Confonting the Steal

With runners on base, everything changes.  (Cue the scary music.)

Breaking it Down


Ace through six are the only cards you will ever see on base.  Cards seven and up are not factors of any other card, so they will only make home runs, and will never stand on base.  See? You're feeling better already.

Of the six potential base running cards, the 3, 4, 5 and 6 will always be in scoring position after a three-bagger.  Oh yeah, there's nothing better than scoring position after a three-bagger, am I right Romeo?

Non-scoring Steals

Steal attempts by an Ace or two (on first or second base) are possible on almost any pitch. You almost cannot prevent a steal attempt in this situation.  You can only rely on dirty looks, a beer-induced lapse in concentration, or pure luck.

On the flip side, should you tolerate a non-scoring steal ... or even invite one?  If your defense is holding an Ace or a two, a steal attempt is just what the doctor ordered. You make the out (always worth the use of an Ace) and you cost your batter a strike.  Taking down a baserunner is always a great out.

Scoring Steals

Extreme care must be taken when pitching with a 3, 4, 5 or 6 in scoring position.  Dangerous pitch cards are 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, and Queen.  One careless lay can have serious consequences, am I right Romeo?

"Never pitch a card that matches a baserunner."  Get a Sharpie pen and write that one on your arm.  Why? Because this allows the runner to steal, and you'll need yet another card of the same value to put him out.  And since there's only four of every card value, you probably don't have another one.

Pitch an Ace, two, 7, Jack or King.  And change the subject of conversation to the growing contrast between popular views on birth control and Catholic church doctrine.

Pitching Low to High

In a previous post we might have discussed two kinds of defensive strategy: pitching for strikeouts, and pitching for field outs.  This week's comment on pitching technique belongs to neither one of those strategies, or both, depending on how you look at it.

Batters Discard High to Low

Batters will generally discard their highest cards first, since they are the hardest to use.  For example, if a batter is holding a 3, 5 and King, and the first pitch is a 4, that King will be the first to go.  

Building on this example, consider a pitching hand with a 4, 8, and King.  Notwithstanding your outfielders' strength, your first instinct is to lead with the King, because it's the hardest to hit.  Unfortunately you've just set up a possible home run on your first pitch.  

Had you waited until at least the second pitch, that King would most likely have been discarded, and you'd get to see the batter huffing, cussing, and pounding his fist on the table, dangerously close to that saucer full of peanuts.

Taking Away the Home Run

A batter's high cards are only good for one thing, and that's home runs.  When you start pitching low and mean with your Aces, twos and threes, most likely you force them to disarm themselves of their home run swings.  After all, they're playing the numbers just like you.

On the third strike, pitching a high card -- even a Queen -- might draw a hit from the batter's last, lowest card they saved.  But that's a hit you can defend, and even if you don't make the out, you give up only a base hit, and not a home run.

Pitching a Lollipop

We use "lollipop" to mean a pitch that's easy to hit.  It's like a piece of sweet candy held up on the end of a stick.  Why pitch one?  Consider the following two reasons.

All Factors Covered

If your defense has an Ace, Two, Five, and two Tens, why not pitch a ten?  Ironically, the best option for the batter in this situation is to take a strike, since any card they try to bat on the Ten is an automatic out.  But unless the batter is clairvoyant, he's probably going to follow the advice presented elsewhere in this blog and swing whatever he's got.  That makes a sucker out of him!


Baserunner Covered

If your defense is holding a card that matches a runner on base, getting a card into play will let you take out the runner. For example, with a Five on third after tripling off a Ten, and a Five in the outfield ... throw a lollipop, especially on the third out. Putting anything in play lets you play your five for an easy out.

Caveat: if there's any chance you can't stop a home run, keep the lollipops in your hand.  In the above example, pitching a lollipop Queen with no Ace to protect it is tempting fate!  Who knew that sharing candy could have such dire metaphysical consequences ...