Has this year made you hate Baseball?

[sephcast]

Let's start with last season's baseball results. Cubs got swept out of the playoffs and the Sox didn't do much better.

Now, fast forward a little bit.

-The Bears don't make the playoffs, but make a big splash in the offseason with Jay Cutler. They should make the playoffs.
-The Bulls have one of their most exciting seasons in the past decade. They played the most entertaining playoff series since the Jordan era.
-The Blackhawks are now deep in the playoffs.
-The Cubs and Sox have started off slow.

I never thought I'd be a fairweather fan, but Baseball just doesn't cut it for me anymore. Steroids, slow paced game, 8 out of 30 teams make the playoffs, and the Cubs and Sox are mediocre.

Is anyone else with me?

 

[dougthonus]

sephcast wrote:

Let's start with last season's baseball results. Cubs got swept out of the playoffs and the Sox didn't do much better.

Now, fast forward a little bit.

-The Bears don't make the playoffs, but make a big splash in the offseason with Jay Cutler. They should make the playoffs.
-The Bulls have one of their most exciting seasons in the past decade. They played the most entertaining playoff series since the Jordan era.
-The Blackhawks are now deep in the playoffs.
-The Cubs and Sox have started off slow.

I never thought I'd be a fairweather fan, but Baseball just doesn't cut it for me anymore. Steroids, slow paced game, 8 out of 30 teams make the playoffs, and the Cubs and Sox are mediocre.

Is anyone else with me?

I haven't really liked baseball in a loooooong time. I follow both teams through articles, but I don't turn on games and I might make it to a Sox game once ever three years or so.

I don't go to Bears games, but I watch them on TV every week when they play. I go to probably 15 Bulls games a year the past two years and 40+ the two years before that and watch all the games I don't go to.

So I guess my priority has always been:
Bulls
Bears
...
...
...
baseball teams

 

[J-Mart]

Baseball has never done it for me, its too slow paced to keep my attention. I have always been a football and basketball guy. I don't mind hockey but I still don't really watch it. I haven't watched any of the Hawks' games yet and I know I should probably start soon considering how good they have been.

 

[charity stripe]

J-Mart wrote:

Baseball has never done it for me, its too slow paced to keep my attention. I have always been a football and basketball guy. I don't mind hockey but I still don't really watch it. I haven't watched any of the Hawks' games yet and I know I should probably start soon considering how good they have been.

Wow, i was about to post this exact post. :cheer:

 

[Jamfan]

Baseball is my favorite sport and I haven't really been paying attention to it this year.

 

[dougthonus]

DerrickRose1 wrote:

Baseball is my favorite sport and I haven't really been paying attention to it this year.

I think baseball really does well largely because it competes against nothing. I mean there is no major sport running against baseball for the majority of it's season. For that reason, you'll probably start paying attention to it soon, because you've got nothing else.

I always think it's hilarious how they overanalyze baseball on sports radio. It's probably the least cerebral of any major sport and requires the least amount of coaching and yet it gets by far the most "in depth" analysis of any sport out there.

Maybe it's because people can more easily understand in depth baseball analysis than in depth football, basketball, or hockey analysis, so they can discuss it more. Also the speed of the game is so slow and so single play oriented that you can break things down easier.

 

[Jamfan]

Yeah I have so much free time in the Summer to head out to Wrigley Field or US Cellular Field and until Football season starts I have nothing else to follow.

 

[clonetrooper264]

I watch baseball purely because there is nothing else to watch. I don't really like baseball all that much, but for some reason I have always found myself rooting for the Cubs and the White Sox. But with baseball how it is right now with steroids and whatnot I don't really care anymore, but I don't hate it.

 

[RPK]

clonetrooper264 wrote:

I watch baseball purely because there is nothing else to watch. I don't really like baseball all that much, but for some reason I have always found myself rooting for the Cubs and the White Sox. But with baseball how it is right now with steroids and whatnot I don't really care anymore, but I don't hate it.

yeah, hate is too strong a word.

It's a long season, and it's really hard to get into the games until later on when the playoff runs get tight.

I still find going to the games enjoyable, but I'm starting to think I enjoy the ambiance more then the actual product at Wrigley/U.S Cellular.

 

[Seth]

it's this kind of attitude -- of being there simply for the wrigley field experience -- which gives cubs fans who attend games a bad rep. The coveted bleachers is a frat party (with about a $20 cover since they're such mediocre "seats").

I grew up next to wrigley and played some baseball in HS so I'm a bit biased. But I love baseball. I love the slow pace. ESPN's "in depth" analysis isn't very in depth, it's actually terrible, I don't know any serious baseball fans that actually pay attention to baseball tonight. If all you watched was TNT's half-time show, you might think that basketball was a simpleton's sport. but there are a lot of interesting things in Baseball if you like stats-- and since it a more individual oriented game, you can study it with a kind of a mathematical authority. Stats in baseball are wayyy ahead of basketball while basketball is still trying to get there act together. Obviously this has to do with the nature of the game, but still, teams still have a rudimentary ability to objectively quantify the value of a player or of a "system" or in the draft. The NBA has loads of potential in this regard. People like to use Shane Battier as the poster boy for why NBA Stats are still in the dark ages. for what interests baseball people check out http://www.cubsfx.com/. or baseballprospectus.com.

 

[clonetrooper264]

Again while I don't really care about baseball, I would still love to be able to go to Wrigley or US Cellular field to watch a game.

 

[Bullsman24]

definitely the only reasons i watch baseball are to pass the summer, because i love stats, and because i like supporting teams.

and steroids might be the killer of mainstream baseball.

watchin baseball is really boring unless you're there, baseball is too slow, and with too little athletic ability being used consistently in my opinion, but that's just me.

 

[2ndcitydiehard]

dougthonus wrote:

I think baseball really does well largely because it competes against nothing. I mean there is no major sport running against baseball for the majority of it's season. For that reason, you'll probably start paying attention to it soon, because you've got nothing else.

I always think it's hilarious how they overanalyze baseball on sports radio. It's probably the least cerebral of any major sport and requires the least amount of coaching and yet it gets by far the most "in depth" analysis of any sport out there.

Maybe it's because people can more easily understand in depth baseball analysis than in depth football, basketball, or hockey analysis, so they can discuss it more. Also the speed of the game is so slow and so single play oriented that you can break things down easier.

DT I really couldn't disagree with you more. While less skill coaching might happen on the professional level (and isn't that supposed kinda be the point? guys are professionals when they get to the pros?) there is a tremendous amount mentally that goes in to every pitch of a baseball game.

I don't think most people really do get the depth of baseball. The more you know the more interesting the game gets to me. Knowing how guys like to pitch and set-up hitters. Knowing hitters weaknesses and tendencies. Seeing an OF or INF make a great catch or play because they made the adjustment and were positioned correctly. Being able to tell what pitches a pitcher has working that night and how it changes his approach.

You basically are talking about how since they don't draw up plays it's a less cerebral sport. Every pitch is a move in a chess match between hitter and pitcher. How line-ups are constructed and pinch-hitters/bullpen pitchers is a chess match between managers. There is a tremendous amount there and as I said be for, the more you know (in my opinion) the more interesting it gets.

 

[Diddy1122]

After years of having my heart ripped out and stomped on by my beloved Cubs, I have decided to no longer emotionally invest myself in the sport of baseball. It's fun to watch live, especially in the bleachers, but on TV it can be excruiatingly boring. Though I say this now, and the fact is there's no other sport played during the summer, other than soccer, so I'm sure I'll still be watching.

I'm just so happy that I can actually watch Hawks games, hell any hockey for that matter, on TV again. If any of you guys on here have not been watching, you're seriously missing out. But please all join me in praying that the Hawks face the Ducks and not the Wings in the West Finals.

 

[Hendu0520]

dougthonus wrote:

DerrickRose1 wrote:

Baseball is my favorite sport and I haven't really been paying attention to it this year.

I think baseball really does well largely because it competes against nothing. I mean there is no major sport running against baseball for the majority of it's season. For that reason, you'll probably start paying attention to it soon, because you've got nothing else.

I always think it's hilarious how they overanalyze baseball on sports radio. It's probably the least cerebral of any major sport and requires the least amount of coaching and yet it gets by far the most "in depth" analysis of any sport out there.

Maybe it's because people can more easily understand in depth baseball analysis than in depth football, basketball, or hockey analysis, so they can discuss it more. Also the speed of the game is so slow and so single play oriented that you can break things down easier.

Agreed. There are some other factors imo of why Baseball does well. It is the oldest of all the sports, so people only like baseball because of sentimental reasons. There is no way any real human could objectively tell me that a baseball game is more exciting than Basketball or Football. You like your dad's team who liked his dad's team and you went to the ballpark cause it is so cheap and you weren't in school at the time blah blah blah. Thank god my dad has a brain and didn't take me to baseball games, he couldn't stand it.

Also imo I think it gets a lot of burn on radio because of the type of people baseball fans are. Not all of course I am stereotyping but a lot of baseball fans seem to be unathletic nerd types, not trying to be mean just stating a generalized opinion. I listen to a lot of radio but I have never called in, it takes forever, you get put on hold for hours it is just too much. Baseball fans have no problem sitting around on hold, shoot its just like watching a game.

 

[Hendu0520]

Baseball game avg time 3hrs, avg amount the ball is in play 3minutes! Boooooorrrriiiinnngg!!!

Oh also baseball has the best stats. The stats tell you exactly what happened whereas football and basketball the stats are way behind and have to be interpruted. So people can get on the radio and argue for hours because they have so many stats.

 

[Kush77]

2ndcitydiehard wrote:

dougthonus wrote:

I think baseball really does well largely because it competes against nothing. I mean there is no major sport running against baseball for the majority of it's season. For that reason, you'll probably start paying attention to it soon, because you've got nothing else.

I always think it's hilarious how they overanalyze baseball on sports radio. It's probably the least cerebral of any major sport and requires the least amount of coaching and yet it gets by far the most "in depth" analysis of any sport out there.

Maybe it's because people can more easily understand in depth baseball analysis than in depth football, basketball, or hockey analysis, so they can discuss it more. Also the speed of the game is so slow and so single play oriented that you can break things down easier.

DT I really couldn't disagree with you more. While less skill coaching might happen on the professional level (and isn't that supposed kinda be the point? guys are professionals when they get to the pros?) there is a tremendous amount mentally that goes in to every pitch of a baseball game.

I don't think most people really do get the depth of baseball. The more you know the more interesting the game gets to me. Knowing how guys like to pitch and set-up hitters. Knowing hitters weaknesses and tendencies. Seeing an OF or INF make a great catch or play because they made the adjustment and were positioned correctly. Being able to tell what pitches a pitcher has working that night and how it changes his approach.

You basically are talking about how since they don't draw up plays it's a less cerebral sport. Every pitch is a move in a chess match between hitter and pitcher. How line-ups are constructed and pinch-hitters/bullpen pitchers is a chess match between managers. There is a tremendous amount there and as I said be for, the more you know (in my opinion) the more interesting it gets.

Wow, I agree with 2ndcity on that one. There is so much that goes into a baseball game, it's ridiculous. It is a chess match. Especially when you get into the postseason.

As for the main question of this post "has this year made me hate baseball?" No.

The steroid thing sucks, but guys are getting caught and being held accountable. I'm sure not everyone is getting caught, but it's better now than 10 years ago.

I talked about this on one of my last podcasts, I never understood why the NFL gets a free pass when it comes to the juice. When an MLB player gets caught there's SportsCenter Specials on it. When a marquee NFL player gets caught, like Shawne Merriman, it just passes by, no biggie.

 

[2ndcitydiehard]

Hendu0520 wrote:

Agreed. There are some other factors imo of why Baseball does well. It is the oldest of all the sports, so people only like baseball because of sentimental reasons. There is no way any real human could objectively tell me that a baseball game is more exciting than Basketball or Football. You like your dad's team who liked his dad's team and you went to the ballpark cause it is so cheap and you weren't in school at the time blah blah blah. Thank god my dad has a brain and didn't take me to baseball games, he couldn't stand it.

I can tell you that quite objectively. Baseball builds a different kind of excitement, if you need immediate results or obvious action and physical contact for excitement then go right ahead with football. But just because you don't get or appreciate the excitement in baseball doesn't mean it isn't there.

Also imo I think it gets a lot of burn on radio because of the type of people baseball fans are. Not all of course I am stereotyping but a lot of baseball fans seem to be unathletic nerd types, not trying to be mean just stating a generalized opinion. I listen to a lot of radio but I have never called in, it takes forever, you get put on hold for hours it is just too much. Baseball fans have no problem sitting around on hold, shoot its just like watching a game.

You've got to be kidding me right? How many fat drunk idiots do you see at football games? basketball games? hockey games? That statement is just absolutely ridiculous.

So you don't like to call in to a radio station. That means everyone who does is obviously sitting around doing nothing? Have you ever put a phone a speaker while on hold and then moved on with your day? Good lord.

 

[Kush77]

You know what the funny thing about football is?? It has the LEAST amount of action than any other sport.

There was a study done on this a few years back, and I can't remember the exact numbers, but for a 3 hour football game, there's like 27 minutes of total action. Something ridiculous like that.

The average NFL play is a few seconds, then there's 35 seconds of huddle, walking to the line, calling the signals, the hike. 3 to 10 second play, then do it all over again.

 

[2ndcitydiehard]

Kush77 wrote:

You know what the funny thing about football is?? It has the LEAST amount of action than any other sport.

There was a study done on this a few years back, and I can't remember the exact numbers, but for a 3 hour football game, there's like 27 minutes of total action. Something ridiculous like that.

The average NFL play is a few seconds, then there's 35 seconds of huddle, walking to the line, calling the signals, the hike. 3 to 10 second play, then do it all over again.

Exactly! People just want to see physical contact and scoring. That's how they define exciting. If there isn't a chance someone is going to get hurt at any moment than really what's the point, right?