A Dead Pull Hitter is a term used in Baseball to describe a player who always intentionally hits the ball to the side of the baseball field. For example, the right-handed player would hit the left part of the field, which is the third base, while the left-handed player would do otherwise. The dead pull hitter is more commonly known as the pull hitter or the designated hitter of the team. Apart from that, the idea behind the dead pull hitter is to hit towards the opposite field, so the opposing team would have a hard time catching the ball.
The Purpose of Pull Hitting
Since it aims to make the opposing team struggle to catch the ball, the main purpose of pull hitting is to shift the fielders to the side of the field and for the runners to advance to the next base. Pull hitting is known as a defensive tactic called shifting, to distract the opposing team from hitting the runners. For example, Harold Baines is a left-handed power hitter, so when they tried to pull the ball, there's a full shift involved that could make the third baseman advance and the shortstop positioned in between the first and second basemen.
Greatest Dead Pull Hitters of All Time
A lot of great hitters can be good at driving the ball into the opposite direction and one of them was Mel Ott, who was known for his slap line drives when he had more chances to do two strikes. At the Polo Grounds, Mell Ott took his advantages rightfield down the line and he was able to adjust his hitting style. Mickey Mantle is also a good dead pull hitter, but with considerations, because his hits would depend on which side he is on.
The Advantages of Being a Dead Pull Hitter
Being a dead pull hitter is being deceptive and powerful at the same time. The pull hitter also has a lot of control in his hands, so the ball won't go beyond the field that could result in a dead ball. The most important thing about this role is to make the opposing team go to the opposite side, so his teammates can advance further and score a home run.
