Burners At The Corners

A baseball team's batting order, as constructed by the team's manager, is an example of the epitome of optimism. For example, the player he designates as the leadoff (aka, the "one hole") hitter may never actually be the initial batter in any inning other than the first. Still, the manager picks him because, ideally, that guy will lead off several innings, not just the first. He is a "table setter," someone with a high on-base percentage. The prototypical two hole hitter is someone who, in addition to other attributes such as usually making contact, is either good at laying down sacrifice bunts or excels at executing the hit-and-run. But those two talents come into play only if there are runners on base when he comes up to bat. A manager usually puts his biggest power hitter in the clean-up (four hole) spot, even if that big galoot strikes out on a consistant basis. In short, the manager fills his lineup card by thinking positively. He believes the leadoff hitter will bat first in several innings (not just the first), the two hole hitter will come up with men on base, and the cleanup hitter will send the ball into the bleachers way more often than he will strike out. A lot of this is driven by tradition, but the truth is that, for many of the 162 regular season games, a manager could fill out his batting order by pulling the starters' names out of a hat and the results would be close to the same as if he'd completed his selections in the traditional manner. Some managers have tried pulling names from a hat in an effort to snap a losing streak. Why not shake things up a little if the old fashion methods aren't working?

Notwithstanding what I have written above, one lineup orchestration which I do favor is putting the two fastest guys in the lineup back-to-back. Typically this means batting them 1-2 (i.e., the first two spots in the batting order), 9-1, or even 8-9. Obviously if a team is lucky enough to have three speedsters in its lineup, so much the better; they can bat 9-1-2, three burners in a row! What a manager doesn't want is to have a slow guy on the bases impeding a faster teammate. That is often referred to as "clogging the bases" because it negates the athleticism of the speedy trailing runner.

In the National League, where the pitchers are required to bat and are notoriously weak hitters, some creativity in filling out the lineup card may be in order to accomplish the goal of having the speed burners hit consecutively. Tony La Russa, the arrogant yet highly successful former manager, used to insert his pitcher in the eight hole instead of ninth like most other National League managers would do. La Russa's rationale was that having the pitcher bat eighth enabled him to put speed in the ninth and leadoff spots, i.e., back-to-back. The man is considered one of the great managers of all time - - he managed three different teams to the World Series championship, including last year's World Champion St. Louis Cardinals, and is the third winningest manager in the history of baseball - - so there might be a method to his madness.

There are few situations in the fascinating sport of baseball which put more pressure on the defense than having fast runners at first and third base ("burners at the corners") with less than two out. Consider the possibilities which the catcher and his manager must anticipate before every pitch in that scenario. Their main concern is the double steal, in which the runner on first takes off for second, and as soon as the catcher releases the ball, the runner on third breaks for home. There is more than one way for the defensive team to attempt to keep that from happening. The only way that is fool proof is for the pitcher to intentionally hit the batter with the pitch. The result is a dead ball. The bad news is that the bases are then loaded. Aside from taking that drastic measure, the defense has four options with runners at the corners:

1. The catcher can throw down to second to try to nail the back-end base stealer (i.e., the guy who was the base runner at first), and hope that the man on third isn't attempting to steal as well. If the catcher is wrong, the guy on third will probably be successful in his attempt to steal home, because whoever takes the throw at second will not be in a good position to throw back to the catcher; he will be too busy with the incoming runner. Plus,the ball must travel in the air for a comparatively long time (from the plate to second base, and back), probably long enough for the speedy lead runner to steal home.

2. The catcher can throw the ball to one of the middle infielders who runs up to take the throw well in front of the bag. This is sometimes called "the short circuit play" because, by taking the throw in front of the bag, the middle infielder is shortening the round trip which the ball is taking in the air between home and second. If the man on third has broken for home, he will be dead meat at the plate, assuming the catcher and the middle infielder have strong and accurate arms. This option concedes the steal of second base.

3. The catcher can immediately throw down to third, ignoring the trailing runner, hoping that the runner on third leaves for home too early, caught offguard because he was not expecting the catcher to do that. If so, a run-down is the likely result.

4. The catcher can fake a throw to second, and try to catch the lead runner napping.

Of course, one other thing a catcher can do is simply hold onto the ball and concede second base to the trailing/back-end runner.

If you ever see a catcher standing in front of the plate with runners at the corners, he is usually signaling to his infielders which play is on. It is most likely one of the four enumerated above. The signaling by the catcher is not unlike the gyrations which you see a third base coach perform. It's essential that every infielder is on the same page.

With burners at the corners, there are things other than a double steal for the defense to contend with. Suicide squeezes, safety squeezes, and hit and run plays, to name a few. There is pressure on the pitcher to hold the runner at first close to the bag, and to be quick with his delivery. A typical move by the runner on third is to charge up the line toward home and then abruptly stop, in an attempt to cause the pitcher to balk. There is pressure on the catcher to block pitches in the dirt. A good catcher might call for a pitch such as a split finger fast ball, which is designed to dive into the dirt. In some cases that is the best pitch in the pitcher's arsenal. The pitcher needs to have confidence in his catcher, and the catcher needs to have confidence in his own ability to block the low pitch and keep the ball in front of him.

Just as is the case in football, a winning strategy is to keep putting pressure on the opponent's defense. If a defense is under pressure and is required to make several tough plays with perfect execution, sooner or later there will be imperfection, maybe even an error or two. A good team will capitalize on those imperfect executions and errors and turn them into runs. The easiest way for the offense to create pressure is by employing speed. Think about that the next time you see burners at the corners.

Movie Review: "Moonrise Kingdom"

"Moonrise Kingdom": B-.  Sam (Jared Gilman) and Suzy (Kara Hayward) are a couple of twelve year olds whose quirky and sometimes unsocial personalities draw them to each other. Sam is an orphan and a Khaki Scout, whose troop leader is the unintentionally funny Scout Master Ward, humorously played by Edward Norton. The scouts' camp is on an island called New Penzance, where the kids learn camping and survival skills. Those come in handy when Sam talks the mysterious Suzy into sneaking off by themselves through the deep forest to see what adventures lie ahead. The two of them set out on foot, and are long gone before Scout Master Ward and Suzy's parents, Walt and Laura Bishop (Bill Murray and the always excellent Frances McDormand), get wind of what has transpired.

Bruce Willis plays Captain Sharp, the chief cop on the island, where nary a crime - - or even a disturbance of any kind - - occurs. Sharp is having an affair with Laura Bishop, something that's not easy to pull off given the compact size of New Penzance. When the kids disappear, Sharp has his hands full, answering questions peppered at him by the social worker (Tilda Swinton) responsible for Sam's well being, and by the Bishops. Meanwhile, Scout Master Ward organizes a search party comprised of Sam's fellow Khaki Scouts, most of whom are armed with dangerous weapons.

Much of the movie's scenes follow Sam and Suzy while they are on the lamb. As a young scout, Sam is well versed in what it takes to prepare for an outdoor expedition, and he brings along a lot of gear. Suzy, conversely, has an old style overnight bag and a small portable record player. They are pre-teens, so probably too young to get into the kind of trouble that older kids with proverbial "raging hormones" might encounter, but still old enough to be inquisitive about the opposite sex. Suzy's dad imagines the worst. The social worker is a finger pointer. Captain Sharp might be in over his head, but is, nevertheless, the voice of reason.

This movie has drawn rave reviews from the critics, and judging by its longevity at the first run theaters - - Ten bucks a ticket for a Monday matinee at West End? You can't be serious! - - it is a hit with local moviegoers too. The director is Wes Anderson, and he obviously has his fans. I gave "Moonrise Kingdom" a B- because it was't quite as good as what I anticipated. The kids are cute, no doubt. But the problems they face while on their island escapade do not come close to those in classic stories like Swiss Family Robinson, Treasure Island or even The Wizard Of Oz. There is more action taking place among the adults than there is with Sam and Suzy.

I did enjoy many of Anderson's touches, such as Laura Bishop using a bullhorn to call her family to dinner in their lighthouse home. Or Scout Master Ward, ridiculously dressed in a scout uniform, dragging on a weed to help calm his nerves. Or the fact that Tilda Swinton's character does not have a name, but is referred to in the movie and in the credits as "Social Services."  Or Captain Sharp sharing a cold beer with Sam at the kitchen table. The best part of the movie was a short scene in which Suzy's father is so tense and pent up with emotion that he announces to his family that he's "going out to cut down a tree." He brings with him an axe and a bottle of wine. If offbeat humor is up your alley or you are simply a Wes Anderson fan, then by all means plunk down your ten dollar bill and enjoy the show.

Album Review: "Welcome To The Fish Bowl" - Kenny Chesney

"Welcome To The Fish Bowl": B+.  This coming Sunday I am taking Momma Cuandito to the first-ever concert in the still relatively new Target Field.  The headliners for the "Brothers Of The Sun Tour" are Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney.  You already know from my February 11 post (Album Review: "Emotional Traffic") that I am a pretty big Tim McGraw fan.  I have been attempting to get into Chesney's music as well, although it has been a bit of a slow go.  The latest chapter in this endeavor was to purchase Chesney's new CD, "Welcome To The Fish Bowl," which was released during the last week of June.

Upon my first (of five so far) time through the new CD, the thing that struck me was the even-keelness (if that's a word) of the playlist as a whole.  I found this ironic, given the fact that the venues for the tour are stadiums, which lend themselves to hell-on-wheels, up-tempo, let it all hang out rock songs.  The closest thing to country rock on "Fish Bowl" is the second track, "Feel Like A Rock Star," which was written specifically for this tour and is a duet shared by the two long-time buds, Tim and Kenny.

The vibe on Chesney's new album is laid back, even occasionally melancholy, created by several numbers with outstanding, thought-provoking lyrics.  At the head of the class are "Sing 'Em Good My Friend" and especially "While He Still Knows Who I Am."  The latter song is about a man traveling back home to see his father who is losing his memory.  The son sings that a lot of what he, himself, has become - - his fondness for Chevys, his love of baseball - - is due to his father's influence, but now he hopes to learn more about him as a man, not merely as his dad.  This time he's going to give him a kiss, not just a manly handshake.

In "Sing 'Em Good My Friend," an older man is in the final stages of selling all his worldly goods because he needs the money.  But he has a hard time letting go of his prized possession, an old guitar which has been with him for years.  He finally agrees to sell his instrument to the singer, telling the younger musician that "he left some songs in this guitar; sing 'em good my friend."  He admonishes him to sing the truth and sing the pain.  In the final verse the singer promises to do the old man proud.

Also on the honor roll, maybe a nano-notch below the two aforementioned tunes, are "I'm A Small Town" and "To Get To You."  The former is a clever personification of "a dot on the map."

If you blink you'll miss me.

Go ahead and laugh.

Ever since I lived in Minot I've been a sucker for songs about small towns.  These few words from Chesney's song say a lot about what it's like to live in one:

Either I hold your heart, or I hold you down,

I'm a small town.

"To Get To You" is a love song in which the singer tells his girl that, despite their ups and downs, he'd do it all again.

Love's become a frightening thing to do...

I've been scared to try again, but you're worth every hurt that I've been through,

I'd go through it all again if I had to,

To get to you.

There are a handful of songs I don't much care for, including the duet with McGraw and the live version of "You And Tequila," a duet with Grace Potter sung at Red Rocks and which is getting some air play on country radio.

I am not sure what makes this a country album, other that the fact that it's put out by the good ol' country boy from eastern Tennessee, Kenny Chesney.  There is more piano than slide guitar, and more traditional violin than country fiddle.  Maybe all it takes to make "Fish Bowl" country is Kenny's twang.  I am looking forward to seeing him, and his brother of the sun, Tim, live.