

Archive for the ‘hitters’ Category

>Yankee Wizard Rises Again Under Same Ownership

>I spent a long time making posts to Yankee Wizard – years, really. But then something happened to the format and I canned it and am starting over. Occasionally, I will post articles or write my own. The goal of the blog is to follow Yankee baseball specifically, but MLB, minor league, and college baseball generally.

If you want to post something, let me see your article. If it meets my high standards I’ll be happy to post your writing, but there is no payment to you. As time goes on, maybe that policy will change as we develop advertising, donations, grants, and other types of funding for this important blog.

So goes the minors, so goes the majors. In today’s world, there are only a few who play in college and manage to land big contracts and go directly to the team of their choice. Most college graduates find themselves being assigned to class C or A ball. A few outstanding ones go to the Pacific Coast League which is triple A or to some other triple A league.

Field and front office managers believe that it takes at least a year or two for the candidate to mature, learn to hit major league-type pitching – and this means being able to hit the slider, curve ball and change-up. Everyone who plays minor league ball and posts a .300 batting average can hit a fastball. And, in my opinion, it doesn’t matter if the pitcher throws it eight-five mph or ninety-five mph. If he throws 100 mph like Bob Feller and a few special people coming up (the ill-fated Herb Score, for example) then he can get most hitters out on one pitch – at least for a while. You see, it’s all a matter of timing. Once a really talented hitter learns to time the fastball pitcher, away it goes into the stands.

It’s actually easier to be a homerun hitter against a fastball pitcher than a slow curveball pitcher. Or against a knuckleball chucker. Bat speed, timing and leg strength is key. Don White.