Sheer Amazement

[The Dude]

There's a thread over in the Current events about Rick Ankiel's two assists the other night, with a link to the video. And might I just say, it was beautiful. There's something about a ball traveling 150-250 feet on a perfect throw to tag someone out who was just running 90 feet.

[The Dude]

On the topic of fielding, I am excited the most by the double play. Everything about it. From the 4-6-3, the 6-4-3, the 3-6-1, the 1-2-3, the 7-2, the 3-6-3, and everything else. The excitement in the ump's arm action; how that excitement explodes within the crowd as soon as he makes that fist.

And it's not just the amazing double plays, where he does the backhand flip, or throws it from his glove. It's not just Derek Jeter jumping to avoid the slide. It's Hardy to Weeks to Fielder, when you've got Ryan Howard grounding out, and you know that it's a double play. Even there, there's always the same excitement, always the same pleasure of watching the double play. But then there's the childlike joy I see on peoples faces when Ichiro throws it from deep center to home plate, and Jojihma makes the tag. The look of awe is the same on each man's face, no matter their age. The double play.

[whoisonit]

There are a collection of images, snipits in memory that sometimes pop to the surface and make me smile. Just moments frozen in time that left me awed at the quiet beauty of the game.

A masterful pitcher is a joy to watch. I think back to Catfish Hunter his first year with the Yankees. Sheer amazement ? It seemed he could place a pitch exactly where he wanted. Watching his pitch sequence as he toyed with a batter was like watching an artist create a landscape on a white canvas. How could any man paint the black so effortlessly ? Greg Maddox is another. How did he make it look so easy ? Such a simple, clean motion. Pinpoint placement, as if he could put it where he liked inning after inning, day after day. Such a gift.
The times when a pitcher seems to be caught in a jet stream, carried along by a force so strong it is imposible to be stopped, like Ron Guidry in 1978. How did he lose any games that magical season ?

Then there are the hitters that seemed to be able to put the bat on the ball at will. Players that stood at the plate and just seemed so natural, as if nobody ever told them hitting a little round ball with a narrow round piece of wood is the most difficult skill in any sport. Rod Carew, Lou Pinella, Rusty Staub, Wade Boggs. Not always the greatest, just players I always enjoyed watching at the plate.

Graceful fielding is a pleasure as well. Did Paul Blair ever miss a ball ? How can you run hard and yet appear to be gliding along the grass ? Was Kieth Hernandez ever out of position ? Not that I remember. What is the gene that gives a man lightning fast reflexes such as those of Craig Nettles ? He appeared to move before the ball even left the hitting zone. Nobody I've seen was better or faster at snatching an unsnatchable rocket, turning, setting and firing off a dead on throw.

My sheer amazement has always been the collection of moments of seemingly effortless grace displayed while playing the most difficult of all sports to master.

[stejay]

my sheer amazement used to be how the A's kept winning despite being poor. Moneyball rectified that. Then it was how ugly Don Zimmer was. I soon got used to it. Now, it is how players seem to get better with age. Randy, Clemens, Pedro, Maddux, Smoltz, Bonds all seem to be like a fine wine.

[steve rogers]

Mariano Rivera. He's kind of going through a renaissance this year. Every time I see him pitch another perfect inning I'm just amazed. He's the best ever at what he does. He's the epitome of class and dignity. Even when he blows something like the 7th game of the world series he acts cool and humble. When he gets a huge out there's no jumping around like a jackass, he's just as cool as always. He's a deeply religious man but you never see him doing the phony pointing to the sky thing.

Everything about him, the way he handles himself, his confidence, his skill, the fact that in 2007 he threw 1125 pitches and only one of them wasn't a fastball or a cut fastball, the fact that every batter knows exactly what pitch is coming but they still can't hit him, even when the batter gets a hit 90% of the time it's just a little dribbler or bloop over the infield, how he breaks so many bats, how he's the last man that will ever wear #42 on a major league field, hell even his autograph looks awesome. After he retires I think people will look at him the same way we look at DiMaggio and Koufax. That quiet coolness they had. He is the definition of greatness.

Scott

[Chickazoola]

I love watching good pitchers pitch(especially against each other). There are few things more beautiful to me than watching a good pitcher do his work.

Andy Pettitte is someone I could watch all day. Not the most dominating, but he's smart and poised, and knows his craft.

Pedro Martinez has always amazed me, being a long suffering Expos fan, I've been onto him since the DeShields trade, and it's just ridiculous to have such great stuff, and be so smart too. I'll never forget watching him take a perfect game into the 10th inning against the Padres.

I don't think anything in sports comes so close to being an art as when a pitcher puts together a great performance.

[The Dude]

May 7th, 2008:There was a recent event that happened, in which a Red Sox fan was killed by a Yankees fan, and that made me want to touch again on this topic of mine. What is it about baseball that makes you come back for more? What is it that amazes you ... even though you see it maybe every game ... or just in general, what do you love about baseball, or the history of baseball.

I love the game of baseball. Not just for one single moment, but for what is a continuum of moments, a history of moments, and the idea that there are an infinite amount of moments to come. But the best part of it, is when you're just dumbstruck by something.

I'm assuming this topic has been talked about to death, or I can't remember it being talked to death either, but John Smoltz amazes me. The first act of his career is this great pitcher for the playoff Braves, who wins a Cy Young. The second act, he tragically hurts his arm and misses two parts of seasons, and a full season. And the third act, he redeems himself and goes to the bullpen to be one of the top 5 closers in baseball over that 4 year period.

But wait, there's a fourth act, where he throws in the bullpen towel, and goes back to the mound during daylight. Smoltz picks up where he left off, wheeling and dealing, throwing his 3K strikeout, and chugging along to maybe hit 250 wins.

I think back, and I remember Smoltz closing, but I don't truly remember it. To me, that's sheer amazement. I know he closed, but his starting pitching career is so amazing to me, that it's almost like I can't comprehend it.

Does anyone else have those "sheer amazement" moments?