I want to praise Shane Victorino for hustling out his at bats every time he hits (on display this World Series). I’m sure no one notices other than die hard and sober Phillies fans, but I believe his hard play to be exactly what Major League Baseball needs. In game two of this years World Series, Victorino had a runner on first, one out, and hit a tapper to the infield. He tore up the line like his hair was on fire. The play was made routinely, and Victorino headed back to the bench, but watching him run made a huge impression on me, and also highlighted what is wrong with the MLB.
You never see that anymore. You just don’t see players playing 100 percent all of the time, even in the World Series. I think for the most part players run out their fly balls and ground balls, but no one really runs
all out. You see the 65 percent jog. Fast enough to avoid looking like a dog, but easy enough to show you know it’s going to be an out. Running hard on a ground ball puts a little extra pressure on the defense that can mean the difference between an error, and a routine put out. Running out your fly balls full speed can mean an extra base if the ball is lost in the lights and dropped. It might only make the difference one percent of the time, but that should be enough, especially in the World Series. The fact that one player running out a ground ball caught my attention means there are some that just aren’t giving enough.
Playing hard is also good sportsmanship. You should do your opponent the honor of trying your best. You hear little league coaches telling their players to hustle all the time. At what point do big leaguers stop doing this? High school? I am willing to give pitchers and injury cases a pass on this obligation, but otherwise there should be no reason for one player to stand out just for running out a ground ball.
Good job to Victorino. Hopefully there were some little leaguers watching him. An honorable mention goes to Jerry Hairston Jr. of the Yankees. I know it's not as cool as a home run for most, but I think players playing hard is what makes baseball great and exciting.
Players not playing hard, not enjoying themself, not getting excited, not playing for team, is why the country was ready for the National Football League to take over. Football has far surpassed any other sport as America's past time. There is no denying that football is a great sport, and it happens to be my personal favorite (as I'm sure it is all of yours), but at the time the NFL's popularity was increasing, the MLB was losing steam. To me this issue is directly related to the energy the players are putting into the game. In football, you have guys playing all out every play. When you stop doing that in the NFL you lose your job.
Baseball doesn't have that. Everybody credits a baseball player for hustling when he slides hard into second base. Whooopeeee! Is that really all that we should ask of a base runner to consider them hustling? Why did Pete Rose earn the nickname "Charlie Hustle?" He played the game the way every other player should have played it, and it earned him a nickname. There should be no such thing. Every baseball player, playing like Charlie Hustle, that's what I want to see. For my money, the most interesting guys to watch are guys like Shane Victorino. Guys who aren't quite as naturally gifted as some of the players they are playing with, but maximize their abilities by going 100 percent all of the time.
It is a common theory that fans want to see more offense in baseball. "Fans like the American League because you don't have to waste an at bat watching the pitcher hit." I don't think we give sports fans enough credit with these theories. Sure, the casual fan will be more likely not to change Sportscenter when they show baseball highlights, but more true fans of the game will be developed if the players would adopt the football mentality of "all out every play." I believe more fans would be created if every major league player did this than if you implemented a designated hitter in the National League. Once you really learn and invest in the sport of baseball, having a pitcher hit becomes an interesting and strategic part of the game. Speed and base running become critical. How and when to use your bullpen is more of a challenge. It also forces you to go deeper on your bench during games because of the double switch.
Baseball has latched on to the theory that home runs = fans. Aside from the steroids they welcomed players to use, they also juiced up the ball, built most new ball parks shorter than their predecessors, found new types of wood to make more powerful bats, and added teams which thinned the talent pool. All of these methods were successful in creating more offense and homeruns. Where has this gotten them? Fourth place on the hierarchy of american sports behind the NFL, NBA, and NASCAR.
Perhaps it's time for a new strategy. One that won't have an instant payoff like the homerun spike, but one that will cultivate more loyal and interested fans over the long term. Here's my idea. Just hustle. Just play all out, every play, like there is someone waiting to take your position. Play like Shane Victorino and maybe it's possible you can sell the
game of baseball and not just the homerun to the American public.
