I still can't believe I had my camera with me and recorded this shot. It was one of those rare moments in sports the players, coaches and fans in attendance will likely remember for the rest of their (our) lives.
My son, wearing #1 on the white team, made an insightful observation while we were driving away from his game. He said that the unbelievable buzzer-beater was the shot that beat them because they allowed their opponent to get within striking distance. He said, in his own words, that all the seemingly insignificant plays that preceded that moment suddenly meant something.
My conversation with him reminds of how many times I have seen pitchers start an at-bat carelessly and were forced to deal with the consequences later. How 0-0 and 1-0 counts weren't taken seriously and how hitters took advantage of their mistakes. When pitchers are forced to pitch while behind they find themselves wishing they would have made more of an effort earlier, and then the damage often ensues.
Tomorrow I will post a helpful chart that shows batting averages per count to help pitchers understand the importance of making each pitch count. (Pun sort of not intended…)
