Baylor

[Stradling]

My post was sarcastic. There are certain members here who think Scioscia can do no wrong, and it's all the players' fault. I should have said "manager" instead of coaches.

I can only assume I'm on that list in your head of people who think Scioscia can do no wrong. Here is how it actually is, unless someone constantly bitches about Scioscia then in your mind they think Scioscia can do no wrong. You know how you feel Scioscia should admit his mistakes (by the way that is only to placate your hatred for him), well that's called self accountability. Well that's what I want from the players. I don't need them to apologize to me, I'm a grown up and don't need that. I believe that players are responsible for their performance.

[Homebrewer]

Baylor is seldom mentioned at all.

I think he still gets a pass from the horrible leg-snap incident, and the fact that the team seems to go into widespread funks.

But...these team-wide batting slumps have been a part of this club for more than a few seasons, on and off .

Or maybe, like me, others have basically written off this season... as far as going anywhere in the post season is concerned.

I'll still enjoy the rest of the season, but I'll be doing it mostly with an eye on the future.

I'm not jumping on Scioscia or the coaching staff, because what the heck...why bother at this point?

[fan_since79]

I can only assume I'm on that list in your head of people who think Scioscia can do no wrong. Here is how it actually is, unless someone constantly bitches about Scioscia then in your mind they think Scioscia can do no wrong. You know how you feel Scioscia should admit his mistakes (by the way that is only to placate your hatred for him), well that's called self accountability. Well that's what I want from the players. I don't need them to apologize to me, I'm a grown up and don't need that. I believe that players are responsible for their performance.

 

Do you think Scioscia has made mistakes, or is it all on the players?

[fan_since79]

Are there really any posters here who feel that Sosh "can do no wrong"?  Or is that they feel he is still a good manager even if they don't like every decision he makes?

 

I think what you really want is to have your viewpoint go unopposed.

 

The contact play is one of the most boneheaded calls in the game. It works about once every decade, and has been responsible for killing many rallies.

 

A "good" manager doesn't have that crap in his playbook.

[Stradling]

Do you think Scioscia has made mistakes, or is it all on the players?

Of course he has. It's just about 10% of the time you feel he's made a mistake. But you feel as though he owes it to us to share when he's made a mistake.

[tomsred]

Baylor is seldom mentioned at all.

I think he still gets a pass from the horrible leg-snap incident, and the fact that the team seems to go into widespread funks.

But...these team-wide batting slumps have been a part of this club for more than a few seasons, on and off .

Or maybe, like me, others have basically written off this season... as far as going anywhere in the post season is concerned.

I'll still enjoy the rest of the season, but I'll be doing it mostly with an eye on the future.

I'm not jumping on Scioscia or the coaching staff, because what the heck...why bother at this point?

 

Yeah, I think it's a combination of things with Baylor, the broken leg, he's a cancer survivor, the fact that he's a former Angel MVP, that he has managed before, and that he's a minority.  It interesting that you see all the eating disorder comments about Scioscia, but none about Baylor.  It's too bad Baylor had to move through hell to get some respect, but that's the way our society works.  If Scioscia developed cancer tomorrow, or if he was black, or if his family was killed in a car accident, fans wouldn't have the guts to say some of the idiot stuff they say about him.

 

Batting slumps happen to all teams.  I also believe that is magnified in today's glorious world of high level pitching performance, or is that because of a wider strike zone in an effort to speed up games?  I think it's also harder to make batting adjustments given the high volume of scouting material available to all teams.  Weaknesses get exposed rather easily on all hitters.  All you need is a computer and a hot zone chart.  Home runs are down, batting averages are down (except for a select few elite players).  On the other side pitchers are generally peaking earlier, are stronger, and just about everyone throws 92 mph+.  We even have one that consistently throws over 100 mph, Chapman.  The downside for them is the destroyed arms, the constant surgery threat.  As fans when a pitcher needs TJ surugry, we just wave it off anymore, get it fixed and get back out there in a year or so.  We don't see the misery of major surgury, the endless days and constant worry of rehab, and we don't feel the pain, and the fact that as of 2013 the failure rate on TJ surgury was 22%. 

Edited August 20, 2015 by tomsred

[Stradling]

The contact play is one of the most boneheaded calls in the game. It works about once every decade, and has been responsible for killing many rallies.

A "good" manager doesn't have that crap in his playbook.

You take the good with the bad. We've scored more runs than we should year in and year out and a large part of that is caused by being aggressive on the bases. So we get thrown out more on the bases yet we score more than projected. I compare it to Donaldson at third base. He makes more errors than most third baseman but he gets to way more balls. So overall it is a net gain. I know you don't like to hear that but it's the truth. This year has been awful offensively, I actually would almost encourage more aggressiveness on the bases if we are at the bottom of the line up because the lack of ability or execution from most guys on the roster.

[tomsred]

Do you think Scioscia has made mistakes, or is it all on the players?

 

If you want to share your mistakes with us, feel free.  I'm sure we can get some comments going about them.  Not many people travel through life each day looking to publicize their mistakes, pretty soon you won't get hired for a job, people will shy away from you, forget being attractive to women, but you might get your stories publicized.  And, I should add, with Twitter, the internet, the barrage of photos and cameras, you'll be the laughing stock of the internet.

 

So given all of that, what possible upside is there for Scioscia to sit around and discuss after each game the mistakes he's made?  None.  It's just negative thinking.

Edited August 20, 2015 by tomsred

[eligrba]

Maybe they should try to improve the hitting using scouting reports instead of feel?

[mtangelsfan]

The contact play is one of the most boneheaded calls in the game. It works about once every decade, and has been responsible for killing many rallies.

 

A "good" manager doesn't have that crap in his playbook.

 

That is entirely subjective and exactly my point.  For some reason you can't understand that everyone doesn't agree with your assesment.

[tomsred]

Maybe they should try to improve the hitting using scouting reports instead of feel?

 

Really?  Your mistake is that you don't want to admit the fact that they do use scouting reports.  Could someone else do it better, maybe.  Would another approach work better, maybe. 

[tomsred]

Unless you have nine Bengie Molina's every team using the contact play, yes some more than others.

Edited August 20, 2015 by tomsred

[fan_since79]

Unless you have nine Bengie Molina's every team using the contact play, yes some more than others.

 

Even when it doesn't work most of the time?

 

What is good about automatically breaking for home when the ball is hit right to the third baseman, and the runner gets thrown out by 40 feet every time? I'll tell you what's good about that. NOTHING!

[tomsred]

I've never seen a runner thrown out by 40 feet on a contact play.  Given that he probably has at least an eight foot lead, then someone tags him when he takes 10 steps (42 feet)?, LOL.  If all balls are hit to the third baseman, why do we need a SS or second baseman?  And do you really think a third baseman isn't screened by the runner coming down the line that makes that throw somewhat harder?

 

Hey fan__since 79 everyone has their opinions, and I respect yours.  This team and coaching staff isn't elite right now.  It's also not the worst in baseball, we're somewhere slightly above average.  There is work to do, and improvements will always be part of trying to win a World Series, it's never ending.  If a new manager will be the difference maker, I'm all for it.  My opinion is that you are only going to get a small marginal improvement focusing on managers and coaches, changing players can get you to the goal faster.  Hiring a permanent GM would be nice too, it would certainly expedite the decision making process, good or bad.

 

 

Even when it doesn't work most of the time?

 

What is good about automatically breaking for home when the ball is hit right to the third baseman, and the runner gets thrown out by 40 feet every time? I'll tell you what's good about that. NOTHING!

Edited August 20, 2015 by tomsred

[Blarg]

Maybe they should try to improve the hitting using scouting reports instead of feel talented players  ?

 

Let's first take care of the obvious.

[Blarg]

Talent and methods aside, I think the Angels are long overdue for a complete coaching change.

[Tyler]

Fan since '79 and still hasn't figured out players have hitting slumps no matter who the hitting coach may be. 

[fan_since79]

Fan since '79 and still hasn't figured out players have hitting slumps no matter who the hitting coach may be. 

 

The entire team, slumping at the same time?? What are the odds of that?

[SlappyUtilityMIF]

Maybe, they should read the advanced Scouting reports.....DOH WAIT!~

[Tyler]

1:Don Baylor

[tomsred]

I'm for a new Stadium, with good food, new coaching staff and manager, new players, low ticket prices, safe and cheap parking, close to my house, and new uni's to top it off.

[tomsred]

The entire team, slumping at the same time?? What are the odds of that?

 

Keep widening the strike zone to speed up games and hire dummy umps (don't embrace new technology for strike calling), and the chances are greater than you think.  Runs scored are plummeting.  It's the pitching age.  Case in point, look at the best team in baseball right now, the St. Louis Cardinals.  The machine doesn't mean they are a hitting machine, their a pitching machine.

[Stradling]

The entire team, slumping at the same time?? What are the odds of that?

Much better than the odds of 12 offensive players ignoring their natural instincts of success, muscle memory and relying solely on the information shared by the coaches. By the way it happens every year to just about every team. Some teams will go the entire year without long droughts of offensive performance and I'll even admit this is one of the worst stretches I have ever seen. But to put this on coaching and ignore the lack of talent or ignore personal responsibility is kinda silly.

I think I'll tell my boss that every mistake I make is because he isn't coaching me nearly enough every single step of the way.

[Blarg]

I'm for a new Stadium, with good food, new coaching staff and manager, new players, low ticket prices, safe and cheap parking, close to my house, and new uni's to top it off.

 

You just need to move to San Bernardino.

 

[Guest]

You just need to move to San Bernardino.

 

Haha.

 

Hell on earth, my friend. Hell on earth.