Comments on: Ike Continues To Struggle, Is A Trip To The Minors In Play?

By: Metsie

Metsie — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 05:32:13 +0000

Yes He has started with his hands lower than last year but there was a good reason for that…
He used to start off higher then drop his hands down low and then bring them back up before he started his swing.

I think he used that exccess movement as a timing mechanism so you may have a point that it has changed his timing for the worse.

But by making him lower his hands it removes the amount of wasted motion in his swing which should help him should he ever see another fastball in his career (lol)

If that hands drop was his timing he just needs to get used to the new way.
I have no issues with trying to quiet his swing mechanics he will be better off in the long run if he does.
But it could be part of his problem and coupled with the fact he missed so much time that he has to get that timing back before even his old swing can work.
He hasn’t really seen a lot of MLB pitching and it take a month or two at regular season strength pitching to get it.
If he still has problems come Late June and Jly then he may need to go down but not before then.

And any attempt to economize and streamline his batting mechanics is a help in the long run for him.
He just has a lot of stff to sort out after missing so much time!

By: Metsie

Metsie — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 05:24:41 +0000

You could see it in his swing that he was going to start hitting.
His Swings were always just a hair off timing or under the ball. But the cuts themselves were all quality.

Not really the case with Ike at this point but he will come around.

By: Bayonne Mets Fan

Bayonne Mets Fan — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 04:27:49 +0000

in other words start higher, lol

By: Bayonne Mets Fan

Bayonne Mets Fan — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 04:26:59 +0000

I also don’t like his hands so low. Don’t know why he’s doing that because they weren’t that low last year when he was raking. Ike has a laid back approach as it is (a mix of laid back and swag) so i think the low hands just add more unnecessary movement and because of his particular style I think the less movement before he starts to turn his hips, the better.

By: Vinny B

Vinny B — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 04:18:16 +0000

Duda is already starting to hit better – He’s hitting .400 in the last 7 games.

By: Metsie

Metsie — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 04:07:47 +0000

I don’t see mechanical problems I see problems with timing and bad guesses.
He has always been vulnerable to the low inside pitch his arms are just too damn long,

They are throwing junk at him and he just needs to get it in his head to look for it ntil they start throwing fastballs and then pounce on them.

And thats all about timing not mechanics.

By: Metsie

Metsie — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 04:03:54 +0000

You simply can not go a whole year (even 6 months) not seeing MLB Pitching and then not expect to pay the price for that when you get back until you have seen it long enough to get your timing and coordination back.

Ike will be ok we just have to let him go through it!

In Duda’s case he ALWAYS starts off slow but once he gets going he tends to keep going!

By: Vinny B

Vinny B — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 03:43:29 +0000

That’s a great point about Beltran. And after Reyes missed most of 09 he started the year hitting .210.
.

By: Ron Davis

Ron Davis — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 03:09:13 +0000

Thats my son your talking about watch your mouths. Ike will get out of it give it some time he had a couple of nice swings tonight.

By: Joe D

Joe D — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:55:00 +0000

Nice job Daniel, now you got the hang of it. Leave the reporting for the reporters and key in on hot-button issues we can debate. That’s what fans like and want. Good work!

By: Metstheory22

Metstheory22 — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:26:23 +0000

It seems on most of those called strike threes, pitch would be on inside part of plate and he was taking it. He would swing on outside pitch and take inside pitch. Hit him 2nd for a couple of games to see if he can get some fastballs with Murphy and Wright behind him. and now that Duda seems to be coming out of his funk, Wright should still be getting his pitches.

By: jessep

jessep — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:24:50 +0000

If they are pitching around Ike, then he should probably stop swinging.

21K in 17 games?

If they were pitching around him, he’d walk more than 4 times.

By: trs86

trs86 — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:22:19 +0000

They didn’t have to pitch around Ike. He was swinging at balls out of the zone to start with.

By: Metstheory22

Metstheory22 — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:19:10 +0000

They are pitching around Ike and getting out on inside breaking balls because Bay and Duda were also cold. I would hit him infront of Wright or Murphy so he can see some fastballs. Relax, see the first fastball you like and easy swing at first… up the middle until you get some confidence built up.

By: chuck

chuck — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:48:59 +0000

Baseball is one sport were you can’t muscle your way to success as its all about skill. The sport can eat guys up alive mentally and that happens when you see a 140 batting avg. I wouldnt be surpises to see him take a trip to the minors for a week or two to get going at the plate.

By: paul nassau

paul nassau — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:37:46 +0000

Funny. I have an idea for Ike: For two or three games, just look for the breaking ball. If nothing else, it may get the pitchers to start mixing in a few fastballs. Pops

By: Metsie

Metsie — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:56:31 +0000

I agree Stick, Duda is taking good cuts but he is just getting under the ball.
He needs to level out his swing and if he does he is going to start sending rockets all over the place as he seems to have the timing down just not getting good wood on it!

Duda has always been a slow starter anyway. He started slow last year too we just didn’t notcie because he was coming in only sporadically and by the time he got to play everyday he was already over it.

By: stick

stick — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:47:01 +0000

timing you need to get up here, but if there are major mechanical problems to get sorted out, that is what you get sent down for (well, that and because you flat out aren’t performing at a ML level)

By: stick

stick — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:45:08 +0000

I actually see it backwards. Duda looks just a tick off, and Ike looks like a mess.

Also, go back and look at the 1/2 season Duda put up last year (last 80 games, from when he basically became a regular). Huge #s over a pretty large sample size.

By: Metsie

Metsie — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:26:09 +0000

I would remind everyone that Carlos Beltran missed a lot of time due to injury and it took him nearly two months to get his swing back!

July 15 2010 he came back after missing almost a whole season and hit .213
Aug hit .271
Sept/Oct hit .321

Ike will sort himself out but it will take some time. Just give it to him because a trip to the Minors is not really going to get him back on track hitting MLB pitching.

If that means we lose some games well remember we are rebuilding right and it’s all about 4 years from now! At least thats what everyone has been saying since Last July!