What does it mean to say one hitter provides "protection" for another in baseball?

Question

What does it mean to say one hitter provides "protection" for another in baseball?

Answer 1

It means that you can't pitch around one guy to get to another because you don't want to face either of them really.  So instead of maybe intentionally walking one guy to get to another you're forced to pitch to him and try to get an out instead of pitching around him and having the guy behind him hurt you.

Answer 2

some one who provides "protection" keeps a pitcher from walking or cautiously pitching to a good home run hitter. because if they walk the hitter the "protection" guy is a big enough a home run threat

ex: used to be until today but manny an ortiz

Answer 3

It means that teams have to pitch to someone instead of putting him on with a walk because there is a good RBI hitter behind him in the batting order.

The ultimate example of that was in 1961 when Roger Maris hit 61 home runs and did not get a single intentional walk all season. The reason was he was "protected" by Mickey Mantle, who hit behind him and who clubbed 54 home runs, himself that season!

Answer 4

Protection is thought to be a myth by some baseball experts, but as far as I'm concerned, it's a necessity. Basically, protection refers to the batters that bat behind the centerpiece of the offense. For example, Ryan Braun with the Brewers enjoys significant protection from Prince Fielder, whose power and OBP make it undesirable to pitch around Braun. Thus, Braun will get plenty of strikes and good pitches to hit, and if he gets on, Fielder will have good pitches to hit as well. This is why great players on horrible teams have hard times putting up good numbers when there are no legitimate offensive threats behind them. It's happening to Pujols right now, and it's happened many times before.

Answer 5

In my opinion, i think that means when theres a runner at first and he's running on the pitch, the batter is liable to "protect" the baserunner by swinging at the ball, so the runner wont get caught stealing.

EDIT: Hey, btw my answer is correct too.  OK for all those who thumbs down, i guess you guys never had Basebal 101 before.  I said this cuz i knew everyone else would say the other kind of protection.

Answer 6

having a very good hitter just after a good hitter.  Albert Pujols is very good but gets walked a lot.  If he had a good power hitter behind him they wouldn't walk him so much. He would get better pitches to hit and would have more HRs and RBi's so the pwerson would be providng protection for Pujols  

Answer 7

When their is only one good hitter on the team he can be pitched around/walked without anyone caring.  But when that hitter has a good hitter in front or behind him they cant pitch around him. That is a providing protection for another batter