The Infield Fly Rule

With the previous entry we described the "Dropped Third Strike".  As promised, this one will talk about the Infield Fly Rule.  Right off the bat (no pun intended) we'll give you an excerpt from the rules book.  Rule 2.00 Definition of Terms:

An INFIELD FLY is a fair fly ball (not including a line drive nor an attempted

bunt) which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, when first and second, or

first, second and third bases are occupied, before two are out. The pitcher, catcher and any

outfielder who stations himself in the infield on the play shall be considered infielders for

the purpose of this rule.

The Infield Fly rule kicks in with less than two outs and runners on first and second or the bases loaded.  When a fly ball in the infield is deemed catch-able by the umpire he signals "Infield Fly" and the rule comes into effect.  The batter is automatically out regardless if the ball is caught or not.  Once again this seems a little silly until we look at a scenario.  Let's pretend the infield fly rule does not exist.  With a runner on first and second and no outs,  the batter hits a high fly to the shortstop.  The runners on first and second must stay put on their bases or risk being doubled up.  The shortstop purposely drops the ball throws to the third baseman who is covering third then the third baseman throws to second for a double play.  Doesn't seem fair does it?  Of course not! That's why the powers that be implemented the Infield Fly Rule.

Below is how to score a Infield Fly.  I put in the first two batters to show the base runners.

There you have it.  Simple enough right?  Next post we'll talk about Kenesaw Mountain Landis.  Who? ... Where?  He's a "who" and you'll see what a fascinating person he is.

Thanks for reading,

-Tom

Dropped Third Strike

Two rules which fans are often confused about are the Dropped Third Strike and Infield Fly rules.  This entry will deal with the Dropped Third Strike and the next will explain the Infield Fly Rule.

So what is this silliness where a batter actually strikes out but can reach first base?  One of the rules in baseball is a ball must be caught to register an out.  In the case of the third strike it must be caught cleanly - not dropped and not on a bounce.  Sections 6.05 and 6.09 of the MLB rules come in to play with the Dropped Third Strike.  Here are excerpts for your reading pleasure:

6.05 A batter is out when—

(b) A third strike is legally caught by the catcher;

Rule 6.05(b) Comment: “Legally caught” means in the catcher’s glove before the ball touches the

ground. It is not legal if the ball lodges in his clothing or paraphernalia; or if it touches the umpire and is

caught by the catcher on the rebound.

6.09 The batter becomes a runner when—

(b) The third strike called by the umpire is not caught, providing (1) first base is

unoccupied, or (2) first base is occupied with two out;

Rule 6.09(b) Comment: A batter who does not realize his situation on a third strike not caught,

and who is not in the process of running to first base, shall be declared out once he leaves the dirt circle

surrounding home plate.

So here's the play.  With less than two outs and first base open or two outs and runners at any base; if strike three is not caught by the catcher the runner can take off for first.  He must be thrown out.  If the runner is safe the strikeout is still recorded but it is simply that - an occurrence in the game that is recorded (like a hit batsman) and not an event that causes an out.  Got it?

So why isn't this rule in effect for every situation and not just the ones mentioned above?  Let's look at a scenario.  Say there is a runner on first with one out.  The dropped third strike rule cannot be in effect.  Why not? Theoretically, the catcher can purposely drop the third strike and fire the ball to the second baseman for one out and back to first for an inning ending double play.  Not fair is it now?  Of course not, that's why the rule is in place.

Here is how to score the Dropped Third Strike rule (in my very own chicken scratch):

Runner out

Runner safe

Hope this was informative.  Next up - The infield fly rule.

Thanks for reading,
-Tom

Strategy and Tactics - Infield Positioning

Branch Rickey

Let me preface this blog entry by stating that any game-time tactical move, whether on offense or defense, carries with it some level of risk.  If there was no risk, well, what fun would that be?  Historically, strategy and tactics have been around since the 1800's with some moves growing in and out of popularity throughout the decades.  I also feel it necessary to mention two leaders who perfected strategies used at the turn of the century and today - Branch Rickey and Connie Mack.

With that out of the way let's discuss infield positioning. During a game you could hear any of the five basic infield positions cited - "standard", "double-play-depth", "infield-in", "infield-back" and "the shift".  You won't hear broadcasters mention standard positioning too much though, since it is, well - standard.  There are other positioning schemes which handle an array of circumstances such as pitcher and hitter tendencies, but let's stick with the five we mentioned since they are the ones utilized most often.

Standard

Standard positioning - the diagram shows the standard position the infielders take for most batters in most situations.  The first and third basemen are about five steps in and nine steps back from their bags.  The shortstop and second baseman are about six steps in and 12 steps back from their bags.  The infielders would probably move a step or two in either direction to account for hitter tendencies.

Double Play Depth

With a runner on first and less than two outs the manager may decide the conditions are right for double play depth.  Double play depth is almost the same as standard positioning except the infielders are a step or two closer to the batter and a step or two closer to second base.  This positioning will allow the middle infielders to get to second base faster and the corner infielders to get a ball to them quicker.



 The following conditions would warrant bringing your infield in:

1. The score is tied or your team is one or two runs behind.



Infield In

2. Runner on third with fewer than two outs.
3. It's late in the game - 8th or 9th inning

Bringing the infield in will allow a play at the plate, thus preventing a run - the play at home is a must.  Now remember the risk factor discussed above.  There is an old saying that goes like this - "Bringing the infield in makes a .250 hitter a .300 hitter".  That's the trade off here.  As you can see the infielders play just beyond, or on the grass.

Infield Back

Playing with the infield back typically says - "OK,  'other team', we'll give you this run (which we will make up later), but we're getting an out in the process".  The position is usually done with a runner on third, no outs or one out and early in a close game. The positioning is a step or two back from the standard.

The Shift

Now for "The Shift".  This always seemed a little gimmicky to me, but many managers are using it more and more these days.  Joe Maddon of the Rays uses it most.  I'm not sure who invented the Shift, but it became famous when used by the Cardinals against Ted Williams of the Red Sox in the 1946 World Series.  It was so successful that other teams used it against Williams.  Today the Shift is used by teams when facing players like Ryan Howard, David Ortiz and Adam Dunn.  The Shift is used against dead pull hitters - usually lefties who hit the ball to the right side a high percentage of the time.  The set up for the Shift is shown here.


So there you have the five basic infield positions.  Next time  you're watching a game on TV and you hear one of these mentioned, the camera may not show the infield but you can see the resulting play and how it evolved.  Better yet, next time your taking in a game live, make a point of watching the infield.

Note - the above images were created by software called  Baseball Playbook by Jes-software.

Thanks for reading
-Tom

Yankee Stadium (the 2009 variety)

So I finally got out to Yankee Stadium, courtesy of my daughter Tina who gave me the tix for my 48th birthday.  I can't believe it took 3 years for me to get out there.  I wanted to see the stadium for myself as I have heard endless mediocre reviews.  As a matter of fact there are so many such reviews that I didn't know what to expect.  My hopes were not high.  Well I'll tell you - I was pleasantly surprised.

When we arrived at the stadium, Tina and I wanted to look around.  The limestone exterior was, in its own way - breathtaking.  Such a regal, Roman/Greek look  - perfect for a team with 27 Championships!   We went inside and "The Great Hall" just hits you.  What a classy dedication to the fine Yankees from the 20's right up to the 90's.  I'm a big baseball history buff so this was fabulous for me.

After looking around the gate area we went to field level to take some pictures of the inside.  I love the open view.  We walked all around getting looks and shots from many different angles.  The layout is very similar to the old Yankee Stadium - I'm glad they kept that.  Also retained was the frieze along the top.  Overall, the look and feel of the stadium was what I hoped for - not an overload of character (which some of the new stadiums tend to do), yet keeping the Yankee atmosphere.

Our seats were in section 134 in left field.  The seats were along side of the bleachers so we got a good feel for "role call".  I think Jeter is getting tired of it.  Personally, I don't think he ever liked it.  All of the seats in the stadium were cushioned.  There was a very good selection of food. I had a Brother Jimmy's pulled chicken - very tasty.

All in all, my experience was a good one.  I'd also like to mention that the D-train was cleaner and safer than I remember and the area around the stadium was equally as safe and clean.

You can see some of the pix we took here - http://s999.photobucket.com/albums/af120/tag0519/Yankee%20Stadium/. 

Thanks for reading,

-Tom

Keep Score - Get Connected!!

A few weeks ago I was watching a game in which Bob Costas was announcing.  At the conclusion of one of the innings the batter grounded out to the shortstop.  Costas said something most broadcasters say - "If you're scoring at home that's 6-3 on your scorecard.  Does anyone even do that anymore?".  Yeah Bob, I do.  I see Bob Costas' point though.  Besides the broadcasters and official scorers, I too was wondering who keeps score these days. I don't even see it being done at baseball games too much any longer. 

I enjoy keeping score.  Two or three times a season I try to set aside some time to take in an entire game and keep score.  At the left is my scorecard from the game where Jeter got his 3000th.  The process of keeping score connects an individual to the game via pencil and paper.  You become a part of the game.  I encourage every baseball fan to try it.

 If you don't know how to keep score or if you do and  you need to sharpen your skills a fan named Christopher Swingley created a fantastic tutorial on his site - 

http://swingleydev.com/baseball/tutorial.php

The tutorial works through a game (the game which Mark McGwire hit his 60th home run).  Chris readily admits that his tutorial is somewhat incomplete.  I'm going to take his system and create a fictional game that covers more plays and (hopefully) making the tutorial close to complete.  I received Chris' permission to do this.  I'll be working on it from time to time and should complete it by the end of the season.

In the meantime, grab a scoresheet (free on Chris's site) and pencil (not a pen - trust me) and try it out.  I bet you'll like it and you'll receive a new perspective on the game.

Thanks for reading,
-Tom

Baseball and my Dad

This entry is dedicated to Nicholas J. Graziose - my Dad

On May 22 it will be 7 years since my Dad passed.  I'd like to tell you about him and, of course baseball.  Dad, was a Dodger fan - both Brooklyn and Los Angeles.  He knew a lot about the players of the 40's, 50's and 60s.   Oh, and just so you know - Nobody could hold a candle to Sandy Koufax, and Duke Snider was the most underrated player on the planet.  Just thought you'd like to know.

I remember watching games on TV and Dad would stroll in and sit down.

"Who's this pitching?"

"Nolan Ryan Dad"

"Oh yeah, he's wild.  No where near the control Koufax had"

Thanks, Red Barber

When my Mom and Dad moved to Florida, Dad acquired an affinity for the (then) Devil Rays.  Not sure why. I guess he wanted a local team to follow.  He followed that sad team religiously.  I bring this up because to this day I wish he could have seen the current Rays.  I know he would have loved this team and their manager Joe Maddon.  They are the type of team Dad loved to watch.

As most of  you know, a father and son's relationship is not always silky smooth (no!).  That held true for Dad and me. If things got a little rocky between us baseball came to the rescue.  After a tiff of some sort, in which he was right 99.9% of the time (and you thought there wouldn't be any stats in this entry), I would be watching the game and probably in a pissy mood.  Dad would come in, sit down a watch for a few minutes.  then we'd talk about the game.  We'd admire the performances, critique the managerial decisions and even make fun of the broadcasters. Then ...

"Oh who's pitching?"

"That's Steve Carlton Dad.  Wicked slider"

"yeah he looks good"

a few innings later - "Koufax had a better curve" .... here we go....

Rest In Peace Dad. I miss you.

Thanks for reading,

-Tom

Sacrifice For The Greater Good .... Is It Really??

 So you're watching the big game with your buddies.  Your team is playing their crosstown rivals.  It's the 6th inning and the score is tied 1-1.  The next batter steps up to the plate with a runner on first and no outs.  He lays down a bunt - a beaut of a slow roller up the first base line. The runner is safe at second base and the only play is to first base where the batter is out.  The batter who just sacrificed is giving and receiving fist bumps from his teammates in the dugout. You're bragging - "Now there's a team player".  "You don't see that anymore", you tell your friends.  With a runner on second and one out instead of a runner on first with zero outs, you're convinced this was a great decision - but was it?

Below is a table called the "run expectancy matrix" or some call it "baseball's 24 states".   This data tells us the average runs that are scored for a certain situation.  In other words with a runner on first and second and no outs, the MLB average runs scored was 1.43. 

Base Runners	0 outs	1 outs	2 outs
Empty	.48	.258	.096
1st	.85	.502	.217
2nd	1,06	.649	.313
3rd	1.31	.899	.354
1st_2nd	1.43	.893	.434
1st_3rd	1.68	1.14	.475
2nd_3rd	1,89	1.29	.571
Loaded	2.26	1.53	.592

source - Baseball Prospectus

Take a closer look at the table.  Was the sac-bunt really worth it?  The data says "No" with a capital "N".  The average runs scored with a runner on first and no outs is .85.  The average runs scored with one out and a runner on second - .65.

As the great Earl Weaver once said - "Your most precious possessions on offense are your twenty-seven outs"

So that's it then.  The sac bunt is the stupidest thing since antenna balls.  OK, before you go throwing empty beer cans at the TV and cursing the manager, let's look at numbers and how they can sometimes slightly fabricate.  Then we'll talk about context.

As we all have heard - numbers can lie.  The numbers in the matrix are an average, and they are just that - an average.  Take an average of three test scores - 100, 75 and 40, the average being ~71.  This student has a 71 average yet he was highly successful one time. He may have studied extra hard for that 100 or the material was easy for him to digest.  In any case, that's how we need to look at those numbers in the matrix.  There are certain times in which the mix of runners and batter will be the perfect storm to get a run via the sac bunt.  There is also the situation where a pitcher is at bat.  With a runner on first, less than two outs and a pitcher at bat, a big inning looks bleak and the best play is the sac bunt.  If this "perfect storm" occurs in a low-scoring close game - the sac bunt may also be necessary.  That's the context I was talking about. 

To quote Coach Weaver again - "If you play for one run, that's all you'll get"


So there you have it.  When your watching a game and you're thinking - "a sac would be good here", it may not be the case and the manager knows the numbers, and the context.

In the future I'll do an entry on the sac bunt in more detail.

Thanks for reading
-Tom

Is This Goodbye Sandman?

I wanted to slap this together today.  Sorry for any grammar or spelling issues (I don't have my regular proof reader).

I owe Mariano Rivera a lot.  Why? Welp, he gave me many extra hours of sleep.  Since 1997, when Mo entered the game, I could safely go to sleep.  That was it ... game over!  Exit Light ... Exit Night ... Off to never never land.

I'm not into the "he's the best ever" statement or "this player is better than that player" - unless of course its comparing Willie Mays and Mario Mendoza (I give the edge to Mays).  But, I'll have to say that Mo is the best closer ever.  Yes there are those that will say Eckersley or Sutter was better, or Goose, Hoffman and Fingers have the edge over him.  I say not quite.  First of all, there is his longevity and his saves (more than anyone in history).  Next is that ice-water he has flowing around in his veins.  Doesn't matter the situation, he's as cool as a Navy Seal.

Hope this isn't it for Mo, but if it is - I'm gonna miss him... and my sleep.

Thanks for reading
-Tom

Stat-Head - Stats All Around Us!

What is the obsession with stats to the baseball fan?  I think baseball fans like stats because the stat paints a picture or tells a story.  Let's take a  look at a simple stat like batting average.  In 2011 Jacoby Ellsbury hit .321.  That will tell us that he got a hit 3.21 times out of every 10 at bats.   When fans look at .321 they see that ratio.  They also see a frame of reference.  .300 or above is very good.  Below .280 is average (actually .272 was the MLB average for BA in 2011).  Below .250 is considered pretty bad.  When we look at stats in this blog I'll try to "paint that picture" and also give you a good frame of reference by providing the MLB averages, leaders and bottom dwellers of that stat.  I'll also show you where on the inter-webs  you can find this stat.

I'll create a handy dandy stat-reference that will have all of my favorite stats with the description, leader, MLB avg and formula.

 

There is a plethora (it's on my word of the day calendar) of stats out there.  It's mind-boggling how many stats there are. If you look on fangraphs or baseball-reference you'll see what I'm talking about.  Out of the four big sites - baseball-reference.com, fangraphs.com, baseballhq.com and baseballprospectus.com there are over 200 stats - and that's with eliminating duplicates and like-stats between sites.  Some of these stats aren't even  called stats.  They're called "systems".

 
All of these stats can be a little overwhelming.  In this blog, I'll take a stat or two every once in a while and analyze them.  If you're of the breed that just likes his/her batting average, RBI's, ERA etc, then so be it.  Who am I to sway you otherwise?  I'm a firm believer that watching baseball and comparing players is a personal preference.  Do it your way!  But, on the other hand if you want to get into some of the newer and more complex stats then join me in my journey.  It will be fun.

In some upcoming blog-entries about stats I'll write about what some pundits are calling "bogus" stats and in another - OBP, SLG and wOBA

Thanks for reading

-Tom