The Beautiful Game of Baseball
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by Jayrod11
Recently I've been hearing a lot of NFL hype. There are just too many NFL fans out there. Don't get me wrong, football is great, but baseball is where it's at. I've recently been trying to convince fans of other sports to give baseball a chance.
Convincing non-baseball fans that the sport is great is tough. The worst part is trying to convince someone that the beautiful intracacies of the game are what make it great. People say it's slow, or there's no action, or I don't get it. When I'm trying to tell someone why baseball is amazing I will usually set up a situation for them. Like runner on first, no outs. The number two hitter steps up to the plate. SO MANY THINGS CAN HAPPEN.
On the Mound:
The pitcher can do a lot of things, maybe he throws over and checks the runner, maybe he steps off and glares at the runner, he might start towards home plate and then decide to pick... BALK... maybe he decides to try a crazy new grip for a breaking ball and the ball falls out of his glove... BALK. He could throw a fastball (2 seams or 4 seam), curveball, slider, sinker, cutter, screwball, splitter, knuckleball, knucklecurve, ephus, or palmball, (he can even try a pitch out if he wants to see if the runner's moving) and he can vary speeds and locations for any of these pitches, he can even change his arm angle to screw with the batter. The pitcher can shake off signals all day long, he might even decide to get a little conference going with the catcher. Perhaps the pitcher sees the hitter peak in to see where the catcher's setting up. Maybe the pitcher gets pissed and decides to go headhunting, then if he hits the batter, we got ourselves an old fashioned bench clearing brawl (and maybe Kyle Farnsworth will be in one of the teams bullpens and come out and spear someone), or maybe we just have a few choice words exchanged. Maybe the catcher escorts the runner to first. Maybe the manager comes out and has a few choice words for the umpire (Bobby Cox would get kicked out and Sweet Lou would kick his hat all over the diamond) or maybe the umpire issues warnings to one team, both teams, or just the individual pitcher.
Base Paths:
The runner can take a small lead, take a huge lead, take an average lead. He can fake to second, steal second, try a delayed steal, be thrown out at second, end up at third or even home because of an overthrow, get picked off by the pitcher, get backdoored by the catcher, get caught in a run down, charge the stupid pitcher from first for hitting the batter.
On the Diamond:
Outfielders might be shifting, playing in, playing out, playing to pull or shading towards the opposite field. The corner infielders could be creeping in, anticipating the bunt, or they might be at regular depth depending on the manager and his tendencies. The middle infielders will be talking back and forth about who is covering the bag on a steal and they'll probably let the pitcher know who he's working with on a double play ball. The weather has to be brought into play as well... maybe the grass is wet and the ball isn't rolling well today so the fielders move in a step... maybe the field is really dry or their on turf... take a step back.
At the Dish:
The hitter can hit a homerun, triple, double, single, groundball out, pop out, line out, strike out, walk, be intentionally walked (usually not in this situation but who knows) reach on an error, reach on a dropped third strike, sacrifice bunt, fake bunt, bunt for a hit, reach first on catchers interference. Maybe the manager wants to make something happen so he tries the hit and run... maybe the batter puts it on the ground to the right side and it gets through... runners at first and third, maybe he pops up... that's trouble... maybe he lines out... double play.
No other sport is as unpredictable... it's beautiful.
