BASEBALL AND BALLET.

BASEBALL AND BALLET. Clive Barnes, the theater critic and dance critic, is an Englishman. Years ago, an editor had the idea of sending Barnes to review a baseball game in terms of dance. Barnes concluded that baseball may have influenced Americans to believe that the most efficient movement is the most beautiful movement. In fact, there is a conflict in baseball between grace and results. Sabermatricians keep finding new ways to judge players in terms of numbers. This article —which refers to Jeter’s “balletic leaping throws”—describes how the grace and agility of Derek Jeter, the future Hall of Fame shortstop, have won him a reputation as an outstanding fielder, while statistical studies, which measure results, show that he is a poor fielder.