You’re going to listen to loads concerning the Braves over the following couple months. They’re one of the best workforce in baseball, and that’s the way it goes. A few of you’re Braves followers, so attending to see extra of your favourite workforce in October will simply be yet one more drop of fine information in a season crammed as much as the brim with comfortable headlines. However 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 convey a bit extra enjoyable to the wall-to-wall protection awaiting us all.
On Tuesday night time, Daniel Vogelbach homered to straightaway middle discipline and Michael Harris II tried to rob it. Harris tried very arduous, and I went again and watched the replay to see precisely how shut he got here to creating the play. Nevertheless, after watching a number of instances, my consideration shifted. I saved 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. These 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 local sports outlet most likely wrote concerning the phenomenon when these playing cards began showing again in 2018, however at this level they’re outdated hat (particularly for the Yankees, who actually saved the playing cards in their hats).
Though the playing cards have been round for some time, this was the primary time I’d ever seen a participant preserving 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 routine glove stuffer. He undoubtedly wasn’t doing this as a rookie in 2022, no less than not typically sufficient that I might spot an occasion both on Baseball Savant or in a highlight reel, but it surely seems he’s been doing it for the reason that very starting of this season. The primary time I noticed the cardboard in his glove was in Atlanta’s second recreation of the season again on April 1. Right here he’s checking the cardboard only a couple weeks in the past:
As you’ll be able to 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 desires to test it. The solutions are actually within the palm of his hand. Nonetheless, 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 Submit-it be aware between my palm and the leather-based. Then I attempted a enterprise card. Each of them drove me completely bananas. They moved, they obtained 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 traumatic to have one thing flapping round inside my glove and always threatening to flee.
However right here’s the factor: Harris appears to like having issues flap round whereas he’s enjoying the outfield. That’s no less than a part of the explanation he retains the cardboard in his glove within the first place. He can’t hold 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 correct pocket is all the time turned inside out. He’s been enjoying that manner since earlier than he obtained known as as much as the majors. Why does Harris convey his baserunning mitten into the sphere regardless that he has but to document a stolen base whereas enjoying protection? Why does his proper pocket must be turned inside out like he’s modeling for that Probability card in Monopoly the place you must 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 manner whereas he chases down a ball within the hole, however that’s one of the best speculation I’ve obtained. If he doesn’t take pleasure in it, then he’s in determined want of a fanny pack.
Nevertheless, that may not be the one purpose Harris stashes the cardboard in his glove. Because it seems, he’s not the one Courageous who makes use of their leather-based as cupboard space:
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 preserving the positioning card in his glove final yr, and he has continued this season. I do know I simply informed you that preserving 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 most likely study to stay with the discomfort.
However we’re not likely in it for the why. We’re in it the how. I watched a number of clips of Acuña and Harris fielding this season. Acuña’s card appears to be sticking all the best way out each time the ball is hit his manner. Harris’ is extra enjoyable as a result of his card picks its spots. Relying 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 lovely. Any time I watch the Braves play protection, I now hold an eye fixed out for the cardboard, which often pops out to say whats up, then scoots again to security as shortly as attainable. It’s like he’s attempting to rob house runs with a cuckoo clock. This recreation inside a recreation is my reward to you, the one who is caught watching the Braves if you’d quite be watching every other workforce.
The cardboard 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 obtained out, and it will possibly’t wait to inform Harris the place to face for the following one, just like the world’s most informative prairie canine.
Nevertheless, 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 arduous accountable it. Should you had been alongside for the journey when Harris was robbing a Shohei Ohtani house run, you may want your share of the limelight as nicely:
Nevertheless, neither of these is my favourite time to catch a glimpse of the cardboard. My favourite is when Harris is securing a plain outdated 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. Once you’re watching in actual time, it’s only a flash of white, so fast that it’s arduous 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 preserving an ace up his sleeve, however that’s not the case. He was already a prime 20 outfielder within the recreation, and the metrics have him positioned in roughly the identical spot this yr. That is simply another reason to keep watch over him.
