Gordon Beckham the...3B?!

[ChiSoxJon]

I've said his since we moved him away from 3B but Beckham belongs there, great D and put up great numbers, there was no need to move him, in the case he bats around .260-.270 next year on a different team at 3B with 12-15 HRs and 25-30 2Bs with roughly 60-70 RBIs, how pissed will you be and at whom? I'll be pissed at KW and RV at an extreme level, maybe even Ozzie

[shysocks]

I've said his since we moved him away from 3B but Beckham belongs there, great D and put up great numbers, there was no need to move him, in the case he bats around .260-.270 next year on a different team at 3B with 12-15 HRs and 25-30 2Bs with roughly 60-70 RBIs, how pissed will you be and at whom? I'll be pissed at KW and RV at an extreme level, maybe even Ozzie

Not pissed at all. The team gave him years and years to get his act together. Whether they jerked his position around or not, that's plenty of time.

[Kyyle23]

His position had no bearing on his offense

[Jerksticks]

I've said his since we moved him away from 3B but Beckham belongs there, great D and put up great numbers, there was no need to move him, in the case he bats around .260-.270 next year on a different team at 3B with 12-15 HRs and 25-30 2Bs with roughly 60-70 RBIs, how pissed will you be and at whom? I'll be pissed at KW and RV at an extreme level, maybe even Ozzie

I'll be pissed at Gordon Beckham for needing 3000 AB to figure it out.

[Brian]

His position had no bearing on his offense

 

And if it did, he's a mental midget and there's no saving him.

 

 

[daggins]

I won't be worrying about this because it will never happen.

[IlliniKrush]

Do you know what 3,000 plate appearances is called? A large sample size.

 

Defensive position makes zero difference on being able to hit a baseball.

[BlackSox13]

Good grief. Couldn't wait to get Beckham out of town and now were supposed to care how he performs elsewhere? To each their own I suppose but I could care less how he performs. As other have already said, he had many years to pull it all together and he didn't. I've moved on and am looking forward to the youth coming up in the Sox system.

[SoxAce]

I'll be pissed at Gordon Beckham for needing 3000 AB to figure it out.

Yea I don't think I've ever seen it happen. Hell even when José Bautista became a monster, he was around 1200+ ABs before he flipped a switch.

[Rowand44]

I've said his since we moved him away from 3B but Beckham belongs there, great D and put up great numbers, there was no need to move him, in the case he bats around .260-.270 next year on a different team at 3B with 12-15 HRs and 25-30 2Bs with roughly 60-70 RBIs, how pissed will you be and at whom? I'll be pissed at KW and RV at an extreme level, maybe even Ozzie

What?

[BigHurt3515]

Wait what?? So if Beckahm goes to a different position his offense gets better? I didn't know that is how it worked!

[greg775]

I've said his since we moved him away from 3B but Beckham belongs there, great D and put up great numbers, there was no need to move him, in the case he bats around .260-.270 next year on a different team at 3B with 12-15 HRs and 25-30 2Bs with roughly 60-70 RBIs, how pissed will you be and at whom? I'll be pissed at KW and RV at an extreme level, maybe even Ozzie

I won't be pissed at anybody if he learns how to hit and becomes good. It would be annoying if somehow he turns into a .330 hitter with 24 home runs and 90-plus ribbies. That would annoy me and think perhaps it is our hitting coach's fault or something. Ultimately I won't be mad. This is on Gordon.

[ptatc]

Do you know what 3,000 plate appearances is called? A large sample size.

 

Defensive position makes zero difference on being able to hit a baseball.

I disagree with this as an absolute. It makes a difference for many players.

 

However, in this case, I agree. Beckham always had that "hitch" in his swing. I t prevented him from hitting good fastballs Once the league figured it out, he refused to make an adjustment.

[Bigsoxhurt35]

Gordon with a solid 0-4 tonight lol...at 2B

Edited August 25, 2014 by Bigsoxhurt35

[greg775]

I disagree with this as an absolute. It makes a difference for many players.

 

However, in this case, I agree. Beckham always had that "hitch" in his swing. I t prevented him from hitting good fastballs Once the league figured it out, he refused to make an adjustment.

 

I agree with ptatc. Billy Butler apparently hits better when he gets to play first base. I agree it didn't matter much for Gordon. Wasn't he a shortstop in college? He shoulda been used to moving around. He's been a second baseman for a while now, and a pretty good one, and still can't hit. It can't be because he once played third.

[IlliniKrush]

I disagree with this as an absolute. It makes a difference for many players.

 

However, in this case, I agree. Beckham always had that "hitch" in his swing. I t prevented him from hitting good fastballs Once the league figured it out, he refused to make an adjustment.

Maybe between DH and playing a position, but I simply cannot see how playing 3b or 2b or whatever affects the ability to take your bat and either hit or not hit a pitch coming at you. There's no logic behind it. The game doesn't know.

[Kyyle23]

Gordon with a solid 0-4 tonight lol...at 2B

 

Put him back at 3rd! Get that average back up to .270!

[cabiness42]

Maybe between DH and playing a position, but I simply cannot see how playing 3b or 2b or whatever affects the ability to take your bat and either hit or not hit a pitch coming at you. There's no logic behind it. The game doesn't know.

 

I agree that there is no logic in a defensive position change affecting a player's offense, yet it seems to happen often. I have no idea why.

 

[LittleHurt05]

Maybe between DH and playing a position, but I simply cannot see how playing 3b or 2b or whatever affects the ability to take your bat and either hit or not hit a pitch coming at you. There's no logic behind it. The game doesn't know.

 

Last week I read an article about Alex Gordon finally living up to the hype. He talked about how his crappy defense at 3B affected his mindset at the plate as well. I guess there could be some truth that the more comfortable you are defensively, it could give you more confidence at the plate

 

Gordon does believe that the move to the outfield has helped him. "I think it freed me up," he said. "I don’t think I was the best third baseman, so I think in every game, my focus wasn’t on hitting, and more on, 'How am I going to screw up at third base today?'"

[Dick Allen]

I'm a Beckham fan, and while I do think sometimes position being played will affect your offense, I don't think it had anything to do with Gordon's struggles.

 

He did hit well for periods as a 2B. He overthinks. His swing gets long, and he struggles. Earlier this year, when he got his average to about .300, his stroke was short and sweet.

[JPN366]

(Callback) Shouldn't have drafted a douchey middle infielder named Gordon.

[Balta1701]

I'm a Beckham fan, and while I do think sometimes position being played will affect your offense, I don't think it had anything to do with Gordon's struggles.

 

He did hit well for periods as a 2B. He overthinks. His swing gets long, and he struggles. Earlier this year, when he got his average to about .300, his stroke was short and sweet.

Unfortunatley, I'm not a Beckham fan, because his periods of hitting well didn't last. We have had lots of failed prospects who hit well for short stretches; he just got more chances than any of the others.

[southsider2k5]

Maybe between DH and playing a position, but I simply cannot see how playing 3b or 2b or whatever affects the ability to take your bat and either hit or not hit a pitch coming at you. There's no logic behind it. The game doesn't know.

 

Baseball is so mental. Put someone in a position of uncomfort, such as a position they don't feel confident about playing, and it isn't hard to imagine them not being as focused as they usually would be. The game doesn't know, but the player does, and that is the guy hitting/fielding. There is no logic behind the yips in the field, or a pitcher completely losing the strike zone, but it happens because players are human.

[Rowand44]

I think the defensive position can affect someone's offensive focus if they're not comfortable in the field, that wasn't the case with Gordon at 2b.

[ptatc]

Maybe between DH and playing a position, but I simply cannot see how playing 3b or 2b or whatever affects the ability to take your bat and either hit or not hit a pitch coming at you. There's no logic behind it. The game doesn't know.

The logic behind it is being comfortable during the game. What's the difference between a postion and DH. Theoretically, a DH can study the pitcher more between at bats because while the team is in the field he could go to the video room and study the pitcher etc. so logically he should be more prepared.

 

It all has to do with comfort level. If the player is worried about screwing up at a defensive position it may distract from his concentration. I'm not saying it effects everyone but there are players that it does effect.

 

edit: Guess I should have read other posts before replying. Others have said the same thing.

Edited August 25, 2014 by ptatc