Joey Votto and the pop up

[klw]

A commenter in the first link said that when Billy Hamilton was playing shortstop, he once caught a ball on the warning track. Has anybody else heard of that? I suppose a high, wind-blown ball and Hamilton's speed might make it possible.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...#ixzz2WDMhVZme

The most unbelievable thing DeShields saw Billy do happened last year during spring training. "There was a ball hit to deep to leftfield, and the leftfielder throws his hands up because he's lost the ball in the sun," says DeShields. "I'm watching the ball, and thinking, This is trouble, and out of nowhere, I see this white flash, and I see that it's Billy, and he's running full speed. He ends up diving, laying out completely, and makes the catch at the warning track in leftfield. It was ridiculous. There isn't a player out there who would have caught that ball."

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/20/sp...anted=all&_r=0

Tales of Hamilton’s incredible speed are collected and passed around the lower levels of the game the way folks used to tell stories of the great Negro leagues speedster Cool Papa Bell, who was said to be so fast he could hit a grounder through the box and be hit by the ball as he slid into second base.

In Bakersfield, Calif., Hamilton scored on a sacrifice fly — to the second baseman. He also scored from third when the catcher threw to first to complete a strikeout. In high school, Hamilton once made a fine running catch on the warning track. Not so unusual, except he was playing shortstop at the time.

http://www.howtorunfasternow.com/spo...illy-hamilton/

Delino DeShields, a former big-leaguer and manager of Hamilton’s rookie team in Billings, Montana, told a story of a pop-up to the left fielder who promptly lost the ball in the sun. Out of nowhere, Hamilton dives and catches the ball at the warning track, IN LEFT FIELD. No other player could have done that. DeShields had seen all the fast players before – Otis Nixon, Deion Sanders, Vince Coleman – but he had never seen a play like that before.

Dusty Hillman, his high school coach, tells a story of a ball that was hit in the gap in right field between the center fielder, right fielder, and second baseman. Hillman thought it would be a sure double, but out of nowhere Hamilton runs in from his shortstop position to make an over the shoulder catch. He ran full speed to get to it.

[mth123]

I think the day off yesterday will do Votto some good, He's been making some mental errors lately and seems a little sluggish IMO. Getting a win on the day he sat down was a nice turn of events. I expect Votto back and at his best soon. Too bad the day-off couldn't be against an off day to get him 2 in a row, but I'm glad he got a breather. I may be the only one, but I hope there would be a way he could pass on the All Star game. A four day break for Votto would spell trouble for the rest of the NL in the second half IMO.

[drowg14]

I think the day off yesterday will do Votto some good, He's been making some mental errors lately and seems a little sluggish IMO. Getting a win on the day he sat down was a nice turn of events. I expect Votto back and at his best soon. Too bad the day-off couldn't be against an off day to get him 2 in a row, but I'm glad he got a breather. I may be the only one, but I hope there would be a way he could pass on the All Star game. A four day break for Votto would spell trouble for the rest of the NL in the second half IMO.

You are not the only one. IMO, the all star game is a joke anymore. At least won't have anyone in the Derby (hopefully?).

[TSJ55]

Another JV pop up article. His lack of infield pops still strikes me as freakish even though I should be used to it by now.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/joey-...t-of-weakness/

[Always Red]

Another JV pop up article. His lack of infield pops still strikes me as freakish even though I should be used to it by now.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/joey-...t-of-weakness/

I saw the popup the other night, and went to get my wife so she could see the replay, as its the rarest of things to see. Like a rare bird sighting.

I also immediately thought that Votto is listening to his critics and was expanding his strike zone, swinging at pitches he knows he cannot handle, trying to get a runner in from 3rd with less than 2 outs. I'd rather Joey continue to avoid making outs, which he excels at.

[lidspinner]

Tony Gwynn hit 14 homeruns in 1985 or 86 and the powers that be thought he had finally figured out how to add a little power to his resume while still hitting for a high average....he turned around the following year and only hit 7 homers but hit something like .370 while still knocking in roughly the same amount of runs......

I will never forget the big deal they made about him not hitting more homeruns that he did the year before....this was around the same time frame that I was just learning how to use stats for judging talent so you can imagine my amazement at how everyone could beat him down for only hitting 7 homers yet still getting his RBI total the same but raising his batting average a ton.

That was probably the first year I realized that baseball players need to do what they feel is right for them...they know what they are capable of.....IF Joey VOtto is capable of swinging at pitches out of the strike zone and being good at it then he would have been doing it all along...he knows his limits. He will not take an outside pitch and pull it to RF, he simply will not even try to, on the other hand, Jay Bruce will constantly try to pull anything and everything that is tossed up there to him.....at the same time, Jay knows that he will connect on a few of those and hit them far so he continues and he is fine with that....Joey is not....there is a reason Joey hits for a high average and jay hits 270-ish.....there is also a reason Jay hits more home runs. Sports reporters try to hard to change a guys approach, or they want to know why he isnt changing his approach when he struggles.....I am just as guilty, I have wanted Drew Stubbs to change his entire approach since the day he came up.....but these guys know more than anyone what they can do.......if Joey keeps being Joey he will probably go a long time before hitting another pop up to the IF....He will also go a long time before he hits under 300 and a long time before he hits 35 home runs again.

Just like Gwynn, Joey can have a HOF career if he stays within himself and does what he knows he can do and not try to listen to his critics. Like I said, I am guilty of it too....I complained as much as the next guy when he struck out with runners in scoring position to end the game last week, his strike out was looking.....with joeys approach, that is going to happen from time to time.

[Raisor]

You don't sign a guy to a ten year deal and then try to change his hitting approach.

[klw]

For posterity's sake

[Rantly]

For posterity's sake

I remember seeing this pop up and had forgotten that he never pops up
I did think at the time the swing looked really out of place for him.

[mdccclxix]

I remember seeing this pop up and had forgotten that he never pops up
I did think at the time the swing looked really out of place for him.

Yeah, he looked very human there. Brrrrr. Let's move on.