Change Your Game

Baseball is a game that has been played for over a hundred years in countries around the world with thousands and thousands of games being played each year. There is a rhythm, a formula and a ‘book’ on what to do. The written and unwritten rules about what the right approach is and what the numbers tell you to do.

Closers are measured in success by saving the game. That is, when they come in with a lead how often do they maintain a lead for their team. So far this year in Major League Baseball, Closers have converted on those opportunities 84% of the time. A stat kept since the late 1960’s, saves has been the way that teams not only evaluate and compensate players for, it’s also how they design their teams to play.

Until now.

From the hitting side of things, you want your best players to get the most times to hit. So a batting order has the best hitters hitting first. So if the best hitters are hitting first why don’t you use the best pitchers first?

The Tampa Bay Rays dared to ask the question and are trying things differently, using Closers to start the games. They pitch an inning or two to get through the best hitters to start the game, and then having other pitchers come in the complete the game. It makes complete sense and has confused so many baseball fans, players, announcers and teams because it’s just not the way it’s done.

So if you think about something that you do and the way it’s done, think again. There is always a different way that can give you a fresh look, a new strategy and maybe even an advantage. A whole new ball game.