a real Albert discussion

[TheoSqua]

nevermind.

[skmsw]

I haven't seen every AB he's had thsi season but nearly everyone I have seen (maybe 20-or so) he's swinging at pitches out of the strike zone and seems to want to start his swing early and get out in front...

I don't know if that's a result of some oblique problem or not seeing the ball well or both..

In either case you tend to want to start your hands a little early and in so doing the chances of staying back and hitting the ball where its pitched are slim and none..

Once he gets back to hitting the ball hard to right center and taking his customary number of walks then we'll know he's back..

I dunno, DW. He's always been an aggressive hitter, he's routinely expanded his strike zone, he's neve rbeen a player with an uncommonly high number of unintentional walks. In fact right now even as we speak, his walk total is a little lower than his norm, but only barely so -- about 12% this year compared to a career average of about 14.5% - given the small number of games so far, not likely a key driver.

It seems like Albert has always played with some nagging injury or other, so it is certainly possible that something has finally caught up with him that is affecting him. Other than that, I tend to agree with those who feel that it's just a slump -- it happens.

As far as Albert goes, I really think he's pressing too much.

I guess this is possible. Personally, I'm not much into trying to decide if a Hall of Fame caliber hitter with six years of unbroken MVP levels of performance is suddenly feeling the pressure of carrying the team and so forth. I guess it could be, but that is reducing us to blind guesses and speculation about someone most of us have never met.

[arnie.k]

one of the surest bets in baseball is albert's line at the end of the season... i completely trust him and his decision to play/sit.

i think he's earned quite a bit more patience than is being shown in this thread

[clevername]

to clarify my intent in starting this thread...the biggest concern out of all of this, for me at least, isn't that Albert has struggled so far this season. He's going to normally have a few ups and downs and can still be depended on to produce what he has produced 6 years in a row now.

What is concerning is that his oblique is still bothering him. Will he battle through it, like he did with the plantar fasciitis last year? Don't know, but I'm not thrilled with the prospects of a muscle that is easily stressed during a swing barking at our guy all year long.

[Popeye_Card]

But where did all of these oblique injuries start coming from?

I don't remember hearing about those until last year...

Well up until a few years ago, they would just call them "side strains", "rib cage injury", etc. because they didn't know a whole lot about the exact muscles involved.

But I do think it's becoming a bit more of a problem as weight training becomes more prevalent. Most hardcore weight lifters know that you have to have a "strong core" more than anything else, but when you're weight training for baseball, especially during the season when time in the weight room is precious, it's much easier to go around doing the power lifts and skimping on the boring ab workouts. What ends up happening is that the strong muscles elsewhere generate more power and torque on the body than the stomach muscles have been strengthened to handle.

That's my theory anyway.

--P--

[clevername]

But where did all of these oblique injuries start coming from?

I don't remember hearing about those until last year...

Well up until a few years ago, they would just call them "side strains", "rib cage injury", etc. because they didn't know a whole lot about the exact muscles involved.

But I do think it's becoming a bit more of a problem as weight training becomes more prevalent. Most hardcore weight lifters know that you have to have a "strong core" more than anything else, but when you're weight training for baseball, especially during the season when time in the weight room is precious, it's much easier to go around doing the power lifts and skimping on the boring ab workouts. What ends up happening is that the strong muscles elsewhere generate more power and torque on the body than the stomach muscles have been strengthened to handle.

That's my theory anyway.

--P--

I think that's a pretty good theory.

[M1IRONMIKE]

WE NEED TO TRADE THAT WORTHLESS PUJOLS NOW WHILE WE CAN..............





JUST KIDDING!!!

[Jmodene]

But I do think it's becoming a bit more of a problem as weight training becomes more prevalent. Most hardcore weight lifters know that you have to have a "strong core" more than anything else, but when you're weight training for baseball, especially during the season when time in the weight room is precious, it's much easier to go around doing the power lifts and skimping on the boring ab workouts. What ends up happening is that the strong muscles elsewhere generate more power and torque on the body than the stomach muscles have been strengthened to handle.

That's my theory anyway.

For some reason, that makes me think of Herzog's line about these guys being so pumped up from all the weight-lifting that if they sneezed, they'd pull a muscle.

Whitey was a big believer in the steak-and-beer regimen of training.

[skmsw]

one of the surest bets in baseball is albert's line at the end of the season... i completely trust him and his decision to play/sit.

i think he's earned quite a bit more patience than is being shown in this thread

If today is any indication -- two homers and 5 RBI against a division rival and supposedly one of the best pitchers in baseball -- you my friend were absolutely right.

[cabby7588]

Albert seems to be OK after today's game, but maybe he should take a rest every once and a while. Tony probably can't convince him to do that, but it can't be a bad idea.