The ridiculousness that is the Home Run Derby curse has already begun to be whispered among O’s fans worrying about Chris Davis’s post All-Star Break struggles and lack of Crush Davis bombs.
Why people believe a simple competition could throw off a player’s entire swing when hitters spend day after day with professional hitting coaches, working on repeating and correcting their mechanics, is beyond me. Yet, fans still want to blame Crush’s participation in the Home Run Derby for his seven-game power outage and increasing strikeout percentage.
But the problem is not that Davis took a few selfish cuts in a competition invented for the fans. The issue is one that every player in the Major League player faces on a day-to-day basis. Pitchers have started to make adjustments, and are busting Davis in on his hands instead of leaving the ball on the outer half of the plate for Crush to get his arms extended.
Maybe it is Chris and Orioles coach Einar Diaz’s fault for displaying Davis’s preference for the outside pitch during the Home Run Derby (trolling)? Either way, opposing pitchers have responded by staying away from Davis’s wheelhouse, and are instead capitalizing on his inability to pull his hands through the zone. Have opposing teams finally found Crush Davis’s kryptonite?
Fox Sport’s Hot Zone clearly indicates that Davis struggles on the inner half of the plate, especially in the bottom and top corners (.167). Clearly the Royals got the scouting report on Davis, striking out Chris eight times during the four game series – four coming in last night’s game.
So league has made its adjustments; now it is your turn Chris.
If pitchers want to come inside and challenge Chris to be able to pull his hands inside to drive the ball down the line, then they are playing with fire. I believe all Orioles fans are waiting for the moment that Crush turns on a ball inside, because there is no doubt that that will be the ball that hits the Warehouse.
Hopefully the return back to the comforts of home, a session with Chris’s tees that he credits for his improved swing, and huge helping of sweet potato pancakes and eggs from his loving wife Jill will help Davis get back on track. If Davis can make the necessary adjustments then the fans at OPACY this weekend just might see Crush make history.
