Posted by: Max (maxfv908@yahoo.com) on Tue Sep 7 10:45:40 2004

Dave,

As the father of 14 year old, 4'10", 85 lb. fastpitch softball player, I believe the real difference is DRIVE. There's no way to violate the laws of physics that dictate that McGwire type hitters have the potential to hit farther than the smaller, lighter players. Nope! sorry - If you're small you have to outwork and outperfect your hitting technique. That means all your hitting absolutes have to be met:

Scap load
Hips first
THT
Get on plane
BHT
palms flat
balance, balance, balance
ect.

About the only advantage the smaller player has is the smaller strike zone. Is Giles an amazing player? Absolutely! But just think, how many other 5'8", 180lb players never made it to the MLB because they only put in as much work as their bigger stronger teammates.

-Max



_____________You Wrote_________
After watching players like Marcus Giles (5'8" 180) being capable of hitting 20-30 home runs I was wondering if a these shorter hitters need to add a little something to their swing like Tejada who kind of cocks the bat forward a little more than normal (like Sheffield) to get more batspeed. I was thinking that if a player the size of Giles has the same swing as a guy 6'2" 200 it should be obvious that the bigger guy would hit more bombs. So how is a guy like Giles capable of hitting 30 bombs a year like a bigger guy. Even Joe Morgan (5'7" 165) put together a few 20+ home run seasons. I can't seem to find what keeps these hitters at the same level as the bigger guys. Giles seems to start his hands higher and apply more THT earlier in the swing than most hitters, kinda like Soriano I guess. Would love to hear others opinions on this.
>
> In closing: All I can say is I respect these guys much more than a Mark McGwire who was 6'4" and on supplements that were banned the year after his record breaking year.