 Strategy
and goals
Baseball requires
skill and athleticism, but also has a depth of strategy
and anticipation which often goes unrecognized by those
less familiar with the sport. Pitchers develop
strategies on how to pitch to the batter by studying the
batter's previous plate appearances throughout the year.
Pitchers will vary their approach with each time they
see the same batter. Defensive players are positioned
based on statistics about where the batter is likely to
hit the ball and what specific type of pitches will be
thrown. Hitters are given signals about what to hit,
coordinated plays the manager is calling, even when not
to swing. Pitchers are given signals to throw a specific
pitch, or even not to pitch at all (e.g. an intentional
base on balls or a pitchout.)
The goals of a team vary across scope, from individual
pitch to the season. Teams develop strategy to match
this varying scope. They have a broad set of goals for
the season, but more specific strategies for the early
part of the season, varying that by the team and even by
home games vs. away games. Meanwhile, they have very
specific strategies for a single game and even down to
the inning, the players who are due to bat, including
the next pitch. |
