Ten Worst Home Run Swings of My Generation
As promised, and in honor of the great annual tradition called the Home Run Derby, below is my ten worst home run swings of my generation. The qualities one must have to find themselves on such a list needs a little explanation.
First, one must be considered some what of a home run hitter. Meaning, Brian Buchanan is not going to be on this list. But just because their regular swing is thing of beauty, doesn't mean their home runs are.
Similar, but completely opposite, to the "awe factor" is the "yuck factor". The "yuck factor" is that feeling you get when a guy hits a ball over the fence that leaves you completely disgusted or shocked that it went that far. Sure, that may mean that this player has raw power...but if you are going to be a home run hitter, you must learn to master the skill of making it look good...don't you think?
That's pretty much it...if you make your home runs look boring, lame and surprising...you might be on this list. So, without further ado...here are the ten worst home run swings of my generation (1989-present):
10. Joe Mauer
I'll get this one out of the way early for you homers. Read this twice: Joe Mauer has a swing like no other. I'd take his swing over any one's in baseball...for hitting. But when it comes to home runs, Mauer's rarely seem to wreak any havoc. They usually go to left center (which shows power...I know) but he rarely turns on one for a tape measure type result. Maybe it's his "in and out" swing...who knows. He's not going to be a consistent home run threat throughout his career, but he still makes this list because he hit 28 last year. Maybe his swing is too good.............
9. Dante Bichette
He may have hit a lot of home runs (at Coors Field...and possibly due to steroids)...but his swing always looked so broken. He'd launch his share of bombs and his follow through was classic...but his home runs were always ugly to me. He lands at #9 because he was one of the best Rockies of all time.
8. Mickey Tettleton
If you didn't like holding your bat like Mickey Tettleton...you weren't a baseball fan. Quite possibly the laziest pre-swing stance of all time...but it produced pretty good results. But his home runs always seemed to be an "oops...did I just hit that over that wall over there?" type result. He was fun to watch, but his swings were always really...REALLY...hard. Not the prettiest swing the Rangers fans have ever seen.
7. Jay Buhner
LOVED Jay Buhner...but he always looked like he wanted to hit the ball as hard as he could EVERY time the ball got near home plate. His swing was so awkward from start to finish (if finishing is what you want to call that 3/4 follow through). Besides the goatee that no one wore better with a bald head, Buhner had a swing that parents should NOT let their kids imitate. Unless their kids are 36 and playing bar league softball.
6. Paul O'neill
Pauley hit some monster shots, but he is also a guy who once threw his bat down because he thought he flew out to end the inning...only to look up and see the ball clear the right field wall at Yankee Stadium. I'm convinced if O'neil played his entire career for a different franchise, he'd have far fewer home runs (short porch to right at the old Yankee Stadium)...so that is one reason he ends up on this list. He always look as if he was pissed off...and maybe he was because his home runs didn't look very good.
5. Cecil Fielder
Fielder makes the list because I don't know anyone else who starts their swing routine so slow and ends up swinging so hard that they basically fall out of their clothes. You would think a guy that big, swinging that hard, would tear their trapezius clear off their spine. Fielder definitely has some "awe" and "fear" factors going on...but his swing from start to finish was quite yucky. Watch an hour of highlights from Fielder's heyday, then go to a little league field and try to swing like him and see what happens...you'll not only be tired, but you'll probably have to sleep on the kitchen floor due to the back injuries you suffered.
4. Tony Batista
This one is easy. One of the most awkward, yucky, funny, and disturbing swings in baseball history. It looks like Batista is trying to get a better view of what color eyes the pitcher has during his pre-swing routine. How can one person start a swing like that and get squared up and make contact by the time the ball arrives? I serious...I want someone to answer that. Batista hit some towering home runs during his career...but he always seemed to be upset when he had to hustle down to first base. It was probably because he was so unorthodox with his follow through, that his body hated having to get the motor going to beat out a grounder.
3. Dave Winfield
This one will take some explanation. Dave Winfield was a GREAT baseball player. Heck, he is one of the greatest athletes to walk the earth as far as I'm concerned. But his herky jerky swing, the no ear flap helmet and his bat always looking extremely too small for him, made him look as if he should have an 80 lb weight on the end of his bat. Like a lot of these guys, he hit some moon shots...but his entire swing from start to finish is not only extremely hard to imitate with successful results, it also meant a lot of yucky home runs. Those yucky home runs, however, were a result of the Winfield's ridiculous strength. But still...his home runs looked like they hurt.
2. Jeff Bagwell
I still don't get how Bagwell hit that many home runs in his career without rolling his ankle in the batters box. I would like to know how many coaches throughout Bagwell's career, told him to work on his jerking of the bat prior to him swinging. Seriously, in real time, it looks like Bags was still jerking his bat as it was crossing home plate. Add the fact that he watched 90% of his home runs while trying to regain his balance so he could run toward first base...and his whole approach is a mystery. There are A LOT of Astros fans out there, that as a kid, tried to swing like Bagwell and hit home runs in the street. My guess: They failed over and over and over again.
1. Mark Teixeira
This may come as a shock, and maybe it's some what personal, but I think Mark Teixeira hits more oddly hit home runs than anyone I've ever seen. He definitely hits some no doubters...but he has a different follow through a lot of the time. Some times he hits two handed lasers that barely clear the wall, and other times he hits shots to center that look like lazy fly balls. The only time he hits "good looking" home runs is when he pulls an inside fast ball down the line in right field at Yankee Stadium. Maybe it is due to the fact that he seems to put so much weight on his back leg that he almost seems to be off balance when he connects. For a guy who has hit so many home runs, especially as a switch hitter, you'd expect him to have one of the best home run swings...but to me, he hits some of the yuckiest, smelliest home runs in major league baseball. And he hits a lot of them.
Honorable Mention:
Cliff Floyd
Cal Ripken Jr.
Paul Molitor
Terry Pendleton
Chase Utley
Brady Anderson
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