Mike Jacobs was release
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From: jonathan on 16 Dec 2009 10:46 > As for the Kingman analogy, Kingman had some damn good years in Chicago. > It was on the Mets, especially the second time around, that he went down > the tubes. A guy like Jacobs generally continue to produce late into > their prime, and I wouldn't be surprised for a minute to see him put up a > 125 OPS for a couple of seasons, if he is happy, handled correctly > (Platooned) and motivated to cut down on his swing. Do you know that he is unhappy playing in Kansas City? Have you had a heart-to-heart with Mike Jacobs recently? Believe me, I've had the opportunity to sit down with Trey Hillman and have a conversation, and from what I can tell of Jerry Manuel, I'd be much happier playing for Hillman then Manuel. Kansas City seems to be a nice place with a beautiful stadium. I'm not saying playing there is better then playing in NY, but when you consider the Mets aren't exactly the model organization in baseball, I don't see why Jacobs is so unhappy. I think you underestimate how difficult a swing change is. I recently saw this guy speak: http://www.hitrunscore.com/ernie-rosseau-biography.html Getting a major league hitter to 'cut down his swing' is really difficult. This is how we condition hitters to think. I'm not saying it's right, and there's a movement to go back to the idea of hitting linedrives, but Jacobs is a prototype for the kind of hitter we've been producing in this country that values hitting the longball over actually hitting the ball. I will bet you Jacobs never sniffs a 125 OPS+. He's never done it in a platoon split. > > ORRR - he might be another Preston Wilson..which I think is a better > analogy. Its not that he hits worse behind in the count, even Piazza was > like a 20 OPS+ with an 0-2 count. He doesn't hit at ALL behind in the > count and he gets behind in the count often. The pitchers widen the Again, that's something that's very hard to fix in a 29 year old major league hitter. > strike zone and he goes fishing. This is partly a lack of confidence, I > believe (please don't ask me how I know that, or if I've had a analytical > session with him :) ). It just seems some sluggers hit a confident > stride in their late twenties and early thirties. > > But most importantly, he is likely better than what they got, he's cheap > because he's been released and KC is paying him, and he is short term. > As for KC releasing him, that has more to do with their budget and > prospects that Jacobs...although he had a lousy season. > > Ruben
From: Stewart on 16 Dec 2009 14:23 On 12/15/2009 7:20 PM, Ruben Safir wrote: > On Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:40:34 -0800, Stewart wrote: > >> On 12/12/2009 6:53 PM, Ruben wrote: >>> >>> >>> If the Mets need some thunder off the bech and a platoon for Murph (not >>> to mention a 3 back up catcher), the Royals released Jacobs. >>> >>> Ruben >>> >>> >> The guy has more holes in his swing than the Carter has liver pills. > > > OR Gary Carter. He had to have more holes in his swing than anyone ever. > > Ruben Yes, just enough holes for the HOF.
From: Ruben Safir on 16 Dec 2009 15:39 On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 07:39:28 -0800, jonathan wrote: > The glove is actually secondary to the ability to throw back across the > diamond without turning your body. The LH first baseman can almost > eliminate the bunt as an offensive weapon. It also makes the 3-6-3 DP a > far easier play. No way. Either way you throw you have to pivot and throw, and you always throw across your body, or over hand if your stupid. And on the bunt you have to turn around for the 3-6-3 double play. The critical difference is that you don't have to literally spin around backwards to play a grounder in the hole...you just reach or lurch..to your right on a scorcher up the middle. BTW - this gives me some thoughts about catching with a glove in general and human ability. Its weird how we can adapt to catching with the wrong hand, but he have to throw with the dominant hand. We seemed to be programmed be evolution to catch with our non-dominant hand, although as is common with lefthanders I also catch like a right hander, catching with my dominant hand and throwing woth my weak hand. Ruben Ruben
From: Ruben Safir on 16 Dec 2009 15:40 On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 07:46:57 -0800, jonathan wrote: > Do you know that he is unhappy playing in Kansas City? Have you had a > heart-to-heart with Mike Jacobs recently? Yes I did and he said KC sucks...No Beer. No Women...no Baseball Fans. Ruben
From: Ruben Safir on 16 Dec 2009 15:48
On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:23:17 -0800, Stewart wrote: > OR Gary Carter. He had to have more holes in his swing than anyone > ever. >> >> Ruben > > Yes, just enough holes for the HOF. Not when he was with the Mets. He sucked. He put his arms way out over the plate. standing erect like a statue, in the worse hitting position I'd ever seen, forcing the longest back swing I'd ever witnessed, and never made any adjustments, just begging the pitching to throw heat inside. He was the complete opposite of John Orelrud and Rusty Staub who were in complete hitting position as soon as the got into the batters box, arms cocked in a very powerful but economical swing. BTW - I would not have voted for Cater to be in the HoF. Ruben Ruben |