Shutouts

[Toots_mcgee]

From stltoday 2022

22 shutouts: Tigers (66-96 record)
17 shutouts: Cardinals (93-69)
16 shutouts: Royals (65-97)
15 shutouts: Pirates (62-100)
15 shutouts: Diamondbacks (74-88)

Figuring out how and why a lineup that included two potential top-two National League MVP finishers (Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt) got blanked so often seems significant.

 

[Toots_mcgee]

Cardinals hitting coach Jeff Albert was hired entering the 2019 season. Since then, the Cardinals have played 15 postseason games.

Eight of those games have been losses in which they scored one or zero runs.
If it’s not the hitting instruction, it’s the hitters. Something’s got to give.

 

[Toots_mcgee]

Fourteen of the 17 shutouts began with a right-handed starter taking the mound for the opponent. Cough cough Juan Soto.

 

[Eagles_Ball]

Albert is hot garbage. Ever notice, especially the youngsters, when a Birds hitter goes in the tank he never rebounds? Like the slumps last the entire freaking season. He can't coach anyone out of anything. He just has his stupid scripted approach and that's it. Pretty typical of a nerd trying to coach.

 

[Pancho and Lefty]

How much of an influence does a MLB hitting coach really have? I could see where players making that much money aren't going to listen to anyone. I assume a lot of them have their own personal hitting gurus as well.

 

[Eagles_Ball]

How much of an influence does a MLB hitting coach really have? I could see where players making that much money aren't going to listen to anyone. I assume a lot of them have their own personal hitting gurus as well.

I don't think it's a coincidence that since Albert's approach has been adopted, younger players continually struggle and their slumps last the entire season. Then they leave and magically improve. It's a strange coincidence at the very least.

 

[Toots_mcgee]

I would like to see numbers on where the cardinals rank with regard to taking strikes. Especially fastballs for strikes. It’s just unreal to me how many times they take the best pitch to hit of the atbat and then swing at pitchers pitches instead.

Also being called out for strike three because “he was looking for something else” is one of the worst trends that is ruining my spectatorship.

 

[Eagles_Ball]

I would like to see numbers on where the cardinals rank with regard to taking strikes. Especially fastballs for strikes. It’s just unreal to me how many times they take the best pitch to hit of the atbat and then swing at pitchers pitches instead.

Also being called out for strike three because “he was looking for something else” is one of the worst trends that is ruining my spectatorship.

Why I loved Big Macs approach. Hammer the first good one you see. It's simple, but pretty effective. Didn't give a rip about pitch counts and shifts and none of that garbage. See one and smoke it, no matter the count or inning. Granted a bit more complicated than that, but I can get on board with any approach that starts there...And there's something to be said for having a guy that at least was a decent hitter teaching other hitters how to hit and picking apart the actual mechanics of the swing. Not some dork with a protractor and a pitch counter.

 

[Toots_mcgee]

I was watching San Diego last night and Soto hit a sinking bullet to right field and the second baseman caught it 40 feet out on the grass right where he was positioned. The SS was playing in the traditional second base spot.

Sorry, but F the Information age. The banning of the shift will be the greatest rule change in the history of man. Striking the ball well needs to be rewarded. Great athleticism in the field needs to be displayed. If I have to keep watching IBM Watson dictate results then I am finished.

 

[Eagles_Ball]

I was watching San Diego last night and Soto hit a sinking bullet to right field and the second baseman caught it 40 feet out on the grass right where he was positioned. The SS was playing in the traditional second base spot.

Sorry, but F the Information age. The banning of the shift will be the greatest rule change in the history of man. Striking the ball well needs to be rewarded. Great athleticism in the field needs to be displayed. If I have to keep watching IBM Watson dictate results then I am finished.

I still can't be sold on there being no value in bunting the ball against the shift. Or running against it. Why not just bunt every single time? Runners on base are a good thing. No matter the slash line, a hitter with a .400 OBA has value. For the Sotos of the world, I get the HR or bust approach. For the Carlsons of the world, not so much.

 

[Pancho and Lefty]

I don't think it's a coincidence that since Albert's approach has been adopted, younger players continually struggle and their slumps last the entire season. Then they leave and magically improve. It's a strange coincidence at the very least.

Cards had Shildt, a baseball lifer and a "Cardinals way" guy who had a .559 win percentage, and they canned him. Doesn't make since why they keep the hitting guy around with certainly mixed results. Obv there is always more to the story but strage indeed.

 

[oldroundballer]

Lot of good points in this thread. I'm not against banning the shift but hitters could take care of it themselves if they just would. Bunt a couple guys on base and the whole dynamics of the inning change.

Big Mac was an awesome hitting coach. He made it too simple. Just hit a good one. Who would think that might be a good approach!

It'd be interesting to see the Card's first pitch stats. How many times did they take a fat one and then make an out later? Might not be as high as it seems but it sure seemed like every other AB. It almost seemed like the opponents pitching strategy. Yep's first pitch dinger in game one had to be a shock to the Phillies. Cards hitter weren't supposed to do that.

Was Goldy just guessing right for 3 months or did his approach change in Sept? That 3-2 pitch in the dirt he decided to swing at before it was thrown effectively killed the playoff hopes. Hitting is such a mental thing. As stated before Albert never seems to get a guy out of a rut.

 

[3Rfan]

Hey OldRB, glad you showed up on here. Wanted to see if you know anything about the the condition ofFarmington kid that got hurt in the 8th grade in P.B. last night. I was at my 10 y.o. grandson's baseball game and didn't see it, but my 13 y.o. old grandson is on the football team. Family there said there was LONG delay with ambulance on the field and they left with lights and sirens going.

 

[Toots_mcgee]

In MO’s mind right now he is somehow justifying/excusing his team’s performance because the Dodgers and Braves were held to one run yesterday.

 

[3Rfan]

Hey OldRB, glad you showed up on here. Wanted to see if you know anything about the the condition ofFarmington kid that got hurt in the 8th grade in P.B. last night. I was at my 10 y.o. grandson's baseball game and didn't see it, but my 13 y.o. old grandson is on the football team. Family there said there was LONG delay with ambulance on the field and they left with lights and sirens going.

OldRb I found out the kid is ok, he was out for a bit is they took all the precautions they should. The P.B kid that hit him was ejected for helmet to helmet contact or something like that. My grandson said he had a cut on his chin so I guess the PB players helmet got under his face mask.

 

[oldroundballer]

OldRb I found out the kid is ok, he was out for a bit is they took all the precautions they should. The P.B kid that hit him was ejected for helmet to helmet contact or something like that. My grandson said he had a cut on his chin so I guess the PB players helmet got under his face mask.

I honestly had no idea. Glad to hear everyone is OK.

 

[3Rfan]

I honestly had no idea. Glad to hear everyone is OK.

You ready for some basketball?

 

[oldroundballer]

You ready for some basketball?

The older I get the less ready I am. But I'll probably take in some games. I suppose I need to look at schedules and see which ones to put in my calendar so I won't forget them.

 

[3Rfan]

The older I get the less ready I am. But I'll probably take in some games. I suppose I need to look at schedules and see which ones to put in my calendar so I won't forget them.

I know that feeling. I don't do much on the road anymore, men or women. I can see most of them right here on my puter anyway. Any games at MAC for either and both and maybe Jeffco for the women, they got a little better before last season was over. Don't do anywhere near as much HS ball as I used to, boys or girls. Most of it down here has taken a nosedive.

 

[Toots_mcgee]

First pitch fastball. Not complicated.