And I never ever thought he would be this good as he hit his late 30s and now 40s. He's just a 40's machine who realizes his limitations and only tries for pitches he can clobber. The average is sinking but as it does his power rises. He waits for that one pitch an at-bat he can hammer, and then hammers it. When he misses it, he's out, and he can't hang around long enough to walk (though he might keep getting pitched around if this power show continues and see some base-on-balls). But he's showing he CAN still reach out and get those pitches he sees, unlike most 40 year olds.
What was that we were saying about the PED hitters a few years ago? If you could mix old-man knowlege of the zone with young man reflexes and recovery you'd be basically unstoppable in baseball terms? Not at all saying Raul is on em (he blew up at the suggestion a few years ago and I'm not making it now) - just saying that if an old man can keep his reflexes and body intact he can do amazing things with the well-honed baseball computer in his head, stuffed with those tens of thousands of pitches seen and situations experienced.
If this is Raul's last year he's certainly going out with a bang. He might even get another year out of it. It's crazy.
Welcome and desperately needed, but crazy.
~G
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