Situational Awareness

I think I’ve figured it out. Baseball that is. It’s quite simply a game of situations.

The game is remarkably different than most other mainstream sports that exist. In football (American) you try to get the ball to the goal, the endzone at the other end of the field which the other team is defending, by whatever means you can. That is how you score points. In soccer, you try to get the ball to the goal, a net at the other end of the pitch which the other team is defending, by kicking it. That is how you score points. In basketball, you try to get the ball into the goal, a net in the air at the other end of the court which the other team is defending, by bouncing it and shooting the ball. That is how you score points. Hockey is the same, lacrosse, fooseball, hell, even tennis is close. They’re all variations on a theme: get the object into the goal that your opponent is defending.

Now I’m not saying these sports are boring. No! On the contrary, it’s insanely fun to watch two armies battle in the snow, pressing and charging down the field trying to get inside the kickers range to make that field goal that will put them two points up. There’s also the calm in basketball when LeBron is at half court, dribbling, seeming looking at nothing but watching the entire court, waiting for an opening to make an explosive play. It’s adrenaline pumping, physical, and incredibly dynamic direct competition.

Baseball doesn’t follow these rules. As a batter, you don’t advance the ball to a specific goal. The pitcher, the first defenseman in fact, is the one with control of the ball. The game isn’t nearly as dynamic overall as the goal sports. It can be, yes, but usually isn’t.

In baseball, a play is a reaction by the defense (fielding team) to what the offense (batting team) did. These plays either create opportunities for the offense or eliminate them. These situations are the backbone of the sport. The action essentially stops when the batter steps in and the pitcher looks for his sign. Everyone is waiting.

For example: It’s the top of the sixth with the leadoff man at the dish (no one on, no one out, and no score). The game is still an open book at this point. That batter then hits a bloop double to short right-center. The situation for the next batter is a man on second, no outs. He should try to advance the runner, not necessarily hit a home run. In fact, a sac fly would be good, putting the running in scoring position. But he goes down on strikes and so does the next but the runner steals a base. Suddenly, there are two outs an a man in danger of being stranded on third and the team failing to capitalize on that opportunity. but the clean up batter is tapping the caked dirt from his cleats. This is the situation he was placed in the line up for. He’s the power hitter, the man you turn to when you need a good hit or a home run. After he’s done, for better or for worse, the situation begins new.