hitting a ground ball to the left, event A is hitting a ground ball, and even
B is hitting to the left.
A=Hitting ground ball
B=Hitting to the left
P(B|A)=P(Hitting ground ball to the left)/P(Hitting a ground ball)
Regardless of the direction of the ball, a probability of hitting a ground
ball is 21.6 + 15.8 + 2.3 = 39.7%. And the probability of hitting a ground
ball to the left is 2.3%. Calculating conditional probability P(B|A)is
( 2. 3 %)/( 21. 6 %+ 15. 8 %+ 2. 3 %) = 5. 79 %
To say, the probability of Bellinger hitting a base hit with a ground ball
by beating the shift is 5.79%. In other words, there is more than 90%
chance of a ground ball getting caught by the shift. With these
observations, probability of getting out by the shift is very high, so a
formation of positioning infielders to the right is acceptable.
// Sacrifice for the Win: Bunt
All batters want to hit a home run, but they bunt for the team; baseball is
the only sport with a play called ‘sacrificing’.
A win: probably the ultimate objective of every single sports team in the
world. To win a game, teams need to score as many runs as possible, and
allow as little runs as possible. To score a run, players come up with
different strategies for any more extra bases.
In a sacrifice bunt, the batter put the ball into play with the intention of
advancing a baserunner, in exchange for the batter being thrown out.