Can you answer this??

[ShaySongz]

What determines an organization to teach some players to learn how to switch hit? Billy Hamilton was a right handed batter, the reds made him bat and learn to swing from the left side. Why don't the Reds force more players to learn this skill?

[dubc47834]

Some are born with it, others aren't. I doubt you can force a guy to learn it by the time they are that far along, but I'm no expert.

[drowg14]

I'm no expert, but I would guess it might be due to hamilton's off the charts athletic ability. Someone with that much talent can probably learn things easier.

[DirtyBaker]

For most guys it's probably hard enough to hit from one side of the plate, but that might be an interesting experiment within the rookie leagues or foreign leagues.

[R_Webb18]

didnt realize this is possible. he must sucked from other side.

[texasdave]

I think the reason the Reds encouraged (made) Hamilton into a switch hitter is because of his extreme speed and his lack of power. If his game is going to be based upon speed then it makes sense that it would be better for him to hit from the left side than the right side so that he could better utilize his speed.
There was a story on the tube last night about how Chipper was being made into a switch hitter. Early in his minor league career he struggled so badly from the left side that he wanted to give it up. His manager at the time said okay. Well when the folks in the Front Office found out about it they immediately fired the minor league manager and told Chipper that he would hit left handed from then on. The rest, as they say, is history.

[brm7675]

Hitting a baseball is the toughest thing to do in sports, trying to be a switch hitter just multiplys that...

[alett12]

Alot of guys figure it out early on and then you have guys like Billy Hamilton who are gooffing around in a Rookie League batting cage and don't realize there are cameras with people who make the desisions watching

[miamiredskin]

Can't imagine Jacoby trying to coach a switch-hitter...

[R_Webb18]

Can't imagine Jacoby trying to coach a switch-hitter...

i could if it was possible. u no nothing about the guy.

[Captain13]

No, I can't answer the question. "We don't, we don't, we don't mess around"

[dubc47834]

Hitting a baseball is the toughest thing to do in sports, trying to be a switch hitter just multiplys that...

Have you tried hitting a golf ball.....lol!!!

[bounty37h]

Have you tried hitting a golf ball.....lol!!!

I have played golf 3 times in my life, and will bet you I can hit it 15 times out of 15 swings. It might not go anywhere near where i want it, but I hit it. He was talking sports anyway ;) lol.

[rgslone]

Can't imagine Jacoby trying to coach a switch-hitter...

I get your point, and I'm with you. Jacoby may be the greatest hitting coach in existence, but you couldn't prove it by his time with the Reds. Where are the adjustments? Has anybody's approach improved at the plate? I don't know, but I'm not seeing it.

[Ironman92]

My son plays in a minor league and the team of 8-10 year olds we played last night had 3 kids switch-hitting in the game.

A little gung ho for me buy a lot of Dad's rush everything knowing their kids will grow up to be Chipper Jones or Pete Rose.

[nmculbreth]

What determines an organization to teach some players to learn how to switch hit? Billy Hamilton was a right handed batter, the reds made him bat and learn to swing from the left side. Why don't the Reds force more players to learn this skill?

I'd guess the biggest obstacle to switch hitting is that it significantly lengthens the development curve, particularly when you're trying to introduce it to guys on the professional level. I'd imagine that the need for extra time in the minors is a big disincentive to clubs who rely on a steady stream of cheap talent in order to field a competitive team.

Hamilton is a notable exception, but like texasdave said I think Hamilton was asked to learn how to switch hit was because of his incredible speed and limited power potential. If your game is predicated on speed it makes sense to try to learn how to switch hit (or hit left handed) because it'll shave a fraction off of the batter's home-to-first time.

[dubc47834]

I have played golf 3 times in my life, and will bet you I can hit it 15 times out of 15 swings. It might not go anywhere near where i want it, but I hit it. He was talking sports anyway ;) lol.

Golf is a sport....and hitting a golf ball straight is the hardest thing to do, my opinion.

[Assembly Hall]

Golf is a sport....and hitting a golf ball straight is the hardest thing to do, my opinion.

I agree that is a sport. But you are swinging at a stationary target. Imagine if golf balls were pitched to you! Just sayin'!

[Jr's Boy]

Hitting a stationary object straight is the hardest thing to do?Surely you jest.Batter versus Pitcher is the most epic sport there is.I can hit a golf ball straight,but a 100 mile an hour heater?Nope.

[Assembly Hall]

I think most guys, at least in my day, played around with it in their youth. I agree that doing it with Hamilton is trying to take advantage of his speed and ability as well as his lack of punch. Lefties are a step and half closer to first base. I am(correction was) a switch hitter. But honestly I dont what the skill level is as far as picking it up. I am right handed, but grew up batting left. It wasnt until I started facing left-handed pitching in "Babe Ruth" that my coaches started getting me to bat right. To me, I really think the eyes play a big part of it. My power side was from the left, but I saw the ball better from the right. Just my 3 1/2 cents!!!!!!!!

[MrRedLegger]

Golf is a sport....and hitting a golf ball straight is the hardest thing to do, my opinion.

For me, hitting a golf ball consistently well is darn near impossible. By body is stuck in a baseball swing. But if someone hits only 30% of their fairways, they won't last a day in the PGA. Whereas hitting 30% of pitches thrown to you is considered excellent. Hitting 20% is considered the threshold for a good and bad hitter.

[texasdave]

Golfers always want to bring up how difficult the game of golf is. Wrong.

[bounty37h]

I do agree the game of golf is very difficult, but I just personally cant credit anything an 85 year old, fat, out of shape man can whip me at as a sport ;)

[dubc47834]

I do agree the game of golf is very difficult, but I just personally cant credit anything an 85 year old, fat, out of shape man can whip me at as a sport ;)

I would imagine an 85 year old Nolan Ryan could strike you out, me too, so is baseball still a sport? Anything that someone does for a long time will obviously do better than someone who doesn't. I have played golf for 15 years and played baseball all thru high school. To me, hitting a stationary golf ball consistently straight is way harder than hitting a good curve ball. Just my opinion.

[alett12]

My son plays in a minor league and the team of 8-10 year olds we played last night had 3 kids switch-hitting in the game.

A little gung ho for me buy a lot of Dad's rush everything knowing their kids will grow up to be Chipper Jones or Pete Rose.

Ok, I umpire mainly 11-12 year olds but i've done some minors games and seen kids throwing in the upper 60's with great control and a 40 MPH knucklecurve that spins the other kids into the ground but I've not seen a switch hitter yet. So my question, can any of them actually hit well?

[Assembly Hall]

Ok, I umpire mainly 11-12 year olds but i've done some minors games and seen kids throwing in the upper 60's with great control and a 40 MPH knucklecurve that spins the other kids into the ground but I've not seen a switch hitter yet. So my question, can any of them actually hit well?

A knucklecurve? Wow.

[alett12]

A knucklecurve? Wow.

Yeah the kid is 12 throwing a 4 seam, a split, a change, a knuckle curve, and I beilve a strait curve. To make it worse when he isn't pitching he catches or plays 3b/ss. He's also got 2 grand slams on the season

[dubc47834]

Yeah the kid is 12 throwing a 4 seam, a split, a change, a knuckle curve, and I beilve a strait curve. To make it worse when he isn't pitching he catches or plays 3b/ss. He's also got 2 grand slams on the season

His coaches/parents are doing that kid a huge disservice by having him throw all those pitches at 12 years old. Throwing junk that early in life is not good for kids growth. I never threw hard but was a junk ball pitcher, I could make the ball break both ways and now my elbow and shoulder are junk. I wouldn't let me kid throw junk until early teens maybe mid teens.

[jhiller21]

Have you tried hitting a golf ball.....lol!!!

I play golf like once every summer, maybe twice. I think I've whiffed once.

You might not always hit it where you want to, but golf is a different animal.