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Hitting tips from the Splendid Splinter

By jbox

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I was reading Dick Enberg: Oh My! and found this story about the Padres and Ted Williams pretty funny and informational.

On one afternoon, I sat with Williams as he discussed baseball with infielder Phil Nevin, reliever Trevor Hoffman, and manager Bruce Bochy of the Padres.  He turned to Nevin and challenged, "LET ME ASK YA THIS NOW!  WHAT MAKES A BALL CURVE?"

Nevin got four words out.  "Well, you know, gravity..."

"GRAVITY!"  Williams shouted.  "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, GRAVITY?"

And he went on to discuss his theories on the subject.  Pointing at Nevin,  he also reeled off his A-B-C's of hitting:

A.  "Get a good ball to hit.  Don't chase balls out of the strike zone.  It's a long season.  Be patient.  You can afford to wait for a hittable pitch.

B.  "When the pitcher is ahead in the count, or in any pressure situation,  think about hitting the ball hard through the middle of the infield.

C.  "Pull the ball with power only when the count is in your favor [2-0, 3-0, 3-1].  When the pitcher is at a disadvantage and must throw a strike, that's the time to take your best rip."

Rumor has it that Nevin never learned the rules of hitting or why a curve ball curves. He was last seen in a child's drawing riding a unicorn through the sky on top of a rainbow.

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