I’m watching the Cubs play at the Texas Rangers today.  In the top of the 6th, Soriano worked a walk, and is taking a lead from first.  Brenly mentions that Soriano has his right foot (the one closest to second base) slightly behind the right foot.  According to Brenly, this allows Soriano to get  a better jump, because his left foot (the one he takes his first step with when he tries to steal) won’t have to come all the way around the right foot.  I had never heard that before, but after thinking about it, it makes sense.

I was never able to actually hit a pitched ball, much less hit it with enough authority to get on base.  Most leagues I played in also had a “Courtesy Runner” rule, where you could substitute anyone from the bench to run for someone on base.  Being fat and slow, and having almost never gotten on base, I was always subbed out.  So it’s no surprise that I don’t know much about baserunning.

Meanwhile, I can see a drawback to Soriano’s offset leadoff.  If he has to get back to first base, then his right foot has to come further around to get the first step back.  This means he has to stay a little closer to the bag, and therefore will take longer to get to second on a steal.  Overall, I suspect this evens out with the advantage you get in a better jump to second.

There’s a third possibility, which is that the open stance allows him to get a better view of the pitcher, which could prove invaluable in getting a read on the pitcher’s move to first.  In this case, the guy on the mound is CJ Wilson, a southpaw.  So that makes a some sense.

As the inning continues, Soriano is on the run with a 3-2 count, and Nady drops a pop fly down the right field line.  Brenly and Len Kasper wonder if he’d have been better off running through to third because if the ball is caught, he’s going to be doubled off of first no matter what.  I think I agree, but this has to be a rare baserunning situation, even for the experienced guys.  He didn’t get forced out, that’s the important thing.

Soriano is subsequently out on a groundball toward the hole at short, where Michael Young makes a good play to get to the ball and flips it to third because that’s his only play.  He’s out on the force.  The next batter, Koyie Hill, knocks a dying quail into right, and Nady goes face-first into the shin guards of the cacher to score an insurance run.  I don’t know how he didn’t break his nose and separate both shoulders on that play.

This is probably the most interesting inning of baseball I’ve seen since October 2003.  But let’s not talk about that.