BC867
Long time Phoenician!
Souza's stance is the same as Goldy's. I hope they're looking at his, too. I've tried it and feel that holding the bat like that before leveling it out puts a strain on your arms.
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Is Paul Goldschmidt past his prime?
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Have you noticed Souza holds his hands like he is a folder with pinkie and index finger crossed?
BC867
Long time Phoenician!
Interesting! No, I haven't. In fact, I was taught to hold the bat with your wrists parallel and the knuckles on both hands lining up for more power.
Locking your pinkie and index fingers are the opposite of that. It forces your back elbow to drop, which causes an automatic uppercut.
Today's theory of "lift" fits that, but look at what it has done to the D-backs. Especially with their (power) heart of the order having missed so much time (Lamb, Souza and now Pollock) and Goldy not producing, even with his two recent solo HR's, following his 0-fer-3 (all strikeouts) the night before.
Again I suggest that our hitting coaches have failed and should be replaced. Even though I think that Gracie has the mentality of a child, I'd like to see him back as Assistant Hitting Coach (not Lead) because he knows what it means to be a line drive hitter and be very selective about trying to hit one out.
the only reason i'm not ready to rake torey over the coals for goldy still batting 4th is that the rest of the offense has been putrid and no one is more deserving of it. but leaving him in the 3 hole for so long before moving him down was telling enough.
AZ Native
Living is Easy with Eyes Closed
Does anyone really believe that Goldy has declined to the point that .200 is the best he will ever bat? I don't, I know he is in a terrible slump and will improve at some point. .200 is not his batting average for the future. I'm betting on it.
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AZ Native
Living is Easy with Eyes Closed
I'm counting on it.Well, maybe he has finally found his "It can't get any worse point."We'll see.
az jam
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Never seen a player lose it like he has. Its not just this season it stared last September. IMO he is finished.
BC867
Long time Phoenician!
Again I react when I see the word "slump". That is a passive reference -- as if it is happening to Goldy. Such is not the case. In competitive sports, level of performance is in the hands of the participant and his management.
Since last season, it has been reported that Goldy can no longer get around on fastballs. I have seen him squinting at bat. I've theorized (because that is all I can do) that the problem is his eye/hand coordination -- whether his eyesight, reflexes or both, which have declined.
It is not easy to accept but, until it is addressed, yeah, he may hit a solo home run here and there (two since April 15th), but he is leading the league in strikeouts, and underperforming week after week, month after month.
What has been management's action? To move him into the cleanup spot. At this point, pressure should be taken off him. Rest him for a week. He is obviously nowhere near 100% physically and, by now, probably emotionally as well, but Goldie is not the type to show emotions. Although he did make an exception and have Lovullo announce for him that he "sucks" (sarcasm I did not expect from Paul Goldschmidt).
Then move him out of the heart of the batting order, to take pressure off him. Instead, it just the same old-same old, with fans convincing themselves that he is just in a "slump".
The keys to solving a problem (if indeed it can be solved) are to (1) identify the problem; (2) address it; (3) set specific goals to turn it around; and (4) attempt to implement those goals. I have neither seen nor heard any of that from the D-backs.
If Goldie were 37 years old and this were happening, no one would alibi it. But he will be 31 on September 10th, far too early for a massive decline. But, unfortunately, it is happening.
I treasure what Paul Goldschmidt has meant to the Diamondbacks and to the Valley. But pretending that his decline is just bad luck is not helping him, the team or the fans.
DWKB
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I agree with you that he’s not a .200 hitter all of the sudden, but when he does get it back it will never be at the level it was before this.
If Goldy peaked at 155-160 wRC and dropped down to 135-140 wRC the last couple years, he’s probably going to settle around a 115-120 wRC now.
AZ Native
Living is Easy with Eyes Closed
I totally agree with you. He will never be the same. Sad to say.
overseascardfan
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I know he is the face of the franchise but ARZ is going to regret not dealing him when he could have brought in a massive haul of prospects. The only positive is he is not going to get the big pay day in a couple of years if he continues to play like this. ARZ should be able to get him on a very reasonable contract.
BC867
Long time Phoenician!
Louis Gonzalez was traded and retired elsewhere and is back with the organization in the front office. Randy Johnson was traded and retired elsewhere and is back with the organization in the front office.
Why would we want to re-sign Goldy if he is doing this poorly at the age of 30? You don't compete for post-season by wanting players who fizzled out because you can get them cheaply.
He has gotten a couple of good hits today. Time will tell if it because we are playing the A's or if he discovered why he previously lost it. I hope it's the latter.
az jam
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Saturday. No hits, was the DH, and struck out 3 times. Pathetic, but so is the entire offense.
Agreed. The offense only managed two hits this game.
I am not sure I buy the whole Goldy already being on the downside of his career. I think this swing change he is going through is really causing mechanical issues which may be leading to confidence issues at this point.
BC867
Long time Phoenician!
AND NOW WE KNOW WHY ...
FACT: D-backs broadcaster Steve Berthiaume has been saying on the air all season that Paul Goldschmidt's bat speed is down and he is not getting around on fastballs.
CONJECTURE: I have suggested that Paul's eyesight may be part of the problem and hoped that he has investigated it thoroughly. But the situation has not changed.
FACT: Paul Goldschmidt has always had opposite field power. It should be easy for him to compensate by utilizing this skill even more.
EXCEPT: It has now been reported that teams and pitchers are aware of that and are pitching him almost exclusively inside. It is almost impossible to hit inside pitches to the opposite field, especially with power.
CONCLUSION: Paul Goldschmidt -- our Paul Goldschmidt -- is not in a slump. He cannot miraculously finish at .295/30/100 at the end of the season. The public may never know why Goldy's skills have deteriorated before age 31 (vs. 35-36 or so). But no team will want to sign him to a new contract and pay him as a power hitter.
EMOTION: It is difficult to accept but, like it or not, it is happening right before our eyes. Goldy needs to say more than, "I suck!" Lovullo needs to stop pretending that Goldy is still a top or middle of the order hitter. And fans might want to face reality, as disappointing as it is. For Goldy, for the D-backs and for us, the fans. We all deserve peace of mind.
SUGGESTION: Goldy should be put on the disabled list to rest him (both physically and mentally). The whole league knows what is going on. There is nothing to hide. Yes, with all of the injuries, this is not a good time. But with his three strikeouts per game, what is the difference?
FACT: D-backs broadcaster Steve Berthiaume has been saying on the air all season that Paul Goldschmidt's bat speed is down and he is not getting around on fastballs.
CONJECTURE: I have suggested that Paul's eyesight may be part of the problem and hoped that he has investigated it thoroughly. But the situation has not changed.
FACT: Paul Goldschmidt has always had opposite field power. It should be easy for him to compensate by utilizing this skill even more.
EXCEPT: It has now been reported that teams and pitchers are aware of that and are pitching him almost exclusively inside. It is almost impossible to hit inside pitches to the opposite field, especially with power.
CONCLUSION: Paul Goldschmidt -- our Paul Goldschmidt -- is not in a slump. He cannot miraculously finish at .295/30/100 at the end of the season. The public may never know why Goldy's skills have deteriorated before age 31 (vs. 35-36 or so). But no team will want to sign him to a new contract and pay him as a power hitter.
EMOTION: It is difficult to accept but, like it or not, it is happening right before our eyes. Goldy needs to say more than, "I suck!" Lovullo needs to stop pretending that Goldy is still a top or middle of the order hitter. And fans might want to face reality, as disappointing as it is. For Goldy, for the D-backs and for us, the fans. We all deserve peace of mind.
SUGGESTION: Goldy should be put on the disabled list to rest him (both physically and mentally). The whole league knows what is going on. There is nothing to hide. Yes, with all of the injuries, this is not a good time. But with his three strikeouts per game, what is the difference?
AZ Native
Living is Easy with Eyes Closed
Paul IS in a slump. He will return, maybe not with his prior stats, but he is not batting .200 the rest of his career. At least that is my opinion. As far as the eyesight, you know these guys get tested by the best of the best, right? Do you really believe the DBacks are watching this happen and not tryin every thing to correct it?
So the pitchers change their approach? It happens all the time. Then the coaches help the batter adjust. Happens all the time. All players have adjustments made against them. Who is helping him get through this?
So the pitchers change their approach? It happens all the time. Then the coaches help the batter adjust. Happens all the time. All players have adjustments made against them. Who is helping him get through this?
BC867
Long time Phoenician!
And of course I respect your opinion. But Goldy "not batting .200 the rest of his career" leaves a lot of room between that and his .294 lifetime average. If, for example, he goes from piss poor to poor or marginal or mediocre, will that restore his role as the team leader? Or, more importantly if he drives in less than half as many runs while striking out twice as much.
"All the time" ... "Coaches help" ... "All the time" ... "All players" ... I don't see how generalizations are going to solve Goldy's situation as described by the D-backs announcer. Generalizations are the hopes of fans, but we have no bearing on the outcomes of games.
To recap, I believe it all comes down to this. Steve Berthiaume saying, more than once, that Goldy can no longer hit fastballs. For a power hitting RBI team leader at the age of 30, that is tragic. We're watching it happen with nothing offered by management to the contrary.
I wish it weren't true. And I wish I had one glimmer of hope. But I am not going to mislead myself. Sooner or later, it is inevitable for every slugger who lasts it out. It is disappointing that Goldy's time is coming sooner rather than later.
There is another thing. When your leader goes, it affects the rest of the team. As in, "As goes Goldy, so go the Diamondbacks." I truly believe his decline (no longer able to hit fastballs) has affected the rest of the lineup. Even in the field. Perhaps our other potential run producers Pollock, Lamb and Souza wouldn't be risking themselves in the field if our RBI leader were driving in runs and setting the tone for the rest of the team. It has a mushroom effect. We're watching it happen.
I would hope that management is seriously analyzing the situation and working on solutions. We have heard nothing to that affect. No words of encouragement. That is reason for concern.
Pollock and the others didn't get hurt because Goldy isn't hitting. They got hurt because athletes go 100% and they cannot really shut it off. Equating the slump with those injuries is illogical. This argument is getting closer to the humidor on the ridiculous scale.
I still maintain the swing change is the biggest culprit.
BC867
Long time Phoenician!
Illogical? Ridiculous? Nope, just a difference of opinion. I haven't belittled yours. And what is ridiculous about my posting that the humidor just brings our level of humidity up to that of the rest of the ball parks not in the desert, if that is your inference?
I love hustle, but there comes a time when a manager and his players have to weigh missing months vs. a difficult play, especially when they see how many sluggers we have lost to injury.
And, is there any question that, when you expect your team to score one run per game led (??) by your star RBI guy who is not delivering, there is more pressure to attempt difficult plays? Look what has resulted. Lamb - working his way back to game condition. Souza and Pollock - missing in action.
Normally, of course they go 100%, but they can't overlook all of our sluggers who have been on the DL. That is the reality and should be, at this time, the priority. "Do not risk your health over one play unless it is the final play of the World Series. We cannot risk further consequences!"
Illogical? Ridiculous? Nope, just a difference of opinion. I haven't belittled yours. And what is ridiculous about my posting that the humidor just brings our level of humidity up to that of the rest of the ball parks not in the desert, if that is your inference?
I love hustle, but there comes a time when a manager and his players have to weigh missing months vs. a difficult play, especially when they see how many sluggers we have lost to injury.
And, is there any question that, when you expect your team to score one run per game led (??) by your star RBI guy who is not delivering, there is more pressure to attempt difficult plays? Look what has resulted. Lamb - working his way back to game condition. Souza and Pollock - missing in action.
Normally, of course they go 100%, but they can't overlook all of our sluggers who have been on the DL. That is the reality and should be, at this time, the priority. "Do not risk your health over one play unless it is the final play of the World Series. We cannot risk further consequences!"
Even if Goldy was hitting those injuries occur. Pollock wouldn't have been tracking that ball thinking "Goldy is hitting so I am going to hold up and let this drop".
As for the humidor reference that was more to the overall usage of the excuse vs you in particular because it is simply a crutch being used and I happen to be sick of hearing about it since the humidor has little to do with what is happening to PG overall. The humidor is maybe keeping balls in the park but I don't feel it has anything to do with the K's or the lack of prying balls in play with authority.
Listening to the game on the radio. They just said that goldy has struck out 70 times this season. yeah.
