Baseball Players

         Are you a sports fan? Is there a particular sport you prefer? Do you have a player who you think is the best at their position?  Whether it be football, baseball, soccer, or basketball, the teams for these sports have fans.  There are true fans; some are band-wagon fans.  Regardless of your fan status, sports are made easy to watch during the main season and even more so during the post season.  This allows a spectator to enjoy their favorite game while watching their team of choice and cheering them on.  My time is spent following the Atlanta Braves. If you listen closely, not too close though, you will hear me cheering loudly for my favorite shortstop, Dansby Swanson! Why is Dansby my favorite, you ask.  Well, it is simple. Dansby Swanson is a beneficial Braves player because of his offensive skills, his stats with runners in scoring position, and his sportsmanship.

             Swanson’s offensive skills are some of the best this season. Swanson has to not only cover shortstop but second base, third base and some of the outfield. He has the amazing ability to dive for the ball and turn it into a double play. When he jumps to catch a lineout, he looks like he sprung off of a trampoline. He has a great range in his ability at keeping the ball in the infield. He goes to the mound and talks with the pitcher and catcher to get a read on the situation. Like the pitcher, he watches the catcher for his signals. He helps with catching players stealing second base. His reflex time is impeccable. In 2018, Swanson’s rank is in the top ten of defensive runs saved. I believe Swanson is in the top five Braves players. I want to say his is the best player because he is my favorite but I know there are others on the team that are better statistically.

             Swanson has some great stats for runners in scoring position. This means a runner on second base and/or third base. His batting average is a .263. The batting average is out of 1.000. 39 runners have reached home because of hits from Swanson. The starting shortstop has eleven extra base hits- the batter is able to go pass first base without another fielder committing an error or getting another runner out.  has 26 hits and 35 runs. This season, Dansby was walked a number of 22 times while only struck out 18 times. When at bat, the batter has about .8 seconds to decide if he is going to swing at the ball or not. On seven separate occasions, Swanson made it to second base before the play ended, resulting in 7 doubles. Also, He was able to reach third base once, this is hard, especially if you are not a fast runner. He stole base four times and got caught stealing once. He has four sacrifice hits and three sacrifice fly outs. A sacrifice hit is when a batter hits the ball and gets out while a runner is advanced or a score is earned. He has three home runs with runners in scoring position. He has 14 home runs in total. He has only ground into one double play in all of his 99 at bats.

           Swanson’s sportsmanship is the greatest I have seen. He’s always cheering on his team mates, and encouraging them on. He is the one at the top of the steps, in the dugout, congratulating his team. When another player messes up or has an error, Swanson likes to cheer his mates up. Swanson likes to keep the spirits high in the clubhouse. He has a good heart and excellent sportsmanship. He once said in an interview, “we’re like a family.” I think that sums up his personality quite well. Swanson has this incredible energy he brings to the field and it’s exciting to see him play. The broadcasters are excited when Swanson is playing and they love him. While being sidelined, due to injury, he was in the dugout talking to other players and encouraging those who did not earn a hit at their at bat.

             Dansby Swanson had had a great season. He is currently out with a partially torn ligament, so he can’t play the rest of the regular season. He was reevaluated on Monday, October 1st, but was not cleared for post season.  His offensive skills are exuberant and elegant. He is amazing with runners in scoring position.  He is an incredible player and very valuable to the team and the fans. If you don’t believe me, wait until next year and watch number 7 play and interact with his teammates!