The Principle of Baseball: And all There is to Know About Hitting

The game of baseball enlists few physical impediments that limit success; they are mostly mental. Any “simple-minded” person can achieve baseball success.

Simplicity is the integration and coordination of life’s infinite array of variables within the realm of understanding. Simplicity is not the beginning of primitive evolvement but rather the culminating effect of organization—not merely the discovery of the wheel but its maximum utility by expanded thinking.

The way to describe the best of ball players at his position or at bat is that “he makes it look simple.” Although it is not really simple, abiding by a strict discipline of simple mechanics, the best players have perfected the techniques for their particular positions through arduous, repetitive labor, from which the human physical endeavor eventually appears effortless and instinctive. (In the words of Thomas Edison, “10 percent inspiration, 90 percent perspiration.”)

When mere strength and natural ability reach the limits for peak performance, conscientious devotees will find “technique” to add to their effectiveness and longevity. The universe (one voice) sings in simple chords of harmonious function, changing chaos into order.