Posted by: sportsdoc7 (sportsdoc7@msn.com) on Wed Dec 19 11:21:23 2007

> > > > > Far too many negative thoughts and comments are being made about the best baseball players in the world.
> > > > >
> > > > > We as coaches need to realize that the game of baseball is not only difficult physically, but mentally as well.
> > > > >
> > > > > Anybody can say that "if they did it my way they would be better."
> > > > >
> > > > > How about noticing the positive attributes that MLB hitters have. Try to learn from those and stop being so negative about the inevitable 7 outs out of 10 at-bats.
> > > > >
> > > > > Is it really realistic to think that none of the hitters in MLB are trying to improve themselves in any way that they can. Are some of you that ignorant? Do you really think that they are just sitting on their couch right now admiring their "perfect season" of last year?
> > > > >
> > > > > To think that MLB hitters should all hit .600 or something is like saying every NFL runningback should never be tackled and score every time they run with the ball.
> > > > >
> > > > > Confidence is the biggest factor in any sport. Focus on the negatives is the number one confidence killer.
> > > > >
> > > > > There are far too many negative things in this world, please start to notice some of the positive things and learn from those.
> > > > >
> > > > > Jimmy
> > > >
> > > > Jimmy,
> > > >
> > > > I agree almost completely. The only thing I disagree with is the generalization of your comment. GEORGE is the only one that I have seen post anything about how bad the MLB hitters are, so your post should say George keeps posting negative thoughts and comments.
> > > >
> > > > MLB hitters are the best in the WORLD.
> > > >
> > > > Graylon
> > >
> > > all you guys who are grieving on me:
> > >
> > > your take: ALL these MLB hitters are SO great, they are WONDERFUL !!! .. don't try to figure out WHY a hitter fails, just leave it alone..stop being so negative!
> > >
> > > FACT: the statistics say the frequency of failure ARE WHAT THEY ARE... THERE IS NO WIGGLE ROOM.. THEY ARE NOT NEGOTIABLE !!!& it just ain't getting better.
> > >
> > > your take: all MLB hitters are trying to get better..so leave them alone... they're all wonderful! i wish i was one of them.
> > >
> > > FACT: of course they are trying to get better.. unfortunately whatever they are doing to try to get better... well, the results say ain't working so hot...ALL HITTERS ARE ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN PERFORMANCE RATE... they are the ones who do EXACTLY what they want to do in the box.. not you, not me.. whatever they are doing is EXACTLY what they think is the best way to hit a baseball..so perhaps the input of coaching information they get is not what it should be, or perhaps it's time for a plan B..
> > >
> > >
> > > your take: MLB HITTERS ARE THE BEST... so don't criticize them in any way..
> > >
> > > FACT: up to now, hitting a baseball has been an inexact art.. it is time that hitters realize it is the SCIENCE OF MECHANICAL PHYSICS, & the coaches MUST bring hitting into the hi-tech 21st century science endeavor it should have become a long time ago..
> > > hitters must learn to embrace LOGIC & PHYSICS into their batting theory... only then will they eliminate actions which sabotage their batspeed & make them late to the ball far too often...
> > >
> > > athletic ability being equal, there are only 2 readily apparent physical actions which seperate one hitter from the next...
> > > THE STANCE & THE SWING. since this is the only variation between one hitter & the next, IT MUST BE THE REASON ONE HITTER POUNDS THE SAME PITCH THAT THE NEXT HITTER FOULS OFF. if you work backward from there, you will readily observe certain actions of both stances & swings have a greater rate of success than others on certain pitches in certain spots.. & certain OTHER actions have a greater rate of failure on certain pitches in certain spots...basically, you figure out what is working & what is failing in conjunction with the location of the pitch.. then, if you eliminate those actions which invariably make you late on, for example, the belt high inner half fastball, that most hitters never put in play.. you will improve!!
> > >
> > > your take: ALL MLB hitters are gods, who unlike other human beings on this planet, are not subject to the LAWS OF LOGIC & PHYSICS, & what they do in the box is not subject to any criticism whatsoever, because they do it as well as it can possibly be done... there is NO doubt whatsoever NOT a better way to be found anywhere, nor any conceivable way to improve their performance.. they are all-knowing, & are not to be evaluated or questioned by mere mortals who have never played an MLB game.
> > >
> > > FACT: MLB HITTERS ARE NO DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER PERSON ON THIS PLANET..THEY ARE TRYING TO DO THEIR BEST AT THEIR PROFESSION, BUT AT TIMES DO NOT.. LIKE MANY OTHER PEOPLE IN MANY OTHER PROFESSIONS, THEY ARE SUBJECT TO THE EVALUATION OF OTHERS.. & MUST BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR SHORTCOMINGS & WEAKNESSES ARE, & ENDEAVOR TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS SO THEY WILL IMPROVE..THEY MUST CONSTANTLY BE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE THEIR PERFORMANCE.. TO DO OTHERWISE IS TO DIMINISH THEIR PERFORMANCE SUCCESS RATE. DESPITE ALL OF THE PROTESTS TO THE CONTRARY ON THIS SITE, THIS IS NOT NEGOTIABLE!!!
> > >
> > > this is where i seperate myself from you guys... you think there is no room for improvement... i KNOW better..
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > you guys are happy with the status quo... i am not.
> > > you guys think all MLB hitters are doing the very best they can to be the best... i do not.
> > > the proof is in the numbers.. they reach a certain level, & then slide downward... very few improve as they get older... that means they are not adjusting adequately enough to maintain improvement in the success rate. it ain't me, it's on each individual to take the
> > > correct action to improve... but THE FACT IS it ain't happening for the most part.
> > > if you cannot identify the problem, you cannot coneive of a solution.. if you don't conceive success, you will not be able to achieve success.
> > > you guys don't want to ask why... please.
> >
> >
> > George,
> >
> > I don't know any kinder way to say it but you're an IDIOT!!! No matter how hard you work or how much you improve you will never be perfect, you will never bat 1000. Everybody fails at some point. You have described your perfect swing but in your perfect swing there are holes. You have mentioned Paul Molitor as being someone who is your "god" of hitting, someone who does it how you think it should be done, but yet he still got out 70% of the time. The fact is you're going to get out. That's why there are guys playing defense. In your world hitters would get a hit every at bat and then you would say the pitcher should be able to do a better job and get the hitters out every time and then the defensive players aren't good enough so now they need to get better so they can catch everything hit, but then the batters aren't doing there job anymore so they need to improve so they can get a hit every time, oh crap now the pitchers need to get the hitters out all the time, etc.... See how ridiculous you sound?
> >
> > Yes, MLB hitters can improve and they are always striving to get better. Fact: They will never be perfect.
> >
> > There are to me variables that goes into every pitch you face to be perfect. There will be holes in every hitter.
> >
> > I have to stop, you have made the most ridiculous statements I have ever heard and there not cutting edge, there just stupid!!
> >
> > I have mentioned your "god" of hitting before, Paul Molitor. The guy who does it the way you think it should be done and I told you his career batting avg. was .306 but yet you have never commented on this because this will blow holes in you perfect swing. What do you say about Paul being as good (or bad, your oppinion) as everyone else?
> >
> > Graylon
>
> my dear gray,
>
> paul molitor was a great player...he is a hall of famer.. he played 21 years & had 3300 hits.. he played pre-juice era, & was not a very big guy.. in fact he was a stick.. for the physical tools he had, he did far superior to what might have been expected of him... he hit so well for so long because of his great stance & swing, as well as his great mental discipline at the plate... he rarely hacked at slop.. when he was 40 years old, played in 161 games, had 666 AB, & batted .340.. WITH NO JUICE.. he was also a very tough out at clutch time..IF YOU HAD A TEAM WHEREIN EVERY PLAYER PLAYED HIS POSITION & SWUNG THE BAT LIKE PAUL MOLITOR, MAGGLIO ORDONEZ OR DEREK JETER, YOU WOULD WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP EVERY YEAR... in my book, that is the ultimate compliment you can give a player... he is one of those guys i want on my team.
> he is just one of PLENTY of hitters in that era who did not have a "running start" at pitches who have done very well because of it: kirby puckett, derek jeter, tony gwynn, batting champion magglio ordonez (.363), matt holliday, virtually every hitter on the rockies, (thank you clint hurdle).. i haven't really spent a lot time listing players who don't have hitches in their swings, simply because i have a full time job which precludes that..if i were to be paid to do the research needed to fine tune my theory, there is no doubt in my mind my squad would be a bunch of .360 hitters who didn't hit a lot of HRs.. but suffice it to say those guys have much higher BA than the "buggywhippers" .. unfortunately the trade off is not as many HR..
>
> gray, i am very grateful to have exchanges with you...what makes any
> endeavor more dynamic, innovative, & BETTER is dissent... it is the cornerstone of this great but declining country we live in..
> embrace it... if we all sang the same song, there would be no one on this site.. you'd be watching tv. einstein thought outside the box, look what it got him.. this science of hitting is no different.. it is about motion physics.. the sooner you get behind the study of it, the sooner you will realize most problems stem from a poor stance or post-release motion... the more you will change your views, of that i am certain.. it's just a matter of time.. i hope you will stop being an MLB cheerleader, quit talking about how great they all are... that does nothing to improve your hitters.. & start looking at WHY a hitter consistently fails to hit a certain pitch in a certain spot... come up with a theory based on his post-release actions.. then you will be getting somewhere.. i wish it for you.
>
> george stanley

When the term "failure" is used in reference to MLB hitters, and when it is said "the stats don't lie, they are not getting any better", what does it mean. What do the stats really say. Does a hitter "fail" when he hits a line shot into a gap but the CF makes a diving catch after closing the distance to the ball with great speed and a perfect route? I say the hitter has succeeded in that case. So did the CF. I believe that the only time a hitter actually fails is when he K's or fails to hit the ball squarely. If we consider "success" on the part of the hitter to be when he hits the ball squarely and with good energy transfer to the ball from the bat, then MLB hitters actually succeed more than 70% of the time. It simply cannot be said that they fail when the defense succeeds and gets them out. If they hit the ball well they have succeeded. Their success or failure cannot be judged on BA because most of the time they hit the ball well but it results in an out because of the play of the defense. When hitters are hitting a lot of soft ground balls, pop-ups or striking out, then they have failed. But most of the time they succeed if it is looked at this way. If all hitters Hit 1000.00 the game could not be played because every hitter would get a hit every time and so a game could not get past the top of the first inning. Also if every hitter hit 1000.00 then we would not need Becket, Santana, Sebathia etc. because no matter how good the pitcher is, he isn't going to get the hitter out. How absurd is that? Heck, I could be an MLB pitcher if there is no chance to get a hitter out. In fact my 75 year old mother would be as successful on the mound as Josh Becket if neither one of them can get anybody out.

Merry Christmas to all.

Sportsdoc7