Today we're seeing how much metal baseball bats have evolved from their genesis in the 1970s!
Saturday, September 30, 2023
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Home Run (HR)
Definition
A home run occurs when a batter hits a fair ball and scores on the play without being put out or without the benefit of an error.
In almost every instance of a home run, a batter hits the ball in the air over the outfield fence in fair territory. In that situation, the batter is awarded all four bases, and any runners on base score as well. The batter can circle the bases at his leisure, as there is no threat of him being thrown out. (This also occurs when the ball hits the foul pole in left or right field, or when the ball hits an opposing defender on the fly and bounces directly over the wall in fair ground.)
There are also instances of "inside-the-park home runs." These occur when the batter hits the ball in play (not over the wall) and touches all four bases without being thrown out. These are extremely rare and typically only occur with a very fast runner at the plate and some sort of misplay by an outfielder that doesn't qualify as an error.
Home runs can be a great stat for evaluating a hitter's power. They're also good for measuring the success of pitchers, who strive to limit home runs. But home run totals can be affected by the ballpark in which a game is being played. Some ballparks are smaller, have higher walls or have different wind currents. This means home runs in certain ballparks might have stayed in the yard in others.
Origin
The term "home run" comes from the basic act of a batter circling all the bases successfully. In the early days of the home run, running was typically a necessity as players weren't very powerful and outfields were much bigger, leading to a greater number of inside-the-park home runs. Now, however, most home runs feature players trotting around the bases after hitting the ball over the fence.
In A Call
"homer," "long ball," "dinger," "tater," "jack," "shot," "four-bagger," "blast," "big fly," "going yard," "going deep," "clout," "round tripper," "gopher ball" (used to describe the home run pitch thrown by the pitcher)
Learn More, HERE.
707-564-5010
777-D Elmira Road
Vacaville, CA 95687
Vacaville, CA 95687
Sunday, September 24, 2023
Hit (H)
Definition
A hit occurs when a batter strikes the baseball into fair territory and reaches base without doing so via an error or a fielder's choice. There are four types of hits in baseball: singles, doubles, triples and home runs. All four are counted equally when deciphering batting average. If a player is thrown out attempting to take an extra base (e.g., turning a single into a double), that still counts as a hit.
Hits come in all varieties. Some can be hard-hit balls or long home runs. Others can be slow bouncers in the infield -- or even bunts -- where the batter reaches first base before the throw. (These are called "infield hits.") Hits are also credited to the batter when the ball takes an awkward bounce that a defender cannot field (provided the scorer rules that the batter didn't reach base with the help of an error).
The league leader in hits is often a batter with speed who:
- Hits high in the batting order -- meaning he gets a high number of plate appearances
- Doesn't walk much
- Makes a lot of hard contact
Hits are a pivotal part of many statistics, such as batting average, batting average against, WHIP and H/9.
In A Call
"base hit," "knock," "base knock"
Learn More, HERE.
707-564-5010
777-D Elmira Road
Vacaville, CA 95687
Vacaville, CA 95687
Thursday, September 21, 2023
Were The Yankees Set Up For Failure To Begin The Season?
Yankees content brought to you by Ryan and Christian.
Monday, September 18, 2023
Hit-by-pitch (HBP)
Definition
A hit-by-pitch occurs when a batter is struck by a pitched ball without swinging at it. He is awarded first base as a result. Strikes supersede hit-by-pitches, meaning if the umpire rules that the pitch was in the strike zone or that the batter swung, the HBP is nullified.
A batter is awarded a hit-by-pitch, even if the ball only touches a portion of his uniform or protection (helmet, shin guard, etc.).
Most hit-by-pitches are unintentional. They often stem from pitchers trying to throw the ball inside but missing by a few inches. Pitchers will often throw inside to make the hitter wary, so they do not crowd the plate. However, a pitcher may sometimes throw at a hitter intentionally as a form of retaliation. If the home-plate umpire suspects this is the case, he has the right to eject the pitcher (and the manager of the pitching team) from the game.
A hit-by-pitch does not count as a hit, but it does count as a time on base for on-base percentage purposes. Certain hitters -- specifically those who stand very close to the plate -- have a knack for earning HBPs, which can obviously be helpful because the goal of any hitter is to reach base. But hit-by-pitches can also result in injury because most pitches are thrown 80 mph or faster. Per the rules, a batter must make an attempt to avoid being hit by a pitch in order to receive first base.
Pitchers with high HBP totals typically struggle with their control and will also walk a higher-than-normal number of hitters.
In A Call
"plunked," "drilled," "hit batter," "hit batsman"
Learn More, HERE.
707-564-5010
777-D Elmira Road
Vacaville, CA 95687
Vacaville, CA 95687
Friday, September 15, 2023
Groundout-to-Airout Ratio (GO/AO)
Definition
Groundout-to-airout ratio is obtained by dividing the total number of ground balls converted into outs (not including bunts) by the total number of balls in the air (fly balls and line drives) converted into outs.
For pitchers, GO/AO can often be an indicator of success, because a pitcher generally aims to induce more ground balls than balls in the air (seeing as how these batted balls can turn into the most harmful result of all, a home run). But at the same time, certain pitchers can thrive while still allowing a high percentage of balls in the air, as long as they're inducing weak contact and/or striking out hitters.
For hitters, this number is used much less frequently as an evaluation tool, although speedier hitters typically strive for a higher ratio of ground balls to fly balls. That's because over the course of a season, some would-be groundouts become infield hits for batters who are fast enough to beat the throw.
Learn More, HERE.
707-564-5010
777-D Elmira Road
Vacaville, CA 95687
Vacaville, CA 95687
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
Inside the Most Amazing Ballpark in America! (BYU)
We had the privilege to tour Brigham Young University (BYU) and their outstanding baseball facilities; and were absolutely BLOWN AWAY! BYU is located in the Utah Valley which is surrounded by massive 10,000+ foot mountains all around. Their baseball stadium, Miller Park, has one of the most amazing views in all of college sports. A few years back I saw a picture of BYU's park and from that point on I knew I had to visit, so here we are! We also saw the Cougars take on Saint Mary's College in Game One of a three game series that same day. A massive thank you to Duff Tittle, Cole Gambill, and the entire BYU staff for treating us with so much hospitality. We can't wait to come back soon!
Saturday, September 9, 2023
Ground Into Double Play (GIDP)
Definition
A GIDP occurs when a player hits a ground ball that results in multiple outs on the bases. The most common double plays are ground balls where a forceout is made on the player running from first to second base, then another forceout is made on the batter running to first base.
A GIDP typically occurs on a ground ball that is hit hard and directly at a fielder, although softly hit balls can also result in double plays depending on the speed of the batter running to first base. The MLB leaders in GIDP are typically slower players who hit a high number of ground balls -- often well-struck ground balls.
GIDP can be used to evaluate pitchers as well. For most pitchers, the goal is to keep the ball low in the strike zone, and GIDPs are typically a result of success in that regard. It is often said that double plays are "a pitcher's best friend."
In A Call
"twin killing," "turn two"
Learn More, HERE.
707-564-5010
777-D Elmira Road
Vacaville, CA 95687
Vacaville, CA 95687
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
Grand Slam (GSH)
Definition
A grand slam occurs when a batter hits a home run with men on first base, second base and third base. Four runs score on a grand slam -- the most possible on one play -- and a batter is awarded four RBIs.
Understandably, a grand slam usually has an immense impact on the result of the game, because four runs score on the play.
Grand slams are rare. They are also entirely a result of the circumstances, meaning some of the game's greatest sluggers haven't hit many grand slams simply because the situation (three men on base) doesn't present itself often.
Origin
The term originated in the card game Bridge, referring to a player winning every trick. It carried over into baseball because it refers to a team scoring as many runs as possible in one at-bat.
In A Call
"slam," "salami," "grand salami," "grand-slam home run"
Learn More, HERE.
Sunday, September 3, 2023
Inside the UNC Tar Heels $26,000,000 Baseball Facilities!
We had the absolute honor of visiting The University of North Carolina (UNC) and their amazing baseball facilities. Chapel Hill, NC is home to the iconic UNC Tar Heels and their facilities did not disappoint! We toured their beautiful park Boshamer Stadium, locker room, indoor hitting facility, gear room, and their awesome BRAND NEW weight room. This place was AMAZING. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as we did!
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