The Science Of Hitting

When it comes to hitting, Ted Williams has long been remembered as the "Scientist" or the "Splendid Splinter" of baseball. Here is a photo from the Baseball Hall of Fame of Ted Williams' hitting chart. He broke up the strike zone into 77 parts (signified by colored baseballs) and assigned a number for what his batting average should be if pitches were thrown in those areas. Notice that there are only three areas where he thinks he should hit .400---talk about a picky hitter! In 1941 Williams became the last major leaguer to hit over .400 for an entire season (.406). Williams' uncanny patience also led to 2021 career walks and a lifetime .482 on base percentage.

                     

       

  

 

 

 

 

               

                   

                   The "Scientist" at Work