David Ross

[Red Leader]

I hate him. He sux. :





Just kidding. I feel for the guy. He's really pressing right now. You can tell it's getting to him. I've been there before, and that DOES suck. Can't buy a hit. Your defense starts to suffer because your offensive game is off and your manic about fixing it. You tear your swing apart, analyze everything, try to put it back together piece by piece and no matter what you do, it just doesn't feel "comfortable," something always feels "off." Realizing you did all of that work and it didn't fix the problem makes you more tense, more uptight, more confused. One of my coaches told me one time that when you're going bad the hardest thing to do is "not think." "Don't let your brain even think, just let your muscles, your reactions do all the work." He was right, that was the hardest thing to do. I wanted to break my swing down, analyze everything and see where the problem was. It's only natural to feel that way, I think. What eventually got me out of it was just strolling to the plate, stepping in the box, not worrying about my stance, my head position, my elbow position, my front foot, my timing, my hands, just standing there and trying to "get comfortable." When I felt comfortable, I lifted the bat and my hands and stayed there. I didn't think about pitches. I knew I'd get a fastball at some point in the AB and treated every pitch as if it were a fastball. If some guy threw me 4-5 breaking balls in a row, I was done, and would accept defeat, but if he threw me a fastball, I'd be ready. First pitch. Fastball. It was high, I let it go, but watched it all the way in. Next pitch, curve ball. Dropped in for a strike, I didn't swing. Next pitch, fastball. Mistake. Middle to outside. I drove it right over the second baseman's head. Felt like Fort Knox had just been lifted off my shoulders. I was 0-28 before that hit. I actually felt myself breathe on the way to first base for the first time in about 2 weeks. I smiled when I got there. It felt good. I went 12-25 over my next couple games.

Moral of the story, it'll come back to him. Ross won't be this terrible at the plate all year. Granted he doesn't have a high career avg in the minors, so I doubt he goes on a lengthy tear, but he won't be this terrible and lost all year at the plate. He'll recover. He just has to think less. The more he presses the worse it'll get. Finally, at some point, he'll give up, and it'll come. Some people have different opinions whether you should play a player and let him work out of it, or whether you should give the players off days to get the problem fixed. I think it depends on the manager to know what type of player he's working with. If the manager knows the player is the type that "overthinks" things (as most catchers do), then off days can actually hurt. They'll try to break every little thing down and continue to "overthink" things. That could hurt them in getting through this. Some will actually benefit from getting time off to clear their heads and removing themselves from the pressure of feeling they have to produce when in the lineup. With three catchers on the roster, Jerry Narron has the luxury to do whatever he wants. So far, it looks like Narron has opted to give Ross some rest days. He's looked better in recent AB's (Monday) but looked somewhat lost again yesterday. He's still fighting through it. It will come back to him, though. With as talented and athletic as you have to be to even make the majors, though, I'm confident it will come back to him. When it does, that's the time Jerry should take advantage of it and play him everyday, though. I'm hoping that's what he does.

[coachw513]

I don't think there would be anything wrong IF he provides a consistently well-called game behind the plate with good defense if he hit .230 with some occasional pop 15 HR or so...

In my limited scope, it always seems that he's on the same page with our pitching staff...little to none shaking off signs, a good plan of attack...I personally think that adds confidence and results for our pitchers...

[Red Leader]

Agreed coach. David Ross does a very good job with game calling. He does a very good job catching and throwing. On defense the only thing he has to guard against really, is his footwork. He tends to get lazy behind the plate at times with his footwork. If he continues to go bad with the bat, watch his footwork. I bet you'll start seeing a passed ball or two because of bad footwork if he continues to go bad with the bat.

And you're right, his game calling definitely gives confidence to the pitchers and helps them be more successful.

[cincrazy]

David Ross is nowhere near as good as we saw at times last year... and on the same hand, he's nowhere near as bad as he's playing right now. He's a .250 hitter probably, with 20 homers or so, not bad number's for a catcher. You're right Red Leader, things will turn around. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

[Degenerate39]

I'm hoping Ross turns it around. I do like Ross but some times I get frustrated with him and I'm sure he gets frustrated with himself. I hope he has a good year.

[KronoRed]

With Gonzo already out there just for D the trouble with keeping Ross in there while struggling with the stick is that it produces one awful set of hitters in a lineup when you factor in the pitcher.

I'm not sure 100% sure he'll come out of it, his numbers before last year have always been a worry for me, one year wonder maybe.

[edabbs44]

Originally Posted by KronoRed

With Gonzo already out there just for D the trouble with keeping Ross in there while struggling with the stick is that it produces one awful set of hitters in a lineup when you factor in the pitcher.

I'm not sure 100% sure he'll come out of it, his numbers before last year have always been a worry for me, one year wonder maybe.

More like a half year wonder.

[TeamSelig]

Redszone cracks me up sometimes. Every year its:

Player A goes into huge slump

3748342 threads about how they need to trade, cut, send down to the minors, get out of the lineup, etc.

About a week or two later:

3539 threads about how this player is actually just in a slump and we should keep said player, and stop picking on them (no more bad threads about him)

Nothin against you RL, just seems like a pattern every year.

Anyone know what DR's deal is?

[OesterPoster]

Originally Posted by TeamSelig

Anyone know what DR's deal is?

Lack of sleep caused by the new baby? Oh wait...Lohse, Harang, and Dunn have new babies too. Maybe Ross's baby is like every single one of mine...a horrible sleeper.

[membengal]

All I know is he is fast approaching Adam Dunn's HoF mark for most seperate threads bearing his name in a two and a half week period...