With Miguel Cabrera out for the next six weeks, I feel it is only necessary I make my next post about him (while I wipe away my tears and wait for him to come back). I planned to do one eventually, and this seems like a prime time to make that happen.
I will attempt to break down everything he does that I believe makes him so special. Let’s get started.
The Swing
This is definitely my favorite aspect of MIggy’s game. Here it is, a couple different views:
https://gfycat.com/ShockedPettyDeermouse (you will have to click the link for a back view of his swing)
https://gfycat.com/AlienatedFancyFunnelweaverspider
https://gfycat.com/WhoppingGrandioseBuffalo
https://gfycat.com/OnlyLightBlowfish
(Cool .gif, I know. Stare at that for an hour)
The first thing to look for is his engine, as I talked about a little bit in my previous post. Cabrera has one of the tightest swings in the game. Watch the video from the back of him in the cage. Focus on the line on his pants and the relationship it has with his barrel. I have to give credit to Bobby Tewksbary of Tewkshitting.com for turning me on to this little secret. Notice how as that line on his pants is rotating forward, his barrel is moving back behind him, not going forward. There is a sort of rowing motion with that back elbow/forearm as the back hip turns forward that provides great benefit for him.
https://gfycat.com/SaltyDistantGilamonster
Compare that to this kind of stuff that we are being taught. All he is doing is pushing his hands forward, no attempt to synchronize the movement, or get that “engine” going.
Compare it to this portion of Cabrera:
https://gfycat.com/YoungAnxiousIbisbill
Cabrera is clearly not “pushing” his hands. Strive to match this portion of his swing in your own. As the front foot lands and the back hip uncoils, get that bat working behind and the rowing action of the back elbow/humerus. Feel wise, it should make your swing feel quick, easy, effortless, while creating even more power. Really though, the feel each hitter will get, or the cue they will need to get them closer to this action, will be different. If you would like to discuss this further leave a comment below and I will definitely get in touch. If you take anything from this post, take this. It’s huge.
While most of the greatest hitters of all time do have this “rowing” action and relationship between the back hip and the barrel, not all do. Check out Manny:
https://gfycat.com/AcidicDearestArmadillo
(Yes, I included a Manny clip in a Miggy article. So what?)
This is why I say having the “engine” is the most important aspect. And again, I define that as having that tight look/feel in the swing. No slop. Manny has more of a “hands to the ball” look, but clearly he is not just pushing the hands. His backside is very engaged. Compare how much his back shoulder rotates compared to the “hands to the ball” demonstration above. Backside delivers the bat.
Moving on to other aspects of Cabrera’s game, we have his personality. The way he carries himself on the diamond. One thing I’ve found interesting about him is that he never seems to bat flip. A lot of people are probably saying, yeah, so what? Well, in my opinion this is an interesting little piece of info. Miggy is, right now, the best hitter in the world. Maybe not the best player, thanks Mike Trout, but he is the best hitter. Yet, he doesn’t bat flip. Need an explanation? Okay, I think I might have one. When you are the absolute best at what you do, making a “show” isn’t necessary. Hitting a bomb for Miggy is like another day at the park. It is what he’s supposed to do, and what he expects of himself. Why make a huge deal out of it? Now that I think about it, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Trout bat flip either. Could be wrong though. Of course this may mean nothing at all when it comes to you and your own development. Albert Pujols was the best hitter on the planet for a long time, and he has been known to “admire” some of his shots. Just a thought. Moving on…
There is also this part of Cabrera:
https://gfycat.com/FrigidScornfulGaur
And this:
https://gfycat.com/RemarkableUnknownBorer
And this…
https://gfycat.com/SoftWiltedFlickertailsquirrel
(Which is awesome)
I think you get the picture. Miggy has fun playing “the baseball”.
So what can you, as a player, take from all of this? The biggest aspect to look at is his swing, by far. Everyone has a different personality. For example, some people hit best on the verge of rage (ever see Carlos Gomez?), while some people appear to be sleeping at the plate (Evan Longoria). That aspect is something you have to experiment with yourself. Find your optimal “state of mind” and get there as often as possible. Cabrera seems to treat his at bats very “workmanlike”, and that works for him, but may not work for you. The reason I say the swing is the most important aspect is because it allows him to do all of the other stuff. If Miggy doesn’t swing like he does, he does not have the ability to be Miggy. Confused? Here’s what I mean: The way you swing the bat determines, among other things, your “ceiling” as a baseball player. If your swing is terrible, sloppy, and you can’t hit a ball consistently farther than 300-400 feet (depending on your current level), you simply won’t get an opportunity at the next level. The reasoning behind this is quite simple. Many coaches do not believe hitting power can be developed. It’s a “ya got it or ya don’t kind of thing”. This should be a huge opportunity for you as a player. Why? As a result of many of these coaches opinions, many of the players also believe power cannot be developed. They go and turn themselves into “small ball” players. This leaves a huge window of opportunity to the player who can develop his power. Which takes me back to my original point: the way you swing the bat largely determines how far you can hit the baseball. Obviously strength plays a role as well, but that is a topic for another time.
Winding this baby down, spend a few hours studying Cabrera and his swing. Literally, spend a couple hours, not ten minutes. Not only Miggy, but study all of the great hitters. Don’t just watch, but try to FEEL what they do in their swings. We have so much access to video and other tools these days, there’s no reason to NOT get better. On a side note to that, if you right click and “save as” on the clips above, you should be able to download them onto your computer. Then you can go through them frame by frame (the programs I use are Virtual Dub and Kinovea, both free). If you are serious about this, I would also suggest getting a decent quality camera for yourself. Compare actions, get better.
Until next time, Miggy is awesome.