Why Hasn't The Hittin' Coach Been Fired?

[Sai Young]

we have the worst batting avg. in the month of may
we have 21 games where we scored just 3 runs
depite the fact
our 1 through 7 hitters have 5 plus homeruns
our 3,4,5 hitters
are killing us
just like last year
wells has been a huge disapointment

shame shame

[youreachiteach]

we have the worst batting avg. in the month of may
we have 21 games where we scored just 3 runs
depite the fact
our 1 through 7 hitters have 5 plus homeruns
our 3,4,5 hitters
are killing us
just like last year
wells has been a huge disapointment

shame shame

The players are not really performing up to par, but it's not all the hitting coach's fault.

Here's why:

1.) There is no leadoff man.

You'd think that'd be a small problem, but Rios is not a high OBP guy. He doesn't take a lot fo walks and doesn't see his job as "getting on". He's trying to hit home runs. If he is, great. If he isn't, he's grounding out to the right side too much. Just placing him in the fifth hole makes the team CONSIDERABLY better.

2.) Overbay is being forced to bat second.

It took a long time for him to learn to hit second, more than most thought he would, given his plate discipline. This makes the first two batters likely to get themselves out, and destroy the kind of danerous situation the big boppers need to get the pitches they want.

3.) Everyone else isn't paid to get on base either

Every other hitter is either a strict power guy or a strikeout king (see Clayton, or Phillips). This doesn't lead to any conistency at all in the lineup.

None of these problems is really the hitting coach;s fault. You could fault Gibbons, but it's because of injuries he has had to juggle the way he has.

A "key comment" on the YES network today is that the team has been decimated by injuries. That about sums it.

Again, not the hitting coach's fault.