CardsFanInBravesCountry

STL Cards fan living in ATL

[Jermaine Curtis @JermaineCurtis]

When I was with the St. Louis Cardinals, we had a team meeting about hitting with two strikes.

Albert Pujols was leading it.

At the time, he was hitting something ridiculous with two strikes.

I want to say it was around .265.

Naturally, everyone wanted to know how.

So somebody asked:

"What's your two-strike approach?"

Albert's answer surprised me.

He said:

"I think fastball inside and hit it back through the middle."

That was it.

No complicated mechanics.

No secret formula.

Just:

Fastball inside.

Back through the middle.

I remember sitting there thinking:

"Why would you think fastball inside with two strikes?"

So somebody asked him.

And Albert said something I'll never forget.

He said:

"If I can hit a fastball inside back through the middle..."

"I can hit the fastball away."

"I can stay on the changeup."

"I can stay on the slider."

"I can stay on the curveball."

Then he paused.

And said:

"The ball gets deeper."

That's when it clicked for me.

He wasn't trying to pull the inside fastball.

He was using one thought to cover everything.

The more I thought about it...

The more it made sense.

So I started trying it.

And it changed the way I thought about hitting with two strikes.

Instead of worrying about every pitch...

I focused on one.

Fastball inside.

Back through the middle.

See it DEEP.

If you're struggling with two strikes, here's what I'd do tonight:

Round 1: Short Box

(Set the distance somewhere between front toss and batting practice.)

Have a coach throw only fastballs inside.

Your only thought:

"Fastball inside."

Drive the ball back through the middle.

10 swings.

Round 2: Mix Speeds

Now the coach mixes:

- Fastballs
- Changeups
- Breaking balls
- Sliders

But your thought never changes.

You're still looking:

"Fastball inside."

10 swings.

Round 3: Two-Strike BP

Every pitch starts 0-2.

Compete.

Battle.

Use the same approach.

"Fastball inside."

Back through the middle.

10 swings.

That's it.

30 focused swings.

One thought.

One approach.

One goal.

Drive the baseball back through the middle.

One thing I've learned:

Most hitters get worse with two strikes because they add thoughts.

Albert got better because he removed them.

With two strikes, simplicity is a weapon.

Thank you for reading,
Jermaine Curtis

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[CardsFanInBravesCountry @CardsFanInATL]

@Stacy53447 @acnewsitics I hear it’s coming in 2 weeks

[CardsFanInBravesCountry @CardsFanInATL]

Can we maybe start giving Oli Marmol some credit? This pace maybe won't continue but its clear they have exceeded expectations with a below roster and pretty terrible pitching staff. The ability to win close games and come back is a manager thing, no?

[CardsFanInBravesCountry @CardsFanInATL]

@C70 Or match the handwriting lol

[CardsFanInBravesCountry @CardsFanInATL]

There is on fire and then there is Jordan Walker

[CardsFanInBravesCountry @CardsFanInATL]

@wkmassier @3YearLetterman So by definition it was a standing ovation. Don’t argue with a notary public

[CardsFanInBravesCountry @CardsFanInATL]

@TomMcFeeley Tim, how is your waterbed doing?

[CardsFanInBravesCountry @CardsFanInATL]

Braves lose both their challenges by the first batter in the bottom of the first. Lol

[CardsFanInBravesCountry @CardsFanInATL]

@RedState66 The irony here is that you paid for this ad 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 get off my timeline clown

[CardsFanInBravesCountry @CardsFanInATL]

@SALES_720 @FiredCoaches @OfficialGHSA lol

[CardsFanInBravesCountry @CardsFanInATL]

@SALES_720 @FiredCoaches @OfficialGHSA It was? You know that with 100% certainty? Talk about home cooking....

[CardsFanInBravesCountry @CardsFanInATL]

@TinaAdelle70939 Gina how is your waterbed doing? How many more payments do you have?

[CardsFanInBravesCountry @CardsFanInATL]

@TheJoeySwoll @3YearLetterman @jarule @DrBiden More like the CEO of Never Lettered in Shit

[CardsFanInBravesCountry @CardsFanInATL]

@StephenShaw17 @3YearLetterman @pjgomes72 I mean this makes sense coming from someone who also has a typo in their name, Steven

[CardsFanInBravesCountry @CardsFanInATL]

@SCweather_wx @BradNitzWSB flurries St Simons Island, GA

[CardsFanInBravesCountry @CardsFanInATL]

@NilesGApol I hope you know the Atlanta TV market is bigger than the city of Atlanta

[CardsFanInBravesCountry @CardsFanInATL]

@NilesGApol Maybe stick to politics and let them stick to weather? Your messaging is very dangerous