Ward fired

[Circleville Guy]

The Reds fire hitting coach turner Ward. That’s a good place to start!

[*bengalfan74*]

Can they fire Votto ?

[Yojimbo]

Good move. It was pretty obvious to me, he was not a good hitting coach after the first month, when our offense fell off a cliff from last season and the Dodgers were having their best hitting season in a decade with his departure.

[*psychdoctor*]

I predicted this would happen. Good move.

[Circleville Guy]

(10-01-2019, 04:37 PM)Yojimbo Wrote: Good move. It was pretty obvious to me, he was not a good hitting coach after the first month, when our offense fell off a cliff from last season and the Dodgers were having their best hitting season in a decade with his departure.

Yep. He should have been a mid season dump.

[Circleville Guy]

(10-01-2019, 06:43 PM)psychdoctor Wrote: I predicted this would happen. Good move.

It’s a starting point. I like that it’s now out of the way so they can focus on players.

[CJD]

It's a shame because he was considered the Puig whisperer and was generally highly regarded. But heads had to roll after this offense with so many talented players basically faltered at every step of the way.

[grampahol]

As long as they don't go the nepotism route or some old washed up former player they should be able to land someone with some real hitting knowledge he can teach.. 

[kevin]

Ted Williams was a hitting coach to Red Sox such as Yaz. Joe DiMaggio was a hitting coach to Reggie Jackson and what became the World Series Athletics. Big Klu was a hitting coach to what became the Big Red Machine. I have to think Pete Rose taking over last place team and with Reds up to 1989 helped Reds hitting in 1990, plus Sweet Lou had been a good hitter also. I see a pattern here where good hitters have helped. I can go way back to Ty Cobb taking over a bad team and as manager winning a lot of games. Rogers Hornsby could really show Reds to hit as per my parents and grandparents.

So my question is who retired in the last 5 to 10 years who could flat out hit. Not a Dunn type. Somebody with a high bat average and some power. Is there a Red ? Griffey Jr if we could get him. Barry Larkin is another. Brandon Phillips ? ....Going back farther Paul O'Neill was intense on hitting. Wasn't Dave Justice with Reds a short time, he could hit.

I heard Klu talk hitting and his focus was on Bat Speed.
I see these players swinging at balls in the ground and all over. Ted Williams would ask Red Sox hitters coming back to dugout where the pitch was, and then follow up with why did you swing at it, make them throw strikes.

The biggest part of the job is to get good hitters out of slumps, and Klu was great at that per Pete, Johnny, Joe and Tony.

I like the idea of a hitting coach that actually was a good MLB hitter himself. Baseball History shows That Works. Now Gus Bell and Buddy Bell could hit but not so sure about this Bell as manager. Again, Ken Griffey Jr would be great or Barry but they may not want it. Brandon Phillips was a good Reds hitter forced to bat lead off, 2nd, 3rd or 4th depending Reds needs, and he is worth considering. He knows table setting and being RBI man.

I don't think some guy from the minors can show them how to hit MLB pitching.

I know pitchers now throw good change ups, but players are swinging at pitches in the dirt or not close to the plate. Clemente could swing at everything but most hitters need to work the plate. Reds need a hitting coach who has played the game in the last 10 to 15 years and can make them throw strikes. Work with them on the pitches they have trouble with and so pitchers all over them on those weak areas. The stance, the grip. Mostly how they step into pitches, the legs and butt as key as the arms and wrists. As Klu says, BAT SPEED.

A side note is on YouTube there are some short films by Babe Ruth on baseball and the one on singles hitters styles and power hitters styles with slow motion and stop action show The Babe knew some hitting, he was also a 300 hitter besides homers, and had been a great pitcher. It's well worth watching on YouTube. He keeps that head focused and good body control and step into the pitches. A fun video to watch.

[fredtoast]

A few years ago Larkins name came up a couple of times as a potential manager, but I forget the teams. He was working as an instructor in the Reds minor leagues back then. But I have not heard anything recently.

Batting coach is different from managing, but it would be a way to get his foot in the door at the major league level.

And it seems like EVERYONE likes Barry Larkin.