Because he was a great hitter. Great hitters generally have superior plate discipline and pitch recognition. Great hitters have a better ability to drive the ball on pitches they can hit hard and avoid swinging at the pitches they can't. I'm assuming that he's like the average elite hitter, and I haven't seen any evidence to the contrary. Assuming that he isn't like any other elite slugger, without any evidence, is retarded. Are you retarded?