By Jeff
Maybe I'm just bitter because my fantasy team will be without Josh Hamilton for two months, but sliding head-first in baseball doesn't make sense on most occasions.
Hamilton made an ill-advised attempt to tag from third on a foul ball that didn't leave the infield because no one was covering home. The third base coach told him to go, so he did. Not only was Hamilton out by a good bit, but he fractured a bone in his arm on the slide. The catcher didn't fall on him or kick him, he just landed awkwardly when he slid. He would have been out if he slid feet first too, but he also wouldn't have been injured.
Nevermind Hamilton telling the media that he didn't want to try and score and only did so because his coach told him to. That's not what this post is about. Although, Hamilton sounds pretty silly in this instance. It's not like the pop-up was behind him and he was relying on the coach to be his eyes. Hamilton had a clear view of the play and is a grown man fully capable of making decisions for himself.
Back to the topic at hand.
Honestly, what advantage does a runner have to dive headlong into a base? It can be argued that you have more control and agility with your hands than you do with your feet, but I can name maybe one head-first slide where this strategy worked well. Jack Wilson lifted his arm over the tag and ended up being safe. He couldn't have done that with his feet. The play was a great, but it's the exception.
The only time we ever practiced sliding in my little league days, we were specifically told not to go in head-first. I can't imagine we were the only little league team that received this lesson.
The worst is when you see people slide into first base. The only time this practice makes sense is if someone if not covering the base, and the pitcher or first baseman has to apply a tag. All other examples of this are stupid and you'd expect major leaguers to understand this fact. Sliding slows a player down. And because you can run through first base, there is no reason to slide, as sprinting through the bag gets you there faster than sliding.
Are coaches failing to reinforce this basic fundamental, or the players are just too stubborn to change?
Queen - Headlong
Completely agree with you on sliding into first. It's a simple fact that you lose speed when your legs aren't going. If you can run through the bag, do it.
ReplyDeleteThe headfirst slide definitely has it's place in baseball though. You can grab the base to prevent yourself from going past it. Stretching to a double or triple, going first to third, etc. are good times to use it. Home plate is a bad place to try it. All that catchers gear...lower your shoulder or give it up.
Can't you use a feet-first slide when stretching to a double or going from first to third? I'm not following your logic.
ReplyDeleteLike I said, if you slide headfirst you can grab the base to prevent yourself from going past the bag. Humans cannot grab things with their feet. They have shoes there. When you slide feet first you have to time it perfectly so that you don't come up short or go past. With a headfirst slide you can run longer because you have a better ability to control overshooting the base. It gives you an advantage in bases that you cannot run through, which is why I mentioned second and third.
ReplyDelete