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Saturday, June 17, 2006

Does Arod ever listen to Don Mattingly?

AROD'S BATTING STANCE during an at-bat in Friday's game against the Nats. Seeing this picture & reading the following make me wonder: "Rodriguez is shifting forward in the batter's box, Mattingly said, instead of keeping his weight back. It's a common problem for slumping hitters. "He's not able to ride his back leg at all," Mattingly said. "We've got to get that back to where he can stay on that back leg and carry that weight. He's got to be gliding, not falling." (Reported by Tyler Kepner in the NY Times). I remember a year or 2 ago when Jim Kaat let it be known that Arod had his own personal preparation routine, which didn't necessarily include working with Don Mattingly or anyone else in particular. Arod was furious with Kaat when he heard this. However, shortly thereafter, the YES network took the trouble to put shots of Mattingly observing Arod in batting practice. I believe a memo also was issued from the team's owner saying that Mattingly should be coaching Arod's hitting. Arod bores me, but if he started listening to Don Mattingly he might become interesting. (photo by Reuters) Update--Looks like Arod heard the magic words & got results.

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posted by susan at 6/17/2006 02:12:00 AM

4 Comments:

  • I was listening to yesterday's game on MLB radio, and either Sterling or Waldman mentioned that A-Rod was lifting his front leg more during the approach to his swing. They speculated that Mattingly had suggested this specific mechanical change to him, in order to improve his timing. I think the announcers brought this up right after he hit the home run..

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:58 AM  

  • That's interesting--seeing such quick results. Hope it continues. Suzyn & John have a lot of knowledge between them, especially Suzyn.

    By Blogger susan, at 1:56 PM  

  • I agree, I absolutely love Suzyn and John, and I'm actually a Twins fan (but baseball fan first) in Minneapolis, MN. Ever since I first started listening to them, they have been two of my very favorite announcers. I find they have a quirky, but appealing chemistry, and they do not hesitate to tell it like it is (whether about the opponent or the Yankees equally), which I respect!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:35 PM  

  • Very glad to hear you enjoy Suzyn and John--they do give you a lot of objective info, esp. considering they must be expected by some to do otherwise. I think John has the best voice in the business; Suzyn has been
    on the scene for a long time and knows
    a lot more than she's usually given credit for.

    By Blogger susan, at 8:50 PM  

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