[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.]
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redsnake05 wanted to know about the Page of Wands, which translates into the Switch Hitter, the Eleven of Bats in the Baseball Tarot.
Most people have a dominant hand in their life. As Ned Flanders has pointed out, most people are right-handed, and about one in six or so is left-handed. The dominant hand is usually stronger in life, and tends to be the hand that moves first in new situations or to pick up objects. It also tends to be the hand that learns how to write in any language.
So it is in baseball - so much so that on someone's trading card, it will mention what hand they throw the ball with and from which side of home plate they bat. Baserunners do different things in relation to whether the pitcher throws with their right hand or their left. Leads tend to be larger against right-handed pitchers because it takes them longer to throw a ball to a base and they can't disguise their pickoff attempts as easily. While skill trumps all, you might find the shortstop is left-handed and the second baseman is right-handed because it allows them to avoid throwing across their body when relaying the second throw if a double play ball to first base, shaving a small amount of precious time off the exchange, which could mean the difference between success at getting two outs or having to settle for one against a fast batter.
Now, some people are blessed with the ability to use each hand equally well in their scenarios, and others work hard and train at being able to do the same - they may never achieve the ability to write Latin on one hand and Greek on the other, but they can make it possible to use whatever hand happens to be free to handle new possibilities. Someone who can be equally effective with both hands will be marveled at by a lot of people, and possibly take up hobbies and professions where that ability will be useful.
Statistically speaking, players that bat from the opposite side of the plate as the arm the pitcher throws from do better, both in terms of batting average and in batting power. Seeing the pitches come from the outside part of the plate names it easier to tell which pitches are going to be good ones to lay off of and which ones will make Ben Grimm very happy. It also removes much of the instinct to want to get out of the way of pitches that look like they are going to hit the batter, which has to be fought off to tag balls that start inside and then move out over the plate for called strikes. So with the majority of hitting and throwing from the right, anybody who can hit from the left, whether as their natural state, or from training, can try and collect their statistical advantage. (Against good pitching, though, batting from the other side won't help. And even then, the difference is sometimes a very small addition to the batting average - significant over time, and possibly in clutch situations, if a hitter is lucky, but not always a big benefit easily realisable. And all of this is still in the context that success three times out of every ten official at-bats is a really good season.)
Which makes the switch-hitter, someone who can hit from either side of the plate, depending on where the pitcher is throwing from, the closest thing to a unicorn baseball has. They have the magic power of making the statistics as favorable as they can, of being able to beat any defensive shift intended to take advantage of their hitting tendencies, of being able to bunt from the short side as needed, and aim themselves to hit toward the part of the field that will advance the offense in the best possible way. They can basically arrange every trip to the plate to have the maximum potential for success, according to the statistics.
That's not to say a great career can't be made by hitting from just one side of the plate - switch-hitting is still a relatively rare skillset, much like ambidexterity, and to learn it takes a lot of practice and retraining the brain to be able to just swing the bat the other way, and then a lot more in development of mechanics and raw strength to be able to actually swing the bat well from both sides. For someone who may not be commanding superstardom or is otherwise a hitter of professional caliber but not a marquee player, picking up the ability to switch-hit could improve their salary prospects, playing time, and might make them more valuable to the team they are playing for (or will be playing for in the future). It's an investment for the player and the coaching staff, but one that will likely pay good returns.
When this card shows up, much like the Page of Wands, it represents someone with skills and a mental outlook that allows them to be flexible in how they approach situations. By approaching the situation from multiple possible angles, they can choose one with a high likelihood of success. They're not set enough in the ways of how things are done to keep hammering at a problem and hoping it will work this time. They may not always have the best solution to any problem or situation, but their flexibility means they may be the ones who discover the better solution than the current best.
If you're the switch-hitter, take pride in your abilities and keep them sharp so that you can continue to blaze trails that others thought were impassable. Be careful of being contrary just to be contrary, and remember that switch-hitting is supposed to result in delivery of more hits for your team - if your production isn't up to par, you may not be able to continue switch-hitting.
If you manage switch-hitters, one of the more important things to do with them is give them running room and to take advantage of their skill sets. By letting them explore and engage with things on their own terms, you may make discoveries that turn out to be very useful later on. Plus, they'll feel happier that you're using all of their potential, instead of restricting them to using only a small part of it. It wouldn't hurt to also have an idea box or feedback system in place so that you can capture their observations and ideas when they arise.
redsnake05 wanted to know about the Page of Wands, which translates into the Switch Hitter, the Eleven of Bats in the Baseball Tarot.Most people have a dominant hand in their life. As Ned Flanders has pointed out, most people are right-handed, and about one in six or so is left-handed. The dominant hand is usually stronger in life, and tends to be the hand that moves first in new situations or to pick up objects. It also tends to be the hand that learns how to write in any language.
So it is in baseball - so much so that on someone's trading card, it will mention what hand they throw the ball with and from which side of home plate they bat. Baserunners do different things in relation to whether the pitcher throws with their right hand or their left. Leads tend to be larger against right-handed pitchers because it takes them longer to throw a ball to a base and they can't disguise their pickoff attempts as easily. While skill trumps all, you might find the shortstop is left-handed and the second baseman is right-handed because it allows them to avoid throwing across their body when relaying the second throw if a double play ball to first base, shaving a small amount of precious time off the exchange, which could mean the difference between success at getting two outs or having to settle for one against a fast batter.
Now, some people are blessed with the ability to use each hand equally well in their scenarios, and others work hard and train at being able to do the same - they may never achieve the ability to write Latin on one hand and Greek on the other, but they can make it possible to use whatever hand happens to be free to handle new possibilities. Someone who can be equally effective with both hands will be marveled at by a lot of people, and possibly take up hobbies and professions where that ability will be useful.
Statistically speaking, players that bat from the opposite side of the plate as the arm the pitcher throws from do better, both in terms of batting average and in batting power. Seeing the pitches come from the outside part of the plate names it easier to tell which pitches are going to be good ones to lay off of and which ones will make Ben Grimm very happy. It also removes much of the instinct to want to get out of the way of pitches that look like they are going to hit the batter, which has to be fought off to tag balls that start inside and then move out over the plate for called strikes. So with the majority of hitting and throwing from the right, anybody who can hit from the left, whether as their natural state, or from training, can try and collect their statistical advantage. (Against good pitching, though, batting from the other side won't help. And even then, the difference is sometimes a very small addition to the batting average - significant over time, and possibly in clutch situations, if a hitter is lucky, but not always a big benefit easily realisable. And all of this is still in the context that success three times out of every ten official at-bats is a really good season.)
Which makes the switch-hitter, someone who can hit from either side of the plate, depending on where the pitcher is throwing from, the closest thing to a unicorn baseball has. They have the magic power of making the statistics as favorable as they can, of being able to beat any defensive shift intended to take advantage of their hitting tendencies, of being able to bunt from the short side as needed, and aim themselves to hit toward the part of the field that will advance the offense in the best possible way. They can basically arrange every trip to the plate to have the maximum potential for success, according to the statistics.
That's not to say a great career can't be made by hitting from just one side of the plate - switch-hitting is still a relatively rare skillset, much like ambidexterity, and to learn it takes a lot of practice and retraining the brain to be able to just swing the bat the other way, and then a lot more in development of mechanics and raw strength to be able to actually swing the bat well from both sides. For someone who may not be commanding superstardom or is otherwise a hitter of professional caliber but not a marquee player, picking up the ability to switch-hit could improve their salary prospects, playing time, and might make them more valuable to the team they are playing for (or will be playing for in the future). It's an investment for the player and the coaching staff, but one that will likely pay good returns.
When this card shows up, much like the Page of Wands, it represents someone with skills and a mental outlook that allows them to be flexible in how they approach situations. By approaching the situation from multiple possible angles, they can choose one with a high likelihood of success. They're not set enough in the ways of how things are done to keep hammering at a problem and hoping it will work this time. They may not always have the best solution to any problem or situation, but their flexibility means they may be the ones who discover the better solution than the current best.
If you're the switch-hitter, take pride in your abilities and keep them sharp so that you can continue to blaze trails that others thought were impassable. Be careful of being contrary just to be contrary, and remember that switch-hitting is supposed to result in delivery of more hits for your team - if your production isn't up to par, you may not be able to continue switch-hitting.
If you manage switch-hitters, one of the more important things to do with them is give them running room and to take advantage of their skill sets. By letting them explore and engage with things on their own terms, you may make discoveries that turn out to be very useful later on. Plus, they'll feel happier that you're using all of their potential, instead of restricting them to using only a small part of it. It wouldn't hurt to also have an idea box or feedback system in place so that you can capture their observations and ideas when they arise.
