Posted by: Marcus Boyd (marcus@hourofdeliverance.net) on Sun Mar 20 08:35:37 2005

> Hi Marcus:
>
> First of all, I would like your thank you for your input towards my "Power Field Orientation" theory.
>
> Specifically, it is my belief that it is up to individual, and not the coach, to decide what type of hitter they want to become. It would be just as unwise as a coach to forbid a player to pull every pitch as it would be to push the PFO style on those successful with spray hitting.
>
> My belief is not meant to be an impingement on the spray on opposite field hitting styles; rather, it is a philosophy that smaller players can employ so, should they want to hit for power, can take advantage of an obvious fact: batters that yank pitches consistently are hitting to the shortest part of the field where the ball can be hit with the most regularity. Since bat speed is a factor, even "mistakes" can wind up as home runs.
>
> If one uses this style, he or she must remember, in order to master this type hitting, that: 1) pure "BHT" must be used on inside pitches; 2) a "THT / BHT" combo must be used on pitches over the middle of the plate, and, finally, 3) pure "THT" must be used on pitches over the outside of the plate.
>
> Even though I'm 5'9" and 210 LBS, I've seen a Dominican that weighs considerably less than 210 LBS pull low and away pitches with authority.
>
> Remember that home runs will always draw more fanfare than singles.
>
> If a person believes that table-setting is almost as important as power hitting, that person is entitled to his or her opinion.
>
> When I developed my concept, I noticed that Jr. Griffey, Williams, and Ott used this technique to "pad" their statistics.
>
> Put simply, pull field orientation is a way to help turn a person who can clear the power field fence--but no other--into a bonafide slugger.
>
> Seen in this light, my theory is just a device that an individual can choose to employ.
>
> However, it is up to the person.
>
> Again, thanks for the feedback.
>
> Sincerely,
> BHL
> Knight1285@aol.com
>
> P.S. If you have any questions on my commentary, feel free to respond, and I will address you concerns as cogently as possible.

BHL,

I understood what you were trying to convey. I do agree that pulling a ball down the line usually offers the shortest distance for the home run. I have played on a few fields where that was not the case, by the way...some weird fence configurations out there! And, I'm all for the home run, too. I hit a few of them myself ;-) I really wasn't downplaying the importance (and fun) of hitting for power.

Really, the main thing I'm saying is that I advocate being a "balanced" hitter who can use an optimum balance of BHT and THT to hit the ball hard to all fields. I've seen big guys and small guys alike use THT effectively to clear the fence in all directions. And, a hitter with balanced mechanics will have power everywhere and will hit for a very good average. If he misses the home run, he's moved the ball around enough that the fielders don't know where it's going.

The main downside to being a pull-only hitter (or even an "off-field" only hitter for that matter) is that the outfield can cheat toward where you usually hit. If you don't hit it over (and more times than not you won't) you have two outfielders playing one position and you end up 2 for 5 with a home run or two. A balanced hitter will be more likely to have a 4 for 5 game with one to three home runs in my experience. By hitting to all fields, even though I do prefer to hit to right or right center most of the time, I've kept the opposing teams honest and my career batting average at .809. And, I've averaged a home run every 5.3 at bats the past 4 seasons.

I do agree that it is up to the individual to become his or her own model of success. The main difference in our opinions, however, is that I believe a hitter, no matter his size, can hit to all fields without minimizing his chances to hit a home run. I would simply hate to see some young, impressionable player make the decision to become a one-dimensional hitter thinking incorrectly that hitting only to his pull field is his only chance to homer. This thinking robs a hitter of the opportunity to be a complete hitter. I would rather have my kids put in the extra time required to develop good THT than divide the playing field in half and subsequently reduce their options as a hitter.

Thank you again for the intelligent discussion on the topic.

Marcus