BP Daily Podcast

Here's the thing with Bauer. Was he (is he) really having trouble hitting the strike zone or is he just convinced that he can get people to swing at his stuff? He seems like the classic example of a kid who is too smart for his own good. He believes that he can get guys out by throwing pitches up in the zone but there is evidence to suggest that it doesn't work and that batters in MLB just aren't going to swing at it.

The kid has talent. Five minutes of watching him at UCLA proved that to me. But, he thinks he can do it his own way and that he can get guys to chase. He's actually been quoted as saying that he'll walk a guy if he likes the match-up with the next batter better than what he's got in front of him.

So is it control problems caused by a mechanical issue or is it just that this dude is too stubborn to pound the strike zone and it costs him?