Caught Napping

Whenever a baserunner is tagged out of the game because he was not paying attention to what the other team's defensive players are doing, it got coined as caught napping.

How Does It Happen?

When a baserunner gets caught napping, he can get tagged out in two ways. First is during a pickoff play when the infielder sneaks up behind the baserunner then takes a throw from the pitcher. Another way is when one receives a throw from the catcher. The first way is the more common consequence of getting caught napping. The latter does not get frequently seen in the field.

Why Does It Happen?

Because being caught napping happens a lot in baseball games, researchers decided to study the occurrence. According to them, the usual reason why baseball players get caught napping is because of jet lag. Concerning traveling, you know that having jet lag makes your body clocks out of sync with your surroundings. Baseball players usually have no chance of settling in the new place when they travel for a game. Hence, the possibility of getting caught napping.
The study was based on 20 years' worth of Major League Baseball data. They also found out that of the games over the 20 years they studied, 54 percent of the games that got played at home gave the home state players a four percent advantage. This is what is called home-field advantage in baseball.

The Effects on Players

Jet lag affects players in different ways. They can hit fewer doubles and triples, steal fewer bases, and the like. They can also be unaware of what is happening, so they miss the defensive teams' essential plays letting the latter score.

How to Avoid Getting Caught Napping?

To avoid jet lag's unpleasant effects, the baseball players are advised to travel days before the big game. If they do so, their body clocks can adjust, and they will not have difficulty playing in the field. Getting ready and acquainted in the city you are playing will help you see how the weather affects you or how your body reacts to the new environment. They should avoid overnight travel because that will affect their game.