Hicks

[twinsnorth49]

So what happens when Buxton makes an error?

I think the scorekeeper will mark it E8.

[stringer bell]

 

I think the scorekeeper will mark it E8.

Actually, if it's at home it probably will be ruled a hit.

[spinowner]

 

Not that much lower, sadly. Did anyone have much confidence when Hicks came to the plate with the bases loaded last night?

Not much confidence but at least some hope, which is more than I could have said during the last two seasons.

[Willihammer]

It was a devastating misplay, no question. He blew it and he knows it, hopefully it doesn't happen again for a long time. IMO his plate appearances have been better, even if the results aren't there (yet).

[TheLeviathan]

 

It seems quite the opposite to me.

 

Aaron Hicks and the bullpen are different problems.  You want to make a post about how the bullpen sucks?  I'm right there with you.

 

This is about Aaron Hicks sucking and that is completely independent of the bullpen.  Quit tying them together.

[stringer bell]

Where's the punch? The "new" Hicks of September '14 and this year is getting a few more hits, but not driving the ball. Three extra base hits in 99 PAs and the doubles IIRC haven't been shots off the wall or ropes to the gaps.

[USAFChief]

Aaron Hicks and the bullpen are different problems.  You want to make a post about how the bullpen sucks?  I'm right there with you.

 

This is about Aaron Hicks sucking and that is completely independent of the bullpen.  Quit tying them together.

Fair enough. Aaron Hicks hasn't sucked on defense. This thread is based on a false premise.

 

/thread

[Bark's Lounge]

If a person wants to give up on Hicks, that is there right. No arguments from me.

 

For me, personally, I cannot throw the towel in on a 25 year old outfielder who has the tool box Hicks has. Certainly he fumbles around with these tools more than one would like to see, but this year he seems to be getting the hang of it. He's only been up for a month and certainly hasn't blown **** up, but he definitely hasn't choked either.

 

It's okay if people want to blame Hicks for last nights agonizing defeat, but I hope these same people will celebrate Hicks for winning us a game or two with his great plays in CF in the last month.

 

Fair is fair.

[Ben Noble]

 

I believed that a long stint in AAA this year was his last chance and I thought he could still be part of the future.  But his bat is still atrocious and he still makes comical misplays in CF.

 

He's a 4th OF.  I don't like it but I concede it.

 

Once Buxton is up, I could see Hicks eventually sliding into a platoon role with Arcia or another player of his ilk. I'm kinda cherry-picking my stats here, but Hicks has a career OPS of nearly .800 vs LH starters and his defense in an OF corner would be nice to sub in for Arcia late in games where we have a lead. Sure, there are more RH starters in the league so Hicks would be the de facto 4th OF, but he could give the other two OF a day off here and there and come in as a PR, too.

 

Fourth OF isn't what I hoped Hicks would end up as, but I think our view of what a 4th OF can be for a team has been skewed due to the paucity of talent the Twins have trotted out in that role over the past few seasons. While there's certainly a chance he could still develop into something more, Hicks does definitely have some holes in his game at this point...but the skills that he does have should still make him a valuable player to have on the bench of a legitimately competitive team.

[TheDean]

 

Not that much lower, sadly. Did anyone have much confidence when Hicks came to the plate with the bases loaded last night?

 

True. And that's the trouble. I wouldn't have much confidence with well over 50% of the rostered position players.

 

Short view: Hicks doesn't hit much, but neither does anyone else outside of the first four in the lineup. Long view: Hicks can still be a decent role player on this team even if he's not the hero with bases loaded every single time.

[spinowner]

 

If a person wants to give up on Hicks, that is there right. No arguments from me.

 

For me, personally, I cannot throw the towel in on a 25 year old outfielder who has the tool box Hicks has. Certainly he fumbles around with these tools more than one would like to see, but this year he seems to be getting the hang of it. He's only been up for a month and certainly hasn't blown **** up, but he definitely hasn't choked either.

 

It's okay if people want to blame Hicks for last nights agonizing defeat, but I hope these same people will celebrate Hicks for winning us a game or two with his great plays in CF in the last month.

 

Fair is fair.

+1. I see his skill set and envision a solid MLB outfielder, and people with much more baseball knowledge than I have apparently see the same.

[Rosterman]

I can live with Hicks hitting .250 or so if he can give us some power, show his speed, be that multi-tool player he was predicted to be, but still live with the shortcomings. Even keeping him as a fourth outfielder means he's a defensive replacement at best. But I wouldn't call upon him to pinch-hit when, say, the bases are loaded and there are two outs...at least not now. Right now he is younger and HAS more potential than, say, Robinson or Schafer or -- from the past -- Pridie, Repko, Mohr, Tyner and the host of others the Twins have given more than enough playing time to. But not much in the scheme of things. That he can pl;y center may be his only plus, otherwise we shall be happy with equal production from Walker or Kepler in the near future, who may both be the second-coming of Chris Parmelee for all we know. 

 

The bigger question is Arcia. Can he be fixed, motivated, molded into a semi-solid hitting outfield moving into a David Ortiz role in the future, or do you cut him loose and let some other organization see if they can do it, and then we cry about it for years to come.

[Craig Arko]

Aaron Hicks and the bullpen are different problems.  You want to make a post about how the bullpen sucks?  I'm right there with you.

 

This is about Aaron Hicks sucking and that is completely independent of the bullpen.  Quit tying them together.

And they only had nice things to say about you.

[PseudoSABR]

For the Twins, Hicks is a rotational outfielder, that has the athleticism to play centerfield.  He'll be low cost over the next several seasons, and will be quality and necessary depth.  During that time, I hope he can address his capacity for lapses in judgment, attention and attitude, and build up value as a tradeable asset.  I don't think he'll ever be much with the bat; and although I agree with those who say he looks better, he still looks scared and passive to me.  

 

Bring up Buxton soon, please.

[jimbo92107]

 

I believed that a long stint in AAA this year was his last chance and I thought he could still be part of the future.  But his bat is still atrocious and he still makes comical misplays in CF.

 

He's a 4th OF.  I don't like it but I concede it.

That was Hicks's FIRST error of the season. How does that qualify as clown-like behavior in the outfield? Are you forgetting his run-saving catches? Nobody else on this team has nearly the range of Aaron Hicks. Or the arm.

 

Clearly Hicks is not a "natural" hitter, but he's gradually figuring it out. The bat-waving thing is supposed to help with timing, finding the level of the pitch, and to loosen up the wrists so you can get more whip on the bat. It still looks artificial when Hicks does it, where a "natural" hitter like Rosario integrates the wave as if he's been doing it for years, which he has.

 

I think Hicks is already a fine outfielder, and will continue to get better as a hitter. When Buxton comes up this summer, Hicks will become a steady force in right or left, with Rosario at the other corner. The defense alone will win some games for the Twins' fly ball pitchers.

[USAFChief]

For the Twins, Hicks is a rotational outfielder, that has the athleticism to play centerfield.  He'll be low cost over the next several seasons, and will be quality and necessary depth.  During that time, I hope he can address his capacity for lapses in judgment, attention and attitude, and build up value as a tradeable asset.  I don't think he'll ever be much with the bat; and although I agree with those who say he looks better, he still looks scared and passive to me.  

 

Bring up Buxton soon, please.

I hope Buxton is an immediate success.

 

But I'll be surprised if he doesn't have some struggles, too.

[Hrbowski]

 

Seriously though, Hicks has had the massive bullseye on him from the day they drafted Buxton, the universally agreed upon heir apparent just waiting to assume his rightful place.

Hicks was only ever going to save himself as a starter by proving he could hit, with at least a modicum of power so he could possibly be a corner OF. He doesn't and his future is either as a 4th OF or elsewhere.

That isn't just based on last night's play

People said the same thing about Lorenzo Cain.

 

[TheLeviathan]

 

Fair enough. Aaron Hicks hasn't sucked on defense. This thread is based on a false premise.

/thread

 

So derailing about the bullpen wasn't enough, now you have to misrepresent the discussion and declare the thread over?

 

This has clearly been about both his defense and his hitting and about his career trajectory now that we are in the midst of our third failed attempt with him.

 

If you don't want to discuss that, fine, but please - let the rest of us then.

[TheLeviathan]

 

That was Hicks's FIRST error of the season. How does that qualify as clown-like behavior in the outfield? Are you forgetting his run-saving catches? Nobody else on this team has nearly the range of Aaron Hicks. Or the arm.

 

Not at all.  I commented a couple times that when he returned he looked like a completely different outfielder.  But this is a slip back to what we had seen the first two seasons and when you couple that with still being a soft-hitting outs machine at the plate, it convinces me that I was wrong he could be a contributor as more than a 4th outfielder.  I think that's all he'll manage as a big league CF.

[kellyvance]

I'm not saying he single-handedly lost that game because of Hicks, that's a strawman. But he sure had a major part in it along with the relievers.

 

This is about the larger picture with him and last night was the straw that broke the camel's back for me personally.

 

 

Sorry about your camel's broken back, but player personnel evals require a little more patience and wisdom than that. You don't blow a fluke play all out of proportion. Mr. Hicks went back on a ball hit over his head and made a good play just to get there. Stuff happens. Bux may get a Sept call up, but not before. Hicks is helping this team, whether you know it or not.

[TheLeviathan]

 

Fourth OF isn't what I hoped Hicks would end up as, but I think our view of what a 4th OF can be for a team has been skewed due to the paucity of talent the Twins have trotted out in that role over the past few seasons. While there's certainly a chance he could still develop into something more, Hicks does definitely have some holes in his game at this point...but the skills that he does have should still make him a valuable player to have on the bench of a legitimately competitive team.

 

I totally agree, he can be a usable asset.  But we're talking about a former first round pick, at one point the class of the farm system, and a guy we have twice handed CF to in hopes that he would lock it down.  To conclude he is a 4th OF is a disappointment, but it's also the conclusion I'm forced to agree with.

[TheLeviathan]

 

Sorry about your camel's broken back, but player personnel evals require a little more patience and wisdom than that. You don't blow a fluke play all out of proportion. Mr. Hicks went back on a ball hit over his head and made a good play just to get there. Stuff happens. Bux may get a Sept call up, but not before. Hicks is helping this team, whether you know it or not.

 

I believe we've shown more than enough patience with Aaron Hicks and his performance in the big leagues.

[PseudoSABR]

 

I hope Buxton is an immediate success.

But I'll be surprised if he doesn't have some struggles, too.

Struggles are one thing.  Lapses in judgment and effort are another.  I can't say for sure that Buxton has a better approach, attitude, or effort, but with the way he's been hitting in AA, it might be time to give him a cup of coffee.  His speed and defense will pay immediate dividends. If he looks overwhelmed, send him down and play Hicks the rest of the season.  

[Otto von Ballpark]

FWIW, Hicks is getting a day off today.

[twinsnorth49]

 

People said the same thing about Lorenzo Cain.

 

Said what, that he'd never play ahead of Byron Buxton?

 

Cain still plays CF, let's face it, is that really Hick's future with the Twins? Very doubtful. I don't think he'll ever hit well enough to justify being a starting corner OF. 

[Hrbowski]

 

Said what, that he'd never play ahead of Byron Buxton?

 

Cain still plays CF, let's face it, is that really Hick's future with the Twins? Very doubtful. I don't think he'll ever hit well enough to justify being a starting corner OF. 

That he would be a 4th outfielder.

[twinsnorth49]

 

That he would be a 4th outfielder.

I know, I was joking. Point is he plays on a team that doesn't have what most consider to be a can't miss star behind him and also hits well enough to play a corner spot. I just don't believe HIcks will ever do that and with the others in the system that likely can, he won't get much of a chance.

[mickeymental]

maybe return hicks to the mound and trade him to the national league where he can be an above-average hitter every fifth day.

[Craig Arko]

I think the scorekeeper will mark it E8.

Or not.

 

@MillerStrib: Official scorer has changed his mind: Hicks' dropped fly ball was a double, not an error. All runs now earned.

[twinsnorth49]

 

Or not.

@MillerStrib: Official scorer has changed his mind: Hicks' dropped fly ball was a double, not an error. All runs now earned.

So it was Duensing's fault then!

 

Duensing......sigh.

 

 

 

 

 

So is the new question, "What if Byron Buxton makes an error that later gets changed by the scorekeeper"?