The send-Jack-Cust-packing Club on AN has simmered down a bit recently and that's because Spartacust has been back to his 2007 ways recently. So much so that it earned him the AL Player of the Week honors .
What I find fascinating about this is that Cust claims in the above linked article that his issues at the beginning of the season were because he had the wrong bat:
The slugger has a more concrete theory, literally. Cust attributed the harder wood of his "Old Hickory" bats as the reason he has been able to appear "relaxed" at the plate.
The designated hitter received a new shipment of bats during the team's last road series against the Angels, and went 6-for-10 with a home run. His game on Thursday was particularly impressive, as Cust was 4-for-4 with two walks and three runs.
"The bats I had in Spring Training were really bad," Cust said. "They were soft. The guy told me they made a mistake with the kind of wood."
I've always found that interesting. Especially that players blame something like the quality of a bat's wood as to why they aren't hitting. I mean, there is much more psychological effect to something like this than you'd think. Cust thinks it's the bats, therefore it must be, right?
I have limited experience with these kinds of things given that I've never come anywhere close to playing professional sports, but I've played my share of hockey back in the day and if I got a new stick that felt really good, I would often feel like I got more on my slap shots than I did before. Whether it was real or just a mental boost, I'm still not sure. I do think that something like that can have a big-time psychological impact on a player and whether or not there's truth to it, I'm not sure. What might be more likely is that Cust is just a slow starter for some reason.
Here are the splits for 2007 Jack Cust and 2008 Jack Cust . You'll see that Cust only hit .222 last May and he hit only .188 this April. Regardless of that, Cust is still good at getting on base. There's obviously one huge difference between the two months and the two years. Cust hit only one home run in April 2008, but he hit eight home runs in May 2007. That's where his softer bat theory may hold weight because he was roughly walking and striking out the same number of times both months.
I'm skeptical and think that it more likely had to do with a mechanical adjustment made. Cust conceded later in the article that he had made an adjustment with his swing and doesn't elaborate as to what it is.
I'm just curious AN. Where do you fall on the tools versus the user debate?
0 recs | 46 comments
I said this a while back, but...
I think that Cust will find that April will continue to be his worst performing month in future years. His success is very reliant on hitting homers. All other things being equal, homers are the least likely to occur in the coldest month of the season (April) due to the density of the air.
I suspect that his final rate numbers will be similar to what he tallied last year, only a notch below. An OPS of .850-.900 would be my guess.
Psychology is very important to success. Ask Jobu. Hats for bats – keep bats warm.
notsellingjeans - May 5, 2008
I question this part of your statement:
Plate appearances per home run, American League:
2007:
March/April: 38.97
May: 36.58 (most homer-friendly)
June: 41.04 (least homer-friendly)
July: 40.85
August: 38.61
Sept./Oct.: 38.43
2006:
March/April: 32.25 (most homer-friendly)
May: 34.79
June: 34.21
July: 33.63
August: 35.77
Sept./Oct.: 35.81(least homer-friendly)
Somebody could do a more rigorous analysis, but at first glance I don’t think the C.W. that fewer homers are hit in April corresponds to the numbers.
Soaker - May 5, 2008
the general consensus
is that the A’s stadium, with the marine climate, is much more pitcher friendly early in the season. I don’t have any stats to back this up.
echerrst - May 6, 2008
Congratulations, Poppy!
Nice stick but the guy is worse than my 3-year old nephew when it comes to catching a routine fly. We are such an oddly built team and I love that about the/these A’s.
ohtobe21likehuston - May 5, 2008
LOL
I know better than to debate anything around here. ;)
Poppy - May 5, 2008
Oh come on.
It’s been a slow Monday around here.
pam5981 - May 5, 2008
It's a combination of the two.
There’s a reason players have their own bats, right? It’s a level of comfort.
If the bat he was using wasn’t comfortable, he could have unconsciously been doing something differently when he swung because he didn’t feel right.
If the new bats “feel” better, ie he’s more comfortable and relaxed, I can believe that. The swing, at this point, is essentially muscle memory. At the level MLB athletes are on, it can be very much a mental thing.
mikev - May 5, 2008
Contact.
I think you have to make contact with the ball for the bat to actually have any effect.
KMoAsFan - May 5, 2008
OK
2007 BABIP: .366
2008 April BABIP: .275
2007 Slugging percentage on contact: .861
2008 April Slugging percentage on contact: .439
PaulThomas - May 5, 2008
just as interesting...
The designated hitter received a new shipment of bats during the team’s last road series against the Angels, and went 6-for-10 with a home run. His game on Thursday was particularly impressive, as Cust was 4-for-4 with two walks and three runs.
...the article calls him a DH. No wonder we have roster issues coming up. 3 DH’s. I thought it was funny to see all three of them sitting on the bench sunday in the 8th. Now that you have some new bats lets work on some new leather.
KCB58 - May 5, 2008
If he's made a swing adjustment, he's not going to tell us what it is
Trade secrets and all that. He’s not going to hand the opposing pitcher a scouting report… which unfortunately means we don’t get one either.
PaulThomas - May 5, 2008
roster
Bob Geren have done a great job trying to get everyone in the game. there will be some sacrifices for the veterans on a young A’s team. and so far it has worked out great
Wreckonized - May 5, 2008
Cust hit 8 HRs in May 2008?
Wow. I knew he was hot but not that hot. That’s what … two per game?
iglew - May 5, 2008
I believe the team played more than 4 games in May...
PaulThomas - May 5, 2008
Perhaps the poster meant two per week.
OldhamA - May 5, 2008
2008
there is a typo in the OG post. Cust has not hit 8 HRs this may. ANd there have only been 4 games this may.
Future Ed - May 5, 2008
You noticed he wrote 2008, today is the 5th.
theblackpearl - May 5, 2008
Oh, I see
Very polite way of saying the article contained a typo…
PaulThomas - May 5, 2008
There's no typo
Don’t know what they’re talking about. Heh.
Tyler Bleszinski - May 5, 2008
Hmm, it seems there's now a typo in MY post. My bad!
iglew - May 5, 2008
Sorry I was joking
There was a typo. That stuff happens when your daughter is sick and home with you unexpectedly I suppose :-)
Tyler Bleszinski - May 5, 2008
I don't think the wood of the bat makes that big a difference...
...but I honestly can’t speak from experience. Hard wood vs. soft? Well, that’s getting to sound a little more sexual to me but I digress.
I think it has more to do with his adjustments and less to do with the bat, but he’s admitted he’s extremely anal (oops, there we go again) about his bats.
Still, if it makes him feel better to have a stick in his hands (d’oh!) he’s more comfortable with, more power to him.
I hope he keeps stroking (sorry).
Flashfire - May 5, 2008
I thought maybe he sprayed sunscreen in his eyes
But soft bats makes more sense. Whatever the reason he seems to always be a streaky hitter and I just hope he stays hot for a while.
Sacred#24 - May 5, 2008
I think
Cust forgot to be awesome in april.
Future Ed - May 5, 2008
The bat theory would make more sense
if he were hitting a lot of longish fly balls or humpback liners/one-hoppers. But when he is hitting some ordinary ground balls and striking out a bunch – which is how he was getting out a lot in April – it’s hard to see where a “better” bat could have made the difference.
Nico - May 5, 2008
Doesn't the different type woods weigh differently? If the wood was heavier, and his bat
was heavier, it could conceivably be slower through the zone for Jack, causing him not to get good wood on it. How often do the teams weigh the bats, if at all?
theblackpearl - May 5, 2008
I would think if a player asks for a 30oz bat he's getting 30oz...
...regardless of the type of wood.
As picky as Cust says he is with his bats, I’d think he’d tell a weight difference.
Flashfire - May 5, 2008
All I know is
Jack’s harder wood has really seemed to boost his performance.
I’m satisfied. Wait…uh…
PortlandPachyderm - May 5, 2008
Jack Cust: next Viagra spokesman
PaulThomas - May 5, 2008
Humpback liners: great band name
JediLeroy - May 5, 2008
the CUSTodian has been taking out the trash.
Don’t do it to em’ Colonel CUSTard.
33SwisherSweet - May 5, 2008
We Must, We Must,
We must increase our CUST!
PortlandPachyderm - May 5, 2008
Are you there, God? It's me, Jack.
pam5981 - May 5, 2008
Are you, copyright attorney? It's me, Margaret
Nico - May 5, 2008
the dog used to eat my homework too.
ak_A - May 5, 2008
His swing is different
I think he was swinging with too much of an uppercut (more than he normally does) and has brought it back down to where it will shoot the ball into a hit instead of getting way under it. A little more level swing.
sprtsnwyn - May 5, 2008
OT: I just heard, on a TV commercial,
“Should a man take the same multivitamins as a woman?”
{calls tranny friends to ask}
Nico - May 5, 2008
How is that OT?
sprtsnwyn - May 5, 2008
I guess I never really thought of how similar
Jack Cust, and a tranny, are. “Batting 4th, left-fielder…Jacqueline Cust!”
Nico - May 5, 2008
The answer: yes
multivitamins are a total waste of money. A man and a woman should both be on no multivitamins unless there’s a specific reason.
MrIncognito - May 5, 2008
word
just eat a veg/fruit heavy diet of fresh locally produced food and you’re good to go…
chri5 - May 5, 2008
...or you could eat food that actually tastes good
PaulThomas - May 5, 2008
is he goign to start these next two days
facing leftys? batting 176 against them
buckfan6 - May 5, 2008
Like Crash Davis Said....
Never F with a streak. If you’re winning because you’re getting laid, not getting laid, wearing women’s underwear, whatever.
That being said, an old and terrible golf joke I know is that “it’s not the arrow, it’s the Indian.”
But any golfer will tell you that new equipment, or even just a change in equipment can instill a new sense of confidence.
Surely the swing adjustment is most of the solution, but don’t rule out how much feeling that he’s got the right bat out there can help.
LiveAdam - May 5, 2008
Greatest movie ever
good old bull durham, meat
buckfan6 - May 5, 2008
Yeah, I think most of it is mental
Just ask Sammy Sosa. Corked bats actually hinder home run hitting ability, yet batters still seem to think that it adds up to more HRs.
They tested the corked bat myth on a special baseball Mythbusters episode. Should definitely be checked out if possible. Awesome to see the explanation for curve balls.
thingswecarry - May 5, 2008
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