isack I think you are missing the whole point here. He is going to look him back to see if he has the opportunity for an EASY out at the plate. He isn't going to take the risk on a close play for the reasons you said. But, in this situation, there was no play because the runner didn't attempt to score. Why you are arguing whether or not he would actually throw it to the plate is irrelevant because he had no need. He may or may not have looked the runner back. The ball may or may not have been hit sharply, right at him or one-hopped him making the decision to run home a tough one for the runner. None of this matters because the boxscore doesn't tell us exactly what happened. You are assuming it was a routine play and making a huge deal about it even though you have nothing to go on.

Posted by isack24 on 1/4/2011 12:23:00 PM (view original):

Posted by timf on 1/4/2011 12:16:00 PM (view original):
MikeT - "professional ballplayers don't expect things to go wrong at the plate.  It isn't Little League where the catcher might miss the poorly thrown ball.   The ball will likely, at worst, hit the catcher in the chest.  At best, it's between the hip and the knee so a tag is easy.   By keeping the score at 5-1 instead of 5-2, one swing of the bat cannot win the game.   There is a reward for throwing out a runner at home."
Perfectly said.

Except that one swing of the bat still wins the game, and the "at worst," if far from the worst.

Posted by MikeT23 on 1/4/2011 12:26:00 PM (view original):

Posted by isack24 on 1/4/2011 12:23:00 PM (view original):

Posted by timf on 1/4/2011 12:16:00 PM (view original):
MikeT - "professional ballplayers don't expect things to go wrong at the plate.  It isn't Little League where the catcher might miss the poorly thrown ball.   The ball will likely, at worst, hit the catcher in the chest.  At best, it's between the hip and the knee so a tag is easy.   By keeping the score at 5-1 instead of 5-2, one swing of the bat cannot win the game.   There is a reward for throwing out a runner at home."
Perfectly said.

Except that one swing of the bat still wins the game, and the "at worst," if far from the worst.

One swing of the bat does not win a 5-1 game under any circumstances.

You're right, sorry, I was reading and typing to fast to comprehend.

Posted by isack24 on 1/4/2011 12:22:00 PM (view original):

Posted by MikeT23 on 1/4/2011 12:21:00 PM (view original):
Surely, if you've played, you know you set yourself to make throws in a certain direction.   Neutral, in this case, would not be to throw to first or home.  Just somewhere in the middle where quick shuffle of the feet gets you pointing in the right direction.   Of course, I'm not positive that a professional ballplayer HAS to be pointed in the right direction.  They have the arm of a professional SS.

And we're not necessarily talking about a close play.   If it's a close play, I don't think the SS throws home.   He's not setting his catcher up to get plowed.   But, if he can get the runner by a few steps, there is a reward worth having for making the play.

The point is, he's going to have to adjust his feet, among all of the other things I listed, very quickly.  There's no chance of him winging a sidearm throw home, so I'm assuming he's setting his feet.

Posted by timf on 1/4/2011 12:24:00 PM (view original):

isack I think you are missing the whole point here. He is going to look him back to see if he has the opportunity for an EASY out at the plate. He isn't going to take the risk on a close play for the reasons you said. But, in this situation, there was no play because the runner didn't attempt to score. Why you are arguing whether or not he would actually throw it to the plate is irrelevant because he had no need. He may or may not have looked the runner back. The ball may or may not have been hit sharply, right at him or one-hopped him making the decision to run home a tough one for the runner. None of this matters because the boxscore doesn't tell us exactly what happened. You are assuming it was a routine play and making a huge deal about it even though you have nothing to go on.

Posted by MikeT23 on 1/4/2011 12:28:00 PM (view original):

Posted by isack24 on 1/4/2011 12:22:00 PM (view original):

Posted by MikeT23 on 1/4/2011 12:21:00 PM (view original):
Surely, if you've played, you know you set yourself to make throws in a certain direction.   Neutral, in this case, would not be to throw to first or home.  Just somewhere in the middle where quick shuffle of the feet gets you pointing in the right direction.   Of course, I'm not positive that a professional ballplayer HAS to be pointed in the right direction.  They have the arm of a professional SS.

And we're not necessarily talking about a close play.   If it's a close play, I don't think the SS throws home.   He's not setting his catcher up to get plowed.   But, if he can get the runner by a few steps, there is a reward worth having for making the play.

The point is, he's going to have to adjust his feet, among all of the other things I listed, very quickly.  There's no chance of him winging a sidearm throw home, so I'm assuming he's setting his feet.

I disagree.  I'm beginning to question your pro-level arm. 

Do what you want.  I'll be done with this now.  Remember this thread and tell me the next time you see a guy field a routine ball at normal depth in a 4-run game and decide to throw home.  I'd love to see it.  I'd especially love to see the guy off-balance.

Don't worry, I won't update the thread all 5,000 times this year that, on the same play, the SS goes to first and the guy scores.

Posted by timf on 1/4/2011 12:39:00 PM (view original):
isack - "Do what you want.  I'll be done with this now.  Remember this thread and tell me the next time you see a guy field a routine ball at normal depth in a 4-run game and decide to throw home.  I'd love to see it.  I'd especially love to see the guy off-balance."

Now the guys off-balance. I love where this thread has gone. isack you are grasping at straws.

If you're too stupid to follow my discussion with Mike, I don't really know what to tell you.

Posted by MikeT23 on 1/4/2011 12:50:00 PM (view original):
I bet, if we had access to every HBD thread every written, that we could find one like this:

"Why did this guy run?"
His 20 speed and 50 baserunning says he can't run bases.   Yet, on a routine ball hit to rocket arm SS, he tries to score from third with one out in a four run game.   His run wouldn't have mattered.   He'd score on a hit from the next batter anyway.  Slow, fat guys don't run in situations like that."

And everyone would have said "They almost always do.  The infield is giving up the run for the out.  The only way they'd throw home is if the runner pretty much forced them to with some horrible baserunning.  Your guy made a bad decision."

Posted by isack24 on 1/4/2011 12:50:00 PM (view original):

Posted by timf on 1/4/2011 12:39:00 PM (view original):
isack - "Do what you want.  I'll be done with this now.  Remember this thread and tell me the next time you see a guy field a routine ball at normal depth in a 4-run game and decide to throw home.  I'd love to see it.  I'd especially love to see the guy off-balance."

Now the guys off-balance. I love where this thread has gone. isack you are grasping at straws.

If you're too stupid to follow my discussion with Mike, I don't really know what to tell you.