Recent comments by Buxton

[DrNeau]

12/11/2018

Reporter: "Did you fly in just to make the appearance?"
Buxton: "I did. That's it. Then I'm going back home." 
Reporter: "That's a long day for a good cause."
Buxton: "It is, but for the kids, and for the fans, it's worth it."
Reporter: "Can I ask about the whole hub-bub at the end of the year?"
Buxton: "I mean, you probably won't get nuttin' out of me. I mean, it's business... they did what they did, I do what I do, at the end of the day, I'm still gonna keep playing hard, still wanna play in Minnesota, still wanna play beside my teammates, that's all that matters."
Reporter: "Were you, um..."
Buxton: "Pissed? Yes. I ain’t sugarcoating nuttin'".

Reporter: "It appears you might need to win your job back?"

Buxton: “Apparently so. That’s how I looked at it. I didn’t finish the year here. I have no idea what they want from me now.”

Falvey’s response: “We don’t view it that way. He’s our starting center fielder. That’s who Byron Buxton is. That’s clear to us moving forward.”

 

2/26/2019

Buxton spoke about changes he has made to his hitting approach.

Buxton: "It’s my swing, my thought process, my thinking. Everything with my swing now is me. I didn’t go to no hitting coach. I didn’t go work out with nobody. I worked out by myself, I hit by myself and that’s where it’s going to stay."

Reporter: Can you elaborate on the changes you made over the off-season?

Buxton: "It took last year to happen for me to figure this out. I take last year as a positive sign for me. It allowed me to free my mind, and it allowed me to go [through] this off-season clearly, to get me where I am today. Everything is out of my head. I’m clearer now than I ever was."

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

There are some good things he has said peppered in these quotes, but overall, the comments are still pretty defiant for someone who has a .230 AVG and .672 OPS over the course of 4 seasons and about 1,000 ABs. I like the confidence, and if frustration has caused him to work his tail off and prepare, that is great. He is like 5 for 8 this spring, and that is a good sign. I'd like to see him hit at that rate all year. What is not a good sign to me is the grimacing at the camera, talking about "going home", when he's still standing there at the hospital. Saying he is "pissed" and not sugarcoating anything. Saying he has no idea what the team wants from him. Saying he's not going to hit with a hitting coach and that's where it's going to stay.

 

I don't know. Maybe it's just me, but maybe it would be better if he did not sound off about how he's going to do things his own way at this point in his career. He says that he is mentally more clear now than ever, but his quotes do not really align with that. And then we have Falvey coming out right after the hospital quotes and saying Buxton is starting. I don't see any other players coming out and saying some of these type of things. Is it because they know they are not golden boys? Need to tighten this up. 

[ewen21]

I'd have a more tight to the vest policy about things to begin with, but I was told that he was very humble and a high charchter guy so I was disappointed with his outburst at the children's hospital.  I was sold on the idea he was not that way and for him to not have a filter during a charity even rubbed me the wrong way. 

[Shaitan]

Meh. The reporter asked a question; he answered.

 

I wouldn't read into any baseball quotes like this. They're based on whatever was happening that day and aren't meant as an archive.

[ewen21]

Time for him to just hit.  Period.

 

I really need to hear no more about it.  Just hit .250 and get back to me. If he can't do at least that he isn't all that special, speed and defense aside

[DrNeau]

 

I'd have a more tight to the vest policy about things to begin with, but I was told that he was very humble and a high charchter guy so I was disappointed with his outburst at the children's hospital.  I was sold on the idea he was not that way and for him to not have a filter during a charity even rubbed me the wrong way. 

 

"It’s my swing, my thought process, my thinking. Everything with my swing now is me. I didn’t go to no hitting coach. I didn’t go work out with nobody. I worked out by myself, I hit by myself and that’s where it’s going to stay."

 

Who says something like this? I hope he rips the crap out of the ball, but really, it's pretty shocking to see that quote. 

[ewen21]

 

Meh. The reporter asked a question; he answered.

 

I wouldn't read into any baseball quotes like this. They're based on whatever was happening that day and aren't meant as an archive.

 

He didn't need to engage there.  Period.

 

 

I always heard about how humble he was.  That reaction months later stunned me.  He needs to be more self-aware for his own sake.

[Mike Sixel]

That is an odd quote. The best athletes in the world learn from coaches every day.

[ewen21]

 

"It’s my swing, my thought process, my thinking. Everything with my swing now is me. I didn’t go to no hitting coach. I didn’t go work out with nobody. I worked out by myself, I hit by myself and that’s where it’s going to stay."

 

Who says something like this? I hope he rips the crap out of the ball, but really, it's pretty shocking to see that quote. 

 

Those are terrible comments.   Not sure what he is trying to get across there.

 

Don't coach me?  I'm mad??

 

Hit and shut up.

[ewen21]

 

That is an odd quote. The best athletes in the world learn from coaches every day.

 

It's worse than odd, in my opinion.

 

What point is he trying to get across there?  He's acting adversarial.  

[Otto von Ballpark]

Your 2/26 link didn't work for me, but this did:

 

https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/byron-buxton-discusses-new-hitting-mentality

[Mike Sixel]

It's worse than odd, in my opinion.

 

What point is he trying to get across there? He's acting adversarial.

I was trying to be nice....

[ewen21]

 

Your 2/26 link didn't work for me, but this did:

https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/byron-buxton-discusses-new-hitting-mentality

Nice recovery.  Funny how the other link, though, which was there....suddenly isn't

Is the implication now that those quotes given were fabricated?

 

 

Buxton needs some help, but in the long run he can only help himself.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Hard to judge without more context. The guy's been tinkered with by a number of hitting coaches the last few years. It's quite possible the reporter's questions alluded to that fact, or even just asked him who is responsible for his swing this spring, and Buxton proudly responded that he's working on it himself now.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Nice recovery. Funny how the other link, though, which was there....suddenly isn't

Is the implication now that those quotes given were fabricated?

 

I think the only difference is "https" versus "http" at the beginning. The OP probably copied the address without that prefix, and software assumed it was "http" but that doesn't work.

[DrNeau]

 

I think the only difference is "https" versus "http" at the beginning. The OP probably copied the address without that prefix, and software assumed it was "http" but that doesn't work.

 

The link you sent fixed it, and it's the same article and quote. Thanks. 

[The Mask of Zoilo]

What I took from his words and tone is that hes bitter about the service time manipulation and hes focused on maximizing his his skills without worrying about loyalty towards or trust in management. He believes he knows more about his swing than the team and trusts himself. To be fair, hes been on the team through two different philosophies and has probably received mixed messages regarding his approach and swing. I'm surprised that the perverse incentives of the CBA doesn't create more mercenaries. Hopefully Rocco's approach eases some of these tensions. It may be one of the reasons that they hired him.

[laloesch]

Those are terrible comments.   Not sure what he is trying to get across there.

 

Don't coach me?  I'm mad??

 

Hit and shut up.

That quote from Buxton certainly doesn't come across to me as very mature or willing to learn. Sure he ultimately has to do it himself, but if the guy is not coachable not good either. This season will tell us a lot about where he stands. Time to put up or shut up in my opinion.

[TheLeviathan]

If his bitterness leads him to make the changes necessary and have a breakout?  I'll take it.  

 

People worry about keeping him long-term, but there was also something else that needed to happen first:  He had to start playing well enough for that to be a problem.

 

I hope for his sake, and ours as Twins fans, that this offseason was the fuel that starts the fire.

[DrNeau]

 

It's worse than odd, in my opinion.

 

What point is he trying to get across there?  He's acting adversarial.  

 

If he turns the corner and becomes a great hitter this season, that would be great. Still, the comments sort of promote the idea of dismissing coaching and running your own show. That is not good for an organization, plain and simple. The behaviors, if allowed, will be repeated by other players. 

[Riverbrian]

As John Lennon said... "Whatever gets you through the night... It's alright... It's alright". 

 

 

[Kelly Vance]

 

He didn't need to engage there.  Period.

 

 

I always heard about how humble he was.  That reaction months later stunned me.  He needs to be more self-aware for his own sake.

Aw, you are making too big of a deal about how a 25 year old guy answered a question. And the question was asked of Buck, not you. He answered in the way he wanted to. I'm ok with it. Actually, I like a bit of an edge in a hitter. Hitting is all about confidence. Sounds like Buck is getting his groove back. 

[Oldgoat_MN]

Buxton has, in the past, occurred as the 'All-American kid'. Humble, easy going, etc.

I suspect that the messing with his service time last year when he was finally healthy and raking in AAA is what prompted this response.

 

Let's see what happens. If he hits and is treated well that could go a long way to easing any ill will.

[Roaddog]

I think some are reading into his comments too much. Although he articulated his thoughts poorly, he's basically saying he was the one who fixed his swing. Hope he's right

[Old Twins Cap]

Far as I saw, Buxton was "Mollied" over the last three years.

 

Told to leg kick, no stride, just lift and down, "process, process, process".

 

I welcome this kid's aggression.

 

Bring it.

[Channing1964]

i feel like he's aight. Of course we are all impatient to see him be a Superstar. I bet he is harder on himself than anybody else is. After all the frustration of last year, i guess I would have expected him to act way worse than he is. I know the Twins arent the only ones to use the service time manipulation loophole, but i just think the ownership group will end up really regretting these kind of little tricks. The players as a whole arent forgetting.

[jimbo92107]

Good to hear that Buxton is trying to be self-reliant, but he needs to find a productive balance. If his hitting goes into a slump, does this mean he will refuse advice? Will he study film of his own swing and figure it out? Great, if that works. Not so great if he doesn't understand what he's doing wrong. 

 

Example: When Buxton first came up, he had almost no idea how to steal bases against major league pitchers and catchers. He got frustrated, and stopped trying. Fortunately, HOF player Paul Molitor taught him all the little details about stealing bases, and by mid-2018, Buxton was well-nigh unstoppable. Molitor and his coaches also taught Buxton how to bunt much better. Is all that learning over now?

 

Admittedly, baseball is not rocket science. It's not like figuring out advanced mathematics all on your own. However, professional coaches really do know how to teach sports. It's not much of a stretch to figure that Buxton can refine his game some more, with good coaching. 

[KirbyDome89]

I'll never understand how anybody can criticize his comments regarding the service time manipulation. Not a single poster would feel differently if it was their money that was yanked away.

 

As for the hitting quote, is he being defiant or just self confident? Are we really going to get on the guy for putting more trust in himself than an organization that just screwed him over financially and that has been unsuccessfully messing with his swing from the time he arrived in MN?

[nytwinsfan]

I absolutely love this new defiant, angry Buxton and I think all of you criticizing him are silly and condescending.  I think his humbleness was a big part of his problem. It led him to constantly tinker with his swing based on whatever the last person he spoke with told him, and so we saw he had a new one every few weeks while he was flailing at he plate. He's now taking ownership and responsibility. Good for him.

[USAFChief]

12/11/2018

Reporter: "Did you fly in just to make the appearance?"

Buxton: "I did. That's it. Then I'm going back home."

Reporter: "That's a long day for a good cause."

Buxton: "It is, but for the kids, and for the fans, it's worth it."

Reporter: "Can I ask about the whole hub-bub at the end of the year?"

Buxton: "I mean, you probably won't get nuttin' out of me. I mean, it's business... they did what they did, I do what I do, at the end of the day, I'm still gonna keep playing hard, still wanna play in Minnesota, still wanna play beside my teammates, that's all that matters."

Reporter: "Were you, um..."

Buxton: "Pissed? Yes. I ain’t sugarcoating nuttin'".

Reporter: "It appears you might need to win your job back?"

Buxton: “Apparently so. That’s how I looked at it. I didn’t finish the year here. I have no idea what they want from me now.”

Falvey’s response: “We don’t view it that way. He’s our starting center fielder. That’s who Byron Buxton is. That’s clear to us moving forward.”

 

2/26/2019

Buxton spoke about changes he has made to his hitting approach.

Buxton: "It’s my swing, my thought process, my thinking. Everything with my swing now is me. I didn’t go to no hitting coach. I didn’t go work out with nobody. I worked out by myself, I hit by myself and that’s where it’s going to stay."

Reporter: Can you elaborate on the changes you made over the off-season?

Buxton: "It took last year to happen for me to figure this out. I take last year as a positive sign for me. It allowed me to free my mind, and it allowed me to go [through] this off-season clearly, to get me where I am today. Everything is out of my head. I’m clearer now than I ever was."

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

There are some good things he has said peppered in these quotes, but overall, the comments are still pretty defiant for someone who has a .230 AVG and .672 OPS over the course of 4 seasons and about 1,000 ABs. I like the confidence, and if frustration has caused him to work his tail off and prepare, that is great. He is like 5 for 8 this spring, and that is a good sign. I'd like to see him hit at that rate all year. What is not a good sign to me is the grimacing at the camera, talking about "going home", when he's still standing there at the hospital. Saying he is "pissed" and not sugarcoating anything. Saying he has no idea what the team wants from him. Saying he's not going to hit with a hitting coach and that's where it's going to stay.

 

I don't know. Maybe it's just me, but maybe it would be better if he did not sound off about how he's going to do things his own way at this point in his career. He says that he is mentally more clear now than ever, but his quotes do not really align with that. And then we have Falvey coming out right after the hospital quotes and saying Buxton is starting. I don't see any other players coming out and saying some of these type of things. Is it because they know they are not golden boys? Need to tighten this up.

You're absolutely right...its just you.

[Joe A. Preusser]

We have little context and no inside information here. For all we know Baldelli told him to wipe away the mixed messages from previous coaches and find himself again. Thats a message i could see a good leader giving, and it certainly wouldnt preclude any future hitting advice or coaching.