Anemic White Sox offense in the last 8 games...

[caulfield12]

It happened to Frank Thomas, too, later in his career.

 

At one point, he had a career average of around .316, but the second half of his career, he basically became a dead lift-and-pull hitter to LF.

 

At his best, he would dump outside pitches into RF with his strength and drill doubles into RCF...he would cover the outer half of the plate and take it the opposite way. His weakness, where he hated to be thrown, was inside, especially up and inside.

 

Thome has basically had the same approach his entire career.

[southsideirish71]

Thome is not a dead pull hitter. He is a dead pull hitter when he puts the ball on the ground. When the ball goes into the air, he hits all over the place. This is from last year over the season at US Cellular.

 

Edited April 29, 2009 by southsideirish71

[BaseballNick]

The issue of Thome making adjustments is perplexing. He is paid to hit homers and drive in runs. I don't think quitting the home run approach is the answer, but one would think that to get on base more or drive in runs might mean taking the pitch to LF and might help his average and production. Maybe he should do that a bit more. There is no argument that Jim Thome can still hit the ball out of any park and can hit the homer to LF and left center.

 

He, like every other player, is paid to help the team win, first and foremost.

[Dick Allen]

He, like every other player, is paid to help the team win, first and foremost.

Hitting homers and driving in runs is what Thome does best and it does help the team win. Maybe when the Sox won 1-0 against Minnesota last year, Jim should have tried to bunt down the 3rd base line for a single rather than hitting a homer for the game's only run. Funny, I saw no Thome complaints that night.

[witesoxfan]

Hitting homers and driving in runs is what Thome does best and it does help the team win. Maybe when the Sox won 1-0 against Minnesota last year, Jim should have tried to bunt down the 3rd base line for a single rather than hitting a homer for the game's only run. Funny, I saw no Thome complaints that night.

 

word

[NorthSideSox72]

Thome is not a dead pull hitter. He is a dead pull hitter when he puts the ball on the ground. When the ball goes into the air, he hits all over the place. This is from last year over the season at US Cellular.

 

Thank you.

 

[BaseballNick]

Hitting homers and driving in runs is what Thome does best and it does help the team win. Maybe when the Sox won 1-0 against Minnesota last year, Jim should have tried to bunt down the 3rd base line for a single rather than hitting a homer for the game's only run. Funny, I saw no Thome complaints that night.

 

I never suggested that Jim start bunting for singles, but I do want to see him cut down on the Ks and the GiDP. He set a new career high in GiDP last season and he's got a good chance to be the all-time leader in Ks when his career ends. Jim is a terrific hitter and I think he's got the talent to be a more productive player. I will always believe that it's each player's job to help the team win more than anything else. I don't know how you got: "Jim Thome should bunt for singles" from that statement, DA.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

I never suggested that Jim start bunting for singles, but I do want to see him cut down on the Ks and the GiDP. He set a new career high in GiDP last season and he's got a good chance to be the all-time leader in Ks when his career ends. Jim is a terrific hitter and I think he's got the talent to be a more productive player. I will always believe that it's each player's job to help the team win more than anything else. I don't know how you got: "Jim Thome should bunt for singles" from that statement, DA.

 

 

So what makes you think, at 37/38, Thome is going to do anything where he will cut down on his K's?

[BaseballNick]

So what makes you think, at 37/38, Thome is going to do anything where he will cut down on his K's?

 

At this point in his career, it's not very likely.

[BearSox]

1) Because they pitch into the shift...and try to force him to roll over and ground to 2nd. If they threw all the pitches on the outside half of the plate (especially high), he would have many more opportunities to hit homers that way. As far as bunting, I don't know if we want Thome running full out at age 38 and risking more injuries like the heel problem he currently has. It's a lot easier for him to get a walk than learn how to bunt for the first time at his age.

 

2) In all fairness, Thome has hit at least two homers to the opposite field...and one single to the left side on the ground, and that's just from the games I've watched.

I'm not saying Thome can't hit the ball the other way, he sure can. But he never tries. So what if they pitch you inside. As a major league hitter, you should be able to inside out the ball.

 

I'm not saying Thome should become like Pods of the first half of 05 where he did nothing but slap the ball the other way. All I'm saying is when there is no one on and 0-1 out, why not just inside out a swing and push a ball the other way? Try and start a little rally.

[Kalapse]

I never suggested that Jim start bunting for singles, but I do want to see him cut down on the Ks and the GiDP. He set a new career high in GiDP last season and he's got a good chance to be the all-time leader in Ks when his career ends. Jim is a terrific hitter and I think he's got the talent to be a more productive player. I will always believe that it's each player's job to help the team win more than anything else. I don't know how you got: "Jim Thome should bunt for singles" from that statement, DA.

So those DP numbers don't look like an anomaly to you? He reaches double digits in DPs for the 5th time in his career last season and all of a sudden it's a problem that he needs to correct? He's in the top 10 all time in not hitting into double plays, his 17 last season don't worry me in the least.

 

Thome is going to do what he's going to do. HR, BB, K, base hits into left center, HR all over the damn place and ground balls to the right side. He's not going to cut his Ks in half and become a singles hitter in his 19th big league season.

 

Somehow I doubt he's worried about his place on the all time K list and I'm sure the same went for Reggie Jackson, Willie Stargell and Mike Schmidt.

[Dick Allen]

I'm not saying Thome can't hit the ball the other way, he sure can. But he never tries. So what if they pitch you inside. As a major league hitter, you should be able to inside out the ball.

 

I'm not saying Thome should become like Pods of the first half of 05 where he did nothing but slap the ball the other way. All I'm saying is when there is no one on and 0-1 out, why not just inside out a swing and push a ball the other way? Try and start a little rally.

This isn't 16 inch softball. Jim Thome doesn't have to get all of the ball to put runs on the board. Having him change his approach is idiotic. Hitting the ball to a place where the other team doesn't have anyone is simple in theory but the reality is hitting is much more difficult than that. He's a slugger. He must slug.

 

Back in the early 90's there was a lot of talk that the White Sox should really harp on Frank Thomas to stop being so selective. He would take pitches an inch or two out of the zone. The theory was that a lot of those pitches were good pitches to hit and with Frank's ability his numbers would be even greater except in the walk category. The White Sox didn't want to fix something that wasn't broken. If Frank started swinging at pitches 2 inches out of the zone, then it could have become 5 inches then a foot. Hitting is hard enough when you go up there not worrying about anything. Changing Jim Thome so he may hit 20 more singles and it may cost you 10-15 homers. Its not worth it. He is what he is. He's a HOFer. I don't understand all the hate this guy gets on this board.

[ThunderBolt]

At this point in his career, it's not very likely.

Actually, hitters tend to get more selective as they get older.

[greg775]

I love when Jimmy hits those somewhat rare homers into left center bleachers.

They happen once in a while and are pretty to see.

As big as he is, I'm surprised he doesn't take the ball over the fence that way more.

 

-- Our slumbering offense woke up in the nick of time late in today's game.

Thank goodness. Nice win.

Edited April 30, 2009 by greg775

[Kalapse]

I love when Jimmy hits those somewhat rare homers into left center bleachers.

They happen once in a while and are pretty to see.

As big as he is, I'm surprised he doesn't take the ball over the fence that way more.

 

-- Our slumbering offense woke up in the nick of time late in today's game.

Thank goodness. Nice win.

That's funny because Thome's 34 HR from last year break down like this:

 

LF/LF-CF = 11

CF = 4

RF/RF-CF = 19

 

So he hit 32% of his HR last season to either left or left center field.

 

As for this season he's gone the other way with 3 out of 4.

 

Also, 11 of his 35 from '07 were sent the other way, 7 were to center and 18 were pulled.

[Dick Allen]

Here's some numbers that may shock some. The beloved Rockin' Robin Ventura White Sox career BA .274. Jim Thome's career White Sox BA .267 and mere difference of .007. Robin gets 1 more hit every 143 ABs more than Thome in their White Sox years. Robin's OBP .365, Thome's .393. Robin has hit 56 more homers in a White Sox uniform than Thome in about 800 more games. Robin needed to make some adjustments apparently.

[NorthSideSox72]

I'm not saying Thome can't hit the ball the other way, he sure can. But he never tries. So what if they pitch you inside. As a major league hitter, you should be able to inside out the ball.

 

I'm not saying Thome should become like Pods of the first half of 05 where he did nothing but slap the ball the other way. All I'm saying is when there is no one on and 0-1 out, why not just inside out a swing and push a ball the other way? Try and start a little rally.

If he never tries, then explain all his oppo home runs, and base hits to left.

 

The only place he doesn't hit is on the INFIELD to the left. And really, there isn't much reason for him to.

 

[fathom]

Being at the game today, it made it even easier to see how off Josh Fields is from squaring up a fastball. The league has already made an adjustment to him, so he better learn to speed up his bat or we'll be looking for a new 3B come June.

[caulfield12]

Lillibridge actually hit a ball to the left side (barely) of the 2nd base bag, somehow, for a single.

 

I'm not entirely sure if Josh is capable of that right now.

[BearSox]

Lillibridge actually hit a ball to the left side (barely) of the 2nd base bag, somehow, for a single.

 

I'm not entirely sure if Josh is capable of that right now.

Hey, and Alexei almost hit one ball to the right of 2nd base today. It's a start!

[NorthSideSox72]

Being at the game today, it made it even easier to see how off Josh Fields is from squaring up a fastball. The league has already made an adjustment to him, so he better learn to speed up his bat or we'll be looking for a new 3B come June.

Oh come on now. In a month and a week we'll be looking for a new 3B? Fields adjusted to fastballs, they are now adjusting to him, he'll adjust back. He may struggle in the interim, but, let's not get ridiculous here.

 

[fathom]

Oh come on now. In a month and a week we'll be looking for a new 3B? Fields adjusted to fastballs, they are now adjusting to him, he'll adjust back. He may struggle in the interim, but, let's not get ridiculous here.

 

I've been Josh Fields biggest fan on this site for 3 years now, but it's scary to see how overmatched he is by a 90 mph fastball. I wish we could be confident he'll make that adjustment, but he's never shown he can hit a fastball in the majors. The key for him, in the time being, is to put any breaking pitch thrown to him into play.

[NorthSideSox72]

I've been Josh Fields biggest fan on this site for 3 years now, but it's scary to see how overmatched he is by a 90 mph fastball. I wish we could be confident he'll make that adjustment, but he's never shown he can hit a fastball in the majors. The key for him, in the time being, is to put any breaking pitch thrown to him into play.

I think you are just wrong here. I've watched games, I've been at games, and I've seen him hit some low 90's fastballs hard and far, often to CF or RCF. He still gets steamed occasionally with middle to high heat, but not nearly as often as in 2007. He has clearly adjusted, and will continue to do so.