Four Follies of the Diamond

Baseball is a game of many possibilities; some of them stupid.  Here are four such occurrences:

A runner on second advances on one base on a double.  How can a major league player either read the ball off the bat so badly or be so slow or both?  This has happened twice to the Orioles already, which is no surprise given their record.

The pitcher running from a pop up as though it was a hand grenade about to come to earth.  Here is a professional athlete who is expected to field 100 MPH line drives hit his way, but somehow, no one expects him to be able to make the easiest play on the diamond.

The manager removes an effective relief pitcher to bring in the closer just because it's the 9th inning.  No, I will not get off this soapbox!!

A fielder loses a fly ball in the sun because he either forgot to flip down his sunglasses, as happened in the Twins/Yankees game yesterday or the alternate version when the fielder has them on top of the brim of his hat but has forgotten to put them on.

What else can you add to the list, faithful readers?

Comments

[Jennifer]

I love the "Bermuda Triangle" when the second baseman, shortstop and center fielder (or some combination) are all scrambling around for the ball and as they converge in a circle, the ball plops to the ground in the middle of the circle.

I think an entire book could be written about Manny Ramirez and some of his bizarre attempts to field...somersaults come to mind, as does his 2004 diving cut-off of Johnny Damon's throw, allowing the O's David Newhan to score an inside-the-park HR. When the O's and their addiction to losing make me want to cry, I think of this incident and it cheers me up.

[Austin]

We all need something to cheer us up when thinking of the Orioles these days. Just when you think things can't get worse with them, they do. (See the last 3 games for example.)