Real-Life Decision Making
You're up at bat and your team is losing 5-3. You have a runner in scoring
position on second base and he is very fast. You can tell the other team has
their eye on him, as he is known to steal. You have a reputation as a heavy
hitter, so the other team knows you could have a big hit. They
have moved their outfielders back.
Tensions are high. It's the seventh inning. If you get a hit, the runner
on second could potentially get home, and you could get on base. If you both
get out, your team is going into the eighth looking at that two-run gap, which
is only going to get harder to overcome as the innings go on. The coach has
given you the go-ahead to swing if the pitch is good. You know that the runner
isn't going to steal; it's too risky right now and your hitting is pretty
consistent. He's waiting for you to swing and connect before he goes anywhere.
There's one man out, and the pitcher has already thrown two balls and one
strike. He winds up and you see the ball coming fairly straight down the middle.
If you give it a good swing, you could get the runner home and yourself on
base, if no one catches it. But you also consider playing it a bit conservative
and going for a lighter hit. Because you have a reputation as a heavy hitter,
this might work to your advantage by surprising the other team.
"Decision-making skills are very important," says Adam Morissette, media
relations coordinator of a baseball organization. "Just like in life, the
game of baseball is all about decisions. For example, what pitch to throw,
during what time in the game, at what count on the batter, etc. For the hitters,
it's when to swing, when to bunt, etc. For coaches, it's when to hit and run,
when to bunt, when to steal, etc. Basically, the game is full of making decisions."
What do you do?