If James Rowson were an NFL coordinator, he'd be famous.
His name would populate the news crawls at the bottom of the screen on every sports channel. Opposing teams would be talking to his agent. Opposing coaches would be trying to steal his secrets.
Rowson is an offensive coordinator, of sorts, as the Twins hitting coach. Because baseball coaching in general and the coaching of hitting in particular is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, Rowson is as anonymous as an accountant's assistant.
He shouldn't be. Rowson and assistant hitting coach Rudy Hernandez are at the heart, or at least the calluses, of the Twins' transformation. Last year, the Twins finished 23rd in the majors with 166 home runs. This year, they rank first in the majors in home runs with 104 — averaging two per game, putting them on pace to hit 324, which would break the MLB record by 57.
The baseball is harder. More players strive for optimal launch angle. The deep Twins lineup wears down opposing pitchers. Those elements would explain improvement. They don't explain the most stunning development in baseball — the Twins putting themselves on pace to break home run marks while building the game's best record.
Before the Twins beat the White Sox 7-0 on Sunday, Rowson tried to explain the inexplicable.
"The fact that the ball is leaving the ballpark is a pretty cool thing right now," Rowson said. "But the approach is not to hit home runs. The approach is to get good pitches and hit them hard, and more than anything to be yourself in each at-bat."
You would think that a key member of a highly analytical organization would emphasize the launch-angle angle, but Rowson insists the home runs are a result of experience, talent and work habits.