THE BOOK--Playing The Percentages In Baseball

That is pretty scary how fast you posted a link to that. I posted that about 20 minutes ago. Hope your not tapped into my computer

Does anyone know what they mean by a “waiter”? Is that someone cautious at the plate, i.e. someone who gets walks? Or is it in reference to a base-stealer? Or something else? If it means the first of them, then they’re basically saying that OBP is paramount in lead-off men. Arthur Fletcher talking about batting a good hitter (but poor bunter) second because that gets him more at bats is also interesting.

But yes, the chapter on how some managers keep the same lineup all the time, and some make frequent changes (often after a losing streak), sounds exactly like managerial tendencies today.

This passage (from Jack Coombs) makes me think that a waiter is a guy who takes pitches and gets walks:

“For example, number one should be a good hitter, but above all a good waiter. If he is short of stature so much the better for he will be harder to pitch to.”

But I am not sure since it is not a term that seems to be used much these days

Not exactly related, but in case anyone is interested, Hall of Famer John M. Ward’s How to Become A Player published in 1888 is available for free for the Kindle, whether the device, the mobile apps, or the desktop version of the software. Having read just bits, much of it seems to hold up well, and I don’t say that because of the chapter titled, “Theory of The Game—A Chapter For The Ladies”

http://amzn.to/gvDsZy

Does anyone know what they mean by a “waiter”?

I just read it to mean that, as we say today, he “sets the table” for the rest of the offense.