Double headers/ early starts

tallguy · Post by **tallguy** » Mon May 23, 2005 10:34 am

I want to say that I thought we did well yesterday keeping the play moving. Aside from the hustling in and out when we were under the gun at the end of the second game, we also had a lower tolerance with the pitching. Giving the pitcher a chance to get warmed up and throwing well is fine, but there comes a point when you have to make the switch if there's been no swing in a while. Just changing the pitcher seems to help, there were many occasions when I came in and the batter swung at the first pitch and hit it, and I'm sure it wasn't always a good pitch!
I think we struck a good balance between giving the pitcher a chance to settle down and keeping the game moving.
Another area we can still improve is with the catcher having to get up to fetch a ball. Let's all try and keep the pitcher well-stocked with balls so the catcher can let a bunch go at a time. Whilst I think leather balls are really great, I have my doubts that for our kind of game they make that much difference, so let's not withhold the synthetic balls from the pitcher's pile, unless it's a live game, of course, then you'd probably want the leather ball for both the pitcher's and the batter's sake.
I don't support starting at 10 or 10:30, it is difficult enough to get there for an 11 start, properly prepared anyway. I also think moving to another park will not work well, unless it is a move to Raimondi from Defremery, simply because they are so close.
It was good to get that second game started early as we did. No one wants to abandon a game, but when the scores are that far apart, it makes sense. That said I think we should all be thinking from the outset that the second game will be six innings, the first game the full nine. Some people have to leave after the first, so we should always compromise the second game's length over the first.

That was more like $0.03

Post by **Baseball=Life** » Mon May 23, 2005 11:36 am

Yeah, I hear you on how 10 or 10:30 start times would be very difficult to do. Shit, 11:00 is already pretty tough.

I also agree that hustling in & out, as well as having lots of balls so the catcher doesn't have to take the time to track down balls..... these are good ideas to be more time efficient.

Moving to another park, yes, that seems logistically burdensome.

Here's another idea. First game at 11:00 is 9 innings.

But 2nd game (after first is completed) just goes until 4, when we have to relinquish the field. The difference is the stats don't count for this 2nd partial game, only for the first.

Luckily, I was told by that traveling team we keep running into that they won't be there next Sunday, so this issue won't actually need to be fully considered until 2 Sundays from now.

Post by **retep** » Mon May 23, 2005 8:10 pm

I think we did do well to end that first game when we did.

But our other option is to make a mid-game trade to balance the teams. we have done this before.

I don't really care... just a thought.

TheLegend · Post by **TheLegend** » Mon May 23, 2005 8:37 pm

on time conservation:

if we have two sets of gear, the batting team's catcher should have his gear on (minus his helmet) unless he's batting, on base, or on deck with less than 2 outs.

Having to wait for the catcher to gear up can really eat up big chunks of time.

Post by **retep** » Mon May 23, 2005 8:39 pm

I thought we did have two sets?

But, I totaly agree with Ken!

Remeber, this is our Sunday. Lets enjoy ourselves!

TheLegend · Post by **TheLegend** » Mon May 23, 2005 8:46 pm

retep wrote:I thought we did have two sets?

But, I totaly agree with Ken!

Remeber, this is our Sunday. Lets enjoy ourselves!

we do. that's why I mentioned it

we had two sets, and it wasn't being done.

Post by **retep** » Mon May 23, 2005 8:49 pm

TheLegend wrote: if we have two sets of gear...

You said if!

Post by **Baseball=Life** » Mon May 23, 2005 10:16 pm

Hey, just wanted folks to note that this issue of budgeting time to avoid permited users at Curt Flood (who have agreed to start at 4:00 rather than 2:00 when they are actually permitted) is not relevant until June 12th, which also happens to be the next scheduled live game.

Next week they are in Sacramento (they're a traveling team), and the week after that we're at DeFremery.

So we don't have to worry about being time efficient until June 12th. Of course we should always hustle in and out, and the catcher should have the gear on, etc.

I think the best idea for June 12th on is to have a 9 inning game, then follow up with a game that goes until 4:00, and have that partial game's stats not count.

Southpaw Slim · Post by **Southpaw Slim** » Wed May 25, 2005 9:09 pm

I'm pretty sure I'm the one everyone is talking about here, so I'll just take the advice as it's given. I'll keep the gear on if I'm not on deck, even though I'd like to keep a positive mindset and assume I'll get a chance to hit.