Mike Napoli's power

[Dojji]

The 2 hr's last night were two of the hardest hit baseballs I have ever seen at any ballpark, ever.

 

It's time to create some kind of appreciation thread to discuss the excellent acquisition that is Mike Napoli. It's looking like he's an excellent addition to the middle of this lineup so far.

 

I've wanted this man on the team for YEARS now, and we've finally got him and he's doing everything I hoped he'd do. I couldn't be happier.

[SoxFanForsyth]

The 2 hr's last night were two of the hardest hit baseballs I have ever seen at any ballpark, ever.

 

It's time to create some kind of appreciation thread to discuss the excellent acquisition that is Mike Napoli. It's looking like he's an excellent addition to the middle of this lineup so far.

 

HR 1: 472 feet.

HR 2: 467 feet.

 

Total for 2 HR: 939 Feet.

[Dojji]

That's incredible.

[a700hitter]

I saw Bonds hit a 459 foot shot the one time that I went to PacBell. You know it is gone from the point of contact, so you just look to see where it lands. 459 is a damn long impressive shot, and Naps hit 2 in the same game that were longer.

 

I hope he doesn't get sucked into competing in the HR Derby at the All Star break.

[Bellhorn04]

I knew Napoli was a strong guy but I didn't realize how strong. He can crush a baseball like very few hitters I've seen.

[wyo-sox]

I have no issue admitting when I'm wrong. And while I never was against the signing I did question what was so great about the guy. I did not foresee this kind of excellence from him. He has really been great for us.

 

It is a complicated issue with his hip condition.... but what are the chances they work out a contract extension this year with him?

[kapsis21]

I saw Bonds hit a 459 foot shot the one time that I went to PacBell. You know it is gone from the point of contact, so you just look to see where it lands. 459 is a damn long impressive shot, and Naps hit 2 in the same game that were longer.

 

I hope he doesn't get sucked into competing in the HR Derby at the All Star break.

 

yep for sure. i just hate HR derby. they try to cheat a little and mess up their swing.

those were some long balls

 

back to topic we need Nap here for 3-4 years for sure.

[jung]

Naps has always hit monster blasts. I have been more impressed with his play at 1st. He is not going to run down lots of balls and impress us with range and such but neither has he been a liability over there.

 

We will have to watch how the season wears on Naps. He played 140 games in 2010. All other seasons he has been more like about 110 games or so. No catching should really help him. However the season is a grind whether at 1st or mixed positions. Remember that tower of strength (sarcasm alert) Agons running out of gas and complaining about the schedule. He never played anywhere but 1st.

[Whiteandnerdy42]

Let's just hope that avascular necrosis doesn't affect him; he's having an MVP-worthy year so far.

[VA Sox Fan]

 

 

'Hacksaw' Mike Napoli?

 

Posted by Peter Abraham, Globe Staff May 2, 2013 09:45 AM

 

 

If you're of a particular age (and, sadly, lack of intellect like me) you will remember a wrestler named Hacksaw Jim Duggan.

 

Hacksaw used to carry around an American flag and a 2 x 4. His general strategy was to take a beating and come back at the end to win, often with the help of the aforementioned 2 x 4.

 

Hasksaw's signature expression was, "Hoooooooooo!"

 

On Wednesday, after Mike Napoli hit two long home runs, a fellow by the name of William St. Jean hopped on Twitter and noted that the Red Sox first baseman bears a resemblance to Duggan. Dustin Pedroia saw the Tweet and loved it.

 

 

Pedroia has encyclopedic knowledge of three things: baseball, the Sacramento Kings and wrestling. That Napoli somewhat looks like Hacksaw Jim Duggan is gold for him.

 

Then Napoli saw Pedroia's tweet and took to Twitter himself. He wrote, you guessed it, "Hoooooooooo!"

 

Hence, there's a fairly good chance that Hacksaw Mike Napoli could take root. That he has 21 extra-base hits and 31 RBIs makes it a decent nickname. Plus he carries around a wooden club.

 

Team chemistry is a great mystery, my friends. But it's all good for these Red Sox.

[italstallianion]

It's also a sign of how times have changed since the steroid era.

 

I vaguely remember 500ft HR's being hit with regular frequency back in the late 1990's and early 2000's. Apparently there were ones supposedly hit even further than that back in time.

 

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_official_longest_home_runs_in_MLB

[jung]

Hacksaw could work for Naps! Although the guys I have seen with that nickname are usually lean, mean, nasty sons-o-bitches. Hacksaw Mike sounds good though.

[redsoxbeatz]

It's also a sign of how times have changed since the steroid era.

 

I vaguely remember 500ft HR's being hit with regular frequency back in the late 1990's and early 2000's. Apparently there were ones supposedly hit even further than that back in time.

 

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_official_longest_home_runs_in_MLB

 

bring back the steroids baby!! i dont give a f***!!

[jung]

Apparently there were ones supposedly hit even further than that back in time.

 

Mantle a few times for one

[Dojji]

Apparently there were ones supposedly hit even further than that back in time.

 

If they were hit back in time, then when did they land?

 

[/couldn't resist]

[mvp 78]

Does this mean Napoli will see a silver slugger award in the trash and claim it as his own?

 

WCW jokes!

[jung]

One thing I should point out so that people do not think this is another of those, the players were just better sort of threads....

 

Up until the last decade....maybe two, ML hitters and really all ballplayers swung much heavier lumber than they do today. You no longer can even find bats that heavy in a ML dugout any longer. The heavy lumber started disappearing in the 80's and was I think for the most part gone by the mid-90's.

 

So when a really strong player made absolutely solid contact....the thing could on occasion just take off into the stratosphere. It did take tremendous wrists to manhandle those bats. I remember Willy Mays looking at some player's bat during an AS game and commenting that "I use these for toothpicks".

 

So yes there were more 500' HR's and long HR's generally. However the guys playing today have opted for the ability to hit more not longer HR's as well as base hits and extra base hits by using lighter lumber. Naps looks like a pretty heavy bat by today's standards. However I would venture a bet that it falls into Mays "toothpick" category.

[RedSoxNC84]

Mike Napoli is actually a Roman gladiator sent to the future to crush baseballs.

[User Name]

http://ts2.explicit.bing.net/th?id=H.4651115589994177&pid=15.1

 

http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.5041055619745287&pid=15.1

 

You be the judge....

[italstallianion]

On thing I should point out so that people do not think this is another of those, the players were just better sort of threads....

 

Up until the last decade....maybe two, ML hitters and really all ballplayers swung much heavier lumber than they do today. You no longer can even find bats that heavy in a ML dugout any longer. The heavy lumber started disappearing in the 80's and was I think for the most part gone by the mid-90's.

 

So when a really strong player made absolutely solid contact....the thing could on occasion just take off into the stratosphere. It did take tremendous wrists to manhandle those bats. I remember Willy Mays looking at some player's bat during an AS game and commenting that "I use these for toothpicks".

 

So yes there were more 500' HR's and long HR's generally. However the guys playing today have opted for the ability to hit more not longer HR's as well as base hits and extra base hits by using lighter lumber. Naps looks like a pretty heavy bat by today's standards. However I would venture a bet that it falls into Mays "toothpick" category.

 

 

I wonder if it has any correlation with bats breaking more often too? Other than the different types of wood used.

[RedSoxNC84]

I wonder if it has any correlation with bats breaking more often too? Other than the different types of wood used.

 

That and bats being thrown 200 feet into the stands.

[VA Sox Fan]

http://ts2.explicit.bing.net/th?id=H.4651115589994177&pid=15.1

 

http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.5041055619745287&pid=15.1

 

You be the judge....

 

I love Russell Crowe and Mike Napoli! Good job UN!!!!!

[RedSoxNC84]

http://ts2.explicit.bing.net/th?id=H.4651115589994177&pid=15.1

 

http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.5041055619745287&pid=15.1

 

You be the judge....

 

Is it me or does Napoli appear to have stubby forearms in that photo.

[YAZMAN]

On thing I should point out so that people do not think this is another of those, the players were just better sort of threads....

 

Up until the last decade....maybe two, ML hitters and really all ballplayers swung much heavier lumber than they do today. You no longer can even find bats that heavy in a ML dugout any longer. The heavy lumber started disappearing in the 80's and was I think for the most part gone by the mid-90's.

 

So when a really strong player made absolutely solid contact....the thing could on occasion just take off into the stratosphere. It did take tremendous wrists to manhandle those bats. I remember Willy Mays looking at some player's bat during an AS game and commenting that "I use these for toothpicks".

 

So yes there were more 500' HR's and long HR's generally. However the guys playing today have opted for the ability to hit more not longer HR's as well as base hits and extra base hits by using lighter lumber. Naps looks like a pretty heavy bat by today's standards. However I would venture a bet that it falls into Mays "toothpick" category.

 

Under identical conditions, a heavier bat will yield a longer batted ball distance than a lighter one. But bat speed affects the distance the ball travels more than bat weight does, so a heavier bat only yields more distance until your swing begins to slow.

[jung]

Yea I agree with that Yazman. The guys that could handle those bats had monster wrists and could generate bat speed with those heavier bats...Mantle had no wrists...Mays....had no wrists that I could detect! Cepeda...had no wrists that I could detect...tremendous strength in their wrists all three of them just as examples.

 

Now even the guys with tremendous strength in their wrists are opting for lighter bats. I actually think it does make sense. I don't think we have as many big ball parks as we had back in the day for one thing.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

I just hope he doesn't become A-Gon part 2.

 

We all loved A-Gon when he first started with us. Hitting HR and coming through with RBIs. Then the HR derby s*** happened, and just didn't perform the same. He also came to the team with a shoulder injury. Napoli came to the team with a hip condition.

 

Right now we all love Napoli. He's hitting HR and getting RBIs. Hope he doesn't participate in that crap.

 

I'm definitely overanalyzing this, but Napoli does remind me a lot about A-Gon. Ever since 2011 I overanalyze. This hot start we have now makes me wonder if we'll ever collapse again. I sure hope not cause that really hurt.

[jung]

I hate to say it but the HR Derby at the AS Game just bores me to tears. The announcers are doing everything they can do to pump it up but I just don't care about big guys hitting BP pitches one after the other. So what. Then you get the guys that get into a rut and are just hitting long fly balls or some s***. Its ridiculous...STOP already.

 

I would rather see MLB do some sort of a skills contest but nothing that is repetitive like the HR Derby. Have guys target spots in the field to hit to like hitting the other way. Then maybe bunting skills. Then maybe a throwing accuracy deal for outfielders and infield fielding skills for infielders. Again though nothing repetitive. That might be some fun without the potential for injury that the HR Derby creates. I am probably in the minority but honest to God I don't enjoy it and hearing Berman trying to pump the thing up with superlative after superlative just gets silly after awhile.

 

If anything you realize how easy it is to get tired swinging for the fences swing after swing like that.

[a700hitter]

The HR Derby bores me too. They need to take a break from it for about 10 years until it becomes a novelty again. Of course since they sell tickets to it, it will not stop until the ticket sales stop.

[Dojji]

I just hope he doesn't become A-Gon part 2.

 

We all loved A-Gon when he first started with us. Hitting HR and coming through with RBIs. Then the HR derby s*** happened, and just didn't perform the same. He also came to the team with a shoulder injury. Napoli came to the team with a hip condition.

 

Right now we all love Napoli. He's hitting HR and getting RBIs. Hope he doesn't participate in that crap.

 

I'm definitely overanalyzing this, but Napoli does remind me a lot about A-Gon. Ever since 2011 I overanalyze. This hot start we have now makes me wonder if we'll ever collapse again. I sure hope not cause that really hurt.

 

The biggest reason Adgon lost favor here was that when his power went away, we started to panic because of the big contract. That's not going to be an issue with Napoli. If he slows down Carp starts playing and he doesn't get renewed next year.

[mvp 78]

The derby might bore you, but the ratings are decent. Looks like you'll have to suck it up.

 

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/07/17/cable-top-25-the-home-run-derby-tops-cable-viewership-for-week-ending-july-15-2012/141848/

 

Also, viewership is steadily increasing for it...