Superstition: Talking About No-Hitters and Streaks

Baseball is a very superstitious sport. Many of those who play the game have their unique and sometimes bizarre rituals that they practice before, during, or after games. In a humorous scene in the movie Bull Durham the star pitcher "Nuke" wears women's lingerie during every outing. In baseball, the breaking of superstitions is regarded as a serious offense. Doing this generates bad luck and for some reason almost immediately results in a non-desired outcome.  The best example of breaking superstition is the single most forbidden subject matter to talk about: No Hitter’s. No hitters are a rare occurrence and highly valued in baseball. In the game, it is a “known fact” that talking about a hitter will result in a hit, ruining the pitcher’s perfect game. Due to the rarity of this event, any violation of this superstition is regarded as nearly sacrilegious to the sport. However, as no hitters are rare occurrence, this does not happen often. There are many other and much more frequent habits that players undertake as a form of superstition. Such traditions include tying one’s shoes before an at bat, or not washing a uniform while on a winning streak.

Calling Pitches

As a catcher, I personally love the art of calling a good game. This has been a skill that I have fine-tuned through many practices and games. Knowing what pitch to call in what situation can lead to an important out, or a game changing hit. Most hitters are looking for “their pitch” early in the count when there are one or no strikes against him. For

the typical athlete this pitch is a fastball somewhere over the middle of the plate. It is critical that the pitcher and catcher are able to keep the offense off-balance and uncertain about what pitch is coming. Therefore, as a catcher, this “hitter’s pitch” is exactly what you wish to avoid. This is a good time to call a first pitch off-speed, such as a change-up or a curve ball. Ok great now there is one strike on the batter, and already his approach to his at bat has been thrown off. Because you have just thrown an off-speed pitch for a strike, he will most likely expect it again. Now is when you should change speeds and location on him with a fastball, inside. If the hitter is now expecting an off-speed pitch, he will not be able to react in time to make solid contact with a fastball, resulting in an easy ground out. This is the essence of good game calling: unsettling hitters at the plate so that they can’t expect what pitch is coming.

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Stealing and Sliding: Knowing When to Go

Base stealing is an important aspect of baseball. Having the ability to advance a base runner without sacrificing an out gives an offense a significant boost in their ability to score runs. Sliding is also a critical part of base running; a poor slide can lead to an easy out or injury while a good slide can evade tags. However, certain rules of baseball etiquette must be followed in order to ensure the well-being of all players involved.

For example, if your team is leading by a large margin, having a runner steal a base is most certainly frowned upon. It is seen as unsportsmanlike and an attempt to show up the opposing team. Such arrogance, or perhaps ignorance, of this unwritten rule is seldom tolerated. A good rule of thumb in these situations is to refrain from stealing if you are leading by seven runs (or more) in the seventh inning. Anything earlier or with a smaller lead is allowable.

Sliding also plays a role in not only stealing but in base running as a whole. There are two main types of slides, head first and feet first. Diving headfirst gives you greater control over where your slide takes you and allows you to use your arms to reach the bag if you are coming in from one side of the base. Feet first slides are generally safer, and are used when wanting to avoid injury. However, if you attempt to disrupt a defensive action- for example a double play- some people consider spiking the opposing player. This action involves sliding into a player with feet above the bag in an attempt to snag the opposing fielder with the base runners metal spikes. This action is most certainly a violation of the code and is responded to if not instantly, then in the next at bat.

Signs: Giving, Stealing, and Consequences

The game of baseball begins with signs; specific planned motions designed to relay messages to players without revealing your team's intentions. This method of communication is vital to game play and strategy. If signs are easily decipherable, then your opponent will know what to expect which is an unnecessary and dangerous advantage. However, if your team's signs are too complex they will confuse your teammates and slow down the pace of the game. Relaying signs can be done in various methods. There can be an indicator, or a "hot" sign the precedes any activation of a play, there can be a hot zone that, depending on how many times it is touched, can activate plays, and many other methods have been and are used. Knowing an opponent’s signs gives your team a significant advantage. Knowing what pitch to expect, when a base runner will attempt to steal, or when the other team will lay a bunt down allows your team to be prepared for this situation and pre-plan how they will respond; usually to great effect. Therefore, signs are a closely guarded club secret that only few are privileged to. So, when a team is observed attempting to steal signs, action is quickly taken to discontinue their efforts. This is usually done in two methods: changing your signs to a backup option, or by delivering a direct message to the would-be sign stealers in the form of a fastball to the ribs.

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