Buddy Bell on Courtney Hawkins

[NorthSideSox72]

That's wrong. His K rate has ballooned back up in July.

It was right up until a week or two ago. His K rate post-DL has been much-improved. But now he's back with the big K's again.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

They are working on mechanics. Hawkins himself talked about changes they had made in his swing.

Good. I didn't hear the interview so I don't know what all was said.

 

[harfman77]

Buddy Bell joined Rongey on White Sox weekly today. Rongey asked about Hawkins and I will try to paraphrase what Bell said.

 

Buddy emphasized the shoulder injury a lot. Said he's still coming back from it and mentioned that he has 16 HR's and 47 RBI while missing 1 month of the season. He stated that Hawkins would have over 20 homers and 60 RBi's if he had stayed healthy.

He took a shot at people that have said he should be in Kannapolis and mentioned Keith Law by name saying he has no idea what he is talking about.

 

Bell alluded to something that many of us had mentioned. He basically said that Hawkins would learn nothing by heading back down and dominating Kannapolis. He said that part of the plan is to force Hawkins to make the necessary adjustments at Winston Salem because he could continue his bad habits and still dominate a lower level.

 

 

Seeing how the Sox have developed hitters, it is just as likely that Buddy Bell has no idea what he is talking about.

[southsider2k5]

Good. I didn't hear the interview so I don't know what all was said.

 

The blogger interview earlier this year with Courtney and Phegley he did make mention that they had been working with him, and they had done some things. Honestly people are just taking snippets of quotes and turning them into the extreme (and wrong) interpretations of them.

[southsider2k5]

Seeing how the Sox have developed hitters, it is just as likely that Buddy Bell has no idea what he is talking about.

 

Chris Sale sez hey.

[NorthSideSox72]

The blogger interview earlier this year with Courtney and Phegley he did make mention that they had been working with him, and they had done some things. Honestly people are just taking snippets of quotes and turning them into the extreme (and wrong) interpretations of them.

Well I remember that, but, that was 1.5 months ago. And now he's whiffing a heck of a lot, again.

 

[hammerhead johnson]

Seeing how the Sox have developed hitters, it is just as likely that Buddy Bell has no idea what he is talking about.

 

There ain't a farm director on the globe that could succeed with this horses***.

[harfman77]

Chris Sale sez hey.

 

How is his batting average?

[southsider2k5]

How is his batting average?

 

That would be for Keith Law.

[southsider2k5]

Well I remember that, but, that was 1.5 months ago. And now he's whiffing a heck of a lot, again.

 

It goes more towards "they are working with him" than anything else. The myth that Hawkins is on an island by himself is just silly.

[NorthSideSox72]

It goes more towards "they are working with him" than anything else. The myth that Hawkins is on an island by himself is just silly.

I never said he wasn't getting any coaching at all. I just question how much he is getting, and what the approach is. And I added all manner of caveats for other possibilities, like the fact that he isn't taking to coaching perhaps.

 

[southsider2k5]

I never said he wasn't getting any coaching at all. I just question how much he is getting, and what the approach is. And I added all manner of caveats for other possibilities, like the fact that he isn't taking to coaching perhaps.

 

You didn't say it, but it has been said on this board, many times. I'm just trying to dispel that idea.

[flavum]

Late to the conversation, but the thing about the difference between Kannapolis and Winston-Salem...

 

While I can see the difference in pitching might be negligible, I look at it from a confidence standpoint. He's going back to Winston-Salem next year. There's no way he can go to Birmingham to start next season. So if he would have started at Kanny, they could have still promoted him to W-S in 2014, where he feels like he's moving up, rather than staying in the same place---which could affect his confidence and attitude.

 

It should have been explained when he went W-S in late 2012 that he was only going there to get more at-bats, but he'll be at Kanny in 2013.

 

But what's done is done now. Hopefully Hawkins is an improved player next year.

 

BTW, the podcast version of the Bell interview cut out the part where they talked about Hawkins. I don't think that's an accident.

[Y2Jimmy0]

Late to the conversation, but the thing about the difference between Kannapolis and Winston-Salem...

 

While I can see the difference in pitching might be negligible, I look at it from a confidence standpoint. He's going back to Winston-Salem next year. There's no way he can go to Birmingham to start next season. So if he would have started at Kanny, they could have still promoted him to W-S in 2014, where he feels like he's moving up, rather than staying in the same place---which could affect his confidence and attitude.

 

It should have been explained when he went W-S in late 2012 that he was only going there to get more at-bats, but he'll be at Kanny in 2013.

 

But what's done is done now. Hopefully Hawkins is an improved player next year.

 

BTW, the podcast version of the Bell interview cut out the part where they talked about Hawkins. I don't think that's an accident.

 

 

The Rongey interview from White Sox weekly? Really? That's weird. Rongey asked about it because he said he'd been getting texts and messages for weeks to ask about Hawkins.

[flavum]

The Rongey interview from White Sox weekly? Really? That's weird. Rongey asked about it because he said he'd been getting texts and messages for weeks to ask about Hawkins.

 

Yeah, I don't know why they would cut something out. I remember back in spring training Bell mentioned a pitcher that retired that morning, and when the interview hit the podcast, they cut it out. So maybe it's a coincidence, or maybe he said something that he shouldn't have and somebody above him had that part of the interview cut out for the podcast so it can't be rebroadcasted.

 

I missed it live this weekend, so I really don't know if he said anything that was questionable.

[The Ginger Kid]

I don't know how it works in baseball but I've played a lot of golf (HS, college) and when I was forced to make "adjustments" or swing changes to improve my game, I first had to take a big step back. Your instinct is to fall back on the bad habits while you're battling to adopt the new approach. But once those adjustments start to click, your game takes a big step forward. That's my hope with a guy as young as Hawkins, that's he's adjusting to better pitching than he's ever seen while trying to change his approach at the plate.

[Y2Jimmy0]

Yeah, I don't know why they would cut something out. I remember back in spring training Bell mentioned a pitcher that retired that morning, and when the interview hit the podcast, they cut it out. So maybe it's a coincidence, or maybe he said something that he shouldn't have and somebody above him had that part of the interview cut out for the podcast so it can't be rebroadcasted.

 

I missed it live this weekend, so I really don't know if he said anything that was questionable.

 

 

Well he didn't use any foul language. He did question people that think Hawkins should move to Kannapolis and mentioned Keith Law by name saying those people "don't know what they are talking about".

[bighurt4life]

I don't know how it works in baseball but I've played a lot of golf (HS, college) and when I was forced to make "adjustments" or swing changes to improve my game, I first had to take a big step back. Your instinct is to fall back on the bad habits while you're battling to adopt the new approach. But once those adjustments start to click, your game takes a big step forward. That's my hope with a guy as young as Hawkins, that's he's adjusting to better pitching than he's ever seen while trying to change his approach at the plate.

 

 

Very good point, to any who have participated in competitive athletics, especially one as difficult as baseball. Adjustments to something you've done for years are very difficult to learn and turn into muscle memory.

 

We'll have a really good idea what kind of person he is next season. If he works his butt off this offseason, takes to coaching, and makes the proper adjustments he could be a completely different hitter. If he's kinda lazy and entitled with too much ego for his own good, then he won't put in the work, won't improve and we'll see much of the same.