.

=== Just The Fa'ax, Ma'am ===

Coming into Monday's game against the Reds, Justin Smoak had the following statline:

Then today he had two more hits in his first two AB's.  The third line gives a projected total over the course of about 550 AB's, after those two AB's.

The single-season record for doubles is 67, set by Earl Webb in 1931; all the highest doubles totals are from the 1930's.*  In recent times there have been a few seasons in which batters got their doubles into the 50's.

We know, LrKrBoi29, we know.  Eight doubles doesn't pro-rate.  We're just saying, eight doubles and 4 homers in 16 games, that ain't just "good."  It's great.

.............

From a scouting standpoint?  Geoff Baker was axed, what are the chances that Smoak is going to break through in 2013?  On a scale of 1-10?

He said 7, and only as low as that because it isn't the regular season yet.  Want to see it carry in to April.

When the Mariners comment on it, they certainly speak as though they are optimistic.

.............

From a scouting standpoint, SSI has also now had its chance to see Smoak live and in the flesh, bab-eh.

.

=== Super Slo-Mo, Dept. ===

Starting with THIS ARTICLE, and clicking through the bottom right NEXT POST hyperlinks, you can find our 5-part breakdown on Justin Smoak's slow-motion training.

.............

You'll remember that last year, Michael Saunders identified a couple of very specific swing dynamics that were absolutely the keys to his success.  He needed to:

• Direct his ki "up the middle," not around the corner into the 1B coaches' box
• Have his belt buckle pointed at the SS, not the 2B, at moment of contact
• Finish his bat followthrough at the 1B line, not at the catcher

This spring, from what we've seen, these changes have now "taken" and seem to be automatic for Saunders.

............

The reason we say that is, Justin Smoak's swing key has emerged, and it is just as crystal-clear as Saunders' was.

Last season, Smoak's problem was that he was HURTLING his weight -- acceleration -- ki -- CG -- forward from back to front in a jerky fashion.  

Now, having practiced his swing in slow motion, he has BALANCE at all points through his swing, and the CG does not have to HURTLE forward in order for him to maintain his balance.

Picture a Wile E. Coyote cartoon in which the Coyote has himself in a giant slingshot.  That was the way with Smoak's lefty swing in 2012.  As the pitch arrived, his weight was wayyyyy back on his left leg, and he LAUNCHED that weight forward at the incoming energy.

This created an obvious problem with TIMING.  Imagine yourself in that slingshot, trying to intercept an incoming arrow.  If the arrow arrives a little slower than you expected, you're done.  If it arrives a little faster than expected, you're done.  It's hard to time your slingshot action to varying speeds of incoming arrows.

............

Smoak's forward acceleration is now totally controlled.  He sits back and sees the pitch, and then he lets go of the bat after having perceived the amount of velocity on the ball.  Also, his forward launch is not THROWN forward desperately; it is MOVED forward deliberately.

Saduharu Oh once asked the founder of aikido if he had any advice for baseball hitting.  O'Sensei said, "Don't try to anticipate the speed of the ball.  Let it arrive at its own pace, and be there to greet it."

..........

The irony is, now that Smoak's swing is more compact, he is free to attack with more gusto.  Now that he's not wildly attempting to slingshot himself, at confusing instants from swing-to-swing, he is actually letting the bat go with real optimism.  

His EYE is way reduced, and in this specific case that may simply indicate that he's dialed up his attack.

..........

We'll see whether Smoak's results carry through.  From an aiki standpoint, it surely looks as though it is all systems Go.