why does it have to be a lefty? why can't you swing late with a righty?
Quick guess - Gantry and his crew plays straight-pitch, in which you usually want to pull the ball, and my guess is that their timing is down such that they pull the ball most of the time. I realize that they also coined the "Pettis", which is a slow grounder to short with a speedy lefty, but the guys who they mention as getting lefty hits tend to be power hitters (Detroit's lineup, for example), and you don't want to go opposite-field with them.
Quote from: T Roogs on 07/30/04, 10:37:47 AM
why does it have to be a lefty? why can't you swing late with a righty?
Because it's called the "lefty hit". It's self explanatory, really.
From my experience, the lefty hits that make it through with a runner on first (and would otherwise be outs) tend to be medium-speed grounders that occur when you pull the ball. Hitting to the opposite field usually results in a lazy fly ball or a medium-speed chopper that sometimes goes through.
In other words, if you hit the ball to the opposite side, the types of grounders you hit aren't affected all that much by the fielders' position; if you get a hit, you'd probably have gotten a hit anyway. Or so it seems.
It would be interesting to see if the same effect holds true when you have a runner on third and a right-hander at the plate. When I was a little kid, I always seem to remember that you'd get way more hits with a runner on third.
Well said ultimate...
Is there a righty hit with a runner on third? Would be very interesting to know...
There can't be a righty hit, because any third baseman that holds the runner on should be shot.
very good point burnzky...didnt know you were that smart.
I've played a lot of baseball, and holding the runner on at second or third will get u sitting on the bench for sure.
Well, when you have a runner on third, the computer does automatically send a guy to cover the base once the ball is hit. But whichever fielder is closest to the ball will still try to field it, just like normal.
I guess that doesn't really make for much of an advantage, except maybe with choppers that could go over the shortstop or the third baseman's head.
Oh yeah -- but what DOES happen a lot is that the third baseman will try to throw you out at home instead of getting the runner at first. Then you get a free hit, although you might not score a run. That's the advantage -- but only when when you're playing the computer, not real people.
Then again, most of the real people I know have the RBI Baseball skills of an avocado, so it makes no difference where the runners are.