I went up to the plate with general guidelines regarding a pitcher’s tendencies. The pitcher still chose his pitches, but I felt I was in control because I had my plan. I waited for my pitch, not his. I didn’t sit on pitches in the manner other hitters often describe, which involves too much guessing and effort. Rather, I wanted to approach pitches with stillness, patience, and no thought, just waiting, watching, and seeing. This allowed me to respond to pitches, as opposed to my first few years in the big leagues, when I merely reacted to pitches. The difference between reacting and
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