NewsLetterman's the 'Late Night' king of swing
Plesac, Reynolds break down host's technique on NetworkBy John Schlegel / MLB.com
08/28/09 7:35 PM ET
David Letterman's baseball swing is a little bit of Eric Davis and Harold Baines, a hint of Vladimir Guerrero and a dash of the godfather of soul, James Brown. And when he connects, chances are pretty good that he'll be "stylin' so hard." At least that's the way MLB Network's Harold Reynolds and Dan Plesac see it. The two baseball analysts broke down Letterman's swing using a clip from Monday's edition of "The Late Show with David Letterman" that featured Yankees slugger Mark Teixeira as a guest. After Teixeira took some swings in a makeshift batting-practice setup on a Manhattan street during the show, the late-night legend took the BP session to a different level. "David took some hacks, so that was the best part of the whole thing," Reynolds said. The professional analysts broke out the tools of the trade to fully examine the sweet left-handed swing of the 62-year-old Indiana boy, using graphics to illustrate the different parts of his swing, which starts with a classic stance. "Now, Robert Redford didn't look like that in 'The Natural,'" Reynolds said. The classic part of Letterman's swing disappears pretty quickly, though. "Then he drops his hands ..." Reynolds said, before being cut off. "No! No! Dave!" screamed Plesac. The two had invoked the names of great hitch-swingers Davis and Baines (and Steve Kemp, as well) when Letterman showed what's normally considered bad form by bringing his hands down to his belt to load his swing as the pitch approaches. And when a ball came in high and away and Letterman reached shoulder-high to smack it, there was one obvious comparison. Reynolds: "He's like Vladimir, it doesn't matter." "Bad-ball hitter!" Plesac said. By the end, Reynolds was impressed with a finish to the swing that was as classic as the stance. Letterman extended his arms, turned his hips and followed through with perfect form, watching his wallop sail down the street -- watching it like he might want to duck his next time up at the plate. "He's stylin' so hard, I'm telling you," Reynolds said. "He's in Gotham. You gotta throw a cape on him." But the cape did not have a Batman logo on it. It was the type worn by another kind of superhero. "Did you put the James Brown cape on David Letterman?" MLB Network anchor Matt Vasgersian asked. "Gotta throw it on him," Reynolds said.John Schlegel is a national reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
