Posts: 6,071
Threads: 873
Reputation:
15300
Joined: May 2015
This guy is good. Anybody that saw what he did with the pitchers in Milwaukee saw that. Everybody raved about his work in Milwaukee. Somehow Reds stole him. I'm sure there are things about Roark, Wood and Gray that he likes and suggested getting them. If the Reds Pitchers can't get better under this Pitching Coach, then they can't get better under anybody and should quit baseball.
The biggest reason Reds will have much improved pitching is the new Pitching Coach from Brewers. Of course going out and adding pitching was much needed considering how bad Reds pitching has been. Some of the 2018 Reds Pitchers just don't have what it takes. Some do however, and that is where this guy comes in, because he knows good pitchers.
1968 Bengal Fan
Posts: 40,628
Threads: 1,062
Joined: May 2015
(01-26-2019, 09:25 AM)kevin Wrote: This guy is good. Anybody that saw what he did with the pitchers in Milwaukee saw that. Everybody raved about his work in Milwaukee. Somehow Reds stole him. I'm sure there are things about Roark, Wood and Gray that he likes and suggested getting them. If the Reds Pitchers can't get better under this Pitching Coach, then they can't get better under anybody and should quit baseball.
The biggest reason Reds will have much improved pitching is the new Pitching Coach from Brewers. Of course going out and adding pitching was much needed considering how bad Reds pitching has been. Some of the 2018 Reds Pitchers just don't have what it takes. Some do however, and that is where this guy comes in, because he knows good pitchers.
I agree that Johnson appears to be a good coach. And a good pitching coach should help, but major league pitchers are very erratic. There are a hadnful at the top that are good every year, but the rest are inconsistent. Their skills seem to go up and down from year to year for no apparent reason.
Posts: 3,152
Threads: 258
Reputation:
5159
Joined: May 2015
I will give him a chance. If things don't improve, then I will say it was not a good move.
Who Dey!
Posts: 7,773
Threads: 216
Reputation:
40871
Joined: May 2015
Location: Cave
Elite pitchers have same mechanics for all pitches; which includes same arm angle; leg kick, and similar release points. Problems come in when faced with great hitters, it gets in their heads to do something a little different. Changing of speed of ball requires some work and if the curve ball does not bite and break, it usually will get hit out of the park.
I work with pitchers at the college level. It appears that the mound changes things as well. They swear that they are doing everything the same but are not hitting their spots. Usually it is the release point and slight misstep off the mind in terms of toe point and angle.
I think what the new pitching coach brings to Reds is a new mindset on how to view the Park. It is called a hitter friendly park which even at the MLB level can get in the heads of players. A lot of this improvement will be mental with minor tinker to mechanics. This guy is considered one of the best at getting the most out of the talent.
Posts: 14,292
Threads: 294
Reputation:
31588
Joined: May 2015
Reds once had one of the greats in Larry Shepard who by the way was also a pitcher/manager of the Medford Nuggets back in the 40s and won 22 games, lost 3 in 1948..
In the immortal words of my old man, "Wait'll you get to be my age!"
Chicago sounds rough to the maker of verse, but the one comfort we have is Cincinnati sounds worse. ~Oliver Wendal Holmes Sr.