For me, one of the few things left about interleague play that I really enjoy is seeing American League pitchers step into a batter's box. There are times when I'm watching an American League pitcher hit when I can honestly say, "Man, I could do better than that," and actually be telling the truth (not saying I could make contact, just saying I can look like I know how to).I saw Bartolo Colon hit last week, and the fat man swung so hard that his helmet fell off and his back foot was generally corkscrewed a foot into the dirt after every swing. It was hilarious. Still, just because the majority of pitchers from the junior circuit make fools of themselves at the dish, some of them actually look like big league hitters. C.C. Sabathia, for instance, has a career average of .300 and hit a 450-foot bomb at Dodger Stadium over the weekend (which could add to his value should an NL team hope to trade for him).
Just yesterday, Seattle's Felix Hernandez hit a grand slam on the first pitch he saw from Johan Santana that supplied the Mariners with all the runs they'd need to pick up a win. Felix wasn't able to finish the game after hurting his ankle while covering the plate in the 5th inning (don't worry, x-rays are negative and he won't miss a start), but after the game he did share his unique approach to hitting.
"My approach? Just swing. I closed my eyes. I was happy and I was thinking that's all I need -- four runs."Now, before all you other American League pitcher goes out there and adopt this philosophy as your own, I should warn you that this grand slam was the first home run Felix has hit since Little League. So it's not exactly fool proof.
