Baseball Nuances

March 16, 2006 9:28 AM

Why do they roll the ball to the mound?

Since baseball season is almost here, I thought I'd ask a few questions, and see if I can get some history as well.

Why do they leave the ball on the mound instead of getting a new one from the ump?

Why does the first baseman have someone toss him a ball as he comes into the dugout after an inning?

Why is the first baseman not included in the throw around after a strikeout?

Just curious...and if anyone has any how these traditions started, I'd like to know.

posted by Todd Lokken to sports, hobbies, & recreation (21 comments total)

"Why does the first baseman have someone toss him a ball as he comes into the dugout after an inning?"

He leaves it in his glove while his team bats, and when he takes the field again the next half-inning he throws it around to the other infielders to warm up their arms.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 9:32 AM on March 16, 2006

Crash...thx, but I was actually just a bit curious as to why it appears to be standard practice to toss him a ball as he comes in. Can't he just pick one up as he takes the field? Or, do they not want the 1b to have to worry about such trivial things?
posted by Todd Lokken at 9:35 AM on March 16, 2006

Why is the first baseman not included in the throw around after a strikeout?

I'm assuming you mean how the ball gets thrown to second and (possibly) third base. It's likely to keep those players warmed up in case someone tries to steal a base. No one is going to be running toward first.
posted by mikeh at 9:41 AM on March 16, 2006

The ball is left on the mound so the pitcher coming on the field uses it, as you said. I'm sure it began before the era of the average ball lasting like 3 pitches and people just still do it. Most likely, the ball left on the mound will be used for the warm up pitches and then given back to the ump after it's thrown around the field at the end of the warm up. Or if the new pitcher doesn't like it to begin with, he can swap it with the ump.

If you notice, sometimes fielders that make the last out toss the ball to one of the field umpires. They then tend to appear as if they're studying the ball quite carefully before deciding whether to: 1) toss on mound/give it to the oncoming pitcher; 2) toss it into the stands for the fans; or 3) give it to a ball boy to be worked on and maybe put back in play or whatever they do with it then.
posted by skynxnex at 9:45 AM on March 16, 2006

Why is the first baseman not included in the throw around after a strikeout?

After some Googling, I could find neither an origin for "throwing around the horn" nor for ignoring the 1B. Some say it's to keep the fielders warm, but thinking that the 1B doesn't field that much, he doesn't need the throw.

Maybe the practice 2->5->6->4->1 is set in stone in MLB tradition, but it seems that other leagues include the 1B and/or go around counterclockwise.
posted by turbodog at 9:59 AM on March 16, 2006

Turbo...that is a good question..do they do these same things in let's say, Japan?
posted by Todd Lokken at 10:27 AM on March 16, 2006

When I played baseball we would often go 2-5-4-6-3-1 (catcher, third, second, shortstop, first, pitcher). I maybe it ttakes too long in a televised MLB game?
posted by nathancaswell at 10:34 AM on March 16, 2006

The Dope.
posted by deadfather at 10:42 AM on March 16, 2006

FWIW, I think it's all tradition. In baseball, the ball is practically holy. Both hitters and fielders rarely get to touch it. When you do get the opportunity, it demands a certain amount of ... flair.
posted by deadfather at 10:44 AM on March 16, 2006

Father...you da man! Glad to see I'm repeating questions from 23 years ago...
posted by Todd Lokken at 10:53 AM on March 16, 2006

I was actually just a bit curious as to why it appears to be standard practice to toss him a ball as he comes in. Can't he just pick one up as he takes the field?

As with everything in baseball, it's part pragmatic, part tradition, part team spirit.

Pragmatic: Sometimes, the first baseman will be a runner or a batter when the inning ends. Someone needs to bring him his gear. Having the ball already in the mitt, ready to be grabbed by anyone, helps that process. So someone tosses him one right away so it doesn't get forgotten later.

Tradition: He's the first baseman. He gets a ball. It's a semi-honorific thing.

Team spirit: Tossing him the ball, you're helping a teammate complete a simple task so he doesn't have to worry about it himself. A lot of baseball is standing around doing nothing. So you show team spirit by helping others who are actually doing work.
posted by frogan at 11:11 AM on March 16, 2006

Most of the answers have been covered, but as a baseball player up into highschool, I've got to recap.

The ball is rolled to the mound, so its there for the other team's pitcher.

The first baseman gets the ball, so he won't forget it later. I played first baseman and I had it drilled in me to always place a ball in my glove when I came back in from the field. When you get higher up than high school, folks help you out with the task.

A ball is also thrown around between the outfielders, though the exact manner depends on which side of the field the team's dugout is on. If its on the left side, the center fielder and right fielder will throw a ball between themselves. Then, someone from the dugout will throw the ball with the left fielder. If the dugout is on the right side, the situation is reversed, with the CF and LF throwing together, and the RF receiving someone on the foul line area.

I'm also with Nathancaswell, I always received the ball in the throw around...until the umpires complained that it was insensitive to the other team. Yeesh. I figure its a time issue or just simply, habit at that level of play. I'll hopefully be attending a fair number of Nationals games this summer and I'll watch them on this.
posted by Atreides at 11:20 AM on March 16, 2006

Why is the first baseman not included in the throw around after a strikeout?

Besides tradition, I assumed that the first baseman already handles the ball more than the other infielders, since there are plenty of outs made to first in the course of a game, so the other fielders throw the ball around to keep loose.
posted by pgoes at 12:58 PM on March 16, 2006

After some Googling, I could find neither an origin for "throwing around the horn" nor for ignoring the 1B. Some say it's to keep the fielders warm, but thinking that the 1B doesn't field that much, he doesn't need the throw.

I always figured that the reason the catcher throws to second is both to keep his arm warm and to practice throwing out a base running attempting a steal. And then he throws to the other infielders so they can keep their arms warm. But since the first baseman doesn't really throw out a lot of runners he's excluded.

I think the meta-explanation that everyone has already stated is that in baseball tradition and superstition are huge, and players are scared to death of deviating from it.
posted by Rhomboid at 1:07 PM on March 16, 2006

throwing out a base runner
posted by Rhomboid at 1:08 PM on March 16, 2006

Why is the first baseman not included in the throw around after a strikeout?

I play 1B on my coed softball team. . . .when we throw it around, I always eschew getting it thrown to me. . .it's just not DONE. . .

I have no idea why but seeing teams include the first baser in the throw around. . .it bothers me.
posted by Danf at 1:28 PM on March 16, 2006

I always figured that the reason the catcher throws to second is both to keep his arm warm and to practice throwing out a base running attempting a steal.

When going around the horn, the catcher nearly always throws to third first. Otherwise the pitcher would have to duck after every strikeout.
posted by deadfather at 1:29 PM on March 16, 2006

I always figured that the reason the catcher throws to second is both to keep his arm warm and to practice throwing out a base running attempting a steal.

This is not "going around the horn." You're thinking of the tradition where the catcher throws to second at the conclusion of the warm up period that starts each inning. In this case, yes, he's practicing to nail a runner at second. And it's traditional, of course.
posted by frogan at 1:34 PM on March 16, 2006

When the catcher throws down to third after a strikeout (assuming no baserunners), isn't that also a "'round the horn"?
posted by DakotaPaul at 4:49 PM on March 16, 2006

When the catcher throws down to third after a strikeout (assuming no baserunners), isn't that also a "'round the horn"?

That's the start of the process. "The horn" is second base, relative to the catcher. Going around the horn is the little victory dance where the infielders throw it amongst themselves. That being said, the ball doesn't have to literally travel around the bases -- it just gets tossed around.

Cool thread. Reminds me of the time I took a friend to the ballpark, and he was blissfully unaware of these little things. He kept asking questions that an "experienced" baseball fan wouldn't ever think to ask.

"Why is there dirt on the infield and grass in the outfield?"
"Why don't the batters ever actually stand in the on-deck circle?"
"Why don't the base coaches stand in their coaches box?"

And the answers to all of these are often "because that's the way it's always done."
posted by frogan at 5:19 PM on March 16, 2006

frogan...I think you hit it right. The generally consensus seems to be "just because they've done it that way for years".
posted by Todd Lokken at 8:37 AM on March 17, 2006