I remember reading, 3+ decades ago, something by Hank Aaron. He said that all good hitters were "guess hitters." I suspect he meant, like Ted Williams that he went looking (guessing) for a particular pitch and unloaded when he got it.
I also remember reading about Richie/Dick Allen. He would tell teammates that he would purposely K by purposely waving at a third strike pitch, say a slider, late in a game already decided. He did so because he knew he would then see that same pitch called the next time around.....and he would be sitting on it.
Doc, you remember Dick Allen. Many of our younger guys may not. What a hitter he was. Between '64 and '74, he was never below 145 OPS+, led the league in OPS 4 time, slg% 3 times, OBP twice and homers twice. In '72 he had one of the all-time great years. That year, with the White Sox, he led the league with 37 homers, 113 RBI's, 99 walks, a .420 OBP, slugged .603, OPS 1.023, and OPS+'ed 199! All figures led the league. Oh...he hit .308, too. He was a man. Over that decade, he was probably one of the top five hitters (and that may be conservative) in the game. Aaron was better.....then you have Bench, Killebrew, Howard, Wynn...maybe Yaz and Morgan. (have I mssed anybody who produced for that decade?) Allen was in that class....maybe near the head of it. Anyway....he claimed he would whiff at an offering on purpose....just so he could sit on it in a later AB. Now THAT'S a hitter!
Saunders is completely lost at the plate. I've come to the conclusion that with his new set-up he does not see the ball as well as he did. I don't know if his head/eye position has changed...but I would bet that a subtle tweak has mucked him up and he has a hard time picking up the ball. His new swing also has no leverage. Last year I thought he had 20 homer power, maybe 25, if he learned to sit dead red and wait for his pitch. That launching ability is completely gone. It looks like the M's tried to make him a more up-the-middle hitter. Hey, some guys (See Ted Williams) are just natural pull hitters. Sometimes you have to let them be.
Plenty of PGA Tour guys have lost their game when they tried to make a swing change.....Saunders is just like that. As a .240-.300 guy with 25 taters, he is more valuable than Guti. He ain't that player anymore....nor will he be.
Remember the immortal line from "Slap Shot" (still the funniest sports movie ever made), "Dave's a mess."
Well....Mike's a mess.
Dick Allen wasn't though.
moe
Add new comment
1