My manager said it would more effective against left-handed hitters. It seemed to me that was impossible to do without the high leg kick, which I started that day.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
My dad used to do it when we were little, and I tried it when we played around in the back yard. Eventually, I got a bat and a real ball and played around to see if I could hit left-handed.
On the practice green, I hit a lot of four-footers with my right hand only. But whatever grip I'm using, you can bet I'm feeling good about it. Otherwise, I'd change. That's how I avoid slumps.
Wiffle ball was my first experience hitting left-handed.
I wasn't allowed to throw big hooks and overhand rights until I'd been striking for three years. It's so you don't rely on those things from the very beginning. If your footwork sucks, and you can only stand in one place and throw your hands all crazy while the other person is running around, you're never going to be able to hit them.
It must be nice for today's hitters when you don't have to worry about being thrown at. It's a whole different deal. When I played, getting knocked down was an accepted part of the game.
I played baseball as a left-handed first baseman, though never as well as I did quarterbacking.
There are different angles you have to work with as a hitter. Figuring out with my body what helps me get into those angles... is a constant discovery.
There's no easier pitch to hit than a splitter that doesn't do anything.
I had strong legs that would have made me a good sumo wrestler and I used that to my advantage, but my home runs were achieved by technique.
The first time I picked up a bat in a professional game, I hit a ball hard left-handed, and my first home run was so effortless, it surprised me.