Wednesday, October 12, 2005
The Playoffs
Will someone please explain to me why sports fans are so obsessed with baseball statistics? Do we really care or need to know? What is an RBI anyway? It stands for "runs batted in". But the only way a player can get a "run batted in" is if the guy up to bat before him was good enough to get on base and can run fast. So why does HE get a better rating?
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2 comments:
He only gets a better RBI stat, not rating. The base hit goes to the runner who made the base.
It's strategy. One of the biggest decisions a coach has to make is batting lineup. Some hitters hit short, or run faster, or bunt better, or fake out the pitcher into throwing balls, or slug homers. Some players are hell on wheels on the field, but not as great at the plate (thus the notorious DH rule). A player who is a good slugger and can capitalize on basemen who have hit a single or a double is the one you want to "bat cleanup" and knock those runs in.
As in most sports, sometimes the best strategy is not to go for the immediate score, but position your team in the best offensive position to score more often.
I don't really understand the uberfan who memorizes this stuff, but I do have a patriotic soft spot for baseball.
Well...I am the last person to be interested in numbers...but I am just crazy about the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. It is just so American Cool!!! Even if you have never been to a game you will understand the nostalgia of it all. Every American should see it.
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