# Baseball Questions **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 11, 2015, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-questions/717405 "2015-04-11T04:09:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-questions/717405/22 "2015-04-11T23:12:56Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > since we’re doing misc baseball questions > do you have to have 9 people on the field? > > if you use up your bench and then someone gets injured can you try to play with 2 outfielders or something or do you have to forfeit Nope. From [http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/downloads/y2011/Official\_Baseball\_Rules.pdf](http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/downloads/y2011/Official_Baseball_Rules.pdf) (.mlb.mlb…) 4.17 A game shall be forfeited to the opposing team when a team is unable or refuses to place nine players on the field. There are no such rules in Futbol/soccer. Or Hockey. Indeed, I remember 4+ minutes of the Flyers (having pulled their goalie) in a 6 (Lindros and Recchi were two, so it’s the late 90’s) on 3 against the Islanders (penalties). Softball is different. One cannot fail to mention the great Eddie Feigner. > **[Eddie Feigner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Feigner)** > > Eddie "The King" Feigner (/ˈfeɪnər/, FAY-nər; March 25, 1925 – February 9, 2007) was an American softball pitcher and entertainer. > Born Myrle Vernon King in Walla Walla, Washington, he played softball for much of his early life, and turned his attention to the sport full-time following an enlistment in the U.S. Marine Corps. He first assembled his four-man touring team, known as "The King and His Court", in 1946 and took on all comers, first in the Pacific Northwest and then around the country... Pitcher, Catcher, Outfield, Shortstop. If you can underhand a 90MPH softball, you hardly even need fielders. ETA: Ninja’d 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2015, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-questions/717405/23 "2015-04-12T09:49:39Z")
> [@pianodave](#): > > Hi SD, > > Baseball Questions I’ve always wondered. > > 1. Why do managers argue with umpires? Do they really have a chance of getting the ump to reverse a call? Is it for the drama, or is there some strategy behind it? To rally the fans, maybe? But I don’t see any way the manager can win…he either goes back to the dugout dejectedly, or he gets thrown out…the ump never says “Ok, I’ll reverse the call…” What’s the point? Antagonizing the ump will just make it more difficult for your team, right? It motivates players to know the manager has their back. Umpire-manager arguments have decreased drastically with replay challenges. > [@](#): > > 1. Will players make allowances to be part of an opposing player’s good fortune? That is, if the score is 10-0 in the bottom of the 9th, two out, and you are the only thing between a pitcher and his perfect game, would you swing at pitches you know are out of the strike zone? Or if you’re a pitcher, and the batter has a chance to hit a record breaking home run or hit, or some other milestone, would you toss them an easy pitch? Have there been records of players doing this kind of thing? Generally speaking, unless the game is out of reach, it is OK to bunt to break up a no-hitter/perfect game, though the pitcher is still not going to be happy about it. As for the easy pitch, again, it depends on what is on the line in the game and what the record is. If Barry Bonds is about to break Hank Aaron’s record, you dont want to be the pitcher remembered for giving up the home run. Id think this would even hold true for season records. That said, it is widely suspected Derek Jeter got as meatball to hit in his last All-Star Game last season, which is a game not counted in the standings or against pitcher records. > [@](#): > > 1. How would the game change if hitters always knew the type of pitch that was coming? (Fastball, curve, slider, changeup, etc.) Would that knowledge have a major impact on how many hits they would have, if we assume they don’t know the speed or location, just type of pitch. In other words, what has the most effect on whether or not the batter can connect? This would be the equivalent of playing Texas Hold Em Poker and knowing what hole cards the other players had. As a matter of fact, if you want to get drilled right in the head by the pitcher, look back and see what signs the catcher is sending the pitcher as you are winding up for the next pitch. Big no-no. > [@](#): > > 1. If a player quite obviously awkwardly and unintentionally scores a hit single (bloop or infield hit) to win the game, something that was quite accidental and unplanned, are they still given the same credit as a player who used skill to win the game (e.g. direct a ball through a hole in the infield)? It would seem embarrassing to be the guy who nubbed a ball and won the game, when anyone could see that they weren’t trying to do that? A batter will take a game winning hit any way they can take it, and in no way be ashamed at getting “lucky” for it. Luck is a big part of baseball. > [@](#): > > 1. Is there more skill involved in hitting a grand slam than a regular solo home run? Does the pressure in having three men on base require a greater degree of talent? In other words, would a person with 100 grand slams be lionized to a greater degree than a person with 100 solo home runs? Many Saberticians will argue there is no difference between hitting a home run with no one on base, and hitting a home run with 3 men on base. Looking deeper, there is more to it than just that. In the pitchers favor is if the pitching team has a lead, and it is late in the game, the pressure is on the batter to make the big hit. However, keep in mind that if it is the same pitcher the whole inning, they have fillled the bases and might be shaken up, as well as having to throw in the stretch rather than the windup, and also dealing with policing the third base runner. I think the jury is out unless there are more situational statistics available (for instance, Id admire a hitter that knocks out grand slams in the bottom of the ninth off the other teams ace closer with 2 outs and down than one who knocks one out off a pitcher having a nervous breakdown in the top of the third inning). > [@](#): > > 1. Why do pitchers hit the ball and get on base noticeably less than other batters? Shouldn’t they know the trajectory of a ball better than their counterparts and thus be able to draw more walks at least? They don’t always, there are some pitchers who actually hit better than some batters. Cliff Lee and Brett Myers are examples of pitchers on the Phillies I remember being called to bat in pinch hitter spots and doing very well. That said, asking a pitcher to bat well would be like asking a NFL tackle to kick a field goal or a NHL goalie to play center; pitching is such a specialized position that 100% of the focus for one is pitching the ball. In the American League they never take a bat, and in the National League where they do, expectations are so low as they bat last, so there is little time or motivation for a pitcher to spend time crafting their batting technique; when you keep in mind a starting pitcher is only going to play every 5 games, and relief pitchers usually get subbed for pinch hitters, it makes even less sense to spend time on them working on their swing. ---
**Author:** ![RadicalPi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/radicalpi/32/9806_2.png) [@RadicalPi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadicalPi)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2015, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-questions/717405/24 "2015-04-12T10:17:58Z")
> [@pianodave](#): > > Hi SD, > 2. Will players make allowances to be part of an opposing player’s good fortune? That is, if the score is 10-0 in the bottom of the 9th, two out, and you are the only thing between a pitcher and his perfect game, would you swing at pitches you know are out of the strike zone? Or if you’re a pitcher, and the batter has a chance to hit a record breaking home run or hit, or some other milestone, would you toss them an easy pitch? Have there been records of players doing this kind of thing? Here’s how Jason Turbow explains it in _The Baseball Codes_: “The more a pitcher mows down the opposition, the more the opposition is expected to respect the feat. Cardinals outfielder George Hendrick did exactly this in 1984, when he stepped to the plate with no outs in the ninth inning against Reds ace Mario Soto, who had yet to allow a hit. Hendrick stood passively and watched the first two pitches of the at-bat split the plate for strikes. Rather than go for the kill, however, Soto inexplicably used a third-pitch fastball to buzz Hendrick’s chin, knocking him to the ground. The slugger got up, slowly returned to the box, and knocked Soto’s next offering over the fence in left field. ‘I don’t know why he did that,’ Hendrick said afterward. ‘I was going to let the man have his no-hitter.’” ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2015, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-questions/717405/25 "2015-04-12T14:18:16Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > Generally speaking, unless the game is out of reach, it is OK to bunt to break up a no-hitter/perfect game, though the pitcher is still not going to be happy about it. As for the easy pitch, again, it depends on what is on the line in the game and what the record is. If Barry Bonds is about to break Hank Aaron’s record, you dont want to be the pitcher remembered for giving up the home run. Id think this would even hold true for season records. That said, it is widely suspected Derek Jeter got as meatball to hit in his last All-Star Game last season, which is a game not counted in the standings or against pitcher records. Terrific post. **russian\_heel**. I take some exception to it being “OK to bunt to break up a no-hitter/perfect game”. If the batter is Rickey Henderson, sure. I don’t know if anyone has more bunts for base hits than he does. And unless the perfect game is 10-0, a leadoff runner will be important. And might shake up the pitcher. If it’s a slugger (let’s say David Wright, who can run and the infielders would be playing at some depth) - a drag-bunt is legitimate, but highly frowned upon. ---
**Author:** ![pianodave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e79b87/32.png) [@pianodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pianodave)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2015, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-questions/717405/26 "2015-04-12T22:20:01Z")
Ok, so I’ve got two more questions. 8. Are there really such things as lefty or righty specialists? Does that refer to the batter or the pitcher? What kind of specialized skills make someone good at pitching to a left-handed or right-handed batter? 1. Do baseball players typically listen to sports shows or radio shows about them? In a season of more than 150 games, will we find them tuning in to hear people talk about how they are doing? Do they ever publicly respond to these analysts? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2015, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-questions/717405/27 "2015-04-12T23:17:57Z")
> [@pianodave](#): > > 1. Are there really such things as lefty or righty specialists? Does that refer to the batter or the pitcher? What kind of specialized skills make someone good at pitching to a left-handed or right-handed batter? > **[Left-handed specialist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-handed_specialist)** > > In baseball, a left-handed specialist (also known as lefty specialist) is a relief pitcher who throws left-handed and specializes in pitching to left-handed batters, weak right-handed batters, and switch-hitters who bat poorly right-handed. Because baseball practices permanent substitution, these pitchers frequently pitch to a very small number of batters in any given game (historically, often only one), and rarely pitch to strictly right-handed batters. Most Major League Baseball (MLB) teams Th... That article also explains Righty specialists as well, but you can pretty much get the gist of the idea. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-questions/717405/28 "2015-04-13T01:00:19Z")
> [@pianodave](#): > > Ok, so I’ve got two more questions. > 8. Are there really such things as lefty or righty specialists? Does that refer to the batter or the pitcher? What kind of specialized skills make someone good at pitching to a left-handed or right-handed batter? The platoon advantage is more or less universal, but it is true that some players are more prone to it than others. For pitchers, extra advantage is usually gained by virtue of a) Their release point; a release point that is further to the left is more difficult for a lefthanded batter to pick up, and b) the horizontal movement of their pitches; a pitcher who pitches tend to drift away from the batter (left-to-right, in the case of a leftie specialist) will be harder to hit by same-handed batters. As to why some batters are prone to extreme platoon swings and some are not, that’s not quite as easily explained. Hitting is a complex thing. [QUOTE=PSXer] do you have to have 9 people on the field? if you use up your bench and then someone gets injured can you try to play with 2 outfielders or something or do you have to forfeit [/QUOTE] You must have nine men on the field; a pitcher, a catcher, and seven other fielders standing in fair territory. If you cannot field a full team the game is forfeited. ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-questions/717405/29 "2015-04-13T04:35:35Z")
> [@pianodave](#): > > Ok, so I’ve got two more questions. > 8. Are there really such things as lefty or righty specialists? Does that refer to the batter or the pitcher? What kind of specialized skills make someone good at pitching to a left-handed or right-handed batter? The best way to remember the righty-lefty pitcher-batter relationship is batters prefer an “opposites attract” relationship in that opposite hands favor the hitter, for example, statistics show that left handed hitters do better against right handed pitchers and vice versa. Pitchers prefer “matches” in which the batter and pitcher are same handed; ie a right handed pitcher will do better against a right handed hitter. This is not always true and I am over simplifying things, but as you are watching a game in the later innings this is why you see so many pitching changes or pinch hitters, and it becomes a game of poker between the two managers to get the most favorable handed v handed matchup. It even effects starting lineups— if most of your hitters are lefties and the pitcher is a lefty, you may try to shoehorn an extra right handed hitter or two in the batting lineup. > [@](#): > > 1. Do baseball players typically listen to sports shows or radio shows about them? In a season of more than 150 games, will we find them tuning in to hear people talk about how they are doing? Do they ever publicly respond to these analysts? No pro player worth their salt will admit to reading their own press, but it’s hard to avoid. I’m a loyal Philadelphia sports talk radio listener for 20+ years and I think the only time a player called up was Matt Geiger of the 76ers to respond to criticism. One player had the best answer----- when you go up to the plate to bat, in Philadelphia at least, you don’t need to turn on the radio----the fans will let you know how you are doing. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-questions/717405/30 "2015-04-13T12:44:14Z")
One term for such a reliever is LOOGY - Lefty One Out Only Guy. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-questions/717405/31 "2015-04-13T13:14:31Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > One term for such a reliever is LOOGY - Lefty One Out Only Guy. That’s **L** efty **O** ne **O** ut **G** u **Y** , no need for “Only.” Obviously, you also have ROOGYs. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-questions/717405/32 "2015-04-13T14:01:33Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > That’s **L** efty **O** ne **O** ut **G** u **Y** , no need for “Only.” Obviously, you also have ROOGYs. I don’t remember any ROOGYs in recent Blue Jay history and if any other team has one I’ll be darned if I know who it is. Generally only lefthanders are used as one-out guys, which makes sense. Lefthanded batters are likelier to be more vulnerable to the platoon differential. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-questions/717405/33 "2015-04-13T14:30:22Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I don’t remember any ROOGYs in recent Blue Jay history and if any other team has one I’ll be darned if I know who it is. Absolutely true - here’s an article from 2006 on the Mets [http://www.metstoday.com/11/spring-training-2006/the-loogy/](http://www.metstoday.com/11/spring-training-2006/the-loogy/) > [@](#): > > There is one HUGE problem with this goal: the Mets already have the Major Leagues’ only ROOGY. That’s right, the Mets have a Righthanded One Out GuY, his name is Chad Bradford. A Major League team cannot afford to have both a LOOGY and a ROOGY; it’s inefficient, stupid, and takes a bat and glove off the bench. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-questions/717405/34 "2015-04-13T16:51:03Z")
I wonder if we’re not gonna see the end of LOOGYs, too. It was kind of eye opening to watch the Royals just blow everyone away the last three innings through the playoffs last year. They didn’t worry so much about matchups, they just trusted the Big Three to pitch an inning each 'cause they were good enough to get anyone out. In an era where relief pitchers are becoming better and more dominant, raised from high school to be short-term flamethrowers, the benefit of just having a guy who can pitch will outweigh the benefit of having a guy who is just lefthanded. I’d rather have a righty who strikes out a guy an inning and has an ERA of 2.25 than a mediocre lefty, and with relief pitchers more and more being genuine specialist rather than guys who could not make it as starters, we’ll see more of that. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-questions/717405/35 "2015-04-13T17:21:47Z")
> [@pianodave](#): > > 1. Is there more skill involved in hitting a grand slam than a regular solo home run? Does the pressure in having three men on base require a greater degree of talent? In other words, would a person with 100 grand slams be lionized to a greater degree than a person with 100 solo home runs? Others have mentioned what I was going to say, which is that it could actually be easier for the batter if the pitcher is throwing from the stretch. [This site](http://www.topvelocity.net/the-pitching-windup-or-stretch/)says mean velocity is down 0.2m/s (about 0.45 mph) among MLB pitchers who throw from the windup and stretch. It seems insignificant, but it can be the difference between a home run and a routine fly ball. Some relievers, for reasons I’ve never understood, pitch exclusively from the stretch even with bases empty. So your chances of a GS vs. a solo blast are the same against them, all other things being equal. Also in favor of the GS, you’re more likely to see strikes as the pitcher certainly doesn’t want to walk you with bases loaded. ---
**Author:** ![Stormcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/0ea827/32.png) [@Stormcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stormcrow)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-questions/717405/36 "2015-04-13T20:36:40Z")
1. Another important aspect to the difference between starters and relievers is that starters typically have to have command of three or more pitches to be effective (not always true, but generally). This allows them to vary their approach as they face batters for a second, third or even fourth time through the lineup. Hitters gain an advantage each time they see a pitcher within a single game, with a big jump occurring the third time through the order. Relievers very often are pitchers who have one or two really good pitches - for example, Mariano Rivera, arguably the best reliever of the past 20 years, threw primarily one pitch - a sinking fastball - but it was so good no one could do anything with it. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-questions/717405/37 "2015-04-13T20:40:18Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Some relievers, for reasons I’ve never understood, pitch exclusively from the stretch even with bases empty. So your chances of a GS vs. a solo blast are the same against them, all other things being equal. Actually, Schilling said something about this during the past week or two. Basically, if you always pitch from the stretch, you don’t have to adjust your delivery when runners get on base. It gives you a slight advantage in that you aren’t suddenly trying to pitch from a different delivery and/or having to hone two different delivery styles that you can switch between. ---
**Author:** ![pianodave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e79b87/32.png) [@pianodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pianodave)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-questions/717405/38 "2015-04-14T00:44:54Z")
So another question for you experts: when a pitcher gets tired, we notice he “leaves balls out over the plate.”. Obviously, his control suffers. But why not his velocity? Why don’t we see pitchers throwing 70 or 60 mph if he’s tired? If he can keep his velocity up in the 80s, why can’t he control his location? ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-questions/717405/39 "2015-04-14T00:53:46Z")
Well, first of all, fine motor control tends to go before gross motor control. Second, his velocity does suffer. He may have been pitching in the 90s a couple innings ago, but now he’s in the mid 80s. He’d never be left in long enough to get all the way down to the 70s, because not only would he be giving up multitudinous runs, but he would be in serious danger of long-term injury. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-questions/717405/40 "2015-04-14T03:58:27Z")
The difference in velocity is very subtle, but it does happen. A pitcher averaging 93 on the fastball could see it drop to, say, 90 or 91. If this is also combined with a loss of three, four inches of location, it’s the different between a swinging strike and a ball hit into the second deck. It’s the major leagues. The difference between success and failure is very small. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-questions/717405/41 "2015-04-14T13:18:16Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Actually, Schilling said something about this during the past week or two. Basically, if you always pitch from the stretch, you don’t have to adjust your delivery when runners get on base. It gives you a slight advantage in that you aren’t suddenly trying to pitch from a different delivery and/or having to hone two different delivery styles that you can switch between. Yeah, I get the reason they state, I just don’t agree. For me, the benefit of the windup outweighs any negatives of having to adapt to the stretch. I mean, wouldn’t that same “advantage” apply to starting pitchers? But they all wind up when they can. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-questions/717405.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-questions/717405.md?page=3)