AU64 10,122 Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 Saw that SG has completed his staff with a new hitting coach. Greg Norton...major league experience plus minor league managerial and experience as hitting coach there too. I liked the idea of having a former AU player on the staff but something was definitely wrong with the hitting last season, most guys lost ground from the previous season. Hoping that that Norton can bring some fresh ideas to the team and help with the BAs for the coming season. http://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/baseball/2013/7/2/4487050/auburn-baseball-sunny-golloway-coaching-staff-greg-norton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarEagle10 77 Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 A minor league hitting instructor. Nice! Looks like a solid hire. Welcome Coach Norton and War Eagle!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigSammyK 171 Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 As a life-long Braves fan and AU alumni I have to say that I hate this hire. How Norton has the qualifications to be a hitting coach is beyond me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey 16,646 Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 As a life-long Braves fan and AU alumni I have to say that I hate this hire. How Norton has the qualifications to be a hitting coach is beyond me. I have no clue one way or the other. What do you know about Norton that gives you pause? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AU64 10,122 Posted July 5, 2013 Author Share Posted July 5, 2013 As a life-long Braves fan and AU alumni I have to say that I hate this hire. How Norton has the qualifications to be a hitting coach is beyond me. Unless your name is Tim Hudson, guess I would like some details about why he is not qualified. I know this is not much of a recommendation but he's bound to be a step up from last season's hitting instruction and it does seem that he has some experience in player development in the minors since that is mostly what the minor leagues is all about. What's the deal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aubaseball 2,633 Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 Agree 64, you don't become a hitting instructor in the minors if you aren't able to teach players. That is what the minors are all about, player development. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigSammyK 171 Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 As a life-long Braves fan and AU alumni I have to say that I hate this hire. How Norton has the qualifications to be a hitting coach is beyond me. Unless your name is Tim Hudson, guess I would like some details about why he is not qualified. I know this is not much of a recommendation but he's bound to be a step up from last season's hitting instruction and it does seem that he has some experience in player development in the minors since that is mostly what the minor leagues is all about. What's the deal I just don't think his offensive numbers throughout his MLB career scream "hitting coach". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AU64 10,122 Posted July 5, 2013 Author Share Posted July 5, 2013 Just my observation but most skill coaches (pitching, hitting, etc) in the majors were not necessarily that accomplished during their playing days. Take a tour of MLB team coaching staffs and I bet you never even heard of most of the guys who are hitting coaches....and a good percentage never played in the majors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarEagle10 77 Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 As a life-long Braves fan and AU alumni I have to say that I hate this hire. How Norton has the qualifications to be a hitting coach is beyond me. Unless your name is Tim Hudson, guess I would like some details about why he is not qualified. I know this is not much of a recommendation but he's bound to be a step up from last season's hitting instruction and it does seem that he has some experience in player development in the minors since that is mostly what the minor leagues is all about. What's the deal I just don't think his offensive numbers throughout his MLB career scream "hitting coach". Well that is kind of a ridiculous assessment, to be quite honest. What kind of an NBA coach was Magic? Name one swing instructor who tore up the PGA tour. Teaching and the ability to do something are two very different things. Like others have said, the minors are about teaching. If the guy is good enough to be a minor league hitting instructor, then he can teach hitting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey 16,646 Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 As a life-long Braves fan and AU alumni I have to say that I hate this hire. How Norton has the qualifications to be a hitting coach is beyond me. Unless your name is Tim Hudson, guess I would like some details about why he is not qualified. I know this is not much of a recommendation but he's bound to be a step up from last season's hitting instruction and it does seem that he has some experience in player development in the minors since that is mostly what the minor leagues is all about. What's the deal :dunno:/> I just don't think his offensive numbers throughout his MLB career scream "hitting coach". I'm going to have to jump on the wagon here and say again that the ability to hit and the ability to teach hitting are two completely different things. Ted Williams was one of the worst hitting coaches ever, but the guy could HIT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigSammyK 171 Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 Just my observation but most skill coaches (pitching, hitting, etc) in the majors were not necessarily that accomplished during their playing days. Take a tour of MLB team coaching staffs and I bet you never even heard of most of the guys who are hitting coaches....and a good percentage never played in the majors. Did you actually look for yourself before posting? Most of the hitting coaches in the majors did have good to great careers and few of them didn't play in the majors. I may be wrong about Norton and I hope that I am but I just don't see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowerOfDixieland 3,226 Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 Just my observation but most skill coaches (pitching, hitting, etc) in the majors were not necessarily that accomplished during their playing days. Take a tour of MLB team coaching staffs and I bet you never even heard of most of the guys who are hitting coaches....and a good percentage never played in the majors. Did you actually look for yourself before posting? Most of the hitting coaches in the majors did have good to great careers and few of them didn't play in the majors. I may be wrong about Norton and I hope that I am but I just don't see it. Did you? http://www.baseball-...coaching_staffs They may have played, but only a handful would be even relatively well known as better than "good" MLB hitters. In fact, NONE of the current hitting coaches hit over .300 for their career at the big league level. Dante Bichette, the Rockies hitting instructor, had the highest career average of .299. I would bet that his name would not be one of the first one hundred that came to mind if I asked you to name the top hitters of the last twenty years. Seven of thirty never even made to the majors. http://www.fangraphs...hit-as-players/ There are more than a few great teachers of the game (hitting, defensive, pitching, catching) that didn't have so much as a cup of coffee in the bigs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigSammyK 171 Posted July 7, 2013 Share Posted July 7, 2013 Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Mine is that I find it very odd that someone who didn't have a good career as a hitter can someday become a hitting coach. And Greg Norton was a pretty lousy hitter. And for the record, George Brett hit over .300 for his career. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiger88 934 Posted July 7, 2013 Share Posted July 7, 2013 I'll go with the opinions heavily backed with statistics and give the guy the benefit of the doubt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey 16,646 Posted July 7, 2013 Share Posted July 7, 2013 Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Mine is that I find it very odd that someone who didn't have a good career as a hitter can someday become a hitting coach. And Greg Norton was a pretty lousy hitter. And for the record, George Brett hit over .300 for his career. One of the best hitting coaches ever, Charlie Lau, who wrote a great book on hitting as well as coaching hitting in the majors for a number of years never had a .300 season. In fact Lau was seldom more than a backup catcher. Was Gus Malzahn a super college QB? No, but he's a super offensive mind. Teaching hitting requires understanding. Hitting requires physical talent. That's two different things. Are they mutually exclusive? Not necessarily but they aren't necessarily linked either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AU64 10,122 Posted July 7, 2013 Author Share Posted July 7, 2013 Good arguments Mikey but you are fighting a losing battle when the only opposing view is opinion which as we know does not have to based on logic, facts or experience. Personally, I'm looking forward toward a new attitude on the baseball diamond this coming season ......and some better hitting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aubaseball 2,633 Posted July 7, 2013 Share Posted July 7, 2013 Coaching is all about communication. Being able to analize someone's strengths and weakness', and then communicating what needs to be fixed to that individual. When a player gets to the college level, most times they were the best players in their area. They have the tools to succeed. It is the hitting coaches job to fine tune the player. Sammy if you would have stated that you did not agree with his hitting philosophy, I would have understood your position. But to say he couldn't hit in the majors, therefore he can't coach is wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc4aday 1,887 Posted August 2, 2013 Share Posted August 2, 2013 I have to trust Coach Galloway in that he has proven himself as a very good college baseball coach. Let's let CSG do what he does best, and that is training up his team to win lots of games year in and out. I would not be surprised if we win 40 plus games next season, and for many seasons to come. Auburn Football is roaring back like a lion, and so is Auburn Baseball! I see a very bright future starting this fall, and for many years to come for Auburn major sports. However, basketball leaves a lot to be desired on the mens side of the ball. I hope Coach Barbee can have a breakout season for 2013-14 that will be followed with many seasons of success for Auburn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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