Major League’s strangest batting stances

According to the all-powerful Elias Sports Bureau, the average length of a MLB baseball game is 2 hours and 47 minutes.  Watch an average baseball game and you might see the camera land across some unassuming fan who is fast asleep.  Who could blame this fan, because most baseball games are comprised of a couple hours of boredom heightened by a few minutes of “edge of your seat” action.  I’m convinced there are several baseball players out there who empathize with bored fans, and they make up for it by creating strange batting stances when they get to the plate.  This somehow alleviates the boredom when a fan sees the player come to the plate and points there finger saying something like, “Man, that guy has a really wierd stance!  Oops, was I asleep?”  So today, I decided that we would review some of the strangest batting stances in the Major Leagues.  I’m surely missing some, so please feel free to add your own!

Craig Counsell – Milwaukee Brewers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m sure many of you have seen Counsell play.  While the pitcher throws a pitch, his bat is raised high above his head, as if he is trying to touch the sky.  Counsell has won two world series, so he must be doing something right with his swing!

Gary Sheffield – Detroit Tigers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not only does Gary Sheffield swing his bat menacingly back and forth as he awaits his pitch, but he has Ft. Knox protecting his left elbow.  When Gary Sheffield swings his bat, it looks as if he is about to break both wrists.

Tony Batista – Free Agent

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tony Batista perhaps has had the most unorthodox stance I’ve ever seen.  His face and feet point directly towards the mound until the pitcher begins his wind up.  Then he assumes a “normal” batting stance in the box. 

Julio Franco – Free Agent

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While Julio Franco waits for a pitch to come, he has his bat pointed straight towards centerfield, completely parellel with the ground.  You wonder how a guy can come around and hit a pitch so quickly.

Aaron Rowand – San Francisco Giants

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re watching Aaron Rowand at bat during a game, he might look like he is sitting on an imaginary stool, that is placed against a wall with no leg room.  If Rowand were a chicken, he would look like he is laying an egg.

Jeff Bagwell – Retired

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Bagwell stepped up to the plate, the already short infielder would squat so low that a pitch normally in the dirt would be a belt level fast ball.  But the squatting stance helped him spring up and crush the ball.

Moises Alou – New York Mets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The veteran outfielder for the New York Mets has never used batting gloves and has had a very awkward stance in the box.  It also appeared as if one of his hands was gripped around the knob of the bat.  But don’t let his stance fool you – he is definitely a power hitter.

Darryl Strawberry – Retired

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strawberry had a reputation for swinging his leg in the batters box higher than the pitcher throwing the ball to him.  Quite an unorthodox swing, but fun to watch.

And there you have it!  This is only a sample of the many strange stances out there.  Do you have any to add?