Why Baseball is the Greatest Game Ever

Issue: Why?

Short Answer: I'm about to tell you.

Reasoning: Baseball is the greatest game ever because if you watch a game you are almost guaranteed to see something you have never seen before, literally.  I have been involved with the game for 27 years (damn, I'm getting old) and I swear I still see things, not only that I have never seen, but that I thought I would never see.  Case in point: I was coaching my beloved St. Xavier Bombers against Toledo St. John on Saturday afternoon in Toledo (we were participating in the all-Ohio Jesuit Baseball Tournament - which we went 3-0 in).  St. John had started a left-handed pitcher who had allowed so many batters to reach base that he had ample opportunities to balk.  He did, and I kindly pointed out some of these balks to the umpires, but, my observations where ignored (as they usually are).  In the 2nd inning (I think) the St. John pitcher balked again (he did not pause before delivering his pitch to home plate), and again, the balk wasn't called.  This time however, the St. John's bench noticed the balk and verbally told the pitcher to make sure he paused before he delivered home.  It wasn't two pitches later that the Walsh pitcher was coming set, didn't pause, and attempted a pickoff at first base.  Immediately the field umpire yells "BALK!"  Casual baseball fans may not realize that when a pitcher attempts a pickoff, he does not have to pause.  Crappy umpires may not realize that either.  But, after missing 4 or 5 balks, I figured the umpire owed us one.  Anyway, the St. John's coach came out to argue (as well he should have), and after failing (miserably) to convey to the coach why he called a balk, the field umpire decided to talk with the home plate umpire.  It took only a few seconds for the umpires to overturn the call and send our runner back to first base.  In 27 years that was the first time I had ever seen an umpire go "oops, I made the wrong call, I think I will change it."  Of course it had to go against the team I was coaching, but, we won anyway, so who cares.

But, that is why baseball is awesome.  The game has been around for 150 years (give or take) and each and every game is different in some way.  Situations often present themselves that players, coaches, and umpires have never seen before (in the law these are called "cases of first impression") and may never see again.  Hence, the point to this post.  Pat Venditte is a switch-pitcher.  No, that is not a typo.  He can, and does throw both right and left-handed.  How well?  The video below is of the Staten Island Yankees and the Brooklyn Cyclones facing off in a New York Penn League game - that's right, professional baseball.  Obviously Venditte is pretty darn good, either way he throws.  The Yankees are ahead in the game 7-2 in the 9th inning when a Brooklyn player gets a meaningless 2-out hit.  Or so every thought at the time.  What made this hit so special was that it brought up Ralph Henriquez who is, you guessed it, a switch-hitter.  How is this going to work?  What is the rule?  Funny thing is, in 150 years (give or take), I'm betting this is the first time it has EVER happened.  Take a look at the video:

Turns out the rule now states that the hitter must step into the box first and then the pitcher on the mound.  During an at-bat, the batter can change sides of the plate one time, but, the pitcher may also change one time.  Hence, the pitcher has the decided advantage.  Too bad this is probably the only time it would ever really matter.  Man, I love baseball.

P.S. - the Staten Island manager is Pat McMahon.  He was the recruiting coordinator at Mississippi State when I was being recruited there to play baseball, and he became the head coach there in 1998 (one of the reasons I decided not to go there was the fact that I would have played for two different head coaches).  This video is the first I have seen of him since about 1997.  Small world.