1
without the power.
Where Is Abraham Almonte's "Pepper" Swing?!
Cut-down swings have been around for a while now, dude
.
Most MLB(TM) hitters have a "pepper" swing. With two strikes, or against Aroldis Chapman, or if they're lefty and a LOOGY comes in ... They slow the bat down and just drag it through the zone, ENSURING (choke) contact.
Bill James thinks that this should happen much, much more than it does - "Batspeed is overrated. Just get a big heavy bat and drag it through the zone." The more you look, the more you agree with him. You've seen Robinson Cano's slow-batspeed doubles into the corner on curve balls? You watched Ichiro tennis-volley pitches into left field?
With two strikes, or against a guy throwing 97, or whatever, any MLB(TM) hitter can put the ball in play if he wants to. It used to drive Randy Johnson batty. He'd fire a pitch that threatened to catch the earth's atmosphere on fire, and a batter would just punch-bunt it, and the ball would clear the Kingdome's left field fence with ease. "I supplied the power," Johnson would grouse. "He just stuck the bat out there." Seriously. The Unit called a lot of guys out for the chickenfeathers swings they took on him.
Dave Henderson made a career out of it. "Any time the pitcher throws 95 and up," Dave would say proudly, "You go to your pepper swing." Yeah, Dave, and if you'd been born in 1526 A.D. you'd have been found on the battlefield with six arrows in ... your back.
Just kidding. Henderson was an outstanding fastball hitter. Give him credit - he knew when to let the enemy supply the power.
.........
Have you ever seen a hitter who was more badly overmatched than Abraham Almonte is right now? It's enough to bring tears to your eyes. He steps up there and you're just thinking "How many pitches is this going to take?"
But the man just continues to load up and swing like Rickey Henderson poaching a courtesy strike. Go back and watch the tape. Almonte never gets cheated, baby. He just gets punched out, usually on four pitches.
Seattle Sports Insider is not inventing the wheel here. Cut-down swings are not exactly Dr. D's invention. He is merely asking a very reasonable question. WHAT THE DEUCE IS GOING ON IN YOUR BLINKIN' HEAD YOU IDJIT?
:: adjusts tie :: Whew.
I don't get it. There are 90 different solutions to the Almonte Problem, up to and including the one Wesley Snipes was given in Major League. About the only one that doesn't work, is the one chosen by Lloyd McClendon. You don't hit your way out of anything when you're as punch-drunk as that.
Supposing Almonte isn't even capable of a pepper swing and contact the other way. In that event, I demand that you explain to me what he is doing here.
Bah Humbug,
Dr D
Comments
2
I was going to say Stormin' Gorman without the power OR eye OR hit ability. But Rob Deer is a better (and more alarming) comp. Good go, Daddy.
Than goodness he's on track for those 12 or 13 stolen bases.
Which may be about 3 less than his CF errors.
3
It is funny, I didn't like Almonte's approach at the plate the first time I saw him.....but as a center fielder, the first time and only time I saw him live was against the Rockies with the pitcher Chatwood at the plate. He hit a liner towards right center and Almonte looked like a lost JV player in a varsity game. He went in and the ball went right over...his head. Oops! From that Chatwood tried to stretch a routine out into a triple and came up lame rounding second (foolish for a pitcher in a meaningless game and last night he got removed for tight elbow). I thought, who on earth is that in center for the M's. Well, now I know the rest of the story.