Posted by: The Hitting Guru (hitman3527@aol.com) on Sat Feb 4 22:47:34 2006

> >>> Jack. You mentioned all great hitters' swings. What defines a hitter as great in the context of your post?
>
> After answering the above, would you consider Frank Thomas as a great hitter in the context of your post? Thanks in advance for your response. <<<
>
> Hi Guru
>
> I would agree with your implication. Thomas, at best, would be on the outside margins of some of the absolutes. He is big physically strong athlete that put up some good numbers with less than efficient mechanics. We would probably never head of a Williams or Musial type athlete with Thomas’s swing mechanics.
>
> Jack Mankin


Exactly, and there lies a point of never ending controversy. Clearly some players have significantly more ability than others. And some hitters that put up good numbers have below average technique. But their strength or some combination of consistency elsewhere has allowed them to achieve success. Frank Thomas is a good example of such a player. At times he pretty much drags his back leg as opposed to rotating. And most of his movement is straight forward (more linear) but his bat appears to remain in the hitting area long enough for him to maximize his strength. A player of lesser strength would not hit nearly as many home runs, but might benefit from a contact standpoint. If the letter high, up and in pitch were not enforced against Thomas, he might just be toward the top all time. But clearly he has not made the adjustment to the new enforced strike zone.