Mariners are going to be batting Ichiro 3rd this year.
Weird. Ichiro's been their best hitter not only for the M's, but in the game, since he came to Seattle and to my recollection, he's never batted cleanup?
Si los Angelinos de Los Angeles no tienen un puesto para Bobby Abreu en la alineación regular, entonces deberían cambiarlo a otro conjunto antes que comience la temporada, dijo el pelotero venezolano el martes a ESPNdeportesLosAngeles.com.
"Soy un jugador de todos los días, aún puedo estar en la alineación de un equipo de Grandes Ligas", dijo Abreu desde Venezuela. "No voy a estar en la banca sabiendo que puedo jugar", agregó.
"Si los Angelinos no tienen una posición fija para mí, entonces lo mejor es que me cambien. Sería lo más correcto. No voy a hacer nada sentado en una banca", dijo Abreu.
His OPS has been .850 once in the last eight years, above .800 twice. He just doesn't have any power because of that swing. Hitting .275 with more power would probably have been more productive.
His OPS has been .850 once in the last eight years, above .800 twice. He just doesn't have any power because of that swing. Hitting .275 with more power would probably have been more productive.
He has a lot of power. But he was brought in to be the lead off hitter.
A lot of teammates have said if he wanted to hit 25 home runs, he could have.
Yeah, I don' t really know if I've ever bought the idea of Ichiro being able to hit 25-30 hrs if he wanted to. You want to tell me Rickey Henderson could have hit more hrs if he wanted to, that I could believe but Ichiro and his swing I'm a bit more skeptical
He has a lot of power. But he was brought in to be the lead off hitter.
A lot of teammates have said if he wanted to hit 25 home runs, he could have.
Put it this way: if Ichiro actually can drive the ball and hit 25 homers (plus who knows how many extra doubles/triples,) but he instead chooses to be a slap hitter, then he's the dumbest player in baseball.
Put it this way: if Ichiro actually can drive the ball and hit 25 homers (plus who knows how many extra doubles/triples,) but he instead chooses to be a slap hitter, then he's the dumbest player in baseball.
That's primarily his strength is a slap ball hitter and getting on base. He was brought into the organization as their lead off hitter.
/shrug
It's been reported time and again that Ichiro has deceptive power and has shown it but the Mariners wanted to keep him as their lead off hitter.
“If you concentrated on hitting for power, how many home runs do you think you could hit?"
His answer was borderline controversial:
"Tough question. If I'm allowed to bat .220, I could probably hit 40. But nobody wants that.”
Quote:
Maybe I am alone on this, but I have always assumed that Ichiro did not hit homeruns because he could not hit homeruns. But even as I say those words to myself, I realize how foolish a notion that is.
BTW; Ichiro is going to be batting third, so we'll see how he does this year.
A lot of people can hit homers in BP. I don't think Ichiro is going to flip some magic switch and turn into a power hitter. Besides if he swings for the fences and ends up with a low average is that even what they want? Turning Ichiro into Jack Cust doesn't seem like a great outcome. None of this is as strange as Figgins hitting lead-off though, mind you. Also, I'd be shocked if Ackley wasn't the M's best hitter this year.
I can buy a little bit the idea that he has the ability to hit more home runs if he allowed the swing to get a little longer. Where I start to get confused is the idea that he's choosing the batting average over the power.
A lot of people can hit homers in BP. I don't think Ichiro is going to flip some magic switch and turn into a power hitter.
That's not true. They talked about that in one of the articles that actually in BP not a lot of players hit a lot of home runs.
Ichiro isn't going to be a Barry Bonds player but to say he couldn't smack in around 25 home runs isn't absurd.
Quote:
Besides if he swings for the fences and ends up with a low average is that even what they want? Turning Ichiro into Jack Cust doesn't seem like a great outcome. None of this is as strange as Figgins hitting lead-off though, mind you. Also, I'd be shocked if Ackley wasn't the M's best hitter this year.
Figgins I heard is getting the lead off spot to redeem a horrible year last year.
I just hate hearing people say Ichiro is overrated when you have to figure that teams can't figure him out even after 10 years and the only thing that slowed him down is he's 38 right now.
Basically what you're saying is that Ichiro is mentally retarded, because that's what you'd have to be to willfully not hit 25 HR/season despite having the ability. Being a leadoff hitter doesn't mean that hitting Home Runs isn't useful.
Ichiro's career high in J-League is 25 HRs and that's basically AA/AAA pitching (I mean Matt Freakin Murton currently holds the record for most hits in a season with 214). I can see Ichiro sacrificing BA in order to hit few more HRs but to say he's choosing to hit for average and disregarding power is crazy.
mr. and mrs. terwilliger will be at both red sox games on saturday. first against northeastern at 2 and then against boston college at 7. baseball! beer! the 2012 season! huzzah!
