Crow talks about Pie
I approached hitting coach Terry Crowley in the clubhouse this morning and asked for his early impressions of Felix Pie. Here's what he said:
"I gave him a couple days to get his feet on the ground, get acclimated with the players and the staff. We've had a couple real good sessions in the tunnel. At this stage, with a long way to go in spring training, you go a little bit slow. You make sure you go one step at a time. Make him feel confident and also make him know what I'm looking for in his at-bats. And he's done quite well.
"He had a couple good at-bats yesterday after the first session in the tunnel. Then he went on the field and hit a couple bullets foul and fouled of some off-speed pitches with good swings and ended up flying out to left field. I was really pleased with that at-bat. He's coming along good. He's getting to know me as well as me getting to know him. There's got to be a lot of trust on both sides. He's got to trust in what I say and I've got to trust in what he says he can or cannot do and work a little harder on those things. So far, he looks really good."
Crowley said the early lessons with Pie have included "covering the American League strike zone."
"I know pitchers are going to try different things. They're going to change speeds, they're going to move the ball around in the strike zone. Every hitter comes to a hitting coach with strong points and points that need to be worked on. That goes from Markakis down to Quiroz. Everybody on our team has strong points and things that have to be worked on. The object of a hitting coach is, as you're working on the points that need to be worked on, you don't want to mess up the strong points. Little by little we're getting a little bit better command of the entire strike zone. And he's a physically able guy. He's got a live body and doesn't seem to tire. He's done a lot of work and then gone out and played the game afterward. He's got a lot of energy, which is good. That's what we want to get. We want to get young guys that want to play with energy."
Will Pie hit for power? That's the least of Crowley's interests right now.
"He's got some power. When things go right, the ball comes off his bat good. But at this point, that's the last thing I'm looking for. I'm looking for good at-bats, balance, line drives, hard ground balls. Somebody that's easy for Dave Trembley to write their name in the lineup.
"A guy who would pop a home run once a week or something, and in the meantime his at-bats don't make you feel good, that's not what we're looking for. When he gets his swing down the way I know he's going to do, then the home runs are going to come. I'm pretty pleased with Andy MacPhail picking him up and giving us a youngster that we can fit right into our program here."
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Categories (click for archive)Roch Kubatko | Roch Kubatko Orioles |
Roch,
This doesn't have anything to do really with this column, but I read an interesting quote from Miguel Tejada on a rumors website that came from a Peter Schmuck article that was in the Baltimore Sun:
"I always enjoyed to be with the Orioles. I'm a free agent this year. You never know. I might come back."
What would be the odds the Orioles would take him back, considering the events that transpired since he left (such as the darkening PED cloud that looms over him and his age-scandal)?
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I ran the same quote. No chance. - Roch
Nice report.
I have a feeling we will be talking about how we got Felix Pie for next to nothing for a very long time. He will dramatically improve left field for the next 5-10 years. As long as he can hit over .260 or even better into the .280's we are set there. can't wait to go out to OPCY this summer to check this team out
That is some good info right there...sonds like Crow thinks he is doing esactly what he wants..works hard and showing signs of being really a good hitter..sounds like he is fitting in..gettign along with the guys and ready to get to it...another good move by MacPhail..hope he just keeps getting better and better...and he already is know for good D...he could be a steal for the O's.
"Markakis down to Quiroz"...how does Quiroz feel about being the bookend at the low end of the hitting spectrum?
"A guy who would pop a home run once a week or something, and in the meantime his at-bats don't make you feel good, that's not what we're looking for." Is that why Millar isn't on the team anymore?
...that's exciting.
I wonder how Crowley would compare him to Adam Jones?
Wow. Nice interview with the coach we all respect, but hardly get to see the inner workings of his mind and his approach. Good to hear that Pie is coachable and that Crow sees the upside. Nice interview, Roch, and thanks.
Oh, I thought you meant the Crow was talking about "pie"???? I had always wondered if the Crow enjoys a nice landing strip? Don't tease us like that...
Anyway, note to the Crow... teach our boys more patience. Swinging at the first pitch after the pitcher has just walked the bases loaded is a no-no, okay Crow?
Analysis we can only get from Roch Around the Clock. Thanks, Roch, I was just thinking about his progress the other day.
Sorry, Roch. I meant School of Roch. That's how long I have been following your blog. My bad.
Once a week? 25 weeks in a season. Woo 25 HRs!
I find it awfully hard to get going in spring raining too.
A homer once a week adds up to quite a few homers, no? About 25 or so I'd say. Not bad.
Crow wasn't predicting he would hit a home run per week. He said he didn't want a guy who just hit one home run a week (like Millar) and otherwise looked bad at the plate. I am very excited about the addition of this guy. We would have given up Brian Roberts for him and a little pitching last year, and here we have him for almost nothing. People act like he's a reclamation project. That's only because the Cubs gave up on him so soon (or perhaps rushed him). He's the second youngest postion player on our 40-man roster, only six months older than Adam Jones and over a year younger than Nolan Reimold (who, to my surprise, is actually older than Markakis). Pie, Jones and Markakis eventually could be our best outfield since Buford, Blair and Robinson.
Crowley being positive about a hitter? Is this really news? Have we ever heard him say that guy was cluless, a bum?
Crow is the man. I read that whole thing in my head using a New York accent. Glad he's our hitting coach.