David Laurila at FanGraphs recently posted an interview with Mariners batting coach Edgar Martinez, one of baseball's purest hitters, and some of his lines reminded me of what Jiro Ono, the great Japanese sushi chef, says in the 2012 documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi.” 

A food critic in the doc, for example, sums up Jiro's philosophy thus: “Ultimate simplicity leads to purity.”

And here's Edgar Martinez on hitting:

We sometimes make it complicated, but the simpler it is—the simpler the mechanics—the better your chance of hitting a fastball. Sometimes we think too much about the mechanics. If we go to the plate thinking about our legs or our hands, we're not focusing on what we need to focus on, which is hitting the pitch.

You hear that lesson a lot: in writing, design, art, food. Now hitting. Simplify, simplify, simplify.

Here's my (wordy) tribute to Edgar from 2004.

"Once you decide on your occupation you must immerse yourself in your work. Never complain about your job. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That’s the secret of success.” --Jiro Ono.