The ButterFly Effect

The Butterfly Effectis a figure of speech in fiction presenting scenarios involving time travel and with "what if" scenarios where one storyline diverges at the moment of a seemingly minor event resulting in two significantly different outcomes.

The cool nerdy idea behind the theory is that a seemingly small insignificant event like a a butterfly flapping its wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that may ultimately lead to big things happening like altering, accelerating or preventing the path of a tornado. The flapping wing represent a small change in the initial condition of the system, which causes a chain of events leading to large-scale alterations of events (domino effect). In other words, little things can lead can possibly lead to big things happening.

Now I know you guys are thinking I am hitting the geek Star TrekKool-Aid a little hard today (and thank god I am) but if you think about it in no other sport does "The Butterfly Effect" come into play more more than in Softball. Examples of small events changing the outcome of a game include:

• Not Sliding
• Knowing the Count/Outs
• Positioning
• Umpire Missing a call
• Not turning a double play and extending an inning (no charged error)
• Missing a cutoff man
• Not advancing a runner
• Taking a good pitch to hit
• Not paying your cell phone bill or knowing how to use the Internet
• Giving or not giving a good player away
• Finding Parking
• Player Loyalty
• Backing up a base
• Knowing when to argue/talk and not to argue/talk
  

The endless complexity of the game lead to various possible outcomes and possibilities based on every play and non play that does or does not occur. This game may be humbling but it is also a delicate intricate complex web. Choose you softball actions wisely as they have many rippling effects.

As Mr Spock would say "Fascinating" and "Live Long and Prosper"

P.S. When all else fails use the Caveman approach and "See Ball" "Hit ball" "Good"