The Atlanta Braves Made that Catch

Ender Inciarte made the Catch of the Year for the Braves last night. But it wasn’t a fluke and it wasn’t about timing .  It was about one team’s attitude.

"IT WAS the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way- in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.     – Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities"

The contrast exhibited last night in the Atlanta Braves victory over the New York Mets was this stark.  It was about a team going nowhere that nonetheless looked the part of the playoff underdog, fighting and scrapping to come back from an early hole.

It was also about a team that has often looked like they just want to get through the next ten days and then finally get the playoffs started… perhaps figuring they will ‘turn it on’ then.  Or perhaps figuring on an early exit.

The Epoch of Incredulity

It’s going to sound like I’m picking on one specific player for the Mets, but this incident below is merely a symptom – and the one that seems to stand out the most.

The Mets had built an early 3-0 lead on the Braves, but by the time the bottom of the 8th inning had rolled around, that lead was gone.  After a fly out, Yoenis Cespedes came in and nearly drove a ball out of the park.  No, not the game ending whack:  this one just escaped the grasp of left fielder Matt Kemp.

The tell-tale comment came from one of the Mets broadcasters:

"“Cespedes wasn’t running hard, and he’ll have to settle for two bases.”"

Translation:  he should have been on third base.

This behavior stands alone from events that transpired later in the inning:  that Curtis Granderson was intentionally walked and Mets manager Terry Collins then had both runners conduct a double steal – putting Cespedes on third base, albeit two batters later in the inning.

As a ballplayer, athlete, person…. you cannot forecast a future.  You can only do what you have control of at the moment, for you never know what the next moment will bring.  You run hard, play hard, you do the best thing for the situation in front of you and hopefully you’re in position for the next situation coming up.

For the Mets, it just seems to be an attitude that pervades the club – no spark, no life.  More examples:

• Jay Bruce jogging halfway down the line on sharp grounder speared by Freddie Freeman (didn’t even drop the bat).
• The team treading water as they should be fighting for that last playoff spot (currently in a 3-way tie).

The Epoch of Belief

If you have not noticed, then shame on you, for the Atlanta Braves are playing baseball with exactly that correct attitude… and they have been through most of the season, despite the results not being there to validate the effort at times.

It isn’t just Inciarte.  It’s the team.  You can see it when no player seems to concede any play.  All grounders are run-out hard… even by catchers.  There have been numerous diving catches… and near-catches.  Players are looking to take the extra base unless stopped.

Nothing is conceded.

Attitude like that will not – in and of itself – make spectacular plays.  Attitude like that will put you into the position to make a spectacular play when the situation presents itself.

Inciarte himself hasn’t made all of the catches.  Recently (see right), he made a dive for one in shallow Left-field that missed on a rain-soaked track.  But what was he doing in left field in the first place?  He conceded nothing.

Spectacular isn’t going to happen often.  But it never happens if you’re not ready or prepared.  Spectacular does happen when time, circumstances, and preparation all arrive at the same destination together.  The preparation part comes with your own skill, discipline, and attitude.

Atlanta looks at player “make up” a lot when deciding who to acquire – whether via draft or via trade.  That explains why Tim Tebow was of interest to the organization.  That explains why Jace Peterson is well-respected by the staff.  I could continue… and that’s the point.

That also explains why the Hector Olivera incident was such a shock – and in turn explains their direct (and expensive) response.

Ender Inciarte was asked about the play last night (of course).  Here’s one thing he said:

That’s what he said, yes.  But we’ve seen what he does in these situations.  He’s flying around the field, diving after balls, chasing liners, running out infield ground balls and making them bang-bang plays.

It didn’t really matter if that were the 9th inning or the 3rd inning.  Inciarte is going for that ball.

There are a whole lot of teammates going for it with him.  They are showing that same kind of attitude each and every day – playing over their heads in the process.

Next: The Best of the Minors - 2016

“The Catch” was a team catch.  I want to root for this city and the “Spring of Hope”.