Youk is the type of hitter, along with a FEW OTHERS, who kinda makes Bumgarner get less swinging strikes on fastballs five feet high. I miss those good selective, disciplined hitting lineups of the Yanks and Redsox. I'm just not seeing it any more ... ..something is very wrong with the overall "hitting" these past two seasons and I don't like it. Hopefully,we're not headed towards the bad old days (of offense) of the mid-late 60's.
I didn't mind Youk as a player either offensively or defensively. However his batting stance of holding the bat with hands apart, moreso with that bat head facing the pitcher, never maximizes a hitter's bat speed, or field of travel for the bat thru the K Zone. Like Carew who laid his bat back, to enable him to get around on Nolan Ryan's fastball. After my 1st game in Travel League LL, in Shreveport, I was thrilled, hit a solo HR, then a Grand Salami, which traveled further than any HR in that big park. No one had ever hit a ball to the Big Oak Trees approx 20 feet from the OF fence. The Solo went mid-way into the Oaks. The Granny went above and beyond those big trees. My point, the very next practice, my Coach says, nice HR's, but you will never have a batting style or stance like that again. (he explained it was more important to hit for a high avg. and cut down on the K's by swinging for the Moon. It paid off big time, and he taught me how to lay my bat down, long before Carew was a Twinkie. The more the bat travels in line with the line of the ball, the better one's chances to not only hit it, but place hit it.
There was a player back in the 60s that played for the Tigers named Dick McCauliff (forgive the spelling) Don't know if anyone remembers him but he use to hold the bat straight up in the air. How he ever manages to get around on the ball I never understood.
Good point Rick on Dick McCauliffe..... Perhaps that bat position was the cause of his Lifetime .247 B'AVG. His best year offensively B'avg wise, was .263 in 1962. A weak hitting 2nd, SS and 3rd baseman never won a gold glove. Dick's lifetime fldg pctg for all 3 positions was .977
He had some pop though but DAMN! not a big RBI guy at all.http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcauldi01.shtml
To thread jack.....sweetest swing ever? I'm partial to Griffey Junior. Back in the day my swing was compared to a righty version of McGriff and Junior. I never complained about that, lol!
Dick McAuliffe - not a bad hitting 2b for his day and he could pop a few HRs. I remember him hitting alot of HRs vs the Yanks. He had a weird batting stance...his both feet were turned a bit towards the pitcher. Never forget McAliffe's batting stance, it was one "we" used to mimic.
So unlike me you're one of the old guys on this board. I guess its between you Rob & Ron as to which one of you voted for Roosevelt.
_____________________ Not quite, but....I do remember collecting those Mars Attacks and Civil War bubble gum cards. Good enough? lol
...yeah, but could you imitate the "Mantle HR trot"? [video=youtube;K5FdorypG00]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5FdorypG00[/video]
______________________________________ Yep...it was more pronounced as he got older. Walter Brennan-ish from the Real McCoys.