Baseball Does the Unthinkable--Experiments in Minor League TO STEAL FIRST BASE-Why I Love the Idea

https://www.mlb.com/cut4/baseball-player-steals-first-base
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I was talking about the Cubs with my dad, our family's favorite team since the days of Gabby Hartnett, Hack Wilson, Bill Lee (no not "Spaceman" of the Red Sox well before his time) and the Joe McCarthy led teams of the early-mid 1930s. No I am not nearly that old, that being the favorite team and player (Hall of Fame catcher Hartnett) of my grandfather when he was a little boy. I grew up watching the Sandberg, Sutcliffe, Maddux, Dawson, Dunston, Grace (my favorite player growing up), and so on back in the mid 1980s when I was the similar age as my grandfather watching (wait, listening on the radio-no TV broadcasts, lol, not invented yet for mass consumption). Watching the same game on the broadcast the name Johnny Kling was brought up on the Cubs broadcast. Then after about five minutes later the color commentator Jim DeShaies apparently googled Kling, and mentioned that he played on the 1908 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs as their starting catcher. About 4 minutes and 55 seconds before that I told the same thing to my dad, who looked at me with disgust as usual when I pull this crazy stuff out and says "How in the hell did you know that." This from a guy who watched and followed baseball his whole life, but has been way more in tune with the players he saw in person throughout his life, not the crazy crap like me that has read about it.

I mention the above background in that I have been lifelong fanatic of baseball. Fanatic may not even describe it. I am lifelong baseball lifer. Played the game, watched the game (to annoying precision), coached the game, played simulations of all out realism of the game within the contexts of different eras. So when my dad brought up that there is a minor league doing a rule test for stealing first base. Whoa, what? Yeah. Stealing first base. Not a rule in the past oh, say 150+ years of professional baseball history and a bit of a joke even in the game, "You can't steal first," when a player is very fast but has a weak eye and/or can't hit well. When I first heard this I thought no bleeping way. Then I let the shock set in, it took a while, a good chunk of the game. We had to talk to each other about how and why such a crazy ass rule was even being attempted.

Then after a while, good gravy, it started making sense. Then even more sense, then I thought this is not that bad of an idea. First of all let me add the Rob Manfred commissioner of Major League Baseball is about as progressive is it as ever gotten to the office-as in ever. As in ever times one hundred actually. Very forward thinking guy but not flippant on the game's past, just very passionate about the game and how its standing can be improved in the modern context of other professional sports and other entertainment that evolves very quickly with time.

So here is the "Devil's advocate" side of the argument that became evident to me. First, the game has very little action for the time people are at the game watching it. There is a lot of time between pitches, all of that stuff I get. Always been that way and seems to get worse with both batters and pitchers taking their sweet bleeping time between pitches and anything put in play. Speed kills in the game, on the bases and in the field covering ground and being a major defensive asset along with the right baseball instincts. Never before had a player's pure athleticism though been able to play such a serious role in the game.

Along with the few ideas mentioned earlier the main draw to this rule is that if the ball gets away from the catcher at any time the player would have the option to take off to first and reach safely. I am assuming some things here. First, I am assuming that once you leave the batter's box and head towards first force plays are now in effect, which is a nice equalizer to the defense allowed to throw to any bag where a force may in effect and just touch the bag rather than tagging the runner in time, which is much harder of course.

It brings to account if a pitcher is up, let's say this creeps its way up the minor leagues and (controversy time) up to MLB, and they are such a poor hitter they have little to no chance, they can implement a run-slap or running bunt, allowing other runners while on base to steal with the pitch and force a throw to first without necessarily even having to lay down a bunt. The facets of this are quite extraordinary actually. Pitchers will be forced to have some consideration from the windup to not take long so that the hitter could just take off when they start their motion to the plate. There would also have to be a balk enforcement with the rule, otherwise if the pitcher saw the hitter go they could fake the pitch and toss to first easily-rather than have the catcher have to throw them out.

This also makes the pitcher subconsciously work quicker which would be a boon to those that are trying to speed up the game. Pitchers have these funky deliveries now especially bullpen pitchers. They would need to be conscious of the hitter, and also the horrible waste pitch with say an 0-2 count. Spiking a breaking pitch or splitter will not be as viable as it is now, so the hitting zone could be enhanced being able to sit a certain pitch in favorable positions.

But we haven't even got to the lower ranks of the game. Little league for example, how does this rule get adopted? I am guessing it's tried because you would want the kids to swing the bat rather than just stand there waiting for a wild pitch. If in force it would force the emphasis on throwing catch-able pitches and strikes versus just trying to mow hitters down.

Last but not least it puts a major highlight on the most important defensive position (outside the pitcher) in that you must have a reliable catcher. The days of "defense first" catchers are kind of winding down. A catcher is expected to hit now more than ever when they break into the big leagues. You never see a guy hitting .200 in triple-A and have people raving their defensive prowess. The comment is always "all glove no bat." Which would not be such an issue if this rule were in place. Odd developmental situations could also come into play. Craig Biggio came up a catcher but was later moved to second base because of need and ability in the late 1980s, what became a Hall of Fame career, even seeing time in center field in the twilight of his career. A guy like that could remain a catcher all the way through due to his glove behind the plate. Having more active baserunners (by a major factor) if this rule were implemented would also have even stricter guidelines of arm strength behind the plate being a massive deal. Guys that may not have the arm strength early on may not see time early on as a catcher or have to move positions earlier. Bottom line this makes the simple game of playing catch regularly and correctly even more paramount to the development of a ball player.

I could go into several other tangents but I wanted to use this post as a litmus test to see what kind of baseball following we have on steemit. I know many of you are serious fans of soccer and other international games so I wanted to see the audience for a post like this. Of course comment, send questions, interact how you like, thanks for the read and have a great day!