OT: You really can't beat baseball for drama

[Louis]

Happily the Cards won 8-0 so there was no drama there, and Carp was great, but the Yankees-Orioles and the A's-Tigers games - Wow.

I love the way tension builds and ebbs throughout the game - at so many levels, be it half-inning by half-inning, or pitch by by pitch. The A's facing elimination in the bottom of the ninth score three runs to force game five, and the back-stories: Ibanez pinch-hitting for a slumping first-ballot Hall of Famer ARod in the bottom of the ninth, and the results then, and again in the 12th. You couldn't invent a story like that, even if you tried.

I don't think any of the other big-time sports can compare.

[laupsi]

Ibanez pinch-hitting for a slumping first-ballot Hall of Famer ARod in the bottom of the ninth, and the results then, and again in the 12th. You couldn't invent a story like that, even if you tried.


Oh yes you can, like how the underdog O's came back from a 2-1 deficit at NY to advance to the AL Championship Series. C'mon my beloved O's we need some real Magic tonight! Cheers :)

[rugbysecondrow]

Oh yes you can, like how the underdog O's came back from a 2-1 deficit at NY to advance to the AL Championship Series. C'mon my beloved O's we need some real Magic tonight! Cheers :)

You bet. They need their veteran players to step up. Hard to win if you don't score.

Let's Go O's!

[BumbleBeeDave]

Gotta respectfully disagree with you. Personally, I find it boring 98% of the time I've watched it since I was 10. In particular as a photojournalist I had to cover many games and it was totally predictable. Long, looooong stretches of nothing much happening. Not much to do except drink beer and jive with your buddies. But I was on a stool behind first base with three cameras set up, two on tripods with foot pedals, because it was so predictable where the action would happen. So no beer or jiving for me. Just boring.

Basketball has far more action--constantly--and more fun to watch. No guys spitting tobacco or ostentatiously adjusting themselves, either . . . ;):p

BBD

[rugbysecondrow]

Gotta respectfully disagree with you. Personally, I find it boring 98% of the time I've watched it since I was 10. In particular as a photojournalist I had to cover many games and it was totally predictable. Long, looooong stretches of nothing much happening. Not much to do except drink beer and jive with your buddies. But I was on a stool behind first base with three cameras set up, two on tripods with foot pedals, because it was so predictable where the action would happen. So no beer or jiving for me. Just boring.

Basketball has far more action--constantly--and more fun to watch. No guys spitting tobacco or ostentatiously adjusting themselves, either . . . ;):p

BBD


You are missing a great part of the game, you have to watch what is happening when nothing is happening. The pitching, the position of the fielders, the runners on the paths, where is the catcher setting up, bunt, swinging, is there a hit n run etc. There is SO much happening when there is nothing happeing. :)

[Rada]

I agree that baseball can be boring at times, but basketball is just painful to watch.

[laupsi]

Gotta respectfully disagree with you. Personally, I find it boring 98% of the time I've watched it since I was 10. In particular as a photojournalist I had to cover many games and it was totally predictable. Long, looooong stretches of nothing much happening. Not much to do except drink beer and jive with your buddies. But I was on a stool behind first base with three cameras set up, two on tripods with foot pedals, because it was so predictable where the action would happen. So no beer or jiving for me. Just boring.

Basketball has far more action--constantly--and more fun to watch. No guys spitting tobacco or ostentatiously adjusting themselves, either . . . ;):p

BBD

Don't mean to criticize your awareness of sport but either you "see" the beauty of baseball or you don't, and if you don't then the finite aspects of the game are lost on you. Basketball has the "hit you up side the head" type of action. The norm is for players to score and rarely do they dissapoint. It's only when players don't score, and yes there's ample opportunity for them to score, especially at the end of the game, that the game becomes challenging. The final minute of a game, when the score is tight, is very exciting indeed but as I stated earlier, it is completely unaldulturated in its build up and intensity. Who wouldn't like this...?

Baseball on the other hand is the ultimate in sport management, skill and patience. Players typically don't score, it's very difficult indeed and yet they do and do they so in very unexpected and trying ways. The fruit as they say is "at the top". If you can hang in and relish one game's short history from point "A" to point "B" all the way to the final out then an appreciation for all that occurred in between results in a love of the game.

[tiretrax]

Neither baseball nor basketball can compare to the excitement of golf!

[bobswire]

Exciting indeed, the A's and Giants were facing elimination having lost the first two out of five at home then having survive their rivals sharks tank by winning the next two and now play for the right to go to their designated championship series.
Tim Lincecum (the freak), two time Cy Young winner looked like a has been this year. 10/15 with a 5.18 era,terrible year by his standards. He was demoted to bullpen duty. He came in for relief last night against the Reds and threw four innings in walking none and striking out six. Helping to preserve a win in order to face today's elimination round. The freak was back for at least one night, that's baseball at its finest.

[ctcyclistbob]

Yes, the baseball playoffs are very exciting to watch.

Now, will someone please just beat the Yankees? I only wish that A-Rod had batted for himself last night and the Os likely would have won the game.

[sc53]

I'm rooting for the Nats and the O's and find the whole drama of these games very exciting! We have a family tradition of baseball, maybe that's why I enjoy watching it. I like the slow parts, it's like theater, something's always building--but yeah it just might fizzle out. That's baseball, that's life.

[MattTuck]

Gotta respectfully disagree with you.

:banana:

this forum rocks. you mods do a good job. that is all.

[bcm119]

I've always thought baseball was boring, but I've begun to appreciate it in the past 5 years or so. What I find interesting, even riveting sometimes, is that anything can happen. In basketball, I always thought they should skip the first 55 (?) minutes and just give them 5 minutes to play, it would avoid the monotonous back and forth. But in baseball, each game develops its own story, both at the team level and individual. By the 9th inning, whatever happens, there's always a back story to what happens (or doesn't happen). It seems the most emotional game to me, and that adds a layer of interest I don't get from other sports.

[eddief]

baseball is unique in that most of the team on the field is the same each day as in basketball, but one key thing is changed every day that makes the game more unpredictable than most. And that is the pitcher is different every day. So much revolves around that one player in the middle of the diamond. I had never thought about that way. Ask Timmy.

[ctcyclistbob]

... In basketball, I always thought they should skip the first 55 (?) minutes and just give them 5 minutes to play, it would avoid the monotonous back and forth ...

I like basketball, but this comment is so true.

[oldpotatoe]

Yes, the baseball playoffs are very exciting to watch.

Now, will someone please just beat the Yankees? I only wish that A-Rod had batted for himself last night and the Os likely would have won the game.

BUT, he didn't and they didn't....

[rugbysecondrow]

BUT, he didn't and they didn't....
It was painful to watch, but man was it a great finish. What other game would have a finish like that?

That is why baseball with kick you in the gut, then pick you back up and give you a big hug, all in the same game.

[laupsi]

BUT, he didn't and they didn't....

yes we know this, what's your point for pointing these out once again?

[oldpotatoe]

yes we know this, what's your point for pointing these out once again?

Cuz I like the Yankees(?).....I would like to see a series with the Yankees and Washington. I think it would be more of a walkover than when the Rockies got their arse kicked in 4 games BUT...

Maybe my hometown team will be somethin' in 2014..Cleveland, with Francona...the curse of Manny.

[Ray]

Where was this clutch Ibanez the past three years when he was playing for the Phils? We always loved Ra-oooooool but we could have used a little of this post-season juice from him! I guess being a platoon DH instead of everyday player agrees with him. I still hate the DH.

Dave, baseball is like bicycle stage racing. Boring as hell if you're not a fan of the strategery going on in the background, but about the most interesting sport there is if you understand the fine points, like how a pitcher sets up a hitter, how the infielders position themselves based on the count and the whole game situation, when to pinch hit for the pitcher (at least in the league where real baseball is still played!), etc. There are always a million things going on just beneath the surface. Stage racing is like that too, but I'd argue that on a lot of those long flat sprint stages, there's pretty much nothing happening between the time the break is allowed to go and when the sprint teams start chasing in earnest. In baseball, there's pretty much always something going on, except the late innings of a blowout.

-Ray

[bobswire]

The Giants just beat the Reds,first time a team has come back from being two down in a best of 5 series. :banana:

[eddief]

The Giants just beat the Reds,first time a team has come back from being two down in a best of 5 series. :banana:

truly torture.

[Elefantino]

truly torture.

Just like 2010 was torture. That's the fall I got ulcers.

[Louis]

On to Game 5 for the Cards vs the Nats.

[Ray]

On to Game 5 for the Cards vs the Nats.

At Werth's hand, no less. All these ex-Phillies! At least Rolen struck out to end Cincy's season - he was a Phillie way back when and left acrimoniously. He still gets booed at every at-bat in Philly. Now we just need Baltimore to win tonight for all four series to go five games.

-Ray

[Louis]

Now we just need Baltimore to win tonight for all four series to go five games.

I have to believe that all objective fans out there will be rooting for Baltimore.

[oldpotatoe]

I have to believe that all objective fans out there will be rooting for Baltimore.

What's objective about baseball? BASEBALL!! it is subjective, 100% and I want NY to win.

Or at least Detroit, Leyland, what an Icon, along with Davie...in Washington.

Glad Texas didn't and happy to see Boston

in

the

basement-

No, I want(ed) Cleveland or the Rockies(the BUMS!!) to win..

[wc1934]

You are missing a great part of the game, you have to watch what is happening when nothing is happening. The pitching, the position of the fielders, the runners on the paths, where is the catcher setting up, bunt, swinging, is there a hit n run etc. There is SO much happening when there is nothing happeing. :)

+1
The ultimate most exciting "nothing happening" is watching a no hitter.

[wc1934]

[quote=oldpotatoe;1220825
and happy to see boston

in

the

basement-

..[/quote]

ouch!

[rugbysecondrow]

What's objective about baseball? BASEBALL!! it is subjective, 100% and I want NY to win.

Or at least Detroit, Leyland, what an Icon, along with Davie...in Washington.

Glad Texas didn't and happy to see Boston

in

the

basement-

No, I want(ed) Cleveland or the Rockies(the BUMS!!) to win..

I really dislike the Yankees, but I really like Giradi. As a life long Cub fan and being from Central Illinois, I have liked Joe for a long time.

As an O's fan, I of course want them to win, but as a baseball fan, I enjoy watching good ball and seeing the good guys in sports do well. Joe Giradi is one of the good guys.

[Louis]

What's objective about baseball? BASEBALL!! it is subjective, 100% and I want NY to win.

I know what you mean, but to belabor the point: Fans can't be passionate about every team, just the ones they care about. However, fans can be passionate about great baseball, and if you don't have a rooting interest in a given game, you can hope for things to go well for the O's tonight and for it to go all the way to a 5-game series

[eddief]

I know what you mean, but to belabor the point: Fans can't be passionate about every team, just the ones they care about. However, fans can be passionate about great baseball, and if you don't have a rooting interest in a given game, you can hope for things to go well for the O's tonight and for it to go all the way to a 5-game series

We now have two competitive teams. I live in the East Bay and have no idea why I like the Giants and have payed relatively little attention to the A's over the last 15 years. One thing is the Giants have a whole fleet of really great radio and TV announcers. Compare them to the guys on TNT, ESPN, FOXdoo, and you lose half the fun. The bummer is, when the game is on cable, the time delay makes it impossible to watch the TV picture and listen to the local radio broadcast.

[Louis]

The bummer is, when the game is on cable, the time delay makes it impossible to watch the TV picture and listen to the local radio broadcast.

I wonder if they do it on purpose to prevent that very thing?

Here in St Louis ESPN radio and the local Cards radio network both have the game on "live." The ESPN call has a huge delay (I'd guess about 10 secs, but I haven't timed it). I don't have a TV, so I have no idea how that compares to either radio call.

[rugbysecondrow]

Just use your DVR to sync the two. I have done it with football quite a few times.

[oldpotatoe]

I really dislike the Yankees, but I really like Giradi. As a life long Cub fan and being from Central Illinois, I have liked Joe for a long time.

As an O's fan, I of course want them to win, but as a baseball fan, I enjoy watching good ball and seeing the good guys in sports do well. Joe Giradi is one of the good guys.

Agree with that. Playoff baseball is a wonderful time of year. So many close games, extra innings, walkoff homeruns, great pitching...Verlander-11 strikeouts!!!

[laupsi]

Agree with that. Playoff baseball is a wonderful time of year. So many close games, extra innings, walkoff homeruns, great pitching...Verlander-11 strikeouts!!!

what a series, didn't know my gut could hold up to such turmoil. any predictions on tonight's match-up?

[oldpotatoe]

what a series, didn't know my gut could hold up to such turmoil. any predictions on tonight's match-up?

Well, what I say will be the opposite of what you say but it won't even be close, Yankees will roll...

"Hammel was not involved in the Game 1 decision but pitched very well. Sabathia outlasted him, going 8 2/3 innings and picking up the victory, after the Yankees erupted for five runs in the ninth inning of a 7-2 victory. That was the first and only sizable offensive burst in this series."

dejavu all over again...

[laupsi]

Well, what I say will be the opposite of what you say but it won't even be close, Yankees will roll...

"Hammel was not involved in the Game 1 decision but pitched very well. Sabathia outlasted him, going 8 2/3 innings and picking up the victory, after the Yankees erupted for five runs in the ninth inning of a 7-2 victory. That was the first and only sizable offensive burst in this series."

dejavu all over again...

I can't go either way, just have no idea how the O's have been able to shut down the Yanks these past 4 games, (not withstanding Game One's 9th inning rally).

On the same note, the O's have not been doing it offensively either. If I had to guess I would say the pitching won't hold up. Sabathia has not been that stellar against the O's at home during the regular season and odds are the O's shut down pitching will suffer a glitch as well.

Guess we'll have to wait and see. One thing I can say is that Girardi is not doing the Yanks any favors for tomorrow's Yanks w/his handling of A-Rod, especially if the O's win tonight. There will be trouble in Mudville to be certain!

Go O's! :banana:

[rugbysecondrow]

what a series, didn't know my gut could hold up to such turmoil. any predictions on tonight's match-up?

I like the way the O's looked at the end of the game last night. The Yankers are supposed to win, the O's looked like they were loose and having fun. I like that and I think that approach will bode well for them tonight. Will the O's win, hopefully but the Yanks are a good team and CC is no joke.

I predict 5-3 O's win in 9 innings. The O's will touch up CC some, not enough to knock him out early, but they will wear him out a little, last about 6 innings and the Yank bullpen will give up 2 more.

Hammel goes 6, then a combination of Matusz, Strope and Johnson lock it down.

Then I have tickets for the first home game at Camden for the ALCS.

Is that too detailed?

[laupsi]

I like the way the O's looked at the end of the game last night. The Yankers are supposed to win, the O's looked like they were loose and having fun. I like that and I think that approach will bode well for them tonight. Will the O's win, hopefully but the Yanks are a good team and CC is no joke.

I predict 5-3 O's win in 9 innings. The O's will touch up CC some, not enough to knock him out early, but they will wear him out a little, last about 6 innings and the Yank bullpen will give up 2 more.

Hammel goes 6, then a combination of Matusz, Strope and Johnson lock it down.

Then I have tickets for the first home game at Camden for the ALCS.

Is that too detailed?

No it's not too detailed and I like the way you think! See you at the Yard Rugby, got tickets as well. :)

[rugbysecondrow]

No it's not too detailed and I like the way you think! See you at the Yard Rugby, got tickets as well. :)

Where are you sitting?

[ctcyclistbob]

Lots of drama in the playoffs this year. All four division series have gone to five games for the first time ever.

Go Os !!!

[laupsi]

Where are you sitting?

Section 246, Row 1, Seats 13 & 14.

You?

[rugbysecondrow]

Section 246, Row 1, Seats 13 & 14.

You?

308, Upper Box. Row 4. Not as good as your seats, but best I could do when I bought them from Ticketmaster. One thing I know about Camden, no bad seat in the house.

I was able to get section 55 tickets for the Game 2 game of the ALDS which we won. That was a great game to go to.

Go O's!

[laupsi]

308, Upper Box. Row 4. Not as good as your seats, but best I could do when I bought them from Ticketmaster. One thing I know about Camden, no bad seat in the house.

I was able to get section 55 tickets for the Game 2 game of the ALDS which we won. That was a great game to go to.

Go O's!

agreed. My tickets are company issued. I will go to the 1st game, will have to distribute to my key people for some of the others.

[rugbysecondrow]

agreed. My tickets are company issued. I will go to the 1st game, will have to distribute to my key people for some of the others.

Just so you know, I consider myself to be a "Key" person, if that helps you any.

:)

Cheers

[rugbysecondrow]

repeat

[laupsi]

Just so you know, I consider myself to be a "Key" person, if that helps you any.

:)

Cheers

yea, I am finding we have many more of those "key" folks than we had just a month ago. The final month of September was huge, everyone wanted tickets. Most years, heck for 15 years I had a hard time giving them away. :eek:

[Louis]

I don't "hate" the Yankees, but I do dislike them a little bit...

PS - I wonder how A-Rod feels, right about now?

[Louis]

Looks like it's over for the Cards. Nat up 6-0 It was fun while it lasted.

Good Luck Nats and Giants.

Let's hope for some more exciting post-season baseball.

[Louis]

I love baseball, but I really do hate it...

[Louis]

WOW


I rest my case. What a game.

[Ray]

Louis, Louis, Louis!!! After what your team did last year you were actually worried by a little 6-0 lead? I've seen teams with bigger bats than the Cards, but I've never seen a tougher hitting team than those guys. They scratch out at bats like nothing I've ever seen. They did it to my guys last year, but that was just a warm up for the WS. And now theyre at it again. I'll never bet against those guys. I hate when my team loses, but I've never had more respect or admiration for a team that beat us. I hope Washington fans feel the same today, but they're probably too new to this to feel anything but shock...:eek:

-Ray

[Louis]

After what your team did last year you were actually worried by a little 6-0 lead?

Apparently it's the biggest comeback ever in a post-season elimination game...

Going back to my original reason for starting the thread - other games (football, basketball, whatever) do go back and forth, but I really don't think they can match baseball's exquisite pain, the soaring highs, the numbing lows, and the tension just continues to ratchet up...

On to San Francisco and the Giants. :)

[Ray]

Apparently it's the biggest comeback ever in a post-season elimination game...

Going back to my original reason for starting the thread - other games (football, basketball, whatever) do go back and forth, but I really don't think they can match baseball's exquisite pain, the soaring highs, the numbing lows, and the tension just continues to ratchet up...

On to San Francisco and the Giants. :)

I think there's something profound about not having a clock - the only team sport (in the US anyway) that isn't run by the clock. So you never know WHEN the game will end. You gotta get 27 outs - 26 2/3 just won't do it. When you're down 10 with 30 seconds left in basketball, you're not gonna get it done. But until that 27th out is in the books, ANYTHING can still happen in baseball.

The Cards may be the only "enemy" team I've really sort of come to love, even last year when they were beating the Phils (however close it was - jeez, 1-0 in the fifth game!). What they did in the World Series was just incomparable. And they're at it again. Now we have the two teams that knocked my guys out the last two years - SOMEONE has to lose! :cool:

-Ray

[oldpotatoe]

I think there's something profound about not having a clock - the only team sport (in the US anyway) that isn't run by the clock. So you never know WHEN the game will end. You gotta get 27 outs - 26 2/3 just won't do it. When you're down 10 with 30 seconds left in basketball, you're not gonna get it done. But until that 27th out is in the books, ANYTHING can still happen in baseball.

The Cards may be the only "enemy" team I've really sort of come to love, even last year when they were beating the Phils (however close it was - jeez, 1-0 in the fifth game!). What they did in the World Series was just incomparable. And they're at it again. Now we have the two teams that knocked my guys out the last two years - SOMEONE has to lose! :cool:

-Ray

And altho not a huge fan of SF, NO team has comeback from down 2 games to win a best of 5 end of season division series..love this game.

[djg]

OH FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD.

Each year, as a cubs fan, I allow myself a second team for purposes of the playoffs. Gotta root for somebody in the NLCS and the series, right? Why not the home team? The Nats looked good this year. Darn good. And the game was over. Until it wasn't.:eek:

[Ray]

OH FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD.

Each year, as a cubs fan, I allow myself a second team for purposes of the playoffs. Gotta root for somebody in the NLCS and the series, right? Why not the home team? The Nats looked good this year. Darn good. And the game was over. Until it wasn't.:eek:

Well, as a Cubs fan, that should make you feel right at home, no? Sort of a warm and fuzzy reminder of your youth... or your whole life really! :D

Just wait 'til next year. The Nats look like they're for real. I hope the Phils can give 'em a good fight, but the Nats are getting better and I suspect the Phils are getting dangerously close their sell-by date with a lot of our best guys - and most of 'em still have a few years on their contracts... The downside of success.

-Ray

[ctcyclistbob]

OH FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD.

Each year, as a cubs fan, I allow myself a second team for purposes of the playoffs. Gotta root for somebody in the NLCS and the series, right? Why not the home team? The Nats looked good this year. Darn good. And the game was over. Until it wasn't.:eek:

The Nats had it until the Cards said otherwise, they just wouln't quit ... and like the postgame commentators said each Nats pitcher that came in gave up a run or two until the 9th, and nobody sealed the deal. Especially the closer, who probably feels worse than Lance this morning.

The Cubs will be there in a couple of years. Theo will get it done.

[laupsi]

Then I have tickets for the first home game at Camden for the ALCS.


just not enough offense but it was an exciting and hopeful season. see you there, ALCS, next year!

[rugbysecondrow]

OH FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD.

Each year, as a cubs fan, I allow myself a second team for purposes of the playoffs. Gotta root for somebody in the NLCS and the series, right? Why not the home team? The Nats looked good this year. Darn good. And the game was over. Until it wasn't.:eek:

Ditto except I adopted the O's when I moved to Maryland 8 years ago. I love the O's as much as the cubs now, sort of like adoptive parents I suppose, loving both their natural and adopted kids.

[bobswire]

Apparently it's the biggest comeback ever in a post-season elimination game...

Going back to my original reason for starting the thread - other games (football, basketball, whatever) do go back and forth, but I really don't think they can match baseball's exquisite pain, the soaring highs, the numbing lows, and the tension just continues to ratchet up...

On to San Francisco and the Giants. :)

It is going to be a tough series for the Giants, they had some lucky breaks playing the Reds. The pitching has been so-so and unless the offense picks up, the Giants will be trouble. Keeping the score low and close then they'll have a chance. May the best team win Louis.

[Ray]

Ditto except I adopted the O's when I moved to Maryland 8 years ago. I love the O's as much as the cubs now, sort of like adoptive parents I suppose, loving both their natural and adopted kids.

I was a natural O's fan, having been born there and a little kid during the glory years in the 60's - we'd left by 1970, but was still a fan of those teams. My dad worked for and was pretty good friends with the guy who owned the team in those days (Jerry Hoffberger) and we went to a LOT of games and sat right behind home plate. I then lived in Arizona, which didn't have a team, so I hung with the O's through the mid '80s, Rip's early years.

But then when my wife and I settled in the Seattle area, I sort of became an adopted Mariners fan. Our first date was actually an O's vs Mariners game in the Kingdome in April or May of '83, and the transition began. We went to a ton of Mariners games because you could get outfield tickets for about $3 in those days and we lived within walking distance of the Dome. They sucked the whole time, but Griffey showed up for the last couple of years we were there, so we at least got to see that. And Randy Johnson when he was REALLY wild!

Moved to Philly in '92 and I've been a fan since the World Series team of '93. So I guess I'm an adopted Phillies fan, but I've lived here longer than anywhere else in my life, so I think its pretty fully taken root. But anytime the O's or M's are good, I still follow them a little bit, for nostalgia sake if nothing else. The O's and Colts were my childhood / hero worship teams and I think that always sort of sticks with you. I still have a minor physical reaction each time I see a Colts helmet or Orioles cap for the first time in a while.

-Ray

[tuxbailey]

I wasn't going to watch but thinking the Nats would win it I turned on around the 7th inning.

I feel bad for the closer. So close... yet so painful.

[Louis]

Now the Tigers fans are feeling the pain...

What a post-season for Ibanez.

Edit:

Another gut-wrenching game. Big losses for the Yankees - the game and The Captain.