The CHB on Ted, and Launch Angle

[weams]

https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2018/04/07/let-revisit-ted-williams-take-launch-angle-and-other-thoughts/9qkhL7iPrehvOVpF1pGkTK/story.html

 

Quote

Here’s what Ted Williams wrote in “The Science of Hitting” in 1971 (page 13): “The ideal swing is not level and it’s not down,” and (pages 62-63): “If you get the ball into the air with power, you have the gift to produce the most important hit in baseball — the home run. More important is that you hit consistently with authority. For those purposes I advocate a slight upswing (from level to about 10 degrees), and there is another good reason for this — the biggest reason: Say the average pitcher is 6 foot 2. He’s standing on a mound 10 inches high. He’s pitching overhand, or three-quarter arm. He releases the ball about ear level . . . The flight of the ball is down, about 5 degrees.’’

 

 

[waroriole]

That man was a national treasure 

[Number5]

2 hours ago, waroriole said:

That man was a national treasure 

He was also John Glenn's wing man in Korea.

[Il BuonO]

All-time favorite.

[murph]

1 hour ago, Il BuonO said:

All-time favorite.

Only had one season with an OPS under 1000. How’s that even possible.  The greatest hitter to ever walk this earth.   

[Hallas]

17 minutes ago, murph said:

Only had one season with an OPS under 1000. How’s that even possible.  The greatest hitter to ever walk this earth.   

I vaguely remember an interview excerpt from Ted where the interviewer was talking about how amazing it was that he hit .316 at age 41.  And Ted's response was something like, "actually my bad speed was declining, but teams never stopped shifting on me, so I got a lot of cheap opposite field hits that year."  That was one of my favorite quotes from him.  Aside from being rather amusing, it shows an otherworldly level of self-awareness.

[Frobby]

The Science of Hitting is a true classic.   Nobody ever combined natural talent, hard work and a desire to study the game the way Ted Williams did.    Met him once, that was a thrill.   Like shaking hands with a god, when I was 13.   

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Frobby said:

The Science of Hitting is a true classic.   Nobody ever combined natural talent, hard work and a desire to study the game the way Ted Williams did.    Met him once, that was a thrill.   Like shaking hands with a god, when I was 13.   

Bonds and Arod would both also score very high in those three categories.

[Frobby]

Just now, Can_of_corn said:

Bonds and Arod would both also score very high in those three categories.

Except for the “natural” part.   But hey, “without chemicals, life itself would be impossible,” as Monsanto used to say in its TV ads.   Or BASF: “We don’t make many of the products you buy.   We make the products you buy better.”

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, Frobby said:

Except for the “natural” part.   But hey, “without chemicals, life itself would be impossible,” as Monsanto used to say in its TV ads.   Or BASF: “We don’t make many of the products you buy.   We make the products you buy better.”

Do you think, for a second, that if Ted thought it would make him a better hitter he wouldn't have used PEDs?

Oh let's put this guy on the moral high ground since it wasn't available.

[Frobby]

3 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Do you think, for a second, that if Ted thought it would make him a better hitter he wouldn't have used PEDs?

Oh let's put this guy on the moral high ground since it wasn't available.

I’m not getting into Ted’s morals at all.     But I did say “natural ability” in my OP.    If Bonds and ARod had never used PED’s, I don’t know that I’d be comparing them to Williams.    Maybe I would, but I don’t know.   They both were very talented.

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I’m not getting into Ted’s morals at all.     But I did say “natural ability” in my OP.    If Bonds and ARod had never used PED’s, I don’t know that I’d be comparing them to Williams.    Maybe I would, but I don’t know.   They both were very talented.

It is silly to say they may have lacked "natural ability" simply because they used PEDs.  Did Ruth lack "natural ability"?  Did all those Hall of Famers that used Greenies lack "natural ability"?

 

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, Can_of_corn said:

It is silly to say they may have lacked "natural ability" simply because they used PEDs.  Did Ruth lack "natural ability"?  Did all those Hall of Famers that used Greenies lack "natural ability"?

 

You’ve beaten this subject to death in many other threads.    I don’t feel like engaging in the debate here.   I was just paying Ted Williams a compliment, not trying to reopen this topic.    

[Can_of_corn]

25 minutes ago, Frobby said:

You’ve beaten this subject to death in many other threads.    I don’t feel like engaging in the debate here.   I was just paying Ted Williams a compliment, not trying to reopen this topic.    

Well, when others stop waxing poetic about how "natural" the old-timey guys were I'll stop talking about it.

[Can_of_corn]

2 hours ago, Frobby said:

The Science of Hitting is a true classic.   Nobody ever combined natural talent, hard work and a desire to study the game the way Ted Williams did.    Met him once, that was a thrill.   Like shaking hands with a god, when I was 13.   

And another thing by hard work you are just talking about hitting right?

I've never heard of him putting any real effort into his defense.