

Swinging For The Fences - dmytton
http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2009/10/swinging-for-the-fences.html

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bendtheblock
Being English, this commonly used startup idiom is lost on me. I'm guessing
it's a baseball reference? To go all out, i.e. get the ball to the edge of the
field?

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gruseom
That's right. Except you're trying to get the ball _over_ the fences (a home
run).

Does a batter actually change his behavior if he intends to try for a home run
as opposed to a base hit? It looks to me as if they're just trying to get the
best hit they can. If so, the analogy isn't very good.

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ibsulon
A batter does change his behavior. There are multiple ways to hit. Sometimes,
you attempt to hit a ball to a gap in the defense, where it is difficult for a
player to make a play, and to get it there quickly. Sometimes, you try to hit
it down the line, because it's harder for the defense to get it to a base.
There's a sacrifice fly, where you are just trying to get the ball to the
person with the weakest arm, as far away as possible even knowing you don't
have the power to make it over the fence in that direction.

You can even attempt to hit a ball out of play just to bring the pitcher's
pitch count up and extend the batting series long enough for him to make a
mistake, or at least have to come out a little earlier than he would normally.

Some of this depends on the pitch you see. Professional players are making
these decisions based on how they see the pitch unravel.

Then, there's attempting for a home run. You put everything you have into the
swing and let it fly.

(These are all based on how early or late you start your swing, and how high
or low you swing.)

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gruseom
Thanks for the informed response. The analogy wins!

