I wonder how many baseball coaches think with a negative thought in mind before implementing a play. Should I risk a triple play hardly seems like a prudent way of thinking. However, it would be remiss to not consider it when putting on a hit and run with runners on 1st and 2nd.
Runners on 1st and 2nd, 0 outs. Do I "start" the runners in a 3-2 count? Do I put on a hit and run? These are decisions that a manager must decide on in the heat of the moment. The thinking is that if you start the runner you could avoid a double play while moving a runner to 3B with 1 out. Certainly, you could have a better result with a base hit but at the least a runner at 3B with 1 out is music to most offensive teams.
But, what also could happen could be catastrophic. What if the batter ropes a line drive that get caughts in the infield. Well, quite simply a triple play.
Does it cross a manager's mind when putting the runners in motion? It should. I would suggest that the nature of the pitcher should have a big say in whether or not it is a good decision. If the pitcher induces a lot of ground balls then I would think it would be worth the risk. Staying out of the double play is a very important part of offensive gameplanning.
The next time a triple play is recorded, check if it was of this variety. I'll even go so far as to say the majority of triple plays probably occur in 3-2 counts as that is the count where most runners run.
I wonder if those stats are out there somewhere.
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