Observation: Fukudome's approach with pitchers

by cubswinnow on May 15, 2009 2:08 AM CDT

I have been intently watching Kosuke's approach at the plate to see if he is doing anything differently this year vs. last, and I have noticed something that I would like BCB's opinion on: it seems that when a pitcher just holds the ball, and holds the ball, waiting forever to throw a pitch, Kosuke never steps out of the box; simply "waiting" the pitcher out! He has had a number of hits this year on pitches where he has done this (that I have seen). My question is: do major league batters step out of the box to much; or is this simply an anomaly with Kosuke?

Poll

When a pitcher just holds the ball for a long time (typically with runners on base), do major league batters step out of the box to often?

no they don't; they should not put up with the pitcher holding the ball forever!

22 votes

yes they do; they should stay focused on the pitcher, and not be distracted by these tactics!

22 votes

doesn't matter either way

25 votes

69 votes | Poll has closed

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Comments

Kosuke

Kosuke is such a mystery as to way he seems to be doing good again. He looked just so lost since about June of last year but now he is ‘back’. He still has great plate discipline and takes plenty of walks, he even struggled with that by the end of next year.

My only observation is that he is still looks bad on inside breaking pitches. Those are the ones that he does the familiar spin around from what I can tell.

As for the whole thing about waiting for the pitcher, I don’t think it matters its up to the individual batters. I’ve seen good hitters step out and still do fine.

by jeff_pico on May 15, 2009 2:46 AM CDT reply actions

I think you're right.

He spun around hard on a couple of pitches yesterday with obvious results. Regardless, he’s looking pretty good overall.

if this was still new to me, i wouldn't understand

by N Oakley on May 15, 2009 8:15 AM CDT up reply actions

isnt japanese baseball season like 1/2 of America’s? he probably was just got worn out. i mean it s a whole differnent country. Circumstances might jsut be different. Just speculation though, its hard to explain batters’s streaks effectively

by CubsFanInWisconsin on May 15, 2009 8:53 AM CDT up reply actions

140 games IIRC

baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out

by Cubbie-Tim on May 15, 2009 8:54 AM CDT up reply actions

oh gotcha, i thought i heard len or bob say it was much shorter. personally 22 games isnt that much shorter. O well my theory really doesnt apply then

by CubsFanInWisconsin on May 15, 2009 8:57 AM CDT up reply actions

Well, yes it does, in a way.

Though the season isn’t that much shorter, the travel is much more onerous than in Japan, which is all in one time zone. He might very well have just been worn out.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on May 15, 2009 9:49 AM CDT up reply actions

or wore out quicker

from a “lesser” preperation he had here. He returned to what he was used to doing in ST in Japan, which was a lot more than he did here last ST.

baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out

by Cubbie-Tim on May 15, 2009 9:52 AM CDT up reply actions

He does...

A better job of laying off those inside breaking pitches this year. He also seems to be turning on those inside fastballs a lot better too.

Someday we'll go all the way...

by CubsBullsBears on May 15, 2009 9:19 AM CDT up reply actions

Ron Santo says

that when he keeps his right shoulder down and in on the swing, he does better then when he doesn’t.

"I don’t really play baseball, I feel it." -- Milton Bradley

by drewishdrewid on May 15, 2009 10:14 AM CDT up reply actions

Gee Whiz.

"If it only ends once, anything that happens before that, is just progress."

by TheTruth11 on May 15, 2009 8:58 PM CDT up reply actions

Pat and Ron mentioned something that caught my attention today

They…well Pat mentioned that Fukudome’s hitting coach from Japan was in town and had been at the past few games. Seems kind of odd that he’s here. Now that could be nothing or it could mean that his old coach has come back to see how maybe some off season fine tuning has worked out. This is simply speculation and I have no evidence of anything. But still

"If I were playing third base and my mother were rounding third with the run that was going to beat us, I'd trip her. Oh, I'd pick her up and brush her off and say, 'Sorry, Mom,' but nobody beats me." ~ Leo Durocher

by Musicdude10 on May 15, 2009 4:10 AM CDT reply actions

I think the more important...

thing to watch is his foot work…

Looking at last year and this year you can see a definite change is his footwork…

Last year his right foot was coming back towards first pretty severely, like he was
taking off toward first even before the ball was hit…
This was leaving the outside 1/3 of the plate unprotected…

This year his first foot is stepping towards the pitcher… more stepping into the pitch
and protecting the outside 1/3 of the plate a lot better…

- Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!
- Germans?
- Forget it, he's rolling.

by Endrick on May 15, 2009 6:46 AM CDT reply actions