During last night’s Yankee game, Joel Peralta of the Rays tried to quick pitch Jorge Posada in the 9th inning. Quick pitching is an attempt by the pitcher to deliver the ball before the hitter is set in the box and catch him off guard. Ed Rapuano -the home plate umpire- immediately called a “no pitch” and warned Peralta not to do this again.

I was unfamiliar with the official rule regarding this, and after conducting some researching on MLB.com, I believe that Ed Rapuano was also confused. Per rule Rule 8.05(e)

A quick pitch is an illegal pitch. Umpires will judge a quick pitch as one delivered before the batter is reasonably set in the batter’s box. With runners on base the penalty is a balk; with no runners on base, it is a ball. The quick pitch is dangerous and should not be permitted.
 
There was no one on base in this situation, so the pitch should have been called a ball rather than not counting. No telling if this would have changed the outcome of the game, but it isn’t often that you see a veteran umpire make a mistake with the rules.

When I was in Tampa earlier this year for Spring Training, I watched Nick Swisher, Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner go through a workout focused on outfield defensive drills. What stood out to me was their intensity and focus. They were committed to improving their play, getting better reads, taking more efficient routes and executing proper footwork.  This dedication has been apparent during this season.

Most Big League outfielders do not  execute the correct fundamentals on a daily basis. A common example is when a batter hits a fly ball, and a runner is on base and attempting to tag up. The correct way for an outfielder to play this to to get behind the ball on an angle in line with his intended target.  As the baseball comes down from its trajectory off the bat, the outfielder should begin running toward the ball, getting his body and momentum moving in the direction of his target line as he makes the catch. This will then lead to a stonger throw. Unfortunately, most outfielders in this situation get caught flat-footed, and then try to compensate for the lack of power by using arm strength. The end result, more times than not, is the throw does not reach the infielder in time and the runner advances to the next base.

That being said, it is really refreshing to watch the Yankee outfield carry these lessons from the spring over into the regular season and display sound fundamentals; think Brett Gardner throwing a runner out at the plate, Nick Swisher taking a proper angle and making a running catch in right center, or Curtis Granderson executing a correct drop-step, allowing him to outrun a ball deep into Death Valley.

These are not stats that appear nightly in box scores, but most definitely seperate mediocrity from Championship caliber baseball.