More than once I have been silent. A match was underway, whatever the sport, and I wanted to talk about it. At least one person wanted to watch “the game” with “the advertisers”. I wanted to become independent. Or have different advertisers (radio). And I kept quiet. What interested me was to bounce this off that, and that was not the point of everyone in the room. Today’s article goes a step further. For some of you, it will be purely static. For some, the objection will be “Can you prove this?” “. No, I can’t, but it’s my signature. Speaking of Nelson Maldonado, I’m going to talk a bit about the hitting approach and batting practice.

You hit third tonight, and the first two hitters are out on eight pitches. The starting pitcher is a right-hander, just like you. Right against right, he goes with a fastball 58.9% of the time. The change is about 10 percent. Curve is mostly, but it plays with a counterproductive slider in the hope that it becomes usable. Two prior throws were curves, one being a called stroke and the other being a dirt ball at 55 feet.

What are you sitting on

As usual, you have about 10 feet to decide whether or not to swing. You’ve spent some time watching her movie, and you think you can tell the difference between her curve and her others. However, its curve is not what you want to swing on. As you dig into the batting box, do you sit up quick or change? Since his change cheated you on your trial against him three weeks ago, you’ve been leaning in to take his change on the opposite side. While looking for the sign, the change goes to the right, or a two-seam inside seam goes to the left.

Here is the curve. Yes of course. You watch a shattering ball sneak up for a hit on the edge. You weren’t thinking about that, anyway. Shit. At the bottom one. One glance at the third base coach, and he applauds. If he paints the corners all night, you’re in trouble.

Fastball time, indoors. Bring it.

His change is local juuuuuuuuuuuuuust. Phew. Breakeven at 1-1, and you haven’t seen a fastpitch yet. More than half the time, and he hasn’t fed you on it yet. However, he has been outside / outside. If he throws 94 wide, can you hammer him all the way to the center-right gap? Do that, and you’ll be fine if you get a 97 mph output speed line-up. There you go, but it’s inside. You lean back, but it probably wouldn’t have touched you. If that had been the case, 93 on the biceps would have been a ticket to the former. You are leading 2-1, which is the goal. Without swing.

Nelson Maldonado, first baseman

Born August 13, 1996 in Chicago, Illinois
2019 Cubs Draft Pick (21st Round), University of Florida

Maldonado was selected as an outfielder before the bat and had an OPS for the draft year of .983 in the SEC, as a senior. A bit like “nothing adventurous, nothing lost”. If the bat played, he would be a threat as long as he hung around. If the bat wasn’t wearing him, his glove didn’t save him. The Cubs moved him to first base pretty quickly. It would be nice if speed and versatility were there; it is not and was not. He hasn’t played any outfield as a professional.

How’s the bat? Over 67 Double-A games in 2021, his OPS was 0.839 against a league average of 0.714. Not too bad for a one-round draft pick that no longer exists. Since he won’t be limited by the lockout anyway, look for Maldonado as a DH / 1B option in Double-A or Triple-A, depending on how he looks against a good pitch in Mesa. Between the Cubs staff, BP, and the spring games against the opposition.

Let’s come back to this 2-1 account. I still think he wants me out outside, and his change narrowly missed. I exclude its curve and treat it like 0-0. Change on the outside or fastball on the inside. Exclude the curve. There you go, and it’s right now. Not ready for this, on the edge. The home plate umpire says wide. Phew. 3-1. He has to challenge me, probably inside. Ambush fastball time.

The wind and the pace. Fastball, inner half. Ready. Bam. Crushed in center-left, with a 97 exit bike. Center fielder takes two steps to the left and performs routine grabbing.

Destroy. They spot me too.

The batting coach’s job is to try to communicate well enough with the batters that they all have a proper hitting approach. For them. (Not all hitters are the same.) Do not yell “Swing” or “Take” from the bench. A batter with an approach useful to every batter has an advantage over a batter who does not. Which still doesn’t mean they’ll cut the MLB mustard with you. It’s hard to hit 97 and up in the area, especially if the radiator is coming from the same trigger point as the splitter that you weren’t hitting anyway.