Not the Same Game

Sometimes, managers make decisions during a game that leave me scratching my head. I often forget about the whole right-handed/left-handed batter vs. left-handed/right-handed pitcher stuff. I just don't think about it. I do know that statistically, batters do better against a pitcher who uses the arm opposite of themselves. I've read that it's because the batter can see the ball better when it is not coming at him from the same side that is facing the pitcher.

So it's always a bit of a surprise when a manager substitutes for a hot-hitting batter when the opposing team changes pitchers. The Diamondbacks' manager, Kirk Gibson, did just this in a game against the Dodgers a few nights ago. It worked; the pinch hitter got a hit, we tied the game (or took the lead, I can't remember which), and when the defense came back out onto the field, all the players took their new positions, and the Skipper's brilliant foresight was revealed.

(I wish I could remember the exact details, but it all just vanished from my brain. My inability to keep all that in my brain only makes me admire the Skipper's mind even more.)  But what I do remember is that moment when I suddenly could see what Gibby had in his mind from the beginning: It was brilliant. He could see it in his mind from the dugout, during the game.  I couldn't see it until after it was done.

And here it is: If the Designated Hitter rule were used in the National League, none of that would have even been necessary. The DH would have just come up to bat, either gotten a hit or not, and the game would have continued. No shifting people around. So substitutions. No brilliant adjustments need be made by the Skipper. Ho-hum.

And this is the main reason I am opposed to the DH:  When the manager has to make substitutions, he has to know all his players, all the positions they can (or can't) play, which side of the plate they bat better in, whether they are better against right- or left-handed pitchers,  and if we do need them, can they play a position they may not be used to? He also has to know all the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing team's players, too. None of those considerations are necessary when all you have to do is send up your best hitter.

Besides, I think it's cheating. Here's why (and this involves another childhood story, so bear with me): When I was in junior high and high school,  in Houston, mixed intramural sports were huge, especially volleyball. One of the teams figured out that they could do this: At the start of a new "side," the front row of the serving team rotated players to the right. The player at net-right, though, would move back to the server position. The player at back-left, instead of moving up to the net, would "rotate out" (meaning leave the game), while the big, strong, tall guys (way better at the net than the skinny little girls) would "rotate in," at net-left. Their best players were substituting themselves in to play the net, crushing their spikes into the faces of the opposing team, which was playing by the rules. In other words, they had figured out a way to make sure that their best players always played the net. In other words, they were cheating.

Finally, one of the Phys Ed teachers caught on, and put a stop to it. The guys put up a fuss, but it was only a half-hearted fuss, because they knew damn  good and well that what they were doing was wrong. When you play volleyball, you play with 6 players. All 6 players play every position, from the beginning of the game to the end.

But, somehow, the Powers That Be in Major League Baseball have decided that substituting your best hitter in the place of your weakest  hitter is not, actually, breaking the rules. Apparently, in the American League, one set of 9 players can play defense, and a different set of 9 players can play offense. And that's just wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

But mainly, by removing the strategy from the game, the owners think they will get more people to ball park to spend their money, because people have shown that they will come out to the park to watch Casey at the Bat. And make no mistake about it: When the National League does finally give in, eventually, and adopt the Designated Hitter, it will be a decision that will be made purely for economic reasons. As the conventional wisdom has it, defense may win championships, but offense sells tickets.  And baseball is All About Making Money. It is a veritable Money Making Machine. The more fans come out to the park and spend their money, the happier the owners are.

So I suppose you could say that the point about the DH's being cheating is somewhat debatable (even though I don't think so). But this I know for sure, from watching (or trying to watch) American League games on TV: When you remove the need for any kind of strategy, what you remove is the mind.

And without the mind, what's the point of the game? Just to see who can muscle the ball out of the park more often? That is a game I have no interest in.

Play ball!

It seems to take April such a long time to get here! Spring Training does nothing to slake my thirst for the Real Thing, even though the Valley of the Sun is home to the Cactus League. There's just nothing like Opening Day!

So, there's a lot to talk about. The Diamondbacks made some pretty big moves during the off-season, most notably trading Chris Young and Justin Upton. I can't say that I was surprised. They were more valuable to us for what we could get for them in a trade than for what they were (not) contributing to the team. I think both Young and Upton are fine young men, and I wish them well. I was not sad to see them go, though.

I was more upset by the trades of Stephen Drew, before the season was over, and John MacDonald, during the off-season. I had a feeling they would trade Drew, once he returned from that terrible broken ankle during late 2011. It seemed to take way too long for him to get back to playing form. The longer they delayed his return to action, the more I suspected that the trade would happen. Johnny Mac, though, stepped in and did an admirable job at shortstop after Willie Bloomquist's back injury proved to be more stubborn than anyone expected. Mac made some dazzling plays at short. He was a trouper, and I was really sorry to read of his trade. Both men were professional, talented players. They will be missed.

So we have an all-new out-field, and a whole new left side of the infield. Although lots of in-the-know baseball people here in the Valley declared the trades that got us Prado and Pennington to be excellent moves,  I haven't made up my mind yet. I have to admit, though, Pennington was the hero in the first extra-inning game of the year (a marathon 5-hour, 32-minute win), and Prado has contributed some terrific offense. I guess I will eventually come down ont he side of "good trade."

I'm less impressed with our new announcing team. I like Bob Brenly. I've heard him before, during other games, and he is engaging and knowledgeable, and even funny, without being silly or stupid. That other guy--our play-by-play announcer that we stole from ESPN with the unpronounceable last name--well, I don't know yet. There have been some clever and funny moments over the first week of the season, but also some jokes that fell sort of flat. He seems to know what he's talking about, I guess.

But I have a bad taste in my mouth about the how the situation with Daron Sutton and Mark Grace played out last season. For the record, I loved our Sutton-Gracie team. They were often hilarious, but also extremely knowledgeable.  Sutton has a great voice for TV. Gracie is extremely charming, even though he messed up badly when he drove drunk.   I have no idea what Sutton did that was so terrible, other than simply refuse to obey his masters like a good little serf. At least, that was how it was portrayed in the Valley media outlets. I had often remarked to my husband and other interested parties that I thought they were the best announcing team in Major League Baseball, even before everything fell apart last year. I have and will continue to miss them.

I am planning future blogs on the Designated Hitter, on the Houston Astros defecting to the American League, on the progress of the Diamondbacks' season, and anything else that occurs to me that is baseball-related.  For now, let me just say that I am thrilled that Baseball is Back! Play ball!