Report: Butch Wynegar candidate for Reds Hitting Coach

[NJReds]

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal -- link to full article, which is mostly Brewer related.

Here's the "Reds relevant" paragraph:

Meanwhile, Melvin has begun the process of replacing dismissed coaches Butch Wynegar and Davey Nelson by interviewing internal candidates.

In search of a hitting coach to replace Wynegar, who apparently is in the running for the vacancy in Cincinnati, Melvin interviewed Jim Skaalen, the Brewers' minor-league hitting coordinator for the last seven seasons.

[Chip R]

Another former Twin.

[Ravenlord]

Originally Posted by Chip R

Another former Twin.

and a guy with nearly 200 more walks than strikeouts for his career, while having nothing resembling power.

seems a perfect match for Krivsky if that's Wynegar's general hitting philosophy.

[Johnny Footstool]

He worked wonders for the Brewers last season.

12th in the NL in OPS, 13th in OBP, 14th in Runs. But they did hit one point higher in BA than the Reds, so he must be an improvement over Chambliss.

[macro]

[Falls City Beer]

Originally Posted by macro

Timothy Busfield.

[NJReds]

This...from a Brewers blog:

Despite Butch Wynegar's best efforts, Brewers hitters have whiffed 864 times this season, the second most in the Majors entering the weekend, behind Florida's 883.
"You can't sustain anything," Wynegar said. "You can have some innings, just because of the long ball, but you're going to have more down innings. I stress to these guys in [batting practice], 'Don't hit the ball out of the ballpark.' I've said it to them right to their faces in our meetings. If it happens to go out because of something else you're working on, great. That's the way home runs happen in the game."

Strikeouts have been an ongoing problem in Milwaukee. Beginning in 2000, the Brewers have ranked last or next to last in the Majors in strikeouts in five of six seasons. Jose Hernandez, Jeromy Burnitz, Richie Sexson and company set a Major League record with 1,399 whiffs in 2001 under manager Davey Lopes.

Since Yost and Wynegar took over in 2003, the Brewers have finished with the second-highest strikeout total in each of three full seasons, trailing Cincinnati each time.

You know, maybe yelling at them isn't working. I like Butch "Piss and" Wynegar, but how has he managed to hold onto his job for so long? I know, Ballgame's "patient."

[Johnny Footstool]

Since Yost and Wynegar took over in 2003, the Brewers have finished with the second-highest strikeout total in each of three full seasons, trailing Cincinnati each time.

They've also seen their Walk totals and their Runs Scored totals decrease each year.

[flyer85]

Seeing Ks as the major problem of the offense and focusing on their reduction as a solution to the offensive problem is a red herring.

[Kc61]

Originally Posted by Ricardo Cabesa

Seeing Ks as the major problem of the offense and focusing on their reduction as a solution to the offensive problem is a red herring.

Ks are a relevant factor. They are certainly not the only relevant factor and I wouldn't exaggerate their importance, but they are relevant as a team stat.

This year the highest K total in the majors wa 1249 (Fla) and the lowest 872 (Minn). Minn also had the most hits in baseball and was 13th in runs. Fla was 23rd in hits and 19th in runs.

With a gap of almost 400 strikeouts, Minn surely had many more opportunities for base hits than did Florida. Not talking about the impact of the strikeouts -- I agree with most that it is just another out -- but the lack of contact does diminish the base hit opportunities.

Of course, there is often a trade off so that a low strikeout team may not have much power. I don't advocate a slap hitting team.

The Reds this year were 6th in baseball in strikeouts. While they were 3rd in homers, they were 14th in extra base hits, 22nd in runs, 26th in hits.

When a team is 6th in strikeouts and near last in hits, I think it can use a few more guys who get the bat on the ball.

[Cyclone792]

Originally Posted by Kc61

Ks are a relevant factor. They are certainly not the only relevant factor and I wouldn't exaggerate their importance, but they are relevant as a team stat.

This year the highest K total in the majors wa 1249 (Fla) and the lowest 872 (Minn). Minn also had the most hits in baseball and was 13th in runs. Fla was 23rd in hits and 19th in runs.

With a gap of almost 400 strikeouts, Minn surely had many more opportunities for base hits than did Florida. Not talking about the impact of the strikeouts -- I agree with most that it is just another out -- but the lack of contact does diminish the base hit opportunities.

Of course, there is often a trade off so that a low strikeout team may not have much power. I don't advocate a slap hitting team.

The Reds this year were 6th in baseball in strikeouts. While they were 3rd in homers, they were 14th in extra base hits, 22nd in runs, 26th in hits.

When a team is 6th in strikeouts and near last in hits, I think it can use a few more guys who get the bat on the ball.

Which of the following charts isn't like the other two ...







And just for the record, here's a BP chart on strikeouts to runs correlation from 1950-2002:



Avoid outs. Acquire bases. How the outs that are made are actually made isn't something to fret about.

[flyer85]

Originally Posted by Cyclone792

Avoid outs. Acquire bases. How the outs that are made are actually made isn't something to fret about.

Nah, avoiding K's, that's the ticket.

In 2005 the Reds were 1st in the NL in runs and were 1st in Ks. How could that be?

[RedsManRick]

Sounds like Butch has himself confused. He's right in so far as going up to the plate thinking homer or bust is a bad approach. The problem is, that he equates strikeouts as people taking the wrong approach to hitting. Batters need to be selective in their approach, only swing at balls they can drive unless the situation requires an expansion of their zone.

Trying to avoid strikeouts too easily means swing at the 2nd pitch of the AB and grounding out to 2B rather than working the count for the fastball you can drive 3 pitches later. I'm no pitching coach, but I just don't understand how the "swing at what you can hit well, don't swing at what you can't hit" philosophy is hard to get.

The Brewers were 24th in SLG, 26th in OBP, and 27th in runs.

Meanwhile, the Indians were 3rd in SO and 2nd runs. They just so happened to be 3rd in OBP and 4th in SLG. This really isn't complicated.

[15fan]

Regression analysis.

Swwwwwwweet.

Who was the team that scored 6.5-ish runs per game while only striking out about 3.6 times per game? That's phenomenal.

[ochre]

Originally Posted by Cyclone792

That diagram makes me want to sing! Why, it's a heart-shaped box.

She eyes me like a pisces when I am weak
I've been locked inside your Heart Shaped box for weeks
I've been drawn into your magnet tar pit trap
I wish I could eat your cancer when you turn black