|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |  |
See ball, hit ball
Posted: Monday May 08, 2000 08:09 PM
Some of today's best hitters do things you won't find in any instructional video. From showing a lack of patience, to using an unusual stance, these guys succeed by doing it their own way. Vladimir Guerrero hits like he's double parked, but that's OK because he's a career .385 hitter on the first pitch of an at-bat. It doesn't hurt that pitchers like to start with a fastball, and that's Guerrero's favorite pitch to hit. Look at the best first-pitch hitters over the last four seasons and you're also looking at some of the best hitters in baseball. So why doesn't everybody swing at the first pitch? The difference between Derek Jeter and the average hitter is that Jeter can do something with that first pitch because of superior plate coverage.
Guerrero can hit just about any pitch out of the park whether it's a ball or a strike. Being patient doesn't work for every hitter, and a typical stance may not either. Tony Batista is almost squared up to the mound as the pitcher starts his windup. This allows Batista to use timing to his advantage, and it makes him a dangerous hitter against pitchers who don't have a great fastball. It's no surprise he has a career average over .500 against Tom Glavine, but he has hit just .105 against David Cone. It really doesn't matter how these guys start their swing, as long as they come through the hitting zone the same way. It's like Willie Stargell told me years ago, slow feet, quick hands. Let's take Jeff Bagwell and Sammy Sosa as examples. Bagwell is in an extreme crouch, while Sosa is much more closed and holds his hands higher. Both take a small stride, but as they reach the point of contact, both straigten out the left arm and the left leg. Like every great hitter they let their hands do the real work. Trusting your hands is about the only rule that works for every hitter. Other than that, you can stand on your head at the plate as long as you're getting hits.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
