Point, Click ... Pinch-Hit?
Listen closely and you can hear the crack of the bat, the pop of the catcher's glove, and the … pitter-patter of David "Big Papi" Ortiz's beefy fingers on a laptop?
Yes, according to today's New York Times article:
David Ortiz of the Red Sox does not look like a computer nerd, but he is. Ortiz is a slave to the laptop, hunkering over it several times a day, especially during games, to analyze at-bats. He wants to see how pitchers approached him, how he reacted and whether they had a counter-response.This is merely a media angle on a story that has engaged the sporting chatter in recent years: Namely, getting outside help for your in-game performance. No, this doesn't quite rise to the unethical and illegal levels of "andro," "the clear" or other biochemical performance-enhancers. At the same time, though, there's something that feels a bit wrong about it all.Because Ortiz is a designated hitter with one, and only one, responsibility, he has the luxury of studying videos on the computer after every at-bat…
"I think the best thing that ever happened to the baseball game is the video, the quick highlight or whatever is happening out there," Ortiz said.When Ortiz made his debut with the Minnesota Twins in 1997, he said, they used videocassette recorders to tape games. If Ortiz wanted to watch previous at-bats, he had to wait until the game ended and then fast forward through every other player to see his at-bats. It was a tedious process, one that prevented a player from gleaning insight when he needed it most: during games.
But because of advancements in technology, that methodical style has been replaced by a faster one. Seconds after Ortiz bats against C. C. Sabathia of the Cleveland Indians in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Friday night, he can retreat to the clubhouse and study on a laptop every pitch that he just saw. (Emphasis mine. -MTF)
With one click, Ortiz can also watch every at-bat that he has ever had against Sabathia in case he wants to search for a specific pitch. The batter-pitcher history compiled by the team is condensed to only include the pitches, not any tosses to first or visits from the pitching coach. It is all meat, no filler.
Yes, the issue of technological performance-enhancers is one that the the sporting community hasn't yet begun to get its head around with any consistency. (A) Tiger Woods receives Lasik eye surgery and gets a bit more accurate; (B) Ortiz gets to point-and-click his way to a potentially game-changing hit; (C) the New England Patriots videotape their opponent's defensive signals to gain an advantage.
Yet one of those tactics is deemed illegal. (It's C, for those who don't follow sports.) And regardless of whether any professional sports organization decides to crack down on the first two 'legal' technological enhancements, it leads this sports fan to wonder what sort of damage Ted Williams could've done with a laptop at his disposal. Or what Jack Nicklaus could've accomplished with a little better eyesight.
Now talk that over while you watch the games this weekend.