The Next Adjustment: A Baseball Opinion
Adjustments are as ripe to the game as the base and ball. A ball player adjusts his swing to the pitch; if he’s displeased with his contact he adjusts his run to a jog. After being thrown out he adjusts his cup: usually a sign of suave indifference. Then players and coaches alike chew gum and spit chaw in the dugout resembling a manger of yaks. Now more than ever 'adjustments' beyond the playing field and in the front office are so dope and trending.
GM’s and their cronies crush it on excel, storm out in a fit full of sexuality and mystery and maybe danger, have a meek secretary hold their coat up behind them as their shrug it on, then zoom away on their Ducati, coat tails to the wind. Parsing a new algorithm, thinking of a way to discover intricate details between players.
That adjustment virtual. It is alive in the game and will become more advanced and pervasive. It will lead us into a new era of hitting in baseball, the virtual one.
The 70’s had meth the 80’s had cocaine the 90’s had steroids and meth and cocaine. The 2000’s had less of all those things and the 2010’s will be marked with virtual reality. It will not get the sexy attention of being a badass ball player trying to get an edge. But it will give back an edge to hitters specifically.
Hitters have to deal with more pitchers than ever before. Teams carry 8-9 relief pitchers that are increasingly working to specialize. There is an old baseball saying that you get one good pitch to hit every at bat, if this is true that pitch is getting more difficult to hit.
Virtual reality will be used to train players to hit a specific pitcher’s pitch. They will be able to replicate an Aroldis Chapman fastball (the fastest ever thrown at 105mph). And maybe just as Chapman is warming up the batter will warm up too. In the on deck circle with an oculus rift headset.
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