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Lenny Harris Is a Great Hitting Coach
By Chris Mottram | June 19, 2008
When the Nats acquired Wily Mo Pena from Boston last year, we we’re thrilled. He had a great nickname — The Hulk — and lived up to it, for the most part, hitting monster home runs somewhat consistently. But this season has been a total disaster for Wily Mo, who has just one homer, a .205 BA and a .265 SLG. Yesterday, Acta benched him for the second consecutive game due to lack of production.
The strangest part about this is that not even the Nats amazing hitting coach, Lenny Harris, can snap Wily Mo out of his funk. Shocking!
Not even hitting coach Lenny Harris can figure out why Pena can’t take his batting practice swings into games. Last year, Harris was credited for giving Pena the confidence to hit the ball to right field. Pena was known as a dead-pull hitter before coming to the Nationals.
“I’m waiting to see the same thing,” said Harris referring to Pena’s power. “He just hasn’t been consistent this year. He hasn’t stopped working hard. Sometimes, it’s like that. I told him I had a year like that before, so I told him don’t fight it.”
Harris told him he had a year like that? I’m confused, which year is Harris referring to? Harris was such a dominate offensive presence, there are so few down years to choose from. Was ‘89 when he hit .236?; or ‘93 when he hit .238?; or ‘95 when he hit .208?; or ‘98 when he hit .259?; or ‘01 when he hit .222?; or ‘03 when he hit .193 (and got a god damn ring with Florida)? or ‘04 when he hit .211? It’s hard to say for certain, but one thing’s for sure: Harris can totally relate to being worthless at the plate.
Topics: Wily Mo Pena, Nationals |
8 Responses to “Lenny Harris Is a Great Hitting Coach”
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June 19th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Chris, you should see first hand how many easy fly balls Willy Slo makes doubles and singles in left field. I sit 4 rows back in left field, right behind Willy Slo and he is simply awful an outfielder. I would rather see the Meat Hook out there.
Willy Slo barely gets ready on the pitch and has no clue how to judge the distance of a fly ball off the bat. I mean, exactly NONE!
Lastings is very bad at aniticpating fly balls too in center but at least he has some speed to run down the ball. Willy Slo is moving in cement.
As foy for Willy at the plate, sliders away and high fastballs. He can not hit or lay off of either. It is not a hard scouting report.
THANKS Bowden! Lenny Harris sucks and Bowden needs fired. Period.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Within 30 minutes of this being posted Wily Mo flew out softly and misplayed a ball in left.
The Nationals are fannnnnntastic.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Wily Mo Pena = Pedro Cerrano.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Huh. Wily Mo hasn’t been pulling any more than he did in Boston. Check out the hit charts.
http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/individual_player_hitting_chart.jsp?playerID=276377&statType=1
June 19th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Sigh. Thank god Euro is providing me with a distraction for the month of June. July is going to be unbearable.
June 19th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Needham wrote this for you, didn’t he?
June 20th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you your hometown team, the 2008 Baltimore Orioles!
June 20th, 2008 at 12:05 am
Do the Nationals expect to be taken seriously as a professional baseball club by it’s fans and the media with Lenny Harris as a hitting coach?
Why is anyone writing anything about them in any medium?