To have a successful Baseball Team, there are three very important factors.
It's a full count in the bottom of the ninth inning in the seventh game of the World Series. The game is tied 3-3. The pitch, the swing, it's a long fly ball, it's deep, and it's gone! Homerun! Game over! Most people would only remember the home run that it took to win this game. But to truly appreciate all that went into winning the game, one would need to understand all the hard work that puts a team into a position to be successful. There are three common threads that all successful baseball teams have, excellent defense, timely hitting, and quality pitching.
First of all, there is an adage that says, "Defense wins Championships". All excellent defenses make the routine plays just that, routine. In doing so, this eliminates throwing errors. Errors can change the momentum of a game in a hurry, as it gives the opposition extra chances to beat you. An excellent defense will also turn double plays with consistency. In doing so, you can produce two outs with one swing of the bat. This is a must if you want to give your team the best chance to win. .
Secondly, you must have timely hitting. This includes such things as getting the lead off man on base at the beginning of each inning. This will keep the pressure on the opposition. Along with the lead off man, it is also very important to hit with power. As well all know, the home run can be a very effective technique to score runs. And maybe the most important item to remember when hitting is, when you have runners on base, and in scoring position, it is imperative to get hits. This will drive in those base runners and put runs on the scoreboard for your team.
Last but certainly not least, you need quality pitching. This consists of a strong starting pitcher who can get you to the sixth or seventh inning with minimal damage. Keeping your team mentally in the game, which is also very important.
