Eastern Philosophy in Baseball
[excerpt #2 from "Red Sox and Philosophy"]
[This is the second entry that can be found in the anthology book “Red Sox and Philosophy,” and my most spot on for the philosophical theme. Yes, the book is available on-line here. No, I don’t get any royalties. Enjoy!]
Though the majorities of their philosophical dialogues begin and end with the quandary, “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, do the Yankees gain a half-game?” Red Sox Nation has perhaps become even more deeply ingrained in the philosophical tenets and beliefs of the East.
They spend their days obsessing over whether the six-man pitching rotation would better suit the team’s needs; how much of a posting fee is too much to spend for an unproven Japanese commodity; the merits of sushi and California rolls at concession stands; and what life would be like if there were no pitch counts.
These concepts invite a new way of looking at their Fenway world, and allow an expansion of their knowledge. It is the equivalent to the recent movement where OBP (on-base percentage) was used to gauge a player’s batting abilities over simple BA (batting average). This change in behavior convinced front offices to turn their scouting departments over to the NP (nerd patrol).
Taking, the first “dilemmer” (as they say in Boston), that it is superfluous to most teams as they do not even have the resources to consider six-man rotations. Hence, the focus on Eastern philosophical abstracts is unique to very few teams among which Red Sox Nation could be considered the most fervent.
The theme of financial responsibility, however, comes up many times throughout all topics of philosophy. Is one not responsible for the act equally as the lack of an act? It is just as important to do something for oneself as it is to do something against the Yankees. That is to say, in this case, that a posting fee is only money, and no amount is too exorbitant if it means the Yankees do not get the player. . . (unless the player sucks, then it was waaaaayyyy too much and all front office executives should be fired for their irresponsible ways. . . and their dogs kicked. . . twice.)
But should the Yankees outspend the Red Sox only to find the sought after player becomes a knight in shining pinstripes, winning important games during the pennant race and beyond, especially against the Red Sox, it would force a reexamination of philosophical rituals akin to Jews deciding that bacon-wrapped shellfish is peachy keen.
Speaking of fish, hours are spent musing over the merits of sushi at the ball yard. Innings upon innings of verbal jousting come and go with the general consensus reached being that it simply depends on how much sauerkraut and relish you opt to put on it.
But the most contentious of movements adapted from Eastern philosophical tenets comes from mention of pitch counts. In the good old days (read: anytime before now), pitchers would throw 140 pitches a night. Then they’d hang their arms in their lockers, take a shower, and go for a beer before bed. The next day, it would be rinse and repeat. Now, the more they get paid, it seems, the fewer pitches they’re allowed to throw. (Heck, no one wants me throwing anything so I should be a millionaire!)
And so the argument goes back and forth. Isn’t fatigue a mechanism of an arm not being well-conditioned enough to sustain that many pitches? With more pitching should come the ability to throw more pitches, correct? Eastern philosophy allows for such theorizing. It is known as Matsuzakaism.
But some variants of this school of thought venture to say that it is reasonable to think that throwing too much too soon, particularly in some sort of worldwide exhibition showcase may not be wise. Even if it means winning a worthless Most Valuable Player award for this tournament.
The scope and breadth of Red Sox fans’ knowledge of philosophical issues from another region is impressive as they can easily carry on discussions regarding a cornucopia of topics and beliefs. They can even do so while shelving their usual Sam Adams in favor of an Asahi Hon-nama, Kirin Ichiban Shibori, or the popular Sapporo Black Label brew. Konichiwa.