Comments on: Prospect Pulse: 2013 Mets Centerfield Candidate Matt den Dekker

By: Mitch Petanick

Mitch Petanick — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 22:25:24 +0000

Mark, thanks for reading and for sharing your story.

By: srt

srt — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 15:33:56 +0000

That’s encouraging news on DD. If he can just come around with the bat we might have the CF of the future.

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 15:05:12 +0000

Nice job and nice site. It’s great to see good old fashioned player analysis like this complete with video. I’m not a Met fan but I love baseball and working and developing aspiring high school kids these days. I run a clinic in my hometown when I’m not coaching our high school team. The way you did this reminded me of how my old pitching coach would break down our form and mechanics the day after a game when I was pitching in the Twins system. I never made it past AA, but it was the experience of a lifetime and I believed my purpose in life was to impart what I’ve learned into developing young players for a potential future in baseball and to go farther than I did. That was my calling in life and I look forward to every new day.

By: Mitch Petanick

Mitch Petanick — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 07:57:45 +0000

Nope I never made it to the major leagues. I saw those videos and understand what you are saying and agree that on 95mph fastballs the hips are going to open like that or you will never catch up especially on an inside fastballs. I don’t know, maybe the hitting strategies I was taught when I was coming up through the years is outdated…we were always taught to keep the hips closed as long as possible and avoid flying open. When guys opened that front foot it was a tell tale sign they were flying open. I’m not saying den Dekker was flying open and like I said before you’re probably right in that it will be a non issue…the dude has been raking aside from his adjustment periods.
Good Debate CB, I look forward to more discussions with you in the future. Maybe I won’t be as strict when I see the kids opening their front foot anymore lol

By: CB

CB — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 07:29:28 +0000

Ryan Braun….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBDQlXLiOBc

I played D2 ball down in florida. But thats not where i learned it or why I think I know. Where I learned it was from watching the best. I’ve just showed you five videos now of some of the best hitters in the game. Two or three are a few of the best there ever was.

You say it got you to a pretty high level of ball. Did it get you to the major leagues? did it get you to bet one of the best ever? First step would have been to do it like these guys do it.

By: CB

CB — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 07:22:10 +0000

wait, dude, are we watching the same videos?? pause the video when their heels hit the ground, their hips are open bro lol. That’s what is opening their foot. How can you open your foot but not open your hips lol. Their front knee swings around. Their back knee has already started to turn in and their back foot has already started to pull up when the foot plants.

It’s not about what you think or I think or a scout thinks or some dude in phoenix thinks. It’s about what these guys do, dude. They all do it. That is why they are in the major leagues and are able to have the bat speed for 95 mph fastballs.

By: Mitch Petanick

Mitch Petanick — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 07:03:56 +0000

Listening to that instructor who was a scout got me to a pretty high level of playing ball. Where did you play that you learned that its ok to open the hips early and its helpful, because I’ve been around the game for 30 yrs and its the first I’m hearing this. I’m not going to argue back and forth about hitting mechanics with you but if a player is opening his hips before his stride foot touches the ground then he will never play above high school level baseball. Every guy in the video you sent keeps his hips closed even though the plant foot opens slightly. I was simply pointing out something I noticed with den Dekkers swing that could lead to future issues…if he opens the plant foot ans the hips stay closed then good for him. Like I said in a previous comment, if the pitch is an inside fastball then I can see a player swinging those hips open early…but on offspeed pitches or outside part of the plate it will be detrimental. I agree that den Dekker opening his foot could be a non-issue which is why I stated he has the potential to be a 20/20 guy.

By: Metsie

Metsie — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 04:55:48 +0000

Van I’m not worked up…
Just wondering what the hell your babbling about when all I said about MDD and Nimmo was ONE of them would be required in a trade for Stanton.

In that situation there is no difference between the two!
Other than maybe if we are lucky Nimmo means less payers other than him in the deal…

Becuase right now they are the only two kids we have who play the OF that ACTUALLY PLAY OF as opposed to 2B or 3B or 1B and being thrown into the OF….

By: Metsie

Metsie — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 04:50:50 +0000

LOL The side ads are targeted ads Mitch…

If you did a search for Tampons you have a good chance of getting a tampon ad there as well!LOL

I bet you looked or did a search for tripods today.

By: CB

CB — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 04:49:44 +0000

Sorry your analysis is wrong, my man. Den Dekker’s foot is a non-issue.

By: CB

CB — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 04:38:32 +0000

Matt Holiday…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oued02GvSQI

By: CB

CB — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 04:37:34 +0000

Alex Rodriguez…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmH-laYAD3E

By: CB

CB — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 04:36:51 +0000

Miguel Cabrera…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV9ssAuLE4o

By: CB

CB — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 04:36:12 +0000

Prince Albert…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVZNFaFOQU4

By: CB

CB — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 04:35:38 +0000

lol why are you sending me links to videos from Joe Blow from phoenix making a home video about what he teaches five year olds, and telling me about scouts who probably never even played the game or at least at a high level which is why he became a scout.

I am aware you don’t mean they never open, that would be ridiculous. But what it looks like you apparently don’t know (and Bayonne) is that the hips actually start to open BEFORE the foot plants, which is what opens the foot. By the time the heal is down the hips have already started to open. It is an essential part of the swing and something they ALL DO. When I say all, probably 99%. Now again, i’m not saying it HAS to open. If you can open your hips without opening your foot. Chase Utley made a fine living not opening it. But for most of them it does.

You can continue to listen to old college players from phoenix with a video camera, and scouts if you’d like, but I’m going to listen to MVP’s, Triple Crown winners, Hall of Famers, and all-time greats.

I’ll get you started on some of the videos you SHOULD be watching….

By: Joe D

Joe D — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 02:05:28 +0000

Mitch,

John Bernhardt contacted me and emailed me the following regarding Matt den Dekker:

I attend nearly 30 B-Met games each summer. Flores has a huge upside. If he pans out, the Mets very well might trade Murphy sometime down the road for outfield help.

I also have high hopes for Den Dekker. He was outrageously good in Binghamton during the first part of last summer’s season. I realize his numbers were dismal in Buffalo, but they were improving during the final weeks of the season.

At every level he has needed transition time. Den Dekker is a terrific defensive outfielder and he can run.

He seems to validate exactly what you pointed out regarding MDD and his transition time and ability to make necessary adjustments to succeed at each higher level.

By: Mitch Petanick

Mitch Petanick — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 01:49:21 +0000

I think he’s pretty much a lock to be our future CF at this point barring some monumental collapse…he raked at single-a, then raked at double-a…I think he will rake at triple-a this year. Right now I think Kirk has the starting job in CF until den Dekker forces them to call him up with solid play and then they will slide Kirk over to a corner spot.

By: Hitman

Hitman — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 01:40:12 +0000

Selfishly, I wish he’d get the job out of Spring Training. I’m pulling for Den Dekker to make the team sooner than later. Nothing against Nieuwenhuis, but once Den Dekker gets that little flaw out of the way, there’s no stopping him from being the man in CF for the next few years.

Speed, power (for being touted as someone with “some power”, I don’t think you can manage to hit 34 HRs the last two years by accident), great D. All the ingredients we need right now in an outfielder.

By: Mitch Petanick

Mitch Petanick — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 01:26:03 +0000

Thanks, Dave

By: Mitch Petanick

Mitch Petanick — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 01:25:32 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OAcmITmzUY – front foot should be perpendicular to the pitcher on the plant