The Greg Walker Lynch mob thread

[Mr. Showtime]

Walk in PaleHose7

[Gregory Pratt]

Whalen:

 

I’m not with the team right now, so I haven’t been blogging since I don’t have a whole lot to add. But all of a sudden I see comments like Fire Greg Walker, and I have something to add.

 

That is ridiculous.

 

Just flat out wrong.

 

What is it White Sox fans see right now that makes you think the man should get fired? A slump. Yeah. That’s reason enough. Or not.

 

Let’s ignore the insane offense the team had last year, the productiveness it had in ’05, the changes in players like Jermaine and Crede while he’s been here and the overall lower offensive output around the league this first month.

 

Ignore the fact that Podsednik (who was hitting well) is out, Thome (the team’s best hitter) is out and that everyone is in a massive slump.

 

It has to be the hitting coach, right?

 

I know there’s a knee-jerk reaction in professional sports that when something isn’t getting done quickly, it’s not going to get done at all. But when it comes to firing people, there should be more than a little slump involved.

 

Ask any player on that team and they’ll say – as I saw PK did yesterday – that it’s not Walk’s fault and they love him.

 

But, yeah, let’s ignore all that and fire one of the most productive hitting coaches in the past three seasons and hire someone else. (Who, by the way, did you have in mind?)

 

That makes sense. I mean, he did help win a World Series two seasons ago, but what has he done for the Sox lately?

[shawnhillegas]

I believe there is a difference between being positive and thinking that not firing a coach right now is the best course of action. I am not happy with Walker, but think a switch right now isn't worth the risk. I don't want to see him during Spring Training '08.

 

I don't see a coach coming in, making the changes necessary, and all of a sudden guys can change a swing overnight and build better habits. Unless we're talking about a psychological boost, I don't see the risk as worth it. I also am not convinced that this is solely Walker preaching long ball. I am more inclined to believe it is a system wide approach based on the personnel we have.

 

 

So what do you want to do? Just sit and watch this offense struggle for another month? Then what? Whether or not its Walkers fault or not, he is accountable, and the hitters are not hitting. Do I think changing things will turn the switch? No. But it can't get worse and change is the best course here.

[Texsox]

So what do you want to do? Just sit and watch this offense struggle for another month? Then what? Whether or not its Walkers fault or not, he is accountable, and the hitters are not hitting. Do I think changing things will turn the switch? No. But it can't get worse and change is the best course here.

 

I didn't realize there was a one month schedule. What is the schedule for .300 line drive hitting from the new coach? What do you want to do, watch them struggle for *three* months under a new hitting coach who produced the same minor league swings we've been seeing?

 

Is Walker accountable if the organization told him they wanted extra pop out of the swings and he's following orders? If the players, the guys who are paid to swing, are happy, how quick do you think they will be to make changes?

 

Crede = A-Rod with a different coach, got it

[RME JICO]

Ozzie:

"Who's to blame? Everybody," Guillen said. "I blame Walk (hitting coach Greg Walker). I blame myself. I blame the lineup."

 

Also, I did not know Podsednik was going to be out until June:

Scott Podsednik (groin) will likely miss another month, and Jim Thome (rib cage) may get a minor league assignment next week, Guillen said Wednesday.

[Texsox]

Thome doesn't hurt that rib cage with a different hitting coach and an all new swing.

 

Seriously, how fast do y'all think it would take a new hitting coach to change the team and why does it take a coach? Are the players able to drop a lifetime of habits and adopt new swings overnight?

[RockRaines]

Thome doesn't hurt that rib cage with a different hitting coach and an all new swing.

 

Seriously, how fast do y'all think it would take a new hitting coach to change the team and why does it take a coach? Are the players able to drop a lifetime of habits and adopt new swings overnight?

Regardless of what the hitting coach actually does, its a change that needs to be made. When the offense sputters like this for month on end, you fire the hitting coach. Its the way of the world.

[Harry Chappas]

These players are doing what they do. None of them (outside of Thome) work a count or take or foul off good pitches. The GM put this team together.

 

These guys are who they are a group that does not have any patience what so ever. Simply watch a game with this in mind. Any at-bat that is over 5 pitches is praised. Watch especially our relievers how oppossing hitters foul off tough pitches until they get a pitch they can do something with. I do not know if this can be taught or what but watching our pitchers work to get hitters out as compared to the Sox giving away at-bat after at-bat is sad.

 

Boston and New York do this incredibly well. With the way pitch counts are monitored now if you work a count the guy is out of the game after 6 innings even if he is pitching well.

 

Not our beloved White Sox. Any time a pitcher gets ahead our hitters are done, a good pitch is either flailed at, popped out on the infield or a 13 hopper to short.

 

Is this the hitting coaches fault......I hope he is seeing this and trying ot do something but I believe our hitters are incapable of adjusting.

[Dick Allen]

Regardless of what the hitting coach actually does, its a change that needs to be made. When the offense sputters like this for month on end, you fire the hitting coach. Its the way of the world.

Well the team has sputtered for quite a while now. Is it time to fire the GM and manager?

[caulfield12]

Well the team has sputtered for quite a while now. Is it time to fire the GM and manager?

 

 

Tailgunner Joe Cowley argues for keeping Walker...some good points.

 

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/wh...T-joe04.article

[Dick Allen]

Tailgunner Joe Cowley argues for keeping Walker...some good points.

 

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/wh...T-joe04.article

He's right. Its funny all the Walker has to go people didn't have much to say about Cooper when the best rotation ever assembled stunk up the place last season, and the defending world champs finished 3rd in the division. Way too much blame is being put on Walker. What do you expect an offense to be like when your leadoff man is a below average OBP guy. When AJP is batting 3rd or 4th. When you use Alex Cintron and Brian Anderson as a DH? The offense's lack of production is just as much KW and Ozzie's fault as anyone elses. How often do the Sox hit and run when they have someone on first, rather than try and put 2 runs on the board?

[StrangeSox]

He's right. Its funny all the Walker has to go people didn't have much to say about Cooper when the best rotation ever assembled stunk up the place last season, and the defending world champs finished 3rd in the division. Way too much blame is being put on Walker. What do you expect an offense to be like when your leadoff man is a below average OBP guy. When AJP is batting 3rd or 4th. When you use Alex Cintron and Brian Anderson as a DH? The offense's lack of production is just as much KW and Ozzie's fault as anyone elses. How often do the Sox hit and run when they have someone on first, rather than try and put 2 runs on the board?

 

It's not entirely lack of production that is the cause of all of this. Look at their swings and their mechanics. They're terrible.

[Dick Allen]

Personally I don't think Konerko, Dye, Crede, AJP, Iguchi , Mackowiak, have really forgotten how to hit, and I really don't think bringing someone in not familiar with them at all is really going to make an immediate impact. The team will start hitting. Maybe even this weekend.

[StrangeSox]

Personally I don't think Konerko, Dye, Crede, AJP, Iguchi , Mackowiak, have really forgotten how to hit, and I really don't think bringing someone in not familiar with them at all is really going to make an immediate impact. The team will start hitting. Maybe even this weekend.

 

What do you base that on? Their month of ineptness?

[Dick Allen]

What do you base that on? Their month of ineptness?

I base it on their track record. They all have a history of being able to hit a baseball. You look at it, and it would seem they won't be able to get much offense going this weekend with some good pitchers going up against them. I'm thinking they may shock the world and actually start hitting them. If not this weekend though, it will be very soon.

[caulfield12]

I base it on their track record. They all have a history of being able to hit a baseball. You look at it, and it would seem they won't be able to get much offense going this weekend with some good pitchers going up against them. I'm thinking they may shock the world and actually start hitting them. If not this weekend though, it will be very soon.

 

It had better be when they play the Twins at the Hubert H. House of Horrors next week, or the pressure on KW, Ozzie and Walker will really start to mount.

Edited May 4, 2007 by caulfield12

[RockRaines]

Well the team has sputtered for quite a while now. Is it time to fire the GM and manager?

Nope, the hitting coach.

[Buehrle>Wood]

he be losing one of the premier coaches in the league,

See Joe, when you make such a blind statement as that, you have to back it up in some way, and not just completly ignore it.

 

While they didn't necessarily share the same mechanical philosophy,

This quote is regarding Walker and Walt Hriniak.

 

Obviously Cowley is incapable of understanding this entire situation. If Hriniak was such a demi-god as a coach that Cowley makes him up to be, then Walker would actually be following his teachings. And then Cowley tries to pass off Walker's teaching of mechanics like it means nothing. IT IS AT THE CORE OF THE CORE OF THE ARGUMENT ON WHY HE SHOULD BE FIRED!

[WhiteSoxfan1986]

Enough is enough and it's time for a change! Fire Greg Walker!

[Linnwood]

The villagers demand blood.

[BobDylan]

My question is when does Ozzie step in? Say enough is enough--pull your heads out of your asses or pay for it. Not only is the offense terrible, but the defense has been borderline terrible too. It's not normal to be this bad. We'd all like Greg Walker to be the scapegoat (and he certainly is a good candidate for it), but what's Ozzie done to stop the bleeding? He's pulled the same old s*** that has failed in the past and continues to do it. Where's the 2005 mentality, "my way or get the f*** out of my clubhouse"? Can we even pin this on KW? Did his ego grow after 2005 and are we led to believe Ozzie has more control of the clubhouse and the on field operations than he really does?

 

I realize injuries happen, and I realize we've lost probably our best hitter. However, this isn't the first time it's happened to the Sox nor is it the first time it's happened to any team. The Sox have way too good a pitching staff to be on a five game slide--one this hopeless, at that. And it's not like the team doesn't have any capable hitters. Whether this is Greg Walker's fault or not, I don't care. But somebody--be it Ozzie or KW or Greg Walker or some shmuck on the bench--has to get this team on the same page. Jim Thome is on the DL, f***ing deal with it. Quit feeling sorry and figure out some f***ing way to score runs. If that means the ball doesn't go over the fence as much, so be it. Score some damn runs.

 

I mean, does this team ever have a game plan? Looks to me that opposing pitchers come in with the same plan every day and our hitters don't know what the hell to do. When the defense starts to play like s*** behind it, it's absolutely hopeless.

 

SOMEBODY TAKE CHARGE.

 

(Vent over.)

Edited May 5, 2007 by BobDylan

[southsideirish71]

Greg asks 'What would Walt Hriniak do?' Probably not tell his hitters to lift and pull. Maybe he would work on technique and keeping your head down on the ball with little movement like a true Lau disciple. People say that Walker is a Lau disciple. I just dont see it. Lau sacrificed power a lot for line drives. Look at Baines swing, which was developed with Lau. Walt had a lot of nice line drive swings. Greg is Mr Lift and Pull.

 

 

Here is a breakdown of hitting theories. Walkers method sounds more like Williams power over average theory, than Lau and Hrniaks weight shift.

 

Walker Lau Disciple??? Lies, damn lies

Edited May 5, 2007 by southsideirish71

[Soxfest]

Sox act like Walker is a great hitting coach, he can go and phone calls for his services would be low!

[Dick Allen]

The White Sox led major league baseball in batting average with RISP last year. Well over .300. Not bad considering Walker was the hitting coach. Watching last night's game, the players seem less than enthused to be out on the field. I know Grinderstad was supposed to bring that extra intesity, but I really don't see it. Maybe they are resigned to the fact that they aren't very good right now, but they must keep battling. To be fair, if Walker must be fired, so should Cooper and so should Ozzie. Joey Cora too.

[Texsox]

I stand by my statement that changing coaches in mid season is risky and a final act of desperation by a team. Perhaps it is desperation time. I'm guessing that come Monday, it will be all right, but if not, Walker may be having a very unhappy meeting with K-Dub and Oz.

 

But the problem goes well beyond Walker, the organization for the past couple decades has preached long ball. Which has me amazed we've done that without at least one poster boy for steroids. Players coming into the organization have to notice what gets rewarded on the 25 man roster.

 

But bringing in someone new, and if he starts wholesales changes, we could be throwing in the towel quickly. If all it takes is a tweak, Walker is the guy to do it. If we need a sledge hammer and time, start waving the flag and have Spring Training II only when the results count for real.