Brooke Jacoby

[brm7675]

Can anyone, and I mean anyone explain why and how this man has kept his job?

[Billy Hamilton's Legs]

Can anyone, and I mean anyone explain why and how this man has kept his job?

I think we should lay off the knee-jerk reactions...

Look here for starters http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/team/_/stat/batting/year/2011/seasontype/2/league/nl

This is with a small market payroll.

[Redeye fly]

I'll guarantee little to now people on this board have any real idea of whether Jacoby is a good hitting coach or a bad hitting coach.

I include myself in that.

He can't go to the plate and hit for the guys. Some of the accountability, a lot of the accountability, has to fall back on the players.

[R_Webb18]

I'll guarantee little to now people on this board have any real idea of whether Jacoby is a good hitting coach or a bad hitting coach.

I include myself in that.

He can't go to the plate and hit for the guys. Some of the accountability, a lot of the accountability, has to fall back on the players.

this.

at what point is it the players fault?

[Krawhitham]

We need a hitting coach that teaches swing for contact instead of swing hard in case you hit. Stubbs could raise his average 50 points easy just running out some ground balls.

Swinging for HRs will win you some games, swinging for contact will win you championships

[Redeye fly]

We need a hitting coach that teaches swing for contact instead of swing hard in case you hit. Stubbs could raise his average 50 points easy just running out some ground balls.

Swinging for HRs will win you some games, swinging for contact will win you championships


Ok... and you know that Brook Jacoby teaches guys to swing hard in case you hit it based on what exactly.

In general players themselves have those habits rather than someone coaching them to be that way. That goes for either type of hitter.

[bounty37h]

Anyone have a guess on over/under for how long it takes BRM to start a fire the batboy thread?-think its the only one he hasnt started here yet.

[R_Webb18]

Anyone have a guess on over/under for how long it takes BRM to start a fire the batboy thread?-think its the only one he hasnt started here yet.

he might aswell run the team.

[brm7675]

Ok... and you know that Brook Jacoby teaches guys to swing hard in case you hit it based on what exactly.

In general players themselves have those habits rather than someone coaching them to be that way. That goes for either type of hitter.

I think all you have to do is look at some key players and you see no progress in their development. Stubbs is striking out way to much, I find it hard to believe that Jacoby is down there working with him on contact, I believe they want him to be more of a power hitter. Bruce's pitch selection is not good, and again this needs to be worked with by the coaches. How many players on this team are good bunters are able to lay down a good buny when needed. Players improve with good coaching, I don't see improvement in many players.

[Redeye fly]

I think all you have to do is look at some key players and you see no progress in their development. Stubbs is striking out way to much, I find it hard to believe that Jacoby is down there working with him on contact, I believe they want him to be more of a power hitter. Bruce's pitch selection is not good, and again this needs to be worked with by the coaches. How many players on this team are good bunters are able to lay down a good buny when needed. Players improve with good coaching, I don't see improvement in many players.

There's no evidence that they want Stubbs to be more of a power hitter when their first inclination is always to bat him leadoff to take advantage of his speed.

Bruce's pitch selection is not good right now. But then again, at other times it is. He's a streaky hitter. Stubbs is as well for that matter. If you wanted to fire people or make changes with the ups and downs of certain players, or the ups and downs of the team as a whole, you'd be in a continual pattern of making changes and it would be one big mess.

You may be right that Jacoby is a lousy hitting coach. But again, there's no way to know that for sure. Some guys just don't have it between the ears. I'm not saying that's the case with Stubbs and Bruce. But sometimes it doesn't matter how much you "coach" a guy or what advice you give him. Ultimately he's the one standing at the plate and he's the one who is going to succeed or fail. Baseball is not an easy game to play at the major league level. Guys strike out, guys swing at bad pitches.

There's no way that you can judge it based on how many guys on this team can lay down a successful bunt either. There's a reason why I've heard bunting referred to as a lost art for probably more than half my life as a 35 year old fan. Guys coming up who have always been able to hit with power don't worry about bunting. It's a stigma that affects every major sport. Why should a basketball player worry about a mid range game or a pull up jumper, or even a simple lay up if he can jump out of the gym and dunk on everyone? Why should a defensive back or linebacker worry about making a good form tackle if he can put his head down and light someone up with a big hit? Fundamentals take a back seat to the highlights in every sport. It's not Jacoby's fault, for example, that Drew Stubbs can't put a good bunt down. Teaching someone to bunt at the major league level is the wrong time to be doing that. The fault lies with every coach Drew Stubbs ever had before he became a professional baseball player and with Drew Stubbs himself. For any and all of them, the light should have came on to where they said "Drew's so fast that if he can just down an occasional well placed bunt he's got a chance to beat it out for a hit almost every time." But no, he might hit for some power, so we'll completely neglect that part of his game.

[bshall2105]

I think we wait until the off season and then try to pry McGwire away from St Louis.

[Krawhitham]

Ok... and you know that Brook Jacoby teaches guys to swing hard in case you hit it based on what exactly.

The Team strikeout total

[Redeye fly]

The Team strikeout total

I see.

And you still know Jacoby teaches or encourages this rather than it being the player's natural instincts based on what?

Most people felt Stubbs was going to be a high strikeout guy... Bruce as well to an extent. This was kind of projected before they ever had Jacoby as their hitting coach. We also up until very recently had Jonny Gomes on the team, who has been Jonny Gomes before he ever came across Brook Jacoby.

In a lot of cases the strikeouts don't come from guys "swinging hard in case they hit it." Rather they come from guys chasing bad pitches outside the strike zone.

[abish1572]

Brook Jacoby didn't make Cairo bunt with 2 strikes with a runner at 3rd :rolleyes:

[djthered]

Hi, This is my 1st post. You all make very valid points, esp about Drew Stubbs. But.... Maybe you can't put the blame on Brook Jacoby, but if that's the case, why bother to have a batting coach or even have a coaching staff,even manager. These coaches are there to detect flaws in a players performance and to work with the player to correct them. Ideally, the whole idea of a leadoff hitter is to get on base, if he has speed, hopefully steal second, and be in scoring position before the first out is made. Players don't play in a vacuum. It's up to the coaching staff and manager to identify each players assets and utilize them to the best of their ability. This is a team sport. The Reds know that Stubbs is one of the faster players in the game, why they've decided not to take advantage of his speed, esp. in the leadoff position is a total mystery.