The warm-up

Ever notice what some of these guys do before hitting live pitches? Some of these warm-ups can be interesting.

Like Derek Jeter’s ritual. He walks into the batter’s box and then raises his right hand toward the home plate umpire calling for extra time to get ready to hit. He does this most of the time he hits. This is Derek’s way of preparing to hit.

Let’s take Hideki Matsui. He walks into the batter’s box, hits a couple of hits, and then looks somewhere between the left-field foul pole and the third-base dugout for about a second. Gradually moving your head to look at the pitcher is your next move. Sometimes he moves his right shoulder. Now you are ready to hit.

I remember the style of Chuck Knoblach. He would go into the batter’s box and go through a routine that was always exactly the same. He undid and put his batting gloves back on. He always made the same number of practice shots. He always put his hand on his batting helmet to adjust it. I’d always put one foot in the batter’s box, wait about a second, and then put the other foot in. It was habitual in his actions.

I also remember Tito Fuentes and Jimmy Piersall always putting a cross on the ground before entering the batting box … I guess they thought God would look at them kindly. But what would God do if the pitcher also drew a cross on the ground before each pitch? That is a question for another day.

Hank Aaron had a unique style in the way he approached hitting. Walking to the plate to bat with his batting helmet in hand, he seemed to study the entire field. As he was about to enter the batting box, he slowly put on his helmet while surveying the stadium. He would hit a couple of hits and then he would be ready to hit.

Other players have their own things. Like crossing himself, or removing the dirt from the studs or pointing the bat, as Rocky Colavito used to do. These quirks can be very entertaining.

As you watch today’s players before the bat, look for some cool features for their warm-ups. They can be interesting and sometimes a lot of fun. Some players may vary their warm-up. Many do not. They do the same every time. See for yourself.