Jim Leyland and I agree that TED WILLIAMS was the greatest hitter of all
time bar none! Think about this fact: his career was interupted TWICE by
serving his country and he lost FIVE SEASONS OF PRIME TIME in his baseball
life!! He still managed to hit over .400 and set many records. Just imagine
what his hitting records would look like including FIVE MORE SEASONS. HE
WOULD OWN THEM ALL!
His hitting philsophy with two strikes was simple: YOU HAD TO GET DEFENSIVE.
Choke that crazy bat up! Have a mind set of a hockey goalie and stop that
puck/ball from getting past you ESPECIALY WITH A RUNNER ON 3rd and less
than two out.
Last season the TIGERS WERE ATROCIOUS WITH RUNNERS ON BASE. They did
not have an idea…and they were apparently not helped by their hitting coach.
We have often felt that in the old school of baseball we did a better job of
“PROTECTING THE PLATE” and bringing those runners in. AND NOW WE HAVE THE
PROOF!
According to JOHN LOWE of the Detroit Free Press “striking out frequently has
become less mortifying than in previous years. In a fifteen year span ending in
1951, NO AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYER STRUCK OUT MORE THAN 110 TIMES IN A
SEASON!! Last year, and this stat my friends is unbelievable: LAST YEAR ALONE
TWENTY SEVEN AMERICAN LEAGUE HITTERS FANNED MORE THAN 110 TIMES.”
There you have it. They’ve just gotta’ take the advice of the greatest hitter of
all time. With runners on and less than two out and you have two strikes on you:
1) CHOKE UP…..2) SPREAD THOSE LEGS OUT….3) DEVELOPE THE MIND SET OF
A HOCKEY GOALIE AND CONVINCE YOURSELF THAT THAT BASEBALL IS NOT GOING
TO GET PAST YOU! And by gosh if you do strike out under those conditions then
by all means FEEL MORTIFIED. In old school baseball grown men would grimace
and almost cry after striking out with his teammate standing there 90 feet away and
wanting to come home….so bring him home.
LASTLY…REMEMBER PRACTICE IS THE GREATEST PLACE IN THE WORLD TO HONE
HITTING WITH TWO STRIKES ON YOU…good luck.
posted on 3-10-10 by bobby hoeft
