For a typical fly ball to the outfield, the average hang time is 4 seconds from contact. If we make contact t = 0 and start calculating the typical reaciton times, it's probably going to look like this for an MLB average CF:
t = 0, ball is struck
t = 0.1, CFer's mind processes that the ball has been struck and is in the air heading for the outfield
t = 0.5, CFer determines the likely general direction of the ball and begins to run, making adjustments to his path as he gather further information and zeroes in on a spot
t = 1.5, CFer has hit full stride and chosen a location to catch the ball
7 = 3.5, CFer makes last second adjustments to the landing spot, usually by looking over his shoulder and finding the ball again as it begins dropping
t = 4.0, CFer either catches or does not catch the ball.
For Gutierrez it's more like:
t = 0, ball is struck and Gutierrez is leaning in the direction he thinks it will go if it's struck
t = 0.1, he observes that the ball has indeed been struck and is in the air, he breaks into a run
t = 0.3, he's picked a spot to decisively run to and turns away from the ball to get there
t = 0.75, he's at top speed and looking only at the spot he wants to reach
t = 2.5, he nears his spot, only now is he checking to see how close he is, the ball is reaching apex and takes one look to make sure his instincts were right...if an adjustment needs to be made it's made here
t = 4.0, he makes the catch if it's humanly possible, his glove hand always on the correct side of the spot to make the catch less difficult, his eyes on the ball because he has time to look for it by the time he reaches his spot...most CFers are desperately trying to reach the right spot and only have a split second to look for the ball if that...mostly they're just reaching up with the glove and hoping the ball finds it...see Gutierrez uses his instincts to get to a point where the catch is easy...other outfielders use their instincts to make a very difficult catch (they have to kind of feel for the ball, which is why you see so many speedy CFers dropping line drives...do you have any idea how hard it is to just know where the ball is relative to your glove and get the glove up in exactly the right spot at exactly the right time?)
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