the Informer

Baseball teams are comprised of many “parts.” These players, positions, and responsibilities rely on one another in order for the team to function properly. Defensively there are nine positions: pitcher, catcher, four infielders and three outfielders. Offensively, there are nine “parts” these make-up the batting order.

Each of these positions, are further divided into subparts; power-hitters are “cleanup hitters,” fourth in the batting order, fast runners can be used as “pinch runners” slow-moving power hitters get on base and a starting pitcher must demonstrate reliability and longevity.

Coaches and managers organize these parts; drafting players, delegating positions, intensive training and creating effective plays to produce wins. All of these “parts” are meticulously chosen to produce a “winning machine.”

But this “winning machine” would be nothing but a pile of perfect parts without fuel to propel motion and oil to perpetuate this success. What are these dynamic parts, the fuel and oil, that sustains the winning machine?

In my efforts to identify this catalyst, I turned to someone who I knew could provide invaluable insight; my 17-year-old brother, Justin, who picked up a bat and a Yankees cap at 2-years-old, and hasn’t abandoned them since. He quickly responded with, “baseball teams rely on the shortstop and pitchers to win games.” Yankees’ Captain, Derek Jeter, is an exceptional shortstop – he sets the team up for success. Shortstops orchestrate the efforts of the infield, responsible for deciding who is responsible for fly-balls, stolen base plays, and keeping the pitcher and fellow teammates focused.

Shortstops defend the “hole” between second and third base, where most right-handed batters hit into, equipped with the strongest arm in baseball needed to quickly turn the play around.

Shortstops keep the machine moving forward, but pitchers have the power to single-handedly make or break a game. On April 18, Colorado Rockies pitcher, Ubaldo Jimenez, pitched a no-hitter against the Atlanta Braves. If a pitcher is having an “off-night,” it can spell disaster. A pitcher establishes the tempo of the game; quick 1,2,3 strike-out innings invigorate the crowd with lots of energy and high team morale, while slow, 30 pitch innings drag on to tire out the pitcher, quiet the crowd and lower morale.

Jimenez’s was the first and only pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the history of the Colorado Rockies. However, this 4-0 no hitter would have been impossible without the defensive diving-catch made by center-fielder, Dexter Fowler; bringing the “parts” full circle to win the game. A winning baseball team prospers when all of its collective “parts” are able to run as smoothly as a well-oiled machine. Every part is necessary to guarantee a victory, but the shortstop and pitcher are the “fuel and oil,” by which the rest of the parts are nourished, sustained and compelled to succeed.