The game of baseball can sometimes be accidental. Many have used the term, “baseball happens” to explain the weirdness that happens in the game. That is what makes baseball a fun and unpredictable sport. But there are times where the game works out beautifully. Times where the planning, the preparation, and the skill all come together in a beautiful moment that is completely satisfying. In the series finale between the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday, Albert Almora’s performance was a shining example of this.
To say Albert isn’t a patient hitter is an understatement. Almora has walked only 19 times in 2018 and is seeing 3.35 pitches per plate appearance. This is what made Almora’s game Wednesday so brilliant.
Like mentioned, Almora is one of the last players in all of baseball to accept a four-pitch free-pass. But there he was on Wednesday earning a four consecutive pitch walk in his second at bat, then working an 0-2 count all the way back to a free pass in his third at bat.
These walks were big because it setup his fourth at bat, which was a home run.
Albert showed the Brewers that he was reserved to taking a free pass, which forced them to throw to him. When they did, he got a meaty biscuit that he placed in the bleachers. These are the small, little things that happen within a game that make baseball so fun to unravel and pay attention to. This was also a great moment that showed Almora the value of waiting for the opposing pitcher to give you your pitch, instead of being trigger happy.
Don’t misinterpret the message, Albert didn’t do a rope-a-dope here. He earned that home run through a very good approach in the previous at bats. This is part of the gamesmanship in baseball that makes it a beautifully rewarding game. Even had Albert flown out or weakly grounded out in that at bat, he earned the pitch he drove out of the park.
Hopefully Al brings a similar approach into his plate appearances throughout the rest of the season. If he does, he might become even more valuable than he was through the first four and a half months of the baseball season.
