Four Names the Twins Could Consider to Replace David Popkins as Hitting Coach

[ashbury]

1 hour ago, nicksaviking said:

Joe Mauer only knew one way to hit, and he refused to change it ever after teams started pitching and fielding to stop him. I actually think he'd make a really poor hitting coach. Can't have a whole team of singles hitters. 

His career OPS was .873 until the concussion.  The league figured out, "get him to take a foul ball off the noggin," and it only took them 5000 plate appearances to do it.  😀

[nicksaviking]

Just now, ashbury said:

His career OPS was .873 until the concussion.  The league figured out, "get him to take a foul ball off the noggin," and it only took them 5000 plate appearances to do it.  😀

Sure, but as I said in my first post, guys with a rare gift can't exactly teach it if the students don't also posses it.

I think a good coach would be someone who can see an individual flawed swing or approach and have an individual solution for it. As far as I ever saw, Joe only knew or cared about one way.

But I do apologize, my original post was harsh and there's no need to bring up old Mauer criticisms.

[ashbury]

40 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

Sure, but as I said in my first post, guys with a rare gift can't exactly teach it if the students don't also posses it.

I think a good coach would be someone who can see an individual flawed swing or approach and have an individual solution for it. As far as I ever saw, Joe only knew or cared about one way.

But I do apologize, my original post was harsh and there's no need to bring up old Mauer criticisms.

Your post wasn't harsh and there's no need to apologize.  I was responding to just the first half and should have made that clearer, and the smiley face meant it's largely tongue in cheek.  If anything, my making light of a life-changing concussion isn't a tack I might choose outside of this close circle of friends.

Some stars can coach and some can't.  Just like some players can be stars and some can't.  Seems to be a different skill set and without a high correlation.  Ted Williams was supposedly good at imparting advice and he had some success as manager; Frank Robinson likewise and probably more so.  It's harder to get metrics for coaches than managers, so we're left with eye tests and reputations.

[Mike Sixel]

7 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Other than saying, 'Well he coached player X and HE turned out pretty good', I don't have the faintest idea how you evaluate a hitting coach without being able to drill down into the minutia about mechanics and plate approaches.

I will say, as much as I'd love Nelson Cruz to be around the club again, I'm always skeptical about hitting or pitching coaches that were all time greats. You can't teach a skill that you were singularly blessed with. Michael Jordan can't teach you how to dunk from the free throw line, Bob Dylan can't teach you to write lyrics like him and Freddie Mercury can't teach you how to hit his high notes.

100% in agreement with this post.

[Reptevia]

It sounds like OP (and FO) want someone just like Popkins?  Then what’s the point?

[Iowatwins]

Please for the love of God, find a hitting coach that can help them identify pitches that are breaking down!  All off season should be spent at DriveLine, machines, or pitchers throwing breaking balls down so they can recognize the spin and lay the F==+ off these pitches. We were the worse team last year at striking out, and the last 2 months of the regular season we sucked.  Learn how to recognize a ball that is breaking down and state the hell away from it. For sure we would be a BETTER TEAM, even if we just took the pitches!

[mnfireman]

8 hours ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

Of coaches that have Twins ties, why not Torii Hunter?

Well, the team does swing at a lot of breaking pitches off the plate.....

[DJL44]

The new coach is going to be judged by how well they work with Royce Lewis.

[nicksaviking]

3 hours ago, Reptevia said:

It sounds like OP (and FO) want someone just like Popkins?  Then what’s the point?

Because it's not Popkins? And how are these guys like Popkins exactly? It's a hitting coach, I'm curious what exactly there is or is not to like about them without seeing the results?

[Doctor Wu]

16 hours ago, Brandon27 said:

Twins drop the ball letting james Rowson go to take a job with the marlins 

Rowson seemed to be a good fit with the Twins. But he's left the Marlins already too. Can't remember which team or organization he was with last season. 

[Doctor Wu]

Meulens seems to frequently pop up every couple of years in regards to hitting coaches and/or manager vacancies. He ain't getting any younger. If he can't get the Rockies batters to improve, I'm not sure what he can do to help the Twins. 

[dxpavelka]

18 hours ago, Whitey333 said:

I never understood the Popkins hiring in the first place.  How can you hire someone that has never gone through what major league players have?  How can a major league hitter take seriously someone that's never been there?

Lots of very successful coaches and managers without big league playing experience.  Cast a wide net. 

[Reptevia]

8 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Because it's not Popkins? And how are these guys like Popkins exactly? It's a hitting coach, I'm curious what exactly there is or is not to like about them without seeing the results?

If they want someone inexperienced or willing to do exactly as they are told, it doesn’t matter who it is. We’ve seen the results already!

[old nurse]

1 hour ago, Doctor Wu said:

Rowson seemed to be a good fit with the Twins. But he's left the Marlins already too. Can't remember which team or organization he was with last season. 

He is still at work, he is the Yankees hitting coach. 

[old nurse]

The organization is very tilted towards analytics and theoretical mechanics. Expect more of the same. 

[nicksaviking]

25 minutes ago, Reptevia said:

If they want someone inexperienced or willing to do exactly as they are told, it doesn’t matter who it is. We’ve seen the results already!

The only one of the three listed that is inexperienced is Cruz. 

And why would anyone hire an employee who doesn't do what the boss asks of him?

[saviking]

I'd swing for the fences with Cruz

[Jeff K]

22 hours ago, gman said:

Unfortunately you have to convince many fans that there is something besides homeruns to basebal, then fans watching the games can convince ownership that there is something besides homeruns that they'll watch. Then IF ownership doesn't put such a big emphasis on homeruns or nothing maybe the offense can move forward.

Last spring Correa had several long discussions with Louis Arreaz about hitting and he took off.  Before he hurt his foot of course. Maybe we could hire Arreaz back as a player coach when he is next available. Besides Correa, he helped several players on the team  and he works with multiple players in the offseason.

I was thinking the exact same thing!

[bean5302]

21 hours ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

Oh yes... Please hire an analytics driven hitting coach.  The comments on this website might start the internet on fire.

No way, just look at all the greatness Driveline did for Christian Vazquez! He's just waiting for that Silver Slugger award.

[Fire Dan Gladden]

On 10/2/2024 at 11:26 AM, nicksaviking said:

Other than saying, 'Well he coached player X and HE turned out pretty good', I don't have the faintest idea how you evaluate a hitting coach without being able to drill down into the minutia about mechanics and plate approaches.

I will say, as much as I'd love Nelson Cruz to be around the club again, I'm always skeptical about hitting or pitching coaches that were all time greats. You can't teach a skill that you were singularly blessed with. Michael Jordan can't teach you how to dunk from the free throw line, Bob Dylan can't teach you to write lyrics like him and Freddie Mercury can't teach you how to hit his high notes.

To follow up on this, how many Ron Washington and Carl Willis types do you see in the coaching ranks?  Look no further than the Twins history with Tom Kelly and Ron Gardenhire.  These guys were not "naturals", they had to indoctrinate themselves into every facet of the game, busting their butt just to make it to the majors.  They had to learn how squeeze what they could out of their limited talent.  They had to learn how to deal with constant negativity, lack of success, and keeping the right mental approaches to keep their spot.  It makes perfect sense that these types of guys become solid coaches.

The relatability factor is real.  Anybody with kids knows you can tell them something until you are blue in the face, but sometimes it takes a different voice, a different approach to finally get them to listen or understand what you are saying.

Considering this might be the biggest acquisition of the offseason (players included), the Twins really need to get this one right.

 

[Paul Walerius]

On 10/2/2024 at 11:18 AM, Twins_Fan_in_NJ said:

Cruz was such a presence for the Twins. Not sure he's the answer though. Twins need to get this one right and I'd prefer someone with coaching experience. You don't have to look too hard to find the last time they made an unproven coaching commodity the job - it was Popkins. Admittedly, I think Cruz has forgotten more about hitting than Popkins will ever know - but the inexperience factor looms large to me.

I understand what you are saying but he was "coaching" while with the Twins.   I wouldn't hate Cruz as the pick as I felt the Twins players did better hitting when he was here.   Bomba Squad

[JD-TWINS]

On 10/2/2024 at 12:59 PM, cheeseheadgophfan said:

Let me preface this by saying, I LOVE Nelson Cruz....he was one of my favorite Twins and I loved watching him swing the bat.  That being said, he was caught using steroids and to his credit admitted the mistake.  I just don't see the Twins, with their conservative approach, hiring a hitting coach with that in his past.  

He played for them for multiple years after this incident - right? I don’t think anybody (small%) even thinks about that issue with him. Would the Twins or any organization not hire Barry Bonds if he wanted to be a hitting coach? I’m old school but this seems to be a non-issue to me.

I do like, as suggested, Cruz as the assistant. Maybe Joey Votto is bored playing chess in Toronto?………great contact hitter…..,,,high OBP guy with 350+ HR’s. Don’t know if he can teach or would want to try?

[Jacksson]

Twins ownership/management are in search of a deal where the new hitting coach PAYS THE TEAM, not the other way around.

[TFRazor]

On 10/2/2024 at 12:26 PM, nicksaviking said:

Other than saying, 'Well he coached player X and HE turned out pretty good', I don't have the faintest idea how you evaluate a hitting coach without being able to drill down into the minutia about mechanics and plate approaches.

I will say, as much as I'd love Nelson Cruz to be around the club again, I'm always skeptical about hitting or pitching coaches that were all time greats. You can't teach a skill that you were singularly blessed with. Michael Jordan can't teach you how to dunk from the free throw line, Bob Dylan can't teach you to write lyrics like him and Freddie Mercury can't teach you how to hit his high notes.

I mean, Freddie's dead so that would make it a bit difficult to do any teaching...

 

Kidding. I agree with you.

[Doctor Gast]

On 10/2/2024 at 11:19 AM, Twins_Fan_in_NJ said:

Oh, Lawson...

No thank you.

The knock on the Yankees' offense - sitting back and waiting for the homerun - way too many strikeouts. And that's with a line-up that's deeper and more talented than what the Twins' have. The philosophy is too similar to what we've seen.

Lawson fits perfectly into Falvey's style, so I say absolutely not. The farther away from that style the better.

[jorgenswest]

They should consider the assistant hitting coach from the Royals (Keoni DeRenne) and Guardians (Dan Puente). Both are in the early 40s and the promotion would be their first opportunity as the hitting coach for a major league team.

[Parker Hageman]

On 10/2/2024 at 2:57 PM, Parker Hageman said:

Cody Stavenhagen wrote a great piece at The Athletic on the state of hitting coaches back in 2023. 

The trend has been to hire younger coaches to relate to the players more. The Braves' hitting coach Kevin Seitzer has been in his role for 10 years now, which is a huge anomaly considering how volitile the role is:

When the Braves added players midseason this year, Seitzer said that the support he had from the front office allowed him to help players make quick adjustments once they came into the team:

Of course the Braves fire Seitzer. 

https://x.com/DOBrienATL/status/1844464174363181398