Rays Diary 4/22/13
Great to see The Rays finally hitting the ball again. Funny how you can hit so many homeruns when you don’t try to! This is a different kind of Rays team, full of guys who can hit, especially if they don’t listen to Derek Shelton and now Orestes Destrade misleading them about “using their hands” to swing at the ball. Their description, of course is in their heads, not in the “films.” Each homerun looks exactly the same! The hips and shoulders clear by turning thus pulling the hands into the hitting area. In fact, for the first dozen games, almost everyone was swinging with his hands, pulling scores of pitches harmlessly into foul territory or rolling “over the top” of the ball leading to easy ground outs and pop ups.
The resurgence of homeruns started with Shelley Duncan, fooled on a sinking fastball, but still able to hit a line drive homer because his hands stayed back until his hips had cleared so he could drive the ball with his shoulders and hands as a unit. Soon everyone, except of course, Jennings and Rodriguez stopped pressing and instead of arm swinging, started swinging in a more relaxed, athletic sequence: legs, hips, shoulders and hands. Watch your own video, Orestes. The way you “get from ear to here” is by turning your hips and shoulders, not by moving or waving your arms or weakly leading with your wrists and hands!
No matter how much talent there is on this team, they will go through the same terrible slumps they always have if they listen to the amateur drivel batting “coach” Peter Principle Shelton and his older brother Joe have been handing them for the last four years. And, since Big Brother Joe doesn’t believe in managing his offense on the field, despite great pitching, The Rays will need a lot of base hits to make the playoffs this year. Guys, you don’t swing with your hands, but you do hit with your hands. Afterall, they are the things holding the bat, aren’t they?
Rays, are you sure you want to follow me on Twitter?
Al Finkelstein, 4/22/13