Why do you like baseball?

• Jester

  

  I played baseball up until high school, and eventually I just got tired of it. I guess I just don't have the patience for it. Like some have said, I just hated all the pauses in the game. I'd much rather play basketball. It's more up-tempo which suits me better.
• sherm03

  

  I like watching baseball because of the strategy involved. From the pitch selection, to the pitch location, to deciding whether or not to bunt, or whether or not to send the runner...it's all strategy and really interesting to me to see it unfold. It's also really cool to see a team's strategy going up against a great pitcher like Cliff Lee, or a team's strategy pitching to a great hitter like Pujols. At face value, I can understand why you would think it's boring to watch. But if you really get into the sport, there's not much like it.
  
  I also just love watching sports in general. I can pretty much sit in front of the TV and watch any sporting event without much issue.
  
  And yes, I'll even watch soccer. I never understood the argument of people getting upset that a soccer game will end 2-1 or something like that. I have seen plenty of football games end 14-7...and nobody complains about that.
• hoops23

  

  I grew up playing/watching baseball religiously. It is and probably always will be my favorite sport.
  
  I was in little league, junior league and played in high school... I was born in '86, so by the time I really began following baseball, the Indians were right on their 90's tear.. I would have been 9 at the start of the '95 season, but I remember it like it was yesterday.
  
  To me, I would rather have the Tribe winning than any other team in Cleveland. Don't take that the wrong way either, because I love the Cavs and Browns, but to me, there is nothing better than a great Cleveland Indians team tearing it up in the summer.
  
  As others have mentioned, baseball just has so much strategy involved. There is nothing better than going to the Jake on a nice summer day and enjoying some ballpark food while watching the Tribe.
• Cleveland Buck

  

  There is action with every pitch. They aren't just lobbing it up there for it to get hit (unless you are Justin Germano). They throw different pitches at different speeds in different locations with different purposes. You can tell if Fausto's ball isn't sinking that he is going to get hit hard. You know that if Masterson falls behind 2-0 that he is serving up a bomb on the next pitch. Same with Tomlin. You watch Chris Perez, who doesn't have better stuff than I do try to figure out how to get through the heart of the order in the 9th inning, and most of the time he manages to do it and you have no idea how. If a guy is too close to the plate you throw one at his head to back him off. If Carlos Santana is at the plate, you hope the pitcher doesn't have a curveball. If Grady is at the plate, you hope he puts the bat on the ball. If you can't appreciate the action and consequences of each pitch, then I don't know what to tell you. It's like me with hockey. I just don't give a shit about it at all.
• DeyDurkie5

  

  used to play baseball. Can't stand watching it on tv, puts me to sleep
• Pick6

  

  karen lotz;769327 wrote:Grade school isn't high school and I don't recall Pick saying he was a phenom at another sport.

  
  I forgot to mention I did play pony league my freshman year.Probably played 3-4 seasons of baseball in my life, never consistently like back to back though. I moved on to track though in the spring, liked it a lot better.
• Azubuike24

  

  What Ironman92 said. I've always said there are two types of baseball fans. The ones that at any given place and time, can appreciate the strategy and nuances of the game. On a bigger level, there are ones who appreciate the roles of players, the farm systems of teams, the way the organization is run, etc...
  
  Baseball has always been my number one sport, which might surprise some, but I guess being exposed to it as an infant under a year old, going to 50 games a year with my Dad made me that way. Although there have been times where the sport of MLB has soured, the sport itself will never lose what makes it special.
• Wooball

  

  I'm not sure I can actually think of all the reasons that make baseball so great:
  - all the strategy that is involved in the game. Depending who is on the mound, how long does a manager wait to start sacrificing runners over with the bunt? Does he do it right from the start of the game, or does he play for the big inning? If he decided to play for the big inning and didn't score, how will that come back to bite him later in the game. Do you pitch around the other teams best hitter? Do you play the infield in with a guy on 3rd w/ less than 2 outs, etc.?
  - Baseball is a game of history and tradition, but almost every night there is something you can say, "hey, i've never seen that before" Or a manager does something against traditional wisdom, like late in the game going w/ 5 infielders and 2 outfielders to try to cut off the winning run at the plate, just for example. I love watching football and basketball as well, but to me the games can become too predictable. You know at certain times what plays teams are going to run in both sports. Like if you watch the Heat, you know LBJ or Wade is going to dribble 20 of the 24 seconds off the shot clock then barrel into the lane and get a call and go to the line. In baseball, there is some predictability but there are some many more variables that go into each pitch/hitter/inning that keep you guessing.
  - Its the only of the big 5 sports (football, basketball, baseball, soccer, hockey) that the defense controls the ball and there is no clock. The game could literally go on forever. To some this is a drawback, but it is the main reason that makes the game so exciting. A team is never out of a ballgame. Also, once a team gets a large lead they can't just sit on the ball and run clock, because they don't have that control. Along w/ this, a team can't control the pace of the game. Yes, certain pitchers work fast or slow, but if you are facing a great line-up, you can't just run clock while you are on offense to keep them off the field. They are going to get 27 outs to do their damage, so you better bring your best stuff to the ballpark that day. There is no hiding in the center of the diamond.
  - Every pitch is an individual battle in the middle of a team game. When in the batters box, there is no one there to help you out. Its a chance every pitch to prove that you are better than the guy throwing from 60'6".
  - All the pauses in action during the game make it great for the spectators, that is unless you are a mute and don't like to speak to the people that you watch a game with, or play the game with. What is better than spending 2:30-3:30 hours during the summer w/ a couple buddies at your ballpark of choice on either a sunny afternoon or a clear night, having a couple brews and taking in a ballgame?
  - W/ playing the game at the high school and collegiate level, and now helping coach high school, you appreciate the tremendous athleticism and skill that it takes to play this game at a high level. The quick reactions at the plate and in the field are remarkable. The speed at which the game is played at in MLB is amazing to watch in person. I love watching guys warm and seemingly effortless throw the ball from deep in the hole at short or from behind 3rd or 2nd base on a line to first base. Or the outfielders throw seeds while playing catch before the start of each half inning. I LOVE watching middle infielders turn a double play. Its like the ball never stops moving on a 6-4-3 double play even though it is in the hands of 3 different players.
  
  There are so many more, but these are just some of the things that make the game great to me.
• Con_Alma

  The game within the game creates entertainment for me.
• se-alum

  

  I enjoy the intricacies of the game.
• like_that

  

  Tiger2003;769326 wrote:What about Carl Crawford?

  
  He is an exception. There are definitely some successful (in Carl's case, very successful) 2-3 sport Athletes, but for the most part HS students start to specialize.
  

  karen lotz;769327 wrote:Grade school isn't high school and I don't recall Pick saying he was a phenom at another sport.

  
  It still doesn't change the fact most athletes start to specialize in the sport which they believe to be the best in.
• september63

  

  se-alum;769601 wrote:I enjoy the intricacies of the game.

  
  I'm saying you had to google that word for the correct spelling.
• se-alum

  

  september63;769610 wrote:I'm saying you had to google that word for the correct spelling.

  Lol...a basic understanding of the English language makes it pretty easy to spell.
• Hb31187

  

  Are people really complaining abotu tattoos again? If baseball jerseys were sleeveless like the NBA im sure ud see plenty of Tattoos
  
  
  But I loved playing baseball, looooved it. But watching it, unless its the playoffs is almost unbearable IMO.
• queencitybuckeye

  Pick6;769194 wrote:There is human to human physical contact, and stuff happening on a regular basis.

  
  So men touching each other appeals to you?
• sleeper

  

  It's not the worst "sport", Golf and Nascar are worse. But its boring as hell, and I'm only into it because the Indians are playing well.
• Laley23

  

  Thought the majority of the pitches ARENT put in play/affecting the end outcome, I love that EVERY pitch COULD be the deciding pitch. It keeps you on the edge of your seat. Every play could be the deciding factor. Unlike in many other sports, where you get down by 10 pts or 2 TDs or whatever, it is often a case of "its still early". No one can legitimately get a feel for the game or get ridiculously excited when someone hits a 3 pointer to open a bball game. But in baseball, you can have the game out of reach or have a total feel for how it will play out by the time inning #1 is over.
  
  I will say, I have a hard time watching teams that I dont care about/dont affect the Tribe (so mostly, I cant watch national league games, unless I have a pitcher throwing from my fantasy team).
• like_that

  

  sleeper;769733 wrote:It's not the worst "sport", Golf and Nascar are worse. But its boring as hell, and I'm only into it because the Indians are playing well.

  
  Nascar isn't a sport.
• Heretic

  

  I enjoy the strategy and, well, most things associated with it. The only games I tend to find boring are those where one team is simply playing better than another team, but not in a "big ball" way. Like a 6-1 game where the six runs came more from ugly play like walks and errors than quality hitting.
  
  And, for me, it's the best social sport for watching. You can sit, have some beers and shoot the shit while watching the game and have a good time without constantly having to DVR backwards because someone missed a dunk or something.
• thavoice

  I have been a baseball fan for all my life. It all stems back from our HS team being very, very good. When I was 9 they won their first state title. I couldnt go but my dad and I listened to it on the radio and afterwards we threw in the yard and took BP. I was so excited. I had been to alot of games but couldnt go to that one because he had to work that day.
  
  That was the 1st of 5 titles in 10 years. That really got me fired up into the game as my first and only love.
  
  
  I think the beauty of baseball is it is a perfect mix of team and individual sport. No other sport is like it. You can be on a terrible team but when you are at bat, on the mound, on the bases or get a ball hit to you then you get to showcase your skills. It is you.....to show how good you are. In other sports you are so dependant on everyone to show your talent so to speak. A great RB isnt nearly as good without an OL. Etc. In hoops if ya dont get the ball thrown to ya often or if someone else is a ballhog, or the offense isnt what you are best at.
  
  In baseball none of that matters when you are up to bat, or on the mound, or when a ball is hit to you. You get your time to shine.
  
  
  I love baseeball for the pitch by pitch strategy. Do you bunt, hit and run, steal, call a pickoff. Football has a similiar strategy fans love to talk about when they talk about what play to run, but in baseball you have 200+ such instances. the discussions are endless in baseball and there are so many nuances to the game.
  
  Each player has a change to make a spectacular play on defense and offense so often.
  
  the playin surface itself is a talking point. A finely manicured field is a thing of beauty. A pefectly edged basepath, the seamless transition from grass to dirt. Baseball diamonds arent just a spot to play a game, but they are masterpiece.
  
  I think baseball is also more of a commons man game. You dont need to be a freak of nature to be able to be good in the game.
• Footwedge

  Only sport ever invented where the offense never touches the ball. To really like baseball, you pretty much needed to play it.
• Laley23

  

  Footwedge;770194 wrote:Only sport ever invented where the offense never touches the ball. To really like baseball, you pretty much needed to play it.

  
  Serious question, because I dont know...
  
  Cricket?
• Footwedge

  Laley23;770198 wrote:Serious question, because I dont know...
  
  Cricket?

  Yeah....I think I made an (l) out of myself on that one. Polo and Lacross players will jump my bones too.
• Laley23

  

  Footwedge;770315 wrote:Yeah....I think I made an (l) out of myself on that one. Polo and Lacross players will jump my bones too.

  
  Lacrosse? They have to have the ball to score. Polo as well. Unless you literally mean not physically touching the ball. But then you have to add ping pong, tennis, and the like.
  
  Baseball and Cricket are the only 2 I can think of off the top of my head where the defense is in control of what happens (so to speak) with pitching.
• Ironman92

  

  tattoos are the devil
  
  anyone with a tattoo will burn in hell