Why I Hate Baseball - Page 2

sammyg2 · 10-28-2010, 05:37 AM

Quote:

Why I Hate Baseball

I figured it was going to have something to do with them going on strike because a few $million a year wasn't enough money to play a stupid, slow, boring game, so now a beer costs $12 and a hotdog costs $7.

Drdogface · Drdogface's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tobra

Baseball, complex? Come on Mark, seriously you must be joking.

Tobra, it actually is more complicated than you might think if you have not studied the game. Each scenario in the field presents a lot of different possible choices and an infielder must know them all in advance and be able to react in a split second to any one of them. A friend once gave me a coaching manual from Old Miss to help me when I was playing second base in an amateur league in the SF area years ago. The book was phone book size and about 2" thick.

I'm not saying it's on the level of chess but more complicated than the casual observer might think. Yes, when kids play it's throw/hit/catch. Its all fun for me but MLB is the least fun for all the reasons stated.

wdfifteen · wdfifteen's Garage

I love to sit back on a warm summer Sunday afternoon, pop a beer, turn on the game - and fall asleep. I don't think I've ever stayed awake through an entire MLB game - they're just too "relaxing."

Zeke · 10-28-2010, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tobra

Baseball, complex? Come on Mark, seriously you must be joking.

It's extremely statistical. Last night there was a 3-2 count on a batter with someone on base. The pitcher threw a ball that was not going to be close to a strike, maybe to get a swing, but for sure to get to the next batter. Even though the next batter was a known hitter, it statistically made sense to not throw a hittable pitch to the guy with the 3-2 count.

And I probably didn't know half of what was going on.

BTW, last night's WS game was a great game. Lots of errors, lots of hits, RBI's and about 15 runs scored. There was something happening all he time. It's gets a little slow when they change pitchers, which they did frequently last night.

In the playoffs, a relief pitcher went out to the mound, did the warm up thing while the TV went to commercial and came back. The guy threw one pitch for a home run, IIRC, and was yanked out of the game. One pitch. I don't think I've seen that before.

But, I don't watch regular season baseball. I don't watch regular season sports.

Tobra · 10-28-2010, 10:34 PM

It ain't rocket surgery.

In the field it is a matter of knowing what the situation is, and what your responsibilities are. Where the base runners are, how quick they are, your pitcher's tendencies, can the batter hit, how many outs, what is the count. All you have to do is pay attention and watch the ball. When it comes off the bat, you can see where it is going to land, whether you are playing shortstop or center field. You run to where it is going to land or at least get in front of it. If you know what you are supposed to do in advance, it is a matter of reflexes, quickness and hand eye coordination.

Hitting was always pretty easy to me, and I have faced guys with 90+ heaters and good command of their breaking stuff. You can tell what the pitch is by the rotation of the ball and how the pitcher's hand and arm are moving when he throws. I could generally tell if it was a strike or a ball when the guy let go of the ball. I guess it would probably be tougher with some juicehead freak on the hill, I will grant that, but hitting from either side of the plate was no problem. If you have a RHP and you are hitting left, you are two steps closer to 1st. Third baseman sitting back, you drop a bunt, he crowds you too much, you drill an outside pitch off his melon or drop it over his head. If you are not swinging for the fences all the time like most of the d bags playing now, there is nothing to it.

If I got to first, and nobody was on 2nd, I would be on 2nd pretty quick, unless you have a guy who is likely to hit it on the R side of the infield. If the pitcher is thinking about the guy on first, he is not thinking about the guy at the plate. If you know how to run the bases, you can fairly fly. You can use the base to push off rounding 2nd and turn that corner pretty hard. If you are aggressive, people hurry, when people hurry, they make mistakes.

Of course, I am a fat old man now, I probably could not run 40 yards under 5 seconds to save my life, hell I probably could not run a 5 minute mile or even touch a basketball rim, let alone grab it with both hands.

James Brown · James Brown's Garage

never gets old

Zeke · 10-29-2010, 07:31 AM

Tobra, that sums up the playing field pretty well. But, the dugout decisions are more complex than an NFL coach's play list.

I have to say though that the 1st 2 game of the WS are not typical games. The Giants have been on a rout of the Rangers. I think strategy is not working and you see the result. Hit after hit and not that many innings ending leaving men on base.

Letting scenarios develop and then squelching the situation is where the chess playing comes to light. You can't do that in football or basketball. There's a lot more controlling of the game going on that does not meet the eye. The pace of the game is what allows that.

I don't know a thing about cricket, but I suspect the Brits play that game much the way we play our baseball. Or the other way around. Knowing the Brit's penchant for being canny and subtle gives me that impression.

Then there's the skill. As you mention, Tobra, placing the ball in play where you want it is not all that easy facing today's pitchers. Just the cat and mouse between those 2 players at any given moment is cause for study. Put the catcher in that equation and I can see the disadvantage to the team at bat.

Drdogface · Drdogface's Garage

Tobra, evidently you were an exceptionally gifted player....good on ya'. I never said it was rocket surgery...just that it's more complex than the casual observer might think. One has to learn a lot of stuff that you seem to know and for some/most that's time, study and experience. You likely won't be playing even high school ball, or certainly college level, if you didn't start in Little League.

scottmandue · 10-29-2010, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by widebody911

Baseball is too slow. If you edited out all the BS, ie standing around scratching, spitting, signaling, etc. the game would be 15 minutes long. Same goes for football.

Don't know if they still do it... but one of the sports channels used to replay the weekend NFL football games with all the BS cut out... no half time, no breaks between quarters, no standing around between plays. The game was about half an hour, you could watch three games in one night! It was great.

Have to admit to watching the end of the WS game last night... it was pretty good... or maybe it was the bottle of sake I drank.

pwd72s · 10-29-2010, 09:28 AM

Baseball is indeed a game for statisticians. Whenever watching a game with a sucker...whenever the count is full for the first time, bet that the next pitch will result in a foul ball.

Don't believe me? Bet the other way then.

crustychief · crustychief's Garage

I don't hate baseball, but I have never watched a game. I haven't ever watched a football game either, or soccer, pool, wrestling, rodeo or any other sport like that.