Скачать с ютуб Pete Rose on hitting... in an interview with Alex Rodriguez and Frank Thomas, from 2016. в хорошем качестве

Pete Rose on hitting... in an interview with Alex Rodriguez and Frank Thomas, from 2016.

Pete Rose, a true legend in the game, was dropping knowledge on Alex Rodriguez and Frank Thomas about his approach to hitting—real inside-the-mind-of-a-hitter type stuff. First off, the bat. Rose preferred a 35-inch bat, sometimes even a 36-inch, but he always choked up. Why? Simple: control. "Never admit you're in a slump," Rose said. "Don't ever let a pitcher think they've got you." His advice for breaking out of a funk? Adjust your stance, not your swing. Move closer to the plate, farther back, up in the box, or back in it. Choke up or down on the bat, but never change your mechanics. Pitchers chart everything now, he explained, so hitters need to constantly adjust. "If you're pulling off the ball, hit it right back up the middle. You can't pull off if you're hitting it up the middle." Rose talked about being pitched inside and how he adjusted for that, too. He'd back off the plate just enough to take away that inside edge, especially as a left-handed hitter. The swing stayed the same, but his positioning did the work. "All your power comes when you go like that," Rose said, demonstrating how he could turn on an inside pitch. Frank Thomas and A-Rod were eating it up. A-Rod even commented on how big a deal it was for a switch-hitter to face different pitches from both sides. Rose agreed, but he didn't sweat it. "I was a better hitter left-handed," Rose admitted, "but had more power right-handed." Most switch-hitters, like Mantle and Murray, were the same way—better contact from the left side, more pop from the right. A-Rod chimed in about sliders being the toughest pitch to hit, especially from a righty. Rose acknowledged it, but also mentioned the forkball, which he said was similar to today's split-finger pitch. "You could always tell the guys who threw a lot of forkballs," he said, laughing about how catchers would struggle to handle them. The conversation then turned to Rose’s love for the game. Doubleheaders? He loved them. Hot days? Bring it on. Anything that tired out a pitcher worked in his favor. "If it’s hot, the pitcher’s sweating, he’s gonna be gassed by the fifth inning." And when it came to work ethic, Rose set the bar. He’d get to the stadium early, playing pepper with the batboy every day. "I loved it," he said, though he couldn’t hit left-handed fungos or pepper. His right hand was his strong hand, but that didn’t stop him from grinding. Rose also shared a story about Don Zimmer, a revered baseball man who called it quits when the game wasn’t fun anymore. Zimmer said he knew it was time to go when pitchers were taking infield at third base, and the actual third baseman was inside watching TV. For Rose and Zimmer, baseball was all about the love of the game and respecting it. This whole exchange is just classic Pete Rose—hard-nosed, all about the fundamentals, and never backing down. Whether it was adjusting in the box or hustling on the field, Rose’s mindset is one of a kind, and it’s no wonder he racked up over 4,200 hits in his legendary career.