Minnesota Sports Forum

monsterpile wrote:

JasonIsDaMan wrote:To me, the fix for Buxton could be pretty easy. Every at bat goes fastball down the middle strike one then him chasing two offspeed pitches just off the plate.

Have him swing at that first fastball until they stop throwing him one, or at least throw him a better one.

I'll add this. I haven't seen much since Buxton came up last time but didn't he add a leg kick in his last minor league stint? If he has continued using that it may make sense for him to work that out at a lower level.

They want him to eliminate the "Kirby Kick" because they say he can't keep his head still when he does it.

JasonIsDaMan wrote:

monsterpile wrote:

JasonIsDaMan wrote:To me, the fix for Buxton could be pretty easy. Every at bat goes fastball down the middle strike one then him chasing two offspeed pitches just off the plate.

Have him swing at that first fastball until they stop throwing him one, or at least throw him a better one.

I'll add this. I haven't seen much since Buxton came up last time but didn't he add a leg kick in his last minor league stint? If he has continued using that it may make sense for him to work that out at a lower level.

They want him to eliminate the "Kirby Kick" because they say he can't keep his head still when he does it.

Ok I just read this article thoughts?

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-changes-byron-buxton-has-and-hasnt-made/

monsterpile wrote:

JasonIsDaMan wrote:

monsterpile wrote:

JasonIsDaMan wrote:To me, the fix for Buxton could be pretty easy. Every at bat goes fastball down the middle strike one then him chasing two offspeed pitches just off the plate.

Have him swing at that first fastball until they stop throwing him one, or at least throw him a better one.

I'll add this. I haven't seen much since Buxton came up last time but didn't he add a leg kick in his last minor league stint? If he has continued using that it may make sense for him to work that out at a lower level.

They want him to eliminate the "Kirby Kick" because they say he can't keep his head still when he does it.

Ok I just read this article thoughts?

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-changes-byron-buxton-has-and-hasnt-made/

Without reading the article, I would say that he should be a modern-day Vince Coleman. His goal needs to be ending the A/B on base. Walk, bunt, spraying ground balls all over the diamond. Whatever it takes.

I like the young position players have coming up. Kepler, Polanco, Sano, and think Buxton will figure it out in AAA since he never got a shot to play there before coming up. We really need Berrios to live up to his potential for this team to amount to anything.

bleedspeed177 wrote:I like the young position players have coming up. Kepler, Polanco, Sano, and think Buxton will figure it out in AAA since he never got a shot to play there before coming up. We really need Berrios to live up to his potential for this team to amount to anything.

Yeah if they never get some top level starting pitching (and to some extent the pen and well) they are screwed.

Just read a rumors webpage.
A couple of Twins items grabbed me.

1. Mitch Garver is now in Rochester. IF the Twins leave Ft. Myers with Hicks/Garver as the catchers, they missed a real opportunity to deal Suzuki.
2. Rob Antony said the Twins were working on a 3-way deal when time ran out. Let the speculation begin. I say it was LAD, and they were discussing something where Puig ended up on Team X, MIN would give Suzuki/Kintzler to LAD, and MIN getting Bocoup prospects from both teams.

Discuss, or as Bleed would say, DISCUSS.

JasonIsDaMan wrote:To me, the fix for Buxton could be pretty easy. Every at bat goes fastball down the middle strike one then him chasing two offspeed pitches just off the plate.

Have him swing at that first fastball until they stop throwing him one, or at least throw him a better one.

I think it's more complicated than that, Jason. While what you describe is a perfect description of how most pitchers pitch to Mauer, they take a different approach to Buxton because he isn't an automatic take on the first pitch. They mix it up on him pretty good, and he seems to have almost no ability to recognize the pitch. He swings at sliders in the dirt and takes fastballs down the middle, and he's always behind in the count...and he's an awful hitter when behind. It's frustrating. There's a big difference in the pitcher's stuff between AAA and the bigs, so I suspect Byron will consistently get ahead in the count at Rochester and rake again. He just has to find a way to make it work in the majors.

Well the fans finally got what they have been waiting for Andrew Albert back up in the majors pitching for Twins. I think between him and Escobar as our new closer I think we have a couple of the Twins pitching spots locked up.

In all seriousness hopefully Berrios finds himself and Milone isn't hurt too bad.

JasonIsDaMan wrote:

Discuss, or as Bleed would say, DISCUSS.

Thank you for paying attention.

longstrangetrip wrote:

JasonIsDaMan wrote:To me, the fix for Buxton could be pretty easy. Every at bat goes fastball down the middle strike one then him chasing two offspeed pitches just off the plate.

Have him swing at that first fastball until they stop throwing him one, or at least throw him a better one.

I think it's more complicated than that, Jason. While what you describe is a perfect description of how most pitchers pitch to Mauer, they take a different approach to Buxton because he isn't an automatic take on the first pitch. They mix it up on him pretty good, and he seems to have almost no ability to recognize the pitch. He swings at sliders in the dirt and takes fastballs down the middle, and he's always behind in the count...and he's an awful hitter when behind. It's frustrating. There's a big difference in the pitcher's stuff between AAA and the bigs, so I suspect Byron will consistently get ahead in the count at Rochester and rake again. He just has to find a way to make it work in the majors.

I realize it is an oversimplification, and pro sports is always a series of adjustments. But I see other young guys on the Twins swinging at the first pitch fastball when they think it is the best pitch they will see that at-bat, so why not Buxton?