This takes us back to the header issue on Mays, Aaron, Robinson, Banks, et al. I saw all four of those guys close up as a kid and they reminded me much more of the lumberjacks I saw in the woods when touring with my grandpa (who was a timber co. exec) than of the weightlifter-types you see now. Their muscles were "ropey" rather than bulging. Joe Adcock and Ted Kluzewski, for two, had the bulging muscles, but they didn't run and field like Aaron, Mays, Robinson, or Banks. When I first saw Willie McCovey, he was MUCH bigger than Mays, but still had that stringy look, rather than looking pumped.
While I am convinced that strength-training is needed to be successful in baseball, I wonder if the ropey-muscled build, which results from hard, physical labor from a young age, is disappearing as almost everyone uses weights to work out. Dr. Elliott, in things I have read, seems to say somewhat the same thing - that rotational strength, not just of the trunk, but also in the legs and arms, is important in baseball, and needs new methods to truly develop. I hope Nick Franklin has developed the kind of wrists and shoulders of an Aaron or Banks, rather than trying to be a mini-Adam Dunn. The hard edged, pumped muscles seem to be more prone to tearing as compared to the long, lean muscles that could generate so much wrist torque for Mays, Banks, Aaron, and Robinson.
Add new comment
1