What does it mean when a team is playing "small ball?"

Question

What does it mean when a team is playing "small ball?"

Answer 1

They are playing on their knees against the Smurfs.

Answer 2

usually means they are going for winning by low number. Meaning bunts, sacrafices, stealing base. Really it means they are playing like the Angels, not trying to get big hits & home runs, just "get em on, get em over, get em in"

Answer 3

It means the team is doing every thing possible to get runners on base and trying to advance the runners by mostly bunts instead of having every batter swing away.

Answer 4

hit and run, stealing bases, bunting - - - - doing little things to try to advance runners rather than standing on the base and waiting for an extra-base hit to drive you home

National League / Angels play small ball

Yankees play long ball

Sox historically played long ball but have been more successful when they've done both

Answer 5

Are you refferring to my statement? LOL.

Small ball is a sense si when teams dont necessarily have to rely on power, but do the litthe things to get men on base and score. Meaning patience at the plate, drawing a walk, stealing a bse, then a batter hits a single and player scores. Or when teams dont need or have to have big innings, instead they do a little each inning with the previous method of scoring or singles, doubles, and good base running. The 90's Braves did ihis sort of style of play the best, and now we have The Rays doing it.  

Answer 6

it means they aren't hitting a lot of homers. Instead, stealing bases and moving runners over by sacrifices or hit-and-runs

Answer 7

Small ball means a team is hitting a lot of singles or bunting to move players to the next base.  It helps if the other team is making errors in order for the other team to score.

Answer 8

Scoring runs without hitting homers.  Singles, sac bunts, sac flys, stolen bases, errors, etc.

Answer 9

they are playing with a small ball

Answer 10

That is when you manufacture runs instead of hitting home runs. It is when teams don't really have a lot of power so they rely on things such as speed and good baserunning in order to drive in runs. Teams who play small ball tend to bunt/sacrifice a lot in order to drive in runs. It is used a lot more in the NL than the AL due to the DH rule.

Answer 11

"Small Ball" is a name for a strategy used by a baseball team manager. It is the opposite of playing "Long Ball." Long ball is a baseball team with some heavy hitters, people who can knock it out of the park, home-run hitters. A team with many sluggers, are a "long ball" team.

For example, the Los Angeles Angels were considered a small ball team. They would get a lot of base hits, sacrifice flies, and bunts to advance their runners a little at a time. Their hitters wouldn't "go for the wall." Instead they would "place hit" the ball over the heads of the infield and in front of the outfielders. They would still win ball games, but have less home-runs than the other teams they beat.

Now the Angels have Tori Hunter, Garrett Anderson, Vladimir Guerrero, etc. who are "long ball" hitters. They are losing their reputation of being a "short ball" or "small ball" team.

However, whenever they need to, they can switch back to using the "small ball" strategy. This team now has more "depth." They have a variety in their talent and strategies they can employ.

Answer 12

It probably  means they are playing a small game of ball

Answer 13

Its mostly used in the National league. Its when a team bunts allot to move a runner in scoring position, or trying to stael a base to put the runner in scoring positions. The Angels are a American league team that plays small ball and look at there record. A team like the Yankees rarely play small ball.  

Answer 14

means theyre not relying on homeruns and fence hitting hits.

theyre relying on base hits walks and good baserunning

Answer 15

they're not very good

Answer 16

it means that does team playing a small ball are weaken and not to sustain in long run to hit the points, then they contented what they have...

Answer 17

Small ball sometimes means playing hardball but it also means that the team on the field is playing extra definsively and their infield is playing in to react to an infield hit or a bunt to possibly create a double play.  The team on the field beleives that the hitter cannot hit a long ball to the outer outfield and they are set up to catch the player(s) on base.  This usually happens toward the end of the game where the team on the field has a close lead and there is at least one out.

Answer 18

Try this link:

Answer 19

It's when a team is playing basketball without a true center. It allows the small ball team to out run the other team on fast breaks, as well as creates more steals.