Are there any baseball players who can hit the ball out of the park in the opposite direction?

Question

Anybody can hit a home run by pulling the ball, is there any ball players who have the strength to hit home runs in the opposite direction. Right handed batters hitting homeruns to the left field, or left handed batters who hit homeruns to the right side of the field a lot. Super power baseball players. Also has there ever been a baseball player to get the 50/50 club? Jose Canseco made 40/40 club (40 stolen bases and 40 homeruns). Has anyone hit the 50/50 club?

Answer 1

Willie Stargell could. (R.I.P Willie)

Mickey Mantle could ( R.I.P. Mickey )

Answer 2

Willie Mays used to hit a lot of home runs the opposite field in Candlestick in the old days because the ball did not carry to left field as well. Right now the player with the most power the opposite way is Mike Piazza, I think. Other players are Pujols, Bonds and Manny Ramirez. Nobody has ever hit the 50/50 club and I seriously doubt that anybody will.

Answer 3

Most major leaguers can hit homers to wherever they want when they do. Its all about bat speed and how good of a connection they make. In general, right handers have more power to right center (opposite way) than they do down the left field line (pulling the ball). I dont know why, but we just do. Lefties however, tend to have more power pulling the ball down the line (right field for them) than they do pushing it the other way. Something about the swing difference between a lefty and a righty, but I only bat righty so I cant really speak on behalf of the lefty population. If you want a good example, even though he doesnt hit many home runs, look at Derek Jeter. 95% of the HRs he does hit are to Right Center/Right Field. Like I said, its about bat speed and point of connection.

Also, there is yet to be any members of the 50/50 club. Soriono is the first to be in the 40/40/40 club (40 HRs, 40 SBs, 40 Doubles) and I believe 4th member of the 40/40 club.

Answer 4

50/50 is really hard to do. First, hitting 50 dingers in a season is no easy accomplishment and neither is stealing 50 bases. Then you throw up the fact that 50 HRs is 50 hits where you guarentee that you can't steal a base. Soriano is good, but I doubt anyone will go 50/50. If both players were trying to go 50/50 in a season, and I had to bet on one, I'd take Ichiro over Soriano because Ichiro gets the ABs. I remember reading a story on the Mariners a couple of years where some of the players were trying to get Ichiro to enter the All Star HR contest. They were saying that in batting practice every once in a while he'll knock every good pitch out of the park but he doesn't usually try in games because he knows where his main talents lay as a singles hitter and as a runner.

Since reading the story, I've noticed that his HRs usually come late in the game when his team is down in a tight low scoring game. Could be a coincidence, but it makes me wonder.

As far as opposite field HRs, Fred McGriff always seemed to go to the opposite field and straight away as well as he could just by jerking one out.

Answer 5

Most pros can hit homers to the opposite field if they have a ball they wait on and that hits the outside corner. Today, I'd say Michael Young, shortstop for the Texas Rangers is one of the best opposite field hitters in baseball. Most of his HR's are to the opposite field. Dave Winfield hit alot over the fence to the opposite field.

No one has had a 50/50 season, but Alfonso Soriano will do it with the Cubs, especially with the wind blowing out.

Answer 6

Albert Pujols, David Ortiz, Ted Williams. Nobody has ever hit 50-50, but Alfonso Soriano just hit 45-40.

Answer 7

Johnny Bench as quickly as caught out interior the international sequence against Oakland mutually as being supposedly walked intentionally. Bench had 2 strikes already on him and generic became open. Oakland supervisor Dick Williams went to the mound and is pointing to first base throughout the time of a glass's convention. The catcher went back at the back of the plate and held out his glove as though a super pitch became coming, then on the final 2nd he squatted down and the pitcher drilled a strike previous the shocked Bench.

Answer 8

Sure, a lot of guys can hit it out the other way. Soriano would be the only guy who might could get 50/50, but I doubt that ever happens

Answer 9

No 50/50 studs to date. Although Soriano in Wrigley would be my pick to do it he was 40/40 last year.

Mickey Mantle was a switch hitting icon.

Answer 10

Mike Piazza can. Alot of people can. This question really relies on pure strength. If the strength is there, it will be done. No one is in the 50/50 club.

Answer 11

As of now, Ryan Howard is the best opposite field hitter in the game. He can blast moonshots any direction. Pujols can also do this, but more to center field.