Mathguy64 said:

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n_touch said:

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texasaggie2015 said:

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So much of baseball is mental and I think a lot of the struggles we're seeing are the results of pressing. That's no excuse obviously- just my two cents.

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This to me is Breg's biggest issue. Great eye at the plate but the contact is off. Add in all the other things going on with him this year, he has an uphill battle. His goal was a big contract and every at bat chips away at that yearly amount.

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Bregman needs to admit his approach and personal hitting guy are his problem. Find someone else to try something different. Golfers change swing coaches all the time to rework things. Hell Tiger did it three times, once after winning everything and being the best in the world. You also have to be willing to trust the hitting coach and do what they say. He's too invested in his own ideas.

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Not just Tiger. Hell, this started in baseball with one of the best to ever do it.

Babe Ruth was swinging the equivalent of a tree trunk at like 56 ounces or something stupid. He hit 11 HRs and led the league. He then proceeded to lighten his bat to something in the 40s and change his swing approach a bit and discovered he could hit far more HRs. He was literally at the top of the game and changed things up to get better. (I still wonder what Ruth could have done with a properly end-weighted and lighter bat similar to those used today)

It should be even easier to admit this and change when you are struggling.

cc10106 said:

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"This is a good team." - Dana on 790

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Jimbo said that a lot too

cc10106 said:

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"This is a good team." - Dana on 790

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Again, he's never going to say anything other than that.

remember that the leadership and complacency issues were already going on last September when the Astros lost 3 series to the Royals and A's during a pennant chase

not to mention the losing record at Minute Maid Park

the Astros did just enough last year to cover up those problems -- but they didn't go away

txags92 said:

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Mathguy64 said:

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n_touch said:

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texasaggie2015 said:

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So much of baseball is mental and I think a lot of the struggles we're seeing are the results of pressing. That's no excuse obviously- just my two cents.

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This to me is Breg's biggest issue. Great eye at the plate but the contact is off. Add in all the other things going on with him this year, he has an uphill battle. His goal was a big contract and every at bat chips away at that yearly amount.

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Bregman needs to admit his approach and personal hitting guy are his problem. Find someone else to try something different. Golfers change swing coaches all the time to rework things. Hell Tiger did it three times, once after winning everything and being the best in the world. You also have to be willing to trust the hitting coach and do what they say. He's too invested in his own ideas.

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As a senior leader on the team, I would expect Bregman to recognize how much he is killing our run scoring opportunities hitting behind Yordan, and approach Espada about being moved down in the lineup.

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Didn't we all think Maldy would do the same thing last year and approach Dusty and let Diaz play, I think for some of these players its too much pride. This is when the true leaders of the team can and should approach the manager and tell him. Tuve and Yordan should be the ones doing it, it might be uncomfortable for them but hey at this point they should try something different.

One last thing I want to say about Alex Bregman..

I've seen a lot of posts saying things like "if he wasn't so worried about his salsa..."

There's nobody on this team (and maybe even the entire league) who spends more time working on his craft than Alex. I can actually speak to this first hand. The dude has an obsession with baseball.

I think at times it hurts him.

He spends so much time working and tinkering with his swing. And when he struggles he starts tinkering even more. And then he starts thinking.

You can't think and hit a baseball. Hitting is simply reacting. Once you start thinking, you're toast. Golf is a good analogy for this I think. You'll hit the best shot of your life and start thinking about how you can recreate it on your next shot.. and then you shank the hell out of it.

I think a lot of his struggles come from this. Why hasn't he changed his hitting coach or learned to find something that works and stick with it? I can't speak to that unfortunately.

Combine all of this with the extra pressure that comes with a struggling team and a contract year.. and it's not a good recipe to say the least. He is so far in his own head.

I'm not defending his struggles. I'm not saying he should continue to bat cleanup. I'm simply just explaining where I think his struggles come from, so please don't think I'm defending his performance. Nobody is above criticism on this team.

He was at his best in 2022 after his son was born and he had that distraction outside of baseball. He had less time to obsess over baseball and he hit much better.

_veeyah_ said:

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txags92 said:

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Mathguy64 said:

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n_touch said:

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texasaggie2015 said:

---

So much of baseball is mental and I think a lot of the struggles we're seeing are the results of pressing. That's no excuse obviously- just my two cents.

---

This to me is Breg's biggest issue. Great eye at the plate but the contact is off. Add in all the other things going on with him this year, he has an uphill battle. His goal was a big contract and every at bat chips away at that yearly amount.

---

Bregman needs to admit his approach and personal hitting guy are his problem. Find someone else to try something different. Golfers change swing coaches all the time to rework things. Hell Tiger did it three times, once after winning everything and being the best in the world. You also have to be willing to trust the hitting coach and do what they say. He's too invested in his own ideas.

---

As a senior leader on the team, I would expect Bregman to recognize how much he is killing our run scoring opportunities hitting behind Yordan, and approach Espada about being moved down in the lineup.

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Didn't we all think Maldy would do the same thing last year and approach Dusty and let Diaz play, I think for some of these players its too much pride. This is when the true leaders of the team can and should approach the manager and tell him. Tuve and Yordan should be the ones doing it, it might be uncomfortable for them but hey at this point they should try something different.

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There are no leaders on this team.

But in light of this it does give you newfound appreciation for Abreu being the only person to have enough care and humility to offer or take needed change.

If Bregman is 4 (or 2) again today, Espada is willingly going down with the ship.

Beau Holder said:

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There are no leaders on this team.

But in light of this it does give you newfound appreciation for Abreu being the only person to have enough care and humility to offer or take needed change.

If Bregman is 4 (or 2) again today, Espada is willingly going down with the ship.

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I don't know if it is in his character, but Tucker is the guy who has the potential to step up. There was a series when he spiked a bat and played with a chip on his shoulder and the team had a little spark. I get that forced bravado is faux bravado, but I think if Tucker would become a little more vocal he could fill what appears to be a void.

someone needs to send about 25 of the fattest escorts available in NYC to there hotel this morning along with a keg of beer. get drunk and bang some fatties to fix the struggle bus

EastCoastAgNc said:

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He was at his best in 2022 after his son was born and he had that distraction outside of baseball. He had less time to obsess over baseball and he hit much better.

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Ah yes, I too remember when my son turned 2, got a job and moved out of the house so I didn't have the distraction of parenting to deal with anymore.

EastCoastAgNc said:

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He was at his best in 2022 after his son was born and he had that distraction outside of baseball. He had less time to obsess over baseball and he hit much better.

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So, he needs to think about salsa even more?

"You can't think and hit a baseball."

Exactly. Spot on. Truth. 100%.

tjack16 said:

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Rally baby was fun while it lasted but the team has now fallen to 5-4

That was our Linsanity run

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You shouldn't hold it against your daughter. She had no idea she was going to be asked to be a miracle worker on Day 1.