YANKEE BASEBALL: THE BASICS OF HITTING

“It’s a round ball and a rounded bat. Now hit it square.”

The fundamentals of hitting have always been part of the game, before Joe DiMaggio and even today.  That quote above I found when I simply did a search on the basic fundamentals of hitting.  It’s on the About.com Baseball link HERE and you should check it out.  Actually, check that… the Yankees should, they’re the ones that have an amazing hitting ball club on paper, yet they have a major problem leaving runners in scoring position and not manufacturing runs.  Sure, I sound like a sour puss, I'm not, I'm happy the Yankees won last night, but the fact of the matter is baseball is much more than homers, even Joe DiMaggio could tell you that.

The Yankees have an inability to score runs. I'm not sure why that is, but I thought maybe it would be interesting to look at the basics of this game when it comes to hitting. I mean, I understand these guys are major league ball players, but when you knock in 2 runs in 2 games against the Blue Jays and then last night you only have 1 run going into the 8th, it’s time to take a deep breath, step back and remember the basics. Which is why I did this. It’s a simple guide to hitting and it's funny because when you read the pointers, you’ll laugh, because, it’s so damn obvious! Let’s be real, sometimes hitters forget, sometimes hitters get into ruts and sometimes, well, hitter can’t hit, but there’s always a reason why and usually you can figure it out.

EYES ON THE BALL: Put both eyes on the pitcher, not just one. You'll be able to see the pitch better. Try to pick up the ball as early as possible for better success. And never take your eyes off it. Keep your weight on your back foot for now, but be ready to have that shift immediately.

STRIDE & CONNECT: If you think it's a strike, turn your hips through the ball and swing the bat. Your back foot should pivot, but not leave the ground. You know you've done this correctly if your foot is pointing downward. You should feel your weight shifting forward.

FOLLOW THROUGH: The momentum of the bat, whether you make contact or not, will carry you through the follow-through. If you don't follow through, you won't generate much power because your swing might actually be slowing down before you make contact. So the follow-through is important. If you made contact, get ready to drop the bat and run to first base.

Sure, I'm mocking alittle bit, but the reality is, for all hitters it all goes back to the beginning when we first learned how to hit a baseball.  Maybe the Yankees can get back to basics.  Sure, I love the long ball, but manufacturing runs makes me smile just as much.  Let's go Yanks!

ORDER A BYB SHIRT NOW, DROB WEARS ONE! Also, Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.