Congratulation Dogs. I would love to change Wes Rea's approach though.

[Bulldog Bruce]

It was a great game, but Wes is doing a big disservice to himself with his approach. I think it was his 4th (or 5th) at bat that truly illustrated the problem. It was against the lefty number 35. He threw a strike on the inside corner of the plate and Wes stepped in and if he could have swung the ball would have hit his hands. The next pitch was a breaking ball outside and he hits a single over the shortstops head.

Dude you are 6'6" get the <17> away from the plate. Too many people stand too close to the plate now. That is why the best balls they hit are pulled foul. I am not a big proponent of changing folks, but some punch hitter taught Wes how to hit. He has the physical ability to hit and could hit 15 - 20 bombs, but not how he hits now. If Wes would move away from plate and close up his stance he would have a much better platform to generate power. With his open stance. he never loads the power.

He should watch this new guy with the Dodgers, Puig. Here is a guy who developed in Cuba so he was probably not taught in the "Tony Gwynn" punch and ***** style of hitting. Stand on top of the plate and keep everything close to you and swing inside out to keep the ball in play. Big guys need to be comfortable with hitting the ball away from them. The barrel of the bat is over the plate when you swing and let it get deeper on you. Perfect contact is center field. when you get it in you pull it and when it is out you go to right.

This is how he should hit.

 

[msstate7]

Puig hit another one the next night off maholm. While I kind of agree with Wes changing his stance some, comparing him to puig is crazy. Puig is unreal...

 

[chem1970]

Bruce didn't compare Wes Rea to Puig

Puig hit another one the next night off maholm. While I kind of agree with Wes changing his stance some, comparing him to puig is crazy. Puig is unreal...

It was clear to me that Bruce simply suggested that Rea could learn something using Puig's batting stance and position at the plate as an example. Who knows how good Wes Rea can be? He has a great glove and a good bat, but there is no question that with his size and the number of plate appearances he has gotten he should have more than six home runs.

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

Not comparing him to Puig. He is just a current example to this forgotten approach to hitting. Mike Schmidt, Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson, Willie Mays, Henry Aaron all hit in this style. They wanted the ball away from them. They wanted to get there arms extended. Hell even McDonald made a statement during one of his at bats about the opponent not wanting Wes to get his arms extended. With his current approach, it is not possible for that to happen.

 

[msstate7]

Sorry. I misread it.

 

[AROB44]

Sure wish you could help our hitters. I remember your at bats....great memories.

 

[msstate7]

How would the new stance affect him on low and away junk pitches? Seems he has a ton of trouble now when he's on top of the plate.

 

[Bigedawg]

Totally agree. Although Wes is having a good year, I think he could put up monster numbers if he allowed himself a chance to get to the inner half fastball that he continuously gets sawed off by. Beg the pitchers to try and get you out with soft stuff away. This is when you get left with hanging off speed stuff out over the plate. I definitely think Wes can put up Renfroe type numbers next season with just a small adjustment. He has already improved his plate discipline ten fold from last season.

 

[engie]

I'm with you on this -- but I think in the summer and next season, he really "finds" his approach at the plate.

Last year, the only pitch he could handle was the fastball middle-in -- and he punished that pitch. Seems he overcompensated this year with trying to go inside out to be able to hit offspeed stuff at the expense of the pitch he really punished before.

We should keep in mind that he's never been healthy enough to go to an elite summer league and get those reps though -- and this year should be a tremendous help in that regard...

 

[patdog]

As good of a job as Cohen has done, I'm with you in completely disagreeing with his approach to hitting. He's done nothing but recruit punch & judy hitters and turn the few hitters with power potential into punch & judy hitters. I think he way overreacted to the anticipated impact of the new dead bats.

 

[engie]

As good of a job as Cohen has done, I'm with you in completely disagreeing with his approach to hitting. He's done nothing but recruit punch & judy hitters and turn the few hitters with power potential into punch & judy hitters. I think he way overreacted to the anticipated impact of the new dead bats.

I agree with you about his PAST recruiting... but again...

This is the(2013) national highschool homerun leaderboard according to Maxpreps.

We are 27 outs from Omaha -- and our power hitting recruiting hasn't even been in the same stratosphere as it is now. Future is bright...

 

[LandArchDawg]

Bruce, I vote you should be the team's hitting coordinator.

 

[Lawdawg.sixpack]

Absolutely agree- he needs to take more chances early in counts looking to get his arms extended. If you don't get that early, then go back to what youre doing now when down in the count.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

I am glad I am not the only one who notices this. As a big guy, I don't see how you can hit like that, you take away half of your power. Just move him back a step and he will pick up 5 homers or more.

 

[TaleofTwoDogs]

Good advice. Wes, if you are reading this please

take Bruce's advice, back up a step and use you upper body strength at full extension. It will pay big dividends.

 

[whosyourdawgy]

**** Bruce. Call up Cohen and tell him you'd like to help Wes . He should be mashing balls and you are so right. Right now he is a 6'5 300 plus Tony Gwynn. Right now he's hitting the ball well but we need a power guy. If Wes wants to play baseball passed next season, he needs yours or somebody's help. A MLB team isn't gonna pick a 300 lb Punch and Judy hitter too high. He's a great defender but he has to be an intimidator at the plate and no one is scared to pitch to him right now.

 

[patdog]

I agree that it appears he has realized his mistake and may be starting to make moves to correct it. I am encouraged that we are signing some power hitters this year. Hope they will produce when they get here.

 

[RougeDawg]

You effect the **** pitches away, but learning not to swing at them..

How would the new stance affect him on low and away junk pitches? Seems he has a ton of trouble now when he's on top of the plate.

As I've stated before, you can reach balls off the plate you never imagined you could if you just work at it. Rea could move off the plate a good 6-8" and still be able to reach a ball a few inches off the plate. It all starts in the batting cage and hitting off a tee. You set the tee up to hit a pitch off the plate. Set it just off the front outside corner of the plate and slowly move it away while maintaining good contact. It will take some time to train your hands to get where your eyes are telling them get to but it will happen. Same goes for an inside pitch. you start off of inside front corner, about 8 inches out in front of the plate and move the ball further inside (you can actually hit a ball off a tee with the tee set up so far inside that a regular pitch would hit you). When I say "hit a ball" I mean make good contact and hit it solid, not just touch it. That being said, every pitch (inside or outside) should be contacted by the bat out in front of the plate. Tee work is really the only way to change a swing in this way. Rea makes contact with a lot of balls once they have broken the plane of the plate.

Once you master the point of contact, you then work on driving every pitch from Gap to Gap. Inside you try to go pullside gap, outside you go oppo gap. Once you can do this without thinking, you will gain a ton of power, because you have more power gap to gap, with a proper swing, than you do pull side. Thats why the fences are much deeper, gap to gap.

 

[haildearoldstate]

For those who may have missed Bruce's post this a.m. Bruce Castoria for hitting

coach.