The one thing I believe the Braves held their hat on was that Riley would make the adjustments. When he finished his 1st year the Braves asked him to change his body. He did the thing they did not expect. He reconfigured his weight and his flexibility. In every level he would struggle and then take over. It is simply crazy he has not found a way to adjust due to his injuries. I miss him.
Good study of Riley's nightmare. I did not know about the studies showing long term bad effects of sports hernia in NFL and NHL players.
My biggest frustrations in watching Riley hit against RH pitchers are: 1) The many times he watches a hittable four seamer for a strike on the first pitch - and that has frequently turned out to be the most hittable pitch he sees in that at bat. I was always taught to pick an area of the strike zone about the size of a loaf of bread that you are ready to attack the first pitch in if you get the ball in that relatively selective area. If it's not there or the pitch is not what you're looking for, fine, spit on it. But be ready to attack SOMETHING. 2) When he gets behind in the count (frequently 0-2!) everyone on the field would bet their retirement savings that he's going to see a slider low and away - probably in the dirt - and he flails away, missing by two feet sometimes and looks almost surprised, like, "Where did that come from?" Why not, when he's down 2 strikes, just totally commit to a breaking ball low and away and, if it's close to being a strike try and drive it to RF? Yeah, sometimes he's going to get busted up and in and have a problem but from the way his AB's have been historically, low and away is still going to easily be the opponent's choice until Riley adjusts. (I know, easy for me to say......but, still, I'm getting an ulcer watching his AB's)
Austin Riley is under contract with the Atlanta Braves through the 2032 season, with a guaranteed 10-year, $212 million extension signed in August 2022.
Can this turn around? Yes. Will it turn around? IDK.
If it doesn't this contract will be an albatross going forward. Nobody is trading for him at his current level of non-performance. He needs to get it figured out. And the sooner the better.
I get the "change of scenery" thing...but I don't think anybody is going to take that contract off the Braves hands without the Braves eating a large portion of it...and it's not in AA's nature to do that. So, I think, at least for the time being, he's going to be here. I'm hoping he figures it out.
One of the things that grinds my gears is to read the idiots on Twitter who say, "He got paid. He doesn't care." I can absolutely promise you that there is no one who wants Austin to turn it around more than Austin.
Hopefully, Coors Field and the Rockies pitching will be the elixir that gets him going! Go Braves!!
The only thing I can say he always has problems and I was worried after his injury if he would ever recover the money we spent on him was great for the first couple years this is crazy and I don't know how he's going to fix it
I SOOO agree with the "not seeing the ball". But, only righthanded pitchers? Could that be just a spec of a cataract beginning in his left eye? Maybe a "Rosario" eye issue? Have they sent him to an opthamol...Opthem...eye doctor to see? Anyway, from Riley's analysis of himself it seems the team is doing the "man" thing and just not talking to him about it. He's on an island.
I hope that all the Braves get their visual acuity checked every year prior to spring training. Maximizing their ability to see the “spin” and movement should make a big difference. Same on the defensive side-being able to pick up the ball off the bat and depth perception. Slight changes in vision are slow and subtle and one doesn’t recognize them until they are corrected.
You are so very, very right. But just a few years ago, an outfielder named Eddie Rosario started the season 0-for everything before they FINALLY sent him for an eye exam. So, I'm not sure if the Braves have instituted such exams since. But, like you, this seems a plausible cause/effect to me.
I genuinely don't know why they don't insist on giving every player a vision check at the start of spring training. Just sign a deal with an optometrist to be the official optician of the Atlanta Braves or something and make a big deal out of it
Lindsay: Some guy keeps emailing me about wanting to negotiate with you. Maybe "webeze"? If he keeps it up, you want me to give him your email? Or just ignore? Have no idea how he got my email.
The one thing I believe the Braves held their hat on was that Riley would make the adjustments. When he finished his 1st year the Braves asked him to change his body. He did the thing they did not expect. He reconfigured his weight and his flexibility. In every level he would struggle and then take over. It is simply crazy he has not found a way to adjust due to his injuries. I miss him.
Good study of Riley's nightmare. I did not know about the studies showing long term bad effects of sports hernia in NFL and NHL players.
My biggest frustrations in watching Riley hit against RH pitchers are: 1) The many times he watches a hittable four seamer for a strike on the first pitch - and that has frequently turned out to be the most hittable pitch he sees in that at bat. I was always taught to pick an area of the strike zone about the size of a loaf of bread that you are ready to attack the first pitch in if you get the ball in that relatively selective area. If it's not there or the pitch is not what you're looking for, fine, spit on it. But be ready to attack SOMETHING. 2) When he gets behind in the count (frequently 0-2!) everyone on the field would bet their retirement savings that he's going to see a slider low and away - probably in the dirt - and he flails away, missing by two feet sometimes and looks almost surprised, like, "Where did that come from?" Why not, when he's down 2 strikes, just totally commit to a breaking ball low and away and, if it's close to being a strike try and drive it to RF? Yeah, sometimes he's going to get busted up and in and have a problem but from the way his AB's have been historically, low and away is still going to easily be the opponent's choice until Riley adjusts. (I know, easy for me to say......but, still, I'm getting an ulcer watching his AB's)
Austin Riley is under contract with the Atlanta Braves through the 2032 season, with a guaranteed 10-year, $212 million extension signed in August 2022.
Can this turn around? Yes. Will it turn around? IDK.
If it doesn't this contract will be an albatross going forward. Nobody is trading for him at his current level of non-performance. He needs to get it figured out. And the sooner the better.
I've already seen the national podcasts asking if he needs a change of scenery, and that's a shame
I get the "change of scenery" thing...but I don't think anybody is going to take that contract off the Braves hands without the Braves eating a large portion of it...and it's not in AA's nature to do that. So, I think, at least for the time being, he's going to be here. I'm hoping he figures it out.
One of the things that grinds my gears is to read the idiots on Twitter who say, "He got paid. He doesn't care." I can absolutely promise you that there is no one who wants Austin to turn it around more than Austin.
Hopefully, Coors Field and the Rockies pitching will be the elixir that gets him going! Go Braves!!
The only thing I can say he always has problems and I was worried after his injury if he would ever recover the money we spent on him was great for the first couple years this is crazy and I don't know how he's going to fix it
I SOOO agree with the "not seeing the ball". But, only righthanded pitchers? Could that be just a spec of a cataract beginning in his left eye? Maybe a "Rosario" eye issue? Have they sent him to an opthamol...Opthem...eye doctor to see? Anyway, from Riley's analysis of himself it seems the team is doing the "man" thing and just not talking to him about it. He's on an island.
I hope that all the Braves get their visual acuity checked every year prior to spring training. Maximizing their ability to see the “spin” and movement should make a big difference. Same on the defensive side-being able to pick up the ball off the bat and depth perception. Slight changes in vision are slow and subtle and one doesn’t recognize them until they are corrected.
You are so very, very right. But just a few years ago, an outfielder named Eddie Rosario started the season 0-for everything before they FINALLY sent him for an eye exam. So, I'm not sure if the Braves have instituted such exams since. But, like you, this seems a plausible cause/effect to me.
I genuinely don't know why they don't insist on giving every player a vision check at the start of spring training. Just sign a deal with an optometrist to be the official optician of the Atlanta Braves or something and make a big deal out of it
Lindsay: Some guy keeps emailing me about wanting to negotiate with you. Maybe "webeze"? If he keeps it up, you want me to give him your email? Or just ignore? Have no idea how he got my email.
I just found the emails in my spam filter. I'll respond to him, and I apologize that he keeps emailing you for some reason.