Enthusiasm vs Performance

[Tintin]

736C607D6E6C607A7D090 wrote: Much of what I've read lately on the forum especially in game threads is a criticism of the Pirates play in terms of enthusiasm. I watch almost all of the games on TV (I live in Florida) and quite honestly I haven't noticed any lack of enthusiasm on the part of the players.



I have seen bone-headed plays recently by Jaso and Mercer that were clearly a lack of concentration or focus. I've seen Cutch and Kang struggling mightily in their ABs and swings at pitches a foot outside of the strike zone. I've seen poor offensive, defensive, pitching and base running performances on a regular basis in 2016 as I have every year since I started following the Pirates in 1958 including championship seasons in 1960, 1971 and 1979.



What I've seen has been a few more poor performances this year than in the past 3 seasons which has resulted in a poorer W-L record. I can't say with any certainty that I've seen a dip in the player's enthusiasm. Sure Cutch and Kang have not been ebullient but the former is suffering through an historically noteworthy worst season of his professional career, and the latter is living under the cloud of a felony criminal charge that could end his career and possibly his freedom. What I've seen from both of them is more stoicism than lack of enthusiasm. They both seem to me to be trying very hard (maybe too hard?)



I ask those of you who have written about the lack of enthusiasm to consider that as fans we may be projecting our own lack of enthusiasm for this 2016 team and its many disappointments onto the players. Is it really lack of enthusiasm that's being observed or just poorer performance than we've become accustomed to?


When a baseball team plays poorly it looks like a lack of effort due to the nature of the game, much of which is cerebral and focused on hand/eye coordination kinds of skills. My dad would always criticize the Bucs during their bad years for being "listless" but I would always counter with but that is what an 0-4 looks like. The other pitcher is dominating our hitters so we look "listless". Guys can play hard and still not be successful.




But you can go 0 - 4 and be full of list (right).



While I realize he got a hit, but Frazier's 13 pitch ab against the Braves last Tuesday was huge. Even if he hadn't gotten a hit just making the pitcher throw that many pitches is a win. Making pitchers work counts is something we haven't see much of lately.

Hitting behind a runner that's on second is a good ab. Giving yourself up to get a guy home from third with less than two outs is a good at bat

0-4 doesn't have to listless, but we seem to be making it so. I feel like everyone is trying to hit a home run on every Ab in every situation.