Back to work

I needed that time off.  Following a team this closely is a tough job, made more so during a rebuilding season marked by so many growing pains.  I took on this project because I was curious as to what it would be like to be a beat writer for a team.  If I've learned anything it is to hold those who do it, the Drayer's and Divish's and many more, in greater respect.  There is a grind in writing everyday about a team and I am impressed with the talent these folks have for telling a story and doing it well and, above all, keeping it fresh, informative and entertaining.

There are some other lessons I've learned, some surprising things, about a game I followed closely since I was eight or nine.  Here they are:

1.  Little things make a big difference.  When you watch the game closely it's surprising how often a single pitch or at bat ends up having a big impact on the final outcome.  For a batter to extend his opportunity for one more pitch with a foul tip.  For a pitcher to get a batter end an inning swinging at a single bad pitch.  That stuff adds up and makes a difference.

2.  You can't ever let up.  It just astounds me how often pitchers seem to lose concentration after getting to a two-strike count.  It's like, "that was easy; I can throw just anything up there now."  It works just the opposite.  With two strikes you've got to bear down and get the third strike.  Some batters seem to zone out with two strikes on them, too.  I'm similarly astounded at the number of called strikeouts.

3.  Never give the opposing team an extra out.  Likewise, never give away an out.  A two or four out inning really changes the nature of the game.  Errors and base-running mistakes are the most common ways to add or subtract outs from an inning.

4.  Don't panic.  Baseball is a game of averages.  Don't over react to extreme events.  Don't mistake streaks, good or bad, for anything other than what they are, anomalies.  Just wait.  A batter's two home run game is much more likely to be followed the next day by an oferfour than two more dingers.

5.  Enjoy it.  It is a beautiful game played in idyllic settings.  Take it in.  Soak in the sun.  Watch the arc of the white ball against the blue of the sky.  See that curveball drop right on the lower corner of the strike zone.  Admire a well struck ball whether it falls for a hit or not.  Let your mind get lost, just for a minute in nothing but balls and strikes.