Jason Kubel Versus Left-Handed Pitching

by Jesse on May 12, 2011 8:01 AM EDT in Player Profiles

For a few brief moments during yesterday afternoon's game, there was an electricity in the air that had been missing the entire season. Francisco Liriano's no-hitter was a special moment in history, but it happened away from the confines of Target Field and 40,000 hometown fans. And as Scott Baker's afternoon deteriorated, and the team fell behind once again, the resignation in the crowd was palpable.

Hell, the resignation on the bench was palpable. John Shipley, who covers the Twins for the Pioneer Press, Tweeted this:

#Tigers dougout, nine players, coaches, trainer leaning over rail. #Twins dugout, Gardy, Andy, Ullger.

But then Jason Kubel obliterated a fastball from Daniel Schlereth.

Kubel's destruction of Schlereth constituted not just Minnesota's first three-run homer of the season (sad, but true), it also gave the Twins what would have seemed impossible just an inning prior: the lead. His three-run jack put the home team up 6-5, and the way the crowd lit up you'd have thought it was October.

Part of the celebration, at least for me, was less about the fact that Kubel had come through again and more about the fact that Kubel came through in the clutch versus a left-handed pitcher.

Jason Kubel	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
Career, vs LHP 2011, vs LHP before game 2011, vs LHP after game	- - -	559 37 40	- - -	133 10 12	30 3 3	2 0 0	10 0 1	77 4 8	51 3 4	142 9 9	1 0 0	0 0 0	.238 .270 .300	.314 .333 .370	.352 .351 .450

Jason Kubel

RBI

AVG

OBP

SLG

Career, vs LHP

2011, vs LHP before game

2011, vs LHP after game

559

133

142

.238

.270

.300

.314

.333

.370

.352

.351

.450

This illustrates perfectly how quickly numbers can swing in a small sample size, as yesterday's performance gives Kubel more than a respectable season line versus lefties. But you can certainly understand why the Tigers chose to pitch to Kubel, even with one out and runners on second and third: because even this year, Kubel wasn't a good hitter versus southpaws. Enter, Daniel Schlereth.

Kubel is obviously seeing the ball well this season, his overall line tells us that. And maybe this year will just be one of those years where, even though he's clearly not an ideal bat to start versus a lefty, he won't be as terribile as he's been in seasons past. I'd still express doubts if anyone wanted to argue that this was a turning point for his weakness in this regard.

But yesterday? The man was a god amongst mortals. And for just a few fleeting moments, we had a taste of 2010's electricity.

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Comments

That was so awesome yesterday

Kubel like: “We need home run here, so I’m going to hit a home run here.”

"It happened in the moment, and it happened." - Carlos Gomez

by myjah on May 12, 2011 9:33 AM EDT reply actions

I was cheering really loudly.

Woke my dog up from her nap.

by Jesse on May 12, 2011 10:24 AM EDT up reply actions

KUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUBES!!!

"Don't take life for granted, because tomorrow isn't promised to any one of us." -Kirby Puckett
"Somewhere Nick Punto is giggliing and storking his unicorn’s mane" -Twinsgirl197

by less cowbell, more 'neau on May 12, 2011 10:49 AM EDT reply actions

He's the man.

But he has to be looking around him and going “what happened to the rest of the offense?” He’s also played relatively good defense this year. It’s too bad he didn’t have this kind of year last year, or, actually, it’s too bad the rest of the offense can’t be having a year like they did in 2010.

by dctwin on May 12, 2011 11:22 AM EDT reply actions

Kind of bittersweet

I’m really happy for Kubel, but at the same time I feel bad that he’s putting up this great season that’s basically an island in the midst of a great ocean of suck, and it’s largely for naught.

"There are only two things that are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein

by BeefMaster on May 12, 2011 11:55 AM EDT reply actions

+1

FREE AIRWOLF!

ROHLFING!!!!!

by d-mac on May 12, 2011 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Something is different with his stance...

I’d like to see a comparison between Kubel’s stance (particularly last night) versus his stance in a typical game last season. His posture is different, and it’s not just his look of confidence. Is he more on the balls of his feet? Maybe he stood more flat-footed last season. He’s definitely hanging in there better with his head, keeping his face very still as the bat moves forward, but he also seems to have a better shape to his swing, more punch and extended dwell in the zone.

I don’t think this is a fluke. Kubel may be on a tear of epic proportions.

by jimbo55403 on May 12, 2011 11:58 AM EDT reply actions

Using his legs better

Yep, I just watched his home run swing from yesterday. In the past, his feet looked firmly planted, like a sumo wrestler you could not budge. Round swing. Now, his left foot isn’t planted so hard. He’s getting a better weight transfer from his drive leg, which carries his hands and bat farther through the zone (oblong swing), which gives him more margin of error on timing. Kaboom, baby.

by jimbo55403 on May 12, 2011 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions

Over the Baggy has you covered

http://overthebaggy.blogspot.com/2011/04/kubels-adjustments-pay-early-offensive.html

by IronMonkee on May 12, 2011 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Good shit from Parker.

As always.

by Jesse on May 12, 2011 2:40 PM EDT up reply actions

OMG, they're all doing it!!!

You look at the Twins hitters in aggregate, and I think most of them are doing the same thing wrong, except for Jason Kubel. They’re standing at the plate with both feet firmly planted, heels down, knees bent, feet parallel. Here’s looking at you, Matt Tolbert! This produces a short, round, slow swing, of the Butera variety. You take the very same guy and tell him to get the heel of his drive foot off the ground, just a little. This allows him to drive and rotate the foot, extending his hands and bat through the zone. Result: vastly more power, much higher average. This should work especially well for guys like Tolbert and Butera.

The Twins have to stop standing flat-footed at the plate. On yer toes, scallywags!

by jimbo55403 on May 12, 2011 12:50 PM EDT reply actions

Don't confuse mechanics and ability.

There isn’t much Tolbert or Butera could do to become better hitters.

by Jesse on May 12, 2011 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Don't confuse ability with attitude.

Just watched a replay of Tuesday’s game. Butera was following Luke Hughes, who had just smashed a double in the left-center gap. You can tell that Luke Hughes has a “smash the ball” attitude when he’s standing at the plate.

Then up stepped Butera. Almost the same stance, but a completely different attitude. Butera’s body language says, “Oh god, just make contact, pleeeeze!” And by golly, he flipped his wrists and hit a 60mph little looper to the second baseman.

Both men hit the ball on the barrel. One was intent on smashing the ball, the other just prayed to make contact and hope it dribbled past somebody. Drew Butera was taking half a swing, with a nice hitch thrown in to keep his bat speed down. Nice swing, if you’re giving little kids infield practice.

Luke Hughes has a nice, healthy major league swing. He rotates the drive foot so that his left hip is pushed towards the pitcher, then he rotates his torso so his belt buckle faces the pitcher, then he lets that power drive his hands through the hitting zone. When Luke Hughes flips his wrists, his bat already has power behind it. Drive, rotate, flip.

In contrast, Drew Butera has no power at all. His drive leg rotates, but only half as far as Hughes. His belly rotates, but only half as far as Hughes. It’s not really a swing at all, just a half-hearted imitation of a swing.

To me, this is an attitude problem. Butera knows damn well what a good, hard swing looks like, but he’s afraid to do it. The best thing Vavra could do for this guy is tell him to keep saying, “smash the ball” every time he swings the bat. Look, when a guy is hitting below .150, he might as well at least swing hard. I see little kids put more into their swings than Drew Butera.

by jimbo55403 on May 12, 2011 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions