Third baseman Charlie Hayes played in the NL for seven of his eight big-league campaigns until the Yankees acquired him from Pittsburgh on Aug. 30. When the Yankees convene today for their final practice, knowing for the first time who they'll face, Girardi, Duncan, and Hayes will rank among the most popular guys in the locker room. So hopefully I can help out that way. The only difference is the game is just played a little quicker, that's all. It's generally agreed that the NL has a lower strike zone which, Girardi explained, allows the pitchers to be more aggressive.
Lower pitches mean more ground balls and a better shot of getting an out.
So pitchers can throw more strikes with less of a chance of surrendering an extra-base hit. All of this means little to the free-swinging Duncan, who shoos away comparisons of the two leagues. It's the same game. Many observers ridiculed New York for acquiring the outfielder, and that ridicule seemed justified when he disappeared for the bulk of the season. But without his September heroics, the Yankees may have been watching the World Series on television.