Re: Most important skill in baseball
Flexibility and bat speed can sure get you the extension and speed through the zone that you need to get a ball out of the ballpark.
Flexibility is also key in the ability to throw the 100 mph fastball, not to mention the speed and explosion that it takes to get from the back leg to the front.
Those two skills are really dependent on those things you are tired of hearing about. So much for insight. :rolleyes:
Re: Most important skill in baseball
Quote:
Originally Posted by
RANDY IN CHAR NC
Flexibility and bat speed can sure get you the extension and speed through the zone that you need to get a ball out of the ballpark.
Speaking of bat speed, what is the real key to achieve it? Is flexibility the key to mazimizing bat speed? Is it wrist strength? Lower body strength?
Re: Most important skill in baseball
It's getting all those things to work together to get the bat head through the zone as quickly as possible. Thing is, it doesn't do you a darn bit of good if you don't have great hand eye coordination and timing.
Re: Most important skill in baseball
I've also seen guys who have great bat speed and good vision, but can't keep their head still and behind the baseball. Hate to use my son as an example, but look at where his head is in relation to the bat and the rest of his body.
Re: Most important skill in baseball
Quote:
Originally Posted by
BRM
Speaking of bat speed, what is the real key to achieve it? Is flexibility the key to mazimizing bat speed? Is it wrist strength? Lower body strength?
Yes, yes, and yes. But more importantly, the ability to put all of those things together at the same time.
Re: Most important skill in baseball
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Z-Fly
Good one BRM. Yours will also.
So I am glad you could help BRM. And thanks for your insight.:rolleyes:
I think he was being serious. Usually comments like yours (All Dunn does is...) sparks a huge massive outcry about how he is so much more than that. I don't think BRM was knocking you or your post in anyway. He was just anticipating the onslaught.
Back to the topic. You do make good points about the ability to hit a HR. I would use Dave Kingman as my example for only being able to hit HR's. He hit 30+ HR's in seven ML seasons, and didn't even get on base 30% of the time in four of those seasons. All that guy could do was hit HR's.
About Deion Sanders: I personally don't feel that you can bat .304, .276, .288 + .277 (1994 w/two teams) in three straight seasons in the majors based on speed. The guy was a freak of an athlete. He has great hand-eye coordination and incredible quickness. Willy Taveras seems like an all speed type of guy, but he only K'd 80+ times this year in 600+ PA's, so that isn't bad either. He didn't make contact with his speed.
Re: Most important skill in baseball
Quote:
Originally Posted by
RANDY IN CHAR NC
It's getting all those things to work together to get the bat head through the zone as quickly as possible. Thing is, it doesn't do you a darn bit of good if you don't have great hand eye coordination and timing.
Hand eye coordination and timing. There is no way you can be a successful hitter without those.
Re: Most important skill in baseball
Quote:
Originally Posted by
BRM
Hand eye coordination and timing. There is no way you can be a successful hitter without those.
I was going to say superior vision and repeatable hand-eye coordination. That's for the hitters. For pitchers it's not so much about the skills, it's having freakishly durable elbows and rotator cuffs. Cha-ching.
Re: Most important skill in baseball
And repeatable mechanics that are as easy on those joints as possible.
Re: Most important skill in baseball
For pitchers i say its all about pitch location and pitch command. For hitters id say bat speed and pitch recognition.