The answer is, that they are.
As far as applying those fundamentals on the field?
Not so much.
Baseball is, for the most part, an individual game. There is no 'teamwork' in an at bat or on the mound, or in fielding a ball.
There are nine individuals defensively, most plays, though, are made individually.
In football, a block gets a teammate downfield. In basketball, setting a pick gets a teammate open to take a shot.
None of that happens in baseball.
HIJACKING MY OWN POST, WARNING....
Individuality is part of the reason in which I prefer fantasy baseball to fantasy football.
We truly are drafting players for their skills in baseball. Sure, there are teams or parks have some influence in where we take players.
We know that Mike Trout will play anywhere and still be the first pick. We know that Giancarlo Stanton plays in Jellystone Park and he's still a great pick.
Clayton Kershaw can pitch for any team and be first rate.
These players are self-reliant.
A great wide receiver in football needs a great quarterback to be an optimum pick.
A great running back needs a great offensive line.
A quarterback needs a running game, good blocking, and reliable receivers.
And also, each of these great players, the running back, wide receiver, and quarterback, needs a coach who will optimize their playmaking abilities. In baseball, the Manager makes out the lineup and can hardly stand in the way of a batter's four at bats.
Coming out of the closet here, fantasy football isn't even my second love anymore. That goes to fantasy golf.
I know, I know, you'll say it's boring watching golf.
And it is...unless picking golfers for fantasy.
It gives the juice to watch and to even get into players strengths and weaknesses when it comes to different courses.
And one of the best things about fantasy golf is that a teammate can never be blamed and we have nobody to blame but ourselves for picking a failing golfer.
Sorry for getting off track there....
There has been a plethora of downright silly plays made this year. Not physical errors, mental errors.
Beyond fundamentals.
Saturday night, a base runner leaving first base on a hit to right field was struck by the ball to end the game.
Then, it happened again, minutes later in another game.
I run a softball program that has a lot of folks who never played baseball in their lives. 16 games a night.
Never had two people hit by a batted ball the same night. Especially to end a game.
Greed has overidden fundamentals at the highest level.
Maybe these runners thought the risk of getting hit by the ball was worth the chance to make it to third base.
If so, I don't know why.
Yesterday, Trevor Bauer owners were probably mortified at his implosion of an inning.
They would have been absolutely crushed to find out that the Blue Jays received five outs in that inning without an error committed. Making all six runs scored in the inning, earned.
With runners on second and third, one out, a run in, light hitting Ryan Goins hits a one-hopper to Carlos Santana.
Santana had just been doubled off second base on an infield pop-up. What he was doing off second base, nobody knows.
Santana, maybe looking to make up for his base running blunder does the right thing in running at Kevin Pillar who is caught off third base. While Santana is running at him, Pillar inches back towards third. Santana keeps running at him till no space is left to toss the ball. Pillar realizing this, makes a dive back to third with Santana making a dive towards him. Pillar beats the tag. Fielders choice. Bauer has the bases loaded.
Ezekial Carrera then hits a Baltimore chop. The ball is coming down between pitchers mound and first base. Bauer, the fielder has his back turned away from the plate. His only play is to first base. But greed makes him look at home plate after catching the ball. That hesitation enables Carrera to beat Bauer's late throw to first. Base hit, run scores.
The Indians should be out of the inning.
Devon Travis hits a grand slam and Bauer and his drafters are unhappy folks.
His numbers say he pitched badly.
Numbers don't count greed or mental errors.