Here is why baseball games take three hours or more.

[CharlieMaxwell]

Fifth inning of Tuesday's Yanks/Red Sox game...

Posada looks into Yankees dugout as pitching coach Stottlemyre goes through a series of signs for Posada to flash to David Wells.

Wells then looks into Posada, who gives him the signs he just got from Stottlemyre.

Wells shakes those signs off

Garciappara then steps out of the batters box and proceeds to adjust his batting gloves, his wrist band, his his shirt sleeve about 20 times, then spits and gets back in the batters box.

Wells looks in for the signs (AGIAN), spits, nods OK and then throws a pitch five feet outside for ball one.

ELAPSED TIME: More than most guys spend on foreplay!!!!!!!!

 

[Fishhead]

My question is.....SO WHAT?

Baseball is a nail-biting great game.

 

[HacheMan]

Sorry Strut, I have to disagree, Baseball is a boring game!........

......NO offense baseball fans.....lol

 

[CharlieMaxwell]

Didn't say it wasn't. In fact, baseball is my favorite sport. However, I would like the season to end sometime before Halloween.

 

[Fishhead]

I wish it lasted year round.

 

[sickgambler]

That is what makes baseball so great Charles. It is a relaxing game, and who the hell cares if Nomaaaa steps out a few times, that is the beauty of it. Would you prefer they pitch every 4.7 seconds and have the game finish in 1 hr and 13 minutes. NO WAY. The longer the games go, the better. It is a strategic game, and when games go long, that is the beauty of it.

Would you rather sex last only 45 minutes with you, OR 4.5 hours.. Same thing with baseball..

 

[CharlieMaxwell]

Sick Gambler - The difference between sex and baseball is that four balls doesn't necessarily signify a walk in sex.

Seriously though, I hear what you are saying and I enjoy the strategy and drama of baseball immensely. However, I do feel there are TOO MANY meetings on the mound nowadays and too much stepping in and out of the box.

It just seems to me that I saw much less of this when I was watching baseball in the 50s and 60s. It seemed like a much SMOOTHER sport.

I still LOVE the game though!

 

[TheGeneral+]

I wish they played 81 games and went 5 innings.

 

[Mr.Jones]

Charlie, I'm sure you have played some ball along the way. One of the things that makes the game great is the intensity of the battle between the pitcher and the hitter--a battle exclusive to this game I may add.

I can tell you from experience that I had to step out of the box after almost every pitch. Everthing has to feel just right. A deep breath, gathering of thoughts, a decision as to what type of pitch you may be seeing next, a simple following of a routine to calm the nerves, all come into play. In more than a few cases a routine is established. Much as a golfer, and a good free throw shooter, most good hitter's have one.

Add the intensity of post season play and all of this is magnified. Yea there are the Randall Simon's, but they are indeed the exception. It is too easy to freeze up in the batter's box. Pitchers know this and will try to freeze hitters. There is nothing you can do in that case but step out of the box.



And one last thing, you can be sure nobody out there between the lines gives a hoot about the time of the game. All they care about is winning and their personal stats.

 

[CharlieMaxwell]

Mr. Jones - I hear ya. It just pains me sometimes to see a "human rain delay" in the batters box at times.

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[Comeon!!!!]

Charlie; I'd like you to check this thread and post your opinion... "PLAY BALL IN SUMMER, NOT FALL"

 

[CharlieMaxwell]

Hey Lady - Glad to have you here at the RX. Always nice to get the female point of view. While Andy Rooney's dry humor is of course evident in this piece, there is little chance at this point in time another PRO baseball team defeating a Major League team. UNLESS OF COURSE THEY ARE THE DETROIT TIGERS!!!

 

[Comeon!!!!]

I know, but i think the whole "let's make a REAL world series" bit is good...
The NBA Dream Team remained undefeated for sooooo long, but recently they started to notice it wasn't as easy to win as it used to be...Maybe the same would happen on baseball!
Besides, I liked pulling Mr. Jones' leg

[This message was edited by A Lady Passing by on October 14, 2003 at 09:13 PM.]