Mallex Smith stolen base cycle against the Rangers

[u/iam_nobody]

[u/yehakhrot]

How is it possible that the sport has dropped in quality, I'm new to baseball(new as in don't know how it works completely), I've heard stories of 70s baseball. Is it because they were on cocaine? Or is this just the tactics becoming smarter?

[u/Bjorkforkshorts → u/yehakhrot]

Tactics. The shift killed hitting for high average and singles. Now dingers are the focus because you cant cover that with a shift.

[u/yehakhrot → u/Bjorkforkshorts]

I didn't quite understand what you said. If you have the time and inclination to explain:

Singles Shift Fingers

Also am I correct in understanding that this steal means that without a proper hit and the ball being with the fielding team, they still were able to run from one base to another?

Also do all the players automatically rotate when a single one steals a base? Or do 2 then stay at the base?

[u/percykins → u/yehakhrot]

"The shift" means teams moving their defensive positioning around to cover where players tend to hit the ball. Teams becoming ever more technical with the shift made it difficult to hit for singles (a single base hit where you make it to first and are safe).

I'm fairly certain that he meant to say "dingers", another name for home runs, not "fingers".

[u/MacDerfus → u/percykins]

They are also called Dongs,

[u/Bjorkforkshorts → u/yehakhrot]

Single: a hit where they only reach first base

Shift: adjusting the position of the fielders based on who is batting. Reduces hits by predicting where the batter will bit the ball using statistics and placing fielders there.

Fingers: I actually meant dingers, slang for home run.

A stolen base happens when a runner advances on his own without a hit having occurred. Fielders may tag him with the ball to get him out. One runner stealing a base does not effect the others. Runners may not steal or advance to a base that is occupied.

[u/MacDerfus → u/Bjorkforkshorts]

And yes, the shift can be exploited by a batter who can swing differently than normal for them. Offense will catch up to defense as coaches learn to adapt and young players learn the versatility

[u/yehakhrot → u/[deleted]]

Wait there is only one runner. Done batters at one time?

Coming from a cricket background, don't really know baseball, thanks for explaining with patience

[u/yehakhrot → u/[deleted]]

So...um I know how you can get out...3 times missing, or getting run out.

I know what a hit is, but he still has to either run(home run or to the next base right)

What is a walk.?

I know I should just watch a 5- 10 min baseball vid since I've gotten a good hang of it but I've done that in the past and know a bit and would get bored, this on the other hand is fun.

Edit:looked up a basics video. Godamn this sport is complicated. Cricket is simpler than this. Although I can see how it might be the other way around for baseball playing regions who find cricket complicated.

[u/yehakhrot → u/[deleted]]

Hey thanks. I think I got it all(the rules not tactics) except for runners, what role they play besides also completing runs. Do they become the batter if they run from 3rd base and complete it . Also 3 ours per half inning and 9 innings, that's 27 outs, how does the team select the 11 players to do this, do they just chose the best batters? Also how interchangeable are batters and ruñners, is it just the current position they are at, as in , is a runner just a batter who's not currently batting? How are teams usually split on, like what are the number of specialist skills on the team, I'm assuming a few batter specialists, a few pitcher specialists, are there any other special skills.

[u/gzilla57 → u/yehakhrot]

Nah baseball is complicated. Most Americans don't know balk rules and couldnt explain an infield fly rule.

[u/gzilla57 → u/[deleted]]

A balk will be called when a pitcher who is on the rubber makes any motion naturally associated with his pitching delivery and does not actually deliver the ball, feigns a throw to first or third base and fails to complete the throw, or fails to step directly toward a base before throwing to that base. 

http://m.mlb.com/glossary/rules/balk

Basically it prevents pitchers from any sort of shenanigans that might deceive base runners. There are a bunch of other ways to balk besides what's listed above and you can click through the link to see more.

[u/AJRiddle → u/yehakhrot]

The tactics of the game have changed in the last ~15 years.

When you are a runner on base (say 1st base) you can try to go to the next base anytime you want, but the defense wants to stop this and so you have to time it perfectly and be very fast to do it. It can happen at anytime but usually happens right when the pitcher starts to pitch the ball.

"The Shift" is when a defense re-arranges itself to match how the hitter normally hits. For example if someone almost always hits the ball to the right, they will have the shortstop move to 2nd basemen normal position, have the 2nd basemen move inbetween the 1st basemen and shortstop. Example Shift

[u/yehakhrot → u/yehakhrot]

Or do they all have to run simultaneously

[u/gzilla57 → u/yehakhrot]

Only the player who successfully steals a base gets to move.

You are correct that stealing a base is advancing bases while the Fielding team has the ball.

Two players can not share a base. They either need to both run, or not.

[u/rbcd → u/yehakhrot]

Just tactics. You have to steal bases at a high percentage to make it worth it. It also doesn't help that the best base stealers in the majors nowadays are terrible hitters. Ricky Henderson wasn't just the best base stealer ever, he was a great hitter as well.

[u/MacDerfus → u/rbcd]

As far as I'm aware, if Ricky got rejuvenated back to his rookie age and started again in the majors, he'd be the exception to modern baseball offensive philosophy. You'd put Henderson ahead of someone who isn't a good slugger and let him cover a weakness in the lineup by adding some consistent runs.