Originally posted on March 11, 2014
There is no other offensive play in baseball that is cleaner or more beautiful than a double. Unlike home runs, which always have to include distance and height, or singles, which can be ugly - doubles provide something unique to the game. The great Hank Aaron once said, "The triple is the most exciting play in baseball". It's true at times. Triples can be very exciting, but they usually include strange bounces, misplayed angles by outfielders, and honestly - they're chaotic and unbalanced.
A double can be a crushed line drive in the gap or in the corner. They can be a hard ground ball down the baseline. They can be a "just missed" home run that hits the wall. What's clean about doubles is the simplicity. Hitter drives the ball, tears out of the box, makes a turn at first and glides/slides into second. Quick, simple and beautiful.
A double also, depending on the situation, opens up the strategy of the game. Will the next hitter bunt? Will he be intentionally put on base or pitched around? There's now a man in scoring position.
