Comments on: Quote of the Day: “great piece of hitting”

By: simplicitymadecomplex

simplicitymadecomplex — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:12:56 +0000

Wouldn’t any “great piece of hitting” be any time the batter does his job successfully based on the current situation ?

And as any baseball fan[atic] knows there are a kazillion scenarios for each any every pitch thrown in any 1 game.

Thus a hitter has the opportunity to perform a “great piece of hitting” at any time.

Also any piece of great hitting will undoubtedly be viewed both objectively [passes a "baseball "litmus" test] and subjectively [hey that's my fav. player and that was a great piece of hitting].

Just part of the beauty of baseball.

By: natstowngreg

natstowngreg — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 02:45:37 +0000

Disagree. A line drive into the opposite corner for a double (maybe even a triple) would qualify.

By: bigleagues

bigleagues — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 22:51:28 +0000

Craig,

I think you swung and missed on this post.

You just narrowly defined what you think should be referred to as a “great piece of hitting” – and that doesn’t have a certain smug quality to it?

By: natstowngreg

natstowngreg — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 22:42:01 +0000

My first exposure to the concept came from Joe Garagiola, doing the NBC Saturday Game of the Week with Curt Gowdy. The concept was simple — a good piece of hitting was hitting the ball hard the other way for a hit. See, Carew, Rod.

Now, it can apply to hitting a weak grounder to second, if it advances a runner. Or fouling off a lot of pitches, tiring out the pitcher. I know this is Master of the Obvious terriroty, but it’s amazing how our understanding of the game has advanced in nearly a half-century.

By: professor59

professor59 — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 21:58:08 +0000

It sure worked against Halladay the other day. When will the Phillies batters get the message and wear out a pitcher that way?

By: Phillies Homer

Phillies Homer — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 19:44:12 +0000

Ha… if there was an EDIT FUNCTION, I would have updated my post with the same thing; as after I hit submit, I was thinking… “ooh I should have included a 90 pitch at bat that knocked the starter out of the game, would probably be the greatest at bat…”

Glad someone else was thinking along the same lines!

By: jeffrp

jeffrp — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:57:06 +0000

Hey Craig,

Sometimes the pitcher doesn’t throw a first pitch thigh high 89 mph fastball on the inner third that every Francoeur, Betemit and Wily Mo can terrorize third baseman with. Sometimes at bats are more difficult and worthy of appreciation.

Just sayin’.

By: hughhansen

hughhansen — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:43:43 +0000

That’s what screws me up if I think too much about foul balls. With most, if the batter hit it better, it would’ve been a ground ball to second (or pop-up or whatever).

By: Chris Fiorentino

Chris Fiorentino — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:41:28 +0000

Leadoff at bat in the first inning…100 pitches, then a home run. That’s the greatest at bat. Good bye starting pitcher. 1-0.

By: Phillies Homer

Phillies Homer — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:36:58 +0000

Then what is a “greatest” at bat?

By: nolanwiffle

nolanwiffle — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:33:04 +0000

Wait…what? What’d I miss? I’m not seeing it.

By: dexterismyhero

dexterismyhero — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:20:37 +0000

he hit that one on the screws……Or as Harry Caray would say….here’s the windup and the pitch…Hey, we have Evelyn Harris from Naperville in the crowd…she is 82 today…big hand for Evelyn…Ball outside…Hey Steve, get me a Bud….

By: 18thstreet

18thstreet — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:09:50 +0000

Oh, they love bunts. And hitting behind the runner.

By: bcopus

bcopus — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:08:58 +0000

Anybody listen to the Mets-Cardinals game last night? Nomar was waxing poetic for an hour over Laird’s bunt. According to him, Laird had the supergreat piece of hitting.

By: Mr. Jason "El Bravo" Heyward

Mr. Jason "El Bravo" Heyward — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:58:43 +0000

PS. if his definition is a “great” at-bat is what is quoted above, then a greater at-bat is what Fiorentino and myself describe above.

By: Mr. Jason "El Bravo" Heyward

Mr. Jason "El Bravo" Heyward — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:56:46 +0000

Seriously. Again Fiorentino nails it. The 10 pitch at-bat made the pitcher pitch TEN PITCHES instead of just one. This will be a better at-bat any day over a single-pitch at-bat with the same outcome. That’s why they say it’s a great piece of hitting b/c one, it is a well-hit ball, and two, it tired out the pitcher too.

By: sabathiawouldbegoodattheeighthtoo

sabathiawouldbegoodattheeighthtoo — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:54:34 +0000

Right up there with, “He put a good swing on that one, fouled it straight back.” I would argue that a good swing makes the ball move forward, at least somewhat.

By: drmonkeyarmy

drmonkeyarmy — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:51:04 +0000

You are on a roll today Fiorentino….completely agree.

By: Phillies Homer

Phillies Homer — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:50:03 +0000

Why? He caused the pitcher to throw 11 extra pitches before he got out. I’m sure his coach will be plenty happy with that at bat when it causes the pitcher to tire later in the game and have the other team make a call to the ‘pen.

By: 18thstreet

18thstreet — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:48:22 +0000

I’m pretty sure that opposite field singles are, by definition, a great piece of hitting. A double cannot be.

By: Chris Fiorentino

Chris Fiorentino — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:45:36 +0000

“My definition of a great at-bat: One pitch, one swing, damage”

I think a 10 pitch at bat where there is damage is much better than a 1 pitch at bat where there is damage.

By: nategearhart

nategearhart — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:38:57 +0000

In the same vein, whenever a hitter takes an at-bat 12 pitches then gets an out, I always hope to hear the announcer say “Way to f*** that one up, numbnuts” .

By: joshfrancis50

joshfrancis50 — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:35:37 +0000

That’s a great piece of blogging, right there.