Baseball Coordinator
Can you hear it? I can. It is the sound of the baseball season coming.
Itâ??s one of my favorite times of the year. The cracking sound of the
bat hitting the ball in the gap for a triple. The sound of a fastball
hitting the catcherâ??s glove on the outside corner for a called strike
three.
HA â??? he gone! I love it.
I like breaking down the game. How about the play at the plate, with
the catcher up the third-base line a bit to block the plate so the
runner cannot get to it? The catcher is also bracing for contact with
the runner, and then all of a sudden â?¦ WHAM! Was the catcher able to
hold on to the ball after the contact? Or, did the runner slide past
the tag?
Priceless.
I also like trying to figure out the third base coachâ??s signs to the
runner at first base, and his signs to the batter, to see if the bunt
or hit-and-run or steal sign is on. Yum, YUM!
I like watching the pitcher to see if he throws a strike on the
first pitch to the batter. Or if he throws a curve ball out and away,
whether the batter goes fishing for the pitch. Or if the pitcher has a
0-and-2 count, does he waste a pitch high and away or go after the
batter for the strikeout. I look at the follow-through of the pitcher
to see how much he goes to the right or left side of the mound after
the pitch â??? and if the leadoff man notices it and tries to lay down a
bunt toward the opposite side the pitcher goes.
I like studying outfielders and the positions they take with a
left-handed batter up, seeing if they are guessing he will pull the
ball down the right-field line or just swing for a â??Texas Leaguerâ?
single to left.
I know nobody likes umpires, but I like sitting right behind home
plate and watching the pitch thrown to the catcher. I like to see how
much of the outside corner of the plate an umpire gives the pitcher,
especially with a two-strike count. The best part to study is how much
the pitcher throws inside to the batter, and if the pitcher tries to
send a message to the batter with that that part of the plate is his.
Priceless!
Well, I hope I have given you fans that are less of a diehard than
me a new lease on life at the next ballgame you attend. (Remember,
baseball is played in sun-tan weather!) I am glad the season is upon
us.
Heck, with all the money the Cubs spent this past off-season, maybe they will be the 2007 world champs! Hereâ??s hoping so.
Enjoy Americaâ??s pastime.
Baseball.
What a game.
So what do you think? Share your thoughts in our Baseball forum.
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