Are you a Roger Hornsby fan?

[sluggers]

People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.

-Rogers Hornsby

Batting average .358
Hits 2,930
Home runs 301
Runs batted in 1,584

 

[Elk Grove Hurricane]

I've read a lot about him and always admired his career. Wish he would have worn Red Sox.

 

[rdbass]

 

[CoogansBluff]

On why he stands in the deep, back corner of the batter's box.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Is this still considered a high-level swing? Looks more like a swing-level swing.

 

[cvsoftball]

more of a Bruce fan

 

[rdbass]

Is this still considered a high-level swing? Looks more like a swing-level swing.

I myself wouldn't use him as a hitting model. I believe a different time of baseball. Heavy bats & higher strike zone to name of full. I focus on 'modern' hitters.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Hope I'm not hijacking into hitting conversation, but here are more hitting examples from Hornsby's era, or slightly after, as this is the 1934 all-star games. It shows batting practice for several players, most of which are in the Hall of Fame.

 

[hmurphyharold]

?

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk

 

[Ken Krause]

Love the tacked-on numbers that don't match the uniforms. Real high line operation there.

Keep in mind as you watch most of these swings that the prevailing mindset at this time was "Hit 'em where they ain't." Most weren't going for the stands like today's players, they were just looking to put the ball far enough away from the fielders to get on base. Also it's batting practice. Whoever was pitching may not have been so great, leading to some pretty ugly swings. Maybe it was a media event and they were just putting up with it so they could go drink beer.