Resolving Hamilton

[Stradling]

Probably because of the amount of time you are grading them on AO at least for this season. So far Shuck is working out so is De La Rosa but you didn't mention them. By the end of the year Vargas will be on your list as positive moves by Dipoto. Hanson may not be great but he only gave up Walden who was one of your biggest whipping boys last year to get him.

[Hollyw00d]

Share your input, don't be facetious!

Obviously, he needs to adjust. He's not getting good looks of over-committing at the plate. Maybe that's what he's used too attributable to past success, I don't know, but he's missing dearly by it. I'm shocked by the "swinging and missing" nightmare, myself.

But that over-committing is by starting the heavier bat.

Even with the past success, it's always been in the back of my mind that that heavier bat weight he's selected will eventually catch up with him and slow him down by the type of hitter he is.

He's has a Ted Williams style of hitting to begin with and should be swinging a LIGHTER bat now. END OF STORY.

 

 

 

facepalm

[AZMike]

facepalm

[starving]

Well in my mind the only way to resolve Hamilton is to reverse the contract and get Torii back...but that's impossible. Hamilton is not hitting, Pujols is not hitting and Trout is barely hitting. There has got to be an issue with the coaching. No way three of the best hitters around hit so poorly for so long just as random coincidence. Just like the whole pitching staff sucked so terribly last year and now are doing just fine elsewhere (granted there is still a lot of time left to see where they end up).

 

The three players are completely different animals.

 

• Pujols is one of the best hitters ever but he's old and he's in extreme pain. His legs are a total mess.
• Trout is a very young kid. If he hadn't been so shockingly good last year, nobody would be 'worried' about his performance so far this year. I think he'll be fine after he adapts to the adjustments opposing pitchers have made to him. The sophomore swoon is a common thing, and I think he just needs to fight through it and he'll be fine.
• Hamilton is a complete basket case. He's one of the dumbest players in professional sports and has never worked at his craft. Now that a severe weakness has been found in his game it's being exploited and he has no idea how to adjust. ...he may not have it in him to ever adjust.

[Michifan]

How about having the batting practice pitcher bean him every day that he either gets an 0fer or strikes out twice. 

[Lifetime]

I think its a mixture of everything, the players and the coaches Nothing is meshing. Getting rid of Torii is a huge part in all of this. He was a leader, something the angels are severely lacking.

And yet, with Torii last year, similar start. Theory blown. 

[Blarg]

Torii never seemed to lead this team to the playoffs for his last three years after Vlad left. Makes me think he never lead the team at all.

[vlad27]

I want to start by saying I am completely in favor of a new manager. That being said, it's not the managers fault our three best hitters aren't performing. One is hurt, one is a head case, and the third is a second year player. I believe that there is a chemistry issue as well that is probably due to all the turnover.

I totally believe there is a chemistry issue with this team - way too much turnover - sorry but not bringing Torii back was a HuGe mistake -

[vlad27]

And yet, with Torii last year, similar start. Theory blown.

it's worse now - and it turned around last year I fear it won't this year

[Lifetime]

Well really it's the same now, but you think it will be worse. Either way, it's not due to Torii. 

[JB Abell]

Right, but I'm also not saying that Torii is the only reason. Torii didn't assume that leadership position until part way through the season. Him and Trout together brought life to the team. There are of course many reasons why this season is starting so disastrous. If Torii was on the team instead of Hamilton the angels would still most likely have a losing record.

However, the angels didn't look this bad last year. They were hitting worse, but the pitching was doing great. They looked more like a team, just one that couldn't hit. Now they don't even look like a team. They don't even look like they care half of the time. I guess my point is that even if the angels start producing runs, I am not very optimistic about the future because they simply lack any sort of cohesiveness or team "spirit"

[Lifetime]

That's baloney. Torii assumed a leadership position as soon as he made his first step in the clubhouse. Trout definitely infused life into the lineup but Torii didn't wait until Trout arrived to take on the leadership role. 

[Stradling]

That's baloney. Torii assumed a leadership position as soon as he made his first step in the clubhouse. Trout definitely infused life into the lineup but Torii didn't wait until Trout arrived to take on the leadership role.

I agree with this.

[Angel Oracle]

Blantana was obviously the worst move of all, given the contract and his ERA the past few seasons.

Hanson was granted acquired for someone who was a definite question mark.

Vargas was the best of the three, but even he struggles a lot on the road going back a year but is fortunately a solid pitcher at home.

My question would be, was there ever a chance at signing Anabal Sanchez, a pitcher who always had the talent but until 2012 was on the inconsistent side.

Maybe 6 years/$96 million may have been steep, but next to Hamilton even the 2012 Sanchez would have been a steal. And now he's blossomed in 2013.

Back to acquisitions, my point was the acquisitions going back to 2008, of which not a lot of them have panned out at all.

[Blarg]

This thread has not a damn thing to do with pitching, Mr. ADD.

[Angel Oracle]

Well Mr. Bash Other Posters, Hamilton was an acquisition, and the discussion while getting a little off track is still pertinent because my concern was with acquisitions in general.

But you go right away and insult posters, because as WWE's Mark Henry would say "That's what I do!".

[Lifetime]

Help I'm being oppressed! 

[Blarg]

But this thread has nothing to do with what you suddenly want to change the course of the thread to. You are the Italian Cruise ship captain of Angelswin.

 

Oh look, AO has arrived!

 

[JB Abell]

That's baloney. Torii assumed a leadership position as soon as he made his first step in the clubhouse. Trout definitely infused life into the lineup but Torii didn't wait until Trout arrived to take on the leadership role.

Yeah you are right. I mean yeah he came on the team as a veteran and so assumed a sort of leadership position, but it didn't really stand out until last season. Of course he wasn't sitting there waiting for Trout, but maybe Trouts energy was what he needed.

I think Torii is hungry for the world series. I think last year he felt he finally was on a team that could make it and had the best year of his career. Maybe that's why his leadership seems to stand out. Now he's on the team that went to the world series last year and he is absolutely killing it. I also think Hamilton isn't fully invested right now.

You really don't think switching Torii for Hamilton has had no effect on the team? Even disregarding both players performances this season?

[Lifetime]

Torii didn't wait to take on a leadership role. Last season was no different in that regard other than he caught fire hitting in the 2 hole. 

[Angel Oracle]

Your problem Blarg is that if anyone doesn't think like you, you can't handle it.

I can handle totally people disagreeing with what I say, and having fun with it. You on the other hand can't.

[Blarg]

AO you just won't understand how much of a troll you have become. You derail every thread you are involved in, unable to stay on topic. This is not about disagreements in a topic, this about you unable to stay on topic.

 

Stay on the topic of any given thread and I will address your comments but from here on out you try and derail the train I will delete your comments. Understand?

[jshep]

He should try batting right handed.

[HaloRed16]

Hamilton needs to hire Hank Haney.

 

Seriously though, Josh needs to take some time off to clear his head and get re-focused. He's hurting the team by flaily at every pitch. He needs to get with some hitting experts and watch some video tape and make adjustments.

We all know him as the aggressive, first-pitch hitter (more like swinger nowadays), and he was Brett Anderson's gravy in Oakland (by those sweet breaking balls as they were to begin with), but you're right he's needed adjustment.

 

The more I look at it, after referring to Baseball-Reference.com, he had the most home runs to his career last year.  He drove the ball so much over the wall the early part of the season that it made him Home Runnerish leading to his 162 K's.  Aside from quitting chewing tobacco, he fall off in the second half to Dave Kingman Complex without keeping to himself (as damn good hitter he is).  Whether it might or might not be by the lumber he's selected with it, I agree, he should re-focus, and that would be to go back to the hitter he was before:

 

The all fields, consistent contact hitter, striking out less

 

TRY EASIER, JOSH!  (WITH GEORGE BRETT HIMSELF CONVINCED BY IT WITH CHARLIE LAU), IT'S THE BEST APPROACH OF KEEPING FOCUS.

 

I'd rather see him take that approach to the plate with men on base than swinging for the downs all the time. 

 

Mostly mental up to this point, then, right?        

[Hoops McCann]

1.  Not swing at every first pitch at his AB's....what pitcher is going to throw him a first pitch strike when they know he'll swing at almost anything on the first pitch

 

2.  Improved strike zone recognition...although, this is hard as he's never been a very disciplined hitter in that regard

 

3.  Lay off the sliders