More Baseball
Submitted by Sam Sherman
Changes for the worse
There are some things that were part of baseball at that time that don't have much importance today.
Bunting is almost a lost art. Not only the drag bunt, but also the sacrifice.
Very few turn and face the pitcher squarely, in order to get a good view of the pitch. To nearly eliminate the up and down aspect of the pitch, I was taught to crouch so that my eyes were down within the strike zone. In the normal stance, one's eyes are well above the strike zone, requiring judgment of not only the inside/outside angle, but also the high/low aspects. By crouching slightly, one has a better view.
One of the responsibilities of the pitcher is to make the call as to who is going to make the catch of a popup. And on a pop-up well into foul territory, the pitcher is supposed to run toward the player going for the catch while letting him know how much room he has left before crashing into the stands or falling into the dugout. In that way the player can concentrate on catching the ball and doesn't have to look away from the ball to make his own judgment.
One of the dumbest things I see in baseball today is players who dive into first base. For some reason they think that there is an advantage to doing that. The fact is, that such a maneuver actually slows the runner down. Certainly, if the runner were to keep his legs under power, he would stay at the same speed as he crossed the base. But to stop the leg motion does nothing but help make an out.
The last of the lecture part of this writing is the pitcher's pick-off motion to first base. When there's a runner on first base, the pitcher has a couple of opportunities to throw him out: When the runner takes his first step or two off the base, and, second, when the runner is set to steal and thinks the pitcher is going to pitch.
Roger Clemens changed all that.
He would take his signal from the pitcher while the ball was in his glove instead of in his throwing hand, which, of course, slows down the process.
Many runners make mistakes while taking their lead off first base: They cross their legs while making the first step; they bring one foot up to the other maybe twice in taking their lead. These are the best times to pick them off. But, pitchers like Clemens forfeit those chances because they don't have the ball in their throwing hand.
Sadly, Town Team Baseball doesn't have the same flavor that it used to have. After high school, baseball is pretty much over for the local players.
Though much positive can be said for the way baseball is run today, it has lost the fun enjoyed by local players and local fans.
