Q.  Has Cust recovered from his 2009 Bob Geren "expand the strike zone" episode?

A.  For those who missed the memo on this famous drama, Jack Cust's Oakland career was a tragicomedy in five or six acts:

• 2007-08:  Cust posted 148 and 129 OPS+, and 8 runs per 27 outs, with massssssive K's
• 2009:  Bob Geren, infuriated at Cust's taking strike threes, commanded Cust to swing more
• 2009:  Jack Cust stopped hitting home runs, and had a mere 109 OPS+
• 2010:  Since Geren's commandments ruined* Cust, the A's cut Jack Cust in* spring training
• 2010:  The A's got Cust back, and superficially, he rebounded to 2008 levels (128 OPS)
• 2011:  The A's, having attractive and younger options for DH, went with youth

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Q.  Did Cust go back to his old game after the A's took him back?

A.  No, he didn't.  He hit Geren's way in 2010 also, but apparently acclimated, and started producing better with the new style.

It's odd.  Cust expanded his zone even more in 2010, and of course he then --- > hit even fewer home runs. 

But his line drives and BABIP went through the roof:  his line drives went from 20% in 2009 to 22% in 2010, and his BABIP rose to .387.

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It would be nice if Cust could go back to his old 2007-08 game, but he seems to have grooved into his Geren game, and he has gone right back to his 6.5, 7.0 runs productivity with the new game.

Here, let's summarize the Old and New Custs:

• Swing Outside Zone:  14% Old 2007-08 Cust, 20% New 2009-10 Cust
• Swing Inside Zone:  62% Old, 67% New
• Homer per Fly Ball:  30% Old, 15% New (waaaahhhhhhhhhh)
• Walk %:  20% Old, 15% New
• Strikeout %:  41% Old, 36% New
  

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Q.  Could he do it again?

A.  Cust won't be able to sustain a .387 BABIP, no matter how hard he hits the ball in play, so here's hoping for a reversion to 2007-08.

The Mariners aren't sick of Cust's called strike threes yet, so let's hope that they encourage him to tighten his zone back up and return to hitting homers.

For sure --- > Cust will benefit from being away from an organization that was riding him like SeaBiscuit.  We expect him to relax into a sort of hybrid hitting style .... more swings, but also more pitch-stalking compared to his Oakland saga.

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In any case, it is clear that Cust can hit either way.  22% is a whale of a nice line drive percentage.  When Cust decides to just line one into the left-center gap, he's pretty productive that way too. 

He's no Casey Kotchman, tell ya that.

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