What Hunter Pence said

[Noe]

In an interview after tonight's win, Hunter Pence told Greg Lucas that right now, what he's trying to do is "slow the game down, I tend to let things get away from me at times and that gets me into trouble".  Okay, that is in a nutshell what many of us have said over the past three years, yet no one seems to acknowledge it until now (and ironically it comes from Pence himself).  Pence has the million dollar talent and the ten cent approach to the game (which of course makes him look like a guy with a ten cent head as well).  If ever anyone on the Astros organization were to get to Pence and tell him to stop being that puppy who runs all over the place and pisses on himself, he'd be a really good player.


Bagwell maybe?

[Ron Brand]

I don't care if it's bin Laden. Someone needs to talk some sense into his brain.

[Ebby Calvin]

I was looking at Pence's yearly stats last night after his 2 HRs - they're not half bad.  As long as they're taken in a vacuum, without any consideration of rolling over pitches, killing rallies, missing the cutoff man, meandering routes in RF, etc (dead horse beaten by now), Hunter's been OK.  Which, in my mind, echoes what Noe said - he's doing all of this (good chance at 20/20) on talent alone.  If anybody can get through to him, and by his comments above maybe somebody has, it's Bagwell.

Or bin Laden.  One of the two.

[GreatBagwellsBeard]

If ever anyone on the Astros organization were to get to Pence and tell him to stop being that puppy who runs all over the place and pisses on himself, he'd be a really good player.

Made this exact same analogy at the game on Saturday.  When he blundered on the basepaths, costing us a run and an out, I turned to my buddy and said, "The labrador just pee'd the rug."

[JimR]

he is having some real good swings lately. i am guessing Bagwell is helping him.

[HudsonHawk]

This is where Bagwell is being the most helpful...approach.  I don't think he really gets into the X's and O's at this level, as it's hard to get guys to change once they reach the majors.  But how they *think* about an at bat...

[JackAstro]

I couldn't quite hear the TV last night, but before his first homer, it sounded like JD was talking about Bagwell working with him in BP to wait back, let the ball get deeper and drive it to center and right. That can't do anything but help him, for sure. I'd assume Berry tried to get him to stop rolling over on everything, too, but for whatever reason he seems to be listening now.

[Limey]

1)  I clicked into this thread expecting to read "Mep! Mep! Mep!"

2)  Hunter is an ok player, who could be better with some patience and maturity.  The main problem is that Pam Ga the Astros are promoting him as the face of the franchise, when he's essentially slightly better than your average major leaguer at this point.

[Lurch]

1)  I clicked into this thread expecting to read "Mep! Mep! Mep!"

2)  Hunter is an ok player, who could be better with some patience and maturity.  The main problem is that Pam Ga the Astros are promoting him as the face of the franchise, when he's essentially slightly better than your average major leaguer at this point.

The main problem is that/how he's being promoted?  That's pretty irrelevant unless Drayton has been convinced he's untouchable in trade ops

[Navin R Johnson]

Footer talked in the pregame about Bawell's approach to being a hitting coach is a lot less about breaking down film for 10 hours on the couch and getting guys to take an extra 500 swings in the cage and more about adjusting how these guys approach at bats and getting them to be smarter in the batters box.   

[JimR]

I couldn't quite hear the TV last night, but before his first homer, it sounded like JD was talking about Bagwell working with him in BP to wait back, let the ball get deeper and drive it to center and right. That can't do anything but help him, for sure. I'd assume Berry tried to get him to stop rolling over on everything, too, but for whatever reason he seems to be listening now.

that approach cannot possible do anything but help. as one of Mark's hitting coaches used to say: "Let it travel, son. Let it travel."

[Limey]

The main problem is that/how he's being promoted?  That's pretty irrelevant unless Drayton has been convinced he's untouchable in trade ops

That's the point.  Because he's the "face of the franchise", he becomes untouchable in trades when really he should be one of the more dealable chips.  It's the promotion of him that elevates his status beyond what's deserved.

[Lurch]

Because he's the "face of the franchise", he becomes untouchable in trades

How'd that work out for Roy and Lance?

[HudsonHawk]

That's the point.  Because he's the "face of the franchise", he becomes untouchable in trades when really he should be one of the more dealable chips.  It's the promotion of him that elevates his status beyond what's deserved.

I'm not aware of the Astros turning down any offers for him.  Or do you mean they haven't actively shopped him?

[JackAstro]

that approach cannot possible do anything but help. as one of Mark's hitting coaches used to say: "Let it travel, son. Let it travel."

Yep. It definitely helped last night... if he had been in the mindset of pulling a fastball, that meatball change he got would've been either missed completely or yanked over the dugout, instead of smacking the wall over the boxes.

[Limey]

I'm not aware of the Astros turning down any offers for him.  Or do you mean they haven't actively shopped him?

I'm [Pence] swinging in the wind [/Pence] too.  I just fear that the Astros have boxed themselves in by promoting him, so they now fear a backlash if they trade their "star" player.

[Limey]

How'd that work out for Roy and Lance?

Neither of whom had their own field box section.

[Noe]

If Pence is exhibit A of the method by which Bagwell is coaching these guys, then Pence of all people will benefit the most.  If "approach" is the order of the day for Bagpipes, he is smart man and will help these young guys tremendously.

In many ways this becomes the essence of a mentor/leader these kids can look towards instead of just a coach who just works with you in the cage.  I know that if I had a terrible AB where I gave away swings to the pitcher, the last thing I want to see coming back to the bench is the icy cold stare of Bagwell.  I'd just as soon he'd kick me in the rear and get it over with.

[pots]

After his swing at the pitch in the dirt in his first AB last night, I swear I saw him step back and think for a minute.  Figured I was just seeing things.   

[JimR]

Yeah, he thought "Baggy is going to kill me."

[HudsonHawk]

After his swing at the pitch in the dirt in his first AB last night, I swear I saw him step back and think for a minute.  Figured I was just seeing things.   

This is what annoys me most about Pence.  Everyone one in the park knows what the pitcher is going to throw him.  Except Pence himself, it seems.  I can't believe Bagwell is the first guy to tell him "think dumbass...you know what pitch is coming".  Perhaps Bagwell's the first guy he's listened to.

[Limey]

Yeah, he thought "Baggy is going to kill me."

This.

[Matt]

This is what annoys me most about Pence.  Everyone one in the park knows what the pitcher is going to throw him.  Except Pence himself, it seems.  I can't believe Bagwell is the first guy to tell him "think dumbass...you know what pitch is coming".  Perhaps Bagwell's the first guy he's listened to.

I think its just that he thinks he can hit whatever they throw him. Even if he knows without a doubt its going to be a slider away and in the dirt, he'll think that he can still hit it.

[JimR]

I think its just that he thinks he can hit whatever they throw him. Even if he knows without a doubt its going to be a slider away and in the dirt, he'll think that he can still hit it.

you know what is dead wrong about this? "He thinks...."

[Lurch]

you know what is dead wrong about this? "He thinks...."

To your point, I seem to recall a quote of his when he was first called up and he admitted then that he was just trying to see the pitch and react "like ping pong".  Ironic given his self-professed love of strategy based games.

[Matt]

you know what is dead wrong about this? "He thinks...."

Thinks may have been too technical of a term for what he does. Its more like an minimalistic instinct.

[Noe]

Perhaps Bagwell's the first guy he's listened to.

I would not be surprised if this is the essence of what is going on with Pence.  It's not being slotted into the third slot in the lineup, it's not being patted on the back by the organization, it's not having a field box named after you, it's not all the promotional stuff going on about you... it's that man right over there, the one they say played the game the right way, the one who many call a living legend, a man who everyone respects, not because of talent alone but because of how he conducts himself and how he just played the game right and cared about his teammates.

Maybe all this is a subtle tribute to how much Bagwell really can affect a clubhouse, not just as a player's player, but a player's coach as well.

[Limey]

I would not be surprised if this is the essence of what is going on with Pence.  It's not being slotted into the third slot in the lineup, it's not being patted on the back by the organization, it's not having a field box named after you, it's not all the promotional stuff going on about you... it's that man right over there, the one they say played the game the right way, the one who many call a living legend, a man who everyone respects, not because of talent alone but because of how he conducts himself and how he just played the game right and cared about his teammates.

Maybe all this is a subtle tribute to how much Bagwell Angel Sanchez really can affect a clubhouse, not just as a player's player, but a player's coach as well.

FIFY

[JimR]

FIFY

Angel Sanchez taught Bagwell everything Bagwell knows but not everything Angel knows.

[JackAstro]

Angel Sanchez taught Bagwell everything Bagwell knows but not everything Angel knows.

Nice.