Drew Stubbs admits it: What happened to him last year got to him, messed with his mind, put him in a negative funk.
As the strikeouts mounted, his confidence melted into a pool of negativity. Stubbs led the majors with 205 strikeouts while drawing only 63 walks.
The strikeouts, of course, too often negates his track sprinter’s speed. Despite the strikeouts and the lack of walks, Stubbs stole 40 bases.
So what did he do about it over the winter? He cleared his mind, hit the delete button on his memory from all those slow walks from the batter’s box to the dugout when he failed to accomplish his mission of applying wood to cowhide.
...Of his off-season, Stubbs said, “I didn’t do anything different, but I was able to clear my head after the rough season I had last year. I need to get back to a positive mind set. That’s the biggest thing where I faltered last year. I got into the wrong state of mind.
“There were a few minor tweaks that I made, mainly with my set-up at the plate, but the biggest thing for me this year is making sure I’m in the right frame of mind,” he said.
Repoz
Posted: March 05, 2012 at 06:09 AM |
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1. TDF, situational idiot Posted: March 05, 2012 at 09:58 AM (#4073991)Of course, the hideous batting average masks that so badly that it just feels like he doesn't walk much.
You see a headline with Stubbs and think "Yeah, what IS Franklin up to nowadays?" -- then remember there's a Drew about...
Bud Selig could garner a great deal of respect from me if he enforced an MLB rule that required last names to be retired. You can grandfather in a few Smiths or Johnsons, but anything not in say... the top 1% or so of anglicized -- and perhaps the same with Latin -- surnames ought to be one and done.
Not to mention Cody, UNC first baseman.
-- MWE
Power-hitting lefty 1B/OF... marginally surprised they're not related, as I'm pretty sure that Franklin was also from the area - I believe he went to Va Tech. Is Franklin the winner for the "least looks like his name would lead you to believe" award?
I believe Khalil Greene retired that honor.
Cocaine's a hell of a drug.
Franklin Stubbs? I would never have thought that.
That's only half the picture: how many times caught stealing?
Oh wait, I'll look it up for ya...CS = 10. So 40 SB / 50 attempts = 0.80
OK, not too shabby. Of course, you still have to get on base to steal.
No.
I believe Khalil Greene retired that honor.
Yes.
A real sign that you are old - when the camera at a sporting event scans the crowd, stops momentarily on an attractive woman and then you realize that it is some players mother.
Anyway, yeah, you'd love to see more but Stubbs' walk rate was fine. And despite the Ks and crappy BA, his OBP wasn't far below league average (about 6 fewer times on base over the season). The main problem wasn't so much the Ks (they are a huge problem) but the power drop to a 120 ISO. If he hit for the 180 ISO he had through 2010, he'd have been right around a 100 OPS+ again.
If the guy's going to be successful long-term, it's as a Corey Patterson with walks or a Mike Cameron-lite. If they're cutting down his swing to drop the Ks, it's probably a huge mistake.
Forced to google image it, Franklin Stubbs is indeed a bit more generic African-American than I recall... somehow, I always thought he had moderately latino look -- did he perhaps have Manny locks at some point?
I still maintain that 'Franklin Stubbs' envisions more of a short, Ecksteinian appearance though.
I don't know what a Ron Karkovice should look like, but I wouldn't have imagined in a million years that he would look like the real Ron Karkovice.
Oh, and don't you hate pants?
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