Quote:
Originally Posted by Marcellus
Has to be a vision thing doesn’t it? Hand eye coordination is faster agains lefties because he has a half second better look?
If we keep gaining on the Brewers you might get to a point you just run him out there and let him sing away. **** it.
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It's a timing thing, IMO.
Young Albert has incredible hands so he could adjust. He also had excellent athleticism and dexterity in his lower half so he could explode through with a great deal of force and drive balls he doesn't hit square.
He's not that guy anymore. Now when he hits one, it's because he's timed it right. Not necessarily that he's caught it out in front and pulled it, but that he got his foot down, his hips through and his hands inside the barrel. He's synced up mechanically and it's just inertia that does the work.
Well when he is less worried about some slider breaking out of the zone anda way from him, he can be more assertive in all that. He can keep his timing relatively static.
It's just a damn sight easier for him.
Just watch his front foot and it'll tell you the story. It's coming down RIGHT on time against lefties. And as soon as it's coming down, his hands are coming right behind it. As soon as you see that coming down a bit early or a bit late, then the hot streak is over.
And remember - historically great players don't typically just collapse. What happens is that their hot streaks aren't quite as hot as they used to be, their cold streaks are colder than they used to be, the hot streaks are shorter and the cold streaks are longer. Over large numbers it looks like they just got 20% worse or whatever. But that's not entirely true. A great player is still capable of looking great for periods of time even when he's not what he once was.