A BRAVE'S NEW WORLD...

WE HAVE ALWAYS believed that if we watched enough baseball games on TV we would be blessed with a revelation -- maybe even see an umpire call balls and strikes as advertised in the rule book.

And he did not disappoint. But it was the way he did it that was the revelation.

Our dream came true one midsummer's night in Atlanta. It was a gift from the thinking man's pitcher, Greg Maddux. With runners on first and second, none out, and the score tied, every TV fan in America knew that Maddux was going to lay one down.

Greg, an accomplished hitter, set up in the batter's box in his regular stance. As the pitcher separated his hands, Greg took two quick little steps up to the top of the batter's box. He placed his right foot at the corner of the plate and brought his left foot up to the side on line with the right foot in fair territory.

He then extended his bat, parallel to the ground, at the top of the strike zone.

So there he was, knees flexed, totally on balance, with the whole bat in fair territory. Meaning that anytime the ball glanced off the bat, either downward or forward, it would have to land in fair territory.

The first time Greg came up to the plate in a bunting situation, he laid down a perfect bunt. The second time up in a bunting situation, he waited until the pitcher's arm came forward and then swiftly brought the bat back and slashed at the pitch. It shot out into centerfield where the fielder had to jump to pull it down.

In the land of the free and the home of the Braves, it is always a pleasure to watch an artist at work -- a pitcher who never babies his arm, who plays the whole game, who can think, who can hit, who can bunt, and is a golden glove fielder.

What an exemplar for young pitchers everywhere!