Running Full Speed Out of the Box

[fiver]

Perhaps this should be placed in the Rants forum, but I think this is a topic for serious discussion. I've been noticing all too often that Cubs players have been jogging out of the box when they deem the ball they hit to be a somewhat routine out. This absolutely infuriates me. It happened last night with Hairston I believe. Someone might have to help me out on the specifics of the AB last night (poker night at my place and was several New Castles into the evening already), but Hairston hit a fly ball that was affected by the strong wind, and it ended up dropping. Had he been hustling, he may have been able to leg it out into a double. This seems to be a common occurence for this team, and this is something that no major league manager should tolerate. These guys get paid millions of dollars to play a game that most of us adore. They should be running full speed out of the box in each and every at bat whether it be a weak grounder to the pitcher or a routine fly ball. How has it become acceptable for a major leaguer to trot out of the box? My high school coach years ago didn't allow it...period. Thoughts?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I think it's prevalent throughout the league, I don't understand it. When I made a routine out, I always ran it out hard as a sort of vent of frustration.

[fiver]

I think it's prevalent throughout the league, I don't understand it. When I made a routine out, I always ran it out hard as a sort of vent of frustration.

 

I've even considered that major league fielders are MUCH less likely to botch a play than high school or even college players. However, even major leaguers lose fly balls in the sun...they occassionaly let a ball through b/w their legs (see Walker the other night)...they even more frequently make errant throws. I'd prefer to capitalize upon ANY error that the other team makes.

[Tracer Bullet]

I noticed ARam did the same thing this weekend (can't remember which game). Hit a blooper that dropped, but then also skipped past the LF and the CF fell down before throwing the ball back into the infield. The camera pans to first and ARam is just getting to the bag. Even if he runs at average speed and makes the turn as if it were a single, he could have been standing up at 2B by the time the ball got there. Drives me crazy.

 

I don't know, but I'm guessing this happens more on some teams than others. And with a "player's coaches" like Dusty, I think it happens as much with the Cubs as any team.

[BleedCubbieBlue81]

You create your own breaks in this game. You can't do that by jogging down to first. Run it out, or grab some bench while we find someone that will. It may only happen 1 time out of 200 that a first basemen with drop a ball thrown to him, but that's still 1 more time you're on base if you run it out. For millions of dollars a year, you'd figure they'd realize this.

[ThePenguin11]

I heard that's a good way to rip your groin muscle apart. My friend Nomar told me that once.

[BleedCubbieBlue81]

Too bad he didn't even make it out of the batter's box before it happened to him.

[fiver]

I heard that's a good way to rip your groin muscle apart. My friend Nomar told me that once.

 

=;

 

If Mia hadn't been "training for the Olympics" so much the last few years, then Nomar's groin would have been in tip top condition. Running out of the box didn't cause that injury...Mia did.

 

:lol:

 

:twisted:

 

edited to add - dems just jokes

Edited July 27, 2005 by fiver

[ThePenguin11]

Too bad he didn't even make it out of the batter's box before it happened to him.

 

The act of running hard out of the batter's box tore his groin. He didn't just fall over after swinging the bat.

[MembersOnlyJacket]

The poster-child for this in 2005 is Manny Ramirez. He runs at less than half speed to first and has cost himself a few doubles this season because he never runs the ball out. The Sox announcers are good at pointing it out ("Manny was running at half-speed there"), but also wise enough to say nothing more.

[ddoc12]

Yes, it's prevelent around the majors but even more alarming, if you've ever attended a minor league game, it's prevelent there too. It's intolerable, it's inexcusable but unfortunately, nobody seems to be too willing to do much about it. I take that back, Ned Yost benched Bill Hall for the same transgression this past week and stated that his team doesn't play like that. It's up to the manager to discipline that type of carelessness and if it's coming from a marginal player like Hairston, he should immediately be removed and sat for an extended period of time. Speaking of Hairston, if someone doesn't tell that idiot to stop with the kick-step, drag-foot routine when he runs, I may have to run onto the field to tell him myself. I just don't understand how you can act like that when you're merely average.

[Coach C]

Not only you'll see it in the minors and all, but it's actually happening in some high school teams as well. I coached a HS team once, and I was in dismay when I see kids doing that kind of crap. I pull all the kids together and simply told them "If you're not gonna hustle out of the batters box when you assume the ball you hit to be a somewhat routine out, I will just pull you and sit you down for the rest of the game, and that you will run sprints in next practice."

 

Never was a problem since.

[10man]

I believe that it is human nature for most people to try to get away with as much as they are allowed to get away with. In other words, if there is no Coach_C calling you out like that then the tendency is to slack. Of course there are exceptions to the rule. Case in point is Michael Jordan. How many times have we seen or heard about him screaming at slacking teammates?

 

People who are good become superstars.

 

People who make others better become champions.

[fiver]

Not only you'll see it in the minors and all, but it's actually happening in some high school teams as well. I coached a HS team once, and I was in dismay when I see kids doing that kind of crap. I pull all the kids together and simply told them "If you're not gonna hustle out of the batters box when you assume the ball you hit to be a somewhat routine out, I will just pull you and sit you down for the rest of the game, and that you will run sprints in next practice."

 

Never was a problem since.

 

That was precisely my high school coach's stance. I'm just asking that we do everything that we possibly can do to win games, and hell...you'd see my posterior sprinting for the fax machine or to the conference room if it would help facilitate a luxurious retirement at age 35.

[fiver]

I believe that it is human nature for most people to try to get away with as much as they are allowed to get away with. In other words, if there is no Coach_C calling you out like that then the tendency is to slack. Of course there are exceptions to the rule. Case in point is Michael Jordan. How many times have we seen or heard about him screaming at slacking teammates?

 

People who are good become superstars.

 

People who make others better become champions.

 

10man..

Excellent post...Last night, I actually thought to myself that this has to be a symptom of having a "player's manager". Full speed, guys...that's all that I'm asking.

 

Edited - B/C that's not really all that I'm asking from this Cubs team, but it's close to the top of my list.

[BleedCubbieBlue81]

Too bad he didn't even make it out of the batter's box before it happened to him.

 

The act of running hard out of the batter's box tore his groin. He didn't just fall over after swinging the bat.

 

He took an awkward first step out of the box, that's what tore his groin. He could've been walking and it would've happened. That's just the way he stepped that one time.

 

This might be a dumb question, but are you saying that guys shouldn't run out routine grounders because they might get hurt in the process?

[gus_dog]

Yes, it's prevelent around the majors but even more alarming, if you've ever attended a minor league game, it's prevelent there too. It's intolerable, it's inexcusable but unfortunately, nobody seems to be too willing to do much about it. I take that back, Ned Yost benched Bill Hall for the same transgression this past week and stated that his team doesn't play like that. It's up to the manager to discipline that type of carelessness and if it's coming from a marginal player like Hairston, he should immediately be removed and sat for an extended period of time. Speaking of Hairston, if someone doesn't tell that idiot to stop with the kick-step, drag-foot routine when he runs, I may have to run onto the field to tell him myself. I just don't understand how you can act like that when you're merely average.

 

I just don't understand how you can act like that when you're great either.

 

'hot-dogging' is for losers, IMO, and I think it shows-up the other players to do stuff like that.

[katway]

I've never understand how they can get well compensated to play the game they love and not be enthusiastic and give it their all everyplay. There are a number of occassions where I would have sat Aramis and other Cubs for not hustling on plays. While a lot of players get away with it, they shouldn't. It's really the only thing I respect about LaRussa's coaching style... he wont put up with a less than full effort and neither well the players on his team. The try your best and hustle mentality is contagious as is the slacker mentality that seems to have taken a hold of some of the Cubs players lately.

[Milli1306]

I've never understand how they can get well compensated to play the game they love and not be enthusiastic and give it their all everyplay. There are a number of occassions where I would have sat Aramis and other Cubs for not hustling on plays. While a lot of players get away with it, they shouldn't. It's really the only thing I respect about LaRussa's coaching style... he wont put up with a less than full effort and neither well the players on his team. The try your best and hustle mentality is contagious as is the slacker mentality that seems to have taken a hold of some of the Cubs players lately.

 

I, and I believe almost everyone here, would absolutely love to get paid to go out and play baseball everyday. I've played every summer since I turned 5 and was finally old enough to play, when I graduate High School next year, barring some unforseen offer to play in college, I will be for all intensive purposes done playing baseball. I'm not looking forward to that last game. My coaches from my dad, to my friends' parents, to my current High School coach have instilled in me the idea that if you're not playing hard all the time, why bother? I have played with and against my share of people who have no respect for the game, and seeing them out on the field with me makes me upset. My HS coach has benched players numerous times for failing to run full speed to a base, even if they were going about 3/4 speed...and he would probably sit someone for a month if they jogged like these primadonnas making millions...all we're asking for is effort, is that too much?

[fiver]

Someone mentioned in the Hawkins thread that the fans were savvy last night for trying to get into Hawk's head. I'd much rather hear them chant "Hustle Aramis" than "Hawkins Sucks". Hawkins actually got out of the jam once the chants morphed into "Hawkins Sucks". "Hustle Aramis" or "Hustle Hairston" might actually get something accomplished.

[wade]

Burnitz busted it down the line on a big chopper back to the pitcher. Because of that, after Tomko threw the ball away, Burny was able to make it all the way to third. Impossible to do, had he given up on the play too early.

 

Of course he was stranded there, but that is for another thread.

[UBlink]

Could the acceptance of nonchalant baserunning in baseball be related to the same societal issues as sloppy spelling and grammar on internet message boards?

[fiver]

Could the acceptance of nonchalant baserunning in baseball be related to the same societal issues as sloppy spelling and grammar on internet message boards?

 

i dernt htink os

[10man]

Pat and Ron have joined the lament on how "horrible" it is that the Cubs veterans are not hustling out of the box on a lot of plays.

[Butterscup1679666578]

I think we just witnessed a perfect example of this on Macias' sac bunt. If he hustles down that line, he might've beat it out. Even if he didn't he puts the pressure on the pitcher to make a quick, perfect throw. A player not hustling out of the box shouldn't even be talked about because it is something that should always be done.