The Ichiro extension of the arm as he gets ready to settle into his stance ...

The Dave Winfield "shimmy" when he was about to go into his stance, then tapping his cleats with the bat after the swing.

The Matsui "shrug" during his ab's

The way Donnie used to crouch right before he swung.

Sheffield wagging the bat, then unleashing a vicious swing

Darryl wagging the bat, then buggy whipping his swing

Pedro getting everything behind a pitch, the way his leg used to swing around.

Pascual Perez bouncing off the mound, all arms and legs, jheri curl bouncing as well

Rob Dibble's slingshot delivery

Lee Smith taking his sweet time coming in from the bullpen

Randy Myers shuffle coming in from the bullpen...

The dirty pantleg of Tom Seaver as he finished a pitch.

I was gonna go Winfield, too, Raf, but note that he tapped the dirt out of his spikes with the handle of his bat.

What about the Jim Leyritz bat twirl followed by his butt-shaking bat slap?

Goose Gossage's delivery will always be a favorite, particularly because it's been captured so well on some of his baseball cards.

Here's one from the current team: note the way Aceves repeatedly grabs the right side of the bill of his cap with his thumb and index finger. It actually looks like a Gaylord Perry-type move.

How about the way Mo slowly comes to the set, like he's decompressing.

Then there was Mussina's drinking bird glance at the runner from the stretch.

Jimmy Rollins pointed out a classic on MLB Network a while back: the Rickey Henderson jersey pimp when he's rounding first after a homer. And I always loved the way he wiggled his fingers after taking his lead. I used to do that even in corporate softball despite the fact that you couldn't steal in that league.

Then there are the ones that drive me nuts, like the way Pete O'Brien used to waggle the bat through the hitting zone rather than take smooth practice swings, or that crap that Craig Counsell does, like he's trying to hide his bat up a chimney without looking or something.

Man, I could do this all day . . .

Turk Wendell hopping over the foul line ...

(Yeah, I could do this all day too)

Cliff, great call on the Winfield handle.

I love watching Cervelli commence an around the horn after a third strike. He makes two impressions on me -- (1) he exagerrates the motion just enough to rub the K in the batter's face, but not enough to be accused of showing him up; and (2) he's got enough herky-jerkiness to appear as though he has just polished off a can of Red Bull, but still maintains the perfect balance of professional athlete.

[4] Winfield was a master cleaning his spikes. Not only did he use the handle, but I also can recall him deftly flipping the bat between hands to do each shoe. I also patterned my throwing after the way Winfield would often line up his target with his glove hand after transferring the ball. His wingspan was so long it sometimes looked as if he was handing the ball off.

My all-time favorite pose was Mickey Tettleton slowly holding the bat horizontally until just before the pitch, almost like a cobra waiting to strike.

[5] Or, brushing his teeth in the dugout.

What makes Cervelli's around the horn so interesting is its contrast with how Posada now does it. At the last game I went to, Posada was weakly looping the ball over to Arod, making him bend down for the throw each time. If the batter was a righty, the loop was even higher and weaker. I don't remember if Posada always threw down like that or it is a concession to the injury.

[4] i like the moose drinking bird pose too cliff

i like mo almost bowing when he is ready to leave the pen as well as his toe tap

i like the way jeter hold his hand up to call time - to me it embodies something i like in him which is a calm control

i know i may get some demerits for this but i loved ozzie smith's back flip when i was a kid

[4] The Mo "set" is incredible to me. It's almost like he gets on his tip toes. Everything is gentle and quiet and full of grace - then all of a sudden "WAM!" - the Hammer of God and a called strike three. Geez, I love that. That never gets old. Ever.

The routine/quirk I hated most - bar none - was Nomar's obsessive/compulsive batting glove adjusting before every at bat. Geez, I couldn't *STAND* that. Made you want to strangle him. I'm not big on Papi's spit/slap, either, but at least it is over quick.

I love how Cano can make throws from positions where it seems like he's facing away from first base. Just grab the ball and whoosh - across the body and a strike to Tex. That's fun stuff. Unorthodox but really amazing. It's like a magic trick.

Then you have A-Rod wiping his hand on his pant leg before a throw. I wonder when that started. Back a couple years ago when he was going through some throwing yips is when they started talking about it.

Mickey Rivers coming to home plate ... looking for all the world like he's 70 years old .... slightly hunched ... moving slowly .... deliberately ... like he has really bad bunions

Then when he puts the ball in play .... whoosh!

And Johnny Damon is one of those guys who always punches the glove before making the catch, even on some of the tough plays.

Then there was Rickey's snatch catch . . .

[13]

Similarly .... the Soriano "hop" as he makes a catch ...

i guess this is a little different, but i liked the way chad curtis threw a ball in with his whole body. i think youkilis' dance before every pitch is funny to watch, especially if the volume is down.
but the batter i love most right now is teixeira. he doesn't do anything. he just stands there and waits for the next pitch. never steps out, never takes time. it's beautiful. and i think probably intimidating to the pitcher.

I loved watching El Duque fidget around and touch his neck, his hat, the top button of his jersey, the back of his jersey, and his ears in between pitches... especially in his later years, and his time with the Mets, when it intensified, I was convinced he had some Vaseline tucked away somewhere. In fact, I'm still convinced he did. I even checked Tivo, put it in slow motion, and tried to figure out if there was a pattern and if his pitches got more movement after he touched a certain area. But I could never get any solid evidence.

Of course I loved his delivery, too. But not as much as I enjoyed trying to figure out where he was hiding the sandpaper.

My favorite is the when Jeter makes his fist pump...it means something good has just happened for the Yankees. In the same way, I always disliked the Mussina "drinking bird pose" because it meant that he had just allowed someone on base...

Great thread.

My favorite pose, though I don't know if it happened during games or just in photos, is Hank Aaron kneeling in the on deck circle. And how about Willy Mays basket catching?

Joe Morgan flapping made me queasy.

My favorite by far is the Jeter thing where he slaps his right thigh reminding himself to keep his weight back. I've started doing it myself when I set up my golf swing.

this isn't as ritualistic, but I also really like Cano's throwing motion, how it's so insouciant yet powerful.

honorable mentions:

Damon's "noisy feet" in the batter's box.
Swisher's glance up at the sky.
Pettitte's eyes framed by the bill of his cap and his glove.

one that drives me crazy is the seemingly 3 hour long hitch in Wang's windup.

If you haven't seen this guy, you are in for a treat...

He has them all down. ;-)

http://www.battingstanceguy.com/2009/06/08/yankees-2009-edition

On a more serious note, RIP Farrah Fawcett, dead at 62 from cancer ...
http://tinyurl.com/l3cklp

Mo getting set is so graceful. I never tire of it.

Most recently, I've been taken by the presence of Phil Hughes. Not only is his set-up interesting to watch, but I'm taken by the look in his eye, his demeanor speaks certainty..

I loved the Micky Rivers limp. Torre sauntering out to the mound drove me crazy.

Sheffield's bat twirling was frightening.

love all these. thought i'd mention the teuffel shuffle.

"In fact, I’m still convinced he did. I even checked Tivo, put it in slow motion, and tried to figure out if there was a pattern and if his pitches got more movement after he touched a certain area. But I could never get any solid evidence."

awesome.

These are all great. Some of the old school "non-play" examples I used to try to mimic on the sandlot as a kid - Mickey Rivers twirling the bat after a swing-and-miss, and the way Reggie discarded the bat after a homerun. Favorite non-Yankee "non-play" move was Willie Montanez little stutter-step at each base on his infrequent HR trots for the Mets.

[20] Thank you. Lots of fun.

[12] Along those lines was Willie McGee. The best description of his posture on the field was it looked like he was playing with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

[20] Very funny

[21] Sad.

man, battingstanceguy is pretty funny... although i'm guessing that this will be the only time i visit that site.

[25] I guess that who Ruben Sierra learned it from. No one could cut the pie more like Sierra. Not only would he stutter step before each base, but later in his career he took toward running toward the 1st base dugout and tugging on his jersey to begin his trot.

this is sort of related, but when i was pitching in little league, i pitched from the stretch.... and used that little flip of the glove they do when they are warming up. i hadn't thought about that since i was 12.

who was it that had the super-exaggerated open stance, like he was daring the pitcher to nail him in the jim?

How about Dmitri Young throwing off his batting helmet to expose his do-rag while running the bases? Talk about bugaboo.

[31]

Yeah, what's up with that little flip of the glove .... some "memory" device ... a LOT of pitchers do it ...

Stargell's "windmill" of the bat as he prepared for the pitch ...

[29] If you watch some of the other clips, especially the ones where he actually performs in front of the players that are really great. I would say the Yankees '09 clip is not his best...

Diane, i'm not sure what it was... but my coaches used to bust a gut watching me pitch.

tony batista! how could i forget...

[31] [34] They do it to tell the catcher which pitch they are throwing during warm-ups. For instance, the flip is the fastball, a twirl might be a curve, & two pushes is a change.

here's a fun article on batting stances: http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/baseball/20060529-9999-lz1s29danceof.html

Fuller R you're a genius! i've been wondering about that one for 20-plus years

Nah, the genius is the anonymous bullpen catcher that finally said "enough of this #$!&" and came up with the system (I wonder how long it took.)

[32] No one was more open than Bagwell.

[29] That's exactly what happened to me when I was introduced to that site.

These are in no particular order.

Catfish wrapping his wad of chewing tobacco in bubblegum and chomping on it such that you could see the pink and brown in his mouth as he peered in for Munson's sign (see also Lyle)...

Al Hrabosky's "Mad Hungarian" slams of the ball into his glove before he faced each batter, motivating himself...

Gibson and Drysdale plunking hitters who had success off them earlier that day...

Mattingly always taking strike one...

Mickey Rivers' "granpa" walk into the box along with his feeble half-swings before he set himself, as well as his lightning speed around the bases and in the outfield, which leads me to his "chicken wing-flying elbows" throwing motion...

Piniella's "no-look" throwing motion from the OF...

Winfield's determined and incomplete half-swings pointing at the pitcher leading into his ever-violent slashes...

Guidry pointing his glove at where he was going to throw the ball before he let loose as well as the cat-like way he set himself into a fielding position after the pitch was thrown...

Reggie's upper body movement as he made his half-swings before he set himself in the box...

The way Mantle and White held their bats at the set really low and close to their sides...

The way a young Yaz held his bat way the hell up behind his head...

The way Lynn stroked his bat prior to setting up in the box...

Damon's ridiculously open dance-into-the-stance...

Kitty's long and languid delivery, as well as his fielding position...

"Pops" Stargell's famous bat windmill prior to the set...

Carew's three hundred stances...

Patek's giant bat on his shoulder at the set...

And of course Derek and Nomar's ridiculous antics at the dish...

All of those stick out in my mind's eye to this day. There are others to be sure, but I think that's enough for now.

: )

Moose's bending bird thing before he threw from the stretch. In a backyard wiffleball game, I once imitated it, without anyone on base - took the mostly Red Sox fans I was playing with about 2 throws to figure out who I was imitating.

(Gosh I miss that guy.)

Julio Franco's bat wiggling in the air, high above his head, before he finally swung. My brother's favorite stance to imitate when we were kids.

Mo's set pause is perhaps the greatest of all.

[2] [4] [8] I seem to recall Steve Sax also being a beat the dirt from the cleats guy, then bopping the top of the bat on the ground before going back into the box. But my memory's a bit fuzzy there.

[43] Luis Gonzales? Craig Counsel? I seem to recall Bagwell crounching down to a crazy degree, almost Rickey-like, and then exploding upwards as he swung.

[46] Luis Gonzalez definitely went to a wide open stance later in his career. Alot of Diamondbacks apparently copied it from him.

got to love Valenzuela's wind-up, high leg kick, looking at the sky and then the screwball. I grew up trying to imitate that over and over. El toro

youk hasthe most disgusting stance. how is he comfortable? he looks like he has hemorrhoids and they're itching like hell when he's standing there with his hands tied up in his bat.

[49] Kevin Maas looked like he was sitting on a toilet. Speaking of uncomfortable stances, Oscar Gamble looked like someone punched him in the gut.

i also loved how bernie used to freeze in his backswing after swinging and missing or fouling a pitch off

The bat helicoptering out of Winfield's hands after swinging really hard; usually landing somewhere around second base or shortstop. I always got a kick out of that >;) Rickey's snatch catch was my sister Terry's favorite.

I watched a MLBTV program about Hank Aaron the other night, and the two most important things that stood out from former teammates and opponents was how Hank would kneel in the warm-up circle and study (not watch, study) the pitcher before each at bat, and how he kept his hands back for so long before swinging. I wondered if that had to do with him batting cross-handed when he was young; something I did for years on account of my brother teaching me to hit, though he's a lefty and I'm a righty (although I learned to switch-hit). Fact is, I hit better cross-handed!

But yeah, you cannot force players to do anything, but I wish our players were far more studious of the game rather than simply relying on talent until they get old.

I logged into mention Rickey’s snatch catches, though it looks like at least one other person has already posted it. I used to do it in Little League and it would drive my coach nuts.

Anyone remember Jeffrey Leonard’s “One Flap Down”?
And while we’re on the subject of the Giants, no one will ever have as sweet a swing as Will Clark, in my opinion.

[53] Not even Ken Griffey, Jr? Everyone talks about Will Clark and rightfully so, but I'd put Griffey's swing right up there with him.

Griffey’s swing is pretty, but it always looked to me like a home run derby swing. Meanwhile, Clark had the ultimate “baseball” swing. Not sure if that makes any sense. Also, Junior’s swing to me seems a little bit derivative of Darryl’s, and Clark’s middle name is Nuchsler.

ZOMG!

I almost forgot Paulie's "Tai Chi" batting motions in right field!

I mean, that's only my single favorite one of all!

Doh!

I liked his punishment of coolers for wasting his at bats, too...

: )

and Clark’s middle name is Nuchsler.

Fair enough! >;) But how cool would it had been if he had a middle name like Merriwether Lewis...

Okay, I'm a history geek, I get it...

[57]

it makes you all the all more endearing :-)

Guidry's exhale, with puffed cheeks, just before he went into the windup.

Righetti's exaggerated pickup of his right thigh as he went through the windup prior to releasing a pitch, almost like he was trying to clear a high step in front of him. I modeled my pitching motion after Rags as a kid.

It isn't a physical tic, but in relation to many commenters' points about Mo's grace, did you see the way he ran to first base last night. More than almost any other player in baseball, he ran with the fluid race of a RUNNER. It was only about 10 steps, but it was absolutely beautiful to see.

Much fun, many images reawakened!

I read the question and was coming to say Ichiro and Sheff, and Ichiro was leading off (courtesy Diane).

I find it interesting also that Jeter has FOUR different quirks, gestures, signatures listed here. Fist pump, thigh slap, time out, and starting the at-bat. No one else has anything like that. Must be a Yankee site!

There are a whole bunch of guys who used to do exaggerated jump over the base line moves for superstitious reasons, but I'm blanking today!

Me, I hate the salute the heavens when you get a hit stuff.

And I adored the Mickthe Quick Shuffle to the plate. Unforgettable.

Mariano coming set.

Flawless, delicate, deliberate.

It's maybe the most beautiful thing on a baseball field.

I also like the way Andy falls off the mound.

The fact that Hideki doesn't take a practice cut but just stands in, looks back at his bat, and is ready to hit.

The way Derek takes pitches on the outside corner, sort of squatting down, taking one hand off the bat in a sort of "no way" gesture to the umpire.

That's contemporary players, off the top of my head.

[4] Very nice, Cliff. I especially like that you included both Mussina and Councel because I got to see Mussina face Councel at the Stadium and couldn't stop laughing as each man did his schtick. Very funny the two of them together.

[10] Yeah, Jeter holding his hand up like that, I do that and now my kid does that in each and every little league ab. He steps up to the plate and holds a hand up to the ump behind him.

It's a joy to behold.

[51] Yes, very nice!

I haven't seen anybody mention Dan Giese's motion, where he comes set and then pooches his butt out, like he was trying to crap standing without soiling himself ...

[61] And there's the FIFTH Jeter gesture! Wow.

And no one even mentioned the deep in the hole jump throw yet. Make it 6.

7: the fatherly pat on the head of a teammate who done well, at the plate after scoring, or waiting for someone coming back to the dugout. I confess I love that. Just can't remember when he started - was it as captain, or did he do it younger? Hard to imagine a young player doing that.

I have to third (or fourth) the mention of the Rickey Henderson snatch-catch. It made every routine fly-ball exciting since I kept waiting for the day he drops one. I never saw him miss though.