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Around SBN: Tiger Woods Makes His 2012 PGA Tour Debut

Sunday, September 16: Unsolicited Advice

Date Sunday, September 16
Inning: Bottom of 8th
On First: Alexi Casilla
On Second: Michael Cuddyer
On Third: Justin Morneau
Score: Detroit 6, Twins 3
Outs: 2

Pitch #1: Called Strike
Pitch #2: Foul
Pitch #3: Called Strike

Dear Joe,

I know you probably don't want advice on how to hit.  You would point out that, throughout your career, you have gotten a hit more than three out of every ten times you've put the ball in play, and you've reached base almost four times for every ten you've gone to the plate.

But here is my unsolicited advice: when it is the bottom of the 8th, and the bases are loaded, and you are a pinch hitter, and your team is down by three runs, and the next two batters in the order are Luis Rodriguez and Nick Punto:

SWING THE $%!@&@! @#&!^$# BAT!

Thank you,

The Entirety of Twins Territory

Comment 6 comments  |  0 recs  | 

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I know what you mean
While I won't say I saw the at bat - I didn't, having pretty much seen "the game" (at least, in my mind) when Baker gave up the leadoff home run - I suspect it went:
  •  BP fastball to get strike 1;
  •  Breaking ball fouled off - count's now 0-2;
  •  Called strike three.
IMO - and that's all it is - by now Joe has to have a reputation amongst AL pitchers for taking the first pitch pretty much "no matter what", with the result that they're throwing a "get it over" fastball to start ever at bat to get ahead in the count.  

And he's not hitting .333 on an 0-2 count this year.

by BD57 on Sep 17, 2007 6:25 PM EDT reply actions  

No way he should swing
That last pitch was clearly out of the strike zone. There's no way Joe should have swung at it. I'm just happy that at least there's one guy on the team who's not trying to force his at bats when he's in a funk.

by PhoenixV on Sep 18, 2007 10:50 AM EDT reply actions  

one problem ...
if it's called a strike, it's a strike whether we care for the call or not.  With 2 strikes - especially when you're Joe Mauer with the guys coming up behind you - the strike zone has to expand.

by BD57 on Sep 18, 2007 5:25 PM EDT up reply actions  

Only if borderline
As a hitter you should tend to expand the strike zone with 2 strikes against you, but that doesn't mean swinging at anything - and that so-called strike three was definitely "anything".

by PhoenixV on Sep 22, 2007 2:40 PM EDT up reply actions  

I'm not a batting coach
but I'll play one on the internet.

Hey Joe I can promise you if you don't swing you won't get a hit.

by caluofmn on Sep 20, 2007 1:02 AM EDT reply actions  

Not necessarily true...
...in this case, because if he doesn't swing and it is called a ball, he could still get a hit.

That said, Mauer could stand to be a bit more aggressive in 2-strike counts these days.

by ubelmann on Sep 20, 2007 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions  

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