[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:
[quote]DBCooper wrote:
[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:
[quote]DBCooper wrote:
[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:
[quote]therajraj wrote:
[quote]DBCooper wrote:
[quote]DixiesFinest wrote:
[quote]therajraj wrote:
[quote]Mutu wrote:
I tried watching it a few times. I was confused when the commentators started talking about “strategy”. I guess not all teams use the basic “hit the ball when its thrown at you/catch the ball when it comes towards you” strategy. Oh yea, also when you hit the ball run towards the white squares on the ground. [/quote]
what funny about this is baseball is arguably the most strategic sport of the big 4 [/quote]
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As much as I love baseball, and as much as the game is extremely based in strategy, there’s NO way baseball involves more strategy than football. How long do pitchers and catchers spend going over a scouting report compared to how long coaches spend watching game film.
I will say this, though. Baseball strategy is in the hands of the players much more than football players. Coaches in baseball can definitely make a difference, but not anywhere close to the impact a new coach or coordinator can have in football. The 49ers are a perfect example. That’s what I like about baseball; while part of the game unfolds in the dugout with the manager, almost everything important about baseball strategy happens right there on the field, whereas in football it’s more like watching a conductor lead an orchestra through a symphony. I prefer to root for the guys playing the instruments than the one conducting them.[/quote]
What’s the point in differentiating between strategy on vs off the field?
So much of baseball is deliberate. How many pitches are thrown in an average game? 300-400? Before EVERY pitch is thrown, it is talked about (via hand signals), decided upon and then thrown. On top of that, it’s a timeless sport.
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But the decision made before each pitch is 99% of the strategy in baseball, meaning 7 guys on the pitching team just stand there with their thumbs in their asses (trust me, Im an outfielder; the majority of my time on the field is spent thinking about my next at bat).
Whereas in football you have 11 guys on each side of the ball that have important decisions to make based on the play called.
Obviously all sports have strategy but football is compared to a chess match for a reason, appropriately so IMO. [/quote]
Rather than thinking about your next at-bat, you should be thinking about where the pitcher is likely to pitch to the batter, what type of swing type he has, how much power, etc. If there are runners on base you should be thinking about their speed, where the cut-off man is likely to be if there’s a ball gap (it just makes it a little easier to wheel and fire quickly with an accurate throw) and what base you should be throwing to. Wind and sun are also factors, but unless it’s partly cloudy or the wind picks up, that should be pretty much covered by the time the game starts.
As far as the rest of the team, the middle infielders are usually watching the signs to position themselves based on pitch location. With runners on base, all the infielders are also thinking about bunt possibilities, holding their ground in the event of a hit-and-run, what base to throw to based on where/how the ball is hit and where they’re supposed to be in the event of a hit into the gap. They largely know this without really even having to think about it. It’s called “baseball instinct”, something that no one who hasn’t played would have ANY concept of whatsoever. But “baseball instinct” is simply the result of experience and a honing of skills. People forget that the mental part of sports, and certainly the mental part of a sport with no clock that is played 6 times a week for 6 months in the sweltering heat, IS a skill in and of itself.[/quote]
You were a college pitcher. Ive been playing outfield for about 15 years now lol. Im aware of how I should prepare before each pitch. I said the majority of my time, not all. I dont play in the pro’s. We dont have scouting reports on the other team. All of the stuff you mentioned is second nature at this point.
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It was kind of tongue-in-cheek. When I played in high school I played outfield when I wasn’t pitching. But I was even worse than you. I wouldn’t even be thinking of my next at-bat; I’d be thinking about my next start on the mound three days away! I wasn’t known for being a real “headsy” outfielder, that’s for sure. Constantly out of position and always disregarding the cut-off man and that sort of thing.[/quote]
lol @ headsy outfielders haha.
I put my time to good use. Wound up leading the league in OBP to the tune of a .585 clip lol. .350 batting average. Trying to make billy beane proud [/quote]
How’s your swing, by the way? Did you correct whatever mistake it was you were making? If I remember correctly, you were kind of moving forward toward the ball as you strode, shortening your time to track the pitch. Based on your numbers, it looks like you’ve solved it. I remember from watching that at-bat you sent me that you looked like a patient hitter, so the OBP definitely doesn’t surprise me. It’s tough to be a patient hitter in some of these Sunday leagues where the pitchers only throw in the low 80’s and it looks like a fucking beach ball up there. Well, high 70’s might be more my speed now.
I think I’m going to play this summer. I can’t pitch anymore because I’ve dislocated my shoulder about four times in the last 5 years while mt biking. I’m worried I won’t be able to hit for shit since I haven’t faced live pitching in a couple years and I was never much of a hitter anyways, hence why I started pitching in high school. Figured it was the best way to get more playing time.
