LA Times: Angels' Howie Kendrick doesn't want to mess with a good thing

[AngelsWin.com]

Howie Kendrick began Saturday batting .325, fifth in AL, in part because he's been going to the opposite field. But Angels would like him to use the whole field.

View the full article

[Tyler]

The Angels, "youre having too much success, Howard, please switch it up."

This coaching staff has literally lost it.

[tomsred]

The Angels, "youre having too much success, Howard, please switch it up."

This coaching staff has literally lost it.

On this one I think they have a point.  Opposing teams will eventually make it hard on him to keep doing the same thing, i.e. they will just keep pitching in inside enough that it will become difficult on him to sustain his streak.  That's the way I read the article, when he can no longer sustain the right field approach, then he needs to turn on pitches inside and drive them. 

[Tyler]

And Howie will adjust when necessary. They are dead wrong on this one. Howie is at his best when he is spraying the ball to center and rightfield, not pulling homeruns to left.

[Tyler]

"Sometimes it's too much because at times he'll go the other way so much he'll start maybe dragging his bat or pushing it over there," Manager Mike Scioscia said.

 

Hitting coach Jim Eppard said that last season and in 2011, Kendrick "went that way a lot, to the point where you're taking inside pitches that you should hit out of the park and . . . you jam yourself into right field. So the goal is to equalize the spray chart out and get him to pull the ball a little bit more."

Toward that end, Eppard said he's been doing pregame drills that encourage Kendrick to pull the ball. But he's not pushing the idea right now, with Kendrick hitting a league-best .403 this month.

"I haven't said too much to him other than 'hi, how you doing?'" Eppard said before Saturday's game. "Now if it starts to go south on him a little bit, that will be the first thing I go to."

 

That's ridiculous. Great support and encouragement guy.

 

[Lifetime]

Why is it ridiculous? He's right. 

[Tyler]

Because he's not going south and he just put that thought in his head? He should just shut up, or say how in a zone Howie has been.

[Lifetime]

No it doesn't. Nice over reach though. 

[Tyler]

No it doesn't? huh?

[Lifetime]

It doesn't put a thought in his head. You're being ridiculous. 

[Docwaukee]

Classic AW

 

"Why don't the coaches have any influence on the players?  They should be on top of them trying to get them to improve their game!!"

 

"Don't mess with the players!!  You might f them up!!"

[Tyler]

"I don't want to talk about it," Kendrick says.
 

[Tyler]

Classic AW

 

"Why don't the coaches have any influence on the players?  They should be on top of them trying to get them to improve their game!!"

 

"Don't mess with the players!!  You might f them up!!"

 

Just too classic. Let's say something about the players who are actually performing.

[Lifetime]

Because some reporter brought it up. Uh oh. Kendrick is sure to start struggling now. 

 

Ridiculous. 

[Tyler]

I'll have my opinion on the article, you can have yours.

[Lifetime]

yes, and I have my opinion of your opinion.

 

But he knows better than to mess with success, so don't bother asking about his hitting.

 

 

"I don't want to talk about it," Kendrick says.

 

 

Kendrick said that when a reporter asked about his hitting. It had nothing to do with the quotes from Eppard that followed in the article. Again, nice over reach.

[Docwaukee]

The point is, that regardless of whether it gets reported, the coaches are constantly trying to help the players.  This was an article isolated to kendrick and basically says that they aren't going to mess with him but they recognize the potential fixes should he start to struggle.  They have made him aware of where it could go wrong.  I don't see the downside in that. 

[Lifetime]

me either

[tomsred]

me either

[Tyler]

No, you wont let me have my opinion without ridiculing it. My opinion is to fix the players who are below their norms, not diagnose someone who is coming into their own. You arent saying anything besides hi to the player, so until he comes to you for advice put it in your back pocket.

[Lifetime]

Yes, I am disagreeing with your opinion and calling it ridiculous, that is my opinion. 

 

They aren't messing with or trying to fix Howie right now but they are absolutely correct in their observations. 

[Tyler]

So youre trolling. Gotcha.

[Docwaukee]

so you disagree with the article

 

but if he disagrees with you he's trolling?

[Lifetime]

Trolling? Lol yes disagreeing with someone's opinion and calling it ridiculous is trolling. 

[Tyler]

so you disagree with the article but if he disagrees with you he's trolling?

In his persistent way, yes. Move on already. Your opinion of my opinion is ridiculous. No need to have a 7 page eye-sore.