A Thought

by Jeff Sullivan on Aug 31, 2009 1:52 PM PDT in Miscellaneous

Ken Griffey Jr. has what many consider to be among the finest-looking swings of his generation. It's a swing synonymous with Mariner baseball, a swing smoother than an unfolded emergency survival blanket and a swing after which couples name their children. Through five months of the season, he's hitting .221/.329/.399 with a .322 wOBA.

Mike Sweeney swings like someone just blew an air horn. Through five months of the season, he's hitting .262/.316/.417 with a .315 wOBA.

Having pretty swing mechanics can be useful, but it's separated from actual production by so many levels as to be borderline irrelevant. Provided a guy surpasses a minimum level of acceptability in that regard, it seems to me the only real concern should be the speed with which the bat clears the zone.

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From a fan perspective I can certainly say that swing mechanics add appeal to certain players

The pretty swing may not help him hit the baseball but it can definitely make him more likable or easier to watch

by Dewey N on Aug 31, 2009 1:57 PM PDT reply actions

I can't wait for when he doesn't retire Mariner

by Poochie on Aug 31, 2009 1:59 PM PDT reply actions

"Having pretty swing mechanics can be useful, but it's separated from actual production "

[coughGregDobbscough]

by msb on Aug 31, 2009 2:03 PM PDT reply actions

Greg Dobbs has been a bit better than league average in his ~750 PAs for Philadelphia.

by marc w on Aug 31, 2009 2:14 PM PDT up reply actions

Remeber the Dobber!!!!!

Geezzz! If Justin Leone’s swing had been half as pretty as Dobbs’, Leone would have qualified for a MLB pension in his old age.

by Steve Nelson on Aug 31, 2009 2:05 PM PDT reply actions

I was trying to think of a way to mention Dobbs in this post

by Jeff Sullivan on Aug 31, 2009 2:06 PM PDT up reply actions

Glad to help

plus I got Justin in as well. Bonus round!

by Steve Nelson on Aug 31, 2009 2:13 PM PDT up reply actions

I'd think the minimum bar includes swing mechanics that don't increase risk of injury

by Spoomeister on Aug 31, 2009 2:15 PM PDT reply actions

I don't think anyone's ever said:

“We should re-sign Griffey because of his swing”.

Nor do I think the swing factors into any sort of argument about his worth. I think people just like it, aesthetically.

Griffey doesn’t have the body type of a typical big power hitter, so unlike, say, Pujols, his power has to come from full-body leverage, which means, necessarily, every motion has to be fluid and inline and well-timed. So, it looks pretty.

A more interesting conversation might be “what would Griffey’s career look like if he COULDN’T swing like that?”

by Andersean on Aug 31, 2009 2:20 PM PDT reply actions

This post isn't really about Griffey

by Jeff Sullivan on Aug 31, 2009 2:21 PM PDT up reply actions

Well, if it's about bat speed through the zone

I would say that overall swing mechanics have a major impact on bat-speed through the zone. Especially in the long term. If you rely purely on upper body strength to generate your bat speed, all things being equal you won’t be able to keep that speed up past your early 30s (for most folks).

by Andersean on Aug 31, 2009 3:15 PM PDT up reply actions