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."

Steroids Part One

Baseball Steroids Era

            Mark McGwire was the first baseball player to be found guilty ingesting Androstenedione, an anabolic steroid that converts itself to testosterone once digested. He was considered one of the best power hitters of all time when he played, but now people know the reason is because he cheated. Steroids will forever plague the game of baseball. Although steroids have been banned in baseball since 1991, drug was not implemented until 2003. Even today, there are advanced methods that make it possible for players to conceal the fact that they are juicing up. When I was younger, I was not aware of how many baseball players have used steroids at some point in their career. If a player hit 50 homeruns in a season, I thought they were simply really strong hitters with good mechanics. Now, every time I see a baseball player with massive forearms and who hits 50 homeruns in a season, I automatically question if he has cheated in some form. Sadly, the answer is usually yes. Between 1998 and 2009, 10 more players reached 500 career home runs, easily the largest increase in membership in baseball history. Of the 10 players, six -- Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Mark McGwire, Manny Ramirez, Rafael Palmeiro and Gary Sheffield -- have been linked to PEDs. [1]This was very depressing for me to hear about in the recent years. Imagine a 10 year old boy who loves the game of baseball. He looks up to all of these great players such as Gary Sheffield, Roger Clemens, Manny Ramirez, and Alex Rodriguez. When I was a kid, these players were me and my friends’ idols. I personally saw Gary Sheffield and Many Ramirez hit in the same game in the 2004 season. Even then, I noticed something was different about them. Gary Sheffield was said to have the quickest bat speed in the league. His hands were lightening quick, and when he hit the ball it flew off the bat at remarkable speeds that the other players couldn’t compare to. Manny Ramirez was the same way, but also very different. When he swung, it looked almost effortless. Yet, when he connected with the ball squarely, you knew it was going out of the park. It seemed like his 34” 32 oz bat weighed nothing to him. It seemed to me like these players had an unfair advantage and they really did. If we want to play professional baseball some day, who do we look up to? Who do we try to act like? Who do we mimic as much as possible? The answer is not simply professional ballplayers. The answer is the best players in the game and the fact is the reason most of the players were great, is because they decided to use anabolic steroids. What message does this send to kids whose dream is to play baseball? Does one have to take steroids in order to be the best? Do they have to be willing to risk their long term health just in order to get a competitive edge? For one minor league player, the answer is yes.

Look for part two coming soon....

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[1] http://espn.go.com/mlb/topics/_/page/the-steroids-era

Baseball Salaries

Salaries and Economy in Baseball

Eddie Cicotte, one of the game’s best pitchers in 1918 was paid $6,000 dollars a year and won 29 games. The year before, he had won 26 games and Charles Comiskey, the owner of the White Sox at the time had promised him a $10,000 bonus if he won 30 games that year. Cicotte had won his 29^th game with 2 weeks left in the season. Comiskey decided to bench him for these two weeks. He says his reason was to give Cicotte a rest for the upcoming World Series. However, it was obvious that Comiskey was greedy and didn’t want to give Cicotte a chance to get his $10,000 bonus that he deserved. This kind of greediness gave players a reason to “fix” ball games that would get them more money in one loss than their annual salary. For example, Cicotte got paid $10,000 dollars to lose the first game of the World Series. While fixing a game is considered immoral, it is hard to pass up almost twice your salary to lose one game.

 In 1972, the highest paid athlete was Hank Aaron with $270,000. He is arguably one of the best hitters to ever play the game. This year’s highest paid player is Alex Rodriguez who is paid $29 million a year. This is 580 times the median income of American citizens. This is absurd to be paid this much for playing a game that kids can play. Personally, I think that no one should make $29 million a year no matter what your job is. $29 million is simply too much money. Just how many luxurious things do celebrities and all star athletes need today in order to be happy? Greed is becoming a common theme in today’s game. Players are becoming stricter with how much money they think they deserve. They are hiring the best sports agents who help them get as much money as possible for their talents. In 1920, Eddie Cicotte’s salary was $6,000. This has as much buying power today as almost $73,000 in today’s economy. It is impossible for a MLB player to be paid this little. Yet, this could be considered a very reasonable salary for any average American citizen. Pitchers who were not nearly as good as Cicotte are being paid much more.

Frank Francisco was a closer for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2012. This means he pitched 1 to 2 innings in a game maybe 3 to 4 times a week. His salary in 2012 was $5million. I understand that people want the freedom to do what they want for work and not have a limit on how much money they can make. But how can someone make $29 million and sleep at night knowing there is so much poverty in the world? Baseball players could live comfortably with $78,000. Some may say that baseball has become a business recently. Baseball should be a game first and salaries should not be the top priority. However, people also don’t realize that baseball has been a business since the early 1900’s.

Gambling was a common theme in baseball and was the reason for a lot of people even coming to the games. Now, baseball fixes are almost unheard of, but this doesn’t mean money doesn’t corrupt baseball. In 1973, the minimum salary for a one year contract to play baseball was $15,000. The minimum salary in 2012 was $480,000. So how does an owner of a baseball team determine how much money to give his players? First, the biggest factor is most likely how much money the franchise has. For example, in 2005 the Tampa Bay Devil Rays could never dream of paying for Alex Rodriguez’s salary. Alex Rodriguez was paid $26 million the same year the entire Tampa Bay Devi Rays’ roster was paid $29.3 million. This is absolutely absurd. How can one player be worth an entire roster on another team? However, owners want to win ball games. The more games a team wins, the more fans will fill the seats. With the increase in players’ salaries, the value of one ticket also increases. In 1971, the average price for an MLB ticket was $3. In 2005, the price went up to $25.  An increase in fans per game increases revenue. Not to mention, a fan has a very high probability of getting hungry during one of those nine innings. Did you know it is $.4.50 for one hot dog at Fenway Park? Hot dogs used to cost 20 cents in 1933. Just a little fun fact. Larry Luchino, owner of the Boston Red Sox in 2003 said, “The ultimate goal, and we’re not embarrassed to say it, is to wring as many revenue dollars out of this ballpark as we can.”

Another problem with baseball salaries today is the unfair advantage teams with money have over teams such as the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics. Because players are demanding more money each year, it is simply impossible for the Padres to acquire a top tier player I the league today. The Padres’ payroll is about $55 million. This at first seems like plenty of money to get quality players on a team. However, it is unfair when the New York Yankees constantly have the highest payroll every year. In fact, The Yankees have had the highest payroll since 1999 and therefore have had an advantage over every other team in the league for the past 14 years.  In 2013, their payroll is $197 million. With this amount of money, the Yankees are able to afford some of the best players in the game today. Some of these players include Mark Texiera, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, and C.C. Sabathia. The list goes on and on. The owner’s approach to winning games is to simply buy the best players. Most teams are forced to be cautious with what they spend and depend on good farm teams to provide players. The Yankees’ strategy is to buy seasoned veterans who have already proven they can be successful in the MLB. In the eyes of the Yankees, they are purchasing wins with little risk.

So what can be done about this less than perfect economy in baseball? Not much. It’s not the Yankees’ fault all of their games are sold out and therefore, have more money than a lot of teams. If a team has the money, they are going to use it to purchase the best players. However, with the imbalance of money on certain teams, it divides the league into a competitive group with the chance to make the playoffs each year and a group of teams that everyone knows will not come close to making the playoffs. I think this imbalance is caused by the players. If they did not require an absurd amount of money, teams could afford the best players and the entire league would be competitive.

catching

The catcher position in baseball is one of the most difficult positions to play. They also take a lot of risk going behind home plate. Catching may be the most taxing on the body than any other position. This is probably because MLB catchers are expected to play 9 innings every day and spend a total of about 1 and a half hours in an uncomfortable crouching position. A pitcher throws the ball with unbelievable velocity at the catcher and is expected to catch every pitch no matter where it is thrown. If the pitch is in the dirt, the catcher is expected to sacrafice his body so the ball doesn't get by him. Velocity varying anywhere from 70-100 m.p.h. can hit the catcher on the wrists, forearms, head, and chest with a great amount of pain. The catcher also has to account for the different tyopes of spin a pitcher can throw. This includes a splitter, where the ball seems to "drop off the table" at the last possible second while coming in at 80m.p.h. The pitcher can also throw a slider, which can be from 85-92 m.p.h. This pitch looks like a fastball until the last possible second and then curves to the side with tremendous movement. While worrying about catching these pitches, the catcher is also expected to understand the opposing team's hitter's tendencies and call pitches that will get them out. This is just one part of the job for catchers as they are expected to hit as well. Since catching is such a taxing position, they are typically not expected to produce hitting numbers similar to other positions. It is very rare for a catcher to start 160 games in a season. They usually require at least one off day every other week or so.

Dream Team

C Josh Gibson

Bio: Josh was called the “Black Babe Ruth.” Josh hit 800 home runs in seventeen years of playing. The 800 home runs included seventy-five in 1931. Josh was considered one of the most dangerous hitters to step up to the plate. Josh hit a home run that was 570’ long. Josh was the league’s leading hitter four times and had a lifetime batting average of .347. 17 year career in the Negro Leagues.

(http://www.east-buc.k12.ia.us/99_00/BH/jg/jg_bio.htm)

1b Albert Pujols

Bio: hit 480 homeruns in 13 years as a current player in MLB. Overall .323 avg hitter. Hit 130 RBI in 2001.

2b Eddie Collins

One of the few “Black Sox” players that was not a part of the 1919 World Series Scandal. Stole 81 bases in 1910. Hit .333 in 25 years in the league.

3b Chipper Jones

Lifetime batting average .303, Home runs: 468, Hits: 2,726, and 1,632 RBI

SS Cal Ripken Jr.  

Numbers: .276 Batting Average, 3184 Hits, 431 Home Runs, 1695 RBI.

Ripken played in 2,632 straight games for the Baltimore Orioles, shattering Lou Gehrig's "unbreakable" mark of 2,130. Ripken methodically put together a remarkable career, notching 3,184 hits, 431 home runs, 19 straight All-Star appearances, and two Most Valuable Player Awards.

His solid, steady play earned him hero status throughout America. His "2131" game was ranked as No. 1 of all time MLB Moments by the fans on MLB.com. Simply put, Ripken is the reason why fans came back to MLB after the strike in 1994. You can argue that Ripken had almost an impact in the game of baseball as Babe Ruth or Jackie Robinson.

OF Ty Cobb:

Wasn’t a homerun hitter. Most homeruns he had in a season was 12 in 1921 and 1925. Factor was playing in the dead ball era. 897 stolen bases in career. Includes 96 stolen bases in 1915. Led the league in hits several times throughout career. .420 average in 1911 is almost unheard of. (http://baseballsgreatesthitters.com/ERA_1_-_Pre-Ruth.html)

OF Hank Aaron

Bio: 2279 career RBI. Led the league in batting average in 1956 and 1959 with .328 and .355 respectively. 755 career homeruns. Most career homeruns ever except for Barry Bonds. Personally, I think Hank Aaron is still the king because Bonds used steroids.

OF Willie Mays

Rare combination of speed and power. 660 career homeruns. 338 stolen bases. Only 5’10” and 170 Ib.

DH Ted Williams

Bio: Hit 159 RBI and 44 HR in 1949. Also, one of the most patient hitters in the game. Led the league in walks multiple times, including 162 in 1949. Rarely struck out. Career batting average of .344.  

SP Satchel Paige. Joe DiMaggio called Satchel Paige "the best and fastest pitcher I've ever faced". His pitching was amazing and his showboating was legendary. (http://www.satchelpaige.com/bio2.html)

SP Babe Ruth

As a hitter, Ruth compiled a .342 AVG, 2873 H, 714 HR’s, & 2217 RBI’s. He led the league twelve times in home runs in his 22-year career. He also led the league in SLG %13 times, OPS 13 times, RS eight times, and RBI six times.

CP Mariano Rivera

Said to have the nastiest pitch in the league. Made a living off of one pitch for his entire career. Hitters would know that a cutter was coming and they still wouldn’t be able to hit it. 619 career saves and 2.12 ERA.