Ripken Baseball

By Gregory Shamus, Getty Images

By Cal Ripken, Jr. | April 13, 2011

Most baseball fans out there are hearing a lot of opinions this morning about the play that resulted in an injury to the Rangers’ Josh Hamilton.  The Rangers and Josh are under scrutiny and taking criticism for the play.  I see it another way.

First and foremost, it was a good play. He did not put himself at any greater risk than sliding into third on his triple, or when he stretches a single into a double and goes head first like he did against the Red Sox. The risk on this play is very similar to a wild pitch or passed ball where the pitcher is covering home. This play was only “stupid” because it ended in an injury.

Just because this situation is rare, does not mean the judgment was not sound. There was a good chance to score on this play as evidenced by how close the play was at home. What if there was a wild pitch and it squirted away from the catcher and Josh tried to score and slid to avoid the tag and got hurt, would that be a stupid risk? It would be more the norm and probably accepted right away. 

All this fits within the Ranger philosophy of running aggressively on the bases and putting pressure on the defense. Remember last year when the Rangers scored two runs from second base on ground ball plays to first in the playoffs against Tampa Bay? Remember the double steal the Rangers pulled off against the Yankees?  Is that putting Elvis Andrus at risk by stealing home? You cannot turn this on and off, you either believe in it and practice it every day, or you play another way.

Should Hamilton change his style of play? I don’t think so. He is a big strong man who has great speed. That is an advantage and makes him the player that he is. It would be “stupid” not to take advantage of all his skills. Should he stop stealing bases? Should he stop scoring from first on a double because there could be a play at the plate? Should he try not to score from second base with two outs on a hard base hit to an outfielder?

Discretion can be used without changing his overall style of play. As a base runner he has a choice of sliding head first or feet first. Feet first is generally safer, especially when sliding into home with the catcher wearing all that protective equipment. As a base runner you have a choice on breaking up double plays. You could have a football flashback and look for big contact or you could slide in and disrupt the footwork of the pivot man. As a base runner he has a choice of running over the catcher or sliding when he is dead out at home. 

Defensively he has choices as well. He has the choice of diving at full speed to make a catch or pulling up and holding it to a single. The game situation dictates when to take that chance, but it is the outfielders’ judgment and choice. Josh has a choice of crashing into the wall or pulling up and playing the ball off the wall. Derek Jeter had a choice of diving into the stands or not on that famous catch he made a few years back.

In the end discretion is managing your risk.  There should be a little risk management as a part of everyone’s game. 

The risk for this play was no different than the many risks that Josh normally takes on the bases. 

It shouldn’t be criticized but rather applauded and accepted as good baseball.

Follow Ripken Baseball: www.Twitter.com/RipkenBaseball

On Tuesday, the baseball world mourned the loss of one of the most notable baseball figures of the last century. New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner passed away at the age of 80 from a heart attack.

“The Boss” was one of the most successful owners in baseball, leading the Yankees to seven World Series championships and 11 pennants in his 37 years owning the team. He’s one of the main reasons the Yankees were a juggernaut in the late 70s and 90s, and revolutionized the way owners ran teams. The Yankees are the richest team in baseball (and maybe in all of sports), thanks in large part to Steinbrenner doing whatever it took to field a winner.

Steinbrenner also always kept things interesting, both for positive and negative. His hirings and firings of Billy Martin, his “hands-on” approach to ownership, and his rants and tirades will also always be remembered.

But what many may not have known about Steinbrenner was his philanthropic side. He gave millions to charities around the country. He contributed so much to Tampa, where he owned a home, that the city named a high school after him.

Steinbrenner will be remembered for different things to different people. But what everyone can agree on is that he loved baseball, loved the Yankees, loved New York and loved to win.

The MLB All-Star Game is designed to showcase baseball’s best players at the mid-way point of the season. Of course, this may not always be the case once the rosters are selected through a vote by fans and players, and additions by the respective league’s managers. That said, it’s still an important piece of our nation’s favorite pastime.

The All-Star Game has been trending towards younger players over recent years, and I like that shift. Younger guys like Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay), Ryan Braun (Milwaukee), Ryan Zimmermann (Washington) and players who have been on a major league club just three years are now making the team. This is very different from the days when my brother and I played. Back then, guys like Call were perennial All-Stars and the teams seemed to be made up of the same players every year.

While I like this younger trend and think the game is headed in a great direction, I do wish there was a way to honor the veteran ballplayers…even if they’re going through an off-year. A great example is Atlanta Braves’ third baseman Chipper Jones. A 17-year MLB veteran, Jones is one of the best switch hitters of all-time, with a career batting average of.306. If he decides to retire after this season, it will be a shame that he wasn’t on the National League’s All-Star roster in his final year. A quality veteran like Jones deserves a spot on the All-Star team, even if his numbers aren’t quite what they once were.

Every year there are going to be guys who get snubbed. But I would like to see the rosters expand so guys like Jones get a chance to play. I may have a lot of ideas about the game, but I’ll admit that I certainly don’t have all the answers or the solution on how to make this happen. I just think it’s the right thing to do for the veterans who have put in their time. Besides, what’s the worst that could happen?