Thinking About The Game Last Night
So, I was just kicking back, you know, thinking about the Yankees, as I usually do. It’s not always about the wins or losses, sometimes it’s the little things, the stuff that happens on the field that really sticks with you. And last night, or maybe it was the other day, something just got me thinking hard about one particular aspect of the game.
That Whole “Hit By Pitch” Situation
Yeah, players getting hit by pitches. Man, every time it happens, I just wince. You see that ball coming in, way too inside, and then that thud. Ugh. It’s a part of baseball, always has been, but it’s one of those parts I could do without, if I’m being honest. My “practice” lately, if you can call it that, has been just noticing these moments more. Trying to figure out what it really means, beyond just a guy taking first base.
I started really paying attention to when our guys, the Yankees, get plunked. It’s not just a statistic in a box score for me. That’s a dude, one of our dudes, taking a 90-plus mile-per-hour fastball to the ribs, or the arm, or worse. It’s brutal.
So, when I see a Yankee get hit, a few things immediately run through my mind:
- First off: Is he okay? Seriously, that’s the main thing. Forget the game for a second.
- Then: Alright, is this going to fire up the team? Or is it going to lead to some nonsense?
- And finally: Okay, we got a runner. Let’s make ’em regret that pitch.
It’s More Than Just a Bruise
It’s not just about the pain, though that’s a big part of it. It’s about the risk. A hit by pitch can put a guy on the injured list, just like that. It can mess with a player’s head too, I bet. Standing in there knowing that wild pitch could be coming? Takes guts. Real guts.
I was actually listening to that podcast, “The Chase for 28,” the other day. They weren’t talking specifically about HBPs, but more about the general grind and what the team goes through. And it just connected for me. These guys are warriors, man.
And speaking of injuries, it’s always a gut punch when you hear about one of our players going down. Like with Luke Weaver recently, hurting his hamstring just warming up. Can you believe that? One minute you’re getting ready to go, the next, boom, you’re out. It’s a different kind of setback than getting hit by a pitch, sure, but it all adds to the frustration. It just shows how quickly things can change in this sport. It’s tough on the player, and it’s tough on us fans watching the team deal with it.
So, What Did I Get From All This Musing?
My whole “practice” here, my record of this, was just me, as a fan, really sitting with this part of the game. Thinking it through. It’s not like I discovered some secret or anything. It’s just… appreciating the toughness involved, I guess. And feeling that anxiety every time a pitch sails inside.
It’s one of those elements that makes baseball what it is. The danger, the suddenness, the raw emotion of it. You just cross your fingers and hope that when a Yankee gets hit, they can shake it off, take their base, and that the team uses it as fuel. That’s the best you can hope for. You just don’t want to see anyone get seriously hurt, ever. That’s the bottom line for me, every single time.
