Humane Time
after a homerun, the 20-second pitch clock should be humanely set to 40 seconds
Category: Rules and Standards
Is it about Time? Or is it about Theft?
In regard to the proposed 20-second pitch clock rule:
if i was a base stealer i would wait until 19 seconds, then take off.
is this a weakness of the pace-of-play clock rule?
we have been watching how Joe Maddon likes to send his runners when there is a breaking-ball count (ie. the hitter has seen a good sequence of fastballs and an educated guess is that an off-speed pitch is coming).
so we will end with some math:
off-speed count + 19 seconds = i gotta steal
pitch clock + larger base = runner advantage
the beauty of sport
Weird Scores
there are no such things as weird baseball scores
Trade Deadline Analysis: Breaking News
It is important that after the trade deadline (as with before the trade deadline):
Each team should field nine (9) professional players.
Bunting and The Shift
did players forget how to bunt?
or has bunting become more difficult?
it can be really challenging to understand the difficulty teams have in overcoming The Shift (capitalized, like a proper name – maybe the name of a monster?)
Scoring Positions
a runner on second is “in scoring position”
then what is a runner on third?
“more in scoring position”?
Fraternization
What is the rule against fraternization?
The particle and the anti-particle have formed.
The Shift
the
shift
is dead
or dying
X-Factor
Clayton Kershaw demonstrates this when he pitches
Yadier Molina demonstrates this when he is catching
influencing plays….. with….. body language?
body language says a lot
you can interpret much from a series of “ugly swings”
that is a type of body language that is easy to count
but a definable, palpable swagger is somewhat more nuanced
it says something when you see pitchers go out of their way to get involved in defense early in games
we recognize this as a good strategy (just dont get hurt)