- Oct 10, 2011
- 3,117
- 0
Gif of Lauren Chamberlain
- Thread starter iMlearning
- Start date
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It does look kinda like a Freak Black. I tried to slow it down but it is still too blurry.
I wonder if it's less about the hitters' credentials and more about the challenges that each faces, and how each player's raw talent compares to the competition.
I'd predicate that on the assumption that momentum might allow a player to hit a ball farther, at the expense of accuracy. If so, could Chamberlain have discovered that the risk is worth it - for her skill set, and in her sport. Chamberlain hit 95 HR in 607 career AB. It could be that she was that much better than the competition she was facing. The pitching at her level is not good enough to make her pay for her risk-taking. Similar to Babe Ruth in the '20s.
A cool .395. Plus, she walked 207 times, making her on-base average .556.
Lauren Chamberlain Biography - Oklahoma Sooners
I should also note that she hit only .205 w/ 5 HR in 88 at-bats as a rookie in the pitching-dominated pro league (league average is .243).
I don't know that this necessarily proves her momentum-swing is a liability at the higher level, as there are many outstanding college players who struggle at that level. But something to think about.
Just fyi, the best hitter in the pro league last season was Brittany Cervantes (.358, 9 HR), former Kentucky player. Was doing some research on her and found she wasn’t drafted, just tried out, and in her rookie season, she hit .160. How does a player like that go from barely made to perhaps the best hitter in the country over that 40-game span of 2015? I’d like to hear her story. Shows how much improving can still be done beyond college. We forget that today’s college players, even the best ones, really haven’t peaked, and most never will because they’ll have to get on with their lives.
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Couldn't agree more. That's why I always say it isn't completely fair to compare a college softball player's swing to a MLB hitter's swing. The latter has had a lot more time to make additional improvements. Not to mention better resources. It's likely that even the top MLB players' swings didn't look like that in college.
- May 3, 2014
- 2,149
- 83
Ken so true - all you have to do is watch some college games...instruction is still mostly swing down to keep ball on ground so coach can win more games...
Chamberlain was also still dealing with back and knee issues, as well as adjusting to a softball life with a lot less "structure" during her rookie campaign. She has admitted that the lack of the structure and discipline in her new career as a pro was much different than her life at OU and travel ball prior. She had to find some self-motivation instead of being told what to do and where to be every day. Really like her approach to life and softball. Plus a great hitter at OU!
I wonder if the need to supplement her income with a real job plays into it too. Not sure what she does for her day job so maybe she gets the whole summer to focus on playing pro softball. But if she has some sort of job responsibilities that can affect her mental game too.
