Billy Martin's Education of Buck Showalter

[Going Underground]

I put this in another thread about something else but thought it might deserve it's own thread.

He showed me a thousand things, like how he stole the other teams signs, Showalter said. It was about watching the other manager and the opposing catcher, but the opposing batters, too.

Every team has the batter give a return signal to the third-base coach that acknowledges that a bunt, a steal or a hit-and-run is on. If you watch, you can pick up the return signal ? the batter taps his cleats or touches the brim of his cap. The key is to watch closely early in the game when they?re not doing any of those things, then notice the differences later in the game when more of those kinds of plays are going on.

He instructed the infielders in all these intricacies how you should make tags with a V motion, not a U motion, because a V is quicker, Showalter said. He talked about how you should never reach for a throw and never catch it in front of the base. Instead, let it come to you; a thrown ball travels faster to the base than your hands can. He was a stickler for how to perform a rundown, and his big thing was not to catch and chase the runner with the ball in a rundown. The runner has got to go back to some base; let him come to you. Be patient and don't panic.

He taught me to have my eyes darting everywhere, looking for something to use later in a game. Take a ball that one of your guys hits into the right-center-field gap. Billy said don?t watch the ball; you know it's going to be a double or a triple. Watch to see if the pitcher is backing up third. Is the left fielder moving? Are the relay guys in the proper order? How are the outfielders and infielders arms? You have a checklist of things to look for that might tell you something that you can use later.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/sports/baseball/billy-martins-education-of-buck-showalter.html?_r=0

[Redskins Rick]

Good info, thanks.

Billy was a hot head, and more known for his temper, but, he did understand the game.

[El Gordo]

Good info, thanks.

Billy was a hot head, and more known for his temper, but, he did understand the game.

Billy learned from Casey Stengel

[accinfo]

Good info, thanks.

Billy was a hot head, and more known for his temper, but, he did understand the game.

I am surprised he has not been put in the Hall of Fame as a manager. He won divisions titles with Minnesota, Detroit, Oakland and the Yankees. Winning one World Series.

[weams]

I am surprised he has not been put in the Hall of Fame as a manager. He won divisions titles with Minnesota, Detroit, Oakland and the Yankees. Winning one World Series.

He died Christmas day, drunk in his driveway. That's probably why he isn't.

[Going Underground]

He died Christmas day, drunk in his driveway. That's probably why he isn't.

Icy highway but both were drunk.

http://www.nytimes.com/1989/12/26/obituaries/billy-martin-of-the-yankees-killed-in-crash-on-icy-road.html?pagewanted=all

[Redskins Rick]

He died Christmas day, drunk in his driveway. That's probably why he isn't.

Billy pushed his teams hard, and they won, and they usually falter soon after they win.

Billy off-field fights were legendary, spent the whole 1970 season out of baseball after a ball fight after the 1969 post season.

[OFFNY]

o

William Nathaniel Showalter III now has 1,372 career wins, tying him with Davey Johnson for 29th place on MLB's all-time list.

https://twitter.com/masnRoch/status/739860904523636736

[Tx Oriole]

Billy learned from Casey Stengel

Wow. I didnt know that.

[Tx Oriole]

He died Christmas day, drunk in his driveway. That's probably why he isn't.

That's really sad. What a way for your life to end.

[OFFNY]

o

William Nathaniel Showalter III now has 1,372 career wins, tying him with Davey Johnson for 29th place on MLB's all-time list.

https://twitter.com/masnRoch/status/739860904523636736

Showlater has moved up 4 spots, to #25.

Last night's win over the Yankees (fittingly) has him tied with Miller Huggins on the all-time wins list, with 1,413.

https://twitter.com/masnRoch/status/771891013153595392

[weams]

I put this in another thread about something else but thought it might deserve it's own thread.

He showed me a thousand things, like how he stole the other teams signs, Showalter said. It was about watching the other manager and the opposing catcher, but the opposing batters, too.

Every team has the batter give a return signal to the third-base coach that acknowledges that a bunt, a steal or a hit-and-run is on. If you watch, you can pick up the return signal ? the batter taps his cleats or touches the brim of his cap. The key is to watch closely early in the game when they?re not doing any of those things, then notice the differences later in the game when more of those kinds of plays are going on.

He instructed the infielders in all these intricacies how you should make tags with a V motion, not a U motion, because a V is quicker, Showalter said. He talked about how you should never reach for a throw and never catch it in front of the base. Instead, let it come to you; a thrown ball travels faster to the base than your hands can. He was a stickler for how to perform a rundown, and his big thing was not to catch and chase the runner with the ball in a rundown. The runner has got to go back to some base; let him come to you. Be patient and don't panic.

He taught me to have my eyes darting everywhere, looking for something to use later in a game. Take a ball that one of your guys hits into the right-center-field gap. Billy said don?t watch the ball; you know it's going to be a double or a triple. Watch to see if the pitcher is backing up third. Is the left fielder moving? Are the relay guys in the proper order? How are the outfielders and infielders arms? You have a checklist of things to look for that might tell you something that you can use later.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/sports/baseball/billy-martins-education-of-buck-showalter.html?_r=0

Thanks. I do appreciate this subject matter.

[OFFNY]

o

William Nathaniel Showalter III now has 1,372 career wins, tying him with Davey Johnson for 29th place on MLB's all-time list.

https://twitter.com/masnRoch/status/739860904523636736

Showlater has moved up 4 spots, to #25.

Last night's win over the Yankees (fittingly) has him tied with Miller Huggins on the all-time wins list, with 1,413.

https://twitter.com/masnRoch/status/771891013153595392

And Showalter has indeed passed Miller Huggins on the all-time wins list for managers ........ with a win over the Yankees.

[atomic]

I am surprised he has not been put in the Hall of Fame as a manager. He won divisions titles with Minnesota, Detroit, Oakland and the Yankees. Winning one World Series.

He supposedly ruined all his starters arms overworking them in 1980 season in Oakland to win division title.

[OFFNY]

He supposedly ruined all his starters arms overworking them in 1980 season in Oakland to win division title.

Oakland won the division in 1981.

In 1980 they went 83-79, and came in 2nd place.