Hicks Bats Left-Handed

[ashbury]

Mike Berardino ‏@MikeBerardino 4m

 

• Gardy on Hicks: "It's his funeral. "
  

 

FTFGardy.

 

/ edit: THIS WAS A JOKE. The Twitter link JB gave is real, as far as I know.

[blindeke]

Kinda sad really.

[Major League Ready]

It is becoming easier to understand their frustration with him. Maybe he needed to hit rock bottom. I am still hoping the kid can get it together. Heck, right now I would be satisfied to see him become a good 4th outfielder.

 

We don't have much outfield depth. Kepler is having a pretty bad year. I am really pulling for AB Walker but he has some things to figure out if he is going to be a big league player. Harrison is not showing a corner OF bat. I guess the good news is they have the payroll flexibility to spend on a corner OFer next year. The have plenty of pitching now and lots of IF options.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Why was this moved to the minor league forum? Hicks is still on the MLB disabled list, correct?

[Mr. Brooks]

Why was this moved to the minor league forum? Hicks is still on the MLB disabled list, correct?

 

Yes he is. I too am confused at why the thread was moved.

MLB players on rehab assignment have traditionally been discussed on the main board, at least as I can recall.

[jokin]

Why was this moved to the minor league forum? Hicks is still on the MLB disabled list, correct?

 

A forward-looking moderator?

[Guest USAFChief]

Why was this moved to the minor league forum? Hicks is still on the MLB disabled list, correct?

Took a detour there on the way to the "Other Baseball" thread?

[jokin]

Took a detour there on the way to the "Other Baseball" thread?

 

Naw....just a fully conscious moderator-induced rest stop in limbo until the inevitable occurs....

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Naw....just a fully conscious moderator-induced rest stop in limbo until the inevitable occurs....

 

 

The inevitable being that four years from now Hicks bats .270/.340/.400 in center field for another team and makes the playoffs

[ashbury]

The inevitable being that four years from now Hicks bats .270/.340/.400 in center field for another team and makes the playoffs

 

Four years from now he'll be paid big money for those numbers, so maybe at that point I care less than I do now.

[Paul Pleiss]

I really hope that Aaron Hicks figures it out, at least as far as hitting goes. Personally I don't mind having Hicks up at MLB getting on base around a .330 clip. You put him at the bottom of the order and let him be a 2nd leadoff type guy. He gets on base, the bats bring him around.

 

BA is not everything, and I know he's been awful from the left, but a guy who gets on base at the bottom of the lineup seems like a useful player to me.

 

Do I have high hopes that he'll figure it out and be a .260/.360/.440 type guy? absolutely. But even if he just keeps getting on base and playing passable defense in CF I'll be happy to watch him in a Twins uniform until Buxton or Rosario come along. Maybe Rosario is ready for that responsibility already.

 

This whole going back to switch-hitting thing seemed odd to me, and I think it signals a longer stay down in the minors, which I think is unfortunate. Santana has been great for the Twins, and if he keeps hitting he can get days at SS and CF until someone comes along to take the CF job. I can't see the Twins continuing to run Fuld out there everyday. Aaron Hicks can do better than that.

[Deduno Abides]

Aaron Hicks seems like the anti-Tony Gwynn. Among their nearly complete opposites are their physical and mental tools. Although every athlete would choose Hicks' physical make-up over Gwynn's, he seems to lack all of Gwynn's mental skills, including positivity and preparation. Whereas Gwynn epitomized the maxim "Have a plan for each at-bat" and prepared thoroughly for each pitcher, we know that Hicks doesn't study pitchers and now it appears that he doesn't even have a plan for which side he's going to hit on.

 

Further, unlike Gwynn, who exuded joy to play baseball, it's not clear from Hicks' actions or comments that he even really likes baseball. It's not fair to compare him to Delmon Young, because he hasn't had the "socially aggressive" incidents Young had, but an interesting comparison could be Billy Beane, the player, who also had amazing physical tools but never really wanted to play baseball and eventually washed out as a player.

 

IIRC, when he was drafted (in the Twins terrible 2008 draft, in which they also took Gutierrez and Walker Hunt, two other players upon whom management may have placed wishes instead of cold analysis), other teams shied away from him because they wanted him to pitch and he said he didn't want to. It was an early indication that, instead of saying, "Great, I'm going to play professional baseball!," Hicks prioritized being in control of how and what he was going to do over his enjoyment of baseball. It's possible that some portion of "My dad didn't want me to play baseball" is also the thinking of the younger Hicks.

[stringer bell]

OK. Hicks defenders are saying "OBP, OBP". I submit that Hicks' walk-driven OBP is unsustainable unless Hicks can hit with authority and he simply has shown no improvement there. If he can't hit, he is of no use to the Twins, no matter how many tools he possesses. If accurately reported, the flirtation w/ RH only shows a lack of maturity and perspective that is pretty telling. From what I have seen and heard, this explains the Twins frustration with the player.

[jay]

More on this in Bollinger's Sunday notebook:

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140622&content_id=81053080&notebook_id=81054760&vkey=notebook_min&c_id=min

 

I don't get it... and his chances of ever becoming a solid regular seem to get slimmer by the day.

 

What do we realistically hope for here? Right-hand semi-platoon option for Arcia and maybe Parmelee or any LH hitter in the OF? He simply hasn't shown much hope of being playable against RH pitchers outside of that one year in AA that feels increasingly distant.

[tobi0040]

More on this in Bollinger's Sunday notebook:

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140622&content_id=81053080&notebook_id=81054760&vkey=notebook_min&c_id=min

 

I don't get it... and his chances of ever becoming a solid regular seem to get slimmer by the day.

 

What do we realistically hope for here? Right-hand semi-platoon option for Arcia and maybe Parmelee or any LH hitter in the OF? He simply hasn't shown much hope of being playable against RH pitchers outside of that one year in AA that feels increasingly distant.

 

I have been a huge defender of Hicks. But I am getting kind of tired of this. Don't cut the guy or anything, but my hopes have diminished a great deal. I thought a plan was in place and I was optimistic about it (long term). Kind of hard to be hopeful.

 

3-4 weeks ago he said he had no confidence from the left side. Right is his natural side, etc. How is AA going to get that back? He had a good year 2 years ago in that league.

[JB_Iowa]

Everybody seems frustrated about what to do with Aaron Hicks. And Hicks is probably frustrated.

 

He undoubtedly gave up switch hitting in an attempt to get on track and get something working.

 

And, in my mind, he went back to it because he felt more comfortable with it.

 

Many here seem ready to throw him under the bus. Fortunately Terry Ryan has a broader perspective. Yes, Ryan is frustrated:

 

"I'm a little concerned about the waffling back and forth because that doesn't do anything for development," Ryan said. "It's time and work and effort. We'll go with it, and hopefully it will work out for all of us."

But he also recognizes Hicks as the Twins' best CF for now -- w/o knowing Buxton's eventual fate:

 

"We'll have to see if we can salvage this thing," Ryan said of Hicks. "He's certainly salvageable. We haven't given up on Aaron Hicks at all. He's the best center fielder we have in this organization right now until you see what (Byron) Buxton can do once he gets to the upper levels."

 

 

(The above quotes from: http://www.twincities.com/twins/ci_26013620/rehabbing-twins-outfielder-aaron-hicks-returns-switch-hitting)

 

And more than that, he also recognizes that he played a bit of a role in this drama. For the life of me, I can't find the quote back but at some point this weekend, Ryan acknowledged that they may have rushed Hicks and that he didn't get the developmental time at Rochester that he probably needed -- either this year or last.

 

To me, the Twins need to let Hicks get his head on straight. Once his rehab assignment is over, option him to AAA and give him consistent time to work on getting his game back.

 

Because the Twins are pretty bereft of options in CF and although many of you would like to count on Byron Buxton in the not-so-distant future, that's not a sure thing either.

[nicksaviking]

Can we confirm yet which arm he'll be pitching with?

[tobi0040]

Everybody seems frustrated about what to do with Aaron Hicks. And Hicks is probably frustrated.

 

He undoubtedly gave up switch hitting in an attempt to get on track and get something working.

 

And, in my mind, he went back to it because he felt more comfortable with it.

 

Many here seem ready to throw him under the bus. Fortunately Terry Ryan has a broader perspective. Yes, Ryan is frustrated:

 

"I'm a little concerned about the waffling back and forth because that doesn't do anything for development," Ryan said. "It's time and work and effort. We'll go with it, and hopefully it will work out for all of us."

But he also recognizes Hicks as the Twins' best CF for now -- w/o knowing Buxton's eventual fate:

 

"We'll have to see if we can salvage this thing," Ryan said of Hicks. "He's certainly salvageable. We haven't given up on Aaron Hicks at all. He's the best center fielder we have in this organization right now until you see what (Byron) Buxton can do once he gets to the upper levels."

 

 

(The above quotes from: http://www.twincities.com/twins/ci_26013620/rehabbing-twins-outfielder-aaron-hicks-returns-switch-hitting)

 

And more than that, he also recognizes that he played a bit of a role in this drama. For the life of me, I can't find the quote back but at some point this weekend, Ryan acknowledged that they may have rushed Hicks and that he didn't get the developmental time at Rochester that he probably needed -- either this year or last.

 

To me, the Twins need to let Hicks get his head on straight. Once his rehab assignment is over, option him to AAA and give him consistent time to work on getting his game back.

 

Because the Twins are pretty bereft of options in CF and although many of you would like to count on Byron Buxton in the not-so-distant future, that's not a sure thing either.

 

The Twins seem to let him do whatever he wants and frankly, Hicks doesn't seem to know what he wants. He is 24-25 and been in our system for six or seven years. It is a tough situation and I think the Twins need to intervene to an extent. If he wants to be a switch hitter, they give him to the end of the year at either AAA or the big leagues to see if that works or not. Playing him in a league he did well in two years ago switch hitting is not going to help the team or Hicks get clarity on which way he wants to hit. If he wants to just bat right, then AA or even lower to adjust is fine.

[Paul]

To Aaron Hicks:

 

Dear sir,

 

I wish you the best of luck with going back to hitting from both sides of the plate. I think you corrected a bad decision made under the cloud of desperation. Please don't put much stock in the opinions you read on the internet about this matter. Take this site for example. This is the best baseball forum I have experienced, but I would guess far less than 1% of the posters here have faced a high 80s slider/cutter launched directly at them. Their opinion should carry NO weight with you. You proved it at AA. You have have the tools it takes to make it in the show. Clear your head and do your best on the work your coaches assign/suggest. Let them help you.

 

I have every confidence you will succeed. I look forward to watching your career take off.

[whosafraidofluigirussolo]

IIRC, when he was drafted (in the Twins terrible 2008 draft, in which they also took Gutierrez and Walker Hunt, two other players upon whom management may have placed wishes instead of cold analysis), other teams shied away from him because they wanted him to pitch and he said he didn't want to. It was an early indication that, instead of saying, "Great, I'm going to play professional baseball!," Hicks prioritized being in control of how and what he was going to do over his enjoyment of baseball.

 

This is not to take anything away from your overall take which is an interesting one, but two-way players headed into the draft tell teams scouting them their positional preference all the time. I think there's nothing below the surface there.

[tobi0040]

To Aaron Hicks:

 

Dear sir,

 

I wish you the best of luck with going back to hitting from both sides of the plate. I think you corrected a bad decision made under the cloud of desperation. Please don't put much stock in the opinions you read on the internet about this matter. Take this site for example. This is the best baseball forum I have experienced, but I would guess far less than 1% of the posters here have faced a high 80s slider/cutter launched directly at them. Their opinion should carry NO weight with you. You proved it at AA. You have have the tools it takes to make it in the show. Clear your head and do your best on the work your coaches assign/suggest. Let them help you.

 

I have every confidence you will succeed. I look forward to watching your career take off.

 

I guess we will have to eliminate the opinions of all the people that have not played professional baseball. Kind of wondering what we are doing here?

 

Heck, Terry Ryan was a pitcher and never made it out of AA. Joe Vavra never made it past AAA. Neither probably saw many high 80's sliders.

[TheLeviathan]

To Aaron Hicks:

 

Dear sir,

 

I wish you the best of luck with going back to hitting from both sides of the plate. I think you corrected a bad decision made under the cloud of desperation. Please don't put much stock in the opinions you read on the internet about this matter. Take this site for example. This is the best baseball forum I have experienced, but I would guess far less than 1% of the posters here have faced a high 80s slider/cutter launched directly at them. Their opinion should carry NO weight with you. You proved it at AA. You have have the tools it takes to make it in the show. Clear your head and do your best on the work your coaches assign/suggest. Let them help you.

 

I have every confidence you will succeed. I look forward to watching your career take off.

 

This is all well and good, but when you are both A) Not successful hitting and Waffling about an integral part of your approach.

 

Those are giant red flags, like it or not. This kid needs a LONG reboot at AAA. At this point if we see him before June of next year it might too soon.

[Steven Buhr]

This kid needs a LONG reboot at AAA. At this point if we see him before June of next year it might too soon.

 

Frankly, I'll be surprised if Aaron Hicks is still in the Twins organization when spring training rolls around in 2015.

[jokin]

Frankly, I'll be surprised if Aaron Hicks is still in the Twins organization when spring training rolls around in 2015.

 

Yup. And it wouldn't surprise me in the least if there's a deal in the works as we write.

[Mike Sixel]

Frankly, I'll be surprised if Aaron Hicks is still in the Twins organization when spring training rolls around in 2015.

 

Agreed, Hicks and a pitcher on the MLB roster right now for a middling prospect is my guess.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Yup. And it wouldn't surprise me in the least if there's a deal in the works as we write.

 

A deal for what? Hicks isn't going to generate much of anything for trade interest right now. His best bet is to sit in the minors and learn how to hit.

[gunnarthor]

A deal for what? Hicks isn't going to generate much of anything for trade interest right now. His best bet is to sit in the minors and learn how to hit.

 

Yeah, Twins rarely give up on a prospect too early. Sometimes for the good (Dozier, Baker, Plouffe) and sometimes not so (Benson). Unless there is something else going on like Hicks saying he doesn't want to be a Twin anymore or another team being absolutely stupid, I imagine Hicks will stay with us for a bit.

[tobi0040]

Yup. And it wouldn't surprise me in the least if there's a deal in the works as we write.

 

I have to agree, would not shock me at all. This isn't quite taking a bat to the coach's door a la Kyle Lohse....but winter ball, waffling on which side he will bat, not putting in the work, or even knowing who is pitching today.

[cmathewson]

And isn't it ironic, the Rock Cats are the hottest team in professional baseball, just set a team record of 10 straight wins, 12 of 13 with Rosario in the lineup. And this, even though Hicks has to be a bit of a distraction coming in late to the party and all.

 

The fans are the only ones who seem to be paying attention. The Cats had a sellout crowd today of 8400, and the 4th highest single-game attendance mark in their history. The Hartford Courant newspaper, whose namesake city has stolen the team, doesn't even see fit to publish game summaries, let alone assign a beat writer.

 

Was at a hotel that left a Current outside my door this past weekend. All the stories were about the Sox and Yanks. Only Rock Cats standings on the back page. Odd.

[cmathewson]

I have to agree, would not shock me at all. This isn't quite taking a bat to the coach's door a la Kyle Lohse....but winter ball, waffling on which side he will bat, not putting in the work, or even knowing who is pitching today.

 

Assuming all those things are true, it's bad. The only one we know is true is waffling on whether to be a switch hitter or not. Still. If they're true, why would you insist on publicly stating them and then trade him. It would be like crapping on the living room floor the day of the open house.