The Mariners are in Anaheim this weekend to play the Angels after a 4-4 homestand that included the hiring of Mariners legend Edgar Martinez as the team’s new hitting coach.
KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel isn’t expecting anything magical.
Is Love Enough?
"Everybody loves Edgar," Thiel said. "That's, really, I guess, all the m
otivation behind it.
"Edgar Martinez has never been a hitting coach or any kind of coach. So we don't know whether he can convey the wisdom that he accumulated in a reasonable fashion.
"I am certain that Edgar is going to be respected by guys like Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz and, really, the young guys who all know the legend. But is he effective at communicating?
"So often, superstar players - and I would consider Edgar one of the greatest hitters in baseball history - can't convey what they know. They understand it so instinctively that sometimes it's hard to offer that up and get people to respond to it," Thiel said.
Empty Gesture?
"My apprehension is that it's going to be an empty gesture and by next year they're going to have to fire Edgar," Thiel said.
"Because that's what the tradition is in baseball: when your team goes south you fire the hitting coach. And I really don't get why that is."
What Does A Hitting Coach Do?
Thiel said the job of the hitting coach is kind of a mystery. "They're supposed to analyze the hitting mechanics and offer suggestions about changes," he said. "And it's also a psychology thing: what guy deserves a kick in the butt; what guy deserves a pat on the back? There is a place for it."
But Thiel also pointed out that the Mariners have had 12 hitting coaches since 2002. "They've had great hitters like Paul Molitor and they fired him. And they've had obscure guys. But they just keep churning them to no great intent or effect," he said.
"The art of coaching hitters is so elusive. You can study videotape all you want but the Mariners have been hitting at the bottom of the league for about seven years running. Clearly, they don't know who to hire.
"Even if they do hire well, those people aren't conveying what they know because the Mariners have been terrible on offense for a long time. They are last or nearly last in several major categories: runs produced, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage."
"They are not a very effective hitting team and it really is aggravating. I don't see a hitting coach being able to wave a magic wand and suddenly produce Major League-average hitters," Thiel said.
Can Jack Get Past The Long Ball?
Thiel said the Mariners hitting woes can be traced back to general manager Jack Zduriencik's love of the 'big fly, big strikeout guys.'
"It's a very frustrating, imbalanced lineup for Mariners fans," Thiel said. "They just don't have guys to get on base. And then, on the rare chance they do get on base - and don't get thrown out stealing - they aren't driven home because they don't have a lot of on-base guys.
"They strike out way too much. All they have to be is Major League-average to be in contention."
Changes Before Trade Deadline?
Thiel said he doesn't see anything happening before the trade deadline.
"The question is what do you give up at the trade deadline to boost your offense? The only thing the Mariners have is a lot of good pitching, which is an asset and they may wind up cannibalizing it to get some offense in there," he said.
"But Jack doesn't have an eye for that kind of talent. And, ultimately, this team's failure would rest on his shoulders."
You can find Art Thiel's work at Sportspress Northwestand Crosscut.com.
