Anybody explain the attraction of baseball to me? (Very brief) Highlights may be OK but watching the whole game is like watching paint dry.
Also - would Americans like it so much if it truely was a 'world series' and you you were beaten by somebody like Cuba or Brazil?
PS : Cricket can be boring at times too (Don't even go there! Stick to the point)
Originally posted by ianpickeringAs with any sport, the enjoyment derived from it is often equal to the understanding of the subtle nuances of that sport. Obviously, you have only watched baseball in passing and are oblivious to its intricacies. It has often been said that baseball is "the thinking man's game". It is not a game of constant action, but one of subtle strategy.
Anybody explain the attraction of baseball to me? (Very brief) Highlights may be OK but watching the whole game is like watching paint dry.
Also - would Americans like it so much if it truely was a 'world series' and you you wer ...[text shortened]... boring at times too (Don't even go there! Stick to the point)
Your point about a "true" World Series would only be valid for an Olympic style format with national teams. American baseball is a cosmopolitan enterprise. 25% of the players are of hispanic origin. There are an increasing number of players from Japan, Korea, Australia, etc. If Brazil or Cuba were to be granted Major League teams, they would most likely not be made up of Brazilians, or Cubans. They would have the same access to the worldwide talent pool that any other Major League team does.
Now I feel I'm at least a little bit qualified to answer your question - I'm British - but I have sat through over 60 games in Wrigley Field.
I personally found it quite a fascinating game to watch live. On TV, no thanks, but as with all sport - being there is part of the fun. (I make an exception of F1 races…but that is a whole different conversation)
The strategic elements involved are very compelling. Something that just doesn’t exit in cricket (I loathe cricket – therefore I didn’t expect to enjoy baseball. But then again, any sport where you can lounge around in the sun drinking beer is ok with me.)
-Russ
They say hitting a baseball traveling 100 mph with a bat is the hardest thing to do in sports.
I find hitting a golf ball straight the hardest. 😀 but then again I've never faced a 100 mph fastball.
I will concur with Russ, going to a game is much more enjoyable than the tube, especially Fenway Park here in Boston.
Wrigley, Russ!? Cool... The Cubs are a great team.
Get yourself to Fenway if you ever get the chance to enjoy some Red Sox... They have a good chance to beat the heck out of the Yankees this season... I have a dollar bet on each game with a Yankee fan at work this year coming up... I think they play about 19 games a year.
I like baseball because I love to watch good pitching. Pedro Martinez's Control... Tim Wakefield's Knuckleball... And now the Sox will have the power of Kurt Schilling's fastball.
Ever see a man steal first base?
Ever see a man hit 2 homeruns in one night from both sides of the plate?
Ever see a guy throw the ball into the stands with only 2 outs just to run to the fan and ask for the ball back!?
Ever see a fan jump for the ball, and knock it down before the outfielder could catch it... costing a team a trip to the World Series?!?!?!
Crazy Game!
I love to watch the fast runner at first work his way to third base in 5 pitches... I love to watch the "Hit and Run"... I love the Squeeze Play... Double Steal... EVERYTHING.
I will admit it is about 15 minutes of excitement spread over 3 hours... but that is what all the banter is for.
Anyone who plays Chess should understand why Baseball is not a bore...
P-
Edit! Wildekoyote, I am convinced I could hit my 9 iron out of the park at Fenway... and my 7 iron over the Green Giant!
Originally posted by Wildekoyote400 feet in fenway....
What's that 300ft? 100 yds..... That would be a sand wedge for me 😀😛
420 to the triangle... much shorter to the Green Giant.. but it is tall.
Fenway Park measures 310 feet (94.5 meters) down the left field line: 379 feet (115.5 meters) in left center field; 390 feet (118.9 meters) in center field; 420 feet (128 meters) in deep center field; 380 feet (115.8 meters) in deep right field; and 302 feet (92 meters) down the right field line.
The left field wall -- also known as the Green Monster -- measures 37 feet (11.3 meters) high, with the screen above the wall extending 23 feet (7 meters). The center field wall is 17 feet (5.2 meters) high, the bullpen fences measure five feet (1.5 meters) and the right field fence is 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 meters) high
I guess I might get my sand wedge out down right line
😉
baseball? are you crazy. the sport should be stopped. they say hitting a baseball traveling 100mph is the hardest thing to do in a sport. how about breaking the 100meter world record. you know all you have to is run about 29 mph thats all. or how about throwing a javilin 323 ft or in other words from one feild goal into the other. or throwing a 16 pound weight 76 feet. then again you could always high jump. you only have to jump over 8ft 1/2in to beak the world record.or if you would like o beak the mile world recorded it's only 3min and 36sec. thats over 18mph for a mile. baseball i can't believe that anyone finds in to be hard.
Originally posted by pkingjacquesTrack and field is fine! But there is no suprise but the results.
baseball? are you crazy. the sport should be stopped. they say hitting a baseball traveling 100mph is the hardest thing to do in a sport. how about breaking the 100meter world record. you know all you have to is run about 29 mph thats all. or how about throwing a javilin 323 ft or in other words from one feild goal into the other. or throwing a 16 pound ...[text shortened]... d 36sec. thats over 18mph for a mile. baseball i can't believe that anyone finds in to be hard.
In baseball you are talking about a team of people that must face a batter and anyone who might be on base. You need to think about who's coming up next and how much heat your pitcher has... is his sinker sinking or stinking.. Is his knuckleball still dancing.
Now you have runners on the corners and only one out... do you bring them into double-play depth... or hang them back to prevent 2 runs? Do you walk the batter and face the next guy???
The runner on first starts running to second as soon as the pitch is thrown... the catcher catches the ball and fakes a throw to second base. The second baseman is pretending to have already caught the ball and starts running towards the runner from first base.
The guy at third had already started running and notices the catcher never threw the ball. He trys to run back and must turn around when he sees the ball pass his head by inches right into the glove of the thirdbaseman.
The man at third is out and the guy at first is now on second with 2 outs. He wasn't fooled much by the secondbaseman's fake, but just enough to slow him down incase the catcher threw to second base...
Tell me that is not exciting...
P-
Pop quiz! How can the catcher throw to secondbase if the secondbaseman is running at the runner with an empty glove?
Originally posted by bbarrYou better belive it! Outfielders run in also to cover these bases and pick up as extra basemen if someone is caught in a rundown...
Shortstop covers second as soon as the second baseman starts running at the runner?
I wonder what a good pitcher would do while this all goes on?!
What a great game... I can't wait for spring.
Originally posted by PhlabibitI think you are reading too much into this basically simple (and tedious) game. When all is said and done it's still just a glorified version of rounders.
Track and field is fine! But there is no suprise but the results.
In baseball you are talking about a team of people that must face a batter and anyone who might be on base. You need to think about who's coming up next and how much heat your pitcher has... is his sinker sinking or stinking.. Is his knuckleball still dancing.
Now you have runners ...[text shortened]... e catcher throw to secondbase if the secondbaseman is running at the runner with an empty glove?
By the way - what sort of a rule is it that allows the pitcher to deliberately thow 'no balls ' without penalty? Surely that should be regarded as cheating!!