Sarris: Talking with Adrian Beltre on hitting
From SABR member Eno Sarris at FanGraphs on September 28, 2015:
There is no one single way to be good at baseball, which is part of why it’s so amazing. Just last week we peeked into the mind of a man with one of the lowest swing rates in baseball when we asked Joey Votto how he does it. And this week? Let’s ask Adrian Beltre.
“I’m probably the opposite,” Beltre laughed when he heard Votto’s name. “I’m thinking swing first and take second. I don’t have that discipline.”
It’s hard to argue with him, but he has been a top-ten all-time third baseman. “It’s probably not the way to do it,” he said with that trademarked smile, “but it has worked for me.”
As much as it seems that he’s changed over his career, Beltre insists that any alterations have been minor. He does remember coming to Boston and being aware of the Green Monster — “I did change a little in Boston because of the wall,” he told me before a game with the Athletics.
Read the full article here: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/adrian-beltre-on-hitting/
Originally published: September 28, 2015. Last Updated: September 28, 2015.