What Would Ted Williams Tell Jimmy Rollins?

Ted Williams famously said that "hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports". Hitting barely above the Mendoza line heading into the midpoint of the season, Jimmy Rollins would no doubt agree. Rollins has been struggling pretty much since opening day, but whenever he shows any sign of life, we are more than ready to pronounce the slump over - but it isn't.

J-Roll recently detected a flaw in his swing which he thought might explain his offensive drought. It seems he had been dropping his bat through the hitting zone causing him to come under the ball producing weak pop-ups. Unfortunately, since the discovery, Jimmy's batting average has dropped another 10 or 15 points.

Rollins and Charlie Manuel are undaunted, convinced the shortstop is making better, more consistent contact. Perhaps. But even with both hands tied behind his back, Jimmy Rollins should not be hitting .220 in late June.

There is another, even more fundamental flaw that J-Roll has exhibited, even in good years, which probably should be addressed first. This is his occasional tendency to move his back foot during his swing. Striding with the front foot, even lifting it, are of course acceptable. It is the picking up of the back foot (as opposed to rotating it), causing the entire body to spin around, which is the real enemy - kind of like trying to hit a baseball while riding a skateboard. It robs the hitter of power and makes it impossible to wait on a ball. And as for hitting an outside pitch, well - don't ask.

When Rollins is going well, maybe he can get away with it. Right now, there is just no margin for error. Again to quote the great Ted Williams: "A good hitter has slow feet and quick hands".