A security guard in Detroit named Stanley Anderson has taken batting cage hitting to the next level.
Anderson got bored with hitting your “average” pitch speeds, and decided to stand 17 feet away from the pitching machine, which can bring pitch speeds up to 250 mph.
And, he’s 53 years old.
“Physics dictates that being that close – 17 feet – the miles per hour, from regulation, would be 266 mph,” Anderson told FOX 2 Detroit. In Major League Baseball, players are used to the ball coming from 60 feet, 6 inches away.
Anderson challenged various MLB sluggers in trying to do the same thing he is in the cage. “A friendly challenge to anybody, [Miguel] Cabrera, Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, any of ’em,” Anderson told Jason Carr of FOX 2 Detroit. “I don’t think they would be able to out hit me at that range.”
And while you might think Anderson is being cocky, he understands that this by no means makes him a better hitter than the pros. “I’m not saying I’m a better hitter than them,” he explained. “I’m saying at that range, though, they’re not used to being able to react that fast.”
Now, while that could be possible, you’d also have to take into account that the ball is virtually going in the same spot every time. I doubt we’ll see a player actually try this stunt, but I think I would put my money on guys like Mike Trout and Bryce Harper.
