Baseball's Extreme

By Stephen C. Smith
Publisher
July 18, 2010

Two runners on second base, and it's legal — Toby Hagelberger leads off from the wide-side, Adam Konstant from the flip-side.

I fell in love at first sight with the National Extreme Baseball League.

As with all crushes, I tend to overlook its flaws, which are many. But the attraction is there, which I wholeheartedly admit.

The NXBL describes itself as "semi-pro" but in reality the talent level is about the same as a typical adult amateur league. The players are mostly amateurs who once played baseball in high school or college. They joined the league to continue playing the game, about once a week.

What makes the NXBL unique is its “Double Diamond Baseball” format. The infield has a set of orange bases next to the traditional white bases. The first batter in each inning runs the white bases, called the "wide-side," in the counterclockwise direction. The second batter runs the orange bases, called the "flip-side," in a clockwise direction. The runners continue to alternate through the innning until the third out is recorded.

Click here to watch a video clip of Double Diamond Baseball. You need Windows Media Player and a broadband (cable modem, DSL) Internet connection to watch.

For me, Double Diamond's instant appeal is that it negates the advantage right-handed people have had in the game of baseball since its inception in the mid-19th Century. We left-handers can't play second base, shortstop, third base or catcher because the counterclockwise running motion creates all sorts of problems for lefties at those positions.

Double Diamond's flip-side bases eliminate that advantage. When the players run clockwise, left-handed infielders have the advantage.

One flaw, I think, is allowing the traditional counterclockwise "wide-side" to begin each inning. Let's say the batters go 1-2-3. Batters #1 and #3 ran wide-side. In the next inning, the leadoff hitter will again bat "wide-side." So that's three out of four batters hitting from the "wide-side." Right-handed infielders still have the advantage. I think the next inning should begin where the last inning left off, so over the course of the game we have roughly even plays on the wide-side and the flip-side.

I'm not thrilled with the terms "wide-side" and "flip-side." They don't intuitively tell you which direction is which. I'd be happy with simply calling them "white" and "orange" which is how they appear visually. White first base is next to orange third base. Orange first base is next to white third base. The white and orange second bases are next to each other. Simple enough to understand.

A new rule was implemented on July 17, the "extreme designated hitter." Each team may designate an "XDH" who can bat up to six times a game, once in an inning, at any time in that inning. This probably results in more action, or at least more anticipated action, because if there are many runners on base and the XDH comes up, theoretically the odds are greater that runs will score. But in the July 17 game between the Space Coast Rockets and Orlando Dragons, the XDH was twice defused with a simple intentional walk.

Walks, intentional or otherwise, work quite differently in Double Diamond format. With three white and three orange bases, a bases-loaded situation means six runners — three on the white bases, three on the orange bases. A pitcher who loses his control could walk six in a row before possibly forcing in a run.

Double Diamond's strength is that you see plays and situations you've never seen before in "classic baseball." Runners seem to be on the move a lot more because the game is more complex. Let's say there are runners on white first and orange first. On a double steal, they're both headed for second base from opposite directions. Who to tag? In the July 17 game, one runner was on white second, the other on orange first. The latter runner took off for orange second, while the other runner simply held. He kept his base occupied, thereby becoming an obstacle for the defense.

It's very common to see runners passing each other, running in opposite directions. The smart runners communicate with each other, reminding who will run where if they approach each other. I've yet to see a collision, but it's only a matter of time.

The NXBL has an encroachment rule that forbids two runners from approaching home plate simultaneously from opposite directions. This is for the safety of the catcher. I'd like to see that rule eliminated because, frankly, I want to see how a catcher defends his position in that situation, but I also understand the reason for the rule. These players don't have league-provided insurance, so if they get hurt it's on their own dime.

The most common mental error is for batters to run towards the wrong first base for their at-bat. One league umpire came up with a good idea to help solve that problem. When working the infield, he stands behind the pitcher to the wide-side or to the flip-side when it's that side's turn. But batters often seem incapable of overcoming decades of baseball instinct. It's not unusual to see a batter reverse course upon reaching the wrong first base. He has to retrace his steps and pass through the batting circle before heading for the correct base. I'd tweak that rule by requiring him to touch home plate on the way back, just as a baserunner retracing his steps must touch the base he passed through.

Rosters don't seem to be that stable, because the players participate in their spare time. The July 17 event began with completion of a game suspended from June 26. The two teams' head coaches inserted themselves in the lineups to have enough players to complete the game. During the regularly scheduled contest, three Rockets players got into a fight with each other in the dugout, and were ejected by the umpires. That left Space Coast with only eight players; under league rules, they were allowed to continue, but had only two outfielders and when the vacant ninth batting slot came up, it was recorded as an automatic out.

Having been around professional baseball for thirteen years covering the Los Angeles Angels' minor leagues for my other web site FutureAngels.com, I long to see Double Diamond played by full-time professional athletes. One can only imagine what athletes in peak condition, led by professional managers whose job is to understand the intricacies of the game, could do with Double Diamond.

Making the leap to full-time professional baseball, though, would require a massive infusion of cash coupled by a hefty advertising campaign. It appears that current ownership either doesn't have the resources to do so, or simply chooses not to do so.

Such a league would probably be similar to independent baseball which operates separately from “Organized Baseball,” i.e. Major League Baseball and its minor league affiliates. As we saw with the Florida Winter Baseball League, it's very easy for such an operation to implode if it's undercapitalized.

Ownership may be happy with the game's current status, and that's certainly their right. I can't help but think, though, what might happen if one day major-league quality ballplayers took the field in a major-league caliber stadium to play Double Diamond Baseball.

The NXBL is scheduled to play through mid-November. Click here for the official schedule on the NXBL web site.

Below are photos from the July 17 completion of the earlier suspended game.

Rockets outfielder Duane Williams and his date for the evening.

 

Orlando Dragons head coach Mark Schanback confers with Rockets head coach Toby Hagelberger before the suspended game resumes.

 

Mark Schanback doubles as his relief pitcher to help the Dragons complete the suspended game.

 

Duane Williams attempts a steal of the wide-side (white) second base.

 

Shane Williams scores from the flip-side for the Rockets.

 

Kevin Huerta and Eddie Freeman lead off from their second bases. Kevin is on the flip-side, Eddie is on the wide-side.

 

Rockets catcher Evan Proctor blocks the plate as Dragons runner Christian Avevado tries to score.

 

Christian Avevado appeals to a higher authority after he's called out at home.

 

Only in the NXBL ... The Dragons' Dustin Williams heads for the flip-side second base while Jason Bargerstock holds at the wide-side second base.

 

The Dragons' catcher has a good laugh. The game's supposed to be fun, isn't it?

 

An osprey comes in for a landing atop an outfield light pole.