Discouraged
with the hitting around him and getting along in years, Ted Williams did
something else that was both creative and intuitive. He personally chose a successor to carry his
theory forward into the future. He chose
someone who could teach it and explain it better than anyone he had ever met. That man is me.
My name is Steve Ferroli and I am certainly not new to baseball. I wrote my first book on how to hit in 1987. It was entitled; “Disciple of a Master” (How to Hit a Baseball to Your Potential) foreword by Ted Williams.
In 1994, I wrote and directed the how to hit Video / DVD; “Hitting the Ted Williams Way”. The video / DVD has an introduction by Red Sox announcer Ken Coleman and features Ted Williams and I together. It is in this project where Ted Williams would name me his successor. Click Here to Watch Clip
In
1997, I wrote my second book on hitting; “Hit Your Potential, (Mastering the
Ted Williams Approach)” Ted Williams again wrote its foreword and again was
very clear about the fact that I was his chosen successor.
How
does one man become another man’s successor?
Think about that? What does
someone have to do to convince one to surrender their title- their belt - their
crown to another? The answer is fairly
simple; the champion has to become thoroughly convinced that the successor is
just as genuine and just as good or better than they were...
Around
1980 I was a batting instructor at the former Ted Williams Camp in Lakeville,
Ma. I was about 21. While I had studied Ted’s theory for several years
prior, I had just met Ted Williams and he genuinely had became impressed with
me - my knowledge, enthusiasm and work ethic.
But, you know? I still made more outs on the ground...
Hell - it just doesn’t make sense”!
Ted
was sitting across from me and I still remember his eye brows rising as he leaned
back in his chair when I spoke up and said; “Well I have a theory about that”. (His body language responded as if to say;
“Well let me get comfortable for the lesson you cocky little bastard”.)
I
then, with direct eye contact and the sincerity of a hard working young ball player, explained
my theory on what I called “lighting effect” and how without proper
understanding of ” lighting effect” that all hitters within the Science of
Hitting Theory, (Ted Williams included) are lured toward the top of the ball due to a
legitimate optical illusion. (Pause and dead silence.)
Well
that Marine, fighter pilot looked at me with a face somewhere between hate and
love and said: “That makes sense”. He
then stood up and walked right out the door.
My work on “lighting effect” was clearly a well thought out and logical
missing piece to Ted’s theory. It
immediately made perfect sense to him.
One
of the guys said; “Boy you pissed him off.”
And I responded; “I don’t think so”.
Though I did not explain myself to my buddies, I knew in my heart, that Ted
wasn’t upset with me, but rather, with himself.
Ted
Williams did not only respect me for knowing inside and out what he believed to
be true in hitting. But he grew an equal
respect for my observations concerning facts and tendencies inside his theory.that he had not yet considered. Details in various phases of the approach and
the relationships between them that would better
prove and strengthen his theory for the future. (More on this later.)
It
has been said in boxing that you have to knock out the champion. For many years to come, I would have the
honor and challenge of trading punches with an American Hero on the subject
closest to his heart.
I
would expound on some of his concepts in much more depth. I would place a higher priority on various
parts of the theory and confirm its use for all types of hitters. I also
created (and continue to create) a small army of clever supporting drills to
help convey the various parts of the process.
It
has been said, since as early as 1988, that I maybe the best batting instructor
in baseball. Former Red Sox, general
manager, Lou Gorman said it, Ted Williams said it and several writers have said
it. While
it is exciting to hear ones abilities talked about at such a high level, talk
is cheap and I knew that the new MLB player development direction would put smart
hitting on hold for years to come.
While
I continued to teach the theory, I found better time spent at other levels of
baseball - youth through college baseball.
I created my own boys baseball camp where I still teach hitting today. I
also began studying and redesigning the various playing levels of youth
baseball and founded the Ted Williams League with Ted in 1997. Click to Visit League and Camp
Over
the past year, I have been contacted by several writers that are in tune to this
unique story of "Hitters Buried Treasure". Now with all the pieces in place they have
expressed an interest in telling it. I think however, it is best to tell it myself. The information I plan for this blog is far too important
to baseball to risk on the desk of an editor or to the interpretation of
another writer.
From
1976, I have studied and argued for this great theory to get the attention it
deserves, for the hitting mystery to be solved and for baseball to enjoy it. I
have fought, sacrificed and clawed my way from disciple to master and in my heart I am not sure the
theory would have made it back without
me.
I
guess there is a poetic justice in the fact that “television” the very
invention that would delay Ted’s theory, now when tuned to a MLB network, will
display in High Definition; the slight up swing, hips ahead of hands and
unbroken wrists at contact from San Diego to Boston...
Therefore,
in light of all previously stated, let it be known to anyone interested, that at this
point in the games history, I Steve Ferroli believe to be the best batting
instructor in baseball. I have never heard,
seen or read any documentation dated before my work that would lead me to believe otherwise.
Tomorrow we'll talk about the Launching Point...
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