Posted by: Steve R (itstwelve@aol.com) on Tue Jan 11 21:54:43 2000

> Of course you wouldn't TEACH it (did I say that? I don't think so.) But don't try to change a guy if he's comfortable (and doing well.) Too many coaches try to put everyone in one "box." Grip and stance are the two most over-coached aspects of hitting (IMO.)
> > >
> > > BTW- a lot depends on whether you're talking about the top or bottom hand- many power hitters grip with the top hand back in the palm but at the base of the fingers with the bottom hand.
> > >
> > > Regards,
> >
> > >
> > > SteveT
> >
> > Dog,
> > Please don't take this the wrong way, but I get incredibly sick of hearing people do what you're doing. They say,"well the majority of the pro's do it this way", i.e. grip, and then they don't back it up with some examples. I would just like to tell you that grip is one of the things I pay attention to when I watch a baseball game, or look at pictures, and I totaly disagree with you about your comments. I see way more pro's resting the bat in their palms. For example, Joe DiMaggio, Babe Ruth, Don Mattingly, Stan Musial, Micky Mantle, Willy Mays, and Pete Rose. Today's players include Alex Rodriguez, Edgar Martinez, Rafeal Palmero, Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, Jeff Bagwell, Barry Bonds, Jim Thome, Tony Gwynn, Nomar Garciapara, Greg Vaughn, and the list goes on and on. Basically the majority of the great hitters in the game hit with their bat in their palms. I can think of very few that hold the bat your way. I know Albert Belle, and I believe Derek Jeter, other than that, it's very slim compared to the list I just gave out. I get sick of people coming out with these theory's. I'd much rather follow the example the great hitters give, if it feels comfortable to me, than to listen to some guy who thinks he knows what he's talking about even though he's never been there before. Why wouldn't you teach your kids to be modeled after the greats. Again, I'm not trying to dog you at all, I'm just trying to say that I feel we should quit making hitting so much more detailed than it really is. Look at all the old guys. Your Mays', your Williams', your Ruth's, etc. They didn't have all the lectures and camps and so on and so on, it was just, "Hey let's go play down at the sandlot," or something to that matter. They did whatever felt right to them, and that was it. You even look at a lot of today's hitters and how they dind't have all this confusing technical talk, but they're still successful. I'm not saying that nobody needs change or direction, because we all do. What I'm saying is lets quit making it more complicated and topsey turvey than it is, and take a hard look at the roots of baseball and model ourselves after them, and the way they went about things. I think we forget that today we don't have any Ruth's or Mantle's or Williams, sure we have Griffey and McGuire, but they weren't bogged down with all this confusing tech. talk either. It is so rare that we see players that are just "raw talent", we seem to be getting more and more mechanical, and it seems the averages just go down. When I play, I see whole teams that bat the same exact way, why? Baseball has become a mechanic frenzee, and it's not making us any better because half the crap we get taught is absolutely wrong, and completely different from what we see the great players doing. Why don't we have the .400 hitters? You tell me, and please don't say the pitching has gotten better, because we don't have anybody with a 1.12 era either. It's just something I think we should think about before we go any further. In a nutshell, do what my favorite (Ted Williams) says, "Try out those different things, and do what seems to work for you," it's the way it worked for decades!
> >
> > Steve R
> >
> > Attention Steve R: I challenge you right now! I am calling your big mouth bluff, you are so far wrong, call and survey pro and college teams and see if they or the majority hold the bat in the palm of their hands. You are the one that does not know what he is talking about, I only tried to give Ray some sound advice on his topic because I wanted to help, and Hey Ray if you are reading this, you can make up your own mind who is right or wrong, then Steve T thinks he has to be argumentative as well. Hey Steve R. it is not theory pal to hold the bat in the fingers. You have the audascity to imply that I have not ever been there before, well once again, you are the one spouting off your mouth that does not know who I am or what I have done or where I have been. For your information, I have played, coached and managed in professional baseball, Yes, that's right you heard it right. Now, I wonder who Ray thinks is offering sound advice? Steve R, you ask the question, why not anymore 400 hitters, don't you know pal? Williams was the best, enough said. Do you really think there should be a multitude of 400 hitters in the game, I think you just lost a lot of credibility with me. So, Mr. Steve R, here endeth the lesson...dog

Dog,
I am sorry you took the post the way you did, I can now understand why. I meant no harm or trashtalking type discussion to come out of it. I think I got carried away with my "theory" comments. I didn't mean how you hold the bat neccessarily. I was talking in general to what I believe is becoming of hitting. I also didn't want you to think I meant you specifically when I was talking about people who haven't been there before. If you've been there, and that's what's going on then alright, I respect you even more, and I'm more open to your ideas. I was going off of what I had observed, and was hoping that somehow you could mabey convince me otherwise with proof, i.e. your professional experience. I also would like to clear up the .400 hitter thing. I obviously know that to have a .400 season you must be near perfect. That whole example was sarcastic. I was generally talking about the fact that you haven't seen a .400 season in a very long time, and I wanted to know what you thought. And just to tell you I know Ted Williams was the best, as a matter of fact he is one of my favorites, and the most respected player/person I can think of. I'm basically saying, that I'm sorry for over reacting in my last post, and I realize that while I was generalizing what I see happening in hitting, and what I think could be an easier sollution, it sounded like I was dogging you personally, and your personal experience. That was not what I was trying to do. I was speaking off of past experience, when I had been directed the wrong way by false information, and it screwed a couple of my seasons over. Once again, I'm sorry for over reacting, and I hope you can accept it. I hope you can accept my truse.
P.S. There will be another .400 hitter some day!