Mike Lowell's Swing

[PositiveHype]

I know that everyone that knows the game on some level has an opinion of how to help a guy get out of his slump and it get's annoying for some player to hear, but since Mike Lowell may never read or hear about this post, I can say my piece here.

 

I've been watching his swing all year and I finally have to say something being a coach. Yes, I never made it to MLB and I've never coached a player that made it there, but I do have a clue what you should be doingg with the bat and obviously Mike isn't doing it this season.

 

Well, here goes:

 

1) He seems to be too anxious and swings at nearly every 1st pitch regardless of what they are or their location. ADVICE: Be patient and look for a pitch that you like.

 

2) His biggest dilemma, due to the 1st thing that I stated here, is that he often swings at pitcher's pitches. ADVICE: Same as first.

 

3) He's not taking fundamentally sound swings. His bat isn't level all of the time and his foot balance is off. Alot of times when he hits a ball solidly, it doesn't go over the fence because his weight wasn't on his back foot; when he hit the ball, it had already shifted to another part of his body and the result is that he's driving the ball with just his arms, not his whole body, hence, the decrease in HRs. ADVICE: Work on getting your hitting fundamentals.

 

4) Also, he seems to have forgotten the methods used to hitting different kinds of pitches. He's trying to pull outside pitches and looks even worse on the inside pitches or anything offspeed or with significant movement. ADVISE: Go back to the old little league fundamental of "See the ball; Hit the ball" and "Hit the ball where IT wants to go; Not where you want IT to go."

 

5) Finally, he's letting everything get into his head, which is making everything worse as he presses more and is becoming more anxious. ADVICE: Go back and remember how you loved this game as a kid and just go with it and enjoy it. Ignore what everyone is saying because you can change it now. Just go out and have fun.

 

There, that was my 2 cents or sense. Actually when I look at it, I wrote a few dollars worth.

[Marlins2003]

In reference to:

 

1) It depends on the situation. If you're hitting against a pitcher who has thrown his fastball for first pitch strikes throughout the game, his first pitch MAY be the best pitch you're going to see that at bat.

 

That said, I understand why working a count is important, and with the exception of JP and Castillo especially, the Marlins don't do enough of it,

 

2) See 1 above.

 

3) Agreed.

 

4) In professional ball, putting the ball in play to the left or right side, or trying to hit it to the outfield (for a sacrifice) for example is what it's all about. This isn't LL. You need to not only hit the ball, you need to hit it as the situation dictates.

 

5) Agreed. And spend the all-star break with Bill Robinson in the batting cage and see what you can come up with.

 

On a side note, for kids out there who want to improve their ABs, and I know it's not what's taught today, personally I'm a devotee of Ted Williams' "Science of Hitting". It's a great read.

[PositiveHype]

Good reponse. I agree with the situational hitting too. I was just pointing out the most general, basic stuff that Mike Lowell is failing at. I hope that he gets it together. Maybe me and you should be making the big money from the Marlins and get Mike out of this slump.

 

I'm happy to see that someone else sees Lowell's flaws and isn't attributing all of his woes to the dirty "steriod" word. Truth is, and yes I'm exaggerating, I believe that Mikey would still be struggling even if he were allowed to bring a tee with him up to the plate with him or if he chose his own pitcher and showed him where he wanted it. I believe in him, he just needs to correct alot of flaws right now.

[IknowFeloRamirezIRL]

Before the slump, Mike Lowell NEVER EVER EVER EVER swung at the first pitch. NEVER. EVER. All of a sudden he's Juan Encarnacion. I have no idea what's going on in his head. :banghead :banghead :banghead :banghead

[MarlinsFan253]

Before the slump, Mike Lowell NEVER EVER EVER EVER swung at the first pitch. NEVER. EVER. All of a sudden he's Juan Encarnacion. I have no idea what's going on in his head. :banghead :banghead :banghead :banghead

840495[/snapback]

Someone needs to set up a long interview with him so we can better understand what measures he is taking to improve his hitting. I want to know more about what is happening behind the scenes with him.

[Ramp]

Before the slump, Mike Lowell NEVER EVER EVER EVER swung at the first pitch. NEVER. EVER. All of a sudden he's Juan Encarnacion. I have no idea what's going on in his head. :banghead :banghead :banghead :banghead

840495[/snapback]

Someone needs to set up a long interview with him so we can better understand what measures he is taking to improve his hitting. I want to know more about what is happening behind the scenes with him.

840499[/snapback]

yea, Ill get right on top of that

 

the last thing Lowell wants to talk about is his swing right now

[Marlins2003]

yea, Ill get right on top of that

 

the last thing Lowell wants to talk about is his swing right now

840509[/snapback]

 

I can tell you what's wrong.

 

Ever since Ramp changed his handle to Maverick, Lowell's been in a funk.

 

C'mon Mav, er Ramp and do the right thing. All of South Florida is counting on you. :thumbup

[Ramp]

yea, Ill get right on top of that

 

the last thing Lowell wants to talk about is his swing right now

840509[/snapback]

 

I can tell you what's wrong.

 

Ever since Ramp changed his handle to Maverick, Lowell's been in a funk.

 

C'mon Mav, er Ramp and do the right thing. All of South Florida is counting on you. :thumbup

840514[/snapback]

Ill make you a deal

 

if Willingham gets 3 starts in a row, Ill change my name back :mischief

 

edit: screw that.... 3 starts from now till the break

[MarlinsFan253]

yea, Ill get right on top of that

 

the last thing Lowell wants to talk about is his swing right now

840509[/snapback]

 

I can tell you what's wrong.

 

Ever since Ramp changed his handle to Maverick, Lowell's been in a funk.

 

C'mon Mav, er Ramp and do the right thing. All of South Florida is counting on you. :thumbup

840514[/snapback]

Ill make you a deal

 

if Willingham gets 3 starts in a row, Ill change my name back :mischief

 

edit: screw that.... 3 starts from now till the break

840515[/snapback]

You know that is not going to happen.

[El Guapo]

I know Mike Lowell is a hometown hero and he's been great in the past but Mike Lowell needs to be moved while he's still worth something....I don't wanna sound like an a** but he is not going to have a second half breakout, what he has now is way past a slump, A marlin scout told me that his problem is now not physical but mental.....If the Marlins FO is smart move him now and get bullpen help or someone that can help us in the future.....

[AJBurnett34]

I know Mike Lowell is a hometown hero and he's been great in the past but Mike Lowell needs to be moved while he's still worth something....I don't wanna sound like an a** but he is not going to have a second half breakout, what he has now is way past a slump, A marlin scout told me that his problem is now not physical but mental.....If the Marlins FO is smart move him now and get bullpen help or someone that can help us in the future.....

840529[/snapback]

Keep those words, i'll be refering back to this post after the all-star break.

[MarlinsFan253]

I know Mike Lowell is a hometown hero and he's been great in the past but Mike Lowell needs to be moved while he's still worth something....I don't wanna sound like an a** but he is not going to have a second half breakout, what he has now is way past a slump, A marlin scout told me that his problem is now not physical but mental.....If the Marlins FO is smart move him now and get bullpen help or someone that can help us in the future.....

840529[/snapback]

You are speaking what many of us are afraid to admit. Props.

[Ramp]

I know Mike Lowell is a hometown hero and he's been great in the past but Mike Lowell needs to be moved while he's still worth something....I don't wanna sound like an a** but he is not going to have a second half breakout, what he has now is way past a slump, A marlin scout told me that his problem is now not physical but mental.....If the Marlins FO is smart move him now and get bullpen help or someone that can help us in the future.....

840529[/snapback]

You are speaking what many of us are afraid to admit. Props.

840534[/snapback]

lol what?

 

alot of us have said this

[MarlinsFan253]

I know Mike Lowell is a hometown hero and he's been great in the past but Mike Lowell needs to be moved while he's still worth something....I don't wanna sound like an a** but he is not going to have a second half breakout, what he has now is way past a slump, A marlin scout told me that his problem is now not physical but mental.....If the Marlins FO is smart move him now and get bullpen help or someone that can help us in the future.....

840529[/snapback]

You are speaking what many of us are afraid to admit. Props.

840534[/snapback]

lol what?

 

alot of us have said this

840564[/snapback]

Many people have said it, yet many people haven't said it and don't want to admit it. There are fair amounts of both. A lot of Mikey fans stray away from the subject.

[Fishfan79]

maybe the all star break we can send him to bucky dents school up in palm beach?

[El Guapo]

maybe the all star break we can send him to bucky dents school up in palm beach?

840594[/snapback]

send him to san diego so tony gywnn can help him

[PositiveHype]

Bucky Dent's school is a thought, but I have an idea that may also work. If all of our ideas don't work let's try this:

 

We can try to do it the way Pedro Cerrano did in the movie "Major League." What we can do is first start by contacting anyone one of the Voo Doo or Santeria priests/prietstesses in town and have them perform a ritual on his bats since they seem to be afraid of the ball. Then we can set up an alter in Lowell's locker and hook him up with a Joe Boo doll and make sure that no one takes Joe Boo's rum because as Pedro Cerrano said, "...I's berry bad to messing arawng with Joe Boo's rum...bery bery baaaaaad." Along with that, we can get some golf club covers to keep them warm. Finally, we can have the KFC chicken sacrifice that they did. The only problem is that Joe Boo didn't help him much with the curveball. I don't know what to suggest there. Well, maybe at least Mikey will get mad and curse out everyone and everything and start to hit like Cerrano did at the end. But wait a minute, in the sequel, Cerrano became a "no cojones" pansy in that one until he was challenged by his Japanese teammate. Oh well, we'll worry about that next year.

 

:thumbup

[El Guapo]

well remember at the end of part 1 he told Joe Bu, fu*k you joe Bu i do it myself.....and then he hit the game winning HR.........so Joe Bu is not a good idea......

[IknowFeloRamirezIRL]

Too bad we acquired Cerrano in the off-season He changed his name to Delgado, but the likeness is amazing. :lol

[jservs7]

The difference I noticed about Mikey's swing is how his batting stance has become stiff when it comes to trying to hit the low outside pitch to opposite field. I remember him digging lower for pitches like that, smacking the ball with 2 hands and hitting rockets to the opposite field. Now, its like he literally stands up straight when trying to hit the low outside pitch, he swings at it with one arm and it looks like hes trying to catch butterflies and not hit the ball hard. :confused

[PositiveHype]

Too bad we acquired Cerrano in the off-season He changed his name to Delgado, but the likeness is amazing. :lol

840623[/snapback]

 

LOL...He does have similarities to Cerrano, except he is lefty, a little heavier, and (believe it or not) speaks a little better English. I'm latin and probably shouldn't say anything that supports stereotyping, but I wonder if Mikey can get a Joe Bu doll from Carlos. Wait, Mikey is latin too. Maybe my thought process is wrong, he probably already has a Joe Bu doll.

 

Ahhhg. "We should have used a live chicken." --Wesley Snipes as "Willie Mays Hayes" in "Major League"