Video analysis is not a big deal now. Lots and lots of players use video to work on their mechanics and scout the opposition. Teams have dedicated video staff that supplies the footage to players. They can watch it on their iPads and laptops.
But back in the 80s it wasn’t nearly as common. And one of the pioneers of intensive video analysis was Tony Gwynn. He started by having his wife record Padres games on their VCR -- remember those, kids? -- and would watch it later. That evolved into a big portable -- barely -- monitor system he’d take with him on road trips.
Most people became aware of this when it was featured on “This Week in Baseball” in 1989. Here’s that segment. How about that?
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