The Hitter’s Lab

Timing comes in waves. Every hitter knows this. You remember those days when you walked to the plate knowing you were going to barrel the baseball. You didn’t care about pitch type, velocity, or location — your timing was perfect. You were riding the wave at its crest. And you remember those at-bats where you felt like you had never played the game before. No timing. Nothing felt right. That’s why hitters spend countless hours in cages — trying to control something that is incredibly hard to control: timing. Here’s the truth about this game: Every hitter will suck at times. The great ones just suck less. For the devoted followers of Richard — be careful with video breakdowns. Video can be a slippery slope. He grabs one clip thinking he’s proved a point, when in reality he understands very little about hitting and nothing about timing. And one more truth about this game: Everyone who plays it will suck. The great ones just suck less.