Mount Typo, Victoria Superthread

[cobl04]

We are of course coming from a place of ignorance, but I completely agree. I think what annoys me most is the batsmen. Like in cricket, when batsmen miss, it's either because they're going for a big shot and misjudged, or the bowler has got the ball to move away or move in just enough that the batsman misses. Batsmen in cricket are frequently hitting the ball. You've got a bowler who comes in and then the batsmen have a split second to decide which shot to play in a field of 360 degrees.

But in baseball it seems like even the star batsmen are constantly missing. Like I watched Puig bat twice today, he's a big name, and I think he might have hit the ball once. The other times he either swung and miss, left it and got a strike, left it and got a ball, or hit it in the foul area. You can watch an entire inning where the batsmen for both teams might hit the ball legally once or twice and nothing else happens. It's extremely frustrating. As I've posted before we saw a game live in San Fran and from the bottom of the third to the top of the ninth I think about three or four batsmen got on base, in like two and a half hours. The rest of the time nothing happened and they kept taking breaks.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

And how do you really get engaged in a game like that? It's like the complete opposite to football, where you feel that there is no way you can be distracted just in case something substantial happens, with baseball you can go out and wash the car for half an hour and by the time you're back nothing might have changed.

 

[Axver]

Baseball and rugby league back to back on Gem today. It's like they're trying to see how much shit sport they can cram into one afternoon. All we need now is a game of soccer.

Surely if people want to be comatose on the weekend, they will do the job themselves at the pub on Saturday rather than needing Gem to do the job for them on Sunday.

 

[cobl04]

But channel nine have got you covered just in case.

 

[bono_man2002]

I really want to like Baseball but anytime I've ever watched it, it just never does anything for me. I watched up till the 5th Inning today and gave in....looks like it did get kinda interesting later... If there's a doco or something it's usually interesting enough...like this morning I watched the Red Sox V Yankees from 2004...which was pretty amazing.

A mate went to three Yankees games in NYC last year and loved it. Maybe it'll click one day. It makes it hard when each team plays 100+ games (162?) in the regular season...it's not as easy to watch on delay as opposed to Hockey or Basketball.

 

[Axver]

I feel tired just thinking about baseball.

You know, there really are a lot of boring sports out there.

 

[cobl04]

The highlights are great, and the ninth inning was pretty good, the Diamondbacks made a few great plays late. But there's just too much time where very, very little happens... even in slow periods of a Test match there are still a lot of machinations at work to keep it interesting. The 2012 Adelaide Test match was a great example of that.

 

[cobl04]

But then again why am I talking. I pay $200 a year to play fucking lawn bowls.

 

[liamcool]

Give us hockey or give us death.

 

[cobl04]

I started a facebook group. Its motto is 'give us deep house or give us death'

 

[bono_212]

We are of course coming from a place of ignorance, but I completely agree. I think what annoys me most is the batsmen. Like in cricket, when batsmen miss, it's either because they're going for a big shot and misjudged, or the bowler has got the ball to move away or move in just enough that the batsman misses. Batsmen in cricket are frequently hitting the ball. You've got a bowler who comes in and then the batsmen have a split second to decide which shot to play in a field of 360 degrees.

But in baseball it seems like even the star batsmen are constantly missing. Like I watched Puig bat twice today, he's a big name, and I think he might have hit the ball once. The other times he either swung and miss, left it and got a strike, left it and got a ball, or hit it in the foul area. You can watch an entire inning where the batsmen for both teams might hit the ball legally once or twice and nothing else happens. It's extremely frustrating. As I've posted before we saw a game live in San Fran and from the bottom of the third to the top of the ninth I think about three or four batsmen got on base, in like two and a half hours. The rest of the time nothing happened and they kept taking breaks.

Yes, it's very difficult to hit the ball in baseball, that's kinda the point. In Cricket, as I recall, the ball bounces, doesn't it? It's got to be easier to hit it, in that case, even if it's still being thrown for speed.

A normal batting average in MLB is about .270, I believe. The best last year was .340

 

[bono_212]

And of course, as I think I've said many times in the past: Baseball is not the most exciting sport. It's appeal is in its difficulty, to me. And I have never in my life watched every game of a season, nor will I. It does go on forever, which is kinda insane, I agree.

 

[Axver]

But then again why am I talking. I pay $200 a year to play fucking lawn bowls.

Yes, but do you watch it?

There are heaps of sports that are immensely fun to play but boring as shit to watch. Soccer and golf are classic examples.

I'd go as far as saying there are very few sports that are good spectator events.

 

[bono_212]

Of all of the sports that I have attended in person, the only one that I found quite dull was soccer.

And that wasn't because the sport was boring, but because every game I've ever been to has ended in a tie.

 

[Axver]

Soccer's overwhelming global popularity never ceases to baffle me. I realise part of its appeal is its simplicity, and obviously it's fun to play, but most other football codes don't exactly require much more equipment, are in general more high-scoring, and make for better spectator events.

I'm sure inte won't appreciate me for saying this, but I wish the A League would just piss off. Australia's already got plenty of exciting sports. We don't need soccer making the sport pages more boring. (Cue me suddenly becoming an A League fan if the Wellington Phoenix make the grand final, because holy shit can you imagine Wellington winning something, anything? I can't!)

 

[cobl04]

I'm definitely anti-soccer, but it is the world game. And I will be interested when the world cup rolls around.

Yes, it's very difficult to hit the ball in baseball, that's kinda the point. In Cricket, as I recall, the ball bounces, doesn't it? It's got to be easier to hit it, in that case, even if it's still being thrown for speed.

A normal batting average in MLB is about .270, I believe. The best last year was .340

It just makes it so frustrating to watch, for me. Those batting averages, I take it they mean that if a batsman receives 100 pitches, 27 times he will hit the ball in play?

And yes the ball bounces in cricket. I have no doubt it would be easier to hit a bowl in cricket than a pitch in baseball.

Yes, but do you watch it?

There are heaps of sports that are immensely fun to play but boring as shit to watch. Soccer and golf are classic examples.

I'd go as far as saying there are very few sports that are good spectator events.

I do love watching lawn bowls, yes. Although it's rarely on.

Soccer is awesome fun to play. Golf can get fucked.

 

[Axver]

Soccer is awesome fun to play. Golf can get fucked.

If you don't enjoy playing mini-golf you have no soul.

 

[cobl04]

Yeah mini golf is fun.

Anyone see the Gala Saturday night? Ronny Chieng and Luke McGregor were my highlights. Eddie Ifft is fucking atrocious.

 

[Axver]

Oh my god FYM.

 

[djerdap]

For being so defiant towards Americans, you Aussies and Kiwis sure like to use that horrible word for football. You know, that one version of football where people actually play with their feet 99 per cent of the time.

Spoiler

Go Essendon

 

[bono_212]

I also found that funny

 

[cobl04]

The 'use feet 99% of the time' argument is completely irrelevant because Aussie rules is just such an incredibly superior brand or code of football to soccer that it genuinely feels wrong to call dribble ball footb-- I can't even type it.

 

[cobl04]

Seriously though to Ax and Char and Ali and Uwen please go to see shows at the comedy festival. I assume you like laughing. I saw Justin Hamilton tonight, he was fucking outstanding, and then went to Spleen Bar where they have about 10 comedians doing hilarious 5-minute bits every single Monday night for free. MICF is one of the things that truly makes Melbourne great.

 

[djerdap]

I can't even type it.

You shouldn't even bothered to start typing in the first place.

 

[cobl04]

Did you see an AFL game while you were here?

 

[djerdap]

MCG and Etihad both. But I thought the spoiler tag made it clear I liked the game.

 

[cobl04]

Haha yeah I'm just being a dickhead, again. Love it when people from other countries love our game

Although going for Essendon would suggest you have questionable taste.

And just to be antagonistic again, let's see Pele do this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UlS1toD7G0

 

[djerdap]

Pele? What is this, 1958? I don't expect you to be a genius in football (or anything else for that matter), but you do know the guy is 70 years old, right?

 

[bono_212]

It didn't occur to me that the reason you all are calling it soccer was because of AFL . In my head, that's either called AFL or Footy, so it didn't even click.

Ahhh, this is what I get for posting right when I wake up in the morning.

 

[Axver]

I'm sure I've explained to everyone here before that I think calling any sport "football" is just wide open to confusion, because depending on which country you're in that could mean Aussie Rules, rugby union, rugby league, soccer, gridiron, Gaelic football, etc. The word "soccer" is of British origin anyway.

Of course, since moving to Melbourne I've fallen into using "footy" for Aussie Rules (in NSW and Queensland "footy" tends to mean rugby league), so I'm a slight hypocrite, but I generally only use that when the context is obvious - e.g. in the AFL thread or when talking to somebody in person here in Melbourne.

Spoiler

Go Essendon