From Tragedy’s Pain and Anguish, A New Look at How to Enhance the Batting Competence In M.L.B. and All of BASEBALL.

There is only one legitimate way to improve the Major League batting Prowess, but there are countless artificial/superficial ways. In “round-table” discussions, Major-League Baseball analysts have recently been pondering the prospects of what would improve the batting prowess of Baseball’s elite branch of offensive facilitators. Since Pitching has become so dominant, a few obvious solutions center around how to make the pitchers’ effectiveness be less than preponderant. So, two logical proposals have been placed on the table:

1. Lower the Pitching mound (maybe “flat-ground”). More pitchers are now having surgeries on shoulders and elbows. This should increase that rate and diminish the ranks of the “high-quality” pitcher, eventually.
2. Move the Mound back beyond 60 ft. 6 inches; perhaps nearer to 2^{nd Base.} That could eliminate the cost of a 9^th player. The pitcher could add to his burden the duties of a 2^nd Base-man by scampering to cover the “hole” after he pitches the ball. The N.L. would like that. Plus, Greinki and all other former shortstops could augment their batting with additional fielding prowess as well. Of course that is liable to jeopardize their longevity as a player. The price for “Contrived Glory”!
3. *Of course if an analyst were willing to “think outside the box” he might see the practicality of stricter rules concerning the Pitcher-Batter relationship that would certainly boost the confidence level of the batter in a way that produces more offensive competency. The greatest threat to all batters’ ultimate success is fear of “Death by Pitch.” Everyone in Baseball knows this, either consciously or unconsciously. But no one really speaks out-loud about it. Batters don’t want that image embedded in conscious thought when going up to the plate, and Pitchers, although they don’t mind hurting an opposing batter, don’t want the stigma of criminal intent on their “political” resumes. I don’t know how many times I’d heard (in my short professional career) a pitcher irreverently say, “I’m gonna stick one in his ear”. I actually heard one pitcher on my team bragging about seeing blood trickling from the ear of someone he had “nailed” (this was before ear-flaps were required on helmets.)

*A. Aside from mandating a pitcher to throw no faster than 80 MPH, the surest way to improve Major-League batter-confidence in order to improve competency is to take away (at least partially) the pitcher’s “intimidation-factor.” IF a pitcher wanted, he could “nail” a batter any time he intended. And when a pitcher intends to hit a batter, to hurt him, or to scare the hell out of him (especially a good or smart hitter), he will set him up to expect a breaking pitch.

The best of hitters has conditioned himself to first look-fastball over the plate. But to hit the curve or hard slider, he must wait and anticipate any pitch coming at him to break away. IF he detects that the ball is not intending to deviate from its straight-line trajectory, he will abruptly hit the ground or “turn, roll, and bend or fall.” If he waits too long, he’s “dead-meat.”

If the batter is hit in the head (glancing or solid blow), drilled in the back, side, rump, arm, elbow, wrist, hand, leg, knee, ankle, or foot, he is awarded first base. If he is unable to continue in the game (perhaps placed on the D.L. for a week, month, or life) another player substitutes for him. The next batter grounds out, and the inning is over and all is forgotten, except by a Tony LaRussa, Kirk Gibson, or Kevin Towers, who, in all fairness to his player (and who would not empathize?), and in just retribution to ageless “tradition” will continue the policy of complete and utter disregard for the health and well-fare of another “human-being” (and it is usually an innocent batter who gets the brunt of “retaliation”).

(Are you getting the picture of, “Bludgeoning Effect” of a 90-100 MPH 5 ounce, hard, round projectile?)

*B. The only practical RULE that will either eliminate, or at least diminish the hideous tendency to deliberately or “accidentally” hit a batter with a “Fast-ball” or “Hard Slider” or “Cutter.” is one that will award the batter 2 bases (not one), allowing him to pass First Base and go directly to Second Base, and putting him, or any previous base-runners, immediately in scoring position. (Then, maybe for extra measure, accredit him with a 2-base hit to boot.) If such pitched ball strikes a batter on a part of his body that is protected by “armor” of some sort (except helmet) then he is awarded one base. The umpire’s discretion would govern all aspects of the Rule.

*C. Although Bud Selig did an admirable job as Baseball Commissioner, his most blatant omission or dereliction of duty was in not conceiving and enforcing this rule before he left office. His successor must (and will) do the “right thing.” Will this guy ever play again?And will this guy ever recover, to fulfill his potential?

As an aside-note to this specific topic, especially interesting to me, who is not much of an “old-school” advocate, is that Baseball’s Founding Fathers may have understood some factors of the game that hadn’t really come to light until the era of “Saber-metrics.” Back in the “old-old-days” any time a batter made it to first base, he was considered to have gotten a “base-hit,” and his average attested to this. Somewhere within the successive generations it was felt that the “art of getting on base” was not as important or glamorous as hitting the ball safely for a base-hit. So, rule changes denigrated those whose batting averages were below others’ of their contemporaries. (Imagine an era of no protective head -gear.)

Not until “Saber-metricians” established a verifiable scale of consistent positive characteristics to denote the over-all value of the offensive and defensive attributions of all players did the re-justification of the so-called “mediocre” ball-player come to Baseball awareness. Not only is “hitting a base-ball the most difficult skill to perform in all of sports,” but Baseball itself is, in my estimation, the most intricate and difficult of games to play in all of Sport. (That’s another topic for discussion, perhaps with “Hunger-Games.”)

Also for consideration should be the fact that the 2 greatest Pitchers of all time, Walter Johnson and Sandy Koufax, would never throw at a batter. And if they accidentally hit a player on an intended inside-corner pitch, they were humble and considerate enough to apologize. They relied on their mastery of the “Art of Pitching,” and didn’t resort to any barbaric, intimidation factor to enhance their success. That’s the way Baseball was usually played in the Sandlot Leagues, where kids of my era would have been appalled if they knew their “heroes” were deliberately throwing at batters. Since “Bean-Balling” has been written about in such fondly sentimental fashion lately, Little-League and High-School Pitchers have recently developed the “Cool” penchant for throwing at the batter. One way (the only way) to stop all this “Non-Sense” is to adopt this “new rule,” and continue the  enhanced modification toward making the Game of Baseball the most civilized as well as the most fun game for kids and adults to play.

Monuments and Plaques have been constructed in posthumous honor to players like Tony Conigliaro and Ray Chapman, but a more practical and immediate memorial to all batters who incur the volatile and violent impact of any misplaced pitched ball would be the awarding of at least a two-base accommodation for their physical and mental anguish, not to mention the Team’s just compensation for their inappropriate loss if said player languishes on the Disabled List.

The following is part of a Newspaper article appearing in a Boston paper after Tony Conigliaro had the misfortune of being hit in the eye by a pitched baseball:

August 1967: A glum Tony Conigliaro was in his hospital bed at Sancta Maria Hospital in Cambridge while being treated for a cracked cheekbone, dislocated jaw, and damaged retina. This was the fifth time in Tony’ Cs major league career that he has been hurt by pitched balls. He suffered a separated shoulder during spring training when a John Wyatt fastball sailed during batting practice. During his rookie season, he suffered a hairline fracture of the left wrist after being hit by a Moe Drabowski pitch. A month later, he was out for six weeks when a Pedro Ramos pitch broke his right forearm. And in 1965, Wes Stock of the Kansas City A’s put Tony out of the lineup for 12 days with a broken hand. The injury from the Jack Hamilton pitch would prove to be the most serious of all. And ultimately “ended his life as a ball-player.”

I know that it is no consolation to Tony C. and Ray Chapman, but all batters, in all the Baseball Leagues in America, and around the World, would certainly feel a little bit better if they were awarded an extra base after being bludgeoned anywhere on their bodies by the force of that speeding, hard, round projectile fondly referred to, in most cases, as a baseball thrown by a Pitcher.                                                                                            THE END!

Part IV – Conclusion!

In conclusion, I would submit that the physical prowess of today’s athletic baseball players is far beyond that of the past. The pitchers are bigger, stronger, and have more of a vast assortment of training procedures and deceptive pitching techniques (as well as scouting reports) than their forebears. And the batters, while seemingly disenfranchised by this fact, are themselves equal in physical stature and have access to training techniques to potentially offset that superior Pitching preponderance. Every player dreams or fantasizes about getting a hit every time he comes to the plate, and even wonders, in dismay, why it is that he cannot fulfill his dream. Futility leads to hopelessness, and thus creates the enduring saga of the .250 hitter, or less. If Einstein was correct when he said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge”, then let every batter begin his quest for “perfection” in his own hope-filled mind, and imagine for himself how to pursue his daunting quest by the practice of a principle most likely to develop faith in his assured success. How and where to begin?:

Description: Ultimate Dimension—In the realm of mortal consciousness this dimension is
non-existent. It only exists in the hopes and dreams of those whose childlike rebuke of the cold conventionality of human imperfection would stand in defiance to the claims of those stagnant horizons of self-imposed status-quo. As the image and likeness of something greater than a vain-glorious adulation of individual self-aggrandizement, he that would be capable of climbing toward the supreme heights of ultimate bats-man-ship is one who is least fraught with a limiting sense of personal prowess. Anyone aspiring to a Self-recognizable commitment to nothing less than a Perfect Principle has the only hope of attaining the grandest height of proficiency, for himself and those who would follow his example.
To “believe assuredly” is to have absolute faith in a proven principle. On the human level it’s hard to find an “Absolute” from which to have an absolute-faith. The True-Self consciousness, in all of us, can discern the correct path to take, the right doctrine to espouse, and the most plausibly scientific way to hit a baseball. Could anyone besides a “Jesus” bat 1.000?

Description: Penultimate Dimension—This chrysalis state from which an earnest achiever
would merge into the ultimate of highest batting proficiency is obviously the closest step to perfection. If batting perfection is impossible on the human level, then would it not behoove any semblance of mankind to strive for a suitable facsimile thereof, to a level as close as possible to that ideal, instead of stagnating at the miry depth of conformity to the sub-.400 range of hitting. If all those reading this paper were in agreement with a collective goal of developing the highest possible batting proficiency at this level, then where must we begin to explore this nebulous realm of Penultimate dimension?
Taking the advice of Aristotle and the inspired Scribe of Psalms, is it possible to extrapolate, from the collective archival achievements of Baseball’s most formidable hitters, a hint of productive principle from which to glean a promising standard for enhanced batting proficiency?
Thoughtful consideration of a good many aspects of the entire batting regimen must be
understood and applied conscientiously, in order for maximum proficiency to be demonstrated. The question has been, and might always persist. What is the proper regimen for establishing a technique that will procure the consistent, maximum effect while hitting a baseball? Many have theorized about the prospect, but only a handful have established credibility through their practical applications. But, of these, the closest to extracting a complete and understandable facsimile of truth has been Mr. Ted Williams, who happened to be the last Major League player to bat .400 over the course of an entire season.
Although Mr. Williams was nearly perfect in his understanding and application of the
principles governing the absolute definition of batting prominence, he was not altogether
un-flawed in his actual approach to its impeccable demonstration. The closest exponent of the perfect batting technique was/is Barry Bonds. He, in obvious ways, supersedes the brilliance that Ted Williams embodied. (The only thing difficult to decipher was whether or not he was conscious of his pre-eminent status as a pure extrapolation of principle. Or was he subject to faltering, due to his misrepresentation of the “Power-Principle” with an unsuitable penchant for the illusory enhancement of chemically induced stimulation?)

Barry Bonds was capable of hitting in excess of 100 home runs per season, and batting .400 or more, because he was closer to flawless technique than anyone who has ever played the game. His strength was/is incontestable, his athletic ability was indisputable, his timing impeccable, and his stance, approach to the ball, and fluid mechanics were incomparable. In the few areas in which Ted Williams was lacking, Mr. Bonds was prolific. His only slight deficiency seemed to be in the realm of the mental accountability, which manifested itself physically at certain, momentary slumps.

What was it that Barry Bonds did consistently right, that most, if not all, other batters only
do sporadically? The answer is 5 separate things. They are the following:

1. He established a strong low center of gravity within his stance.
2. He eliminated the movement of his head and eyes as he strode (very slightly).
3. He waited patiently for the ball to get to him.
4. When the ball got to his hitting zone, 4 things happened simultaneously:
a. The front foot planted quickly and firmly. Front leg began to straighten.
b. Front shoulder shrugged upward, while back elbow drove downward to flatten bat.
c. Back bent knee drove forward, as hips turned rapidly and front leg straightened.

d. The shoulders followed the hips in rapid succession, with hands and bat still behind            back shoulder until arms extended through the contact with the ball.

5. From contact, through the straightening of arms, through the follow-through, the
shoulders were continuously flowing, until they (shoulders) had changed position.

Consistency in Batting effectiveness (Home Run proficiency) had never been more highly
demonstrated than by Barry Bonds in the 2001 season, when he set what seems an                  insurmountable record, for anyone but Barry Bonds himself. And, in 2002, he won his             first (of what should have been many) “Batting Crown”. His extra power had catapulted         him to a higher level than had been previously thought possible. When he wasn’t quite         so strong, his drives were careening off the walls instead of sailing over the fences. Is               there anyone else smart enough to figure out how to duplicate his technique? “Truth is         revealed! It needs only to be practiced.”—M.B. E.

A few batters who have emerged since the Bonds era ended, who seem to have attained the most essential characteristics necessary  to continue the proliferation of Batting Excellence, are Miguel Cabrerra and Chris Davis. Cabrera’s consistency ranks him higher on that elite list than Davis at this point in their respective careers. Even with his “Triple-Crown” prowess and multiple MVP awards, Miguel has one particular flaw that, if corrected, could garner for him the highest tier in the hierarchy of Batting grandeur. That “flaw” is his “high-leg-kick” to initiate his approach to his “launch-position”. Like other “H. L. Kickers”, that front foot, while in “suspended-animation” is subject to inconsistent “planting” that is the most crucial element necessary in initiating the swing. If “timing” isn’t perfect, such batter is either Late, or Early with the “plant”. When asked how he manages his ability to get out of momentary slumps, he offered the following statement, “I just don’t stride with my front foot, and it works itself out”. Duh! That’s the secret to the natural success that anyone would experience. So why doesn’t he do that all the time?

The most noticeable flaw that keeps Chris Davis from performing at his optimal level is his “Shawn Green”, Tall, Open, High-Bat stance . But from there he moves into a position of utmost advantage .

If Chris Davis would start from this position , but avoid the stride completely, he would be more ready for any pitch thrown to him. Then he would simply plant his front foot, and let the rest of his swing occur in its otherwise majestic sequence.  With his natural power ( not needing to be steroid enhanced) Chris is the front-runner to legitimately replicate the Bonds’ mystique and carve out a niche in Baseball’s legendary “Hall of Heroes”. But only if he changes his false-impression of “proper hitting technique”! He must incorporate a new stance, and approach to the ball with thought-processes and actions of the scientific application of the proper batting mechanics practiced most consistently by Barry, and Mark McGwire (the vanguard to such scientific-artistry being attributable  to Ted Williams).

The End!

Mastery of Bats-man-ship

Four Degrees (Dimensions) of Competence:

Fourth Degree—Ultimate Dimension

Third Degree—Penultimate Dimension

Second Degree—Scientific Dimension

First Degree—“Phenomenal” Dimension

Definition and Examples of Four Dimensions of Bats-man-ship:

First Degree: Phenomenal Dimension—The manifestation of what appears to be a natural propensity of a physical entity to perform to his/her highest degree of physical competency without the use of supplemental mental facilitation is indicative of a most primitive, single dimensional, fastball-hitting mentality. “Power versus Power” exhibits in a batter a need to gain a forward momentum in order to counteract the otherwise debilitating effect of a pitcher’s blazing fastball. Adapting to “off-speed” pitches entails a dimension of thought that includes a scientific component. A batter, incapable of adapting to any such circumstance, becomes easy prey to the pitcher who can throw a curveball for a strike. Thus, the sudden, or gradual, decline in promise of the physical “phenom”. “Matter and its effects are states of mortal mind which act, react, and then come to a stop.”—Mary B. Eddy (S & H) Many there be that are called, but only a few are chosen from the ranks of the purely “Phenomenal”.

Second Degree: Scientific Dimension—Coalescence of Science with the Art of hitting a baseball begins a confluent Scientific-Artistry that supersedes the antiquated adherence to the superimposed brilliance of the “natural-athlete”. The development and refinement of batting skills began to take shape as individuals became determined to perform at higher and higher standards. When mere strength and “natural-ability” reached the limits of peak performance, conscientious hitters found that “technique” extended their effectiveness and longevity. Certain natural principles began to be applied to the peculiar aspects of the hitting game of “Baseball.”

The power of the swing was not maximized by strength alone, but was more reliant on the principles of “mechanics.” Strength was important and vital, but without proper mechanics, the integrity to optimal performance was undermined. Imagine the faces of disbelief and awe when “tiny,” or scrawny-looking players with the correct mechanics out-hit, and outslugged bigger and stronger players whose mechanics were suspect. Finesse had become, and still is, the main ingredient to precise hitting. “Some thoughts are better than others. A belief in Truth is better than a belief in error, but no mortal testimony is founded on the divine rock.” (Mary Baker Eddy—S&H . . .)

Third Degree: Penultimate Dimension—Highest Human demonstration of the scientifically-artistic display of bats-man-ship does not quite reach the level of perfection for which all batters (consciously and unconsciously) strive in vain. The last man to hit .400 was almost considered a god for what was considered a batting average as close as one can get to perfection, with an efficiency rating that barely exceeded 40%. By attaining a “hit” in only 4 of 10 at-bats, Ted Williams was unsuccessful more often than he was successful, but still considered (by most) the greatest hitter in Baseball history. His attempts at combining scientific understanding to his prominent physical endowment and artistry were seminal to a new wave of expanding thought, but were in no way conclusive to those who were to behold the first rays of his enlightened approach to hitting a baseball. And because his scientific inquiry did not have the benefit of modern technological scrutiny (video, slow-motion replay), as well as not taking into account every single aspect of the “batting-pitching” condition, he and others gleaned little from his merely intuitive but speculative hypotheses. Technical flaws (although understandable now) prevented his progressive steps to the “gate” and possible entry into the realm of the “Ultimate” dimension. “Among them that are born of woman, none was greater than (Ted Williams) John the Baptist: not withstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Matt. 11:11)

Fourth Degree: Ultimate Dimension—A Spiritual dimension is the fundamental basis from which to build any endearing structure that will ultimately glorify the source as well as the effect of meritorious and magnificent display. The bats-man of the ultimate degree would be capable of hitting the ball squarely every time he swung his bat. Perfect application of a perfect principle probably sounds impossible, improbable, or a product of wildest IMAGINATION. But, “Seek first the kingdom of Heaven (Vortex) and the righteousness therein, and all these things shall be added unto you.”(Matt. 6:33) No mortal has yet demonstrated the competency that would exemplify ultimate bats-man-ship because mortal thought is incapable of comprehending and attracting the probable components necessary to manifest the ultimate bats-man.

End Part III

Coming Soon: Part IV (Final)

Even at the lowest levels of cognition, hitting a baseball is an art form. And some artists are just better than others! But with a serious application of scientific involvement, couldn’t  the artisanship be made to conform to a standard beyond what is customarily acceptable? Leonardo da Vinci expanded the scope of previous artistic standards with his own innovative application of scientific principles. Complementing his sensory sensitivity with the calculating precision of scientific understanding, he let principle and finesse govern the practical beauty of his structural and delicate successes. His work reached the confluent acme of scientific artistry!

What is it that prevents Baseball’s hitters from expanding the boundaries of batting  excellence to a point at or beyond the .400 mark? It is both a lack of insight and perspective that prohibits a mechanism from becoming readily available to catapult any prospective bats-man beyond the self-imposed limits of ignorance and irresponsible conformity. Three hits in ten at-bats seems a reasonable respectability to anyone willing to ignore a pathetic 30 to 35 percentile efficiency-rating as being the high standard bearer for baseball’s batting elite. Though it is true that hitting a baseball is the single-most difficult task in all of Sports (as ascertained by Ted Williams), is it reasonable to become complacent with a productivity rating whose low level has no comparable equivalence in any other area of business or athletic acumen?

A hope-filled pragmatist within the realm of Baseball’s professional bats-men might  investigate all means (scientific and otherwise) by which that abhorrent statistical anomaly can be improved upon or removed, or at least be diminished from the tablet of baseball consciousness. What would such an investigative assignment entail? It would probably include reconnoitering all available resource reference material that would be pertinent in order to attack such a bewildering set of circumstances.

All the greatest minds in history would probably have to be consulted for their expert opinions as to the mesmerizing and enigmatic circumstances involved, from Socrates, Plato  and Aristotle to Newton, Einstein, Stengel, Berra, Paciorek,  as well as St. Paul, Augustine, and Mary Baker Eddy.

Borrowing from the Platonic dialogues, let us begin with a Socratic Dialectic inquiry so as to advance beyond an initial stage of ignorance. Why is it not possible for a batter to get a base hit every time he comes to bat? The immediate intelligent and practical answer would probably be that the 9 defensive players would somehow find a way to prevent that from happening—it has been a tradition in almost 7 of 10 at-bats. But Socrates might further the dialogue by asking “What would prevent the fielders from catching the ball when he hits it (if he didn’t strikeout)?”

A perceptive “interlocutor” might venture an array of educated guesses. “If he hit the ball over the fence, the fielders couldn’t catch it! And if he demonstrated an exact and precise principle of batting technique, the mechanics of which would considerably lessened the margins of erroneous calculation, then it might be theoretically possible to maximize his effectiveness to a more certain degree.”

Tirelessly in pursuance of an ultimate solution, Socrates might again inquire, “Is it conceivable for a batter with highly acute physical sense perception and strength, as well as pronounced scientific understanding and demonstrable application of sound mechanical principle to effect a flawless swing that would propel the baseball over the fence every time a ball was pitched for a strike?” The mindful student might respond, after thoughtful consideration, that “it is conceivable, to thought, that such a prospect would be possible, but the human practicality of such a degree of success would seem highly improbable.”

Albert Einstein would probably agree with the perceptive student, since his Relativity Theories precipitated the onset of Quantum Mechanics whose main postulate states that “at the fundamental levels of matter causation is a matter of statistical probabilities, not certainties.” But Newton’s advanced mathematical appliance of Calculus certainly made it evident that previously incomprehensible circumstances were now afforded a venue from which to reduce those margins for error that had previously exacerbated most querulous situations.

Since Socrates’ method of teaching always left room for additional inquiry, although the responsive student advanced to a higher plane of understanding, the solution was assigned to greater depths of investigation and personal practice. But Aristotle offered some advice to those searching for excellence. From his “Nicomachean Ethics,” I paraphrase what he said, “in order to begin a study of anything that would lead to the highest understanding and demonstration of its universal verity, one must behold an example of a closest facsimile to the ideal estate, study its admirable characteristics, and extrapolate from its obvious functional proficiency a common entity by which a generic standard could be discerned, duplicated, and possibly expanded upon.”

The Bible may have put it even more succinctly, where in Psalm (37:37) it is stated, “Mark the perfect man and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace.” Excellence in any field of human endeavor is achievable to anyone willing to devote a “heart and soul” effort toward mastering the definable concomitants to successful enterprise.

Astute analytical research on the topic of “The most productive means for becoming a most proficient Bats-man,” would have to begin with a visionary outline of what might be considered the various degrees of observable competence and perhaps the underlying characteristics (if any) of the ultimate form of “excellence.” Then, perhaps an elaboration of those varying degrees (with examples and illustrations) could describe the characteristics of each, and establish a platform for any prospective high achiever to undertake advancement toward that Ultimate goal.

End Part II

Coming Soon: Part III

According to contemporary Baseball thinking, the “good hitter” is a batter who waits patiently for a pitcher to make a mistake (puts the ball where he does not want to—where he knows the batter is most capable of hitting it), and capitalizes on it, and effectively hits the ball with authority at least 2.72 times out of 10 at-bats. To me, there are many ways to be a “good” hitter, but only one way to be a “Great” hitter. The good hitter will wait and hopefully hit the pitcher’s mistake. The “great” hitter will be able to hit the pitcher’s best pitch.

Since the standard for being a good hitter is so low, then it might be well to presume that the standard for “perfection” is not or cannot be what a dictionary definition of perfection might imply. In Baseball, there is not an example of Ultimate Perfection. But under guidelines for what is defined as Penultimate, we can estimate the ultimate potential of those who might be the closest to perfection.

When most Baseball people attempt to analyze the highest proficiency of bats-man-ship, they see the skillfulness of the hitter as being comprised within a two-dimensional realm, natural phenom” and the “smart hitter.” Phenomenal exhibition would be a basis of evaluation that acknowledges the artistic, natural propensity of an athlete who, under his presently yet unrefined circumstance, makes solid contact of bat to ball without his advocating any strict adherence to disciplined principle. Most notable examples are those “Blue-Chip” prospects who are BIG, STRONG, and FAST, whose physical attributes garner for themselves “big bonus bucks” when they sign their initial contracts and carry the fresh hopes of those organizations that intend to weave this new and endearing material into a more durable fabric for team building. (Thus the recycling of “team-building” continues until the futility of errant ways obviates, and heads roll.)

The “smart-hitter” is a cunning adversary for any “pitcher,” with instincts and astute deductive processes that can successfully promote an effective hitting prowess. This type of batter combines his natural physical talents with a cursory understanding that certain indefinable mental qualities are essential to offset the sometimes-crippling dependency on physicality alone. He tries to incorporate a mental component into his prominent physical dimension because his instincts reveal some underlying mechanism to higher achievement. But without a thorough investigation into the depths of mechanical understanding, the closest his trial and error tactics will get him to his highest proficiency is the range encircling the .300 mark. Not bad, but far from superlative achievement!

The mentality of most professional batters, because of the overpowering “arms” of most professional pitchers, is one with two limited approaches to maintaining a relatively successful attack on the respectable .300 average. “See every pitched ball and swing at strikes,” and “look for a particular pitch, and make sure you hit it” are two simplistic notions that rely primarily on one’s quick physical responses to the given stimuli. And the success of either is determined by the quickness of the batter’s reflexes and the inability of the pitcher to put the ball where he wants it. The highest degree of consistent productivity is never attainable with either of these approaches because their sporadic and sometimes remarkable success is achieved while the batter’s senses seem to be acutely within “the zone” of feeling good, a state of being that is ephemeral at best. On any given day any such hitter could look like a potential “Hall-of-Famer.” But, by the end of a regular season, his numbers some times add up to a compelling mediocrity.

End of Part I.

Coming Soon: “Good Hitter,” and the “Great Hitter” – Part ll