When the Marsh-O’Hoppe trade happened multiple comments about Marsh not being able to hit well were posted under the article. I and a few others pointed out that Kevin Long might be the best hitting coach in MLB. The first thing he did with Marsh during the 2022 stretch run was to get him to hit the ball up the middle – i.e. concentrate on making contact and not trying to do too much. That panned out. Over the offseason Long worked with Marsh. This year Marsh started by hitting the ball all over the field…and hard.
In turn, the Angels fired their hitting coaches and brought in Marcus Thames and Phil Plantier as their new hitting coaches. These are the 2 coaches that reworked good-field / no-hit Gio Urshela when the Yankees got him from the scrap heap, and surprisingly turned him into a quality ML hitter. So far this year Urshela is hitting great (and nice to see him at 1B today as Lamb and Drury don’t have the Baseball IQ / Awareness to play what is an important and difficult position to play correctly….which has already cost the Angles at least 2 games I saw). We’ll see how Urshela hits the rest of the season and if some of the veteran Angels show progress.
Urshela is a great pickup for you guys. Trading him for Donaldson was another in a long line of bad trades by Cashman. I hope Gio has continued good success in Anaheim.
These chats are so ridiculous right now I don’t even read them anymore. Number one there are way too many of them. You have the same idiots asking the same questions. In the 2nd week will Adley be MVP? Will the Pirates trade Reynolds?. Will Castillo be Cy Young winner? Egads. Once a week is probably enough. Might give some Brain Surgeons around the time to think up a real question. Asking if a guy is going to MVP before your taxes are filed seems like a complete waste. And I haven’t even asked any questions for weeks in case you think it’s question envy. It’s not. Either think up some legitimate questions or spread them out to actually give some time for something NEW to actually happen. Got that off my chest. Will the Angels trade Ohtani? In April? Really?
. Solutions: make everyone ask their questions hours ahead of time. Whenever I’ve asked a question it says my question is under moderation. That means there is a guy, Or Girl, Or guys or girls who are letting the same doorknobs ask the same questions. All the guys who run these chats are guys whose opinion I listen too. That means the problem is the people who let the questions go through need a dose of reality. I’ve even seen the same question asked 3 or 4 times in the same chat. The guys who are answering the questions gotta be going WTF? Now you made me go check my cornflakes. Thanx Bronx! LOL
Will the Tigers trade Baez? Will the Brewers trade for a SP? When’s the last time a big time player got traded in April? Has a big time player EVER been traded in April? And Baez? I mean let’s face it Javy had a hard time keeping his focus on the game in Chicago. And who’d want him anyway? If the Brewers had wanted another starter and could of afforded one he’d be there already. I mean just common sense will out please. Almost every team made a plan in the Spring of what if? You think they’re really going to abandon it in 2 weeks? Just drives me crazy. Other than the Rays going 13-0 has anything been a complete surprise? Besides the idiot who gave Baez 140 million got fired. I don’t think anyone is in a hurry to follow him to the grave. Puhhleeeeze!!
I agree 100% Mike. Try asking anything related to a juiced/dead ball and it gets ignored. Ask are the White Sox bad and you’ll get a confirmation. Even though everyone knew the white sox sucked in January.
Farhan- I think we all agree that a LOT of things had to go right for the White Sox to compete. First was a lot of health. Not so much. Pitchers staying healthy and being good. Not so much. Young Manager pushing the right buttons. Not so much. So what you have is the same guys being below average again. Until Kenny Williams is out of the picture, Nothing will change. Hahn is just GM in name only. Reinsdorf and Williams are just using him as a Lightning Rod to keep the blame off them.
#Unclemike1526 + You make some valid points, but I don’t think they’re too often. I don’t like seeing ‘Bees! Beads!’ and other off topic stuff in there though.
Seems like some of the questions are very repetitive, yes.
#FF22 – You also make valid points. The White Sox are horrible though. Too easy of an example. To that point; They’re the only team we’ve been able to beat twice so far this year. Even the lowly Royals and Tigers have mopped the floor with us. So if we beat the White Sox 2 out of 3 games, we know they’re about as bad as a team gets.
Good points unclemike. I will admit my questions are a little bit out there but
it is always something I am very curious about. The nice thing about all the chats is if Steve doesn’t get to it (Steve likes those obvious questions you point out) there are still several writers left to go that might (and usually)
answer them…..
Well, AZ has gone 9-7 and is in first place. Since I’m out in Arizona now, I’m totally surprised, and hoping for 140-someodd rainouts. Except we have a roof… dammit!
Was that a big surprise though? I mean I wasn’t expecting 100 wins from the D-Backs but they have a bunch of good young talent and the thing about young guys is that they don’t know they’re not supposed to win. I mean the Cubs get no respect here for what they did but they should have 2 more wins right now. The only dumb thing the Cubs did was plan a team to win on Pitching and Defense and didn’t bother to sign or trade for a reliable closer. All the guys they have that could be closers are injured or in the Minors. Estrada or Burdi should get a chance because Boxberger and Fulmer aren’t really closers. Merryweather needs to go. He reminds me of Kyle Farnsworth. 98- straight down the middle, Emphasis on straight. Az isn’t a big surprise to me.
Farhan, your comment regarding MadBum being a phenomenal post season pitcher is 100% correct. What he did vs KC was legendary. However, I assume your joking about his current contributions to the Dbacks.
For those that dont follow the Dbacks, if they make the post season, it will be in spite of MadBum. Imo, he will not be on the playoff roster and may not be on the 40-man at that point. Dating back to the second half of last year, and including three starts in ’23, his ERA+ must be about 50 and WHIP is over 2.
Yep. Farnsworth was great to have for a barroom brawl. Useless as a relief pitcher. Tom Seaver said it when I was a youth. Speed is not as important as movement.
This chat just showed up on the app 7 minutes ago, after it was over. What’s up with that?
The chat notifications are often delayed for some reason.
I delayed it.
Just to piss you off.
Oh, ok. It was just a mild irritant, sorry to pop your zit…..
Didn’t bother me at all, friend.
Didn’t mean to piss you off.
Heh heh heh heh…
When the Marsh-O’Hoppe trade happened multiple comments about Marsh not being able to hit well were posted under the article. I and a few others pointed out that Kevin Long might be the best hitting coach in MLB. The first thing he did with Marsh during the 2022 stretch run was to get him to hit the ball up the middle – i.e. concentrate on making contact and not trying to do too much. That panned out. Over the offseason Long worked with Marsh. This year Marsh started by hitting the ball all over the field…and hard.
In turn, the Angels fired their hitting coaches and brought in Marcus Thames and Phil Plantier as their new hitting coaches. These are the 2 coaches that reworked good-field / no-hit Gio Urshela when the Yankees got him from the scrap heap, and surprisingly turned him into a quality ML hitter. So far this year Urshela is hitting great (and nice to see him at 1B today as Lamb and Drury don’t have the Baseball IQ / Awareness to play what is an important and difficult position to play correctly….which has already cost the Angles at least 2 games I saw). We’ll see how Urshela hits the rest of the season and if some of the veteran Angels show progress.
Point being – coaches matter.
Thank you Samuel.
Nice background info!
Good grief. He droned on and on like a tire with a slow leak bumping along the highway.
TaDUMP. TaDUMP. TaDUMP TaDUMP.
And you thank him.
Urshela is a great pickup for you guys. Trading him for Donaldson was another in a long line of bad trades by Cashman. I hope Gio has continued good success in Anaheim.
He’ll probably be the Yankees 3rd baseman next season!
Nope. We’ll do something astute like pick up Rendon…
Nah. The Yankees will do something astute, like take Rendon off of LAA’s hands.
DOH!
These chats are so ridiculous right now I don’t even read them anymore. Number one there are way too many of them. You have the same idiots asking the same questions. In the 2nd week will Adley be MVP? Will the Pirates trade Reynolds?. Will Castillo be Cy Young winner? Egads. Once a week is probably enough. Might give some Brain Surgeons around the time to think up a real question. Asking if a guy is going to MVP before your taxes are filed seems like a complete waste. And I haven’t even asked any questions for weeks in case you think it’s question envy. It’s not. Either think up some legitimate questions or spread them out to actually give some time for something NEW to actually happen. Got that off my chest. Will the Angels trade Ohtani? In April? Really?
Someone poop in your cornflakes, Mikey?
. Solutions: make everyone ask their questions hours ahead of time. Whenever I’ve asked a question it says my question is under moderation. That means there is a guy, Or Girl, Or guys or girls who are letting the same doorknobs ask the same questions. All the guys who run these chats are guys whose opinion I listen too. That means the problem is the people who let the questions go through need a dose of reality. I’ve even seen the same question asked 3 or 4 times in the same chat. The guys who are answering the questions gotta be going WTF? Now you made me go check my cornflakes. Thanx Bronx! LOL
I didn’t participate in the chat, mikey. I think after your treatise on them, I didn’t miss much. Sounds like they have to iron out some kinks.
Be well, boss.
Will the Tigers trade Baez? Will the Brewers trade for a SP? When’s the last time a big time player got traded in April? Has a big time player EVER been traded in April? And Baez? I mean let’s face it Javy had a hard time keeping his focus on the game in Chicago. And who’d want him anyway? If the Brewers had wanted another starter and could of afforded one he’d be there already. I mean just common sense will out please. Almost every team made a plan in the Spring of what if? You think they’re really going to abandon it in 2 weeks? Just drives me crazy. Other than the Rays going 13-0 has anything been a complete surprise? Besides the idiot who gave Baez 140 million got fired. I don’t think anyone is in a hurry to follow him to the grave. Puhhleeeeze!!
I agree 100% Mike. Try asking anything related to a juiced/dead ball and it gets ignored. Ask are the White Sox bad and you’ll get a confirmation. Even though everyone knew the white sox sucked in January.
Farhan- I think we all agree that a LOT of things had to go right for the White Sox to compete. First was a lot of health. Not so much. Pitchers staying healthy and being good. Not so much. Young Manager pushing the right buttons. Not so much. So what you have is the same guys being below average again. Until Kenny Williams is out of the picture, Nothing will change. Hahn is just GM in name only. Reinsdorf and Williams are just using him as a Lightning Rod to keep the blame off them.
#Unclemike1526 + You make some valid points, but I don’t think they’re too often. I don’t like seeing ‘Bees! Beads!’ and other off topic stuff in there though.
Seems like some of the questions are very repetitive, yes.
#FF22 – You also make valid points. The White Sox are horrible though. Too easy of an example. To that point; They’re the only team we’ve been able to beat twice so far this year. Even the lowly Royals and Tigers have mopped the floor with us. So if we beat the White Sox 2 out of 3 games, we know they’re about as bad as a team gets.
You too with t
the juiced
ball questions?
I find that
frustrating…..
Yes please
no more bees!
Good points unclemike. I will admit my questions are a little bit out there but
it is always something I am very curious about. The nice thing about all the chats is if Steve doesn’t get to it (Steve likes those obvious questions you point out) there are still several writers left to go that might (and usually)
answer them…..
Well, AZ has gone 9-7 and is in first place. Since I’m out in Arizona now, I’m totally surprised, and hoping for 140-someodd rainouts. Except we have a roof… dammit!
Was that a big surprise though? I mean I wasn’t expecting 100 wins from the D-Backs but they have a bunch of good young talent and the thing about young guys is that they don’t know they’re not supposed to win. I mean the Cubs get no respect here for what they did but they should have 2 more wins right now. The only dumb thing the Cubs did was plan a team to win on Pitching and Defense and didn’t bother to sign or trade for a reliable closer. All the guys they have that could be closers are injured or in the Minors. Estrada or Burdi should get a chance because Boxberger and Fulmer aren’t really closers. Merryweather needs to go. He reminds me of Kyle Farnsworth. 98- straight down the middle, Emphasis on straight. Az isn’t a big surprise to me.
Can’t believe Boxberger is still around. He was a Dback years ago. Always reminds me of Oxberger (John Candy) in Stripes.
If AZ gets in the playoffs, they have one of, if not THE best postseason pitcher ever.
Medium? I think that ship
has sailed…..and sunk.
Farhan, your comment regarding MadBum being a phenomenal post season pitcher is 100% correct. What he did vs KC was legendary. However, I assume your joking about his current contributions to the Dbacks.
For those that dont follow the Dbacks, if they make the post season, it will be in spite of MadBum. Imo, he will not be on the playoff roster and may not be on the 40-man at that point. Dating back to the second half of last year, and including three starts in ’23, his ERA+ must be about 50 and WHIP is over 2.
Sadly you are correct. He’s getting cuffed around like a schoolboy being punk-slapped for his lunch money.
MadBum is a whole different animal come postseason
Farhan, again not sure if your joking. I fear MadBum will need to become a whole different animal just to stay on the roster.
He’s waxing nostalgic.
Meanwhile the Cardinals are waxing Bumgarner.
The only thing MadBum will be doing THIS postseason is hunting and fishing.
Yep. Farnsworth was great to have for a barroom brawl. Useless as a relief pitcher. Tom Seaver said it when I was a youth. Speed is not as important as movement.
And that’s what she said…..