Bleacher Bums Forum

I lean towards velocity because it gives you a larger margin of error, but what I really want is staff that strikes people and doesn't walk people.  The Cubs staff wasn't any of that.

The Cubs really need to try and recreate what the Yankees are doing with their pitching development.  The Yanks have the ability to draft pitchers that don't throw hard and then add velocity.  They might be looking for mechanical adjustments, pitcher traits or weighted ball programs or all of the above or more. 

...The Cubs really need to try and recreate what the Yankees are doing with their pitching development.  The Yanks have the ability to draft pitchers that don't throw hard and then add velocity.  They might be looking for mechanical adjustments, pitcher traits or weighted ball programs or all of the above or more. 

Lange said he was told it's normal to lose velocity, as you transition from once-a-week.  Little and Lange both did lose, and now both profile as guys who need to be soft-toss spin specialists to make it. 

In the meantime, I will participate in the enjoyable discussions of what the front office should do, giving my opinions along with the others.  But it should be known that not a single one of us has even 10 percent of the information available to the front office, and recommendations based upon comparative ignorance, while fun, are essentially meaningless.

Amen.

Beyond the platitudes (which Theo is as good at as anybody), there were some code words in his presser that tipped off his true mindset.  "Broken", not enough urgency, "didn't show up for the first half of the season".  He's not happy with the status quo in the clubhouse and it should be obvious to anyone not intentionally blinding themselves to it.

Sounds like an indictment of the coaching staff to me.

I admit I'm a little uncertain about this.  I think attributing too much to psychological/clubhouse-chemistry/urgency stuff may be a factor, but might also really miss the point.  (When pitchers forget to cover first, that I can explain with losing focus, sure...) 

But for hitting, is that really a thing? 

For guys like Happ and Schwarber, will urgency impact their capacity to hit fastballs above the waist?
 
Can any pro athlete lack the competitiveness to collect his wits and fully focus during 4-5 brief at-bats?  And even within a 3-min AB, most of that is relax time taking practice swings and waiting for pitcher.   

Seems to me that any pro athlete can put ALL life issues aside during those few seconds in the box, and be totally focused on winning that AB?  (Daughter might be in hospital, father might have cancer, wife might be angry, etc.; I suspect real pro competitors can put all of that aside when they're in the box.) .   

Maybe it factors for prep?  Urgency to study film, or to work on something productive in BP? 

Different on defense, I can see mind drifting. 

But for a hitter actually in the box?  I just can't see that being much of an issue.

So I'm kind of hesitant to think a "broken" offense can get fixed with "urgency". 

Exactly.  Urgency isn't going to solve the offense.  Other solutions needed for that.