The Art and Science of Baseball

Baseball is not for everyone. This has been hard for me to admit because I love everything about the game. However, for some people baseball is is not enjoyable. And to be fair, it does require some patience and if you don't understand what you're watching, I can assume it gets dull very quickly. But those who do understand the rules of baseball should have at least some appreciation for it. I truly believe this because there are so many elements to the game and different ways to look at it. Sometimes I look at the game from a scientific point of view. I look at statistics, how hard a pitcher is throwing, and the hitter's tendencies. I ask myself what are the chances there is a base hit? What pitch should the pitcher throw in this situation? Would I call for a bunt? These are questions every good coach will ask himself, but looking at the game this way is not just for the coaches. Over time, i have come to appreciate how anything can happen in a baseball game. Some things I have seen personally and on T.V. I would not have believed had I not seen it myself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sW5Uc--TsM
There are so many factors that someone can account for to explain what happened in a play. This also makes baseball a game of chance and uncertainty. Small things such as the wind and temperature during the game can have the most significant outcome to a game. If a pitcher throws a fastball a quarter of an inch closer to the plate on the outside corner, it can result in a home run as opposed to a ground ball out or swing and miss.
Baseball can also be viewed as an art. I personally think there is nothing more relaxing than going to a ballpark on a warm, sunny day and just observe. I like to observe how effortless the players make the game look. Pitchers throw the ball at unbelievable velocity and don't even look like they are trying to throw hard. Hitters hit the ball over 400 ft. against the best pitchers in the world and trot around the bases like it's their job and they do this every day. Well, I guess it is technically their job but who can honestly say playing baseball is like a real job?

Pitchers and Helmets

I don't think pitchers should wear helmets. It's just unnatural and the game has been played for over a hundred years without one, so why change now? Well, hitters are becoming much stronger and have better mechanics than they did 100 years ago. The pitcher's mound is only 60 ft 6 inches away from home plate and the pitcher's stride can be 5-6 ft long, making the distance from the pitcher to where the hitter hits the ball around 55 ft. Pitching can be very dangerous. There have been a few life threatening instances that have given the MLB a scare.
http://deadspin.com/toronto-blue-jays-pitcher-j-a-happ-hit-in-head-with-li-494690306

However, helmets still wouldn't be practical for pitchers. One reason is the mechanics pitchers uses involve violent head motions. It would be nearly impossible for a pitcher to wear a helmet and be able to use his regular mechanics without being distracted by the helmet or the helmet falling off during his delivery. In fact, I believe a helmet would change a pitcher's mechanics so badly that it would increase the likeliness of injury. Pitching already puts a lot of stress on one's arm. If mechanics are tinkered with just slightly, it can make the pitcher use a different arm angle or release the ball just a little too early, resulting in an elbow or shoulder injury. This is very common in the MLB as opposed to getting hit in the head by a 100 mph line drive from home plate. So in my opinion, the MLB needs to simply hope that pitchers continue to be fortunate and be confidant that this doesn't happen often enough to make such a drastic change.

ISL Playoffs

The ISL is one of the few high school leagues that does not have playoffs. There are sixteen teams in the league and the majority are competative every year. In recent years, the strongest teams have include BBN who went undefeated in the league (only happened three times in league history with Lawrence Academy and Milton), Belmont Hill, Lawrence Academy, Milton, Governor's Academy, St. Sebastian's, Groton School, and Roxbury Latin. Each year, the race is very close for the top team, and since there are no playoffs, every game matters and not every team gets the place they deserve.
Steven Drury elaborates in an interview...

Pitchers

Pithers control the game of baseball. It is the only position that can win or lose a game by himself. A team could have the best hitters in the world and a stellar defense. However, it doesn't matter how many runs a team puts up or how good their defense is if a pitcher can't put the ball over the plate. There is an art and science to pitchers that only a few have mastered over the years. It is one of the most competative positions. There are certain requirements that pitchers must have in order to be successful in the MLB. For example, there are very few pitchers in the league tha do not consistently throw 90 m.p.h. Pitchers must be able to throw at least three effective pitches for strikes and have a certain amount of endurance. Pitching is extremely difficult because one must have perfect mechanics that are repetable for every pitch. If a pitcher's timing is off or they make a slight difference in their delivery such as arm slot or where they land, then the pitch will not be as effective.

Pitching is also often very taxing on the body, particularly the throwing arm. Starting pitchers need to have endurance to pitch 7-9 innings in a game which is usually around 100 pitches and then be able to fully recover in 5-6 days. This process can be very difficult for some. Usually, people think that pitchers do nothing but rest in between starts but this is far from the truth. Pitching coaches in the MLB set up a throwing schedule that gives pitchers enough rest to recover and be prepared for the next game. During the week, a throwing routine usually consists of long toss, short toss, and a bullpen. Pitchers also run and lift weights 2-3 days a week to stay fit. Runnig also helps get rid of lactic acid that builds up in the arm after a long start. In addition to these workouts, pitchers must ice for at least two days after they start to slow down the swelling of the arm and the pain.

Why You sHould Hate the Yankees Continued

So last time, I talked about how the Yankees have a ridiculous payroll. In this post, I will explain how bad the fans are ompared to the rest of the league. First, I would like to start with how they view one player particularly. Alex Rodriguez is a very good player. He has hit over 500 homeruns and has helpe the Yankees significantly in the years he has played for them. However, fans tend to forget that Rodriguez is a cheater. Barry Bonds put up better numbers than rodriguez, yet people can't stand him because he cheated. People believe Bonds should never be near the game of baseball again. If this is true, how is it Rodriguez is still playing today? And even worst, Yankees fans have no problem pretending it never happened as long as they keep winning. Also, a lot of people believe Rodriguez does not have sportsmanship and i have to say i agree...http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/24/sports/baseball/24pins.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/playoffs/2004-10-20-interference-alcs-game6_x.htm

Back to Yankees fans... they feel like they are entitled to something every game. Every close pitch or call on the field has to go there way. To them, there is no question, they are always right no matter what. They yell annoying chants during the game that their own players don't like. They are obnoxious to other fans and players with constant heckling. I know this personally when i went to Yankees Stadium in 2009. Because my family and I were wearing Red Sox jerseys, we were treated poorly the entire game. Everywhere we walked, we got heckled by the fans even with two younger brothers. In the end, Yankees fans are arrogant and annoying. This picture pretty much sums it up....

Why You Should Hate the Yankees

Everyone in Boston hates the Yankees. It goes without saying. But Why? When did this rivalry start and how? Well, a lot of people say it started with the curse of the great Bambino. In eight years playign with the Red Sox, he won 4 World Series and was arguably the best hitter in baseball. In 1919, the Re Sox could not agree to Ruth's terms for a new contract. He was then sold to who else but the New York Yankees. The Red Sox would not win another World Series for another 86 years. Boston fans could not understand why they lost every year. The Red Sox were always a competative team. They constantly found themselves in the playoffs and every year Red Sox fans would say, "This is the year" only to end the season in despair. The Yankees on the other hand, dominated the game of baseball. In the same time period, they have won a total of 26 World Series.

This is far from the only reason to hate the Yankees however. In fact, many other teams hate the Yankees for several different reasons. One of the most popular rasons is the ridiculous payroll they have for their players each year. http://www.stevetheump.com/Payrolls.htm If you look at this link, you will realize what an advantage the Yankees have every year over much smaller ball clubs.

Stay tuned for many more reasons to hate the Yankees coming soon...

Steroids Part Two

Eric Knott spent a total of 11 years playing minor league baseball. He only pitched a total of 24 innings in the MLB. He doesn’t regret his career at all. He realizes that he was never truly good enough to be considered a starter on a professional baseball team. However, he wonders what his career would have looked like had he not played in the Steroid Era. He played in the same time period as Sammy Sosa, Mark McGuire, and Barry Bonds and he recalls that people were aware what was going on. The rate at which all three would hit as many homeruns as they did had never been seen before. He says that steroids were considered normal in Major League Baseball. Pitchers and hitters used it to get a competitive edge over the competition. Pitchers could throw 3-5 mph harder, and hitters had almost unlimited potential when using steroids. Power hitters are highly valued in the MLB. For the 2013 season, both Mark Texiera and Alex Rodriguez are in the top 5 most paid MLB players because of their ability to hit homeruns.

Steroids have and will forever plague the game of baseball. It is difficult to know for sure who has or hasn’t taken steroids because of the advanced methods of influencing drug test results. Players who take steroids are taking shortcuts and cheating. The main reason someone takes steroids is to get bigger, stronger, and faster. Players may also use human growth hormones (HGH) to prevent or treat injuries. Steroids are not needed to achieve these results. It may take more work and time but ultimately, players can get bigger, faster, and stronger with intense dedication in the weight room. Steroids are simply a guarantee that you will see better results with less effort than you would without using steroids. The worst part about steroids is kids are using them now at young ages and getting away with it. Since there are no drug tests in high school, this is very easy to do. I know this for a fact because I also personally know some players who have experimented with steroids. It is truly sad because I don’t think they are fully aware of the effects steroids have on their still growing bodies and the long term consequences they are going to have to deal with in the future. First, if you take steroids at a young age, you will not grow anymore do to arrested bone growth. Other side effects include bad acne, mood swings, and enlarged breasts. You also significantly increase the risk of liver and heart disease when you take steroids. So the question is: are steroids worth it? When answering, it is important to remember no matter what sport you play or what level you play in, it is still just a game.

"There are a lot of side effects of steroids," Mautner tells WebMD. "They are not good for you. It is like Russian roulette. Five people may take them and have no long-term problem. The sixth may end up dead."