Ted Williams Talks Hitting.What would you say is the current status of hitting? A. Hitters are not taking advantage of the pitch, the different kinds of deliveries, the count, the wind conditions, the dimensions of the ballpark, what they did the last time at bat, and so on. Proper thinking--that is what's lacking in today's hitters. I see good swings, great speed, great talent. Hitters are bigger, stronger, faster. But they don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. that little game between the bitter and the pitcher. What statistics do you rely on most in evaluating hitters? A. Production is the bottom line--adding "on-base percentage" and "slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (abbreviated SLG) is the most popular measure of the power of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats: ." It's a great indicator, a great yardstick, a tool for making valid comparisons of hitters from various eras. Who is the greatest hitter of all time? A. His record says it all. Babe Ruth. Beyond hitting, who would you rate as the best all-around player? A. If Joe DiMaggio Noun 1. Joe DiMaggio - United States professional baseball player noted for his batting ability (1914-1999) DiMaggio, Joseph Paul DiMaggio wasn't the best, it would have to be Willie Mays Noun 1. Willie Mays - United States baseball player (born in 1931) Mays, Say Hey Kid, Willie Howard Mays Jr. . What about Mickey Mantle Noun 1. Mickey Mantle - United States baseball player (1931-1997) Mickey Charles Mantle, Mantle ? A. Mantle was power personified from both sides of the plate. But he wouldn't concede a thing with two strikes, and you've got to concede with two strikes. It's hard for me to believe Mickey Mantle falling short of a .300 lifetime B.A. and Mays barely making it. Two of the greatest that God ever let play. But they were both free swingers who missed the ball an awful lot. They absolutely should have been better hitters for average. Who is the best hitter in the game today? (mid-90's) A. You might get some argument from Ken Griffey Ken Griffey may refer to:
tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. power and yet is extremely selective. His great bat speed and superior eye allows him to wait on a pitch and still hit it out of the park. He combines the raw strength of a Jimmie Foxx and the patience and smarts of a Tony Gwynn. Who is the greatest pitcher you ever faced? A. No question, it had to be Bob Feller. Many people believe you were the greatest hitter of all time. How do you believe you compare with Babe Ruth? A. Comparisons with Babe Ruth are always flattering, but let's face it: Ruth was the ultimate player. He did more of everything and you cannot overstate what he meant to the game. As far as hitting is concerned, he outslugged me .690 to .634, and while I had an edge in on-base percentage, his overall production numbers are staggering, the highest ever. If not for the five seasons you missed because of military service, you might have compiled baseball's greatest numbers. Do you have any regrets about that? A. I don't know a single player who has any regrets about fighting for his country instead of staying home and playing baseball. Lots of Americans had their lives interrupted by the war. I never pine over those so-called "lost years." And I know that great players like Feller and DiMaggio felt the same way about their service in WWII WWII abbr. World War II WWII World War Two . (From an interview with Ted Williams at the time he published Ted Williams' Hit List for Masters Press in 1996.) |
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