An UGA Error

[Commercecomet24]

THIS^^^^

Players don't seem to be learning anything anywhere about situational hitting. Metrix and Exit Velocity have about killed the science of hitting. I loved "The Science of Hitting" by the Greatest Hitter Ever.
Every player need to read it. They also need to read "The Art of Hitting .300" by Charley Lau. Lau built George Brett, Wade Boggs, and Don Mattingly - three of the best ever.

Ah, yes Charley Lau. I really got into his hitting techniques in high school and it helped me(a smaller guy) develop some pop. I was pretty much a line drive singles guy, but his techniques actually helped me become a gap to gap doubles guy too. Carried into my later career but never become a hr threat, lol.

[SPMT]

There are many different approaches that can work. When I was playing and learning the game, Ted Williams book "The Science of Hitting" was almost required reading. He would probably be extremely upset at some of the approaches today, lol. The man hit 40+ hrs, every year, struckout less than 50 times a year, and walked over 100. The man knew hitting. I taught a lot of his theories to my players. Ted said a lot of hitters go up there with no plan, and if you're not using your brain and have a plan, then you're fighting a losing battle. I wanted aggressive hitters and i always wanted them to have a plan going to the plate. It was always frustrating to put a plan together and then watch them deviate and have a terrible ab, but it happens and you have to teach from that. You have to teach situational hitting as well. I liked my hitters to work counts. 0-0 go up looking for a pitch in your spot and spit on anything else. 2-0, 3-1, once again look for your pitch and not what the pitcher want's you to hit. 2-1, 3-2 have to be a little more aggressive but selective, as well as you're still in the drivers seat. 0-2 gotta work to get the count back in your favor or put the ball in play. When the counts in your favor you have to look to drive the ball not just poke it somewhere. When counts even or you're behind focus on staying up the middle. Always have to know the situation as a hitter as well. Runner on third less than 2 outs, you have to get that runner in, Runner on second 0 outs need to make sure you move him to third no matter what,etc.. These are just the basics. Lot more strategy and training obviously but these are the basics. Biggest thing for me is to keep constant pressure on the pitcher and defense. We ran the bases aggressively and stole tons of bases. We literally ran teams off the field because I even had my slower guys moving. Heck my son who was an average base runner could steal third standing up just about everytime because i taught him how to get that walking lead. If teams know you run a lot it puts their defense in constant motion when runners are on and creates space and holes. I won 2 national championships over the course of my coaching with teenage teams,and of course its not near the level of sec baseball, and I am in no way saying i'm anywhere near the level of SEC coaches, but we faced tons of teams with d1 players and the competition level at the national level is fierce, to say the least. And I'm proud of the players i've put in higher levels of baseball. Here's the caveat, I certainly don't have all the answers and this was just my approach to teaching the game and i had a lot of success with it, but their are others with way more knowledge than me. If you think you know everything you quit learning and baseball is a constantly evolving game and I'm getting old. My oldest son is a high school coach and old school like me. My youngest son is the pitching development director at baseball training facility and he's got all the new fangled, trackman, rapsodo, all the high tech stuff and it's hilarious to hear some of the conversations we have when we're all together. The 2 of them got in one heated discussion about core rotation and i've banned either one of them from brining it up again, lol!

We faced a team in a championship one time with an lsu commit pitching and they were pretty cocky and saying nobody hits this kid. We beat them on a steal of home because he was so focused on the hitter he was in the windup and when our kid took off he balked, lol. Those cajuns flipped out and were dog cussing us. It was hilarious.!

Anyway I just love talking baseball, and i'm sure many don't agree with my views and that's ok because that's what makes baseball so great is that you can be successful with just about any philosophy if taught properly.

I bought that book and gave it to my kid. It?s brilliant. He was so far ahead of his time.

While he doesn?t say launch angle, he definitely advocates a slight uppercut which matches the angle of the pitch. Common sense to me.

[Commercecomet24]

I bought that book and gave it to my kid. It?s brilliant. He was so far ahead of his time.

While he doesn?t say launch angle, he definitely advocates a slight uppercut which matches the angle of the pitch. Common sense to me.

Exactly! I had both my sons read it too. Launch angle wasn't a thing then but Ted knew in order to lift the ball you had to have slight uppercut. He was way ahead of his time. There's an apocryphal story about him when he was managing the senators. It was spring training and he was asking his hitter if they saw which seams the bat was hitting and they all thought he was crazy. Teds in his 50's at this point so he said i'll show you what i mean. He got in the box, chalked the bat and correctly called 9 out of 10 balls he hit and which seams the bat struck. The man had incredible vision and he knew hitting better than anyone who's ever lived. If he hadn't spent 4 years of his prime career fighting for this country there's absolutely no telling what numbers he would've put up.

[RiverCityDawg]

I just don't understand why people constantly want to push the "keep or fire Lemonis" conversation forward now. It's just not time to have that discussion. Baseball has to be looked at with a large sample size in view. Once he came back this year it was always going to be about how the season went in totality, yet at every turn we have fans who anting to declare judgement one way or the other.

What we know now is the pitching issue has been fixed, the catcher issue has been fixed, and the toughness issue seems to have been fixed. Those were the biggest problems. We're clearly improved. From there, we just have to let it play out to see whether it was "enough". Trying to decide Lemonis's fate after every game/series is pointless (and tiring).

[Commercecomet24]

I just don't understand why people constantly want to push the "keep or fire Lemonis" conversation forward now. It's just not time to have that discussion. Baseball has to be looked at with a large sample size in view. Once he came back this year it was always going to be about how the season went in totality, yet at every turn we have fans who anting to declare judgement one way or the other.

What we know now is the pitching issue has been fixed, the catcher issue has been fixed, and the toughness issue seems to have been fixed. Those were the biggest problems. We're clearly improved. From there, we just have to let it play out to see whether it was "enough". Trying to decide Lemonis's fate after every game/series is pointless (and tiring).

Thank you so much for this post! This is the only correct answer.

[Pancho]

The SEC record is better than most expected but the non conference losses are still puzzling. He has a lease until seasons end. let it play out

[Ranchdawg]

I totally agree that Lemonis gets to finish the year and hope he gets us to a team that is worthy of the M over S standards. I was in no way implying that with my discussion of hitting approach. Just curious what more knowledgeable people thought about the subject. Was just curious watching our hitting from the stands or tv. I am pleased by the grit and determination that i am now seeing from our players. Oh by the way it?s GTHOM week. Go dogs!

[Commercecomet24]

My favorite Ted Williams story was in SI, where they did a sit down with him, Boggs, and Mattingly. Ted asked if they ever smelled burning wood on a foul tip. Mattingly said he had a couple of time. Boggs thought they were both making it up.
Williams really should get credit for the Launch Angle approach. But, I think he would be appalled in how it is being applied.

I remember reading that and also remember him asking mark McGwire at the all star game in Boston if he ever smelled it and McGwire said yes. Teddy Ballgame definitely invented launch angle even though he didn't coin the term and he would absolutely go berserk watching some of the approaches now!

[Coach34]

2 books my father made me read was Polk’s and Williams

[Commercecomet24]

2 books my father made me read was Polk’s and Williams

I had Polks. Actually made an official visit up there and spent some time with Polk. Man the dude knew a lot of baseball and that was 40+ years ago and for a 17 year old kid I was wide eyed and blown away.