Cleaning House: The Game According to [Dan]

For the record, that part about updating the thesis yearly was horse-hockey. I haven't amended that thing since 1998. I intended it to be the truth, it just never worked out. A shame too, as a chain of batting cages in Florida offered to sell the thesis based on this page. That too never worked out.

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	The Game According to [Dan]
	Baseball - Why I Love it I grew up with a diehard baseball fan as a father, which may explain why I didn't care much for the game until I stumbled across the great Twins/Braves World Series back in 1991. Since then, I have to agree with my Dad; it's a game that gets under your skin and never lets go. I was fortunate enough to have a SABR member as my major advisor in college, and under his direction spent my senior year working on a history of hitting instruction in the 20th century. Not exactly Pulitzer material, but a nice insight into baseball's past and present. In case anyone is wondering, the Milwaukee Brewers are my favorite team (their record notwithstanding), followed closely by the Yankees. The Sultan of Swat, aka George Herman Ruth, remains my favorite player; and, in my opinion, the greatest player of the last century. If I Never Get Back by Daryl Brock and The Rookie by Dan Jenkins are the best examples of baseball fiction I know of; Prophet of the Sandlots by Winegardner is by far my favorite non-fiction work on the game.
	Hitting - The Most Difficult Act in Pro Sports? Hitting a baseball may not be the hardest act in professional sports, but it's certainly in the top three. In its simplest form, you have to hit a round ball with a round bat - squarely. Throw in the fact that the ball is coming at you with varying speed and motion from only 6o'6" away. Mix in wind, air density, turf, and the 9 guys getting paid to take away your hit even if you DO make contact. In short, that's why they pay well for failing 7 times out of 10.
	Hitting Instruction Hitting tips have always appealed to both publishers and advertisers. Hitting tips have sold soap, sports equipment, even Pizza Hut pizza (remember the Griffey pamphlet that came with your order?)While early manuals bordered on the mundane - get a good ball to hit, swing hard, don't read it's bad for the eyes (unless, of course, you were reading that players book) - Ted Williams' 'Science of Hitting' took the opposite course, breaking down the act of hitting into detailed components. While Williams' work is justified in being called a classic of hitting instruction, it opened the door for the heavy handed, highly detailed manuals that seem better suited to graduate students than the youth that are learning the game. If you're interested in learning more about the history of hitting instruction, contact me at x@aol.com. The 60 page thesis I wrote is updated yearly, and is (I think) a valuable insight into the game I love. I'm also on the lookout for any and all instruction manuals, so if you have one to spare drop me a note.
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