The Hawk wrote:
Nardi wrote:
The Hawk wrote:
Nardi wrote:
The Hawk wrote:
Nardi wrote:
MLB is working to get away from the 3 outcome AB. Jim Thome is the epitome of the the 3 outcome AB. Plus he seems like a dim bulb.
Thome was a much better hitter than that. He had about 2400 hits in his career and a .276 batting average. HE was able to adjust his stroke as he aged and got many of his home runs to left and left center. He is also not some dimwit. He knows a lot about baseball and especially power hitting and setting up a pitcher. He also is about the nicest person in all of baseball.
There's not a hitting coach anywhere who can teach opposite field power. That is what separated him and it's nothing but a gift. Bonds was a total failure as a coach. Ted Williams, the same thing. I think the future is less Ks with the new shift rules. What does he have to offer in that regard?
In fact I watched Thome explain the adjustment that he made in his last third of his career for hitting with power to left and left center field.
Is it something online? I'd be interested in hearing about the adjustment.
I don't know about where you could find it. I saw it maybe 3 years ago on one of those Baseball Tonight shows with Reynolds or Ripken. What you probably know though is that Thome was a pupil early on of Charlie Manuel who recommended his unique stance and trigger point. Thome focused greatly on his hand drop with the knob of the bat focused on the catcher's mitt. He made sure that his head was always behind the ball. and was not focused on "launching" the ball like today's hitters have been doing so much.
He had a similar approach to hitting as Ted Williams focusing on his hands and his hips rotating. His focus, though was not trying to beat the shift per se because he was a power hitter and didn't give in to the shifts per se nor did Williams but he looked to pitchers to pitch him the other way and when they did he still retained the plate coverage he needed to take that outside pitch out of the park to left and left center. His enemy so to speak was the baseball and was looking to hit that ball hard using his hip turn and hand speed to drive it out of the park.
Charlie Manuel is top notch. If I recall, he's a balance guy. The Freddie Freeman swing is a perfect swing to Manuel.
The fact of the matter is Thome had to LOOK for the pitch away. If he wasn't, he would roll it over just like any other power hitter. But I do agree launch angle is a hindrance to oppo power.
Now if you tell me Thome is a balls deep Manuel disciple, then sure, why not, give him a shot. History is a b!tch though when the gifted are batting instructors.