Choking Up

Baseball has provided numerous overlooked gems of my lifetime, but most recently I was reminded of the almost-lost art of choking up. Few players choke up today, even when the situation calls for a little restraint. While watching a DVD of the 1980 Phillies World Series Champs (maybe the first and last Phillies World Series Champs of my lifetime?), I noticed shots of hulking, slugging leftfielder Greg Luzinski choking up an inch and a half on his bat. This was once common practice, even among some sluggers, when down in the count in a key situation. "Kids," any little league coach would say, "you've got to get wood on the bat if you want to make something happen." Bat control should not be underestimated, but maybe bat control and choking up are not an option when you're swinging a thin-handled aluminum bat. Yuck! Just the ping of a ball off those things makes my stomach turn. Raise your hand if you're old enough to remember trying out one of those old Jackie Robinson model bats, with a handle half as thick as the barrel. Choke up on that baby, and you too can hit 'em where they ain't.