Little Things — Baseball Bench Coach

During the past two weeks I watched a lot of exciting playoff action. My golden retriever can attest to that. I don’t want to bore you with recaps and statistics offered by others reporting on the games. So what could I add to your enjoyment of October baseball? Maybe, the little things! You know the expression, the “little things in life” matter more than anything. In baseball, that is so true. It’s those little things done by the players that sometimes go unnoticed but make the difference between winning and losing.

Yadier Molina, the 9-time Gold Glover and All-Star catcher of the St. Louis Cardinals, is all about doing the little things. When Yadi came into the league in 2004 he had the reputation of being a standout catcher but a weak bat. Over Molina’s career his batting stroke (and average!) did improve, but more importantly he became a clutch hitter. In the Cardinals’ pivotal Game 4 come from behind win over Atlanta in the NLDS, Molina’s offensive contributions included hitting a ground ball in the infield to move a runner over to third base with one out, a game-tying fist hit just off the glove of Freddie Freeman, and a game-winning sacrifice fly. Nothing glamorous, but it worked! His defensive skills always stand out, much to the displeasure of opposing teams and their fans. No catcher today is better at centering his body just off the outside corner and framing a pitch for a called strike; just ask any Braves batter walking back to the dugout with a K!

Matching up against the Cardinals in the NLCS is another surprise team, the Nationals, fresh off their NLDS upset of the Dodgers. (Editor’s Note: YAY!!!) Washington’s Mr. Clutch is most definitely MVP candidate, Anthony Rendon, often described as the most underrated player in the game. His offensive numbers were eye-popping this year, but leading the NL in RBIs with 126 is the most critical one. Rendon means run production! In the Game 4 win over LA, Rendon added two sacrifice flies for the Nats. Indeed, he led all NL batters in 2019 by making contact with the highest percentage of pitches he swung at, 88.3%! Game 5 was his coup de gras. With his team down 3-0 in the sixth inning, in his next three at-bats with the season on the line, he had three hits (double, home run, and single), scoring all three times. Also known for his steady defensive play at third base, he has to be on top of the free agent wish list for many teams this off-season.

On the AL side, the Yankees swept the Twins in the ALDS. New York has a roster full of big-name players, but the one who truly shines is DJ LeMahieu. DJ has one of the great nicknames in baseball, “Big Fundy”, because of his dedication to fundamentals in hitting and defense. He certainly bats for average (2016 NL batting championship and second in the AL this year), perhaps due to his having the lowest pull percentage of any batter in baseball (in other words, he hits the ball where it’s pitched!). Also, LeMahieu sees the highest percentage of fastballs than any batter in the MLB; pitchers know that it is difficult to get him off-stride at the plate. Defensively, DJ is a tremendous infielder, 3-time Gold-Glover as a second baseman, and now he excels at first base for the Yanks. LeMahieu is as solid as it gets, the best of the bunch in the Big Apple.

All year baseball fans have anticipated the Yankees matching up with the Astros in the ALCS; their wish has been granted. Houston too has a bevy of talent, but it all begins with Jose Altuve, easily my favorite player in the AL. Yes, Altuve has the stats and the accolades. Not only was he the 2017 AL MVP, but he won the Associated Press Athlete of the Year as well. Altuve is a 3-time AL batting champion; 2-time AL stolen base leader; and 6-time All-Star. But that does not tell the whole story. Watch him in the ALCS and see how hard he plays the game! There is no player in the AL who goes from first to third on an outfield base hit with more determination than Altuve. For me it’s reminiscent of Pete Rose, someone who may not have the athleticism of other star players but leads his team by hustle and a will to win. Altuve does the little things.

While the Astros best record in the AL and home field advantage helped them survive a 5-game series with Tampa Bay, the Dodgers in the very same circumstance in the NLDS were not as fortunate. The Dodgers all season seemed to be on a World Series return trip by posting the only 100 + win season in the NL. One of their less acclaimed players, Enrique Hernandez, was the catalyst early in Game 5 against the Nats with a second inning HR and leaping outfield grab. Hernandez is one of those players every roster needs, a no frills guy who has played every position but catcher. But manager Dave Roberts’ lack of trust in his bullpen led to his team’s downfall in the late innings of Game 5. By staying with Clayton Kershaw in the 8th inning and not summoning Kenley Jansen until after the game was decided in the 10th, Roberts saw that elusive Series title sneak away. He will be at home this week, left to ponder the little things that might have won Game 5.

The other NLDS team eliminated, Atlanta, has a player who does the little things now but perhaps some big things in years to come, shortstop Dansby Swanson. I saw Swanson play this year at Wrigley Field and marveled at his pre-game work ethic. Batting eighth in the Braves lineup, he was a big contributor to Atlanta’s Game 3 win over St. Louis with a game-tying RBI double late in the game. What stands out is Swanson’s steady play, dedication to mechanics, and hustle on the base paths. You didn’t see Swanson gazing at his hit caroming off the wall (sorry, Acuna, that just can’t happen in the playoffs!), but rather he is the one looking for an outfielder possibly bobbling the ball so that he might turn a double into three bases. Swanson plays the game the way it should be played, tough and hard-nosed.

Two lesser known AL players also caught my attention last week, even though their teams were eliminated. If you are someone like me who tires of pitchers and hitters who go deep into counts in today’s era of strikeouts, walks and home runs, consider following outfielder Max Kepler of the Twins. Kepler is old school; he puts the ball in play by swinging at an amazing 50% of the pitches he sees. Another outfielder, the Rays’ Kevin Kiermaier, mans the 8th slot in Tampa Bay’s order, not often the centerfielder’s spot in a batting lineup. While Kiermaier did hit an HR in the Rays’ Game 3 win, his much larger contribution is his glove. He made catch after catch in the outfield alleys so easily that it probably went unnoticed by most. Kiermaier though was as big a reason as any the Rays made such a strong showing in the AL playoffs.

One of the great lines in the classic baseball movie, “A League of Their Own”, is when manager Jimmy Dugan, played by Tom Hanks, implores his team about the game: “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard . . . is what makes it great.” Yes, I agree, there is probably no more difficult athletic feat than to hit a baseball going 95 + mph with movement. The game is indeed very difficult to play. My Knothole (little league) baseball manager loved to tell my team when we were playing a tough opponent, “Hey guys, they put their pants on just like us, one leg at a time. And we play smarter.” At any level, winning baseball is all about hitting to the opposite field, running the bases with desire, moving a runner with sacrifice flies and bunts, framing the pitch, and oh yes, playing this hard game the right way by doing the little things.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach