Lorenzo Cain ... How much of hitting is talent?

[alexander58]

That's pretty interesting. Because in softball, recruits send video of them hitting front toss, or even off the tee. I realize that is merely the invitation to be watched in person, but I wonder how many players are ruled out just on the basis of the video swing, if only because coaches don't have time to see everybody in person and have to make some educated guesses about what is and isn't worth their time to pursue further.

This is an interesting question. Im sure everyone on this board has seen at least one girl who had poor mechanics, yet made it work at a high level.

 

[PEPPERS]

A discussion by two sports reporters reference Victor Martinez, they said, "He was not satisfied with his batting average although his home run production was satisfactory." Martinez started reviewing swings of his peers until he saw a swing he like and he felt he could incorporate into his mechanics. He then found out who the hitting coach of this player was and went to the coach for instructions, the results are obvious as he is a contender for MVP as a DH.

IMO mechanics and proper training are vital when a batter is facing the best pitchers.

 

[Ken Krause]

Watching a natural athlete is a thing of beauty. You can just see that if you hand that kid whatever the equipment is, and give him/her a quick explanation of how the game is played, that kid is going to produce good to great results right away, and get better from there.

If you are one of the rarities who has that type of athletic ability you probably don't need as much instruction - or attention to mechanics - unless you plan to play at a very high level. Or want to be the absolute best of the high-level players.

For the other 99%, good mechanics can be a huge difference-maker in success. They are not the be-all and end-all - confidence and a good mental approach are critical - but they can overcome a lot of other deficiencies in my experience.

 

[Sweet Lou]

Interesting they were talking about Cain on the radio broadcast last night and mentioned he only went out for baseball because he was cut from the basketball team. They also said he only made the team because only 9 kids tried out. He didn't even know how to hold the bat properly and had his hand reversed. Not sure if that is all 100% accurate but that's the story I heard.