-1 counts have never been a problem..

Pretty bad in 2014 too.

[cp176]

Few years? Really?

Until last year the Sox had one of the best offenses in the AL pretty much every year. In fact, even last year the Sox were SIXTH in the AL in sco ring despite being last - and a distant last at that - in home runs. Nine teams outnumbered the Sox BY A LOT and still scored fewer runs.

So clearly this approach is working and has always been working. Why would anyone want to change it? The 0-1 counts have never been a problem..

hmm yes notin correct. And I know that on here if it can't quantified to some it doesn't mean much but let's see - how much of an impact do people think a hitting Ramirez and Papi in the batting order influenced how others were pitched to? Personally I think that the influence was huge. You going to play the patient to fault game you better have some real professional hitters in your lineup - not a bunch of little scrappy punch and judies.

[notin]

hmm yes notin correct. And I know that on here if it can't quantified to some it doesn't mean much but let's see - how much of an impact do people think a hitting Ramirez and Papi in the batting order influenced how others were pitched to? Personally I think that the influence was huge. You going to play the patient to fault game you better have some real professional hitters in your lineup - not a bunch of little scrappy punch and judies.

Yes having elite power hitters helps get more home runs.

However my point was that the patient disciplined approach still works very well even when you don't have them. The Sox still outscored many power hitting teams.

Plate discipline was NOT the issue. In fact with no power added to date, discipline is the only offensive weapon they have...