Posted by: Mickey (whitelion_01@hotmail.com) on Mon Sep 22 21:26:36 2003

You have to remember that bats in Cobb's era were 38+ ounces on average. It's hard to control a bat that is that heavy.

I would argue that the split grip can be good in "protecting the plate" or hit and run as long as you don't lose too much power. On the flip side of the coin, as long as you practice, practice, practice you can have as much bat control swinging split hand as hands together. Extreme example: Don Mattingly--if you follow his regiment to 80% you should have incredible bat control.


I have heard about that homerun record by Cobb. However, the accounts I read said that he despised Ruth's homerun hitting, and apparently he held his bat with his hands together just to prove a point, that he could do the same if he chose. The more I look at it, it seem many players today could benefit from the increased control lent by the split grip.
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> The split grip is one thing, Cobb's personality clashes another.
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> If I could go at it again I'd use split-grip in another way to better enable place or slap hitting... Set up with standard grip, then split it during delivery, to slap. Cross up the defense. A clip on setpro shows Cobb doing it his way, sliding hands shut/long stride/hip rotation cut. Better bat control, yes. Not so pretty, but it beats losing. Wouldn't work in hip-rotation cut, like in weightshift.
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> Cobb did what he needed to win, whether a ballgame or a discussion. On the talking we must read between the lines. In hassles with Williams, he knocks the guy's long stride a/c popups. His autobiography says his
> stance "feet no more than 14" apart/ stride no more than 6"... no reference whatsoever in a whole chapter on hitting to ever striding longer... only referring Very remotely as he describes possibility of sliding hands together. In the setpro clips he strides Very long.
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> Then soon after writing the book he dies; leaves Williams holding the bag!
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> was the slugging avg leader til Ruth came along.
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