You’re going to listen to lots in regards to the Braves over the subsequent couple months. They’re one of the best group in baseball, and that’s the way it goes. Some of you might be Braves followers, so attending to see extra of your favourite group in October will simply be another drop of fine information in a season crammed as much as the brim with joyful headlines. But for these of you who’re detached or ambivalent towards the Braves, for these of you who detest them in your very core, I’ve somewhat deal with. That’s all this text is: a deal with to deliver a bit extra enjoyable to the wall-to-wall protection awaiting us all.
On Tuesday night time, Daniel Vogelbach homered to straightaway heart subject and Michael Harris II tried to rob it. Harris tried very exhausting, and I went again and watched the replay to see precisely how shut he got here to creating the play. However, after watching a number of occasions, my consideration shifted. I stored rewinding as a result of I seen that one thing was protruding of Harris’ glove and flapping just like the tongue of a golden retriever:
That’s the little positioning card that tells Harris the place to face for every batter. Those cheat sheets are a small a part of the revolution in outfield positioning that has hammered BABIP league-wide over the past a number of years. Your native sports outlet in all probability wrote in regards to the phenomenon when these playing cards began showing again in 2018, however at this level they’re previous hat (particularly for the Yankees, who actually stored the playing cards of their hats).
Although the playing cards have been round for some time, this was the primary time I’d ever seen a participant holding one of their glove. I began checking the tape to search out out whether or not this was a one-off, or whether or not Harris is a ordinary glove stuffer. He positively wasn’t doing this as a rookie in 2022, a minimum of not usually sufficient that I might spot an occasion both on Baseball Savant or in a spotlight reel, however it seems he’s been doing it for the reason that very starting of this season. The first time I noticed the cardboard in his glove was in Atlanta’s second recreation of the season again on April 1. Here he’s checking the cardboard only a couple weeks in the past:
As you possibly can see, the glove is a really handy place to maintain a positioning card. Harris doesn’t should go to his again pocket or take away his hat each time he needs to test it. The solutions are actually within the palm of his hand. Still, I don’t know he does it. I attempted strolling round my house tossing a ball into my glove for a pair minutes. First, I slid a folded Post-it observe between my palm and the leather-based. Then I attempted a enterprise card. Both of them drove me completely bananas. They moved, they received caught, they rustled, and the corners caught on my palm. I can’t think about doing one thing so irritating for half an inning, not to mention a complete season’s value of video games. I’d discover it so tense to have one thing flapping round inside my glove and continuously threatening to flee.
But right here’s the factor: Harris appears to like having issues flap round whereas he’s enjoying the outfield. That’s a minimum of a part of the rationale he retains the cardboard in his glove within the first place. He can’t preserve it in his pocket as a result of each again pockets are already in use:
The left pocket all the time holds his baserunning mitten. The proper pocket is all the time turned inside out. He’s been enjoying that means since earlier than he received referred to as as much as the majors. Why does Harris deliver his baserunning mitten into the sphere although he has but to file a stolen base whereas enjoying protection? Why does his proper pocket must be turned inside out like he’s modeling for that Chance card in Monopoly the place it’s a must to pay a poor tax of $15? I don’t have a solution for you. I can’t say for sure that Harris enjoys the sensation of issues flapping each which means whereas he chases down a ball within the hole, however that’s one of the best speculation I’ve received. If he doesn’t get pleasure from it, then he’s in determined want of a fanny pack.
However, which may not be the one cause Harris stashes the cardboard in his glove. As it seems, he’s not the one Brave who makes use of their leather-based as space for storing:
That’s Ronald Acuña Jr. checking his card then stashing it in his personal glove. Harris very actually realized from one of the best. Acuña began holding the positioning card in his glove final 12 months, and he has continued this season. I do know I simply informed you that holding a card in my glove for a pair minutes drove me loopy, but when I had been a 22-year-old and Ronald Acuña Jr. informed me to do it, I’d in all probability be taught to dwell with the discomfort.
But we’re not likely in it for the why. We’re in it the how. I watched lots of clips of Acuña and Harris fielding this season. Acuña’s card appears to be sticking all the best way out at any time when the ball is hit his means. Harris’ is extra enjoyable as a result of his card picks its spots. Depending on the form of play he’s making, his positioning card variously peeks out, pokes out, and pops out of his glove, and I’m right here to let you know that it’s virtually all the time lovable. Any time I watch the Braves play protection, I now preserve a watch out for the cardboard, which often pops out to say hiya, then scoots again to security as shortly as attainable. It’s like he’s attempting to rob dwelling runs with a cuckoo clock. This recreation inside a recreation is my present to you, the one who is caught watching the Braves whenever you’d slightly be watching some other group.
The card is best to identify when Harris is throwing the ball again into the infield. His glove shifts downward as he drops his proper arm, and the cardboard pops out for everybody to see as he raises his arm again up. It’s as if the cardboard is aware of that the final batter simply received out, and it could actually’t wait to inform Harris the place to face for the subsequent one, just like the world’s most informative prairie canine.
However, seeing the cardboard after the play isn’t as enjoyable as seeing it in motion. Harris’ card has an uncanny tendency to pop midway out of his glove when he’s making a spotlight reel catch. It’s exhausting responsible it. If you had been alongside for the experience when Harris was robbing a Shohei Ohtani dwelling run, you may want your share of the limelight as nicely:
However, neither of these is my favourite time to catch a glimpse of the cardboard. My favourite is when Harris is securing a plain previous fly ball or popup. On these routine performs, the cardboard tends to peek out from the heel of the glove ever so barely, like a cautious turtle. When you’re watching in actual time, it’s only a flash of white, so fast that it’s exhausting to make certain that you’re even seeing it in any respect:
I’d like to let you know that Harris has radically improved his protection since he began holding an ace up his sleeve, however that’s not the case. He was already a high 20 outfielder within the recreation, and the metrics have him positioned in roughly the identical spot this 12 months. This is simply another reason to regulate him.
Content Source: blogs.fangraphs.com