His attempt to popularize catching the ball with his head fell flat when his first attempt ricocheted off his head and sailed over the wall for a homerun. He transformed batting from an art to a science. Joltin' Joe could do everything at the plate with the greatest of ease. His mythology transcends the game. Red Sox fans still hold vigils and sacrifices to his honor.
Nobody knows more about hitting.
Nobody did it better. There's a tape of Gwynn and Williams talking about hitting. Just sitting there talking. Any baseball player should watch it. It's the surest way to gain 15 points on your batting average that I've ever seen.