Rajai Davis developing power to go with speed

[LittleOzzy]

Grip and rip is the term that was sometimes used to describe the Toronto Blue Jays' approach to hitting last season when they led the majors with 257 homers.

But hitting coach Dwayne Murphy disagrees with that characterization of the hitting approach he teaches.

“I heard that term and they think guys were just walking up there and trying to hit home runs and they weren't,” Murphy said. “They were just getting the pitch they were looking for and they were squared up where it was going.”

Murphy feels hitters should go to the plate looking for a pitch they can hit. Type of pitch and location are both factors. When the hitter sees that pitch, Murphy wants him to drive the ball and often the result is a homer or double.

“I think that helps you become a strike hitter,” Murphy said.”It's very hard. Walk up there and look for a pitch — it's not as easy as it sounds.”

Murphy already has a new believer this spring training in outfielder Rajai Davis, who was acquired for his speed yet hasn't stolen a base in 11 spring-training games but has three homers, all leading off a game.

“He does simplify things,” Davis said. “It's less thinking and more just doing.”

And Murphy said that's been one reason for Davis's success.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/b ... le1944577/

[tecumseh18]

“I think some guys have told me to drive the ball,” Davis said. “Telling you is one thing but actually showing you how to do that is another.

“Here they've been able to show me how to attack the ball better and how to be more consistent in attacking the ball. I think that's contributing a lot.”

Good article. I'll believe the Jays are going small ball when I see it. Murphy is damn good at what he does, and I'm glad he was retained, but the result has to be lower batting averages and lots of trotting around the bases.

But it's nice for a team to have an identity.

[luvtheteam]

“I think some guys have told me to drive the ball,” Davis said. “Telling you is one thing but actually showing you how to do that is another.

“Here they've been able to show me how to attack the ball better and how to be more consistent in attacking the ball. I think that's contributing a lot.”

Good article. I'll believe the Jays are going small ball when I see it. Murphy is damn good at what he does, and I'm glad he was retained, but the result has to be lower batting averages and lots of trotting around the bases.

But it's nice for a team to have an identity.

Yeah...and i'm all for it 100%. I hated the JP years when everyone was standing around at the plate taking pitches. Flat out boring baseball. I love the philosphy of go up there and hit your pitch when you see it. Wonder if AA with his midas touch it going to turn Davis into 20+ Homers and 75+ RBI's? That would just be incredible to get close to Wells numbers at a fraction of the price. Any predictions? I don't know the guy very well so don't really know what he is capable of.

[hyper316]

Man I'm loving the jays, so much hope and potential. Batting is improving with hitting coach murphy, pitching strengthened with new manager, only thing I worry about is defense. Got lind and EE at 1B, no strong RF since bautista playing 3B, arencibia at C, escobar seems to make some errors at SS, hill is not 100%, I have no idea davis in CF. Lots of questions defensively

[There There]

“I think some guys have told me to drive the ball,” Davis said. “Telling you is one thing but actually showing you how to do that is another.

“Here they've been able to show me how to attack the ball better and how to be more consistent in attacking the ball. I think that's contributing a lot.”

Good article. I'll believe the Jays are going small ball when I see it. Murphy is damn good at what he does, and I'm glad he was retained, but the result has to be lower batting averages and lots of trotting around the bases.

But it's nice for a team to have an identity.

Yeah...and i'm all for it 100%. I hated the JP years when everyone was standing around at the plate taking pitches. Flat out boring baseball. I love the philosphy of go up there and hit your pitch when you see it. Wonder if AA with his midas touch it going to turn Davis into 20+ Homers and 75+ RBI's? That would just be incredible to get close to Wells numbers at a fraction of the price. Any predictions? I don't know the guy very well so don't really know what he is capable of.

As someone who has never hit more than 6 in any season, minors or majors, I'd gladly take the under on 20.

I'd be shocked if he reaches double digits; and a bit disheartened if that is his goal. My thought is no team needs 9 guys stepping up to the plate actively trying to hit home runs. As exciting as the home run is, i'd rather guys just try to have productive at bats, regardless of what the end result is.

If this team is going to find any real success this year or beyond, they kind of need to find ways to score other than via the home run.

edit... Regarding your comment about the JP years and taking pitches, not sure how that is any different than Murph's philosophy. Look at Bautista; he wasn't up there hacking away. He was looking for the pitcher to make a mistake inside and then turn on it. You can call it boring, but having a plan as to what you are looking for and waiting for it is smart hitting imo. And it's winning baseball also; look at the obscene patience the Red Sox and Yankees are always showing at the plate.

My problem is with the idea of trying to hit the ball hard every time; there are many ways to have a productive at bat without trying to drive the ball into another area code.

[luvtheteam]

TT...you're getting to hung up on the HR IMO. Nobody, including the hitting coaches is telling guys to hit the ball out of the park. It's just more of a by-product so to speak about hitting YOUR pitch rather than hitting the pitcher's pitch. Heh, these are big strong kids with good swings and the ball is coming in at 90mph, if you get your pitch and make good contact the ball will fly out from time to time...but that is not the goal.

I like the aggressiveness of this approach rather than the taking so many pitches. Taking so many pitches puts the goal more to On BAse % which isn't as exciting. Can the OBP approach of the Sox and Yankees be effective? yes. Certainly they can wear out the pitcher quicker. But Bautista didn't hit 54 homeruns trying to get on base. There's a big difference between being patient to wait for your pitch and being patient to work the count and get on base. It can look the same from time to time but the state of mind of the hitter is different.

[ItsDanger]

Problem with a HR-centric offense is that there are peaks & valleys. I prefer a more consistent offense with high OBP% and SBs mixed with HRs. That suits a good pitching staff.

[Schad]

Problem with a HR-centric offense is that there are peaks & valleys. I prefer a more consistent offense with high OBP% and SBs mixed with HRs. That suits a good pitching staff.

We're not going to have a high OBP team, period; Bautista is the only guy in the lineup who can really work a walk, and no hitting coach is really going to change that.

As for stolen bases, there isn't a team in baseball that centers their offense around them, or anything close to it. The Rays led the AL in steals last year with 172; that's one a game, with an incredibly athletic club that featured two 40+ SB guys. By way of comparison, that team had 492 extra-base hits (we had 597)...they just aren't that big a part of the game.

[SharoneWright]

Problem with a HR-centric offense is that there are peaks & valleys. I prefer a more consistent offense with high OBP% and SBs mixed with HRs. That suits a good pitching staff.

We're not going to have a high OBP team, period; Bautista is the only guy in the lineup who can really work a walk, and no hitting coach is really going to change that.

As for stolen bases, there isn't a team in baseball that centers their offense around them, or anything close to it. The Rays led the AL in steals last year with 172; that's one a game, with an incredibly athletic club that featured two 40+ SB guys. By way of comparison, that team had 492 extra-base hits (we had 597)...they just aren't that big a part of the game.

Agreed --- I'd reserve the steal for the occassional, well-timed gamble that can pivot a game or 3 for you in the late innings - kind of like the occassional "hit me" when you're holding 17 against a face card.

[Avenger]

A good eye at the plate is something you cannot teach, the ability to recognize close balls from strikes is something that is very hard to develop and no hitting coach in the world will turn hackers like Hill, Arencibia, previously Vernon and BUck into solid on base machines. The Yankees and Red Sox are perennially among the leaders in OBP because they acquire players with excellent pitch recognition abilities, you can teach them a better approach at the plate to make full use of their talent but the key is in acquiring these types of players.

[Schad]

Agreed --- I'd reserve the steal for the occassional, well-timed gamble that can pivot a game or 3 for you in the late innings - kind of like the occassional "hit me" when you're holding 17 against a face card.

Yeah, I'm not against good base-stealers making the odd attempt, so long as it is in the right situation. The problem tends to be that many base-stealers seem more interested in racking them up than picking the most opportune moment. I'd much rather have a Johnny Damon (who doesn't attempt steals often these days, but has an 87% success rate over the past four years) than an Elvis Andrus (great speed but terrible instincts, though he's extremely young) in that regard, if no other.

[Geddy]

The only thing I'm worried about is that they try hit and runs every other pitch when there is a man on. I faintly remember the Jays going with that approach years ago and it became annoying after a while.

[ItsDanger]

Well, get ready for feast & famine offense then. Although I think it will be better than last season. Our best yrs were when we could manufacture runs and not rely on the HR. A lot of solo shots and meaningless big HR games.

[Michael Bradley]

AA hasn't really coveted players with good plate patience. If you look at both his Major League and significant Minor League pick-ups, they have generally been power, speed, and/or defense types. He re-signed Encarnacion because he felt EE could hit 30 HR's, for example. Murphy is a good hitting coach as far as getting the most out of free swinging power types, so maybe AA is playing to his coaching staff's strengths.

I remember in 2008 I believe it was Matt Stairs who said the hitting coach messed up everyone that year. You can't tell a free swinger to be more selective as that takes away from his strengths, and it works both ways (see what Cito tried to do to John Olerud way back when....which failed miserably).