Thread: Article: Morneau's Struggles Against Southpaws Persist

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At this point, if the Twins really think they're in it, don't they start to need to consider a platoon? Maybe call Valencia up to play vs southpaws? Who else is there in Rochester who hits right-handed?

Don't laugh. I think Morneau should get his eyes checked. If his right eye has deteriorated, there might be a quick fix for this.

To be fair - a quibble, not a criticism really - the pitches in the first two videos have a lot to do with the swing we're seeing.

The top 2010 video is a fastball down the middle of the plate. The top "current" video is a ball down & away, well out of the strike zone.

It'd be interesting to see the numbers re: pitches seen per at bat against lefties. My guess - no number crunching here - is Morneau is seeing fewer pitches now. Perhaps because lefties aren't pitching him as carefully now, given his struggles; perhaps because Justin's offering at more balls out of the strike zone now.

Originally Posted by Curt

Don't laugh. I think Morneau should get his eyes checked. If his right eye has deteriorated, there might be a quick fix for this.

I wondered that too, but it's possible they've already done this, and the conclusion was that it was trauma-related and not really correctable except to give it more time. The guy is probably sick to death of "one more test" by now.

Originally Posted by ashburyjohn

I wondered that too, but it's possible they've already done this, and the conclusion was that it was trauma-related and not really correctable except to give it more time. The guy is probably sick to death of "one more test" by now.

Any baseball player that wears glasses is a straight up pimp.

Originally Posted by John Doe

At this point, if the Twins really think they're in it, don't they start to need to consider a platoon? Maybe call Valencia up to play vs southpaws? Who else is there in Rochester who hits right-handed?

Um NO! He is batting .240 in Rochester and is a team plague

A "team plague?"

Originally Posted by snepp

A "team plague?"

It's like the Black Death of... teams?

Luckily we have one of the league's most respected hitting coach to get Justin back on track

Morneau's 1st-inning battle with lefty Martin Perez was a classic. Justin clearly was struggling to keep his butt from leaning away from the plate, and over about eight pitches, he finally won the battle and stroked a solid single off one of Perez's sweeping curve balls.

Ron Coomer said it later, that Morneau's victory against the left hander enabled him to blast a line-drive homer against the right hander later in the game, a shot he crushed as hard as I've ever seen him hit a baseball.

This could be a turning point for Morneau. If he keeps his butt in the batter's box, he can regain his old form and start dominating this league the way he used to.

Originally Posted by jimbo92107

Morneau's 1st-inning battle with lefty Martin Perez was a classic. Justin clearly was struggling to keep his butt from leaning away from the plate, and over about eight pitches, he finally won the battle and stroked a solid single off one of Perez's sweeping curve balls.

...

This could be a turning point for Morneau. If he keeps his butt in the batter's box, he can regain his old form and start dominating this league the way he used to.

Agree. The first at bat was completely brutal and what we had seen for the majority of the season from him. In the AB in which he got the hit Morneau certainly battled but there was far less "sweep" to Perez's curveball on the pitch he hit than was intended. Torrealba was set up for the pitch off the plate away. That curve spun and hung on the inner half:

Morneau_Tex_Pitch.jpg
Now, this is not to discredit Morneau's ability to dump the pitch into right field for a hit -- he kept his front side locked in and he stayed stacked rather than opening up before his hands go through the hitting zone:

Morneau_Tex.jpg

At the same time, Perez had troubles hitting his spots away on Morneau in the final two at-bats (in the third AB, Morneau tagged a first-pitch hanging curve that stayed inside as well). While those two ABs, as Coomer said, were very positive, I'm still curious to see how he will match up against another left-hander in Derek Holland tonight.

Originally Posted by John Doe

At this point, if the Twins really think they're in it, don't they start to need to consider a platoon? Maybe call Valencia up to play vs southpaws? Who else is there in Rochester who hits right-handed?

Whoa whoa whoa. That's being too rational.

I'm fine with letting the Morneau situation play itself out. Less than 100 PAs against LHers. He's had a lot of time off. Give it some time. Like most lefthanded hitters, he's never been as good against lefties as righties. But he was never pathetic, either. I've been encouraged by his health, I'd like to see if more time resolves the issue.

Decisions made in haste are often poor decisions. Before acting, it's often wise to ask yourself "what happens if I do nothing?"

Originally Posted by USAFChief

I'm fine with letting the Morneau situation play itself out. Less than 100 PAs against LHers. He's had a lot of time off. Give it some time. Like most lefthanded hitters, he's never been as good against lefties as righties. But he was never pathetic, either. I've been encouraged by his health, I'd like to see if more time resolves the issue.

Decisions made in haste are often poor decisions. Before acting, it's often wise to ask yourself "what happens if I do nothing?"

Yes. And Morneau has the track record to be acceptable against lefties, nothing wrong with giving him the reps to work through it. Especially if the alternative is Valencia.