Comments on: Dick Williams and the moving second base http://www.cheatersguidetobaseball.com/2007/02/05/dick-williams-and-the-moving-second-base/ Baseball, Cheating, and Rules discussion at the author's blog for the Cheater's Guide to Baseball Fri, 07 Dec 2007 06:29:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: DMZ http://www.cheatersguidetobaseball.com/2007/02/05/dick-williams-and-the-moving-second-base/#comment-5 DMZ Tue, 06 Feb 2007 20:23:00 +0000 http://www.zumsteg.net/cheatersguide/?p=4#comment-5 To get two feet closer to first and move it straight in towards home, you're moving it about three feet in, and that's going to look even weirder to the catchers, who'll see that it's about 64' to the top of the mound and then 61' from top of the mound to second. To get two feet closer to first and move it straight in towards home, you’re moving it about three feet in, and that’s going to look even weirder to the catchers, who’ll see that it’s about 64′ to the top of the mound and then 61′ from top of the mound to second.

]]> By: Evan http://www.cheatersguidetobaseball.com/2007/02/05/dick-williams-and-the-moving-second-base/#comment-6 Evan Tue, 06 Feb 2007 19:40:00 +0000 http://www.zumsteg.net/cheatersguide/?p=4#comment-6 What if he moved second base directly toward home plate? That would screw up the angles at the corners, but since the baseline to second is never drawn it would be a lot harder to catch. What if he moved second base directly toward home plate? That would screw up the angles at the corners, but since the baseline to second is never drawn it would be a lot harder to catch.

]]> By: Adam http://www.cheatersguidetobaseball.com/2007/02/05/dick-williams-and-the-moving-second-base/#comment-7 Adam Tue, 06 Feb 2007 17:33:00 +0000 http://www.zumsteg.net/cheatersguide/?p=4#comment-7 I'd never heard of the specific story before, but I agree with your conclusion that it's almost impossible for this to have gone on without being noticed.<br /><br />I play a fair amount of recreational softball and sometimes the field maintenance team doesn't get the bases in the right place. When they're off by six inches -- much less two feet -- it's pretty obvious. And I don't have Ted Williams vision. You'd have to move 3B (as you said) and the pitching mound as well, too fool the eye.<br /><br />Is there any breakdown of SB/CS by home/road that far back in time? Or will Baseball Reference's query pages pull that out easily? No doubt Williams had the team running more, and maybe he <i>told</i> then second base was closer. Ironically, all that running had an overall negative effect on their scoring. I’d never heard of the specific story before, but I agree with your conclusion that it’s almost impossible for this to have gone on without being noticed.

I play a fair amount of recreational softball and sometimes the field maintenance team doesn’t get the bases in the right place. When they’re off by six inches — much less two feet — it’s pretty obvious. And I don’t have Ted Williams vision. You’d have to move 3B (as you said) and the pitching mound as well, too fool the eye.

Is there any breakdown of SB/CS by home/road that far back in time? Or will Baseball Reference’s query pages pull that out easily? No doubt Williams had the team running more, and maybe he told then second base was closer. Ironically, all that running had an overall negative effect on their scoring.

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