3 Strikes: On Baseball Tradition

One of the synonyms for the word tradition is “unwritten law”. That seems to go quite nicely with baseball. The word “tradition” is almost synonymous with baseball. Major League Baseball is the one sport that centers its marketing around its history. It sells people about the memories of yesterday and how the actions of today will be a part of that great history. Baseball is the only sport where the players of yesteryear may be more recognizable than the the players of today.

The importance of tradition shouldn’t be discounted. There is something comforting about keeping a connection to the previous generation. We are a culture that doesn’t react to change quite well, so having traditions not only builds romanticism, it makes us feel safe. From a marketing standpoint, the sport of baseball has the best of both worlds. The tradition is second to none. And, its current game is played with such skill.

{Discuss baseball traditions on the BSL Boards}

But, the industry is also deep in tradition. Many organizations are still following the same practices that were enacted in the 1950’s, 60’s, and 70’s. The “unwritten rules” of player development or how to conduct yourself on the field still has the game in the 50’s in so many areas. No sport is slower to change than Major League Baseball. But, teams such as the Astros, Rays, Cubs, and even the Yankees are among the teams changing the basis of their decision making.

In the name of tradition, pitchers are still largely developed the same way. In the name of tradition, we still have this macho culture, even at the cost of injuries. In the name of tradition, we still have organizations making leadership decisions based on the old boys network, rather than trying to find the absolute best voice for the modern game.

Some traditions are worth keeping. But, like ditching fruit cake at the holidays, some traditions have to be retired in order for progress to take place.

Orioles’ Disconnect On Traditional Long Tossing

Orioles owner Peter Angelos recently stated that both Buck Showalter and Dan Duquette will return for the 2016 season. But, as has been reported throughout the last couple of seasons, there is a disconnect between the two. Showalter is easily one of the most controlling Managers in the game. Duquette, higher in the Orioles’ power paradigm, began to shift the organization into a more progressive pitching development program. During Duquette’s first season, each pitcher on the Major League roster was given a biomechanical analysis. While the pitching development program never worked with Major League pitching coaches Rick Adair and Dave Wallace, the group put the Minor League program into a more individual program and a more progressive long toss program.

The Minor League program seemed to feed the Major League team well initially. Zach Britton made an adjustment to his mound position and has since become one of the best relievers in the sport. Miguel Gonzalez went from journeyman to viable Major League pitcher after spending time in the Orioles’ system. The Minor League pitchers each have an individualized long toss program where a pitcher will max out on distance. In elementary terms, the idea, one backed by The American Sports Medicine Institute, is that pitchers build more strength by tossing at longer distances.

Yet, the Orioles’ Major League club still adheres to the tradition of 120 feet. To be fair, the Orioles are hardly the only one. It has become tradition that a player never long tosses over 120 feet. Why 120? Well, nobody really knows for sure, but it likely has to do with the fact that the 120 foot mark was part of a rehab program developed by therapists and that was the maximum distance that could be achieved during the process. 120 foot long tossing is based strictly on tradition. There is absolutely zero data that indicates the magic of that number. Yet, there is increasing data that shows the benefits of throwing greater distances, including pitch velocity and arm health.

If the Minor League program is doing the proper long tossing, why isn’t the Major League club following? Why don’t the Baltimore Orioles organization have the same policy? Over the years, the Orioles have been accused of being cookie cutter in terms of development. But, the Minor League program doesn’t show that. The Major League club, however, continues to foster that reputation.

One simple fix for the Orioles’ dysfunction would be to come to terms on a uniform long toss policy, in this case having each pitcher toss at his maximum distance. While many clubs are still traditional in terms of pitch counts, long tossing, and innings limits, more organizations are moving towards breaking those traditions that really didn’t prevent injury or get pitchers to pitch at peak. The Toronto Blue Jays finally lost all of their outdated pitching practices this year and decided to treat pitchers on an individual basis. It has certainly worked for them. The Cardinals have always embraced the individual pitcher. The Pirates are becoming the industry standard for maximizing pitcher development. The Orioles have the potential to be progressive with their pitchers and exploit the advantage of having healthier, stronger pitchers. But, Showalter and the Major League staff still succumb to tradition and don’t work with the ideals of the front office and the development staff. Of the many issues the two sides have, this is the simplest fix. The 120 foot tradition isn’t effective.

The Utley Slide

Back in the day, baseball was played by men who would never have a problem barreling another player. It didn’t matter the position, whether a runner would knock out a catcher or if a runner would hit the shortstop hard in order to avoid the double play. Back in the day, nobody complained about any of it. They handled it like men. They fought. Pitchers would make sure the opposition paid for the hard slide. Nobody thought twice about Hal McRae sending Willie Randolph into left field just to break up a double play. There were no suspensions. Randolph was mad and it led to tension and even some old school finger pointing. But, Major League Baseball didn’t intercede. Of course, nobody even blinked when Pete Rose knocked out Ray Fosse during an All-Star Game, a game that didn’t count at all. In fact, Rose is still celebrated for his grit. Some do acknowledge that Fosse’s career was never the same again, but, hey, them’s the breaks. Men play, suffer the consequences, and police themselves. You know, that’s what the unwritten rules say.

Yes, the tradition of Major League Baseball has certainly been built on this supposedly masculine behavior. The truth is that it’s quite stupid. What’s manly about sliding into a human being who isn’t in a stable position rather than sliding into the base? What’s manly about knocking a man unconscious during a play at the plate? What’s manly about throwing at someone’s head? Sure, it’s been tradition for all of these years. But, that doesn’t make it right. Traditions that cause injury or have the potential to cause injury are ones that should be immediately banned.

Major League Baseball has taken some heat for its handling of Los Angeles Dodgers’ Chase Utley, whose aggressive takeout slide of Mets Ruben Tejada resulted in a broken leg for the Mets shortstop. It’s important to note that the intent of Utley has no bearing on the result. It is highly unlikely that Utley went into the play trying to break Tejada’s leg. There was zero intent of that, at least judging from how Utley reacted. But, the result of a slide that had nothing to do with hitting the second base bag has caused Tejada to miss the rest of the playoffs and potentially alter the rest of his professional career.

And, yet, the reaction of the Utley suspension–since appealed–was one of disbelief. Many cited the other incidents of such slides that didn’t result in suspension. Is that really the basis to judge this decision? Traditionally, there hasn’t been suspensions, so that should negate Major League Baseball evolving and trying to keep its players safe? It isn’t about macho culture or present day players becoming soft. It’s about keeping the best players healthy and on the field. It’s about playing the game the right way, which doesn’t include plays that could injure players.

The issue is easily fixed; simply require players to follow the rules. Rule 7.09 states:

(e) If, in the judgment of the umpire, a base runner willfully and deliberately interferes with a batted ball or a fielder in the act of fielding a batted ball with the obvious intent to break up a double play, the ball is dead. The umpire shall call the runner out for interference and also call out the batter-runner because of the action of his teammate. In no event may bases be run or runs scored because of such action by a runner.

If the player is “forced” to simply slide into the base, the chance for injury is greatly lessened. And, the game can be played the right way, by the best available players, and with a consistent rule. And, you know what? They’ll still be men.

The Tradition Of Managing Experience vs. Right Fit For Nationals

Major League Baseball always ebbs and flows, especially when it comes to who actually runs the teams on the field. For a while, there was a run on hiring on-field staff personnel who didn’t have the traditional managing or coaching experience. Of course, that was preceded by the long run of recycling the same names for the sake of experience. With front offices exercising increasing control on Managers, the role has evolved even more so over the past few years.

Last season, the Minnesota Twins hired Paul Molitor, the Hall of Fame player who came with very little coaching experience. The Tampa Bay Rays hired Kevin Cash, a person with some years of coaching experience, but light on managerial experience. The Twins had their first winning season in five years. The Rays, a team many picked for last, won 80 games. A couple of years ago, the Seattle Mariners hired Lloyd McClendon, another former player who had previously managed. After a solid 2014 season, the Mariners faltered in 2015. McClendon was relieved of his duties. The season before, Matt Williams, he of the decorated player experience and traditional “earning your coaching stripes at various levels” experience was hired and won Manager of the Year. This winter, he’s out of work. In theory, Williams should’ve been a better manager this season because he gained experience. Based on his work, it looks as if his first year was a fluke and more a result of having a team that was far better than its division competition.

And, now, the Nationals have perhaps the most attractive opening for a Manager to step right in and be a legitimate playoff contender. Any roster that boasts Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg and has young talent such as Trea Turner ready to go will be good enough to be a contender. Williams was a guy who went about getting a Manager’s job the “right way”. After his playing career, he worked in the Minors, managing at various spots. Then, he served as a coach on the Major League staff before getting the Nationals’ job. But, this season didn’t work out for the Nationals. While disappointing results will always highlight mistakes, Williams seemed to have trouble managing a pitching staff and maintaining order in the clubhouse.

The initial reaction of any manager firing is to find someone who is the exact opposite. Experienced names such as Bud Black and Ron Gardenhire are prominent in the news. Both have been long time Managers and have appeared in the postseason. And, perhaps, they will be the voice that unifies the Nationals. More importantly, perhaps they will be the right person to manage a pitching staff properly. But, there is no guarantee. That’s why the idea of hiring Cal Ripken isn’t just about publicity. While Ripken has zero Managing experience, few can challenge his baseball acumen. And, good Managers have a habit of surrounding themselves with a good staff. Good organizations have a strong front office presence. Who is to say that Ripken’s voice and approach won’t galvanize the team? Who knows if Ripken can manage a Major League pitching staff? None of those questions can be answered until the hiring is made.

The tradition of managing experience is outdated in modern baseball. With front offices increasingly giving managers more data to work with and more directives, the “gut” decisions that were once made are at a minimum. The role and impact of the manager will always be debated. One thing that won’t be debated is this: there is no way to tell if someone will be a successful Manager. Experience helps, but circumstance, team makeup, and front office support all play vital roles. Ripken should not be discounted as a candidate for the Nationals job.