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[This is part of a series exploring the Baseball Tarot. If you would like to prompt for a part of the game or a card from the deck, there's still plenty of space. Leave a comment with a prompt. All other comments are still welcome, of course.]
"Hey, battah battah, hey battah hey battah, SWING!"
"No batter, no batter. Easy out, easy out!"
"Check two, go one! One down, here we go now!"
"I got! I got!"
Communication is a vital part of baseball. Selecting pitches, positioning the defense, reminders of the number of outs in this half-inning, relaying a steal decision, or a bunt attempt, all of these things and more must be communicated across the defense and offense, usually without tipping off the other team. Some of these bits are more important than others, and some of them are better said audibly than not, like who thinks they can catch a fly ball.
The chatter, then, generally refers to the near-constant amount of talking that comes from the infield as the players remind each other of the right procedure should they be hit a ball ("check two, go one" = "Check to see if the runner on second base is running for third. If so, throw the ball to the fielder at that base to apply a tag. If not, and the runner on second isn't too far off that they could be conceivably traded out by throwing to an arriving fielder at second, throw the ball to first to get the batter out." Baseball engages in a lot of shorthand in its audible communication. And in scorekeeping, too.), how many outs there are, and any runners ("two down, two ducks on the pond" = "Two outs in this half inning, and there are two runners on the basepaths to be accounted for."), as well as confidence talk to the pitcher ("no batter" = "Relax and throw pitches as if there were no hitter and you are at practice trying to hit your locations." Pitchers that try to force the ball to go places, instead of following their mechanics, tend to end up without control or throwing very hittable balls that professional players do not miss often.) and attempts at psychologically rattling the batter or goading them into bad decisions. This, the chatter is also there as a reminder to the pitcher that there are seven fielders behind them who are capable of making outs, so the pitcher doesn't have to try and strike out every batter.
At the professional level, there's considerably less ability to intimidate the batter with massive voices, not that it necessarily stops the chatter, just that everyone acknowledges that it stopped working sometime soon after it started. Much more likely to work is the conversation between catcher and batter, but the umpires trend to squash those before they can get started.
That same chatter continues as the ball is put in play. If you have the advantage of seeing live play without television intermediation, you will hear the infield explode with noise the minute the batter squares (turns their body for greater control of the bat) to bunt the ball, as the fielders charging the bunt from the positions closest to each foul line need to know before they pick up the ball where it needs to go. Fly balls are usually punctuated with the negotiations of who gets the privilege of catching the ball, and then infielders will direct where the ball should be going as the outfield prepares to make the catch (usually which base to throw to and whether to hit the "cutoff" person, whose job it is to catch throws cooking in from the outfield if they're trying to collect an out but aren't going to make it in time, so that they can then fire to another base if another runner is lazy in their baserunning and leaves a vulnerability), and ground balls have other players informing the fielder collecting the ball as to where it should go. It's a lot of communication and teamwork going on between players, as even those not directly involved in the play can relay vital information through observation of the situation unfolding. After every play, an out count and shorthand about where the baseball goes is usually passed along the players of the defense to make sure everyone is working with the same information when the pitcher starts in again. There's a lot of talking going on before each pitch.
What it means for someone drawing it from the deck depends on what position the question-giver is in. If they're the batter, it's a paper tiger of sorts, meant to try and be intimidating, but often ending up harmless. Let the chatter roll off like water and focus on the pitch being thrown. If you're a fielder, think about your situation and whether or not everyone is on the same page. If not, communicate. Lots, and loudly and visibly/audibly. If you're the pitcher, remember that there's an entire defense behind you that will assist you in getting outs. You lead the play, but you do not have to do everything by yourself. You do not have to strike out the side for this half-inning. (And frankly, it's much less tiring and stressful for you and your defense if you become a pitcher that can consistently get hitters to hit ground balls to your infielders. If they're competent, they'll record a lot of outs for the team and you'll be able to save your arm and go longer into games.) As with all advice for pitchers, relax and throw strikes. The managers and coaches, if they're competent, will notice if a fielder isn't contributing as much as needed and will talk with them about how to improve performance.
"Hey, battah battah, hey battah hey battah, SWING!"
"No batter, no batter. Easy out, easy out!"
"Check two, go one! One down, here we go now!"
"I got! I got!"
Communication is a vital part of baseball. Selecting pitches, positioning the defense, reminders of the number of outs in this half-inning, relaying a steal decision, or a bunt attempt, all of these things and more must be communicated across the defense and offense, usually without tipping off the other team. Some of these bits are more important than others, and some of them are better said audibly than not, like who thinks they can catch a fly ball.
The chatter, then, generally refers to the near-constant amount of talking that comes from the infield as the players remind each other of the right procedure should they be hit a ball ("check two, go one" = "Check to see if the runner on second base is running for third. If so, throw the ball to the fielder at that base to apply a tag. If not, and the runner on second isn't too far off that they could be conceivably traded out by throwing to an arriving fielder at second, throw the ball to first to get the batter out." Baseball engages in a lot of shorthand in its audible communication. And in scorekeeping, too.), how many outs there are, and any runners ("two down, two ducks on the pond" = "Two outs in this half inning, and there are two runners on the basepaths to be accounted for."), as well as confidence talk to the pitcher ("no batter" = "Relax and throw pitches as if there were no hitter and you are at practice trying to hit your locations." Pitchers that try to force the ball to go places, instead of following their mechanics, tend to end up without control or throwing very hittable balls that professional players do not miss often.) and attempts at psychologically rattling the batter or goading them into bad decisions. This, the chatter is also there as a reminder to the pitcher that there are seven fielders behind them who are capable of making outs, so the pitcher doesn't have to try and strike out every batter.
At the professional level, there's considerably less ability to intimidate the batter with massive voices, not that it necessarily stops the chatter, just that everyone acknowledges that it stopped working sometime soon after it started. Much more likely to work is the conversation between catcher and batter, but the umpires trend to squash those before they can get started.
That same chatter continues as the ball is put in play. If you have the advantage of seeing live play without television intermediation, you will hear the infield explode with noise the minute the batter squares (turns their body for greater control of the bat) to bunt the ball, as the fielders charging the bunt from the positions closest to each foul line need to know before they pick up the ball where it needs to go. Fly balls are usually punctuated with the negotiations of who gets the privilege of catching the ball, and then infielders will direct where the ball should be going as the outfield prepares to make the catch (usually which base to throw to and whether to hit the "cutoff" person, whose job it is to catch throws cooking in from the outfield if they're trying to collect an out but aren't going to make it in time, so that they can then fire to another base if another runner is lazy in their baserunning and leaves a vulnerability), and ground balls have other players informing the fielder collecting the ball as to where it should go. It's a lot of communication and teamwork going on between players, as even those not directly involved in the play can relay vital information through observation of the situation unfolding. After every play, an out count and shorthand about where the baseball goes is usually passed along the players of the defense to make sure everyone is working with the same information when the pitcher starts in again. There's a lot of talking going on before each pitch.
What it means for someone drawing it from the deck depends on what position the question-giver is in. If they're the batter, it's a paper tiger of sorts, meant to try and be intimidating, but often ending up harmless. Let the chatter roll off like water and focus on the pitch being thrown. If you're a fielder, think about your situation and whether or not everyone is on the same page. If not, communicate. Lots, and loudly and visibly/audibly. If you're the pitcher, remember that there's an entire defense behind you that will assist you in getting outs. You lead the play, but you do not have to do everything by yourself. You do not have to strike out the side for this half-inning. (And frankly, it's much less tiring and stressful for you and your defense if you become a pitcher that can consistently get hitters to hit ground balls to your infielders. If they're competent, they'll record a lot of outs for the team and you'll be able to save your arm and go longer into games.) As with all advice for pitchers, relax and throw strikes. The managers and coaches, if they're competent, will notice if a fielder isn't contributing as much as needed and will talk with them about how to improve performance.
