Back in the Saddle - Apr 16
Season two is underway in Lakeland. It has been a while since I last thought about having time to blog, but between bus trips and down time before games, I decided to catch back up. The Flying Tigers are off to a 3-4 start. Our pitching has been very solid so far. That is always a positive sign. Defensive has been so-so and hitting is coming and going. Status quo for the beginning of the season. It is a big jump from the Midwest League to the Florida State League and it takes some time to get adjusted. The FSL is now and always has been a good league for pitchers. Most of the clubs send quality arms to this league and after the first half, most of them are in AA. I think it is a great league to learn how to hit. The pitching is good, yes, but the ball parks have big gaps and are well lit. Being able to see the ball is the most important thing a hitter can have in his favor. The game is tough enough as it is, but when you can’t see the ball well, it makes it even tougher. I mentioned the gaps. To be successful hitter at any level, you have to learn to stay up the middle with your approach. Of course your are going to pull the ball and hit the ball the other way, but if you can concentrate on staying up the middle with your front side, you are in a better position to hit any pitch, anywhere. In most leagues ballparks have short porches in either left or right field and can be very inviting for a young hitter to change his approach to try and hit the ball over the short porch. This phenomenon doesn’t apply in the FSL as all of the ballparks are large with big gaps (Daytona may be the exception). So, if our young hitters can learn to use the gaps to their advantage, they will become better hitters overall and hopefully have a more successful year. It takes a lot of discipline to accomplish this and is not easy. Being able to control your mind and body to see the ball and stay up the middle is hard to do, however, if one can master it and has a decent swing; one can play this game for a while. Good to be back in the saddle. Until next time…..