Posted by: grc () on Sat Mar 18 07:42:47 2006

> > So when you crowd the plate and look to come around/pull the FB on the outer half, what happens when you get a 98 mph two seamer on the inner black? The reality is, your picking up your thumbs as you attempt to trot back to the dugout.
> >
> > Hitting is hard...simple solutions like pulling all pitches DON'T work. I honestly think that anyone the buys into this has never ACTUALLY hit the ball to the opposite field with any pop...have any of you hit a HR in a game to the opposite field? Have any of you been at the plate, runner at 2nd base 2 out, open base, you've proven you can handle the pitchers FB, you know he has a base for you (doesn’t have to come after you) you know he's going breaking ball away, most likely down...looking for a roll over GB to the pull side to get him in the dugout...you get the breaking ball, it stays up in the zone you wait, you stay inside, square up the bat-head, go back spin line drive one hope the fence in right center?
> >
> > Hitting the ball to the opposite field with power is a learned skill that many players are not willing to work at being able to do...I didn’t fully understand how to do it until my last year of organized baseball...its enlightening, it what makes a guy want to coach.
> >
> > "I offer is a way out of instructional tyranny?" There are no shortcuts in baseball or in hitting; if you get so caught up in learning the TRICKS of the trade you will never learn the trade.
>
> Hi S.Winton:
>
> As SBK had pointed out, people who crowd the plate put themselves in a better position to cover outside pitches. This will assist PFO.
>
> Cheers!
> BHL

also people who crowd the plate, especially at higher levels, put themselves in a position of receiving a fastball in their ear...