Great article, David. Love the Brian Bannister idea and hope they find some way to make it happen. Also, agree 100% that simple lack of command and lack of first pitch strikes resulted in opposing hitters knowing they can just wait us out to get/stay ahead in the count. Our guys are too often pitching from a defensive POV. That must be fixed by the new regime - you simply can't win with the pitching we had this year. Keep up the good work!
I seem to remember Bannister talking about tunneling when he was a pitcher for us. Can't find any mention of it in the RR archives, but... what might have been!
I think it's because they know the royals pitchers lack command. I think it also because withe the exception of singer, no one on this team knows how to throw a decent slider. I'm used to a slider coming in at the knees and hitting the dirt and they hitter swinging over it. Today they call it a slider if it starts out over their head and drops ro the middle of the plate. I do not like the curveball. I think it's too easy to hang one and not many can throw a good one. Greinke can bubic can not. Another reason for the royals low strikeout rate is Greinke. He doesn't need them. I think strikeouts are a little overrated anyway. Kind of like homeruns. Learn to pitch just like hitters need to learn to hit
Great insight. My question.... swing and miss will create a higher pitch count, therefore not as deep into games. But any do others talk about pitch to contact? Announcers talk about the pace and pitching to contact, which I think is ideal in larger stadiums IF you have quality fielding. I would think there is a happy medium, swing and miss along with contact. Maybe the new coaches can find the balance.
Bannister is the obvious choice. Someone that has the credentials and knowledge that younger players can relate with. Let's hope they get someone soon and start making positive changes before the of season gets away.
I would also pick Lynch as the most likely candidate to make a Singer-type jump going forward. Heasley intrigues me and I look forward to seeing what they both can do with better coaching. In fact, I believe you've made this point before, but it's hard to write off any of these guys yet given the coaching they were getting.
Obviously, your article points out the importance of this next pitching coach. I still think a overhaul of the entire development team needs to happen and we’ll see how that all shakes out.
Lets say Lynch improves on numbers from this year to get to average. which I don’t think is unreasonable. Maybe Heasley and Bubic improve a little bit. I guess I’m trying to see if even if that happens do we have the arms yet? Its chicken or egg situation a little bit. I know you’ve got people who like the arms yet we have. While improvement can be made I’m wondering how much can be made if that makes sense. I’m not convinced yet we have the right guys even with a new pitching coach. Only time will tell I guess.
I was so frustrated watching Royals pitchers fail to punch out hitters. Even if they were lucky enough to work an 0-2 count, you could bet on them bouncing 3 straight sliders in the dirt before either walking the hitter or serving up a cookie. If i could figure this out, it's no wonder hitters stood with bats on their shoulders with impunity, waiting for the walk. I assumed this was the Cal Eldred philosophy as every pitcher that came to the big club eventually succumbed to this madness. How did that man keep his job so long while being so bad at it!?!
It sounds as if, with the right coaches etc, you still think there's hope for some of these issues to be fixed. While that's encouraging I have to wonder: can any coach fix a pitcher who never should have been drafted in the first place?
David - I fully understand your point about 2020 being a big blank spot for many of these youngish pitchers. It makes perfect sense, and I'm still not certain I buy it 100%. I buy it maybe more like 60%.
As I understand it, those guys were permitted to throw as many baseballs as they wanted during that year.
If the pitching coaches and development people were all as inept as we suspect, it may have been a good thing for them to have an opportunity to work more or less on their own or with other coaches they trusted. The question is, did they? And to what extent?
Makes sense. Watching the postseason pitching, it's sure frustrating watching pitchers mixing pitches between hard & fast to all 4 quadrants while Royals pitchers seemingly don't have the ability to consistently throw breaking balls for strikes.
Been saying this for years but catcher framing has more to do with pitchers hitting the target than anything. Lot of glove movement by the catcher is an easy way to get a ball called.
Great article, David. Love the Brian Bannister idea and hope they find some way to make it happen. Also, agree 100% that simple lack of command and lack of first pitch strikes resulted in opposing hitters knowing they can just wait us out to get/stay ahead in the count. Our guys are too often pitching from a defensive POV. That must be fixed by the new regime - you simply can't win with the pitching we had this year. Keep up the good work!
I seem to remember Bannister talking about tunneling when he was a pitcher for us. Can't find any mention of it in the RR archives, but... what might have been!
Nice work David. Thanks.
I think it's because they know the royals pitchers lack command. I think it also because withe the exception of singer, no one on this team knows how to throw a decent slider. I'm used to a slider coming in at the knees and hitting the dirt and they hitter swinging over it. Today they call it a slider if it starts out over their head and drops ro the middle of the plate. I do not like the curveball. I think it's too easy to hang one and not many can throw a good one. Greinke can bubic can not. Another reason for the royals low strikeout rate is Greinke. He doesn't need them. I think strikeouts are a little overrated anyway. Kind of like homeruns. Learn to pitch just like hitters need to learn to hit
Great insight. My question.... swing and miss will create a higher pitch count, therefore not as deep into games. But any do others talk about pitch to contact? Announcers talk about the pace and pitching to contact, which I think is ideal in larger stadiums IF you have quality fielding. I would think there is a happy medium, swing and miss along with contact. Maybe the new coaches can find the balance.
Bannister is the obvious choice. Someone that has the credentials and knowledge that younger players can relate with. Let's hope they get someone soon and start making positive changes before the of season gets away.
Cardinals Devil Magic is real.
I would also pick Lynch as the most likely candidate to make a Singer-type jump going forward. Heasley intrigues me and I look forward to seeing what they both can do with better coaching. In fact, I believe you've made this point before, but it's hard to write off any of these guys yet given the coaching they were getting.
Obviously, your article points out the importance of this next pitching coach. I still think a overhaul of the entire development team needs to happen and we’ll see how that all shakes out.
Lets say Lynch improves on numbers from this year to get to average. which I don’t think is unreasonable. Maybe Heasley and Bubic improve a little bit. I guess I’m trying to see if even if that happens do we have the arms yet? Its chicken or egg situation a little bit. I know you’ve got people who like the arms yet we have. While improvement can be made I’m wondering how much can be made if that makes sense. I’m not convinced yet we have the right guys even with a new pitching coach. Only time will tell I guess.
I was so frustrated watching Royals pitchers fail to punch out hitters. Even if they were lucky enough to work an 0-2 count, you could bet on them bouncing 3 straight sliders in the dirt before either walking the hitter or serving up a cookie. If i could figure this out, it's no wonder hitters stood with bats on their shoulders with impunity, waiting for the walk. I assumed this was the Cal Eldred philosophy as every pitcher that came to the big club eventually succumbed to this madness. How did that man keep his job so long while being so bad at it!?!
It sounds as if, with the right coaches etc, you still think there's hope for some of these issues to be fixed. While that's encouraging I have to wonder: can any coach fix a pitcher who never should have been drafted in the first place?
I'm sure we'll find out over the next two or three years. Bubic? Kowar? Lynch? Heasley? Somebody else? Who knows?
As Soren always says, "they're in the get it right business." We'll find out if they got it right.
My question was intended more as a hypothetical or general one. I wasn't referring to any one pitcher in particular.
David - I fully understand your point about 2020 being a big blank spot for many of these youngish pitchers. It makes perfect sense, and I'm still not certain I buy it 100%. I buy it maybe more like 60%.
As I understand it, those guys were permitted to throw as many baseballs as they wanted during that year.
If the pitching coaches and development people were all as inept as we suspect, it may have been a good thing for them to have an opportunity to work more or less on their own or with other coaches they trusted. The question is, did they? And to what extent?
Makes sense. Watching the postseason pitching, it's sure frustrating watching pitchers mixing pitches between hard & fast to all 4 quadrants while Royals pitchers seemingly don't have the ability to consistently throw breaking balls for strikes.
Been saying this for years but catcher framing has more to do with pitchers hitting the target than anything. Lot of glove movement by the catcher is an easy way to get a ball called.