Soriano's hop-step (Washington, Sullivan, Atlanta: 2009, home, move)

[hank0604]

I've tried googling for the answer, and got nowhere, so I thought one of the Cubs fans here might know:

Why does Soriano take that silly little hop/skip when he catches a fly ball?

[Avengerfire]

Because he is a moron hot dogger.

Can we close this thread now?

[chicubs]

I can tell you as a Cub fan who has watched him play and as a baseball player its most likely for 2 reasons, neither of which are because he is "hot dogging" or "cocky". First, baseball is a game of habits, batters have odd stances and pitchers have weird windups. Its a quirk they develop over the years and has become something that comes natural to them. Soriano probably doesn't even notice he is "hopping" while catching a fly ball, its a subconscious thing. I've noticed almost anyone that plays baseball including myself has some kind of weird quirk. Speaking to his "hop" specifically, when an outfielder is chasing a fly ball in a dead sprint everytime your foot lands your head and arm shakes and the little white ball that your trying to catch sort of dances around a little bit every time your foot lands on the ground. If you haven't played outfield try catching a fly ball in a dead sprint, you will notice how hard it is to A) keep your eye on the ball and B) keep your outstretched arm steady enough to catch the ball. As a result it is ideal to catch a ball mid stride so your arm isn't bouncing around and you have better hand-eye coordination. Soriano clearly exagerates this more than other players but I can almost gaurentee this was the orignal reason for him to develop this habit. A long explanation for kind of a random question but I'm surprised how many people have made a big deal about his hopping.

[Avengerfire]

Trust me he is hot dogging it.

Yeah and I am a Cubs fan and a former baseball player.

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yankeehead

January 16, 2009 7:13 am

"I dont know if he does it any more.... But Torre had to contiuously talk to Alfonso Soriano for showing up the other team when he was with the Yankees . Hed hit a home run and admire it for a few seconds before he rounded the bases. Teams got pissed at that because he was still new in the league..."

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/message...577#ID12978577

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"Soriano sorry for hot-dogging
Piniella, Braves hot after Cubs outfielder watches ball hit wall, ends up with single

By Paul Sullivan
August 14, 2008

ATLANTA— Alfonso Soriano apologized to manager Lou Piniella and his teammates Wednesday after watching a fly ball bounce off the base of the left-field wall while thinking it was a home run in the eighth inning of the Cubs’ 10-2 victory over the Braves in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.

An embarrassed Soriano wound up on first base and was fortunate the play had no effect on the game’s outcome.

“I apologized to [Piniella] and I apologized to my teammates,” Soriano said. “I said to them that’s not going to happen again.”"

http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2...e-chicagoaug14
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Sure. Yeah right Sorryanno we believe you.

[Drover]

Because he's a ponce.

[chicubs]

I thought we were talking about the hop? If were talking about his home run trot then I'm agreeing with you.

[Avengerfire]

Have you ever sat in the left field bleachers and watched as Sorryanno has looked into the crowd while smiling and/or gesturing as the pitch is being thrown and you or one your buddies has to yell to the moron to turn around?

I have too many times to count.

Now you know the reason he gets such a crappy jump on balls hit towards him.

[Avengerfire]

" By Paul Sullivan | Tribune staff reporter
12:37 AM EDT, April 16, 2008

Alfonso Soriano hurt himself during a hop while catching a routine fly ball in the first inning Tuesday night at Wrigley Field and appears headed to the disabled list with more leg problems...

...As is his habit, Soriano hopped while making the catch. But he landed awkwardly on his right leg and limped off the field...

...Soriano began doing the hop when he made his conversion from second base to the outfield in spring training of 2006 with Washington...

"I came up with that because every time in batting practice [when] I was waiting for a ball to come down I'd drop it," Soriano said in an interview last year. "I said to myself, 'I don't want to wait for the ball to come to me. I'll get it.' "

...Asked about the hop Tuesday night, Piniella said: "He catches the ball that way. It seems like a natural move for him."

But asked if he knew anyone else who caught a ball that way, Piniella thought a second and couldn't come up with a name..."

Cubs win game, but may lose Soriano -- Newsday.com
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The translation is Sorryanno's defense sucks and is afraid of a fly ball. The habit is not that old where he cannot get rid of it. He just chooses not to because he is a hot dog. He thinks it makes him look cool, hot, and sexy.

The thing he cannot get rid of is that he is a bit light in the loafers.

[Lookout Kid]

Wow. The cumulative effect of those articles compiled together here is that Soriano really sounds like a complete d-bag. I really dislike him now. Thanks, Avengerfire, for providing me with another source of frustration this baseball season.

[sharkylittleton]

It's a timing thing. End of story. Some people do it differently. Maybe we should talk about real issues like the bullpen, instead of focusing on Soriano's bouncy bounce.