Game Of Baseball
The Thinker...to The Strategy !

Baseball game rules were not an overnight bingo, eureka, and hooray this is it. Through it's many years since circa 1840's baseball playing rules with the rules for baseball having evolved, not from one grand source, but by the many, even the masses, playing and thinking.

Game of Baseball a brand of one just like our national paper currency with the motto, "E Pluribus Unum." Out of the many came the one.

One game which burst forth, filling a need for our masses to enjoy, by the actual playing and the joining in the enjoyment of support as fans, while our baseball heroes and super stars bested their foes.

This national pastime phenomenon so captured our imagination and public spirit it filled an emotional and physical need which still persists to this day.

As baseball gained our fancy, the rules of play were fine tuned by us all, as we played baseball by the rules , but we perceived it may have been The Thinker making the rules.

From his gems of thought we got The Strategy. Is the logic not there?

The game of baseball in it's most simple forms from Cricket to Rounders to One-a-Cat or Two-a-Cat to our National Pastime Baseball the game for all these many years while sitting there on that rock (that looked like a huge baseball) was "The Thinker".

What in the name of goodness was he thinking about? Maybe the game of baseball. Is that such a far fetched idea?

I'm sort of kidding as I feel my way into introducing some of "The Strategy" I have seen employed in winning at the game of baseball.

Nothing is quite like a Little Stinker mimicking his big bud, The Thinker.

Can we not see the possibility of this playing the game of baseball causing "The Thinker" in his moment of contemplating things, letting his mind dwell upon the amazing wonders of "The Strategy" of winning at the game of baseball?

I do not know how or from where some of baseball's most intriguing and some almost obscure strategies for winning baseball originated. The game of baseball with rules for baseball and the strategy for winning with a little help by "The Thinker" is fascinating. Do you not agree?

Winning strategy is a well guarded secret. The team secrets are concealed before a game, during the game and even after the game.How so, you ask! Does the catcher not hide his signal he gives to the pitcher as to what pitch he calls? Yes.

Do the base coaches at first and third base not secretly flash a signal for the runner to steal on the next pitch? How about a signal to the hitter to take a pitch or to lay down a sacrifice bunt?

Are these not some of the strategies employed in winning baseball? You betcha they are and they are the more common strategies. How about some intriguing or devious actions?

Baseball the game is one of those devious acts,however, it fits into that overall mix of winning strategies. Stay with me while I give you the game situation.

Let's put the opposing team at bat with no outs. There is a runner on first base and a runner is on second base. The hitter hits a sharp hard grounder up the middle past second base into center-field. Where does the play under normal circumstances end up?

Stay focused on the ball for the play, when the dust settles, is at home-plate.

The runner on second leaves at the crack of the bat on the ground ball which was hit. The third base coach looks like a windmill in a full wind bringing that runner on around third and heading home.

The center-fielder knows what he has to do. Well, before the ball was headed his way, he had already decided a grounder to him would require that almost perfect skip peg to his catcher.

All is well. The runner is running. The center-fielder has uncorked a beautiful throw to home-plate. Get ready for the dust to fly because that slide across home-plate and tag of the catcher and everything is a fraction of a second from being an out or safe.

What the dad gum heck is the winning strategy in that play?

Folks let me give you a little secret that our catcher knows. Come running as hard as you can from second base and round that third base sack at full tilt and your path of travel becomes an arc out away from the base path. So what?

Where is the catcher's face mask? He's not standing at homeplate with it on or in his hand. He got rid of that face mask by gently and strategically tossing it down that third base line in the line the runner must travel.

That mask comes off at the crack of the bat by the hitter. He just happened to toss it where it landed and stayed.

Nothing really sinister here but you see that runner has to see that mask lying there and no way is he going to step on it. This fraction of a second he has to change his stride to miss that mask, can be the difference for that call at the plate, safe or out?

Was he safe? Shucks no, out by a mile.

That folks is a game winning strategy. The Thinker had his thinking cap on or maybe he tipped it to a young lady or dropped it, because I don't recall that he had on a cap. His little buddy always was wearing his favorite teams cap.

Baseball the game can cause the difference between a loser or a winner.It can be measured in split seconds. The winning edge often goes to the thinker. Every player at every position must think ahead of the play. What am I to do?

Ball hit to me in the air- where is to be my throw? Ball hit to me on the ground- where is to be my throw? Ball is is the air- am I the cutoff man or am I the backup man? Do I throw to second base and start the double play or do I throw to first base for the easy out?

Do I charge in to field the bunt or do I cover my bag at third? Must I hurry my throw or do I straighten up and fire that rock like a rifle shot to first base for the out? There is never a play in a game of baseball that allows the thinker to ponder.

Baseball the game for the thinker requires thinking ahead of the play, "it's referred to as heads up playing".

This staying wide awake and heads for the entire game is an absolute must for consistently winning teams.

It must be predetermined what to do and how to do it with that ball before it presents itself for your handling. A Baseball coming at you is not like the presentation of a debutante with the hushed ooh's and aah's of her beauty.

It requires more than looking. It takes quick actions that are thought out- natural reflective moves.

Learn how to play baseball starting at the little league baseball level to the pro level. Find a personal baseball trainer who will teach all 5 baseball tools hitting, hitting for power, running, catching and throwing these are very important tools learn the right way to play the game of baseball.

One source of good tips and things you should grasp will be found at Keith Hodges website on how 2 create a baseball player. The Game with players which have developed skills in harmony with the thinker, can produce the strategy for winning.

Did you ever think that if a batter stood as far back in the batters box as possible what does it makes the catcher do? I will leave that thought with you momentarily.

Cool Papa Bell is attributed with explaining this strategy to Maury Wills during Maury's 1962 (at that time) record season for stolen bases.

The Game of baseball is a game of strategy and the thinker has the upper hand and the winning edge.

Playing the game of baseball helps to understand the need to study in the classroom which teaches one to be the "thinker" and to perform on the diamond with strategy.

Skilled players enjoy, and as a matter of fact whoop it up in their ability to execute finely tuned strategy, being a winner at baseball the game.

Have you ever seen a speedy runner slide into second base on an attempted steal? The sliding runner, the throw from the catcher to the man covering the bag,and the tag is a bang bang tag to the foot or foot to the bag. It is minute split second, fraction of a second timing between safe or out.

Remember that batter standing deep in the batter box who made the catcher move back several inches or more? That fraction of a second tacked on to that throw may have been enough of an edge to allow your teammate a safe call which sparked the rally to win the game.

This thinking and this strategy thing is amazing isn't it?

Cool Papa Bell went on to tell Wills "That's how we played in the Negro leagues". It is reported that Bell stole 175 bases in a 200 game season.

Baseball the game I know is not a dull uneventful sport. It is filled with strategy, drama and love for winning.

In high school and sandlot play certain strategies work easily however when more seasoned and wiser players are employed it becomes more difficult. Here is one easy run scoring ploy which I've seen be a real charmer.

Having a runner on first and third with less than two outs, try this act. Start the runner from first as if to steal second. The runner instead of racing full tilt to complete the steal he simply stops about two-thirds way to second base.

When and provided the catcher throws to second, trying to prevent the stolen base, the runner at third is keenly watching the way the defender (shortstop or second baseman) reacts when the stealer stops.

The runner at third is gingerly moving and getting ready for the dash home. If the defending infielder turns toward the stealing runner the man on third makes that bold dash homeward bound.

Here is what makes the play a success. The defender if he makes that first step toward the stealing runner from first, his body is automatically placed in an unorthodox position and will not be able to negotiate a good quick and decisive throw home.

In essence his body position prevents a timely throw to the plate.

Hurrah that runner from third raises a cloud of dust as he slides safely across home-plate. We gladly sacrifice the out at second base to get our score from third to home.

Baseball the game is not played by the faint of heart it require daring do and go-for-it no guts no glory. The strategy is employed by players and coaches with the nerve of a high-wire walker. Look down you take your head out of the game.

When you look back you can bet your boots someone is gaining fast, slow up and the parade will pass you by. Jump in get your feet wet and ride the victory train with the winners. Baseball the game is never short of good thinker strategy by winners. So I am from the Birmingham, Alabama metro area would it not be Okay to reference the people and activity of my area?

I thought I had finished my info on The Game Of Baseball, The Thinker, and The Strategy.

Not really I began to think just who are the people I know that could qualify as The Thinker? Who knows this game and its' stratagems of play which makes them winners too?

My thoughts immediately went to my older brothers Bill and Bob.

I'm thinking also of my cousins Leon and Flip Keith these were the first of those people I knew that profoundly understood the strategy of winning play of baseball.

As the game of baseball became more intense into my high school years along comes "Piggy" the dean of baseball winning strategists.

Here is my shopping list of ball players that have my utmost respect as Thinkers which truly know the winning strategy.

My brother Bailey, Gerald Bradford, Dicky Wages, Gordon Flynn, Bill Goodwin. You touch base with any of these ball players and they can fill your sock with baseball knowledge.

Come On !---Let's Play Ball

Was it Napoleon Hill who told us over and over if we would think it and believe it, then it would be? The game of baseball is for thinking and believing, to become the winning team we strive to be requires knowledge and a winning attitude .

The game of baseball is played as a team some what like doing business, for success in business is like being part of a team, in a win-win transaction.

Playing the game of baseball or doing business requires learning and thinking just like learning about baseball. Learning all about the game of baseball has it's roots in a Field Of Dreams while playing the Game Of Baseball out there in the Baseball Farm System.

How To Play Baseball needs baseball playing rules which will instill thinking, believing and winning.

Batter Up----Let's Play Ball....