I heard a commentary on NPR about how batting gloves and batters can be compared to text messaging and kids.
Batters fidget with their gloves, which adds a TON of time to the game.
So I asked my coworker Scott what was up with this batting glove thing.
He proceeded to school me on how there's "slippage" when a batter swings, and if they don't control this the ball could run wild.
So, batting gloves were introduced to the game to help the batter grip the bat more cleanly. And these gloves are the bane of baseball to many a fan.
Because the gloves are fidgeted with, constantly, by the batters, which can keep a fan seated in the heat for much longer than they would care to.
In the past, and I guess still today, pine tar is used to give the batters a solid grip so as to aim the ball in the direction they want and not lose hold of the bat, which would send it flying.
Pine tar. Sounds SO old school. I imagine Pa Ingalls adding pine tar to his bat handle at the church picnic.
So I get the pine tar thing, and I also understand why gloves would be appealing to a ballplayer - part of the uniform, a more professional look, adds some technology to the swing. But wouldn't feeling the wood/steel of the bat in your hands be more authentic? More pristine? More true?
My friend Craig, another baseball aficionado, just chimed in with some info about the glove thing. Apparently hand sweat can greatly affect how a bat is used, which then affects how the ball comes into play. Makes sense.
I also learned that there is a 12-second rule that applies to batters. If the bases are empty, the batter has only 12 seconds from when he reaches the mound to prepare for a pitch. Apparently, the umpires don't enforce this rule, which accounts for games being overly long.
Craig also had some info to share on this. There are many "rules" in baseball, of which many are flexible. Good to know - more to learn.
Season opener is this Thursday. I can't wait!
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