baseball...its playoff time!

I'm watching the Cardinal/Houston game and the Yankee/Red Sox game. These are the final 4 teams in the Major Leagues, yet when they throw to first sometimes the ball doesn't get to the first basemen's numbers. These are the best fielders in baseball yet every now and then the first basemen has to reach down to catch the ball, or even catch the ball on a one hop. Sometimes the throw is 3.5 feet to their left or 3.5 feet above their head, yet the first basemen is still able to catch it. Its quite amazing. These are professionals yet (its the 6th inning in both games) I have only seen 3 throws thrown to people where the ball has been at their chest.

Even the outfielders have trouble hitting their cut off men quite often. Its almost like that is the point of a cut off man, to make adjustments if necessary because the thrower rarely can get the ball to the target. Its almost like these people are taught to throw THROUGH the cutoff man and the cut off man is to be half way between the thrower and the person catching the ball, so if necessary he can CUT it off. Its almost like they're taught to play like there is no cut off man and the cut off man is supposed to be there to INTERCEPT the ball if necessary. Its the cut off man's job to be in position to intercept it and to tell the thrower where to throw it....(which by the way is never to the right side of the field when the ball is hit to left field and there is a runner on third....anyone who understands triangles understands that that makes a further throw!).

Wouldn't it be amazing, I mean simply amazing if a high school baseball player, or recreational softball player could consistently throw to the person's chest, or the outfielders consistently throw to the catcher/thirdbasemen etc...(then there wouldn't need any cut off men). Wouldn't it be expected that a 7th grader (or a 25 year old girl) be able to catch any ball within a 3.5 foot radius of their chest. Wouldn't it be laughable if a 7th grader (or a 25 year old girl) could not catch a ball thrown outside of a 1.5 foot radius of the center of their chest. Wouldn't that be like throwing to Pedro's midget playing 1st base?

What if a firstbasemen who has the range of a midget (yet is 6'1) harshly criticized a throw to first which was thrown from LEFT FIELD where the ball was 2 feet out off the ground and yet the firsbasemen still didn't even catch the ball. Let's also say this outfielder never claimed he could throw, he just keeps his mouth shut and watched the firstbasemen miss balls that would be caught if a 7th grader or a 25 year old girl was playing the position. Oh and lets say you hit 2 homeruns in this game...and when this criticizer bats (and he thinks he is good) he consistently hits it deep in the infield or shallow in the outfield....never ever any further than the better girls in this league.

The person who I am talking about is the only person in the world to think this blog is wrong (besides "jr" who will point out that most 25 year old girls can not be expected to catch a ball).

I am not good and baseball. I am not good at softball. I am not accurate when I throw. I need cut off men. I am not good at basketball. I can't play the guitar. I would never tell a good guitarist who has played guitar all his life that part of his playing was wrong. Because even his worst songs are infinitely better then my muse inspired strums.

If you can't do, then don't talk.

Just some things I'm allowed to wonder because this site is called "What's eating Greggie Greg."

Its a game. Its always a game. Let it be fun.

:-) have fun.