I previously posted the “Home Run Drill” that Yankees hitting coach, Kevin Long, came up with and used with Robinson Cano, and now here is a look at Cano’s hitting mechanics that were recently on display in the 2011 Home Run Derby. At the :56 mark, there is a good side view in super slo- mo:
A few things that I really like:
1. The way he moves against his back leg
2. The position of his upper body
3. How his bat gets on and stays in a really great swing path
It’s not easy to have a short swing and create bat speed at the same time, but this is a pretty good example of what it looks like.
ESPN.com posted a nice short video today that details Manny Ramirez’s approach to his workout and training this off-season. You’ll see some movement drills, sprinting mechanics and instruction, as well as a number of rotational drills and exercises.
Aside from all of the drills and exercises, here is one quote I found particularly interesting:
Everything in every sport really boils down to rotational power.
I made a previous post where Don Mattingly explains hitting mechanics and drills for youth league players. Here’s another episode of Coaches Corner where Donnie Baseball talks about an often overlooked aspect of baseball offense – situational hitting:
Most times in youth, high school and even college baseball, hitters are just trying to get hits and put up numbers – it’s important to get noticed, right? But something different happens as you climb the ladder of professional baseball. It’s still important to get noticed, but it’s important to get noticed for being able to contribute to a winning baseball team. Execution in situational hitting is part of winning baseball. Although not always glamorous to the average fan, it does show off a hitter’s ability to handle the bat and display a complete skill set in the batter’s box.
Stack TV has a series of hitting, workout & training video clips featuring Evan Longoria from the Tampa Bay Rays. These cover aspects of his baseball specific workouts in the weight room that target power development through the lower body and core muscles, as well as training the upper body for stability. Just as important to the training, especially considering the daily repetition and long duration of the baseball season, is his mindset of taking quality reps in each area in order to maximize the training effect of his effort.
Here is the Barranquilla installment in the series about my travels through the Colombian Winter League.
Barranquilla, Colombia is a coastal city that is the home of the Barranquilla Caimanes (Alligators) – this is the team that I worked for as the hitting coach during the 2010 season. Although the Barranquilla team has been very successful, winning the league’s past 3 championships, the city is much more well known as the birthplace of 2010 World Series MVP, Edgar Renteria…and let’s not forget Shakira!
Barranquilla Caimanes team shot at a pre-season press conference
Check below for more photos and a video from inside the ballpark
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