Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Sun Feb 5 00:45:51 2006

>>> 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.<<<

Hi Guru

So just what is your post meant to convey to a young hitter who wants to improve his batting performance? .. Just grip-it and rip-it kid and if you get big enough and strong enough, you may be the next Frank Thomas.

Jack Mankin