Mickey Mantle came up to the majors at 5'11" and 175 pounds. His career stats speak for themselves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etSfBwcNpII

Quincy - thanks for posting that. The thing that sticks out to me in those clips is bat speed - overwhelming bat speed. His bat appears flat through the hitting zone and then explodes on the ball. I rarely post in this forum so I have no idea if I described things correctly. Just trying to describe what I see.

Imagine having a whole team full of guys with that swing and two good legs.

If we teach em young they will have this swing all their lives.

Isn't there just a little bit of god given talent in that swing?

Does anyone else think his right-handed swing looks a lot like Aaron's?

Excellent close-up of Mickey's grip included.

I asked him about that grip while we were sitting in Central Park.

He said that if he ever swung with that grip he would break his wrist. It was just something for the camera.

This is a nice little bio on him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIGm0hYjUSg&NR=1

Looks quite a bit like what many ARE TRYING to teach.There were alot of swings in that video where he was just flat out fooled and made contact.

Talk about bat blurr

Believe it or not,some of us are trying to teach kids to get there but it takes work.






There are a few similarities between Mantle at contact(when he wasn't fooled) with this guy.







BUT,I agree that 2 good legs could turn some of the routine ground outs into base hits.

quote:

Believe it or not,some of us are trying to teach kids to get there but it takes work.

Are you teaching, "how to rotate"?

quote:

Originally posted by BlueDog:

quote:

Believe it or not,some of us are trying to teach kids to get there but it takes work.

Are you teaching, "how to rotate"?

Yes,but you don't agree with the methods.

quote:

Yes.....

Then, it sure could take quite awhile....

he's doing alright as a 9 year old and Ted Williams seemed to have liked the teaching methods so His coach and I will stick with them for a while.


BUT,this thread isn't about my son,I just put his pic up in reference to teching them while they are young.

Watch that slow grounder again. The ump calls him safe.

quote:

Originally posted by Quincy:
Watch that slow grounder again. The ump calls him safe.

I know,that is why I agree with you about 2 good legs.

quote:

Originally posted by tom.guerry:
Excellent close-up of Mickey's grip included.

Tom,

What, in your opinion, is the significance of the raised finger of the Mic's index finger of his bottom hand? I noticed Ruth did the same, but also with his top hand. I'm pretty sure Williams did the same.

When I bat my index finger of my bottom hand is raised too-

It's because you aren't supposed to grip the bat in your hand, but hold it with your fingers..if you read Ted Williams' The Science of Hitting, he talks about it in there.

Good call gda.

After seeing this film as a kid I used that grip. The skin between my thumb and index finger would be pulled and wrinkled during batting practice. Always raw and never could form a callous.

I got better results and less hand damage with the knocker knuckle grip and more bat speed.

Longest Home Runs

Mickey Mantle - 565 feet and, some say, longer

The Mick hit the first taped home run at 565 at Griffth stadium after he hit the roof five times coming within mere feet of hitting it out of Yankee Stadium. "ON ONE LEG"

Micky Mantle FOR THE YANKEES hit a ball 634 feet. the real record Mickey Mantle at Yankee Stadium on 2-3 occasions hit 550-560' and one occasion 570'--620'. Mick has the record.

In an exibition game, Mickey Mantle hit a ball 700 feet. He was also known for hitting home run's over 600 feet on more than one occasion.