must we endure before Astros management decides to make a change at hitting coach? I don't normally call for the firing of coaches, but this streak is getting ridiculous. I guess that as long as we're in first place no changes will be made. I seem to remember Milo saying the other day that the Astros have dropped for 4th to 12th in the league in team hitting. Maybe some of the struggles can be attributed to injuries (Kent - wrist, Berkman - knee, Hidalgo - hip), so it might just be a matter of getting some guys healthy. At any rate, we need to start hitting and scoring runs now! With the pitching we've been getting lately, we could really step on the Cardinals' throats and put them away.
All we have to do is make the playoffs. I've always believed the threat of hitting is a huge factor in playoffs. It gives you walks and good pitches to hit. And we have a threatening lineup this year. It's just a matter of people getting the big hit. Same problem as always. But that's on the players in my opinion.
i don't think it's necessarily the hitting coach. It's just the personal. The astros are full of Power Hitters. We don't have anyone like Luis Castillo who can actually get on base consistantly. Until the personal changes i don't see our hitting changing either.
Berkman, Hidalgo, Ensberg and Bagwell all have decent to good OBPs. They are 4 of the 5 main power hitters on the team. I think it is a less concrete problem than OBP that our hitting faces. I have never been a believer in "clutch" hitting, but watching this team I get the distinct impression that we just don't have any guys that routinely get that really essential hit at just the right moment to boost the offense. Like against Leiter, for instance. He wasn't exactly mowing us down, we had plenty of baserunners, but could never get that one big hit to break things open. I don't know what the solution to a problem like that could be. Perhaps a change in hitting coaches might help, but I doubt it. Unless that hitting coach was Bill Spiers. Then we would be a lock for the WS.
Hitting and pitching coaches are usually the scapegoats. Do you really think the Dodgers are going to start hitting now that they have a new hitting coach? There are some very streaky hitters on the Astros and add to that the injuries to Kent and Hidalgo and a slump like this is not really suprising.
I think the length of the slump is beginning to be surprising. You can expect to hit a skid that lasts a week or two during 162-game season. The Astros are about the move into the third week of this drought.
BOO-YAH! Wow! I called out the Astros hitters yesterday and they responded with 11 runs on 15 hits. That's right. I'm claiming credit for last nights offensive explosion. Yeah!
