Let the pitcher move first, then, as he draws his arm back, you draw the bat back and you are ready.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
If a pitcher sees you fiddling with the bat, he'll stall until your arms are tired before you even get a chance to hit.
When I'm at the plate, I'm not thinking about what I'm trying to do with the bat - I'm thinking about what the pitcher is trying to do with the ball.
My pitching philosophy is simple - keep the ball way from the bat.
A pitcher needs two pitches, one they're looking for and one to cross them up.
You fool around with different pitches playing catch, but it's not the same when you've got to face some guy with a bat in his hand.
The pitcher has the ball, and nothing happens until he lets go of it. So as the batter, I felt I had to fight for any bit of control I could get. I expected the umpire, the catcher, and the pitcher to wait on me. I wanted to get ready on my time.
If you can get an out on one pitch, take it. Let the strikeouts come on the outstanding pitches. Winning is the big thing. If you throw a lot of pitches, before you know it, your arm is gone.
Preparation is very important. The pitcher is going to do his job and prepare for you, so you as a hitter must do the same. I always watch videotape of pitchers before the game and even sometimes during.
Fix your eye on the ball from the moment the pitcher holds it in his glove. Follow it as he throws to the plate and stay with it until the play is completed. Action takes place only where the ball goes.
You got the ball in your hands and you're in command, and if you get your good pitch where you want it, nobody's gonna hit you.