Baseball Questions

Over 80 players have gone straight to MLB since the advent of the minor leagues --- however that was mainly due to a rule whose purpose was to thwart escalating signing bonuses. Before the Amateur Draft was instated, any player who received a signing bonus of $4000 or higher had to be placed on the team's Major League roster. That rule -- which was abolished in 1965 -- created what were called 'bonus babies', and these players had to remain on the MLB roster for at least two years. Since 1965, close to 20 players have skipped the minors, the most recent being Xavier Nady in 2000 (Nady only appeared in one game before being sent to the minors). A full list of all the players who skipped the minors can be found on Wikipedia.

I can't get anyone to confirm this, but I'm fairly certain it is because TV coverage begins on the hour or half-hour (ex. 8:00, 7:30), and the extra time offers more advertising dollars.

If the runner crossed home before the third out was made at second base, then the run counts. I'm not sure what you're asking in the second part of your question, but if you want to know if it counts as an earned run, then no, assuming that the second base player made an error.

Hmmm ... I'm going to take a wild stab and guess Babe Ruth, of the Yankees, on a stolen base attempt against the Cubs? I think it was in the early 1930s? Let me know if I got it, and if not you may drive me to Google it !

Actually, the commentator was correct, because a drag bunt can be executed by either a righthanded or lefthanded hitter, and can be placed down either foul line. The definition of a drag bunt is a bunt made by a batter at the same time he is beginning his motion toward first base. The idea is that the batter 'drags' the ball with him as he starts running; the batter's goal is to place the ball down either the first or third base line. You are correct that the batter must stay within the batter's box when making contact.

I'm not much of a middle infielder, but from what I understand, it depends on where the ball is caught by the second baseman. In an ideal situation, the player will catch the ball as he is crossing the bag and moving toward home plate, drag his left foot over the base, then plant his right foot for pushing off and throwing to first. So I think it is correct for you to teach the left foot. As I played very little second base, I will speak with some of my friends who are experts at the Academy of Pro Players for a better answer, and post it on the site in the near future.

The record for most strikeouts in a Major League game by one pitcher is 20, shared by Roger Clemens (who did it twice) and Kerry Wood.

Bob, I think you're talking about the man on whom the Disney movie "The Rookie" was based; that would be Jim Morris. Morris pitched in parts of two seasons with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

A total of 31 players who qualified for the batting title hit .300 or better in 2005. In other words, all 31 of these players had at least 502 plate appearances. Considering there are 30 MLB teams x 25 players, equaling 750, then you could say that about 4% of all players hit .300 or better in 2005.

No, you are not charged with an at-bat when you earn a walk.

Email me or post the pitches you want to know how to throw, and I'll be happy to describe.

Jeremy, first you need to decide what pitches you want to throw --- and keep it simple. I suggest you start with a straight, four-seam fastball, a straight change-up, and a two-seam fastball. For more details, email me directly at joe@onbaseball.com with your questions. I will be happy to explain how to throw different pitches via email. Also, let me know your age and how long you've been pitching. Looking forward to hearing from you.

When you say "slinging", I'm guessing that you mean he slings or throws the bat out of his hands after he hits the ball. Does he do this in practice? I suggest that he take 20-30 full swings a day, hitting the ball off a tee, and practice dropping the bat properly at the end of each swing. Another idea is to practice a "fast hands" drill, where he swings the bat as many times as possible within a five-second interval. After each swing, he'll have to return the bat to the starting or "load" position, rather than slinging it away (in effect, reversing the swing). At the end of the five seconds, call "time", and then on his last swing he must finish by dropping the bat properly. Try these ideas and please let me know how he progresses.

There is no "best size"; it all depends on what you feel comfortable with. Generally speaking, a 12-year-old could use a bat that is anywhere from 28 to 32 inches, depending on his size and strength. The best thing to do is to try several different-sized bats, both with dry swings and in a cage if possible, until you find the size that you feel best using.

Yes, many catchers wear contact lenses, and some wear glasses. Personally, I caught with glasses for two years, but found it easier to wear contacts, as my glasses kept flying off every time I took off my mask. In over 20 years I never had an issue wearing contacts behind the plate.

Personal experience. I have been catching for almost 30 years at all levels from little league to NCAA D-1 to semipro, and therefore feel I'm qualified to speak about the position. In addition, catching gave me knowledge of pitching, and I served as the pitching coach for a D-1 program that produced several pros under my tutelage.

It's true that a catcher must stay inside the "catcher's box" until the ball is released by the pitcher, and if he doesn't, technically, the umpire can call it a catcher's balk. And you are correct in that although it technically illegal, almost all catchers break that rule on intentional walks. I think umpires do not call the catcher's balk in this situation because it goes against the spirit of the balk rule: the intention to deceit the runner. 99% of the time, as long as the catcher is not blatant about being out of the box, the umpire will overlook the rule. But don't be surprised if it's called after a player (or manager) has been harassing the home plate umpire, or if the catcher is really far out of the box.

You are right, unless high school regulations follow a different scoring policy than the MLB (I doubt it). According to the MLB rule book, Section 10:03 (e) (1):"If a regulation game is called, include the record of all individual and team actions up to the moment the game ends, as defined in Rules 4.10 and 4.11." After reviewing Rules 4.10 and 4.11, it seems clear that "...the moment the game ends..." coincides with the last out of the last complete, official inning, which in your case would be the end of the 6th. So, you are correct: any stats that occurred after the 6th inning of that game do not count.

Yes, at least as far as I can tell. According to the Pony website, www.pony.org, Pony baseball games are governed by the same playing rules as Major League Baseball, combined with the exceptions set forth in the Pony rule book (also available on the Pony site). I checked through the rule book online and didn't see anything that would make the slash bunt illegal at the 13&14 year-old level.

The batter would be called out, as this would be considered a foul fly ball. Had the ball gone directly from the bat to the catcher's hands, it would be considered a foul tip and therefore a strike. But because the ball was hit upward, it is a foul fly ball and can be caught for an out.

In Little League Baseball, the distance from the pitcher's rubber to home plate is 46 feet.

Maybe. It's a judgment call; if the umpire believes that the fielder had secure possession of the ball before the glove came off, as per the Official MLB Rules, section 2.00 (Definition of Terms). According to the rules, "A CATCH is the act of a fielder in getting secure possession in his hand or glove of a ball in flight and firmly holding it; ..."