Wow. Morgan, just wow.

[pravata]

Ensberg said that Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long has helped him tweak his swing greatly in camp, already boiling down his mechanics and making them less complex.

"I'm embarrassed to say it, but in two weeks of working with Kevin, I have felt so much better as a hitter than I have my entire life," Ensberg said. "This is just working on stuff in the cage. This is silly. I would have thought that there was a time that I knew what was going on, but he just makes things simple."
Link

[JackAstro]

Sounds like quite an epiphany. I can't wait to see if this revelation sticks for more than 3 days. If he makes it all the way to opening day with this "simple" approach, I owe somebody a dollar.

[MusicMan]

Can you imagine Morgan at Yankee Stadium facing Papelbon with the penant on the line?

Dude would go through 5 stances per pitch.

[homer]

Ensberg said that Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long has helped him tweak his swing greatly in camp, already boiling down his mechanics and making them less complex.

"I'm embarrassed to say it, but in two weeks of working with Kevin, I have felt so much better as a hitter than I have my entire life," Ensberg said. "This is just working on stuff in the cage. This is silly. I would have thought that there was a time that I knew what was going on, but he just makes things simple."
Link

Your google could probably find several other quotes of the same substance from Morgan over the years.

[jaklewein]

Sounds like quite an epiphany. I can't wait to see if this revelation sticks for more than 3 days. If he makes it all the way to opening day with this "simple" approach, I owe somebody a dollar.

Not to mention that all the changes (mechanically) in the world won't mean squat if he doesn't take the bat off his shoulder.

[JackAstro]

I assume the instruction from Mr. Long is comprised primarily of:

1. Quit changing your fucking stance.
2. Stop thinking.
3. Swing.

If tradition holds, he'll have abandoned at least one of these by Thursday, and all 3 by middle of next week. Sometime in May, he'll have this same epiphany again, and Pravata's google will be there, unearthing some variation of the same quote.

There was much discussion last season of the merits of Ty Wigginton as a hitter, and the possibility that he might be a side-grade more so than an upgrade over Morgan. To those who fall into the the camp that the Astros didn't improve much at the position, I'd offer that knowing that you're getting pretty much the same thing week in and week out is a dramatic upgrade over this kind of maddening shit, if only from a blood pressure regulation perspective.

[David in Jackson]

Listening to the Yankees game on XM yesterday, I had this incredible feeling of relief when Lane (who had a big day) and Ensberg had their names called.

[kevwun]

Is his problem similar to Hidalgo's "easily correctable swing flaw"?

[MusicMan]

Is his problem similar to Hidalgo's "easily correctable swing flaw"?

Bravo, sir.

[Fredia]

not just wow morgan wow there will probably be a long string of former astros rearing their ugly heads to bite the astros in the ass.. there now he can fail miserably.. have to keep the gods happy

[pravata]

Then again, Ensberg understands why he now has the opportunity to work with the Yankees' hitting coach, while an Astros he says,

"I know I played poorly and wish I had played better."
Link

[Gizzmonic]

I know I've said this before, but this is precisely why the DH is bullshit.

The Yanks are looking at two guys that can't hit a lick to play...first base?  To platoon at first base?  That's just silly.

[Randy Watson]

Is his problem similar to Hidalgo's "easily correctable swing flaw"?

That nailed it

[Waldo]

Not to mention that all the changes (mechanically) in the world won't mean squat if he doesn't take the bat off his shoulder.

Yeah, but it'll sit on his shoulder better than it ever has in his entire life.

[Kent's Moustache]

Then again, Ensberg understands why he now has the opportunity to work with the Yankees' hitting coach, while an Astros he says,

"I know I played poorly and wish I had played better."
Link

Whether he played well ('05) or not so much ('06-'07), Ensberg has always been a class act...

...and undeserving of a thread laced with potshots from a bunch of people who celebrated an '05 NL title and World Series appearance thanks in large part to his work during the regular season.

[pravata]

Whether he played well ('05) or not so much ('06-'07), Ensberg has always been a class act...

...and undeserving of a thread laced with potshots from a bunch of people who celebrated an '05 NL title and World Series appearance thanks in large part to his work during the regular season.

Potshots or not, Ensberg's problem when he was an Astro was that he didn't swing the bat (paragraph explaining that, factoring in injuries, inserted here).  He was told this on a number of occasions, the hitting instructors also tried to help him, not only with his approach, but also with his mechanics.  He was notorious for ignoring this instruction and would always revert to his comfortable, familar, and ultimately ineffective habits.  For him to say that finally a hitting coach has helped him is puzzling.  Puzzling, is that a potshot?

[Mr. Happy]

Whether he played well ('05) or not so much ('06-'07), Ensberg has always been a class act...

Okay, and your point would be?

...and undeserving of a thread laced with potshots from a bunch of people who celebrated an '05 NL title and World Series appearance thanks in large part to his work during the regular season.

Bullshit. Ensberg stunk on ice in 06 and 07, when the club mercifully released him. His perf. in SD wasn't any better. No one took any "shots" at him. They stuck to his perf. on the field, which sucked.

You will learn before you're older
that you can't hit the ball with the bat on your shoulder.

[Limey]

You will learn before you're older that you can't hit the ball with the bat on your shoulder.

Ensberg needs to find his inner-Dominican.

[Arky Vaughan]

You will learn before you're older that you can't hit the ball with the bat on your shoulder.

But he was terrible when he swung the bat too. The bat-on-the-shoulder criticism is mythology.

[JimR]

But he was terrible when he swung the bat too. The bat-on-the-shoulder criticism is mythology.

surely you jest. taking pitches is what started his inexorable decline to mediocrity.

[Arky Vaughan]

surely you jest. taking pitches is what started his inexorable decline to mediocrity.

He wasn't reading or seeing pitches well. He'd take two or three good ones, but he would also swing at crappy ones, which is why when he did take the bat off his shoulder, he'd ground out weakly. The problem wasn't leaving the bat on his shoulder per se, it was swinging when he shouldn't and not swinging when he should.

[Mr. Happy]

But he was terrible when he swung the bat too. The bat-on-the-shoulder criticism is mythology.

I think that he was in such a panic at the plate that he got himself into lots of bad counts and had to swing at more than his share of crap pitches. I've never seen more of deer in the headlights looks out of big league player than I saw out of Ensberg.

You might think that the bat-on-the-shoulder criticism is mythology, but it is undeniable that the bat doesn't stand a chance unless one swings it.

[pravata]

I think that he was in such a panic at the plate that he got himself into lots of bad counts and had to swing at more than his share of crap pitches. I've never seen more of deer in the headlights looks out of big league player than I saw out of Ensberg.

You might think that the bat-on-the-shoulder criticism is mythology, but it is undeniable that the bat doesn't stand a chance unless one swings it.

Ensberg had a number of problems that can be categorized under "not swinging the bat".  One, the most obvious, was literally not swinging.  The second, which happened even more often, was a tentative swing where he would try to catch the ball on his bat.  Might have been due to hesitation or perhaps injury.  These guided swings resulted in weak contact and popups or rollers.

[MRaup]

Ensberg had a number of problems that can be categorized under "not swinging the bat".  One, the most obvious, was literally not swinging.  The second, which happened even more often, was a tentative swing where he would try to catch the ball on his bat.  Might have been due to hesitation or perhaps injury.  These guided swings resulted in weak contact and popups or rollers.

Not to mention inevitably watching a meatball sail by on 2-0 or 3-1, then chasing a bad pitch or taking a pussified swing at something crappy promptly after that.

[austro]

Not to mention inevitably watching a meatball sail by on 2-0 or 3-1, then chasing a bad pitch or taking a pussified swing at something crappy promptly after that.

Stop it: the memories are too painful.

[Kent's Moustache]

Ensberg had a number of problems that can be categorized under "not swinging the bat".  One, the most obvious, was literally not swinging.  The second, which happened even more often, was a tentative swing where he would try to catch the ball on his bat.  Might have been due to hesitation or perhaps injury.  These guided swings resulted in weak contact and popups or rollers.

Correct.  All of which are the product of over-thinking, rather than simply adopting an approach and reacting accordingly at the plate.

We've discussed these issues ad nauseam.  There's no need to have this same, tired discussion every time Ensberg's name gets mentioned with a new team.  At some point, it becomes petty and spiteful.

That is my point.

[pravata]

Correct.  All of which are the product of over-thinking, rather than simply adopting an approach and reacting accordingly at the plate.

We've discussed these issues ad nauseam.  There's no need to have this same, tired discussion every time Ensberg's name gets mentioned with a new team.  At some point, it becomes petty and spiteful.

That is my point.

And I completely agree.  Lets have this discussion only when Ensberg brings up how 2 weeks of instruction from a new team's coach changed his life. 

[Limey]

The problem wasn't leaving the bat on his shoulder per se, it was swinging when he shouldn't and not swinging when he should.

Fat pitch down the pipe watched into catcher's mitt
Fatter pitch down the pipe watched into catcher's mitt
Slider down and away...WEEEEEEEE...strike three.

[geezerdonk]

mediocrity.

an extravagantly generous characterization

[Amy]

I've never seen more of deer in the headlights looks out of big league player than I saw out of Ensberg.

See Lane, Jason.

[MikeyBoy]

See Lane, Jason.

I don't think Jason had the deer in the headlights look at all. He was a victim of a big looping swing and once the pitchers got a book on him, he began to cheat on fastballs, leaving himself susceptible to off speed stuff and pitches away.

[Mr. Happy]

I don't think Jason had the deer in the headlights look at all. He was a victim of a big looping swing and once the pitchers got a book on him, he began to cheat on fastballs, leaving himself susceptible to off speed stuff and pitches away.

Agreed. Ensberg came up to the plate with the look of hoping for a walk, like a scared little leaguer.

[Amy]

Agreed. Ensberg came up to the plate with the look of hoping for a walk, like a scared little leaguer.

Obviously this is subjective and I don't disagree about Ensberg.  But IMO Lane looked terrified to the point of wondering where the fuck he was every time he came to the plate.

[mihoba]

Obviously this is subjective and I don't disagree about Ensberg.  But IMO Lane looked terrified to the point of wondering where the fuck he was every time he came to the plate.

I could buy frustrated, but not scared from Lane. If anything, he was a bit too aggressive at the plate, and almost a polar opposite of Ensberg.

Roger Cedeno, now he was scared.

This entire thread makes me want to go swing a whiffle bat at my neighbors cat.

[VirtualBob]

Correct.  All of which are the product of over-thinking, rather than simply adopting an approach and reacting accordingly at the plate.

We've discussed these issues ad nauseam.  There's no need to have this same, tired discussion every time Ensberg's name gets mentioned with a new team.  At some point, it becomes petty and spiteful.

That is my point.

Well said.  I suppose not the last word, though.

[Astroholic]

I don't think Jason had the deer in the headlights look at all. He was a victim of a big looping swing and once the pitchers got a book on him, he began to cheat on fastballs, leaving himself susceptible to off speed stuff and pitches away.

Someone said it best in here about Lane.  SOmething to the effect that when he swung, it looked like he was trying to hit himself in the head with the bat.  I probably FUBARed that quote, but I am sure else remembers it better.

[BatGirl]

Obviously this is subjective and I don't disagree about Ensberg.  But IMO Lane looked terrified to the point of wondering where the fuck he was every time he came to the plate.

i can agree with this - i remember seeing his face on tv during his ab's and thinking he looked uneasy - scared, even.  it was his facial expressions.  of course, he certainly seemed frustrated after lots of ab's...