Baseball experts: What happens if a baserunner keeps leading and a pitcher keeps

zonkers

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Mon Oct-22-07 08:05 PM
Original message

Baseball experts: What happens if a baserunner keeps leading and a pitcher keeps

trying to pick him off, again and again to the extent that minutes, even hours are added to the game. I mean, is there an obscure rule against this hypothetical scenario?

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Oeditpus Rex

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Mon Oct-22-07 08:09 PM
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1. Nope (n/t)

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JTG of the PRB

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Mon Oct-22-07 08:11 PM
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2. Most pitchers eventually realize that enough is enough.

Sure, you have to worry about the base runner, but your primary concern SHOULD be getting the guy at the plate out. When a pitcher worries too much about a runner, sometimes it distracts them from the batter, and when that happens they can get burned more often than not.

Usually a pitcher does it just to keep the runner honest so he can focus on the batter and not worry too much about the guy behind him bolting. So pitchers, however, will worry about runners on base, especially if they're quick runners or if they have a lot of stolen bases.

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Oeditpus Rex

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Mon Oct-22-07 08:24 PM
Response to Reply #2

5. That used to happen with Maury Wills

in the mid-'60s, when he was about the only guy in baseball regularly stealing a lotta bases.

I remember a Giants-Dodgers game around 1966 or '67 wherein the Giants pitcher (seems like it was Bob Shaw, or maybe Bob Bolin) went to first 10 straight times while Wills was there, and I think 13 in all.

Thing is, with a smart baserunner, every time the pitcher goes to first, the runner gets a better idea of how far he can lead. So it can backfire on the pitcher. I mean, did you ever notice how a runner will almost always go on the first pitch after the pitcher's thrown to first four or five times? That's because the runner's timed him.

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JTG of the PRB

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Mon Oct-22-07 08:29 PM
Response to Reply #5

7. I have seen that a couple of times.

If you give a runner the chance to figure out your timing when you pitch, he's more than likely going to be able to steal on you. I've seen a number of pitchers get burned by that over the years, as well as getting burned when they've been too distracted by the runner and not focusing on the batter.

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Oeditpus Rex

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Mon Oct-22-07 08:42 PM
Response to Reply #7

8. Yeah

That was a major part of the Dodgers' offense back then. With Koufax and Drysdale, they figured on holding you to one or two runs, and they scored only about three per game on average. So when Wills got on to lead off a game, he'd drive pitchers nuts, and they'd often give Junior Gilliam something he could spank into right field. They were masters at the hit-and-run, which is probably why it's my favorite offensive tactic.

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Joey Liberal

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Mon Oct-22-07 08:11 PM
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3. No rule against it, but..........

The manager would take the pitcher out of the game because unless he's throwing strikes and getting outs, he's wasting everyone's time. A runner that distracts a pitcher that much has suceeded in disrupting the pitcher, and the pitcher is replaced.

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Oeditpus Rex

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Mon Oct-22-07 08:27 PM
Response to Reply #3

6. Managers don't usually care

After a point they probably would, yeah � like maybe 20 times. But often, managers � especially ex-catchers � will tell pitchers, "If so-and-so gets on, keep him close," particularly in a low-scoring game or a tie or one-run situation.

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mainegreen

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Mon Oct-22-07 08:12 PM
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4. I think fear of the managers would keep this from going on for hours.

But after a while, you might keep it up to avoid the inevitable wrath of the manager.

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