Twitch Hitters

Perhaps the most famous practitioner of intricate batting box preparations is Dodger Nomar Garciaparra, who has a mesmerizing array of motions, adjustments, and dance-like moves prior to each pitch. But his isn’t the longest routine ever, nor the most “annoying” from the pitcher’s perspective. The article Twitch Hitters: Pre-Pitch Routines covers the topic from both the plate and the mound, as batters and pitchers weigh in, as well as provides some psychological background on why it’s important. Somebody familiar talks about Nomar, too:

Eric Gagne, who faced Garciaparra when he played for the Cubs, called Garciaparra’s routine a little weird. But the routine, Gagne said, isn’t as bad as other batters.

“He does a lot of stuff, but he doesn’t slow down the game,” Gagne said. “There are some guys who go and just take their sweet time. If you don’t slow down the game, it doesn’t matter what you do.

“Sometimes there are guys who just won’t step in the box. Either they’re not mentally ready or they haven’t done their routine all over again.”