You may or may not have heard the baseball phrase "around the horn", but more than likely, you've seen it. Infield players throw the ball around the horn after an out is recorded and there are no runners on base. Although the practice is more tradition based than anything else, the line of thinking is that it helps infielders keep their arms warmed up and loose during the game.
Example: the hitter hits a ground ball to the 3rd baseman who then throws it to the 1st baseman for the out. The 1st baseman will then throw the ball to the 2nd baseman--2B to the Shortstop--SS to to the 3rd baseman who is usually the one to return the ball to the pitcher. That is the typical pattern, but some teams alter it slightly.
Catchers will also start the ball around the horn after a strikeout with no runners on base. Most commonly, the catcher will fire the ball to the 3B who begins the cycle 3B-2B-SS-3B and then back to the pitcher. Some catchers will pick which base they throw to based on the handedness of the hitter.
There's your 2nd edition of Fan Friendly Fridays. Have a good weekend everyone.
2 comments:
I'm loving Fan Friendly Fridays!
OK - so this may be a super super stupid question, but why do they call it "the horn"?
Melodye,
I just read on a baseball dictionary site that throwing the ball around the horn is taken from a sailing term. Prior to the building of the Panama Canal, the only way to reach the other hemisphere was to sail "around the horn" meaning Cape Horn, the tip of South America.
Take that for what it is, I can't guarantee the accuracy, but the logic makes sense to me.
Another part of the tradition of throwing the ball around the horn that I have read is that it's a simple way to make sure the bases are clear. While that may have been the case at some point, I figure it's mostly just to show off/keep infielders arms warm.
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