Reflection Introduction-
In this particular reflection of Quarter 3, I will creatively compare my personal reflection in terms of both baseball and regular terminology.
I will ingeniously answer the following questions, respectively:
I will ingeniously answer the following questions, respectively:
- What did you accomplish this quarter?
- What was your biggest challenge this quarter?
- What will you do different/same next quarter (solutions)?
Monster Homeruns on Hanging Curveballs: "Accomplishments"
Paul Goldschmidt (Hitter) vs. Tim Lincecum (Pitcher)
Baseball-Version Reflection:
In this specific example, the San Francisco Giants' pitcher Tim Lincecum is seen attempting to throw a curveball away from, the best hitter in the game, Goldschmidt's power zone in the desired location of down and away, which is a common cold zone of major league hitters.
Fortunately for the hitter, Lincecum has thrown a hanging curveball, which is the easiest pitch to hit in baseball because it has little to no movement with relatively slow speed ranging from 80-85 mph. Also to further complicate the situation for Lincecum, the ball is up, which makes it even more hittable for Goldschmidt.
These pitches deserve to be demolished, as seen in this 450+ feet Homer! Even for the worst hitters, these pitches are expected to be demolished since major league pitchers barely make mistakes in the middle or up in the plate.
When the hitter gets the chance to hit such pitch, he must DEMOLISH it!
Regular Reflection:
Similarly, my expertise with blog posts led me to virtually "demolish" these assignments to receive high results and success. Blog Posts are practically a requisite for my success as it allows me to enhance my skills through creative writing. Blog Posts are practically a hanging curveball up in the zone for me to demolish, 450 feet out of the ballpark! I believe these type of assignments engage my creative physique.
Final Conclusion: (Baseball/Regular Comparison)
These blog posts are relatively easier grades to achieve that I must DEMOLISH similar to Goldschmidt demolishing the hanging curveball. Basically, when i get the chance to earn a grade on such assignment, I must DEMOLISH it like how a MLB hitter must DEMOLISH a hanging curveball when he gets that pitch!
95 MPH Fastball Low and Away: "Biggest Challenges"
Goldy's Hot Zone vs. Trumbo's Hot Zone
Baseball-Version Reflection:
Every MLB hitter in the game is human, therefore each batter have their own distinctive and personalized challenges, as seen below.
Mark Trumbo vs Paul Goldschmidt:
Mark Trumbo:
In this particular season, Mark Trumbo particularly struggles with pitches down, away, up, or up/in as seen in his ESPN Hot Zone on the right. Practically all hitters in the MLB struggle with pitches down and away, some more than others.
But, for the record, hitter's batting averages are not always indicative of the whole story. For example: In this era of run prevention baseball, hits are most likely taken away by great defensive plays, defensive shifts, dominant pitching, and/or just unlucky bounces such as pop ups staying inbounds, and foul tips. To clarify, defensive shifts are predominantly used for pull-heavy powerful hitters like Mark Trumbo. To reiterate, having a .230 batting average does not necessarily mean Mark Trumbo is a bad hitter, but rather defensive plays, shifts, dominant pitching, and/or unlikely bounces.
Paul Goldschmidt:
In this particular season, he has far less weaknesses than Mark Trumbo as he only particularly struggles with pitches extremely away or in as seen in his ESPN Hot Zone on the left; such pitches are termed "Chase Pitches," as they are both extremely difficult to hit and strategically used to achieve a strikeout without throwing a pitch in the strike zone. Goldy's AVGs on these type of pitches can be misleading as he has undoubtedly the greatest knowledge of the strike zone in the MLB. as seen in both his extremely low chase rate (%) and high walk rate.
To elaborate, such statistics can be misleading as such numbers (AVGs) on such chase pitches do not take in SAMPLE SIZE!
For example: even though the hot zones of both Trumbo and Goldy look eerily similar, this once again demonstrates that statistics and numbers are not always indicative of the whole story as the averages do not take in account the sample size as seen with Paul Goldschmidt's hot zone. As a result, his hot zone is eerily similar to Mark Trumbo.
For example: The hot zone suggests that Paul Goldschmidt is hitting below 0.200 on pitches extremely in or away:
Basically, AVGs (Hits/At-Bats) do not take in account sample size, therefore it suggests that Goldy has a similar hot zone of Mark Trumbo.
Concluding, statistics are just numbers and do not totally define the skill of the batter.
Regular Reflection:
Basically, my hot zone is similar to Paul Goldschmidt as I have no glaring weaknesses or challenges, but rather things to improve on.
Like hitter's averages, grades are not always indicative of the whole story. My successful grades reflect that I did not have any particular weakness or challenge, but I still have things to improve on as seen in my Assignment Hot Zone. (Goldy's)
AHS (Assignment Hot Zone): Red=Hot, Blue=Cold
Red/Blog Posts: (Balls Up and In: .469 batting average)
I believe that my Blog Posts were amazing!
Red/Essays and Projects: (Balls Up and Down: .406 average)
I believe that my essays and projects were also above average!
Cold/Discussions and Presentations: (Balls Extremely Away and In: .200 average)
I believe it is a minor challenge in which I need to definitely improve my public speaking, but the sample size on presentations was limited as there was only 2 presentations.
Final Conclusion: (Baseball/Regular Comparison)
Concluding, numbers or grades in this case don't always tell the whole story, as Goldy's AVG on chase pitchers were misleading similar to my successful grades as I believe I need to work on my public speaking.
Every MLB hitter in the game is human, therefore each batter have their own distinctive and personalized challenges, as seen below.
Mark Trumbo vs Paul Goldschmidt:
Mark Trumbo:
In this particular season, Mark Trumbo particularly struggles with pitches down, away, up, or up/in as seen in his ESPN Hot Zone on the right. Practically all hitters in the MLB struggle with pitches down and away, some more than others.
But, for the record, hitter's batting averages are not always indicative of the whole story. For example: In this era of run prevention baseball, hits are most likely taken away by great defensive plays, defensive shifts, dominant pitching, and/or just unlucky bounces such as pop ups staying inbounds, and foul tips. To clarify, defensive shifts are predominantly used for pull-heavy powerful hitters like Mark Trumbo. To reiterate, having a .230 batting average does not necessarily mean Mark Trumbo is a bad hitter, but rather defensive plays, shifts, dominant pitching, and/or unlikely bounces.
Paul Goldschmidt:
In this particular season, he has far less weaknesses than Mark Trumbo as he only particularly struggles with pitches extremely away or in as seen in his ESPN Hot Zone on the left; such pitches are termed "Chase Pitches," as they are both extremely difficult to hit and strategically used to achieve a strikeout without throwing a pitch in the strike zone. Goldy's AVGs on these type of pitches can be misleading as he has undoubtedly the greatest knowledge of the strike zone in the MLB. as seen in both his extremely low chase rate (%) and high walk rate.
To elaborate, such statistics can be misleading as such numbers (AVGs) on such chase pitches do not take in SAMPLE SIZE!
For example: even though the hot zones of both Trumbo and Goldy look eerily similar, this once again demonstrates that statistics and numbers are not always indicative of the whole story as the averages do not take in account the sample size as seen with Paul Goldschmidt's hot zone. As a result, his hot zone is eerily similar to Mark Trumbo.
For example: The hot zone suggests that Paul Goldschmidt is hitting below 0.200 on pitches extremely in or away:
- Earning 2 hits in 10 at-bats: AVG: 0.200
- Earning 20 hits in 100 at-bats: AVG: 0.200
Basically, AVGs (Hits/At-Bats) do not take in account sample size, therefore it suggests that Goldy has a similar hot zone of Mark Trumbo.
Concluding, statistics are just numbers and do not totally define the skill of the batter.
Regular Reflection:
Basically, my hot zone is similar to Paul Goldschmidt as I have no glaring weaknesses or challenges, but rather things to improve on.
Like hitter's averages, grades are not always indicative of the whole story. My successful grades reflect that I did not have any particular weakness or challenge, but I still have things to improve on as seen in my Assignment Hot Zone. (Goldy's)
AHS (Assignment Hot Zone): Red=Hot, Blue=Cold
Red/Blog Posts: (Balls Up and In: .469 batting average)
I believe that my Blog Posts were amazing!
Red/Essays and Projects: (Balls Up and Down: .406 average)
I believe that my essays and projects were also above average!
Cold/Discussions and Presentations: (Balls Extremely Away and In: .200 average)
I believe it is a minor challenge in which I need to definitely improve my public speaking, but the sample size on presentations was limited as there was only 2 presentations.
Final Conclusion: (Baseball/Regular Comparison)
Concluding, numbers or grades in this case don't always tell the whole story, as Goldy's AVG on chase pitchers were misleading similar to my successful grades as I believe I need to work on my public speaking.
Hit the Ball the Other Way: "Solutions"
Mark Trumbo Learning from Paul Goldschmidt
(Best Power Duo in the Game)
Batting Averages (AVG) of Mark Trumbo vs. Paul Goldschmidt:
2014 Season: (Both players were decimated by injury)
Timing:
In order to hit the other way, he needs to slow down his swing like Goldschmidt and allow the ball to go through the hitting zone, and explode through his hips to shoot the ball the other way out of the ballpark as seen in this GIF.
Easy Flow, Easy Power Swing: (Simplified Swing)
Don't Overswing or complicate things by having too many moving parts. For example: Pre-pitch Paul Goldschmidt just uses a toe tap to maintain timing and generate easy power through an easy swing. (unorthodox pre-swing, but actual Short, Compact Swing similar to Mike Trout= more contact and Easy Power to ball= Mark Trumbo undercuts the ball and elongated swing leads to less contact more strikeout, but more backspin which carry the ball unlike Goldy. But Goldy power is off the charts as well. he hit oppossite field in one of the hardest stadiums to do so.
Don't do too much with the outside pitch, think OPPOSITE Field:
Most power hitters would probably try to pull the ball to left field, Mark Trumbo has power to all fields like Goldy and his new teammate Tomas, try to use all fields and think opposite field to the outside pitch, needs to practice hitting the left side of the baseball to hit the other way.
These steps will allow Mark Trumbo to not to struggle with the down and away pitch.
Plate Coverage:
Regular Reflection:
I have a tendency to overcomplicate things.
Final Conclusion: (Baseball/Regular Comparison)
Things to improve upon similarly to Mark Trumbo.
2014 Season: (Both players were decimated by injury)
- Mark Trumbo: AVG: 0.235
- Paul Goldschmidt: AVG: 0.300
Timing:
In order to hit the other way, he needs to slow down his swing like Goldschmidt and allow the ball to go through the hitting zone, and explode through his hips to shoot the ball the other way out of the ballpark as seen in this GIF.
Easy Flow, Easy Power Swing: (Simplified Swing)
Don't Overswing or complicate things by having too many moving parts. For example: Pre-pitch Paul Goldschmidt just uses a toe tap to maintain timing and generate easy power through an easy swing. (unorthodox pre-swing, but actual Short, Compact Swing similar to Mike Trout= more contact and Easy Power to ball= Mark Trumbo undercuts the ball and elongated swing leads to less contact more strikeout, but more backspin which carry the ball unlike Goldy. But Goldy power is off the charts as well. he hit oppossite field in one of the hardest stadiums to do so.
Don't do too much with the outside pitch, think OPPOSITE Field:
Most power hitters would probably try to pull the ball to left field, Mark Trumbo has power to all fields like Goldy and his new teammate Tomas, try to use all fields and think opposite field to the outside pitch, needs to practice hitting the left side of the baseball to hit the other way.
These steps will allow Mark Trumbo to not to struggle with the down and away pitch.
Plate Coverage:
Regular Reflection:
I have a tendency to overcomplicate things.
Final Conclusion: (Baseball/Regular Comparison)
Things to improve upon similarly to Mark Trumbo.