Joe Morgan在ESPN談到leadoff hitter
http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/morgan_joe/1369981.html
Speed kills at leadoff spot
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By Joe Morgan
Special to ESPN.com
There has never been a better leadoff hitter than Rickey Henderson. Even though
he is now 43 and a bench player for the Red Sox, during his career he embodied
everything one looks for in a great player at the top of the order.
Today's game has no one who comes close to Rickey. And there are fewer solid
leadoff hitters than ever before. Teams are more likely to get runners on base
and try for the three-run homer than they are to play "small ball" -- stealing
bases, bunting a runner over or executing the hit-and-run.
Despite what some may think, Rickey's greatest quality as a leadoff man was not
his high on-base percentage. In fact, for those who consider Jeremy Giambi to
be the right choice as Oakland's leadoff hitter, the ability to get on base is
not even the second most important quality.
Just like baseball has its five-tool players -- those who can hit for average,
hit for power, run, field and throw -- there are also five tools for leadoff
men. With Rickey as the perfect example,here are the five that comprise a great
leadoff hitter, in order of importance.
1. Speed
Speed is No. 1 because it puts pressure on the defense. It doesn't necessarily
mean the leadoff man has to steal bases. But he can get down the line and break
up a double play. The infield knows it has to hurry on a ground ball to force
him at second base. The outfield knows the leadoff man can go from first to
third on a single. The pitcher knows he has to deliver the ball quicker to the
plate. The hitter knows he will get fastballs early in the count; the pitcher
doesn't want to go to a 2-1 or 3-1 count because it presents an automatic
hit-and-run situation.
2. Awareness
The leadoff man must have the right mentality and realize the importance of his
job the first time up. He has to be willing to take pitches and sacrifice part
of his at-bat to give his team a longer look at the pitcher. Taking as many
pitches as possible allows his teammates to see how sharp the pitcher's
breaking ball is, how much control he has with his fastball, and how much
movement is on his pitches. The more pitches a team sees, the better.
3. On-base percentage
On-base percentages are overrate. All the sluggers have high on-base
percentages. Jason Giambi led the American League in on-base percentage a year
ago, but what does he do once he is on base? All he can do is stand at first
base and wait for someone else to move him around. But if a player has speed
and the right mental approach, on-base percentage becomes more important for a
leadoff man. The more times he is on base, the more he can use his speed.
4. Stealing bases
A good leadoff hitter does not need to steal bases, but it doesn't hurt. There
is a difference between a base stealer and someone who steals bases. Many
players can steal bases, not many are base stealers. When a base stealer is on
first base in the ninth inning and everyone in the ballpark knows he is going,
the other team still can't stop him. Maury Wills and Lou Brock were two players
who fit this mold. Neither player walked much, but they were unstoppable as
base stealers.
5. Power
This is one of the qualities that separates Rickey, who has hit 290 homers in
his career and more leadoff homers than any player in history.
後面還有不少內容,也談到去年A's用Jeremy Giambi打第一棒的事情。
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