Why Left-Handed Second Basemen Make More Sense

Nah… imagine if that was really my take lol.

What I actually want to talk about is how to watch playoff baseball a little differently.

I’m watching Braves–Phillies right now, and in the bottom of the second, Atlanta is already bunting to move a runner.

Why?

Because every run matters now.

The Phillies are a great example. Their playoff spot came down to Game 162. They had to use one of their starters just to get into this round, which changes how they enter a three-game series.

It made me think: over 162 games, how many opportunities were there to manufacture one extra run? Move a runner. Execute a bunt. Win a 2-0 count. Hit a cutoff man. Take the extra base. Make the right pitch.

How many little moments in April, May or June eventually helped determine where a team was standing in September?

Every play matters. You just don’t always know which one will matter later.

That’s why I love this first round.

If you’re a player watching today, don’t just watch home runs and strikeouts. Watch what happens between pitches.

Watch body language after failure. Watch breathing and tempo. Watch hitters in big situations. Who starts trying to do too much? Who stays with the approach that got them here?

Because the pressure is real.

Players interview well. They’ve been trained to say the right things: Treat it like any other game. Stick to the process. One pitch at a time.

And those things are true.

But they still feel it.

They know what’s at stake. They know when their team is counting on their production. They know millions of people are watching.

That’s what makes today so interesting.

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The Kids vs. The Vets in Houston

I’m really interested in the Sox – Stros series.

Chicago is coming off an 84-win season that nobody expected to end here, while Houston is back in October as a division champion.

There’s youth and newness on one side and a club with plenty of experience playing meaningful October baseball on the other.

I had the chance to coach Chase Meidroth in college summer ball when he was an incoming freshman in 2019.

The swag was already there.

Now I get to watch him on this stage. It’s fun to see guys continue and trust what they’re good at.

Watch the young White Sox players. Sometimes youth can be an advantage because you haven’t accumulated all the reasons you're supposed to be nervous yet.

Then watch Houston.

How does experience show itself?

Not necessarily through some big speech. Maybe it’s controlling the running game, taking the extra 90 feet, knowing when not to chase, slowing an inning down or simply recognizing the moment a little faster. Or maybe Yordan goes OFF!!! It’s crazy to think Yordan was a Dodger once upon a time as a 19-year-old prospect… You just never know who you’re trading for Josh Fields.

Tonight in New York

No Judge in the lineup hurts… but still a team full of big leaguers.

Cam Schlittler against Payton Tolle.

Arms will dictate tonight.

Schlittler was dominant against Boston in last year’s postseason and now gets them again in Game 1. On the other side is 23-year-old Tolle getting the ball at Yankee Stadium.

So watch:

Does Cam Schlittler continue this incredible run?

Or does Payton Tolle do Payton Tolle things in one of the biggest environments in baseball?

Forget their final pitching lines for a second.

Watch them after the first walk.

After the first hard-hit ball.

After an umpire doesn’t give them a pitch.

After somebody reaches second with nobody out.

That's where mental performance starts becoming visible. Payton wears his heart on everybody’s sleeve.. Looking forward to watching him as always.

And then PCA…

Pete Crow-Armstrong just put together a 40-40 season and has become one of the most dangerous players in baseball.

But tonight I’m watching something else.

Will PCA try to be the hero?

Or will he continue doing what he’s been doing all season?

That’s a huge part of playoff mental performance.

When the moment gets bigger, our instinct is often to believe we need to become bigger too.

Swing harder.

Throw harder.

Make something happen.

Be the guy.

But maybe the challenge is the opposite.

Can you trust what got you here?

Same breath.

Same routine.

Same preparation.

Same strike zone.

Same process.

Next pitch.

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Parents: watch with your kids

Parents, watch a game with your kids.

Kids, watch one with your friends.

And try actually watching the entire game.

Phones down for a while.

See what you notice.

Where do you see nerves?

Where does attention shift?

Who suddenly looks tight?

Who shows extra frustration?

Who starts rushing?

Who carries the last pitch into the next one?

Who looks basically the same whether he’s 0-for-3 or 3-for-3?

And one other suggestion:

Don’t let the broadcasters do all the thinking for you.

The play-by-play and analysis can be great, but there are also a lot of words filling a three-hour broadcast. Sometimes we hear an explanation and immediately accept that as what happened.

Try watching for yourself.

Watch the player.

Watch his eyes.

Watch his body.

Watch the dugout.

Watch what happens when the camera stays on somebody after a mistake.

Ask your kid:

“What did you notice there?”

Because here’s the fascinating part about October:

The game is still the same game.

The mound didn’t move.

The bases didn’t get farther apart.

The strike zone didn’t suddenly change because it’s the playoffs.

The environment changed.

The consequences changed.

The attention changed.

And the emotions changed.

But ultimately, it's still one pitcher, one hitter and one pitch.

That’s mental performance.

Can you continue playing the same game when everything around you is telling you that it isn’t the same game anymore?

Enjoy the playoffs.

But this year, try watching them a little differently.

— Curtis