British Expatriate Network

Any baseball experts out there I'm fascinated...

A pal visited a few weeks ago and we went to see the Metz play the Expos. Neither of us knew the rules - we just knew the Metz were not very good - just like being a QPR fan - so no massive change there (though the 'superhoops' are on the rise once more after several lean years). So from that day forth I was a Metz fan - immediately started rooting for Boston against the Yankees.

So watching the my first World Series last night (How did the English teams do?) I've got a few questions?..

1. When the Red Sox won the World Series all then fans stuck there arms in the air but no physical contact. When QPR score you immediately hug the person next to you whether you know them or not. Why so coy baseball fans? If QPR won World Series there would be some a lot of close and possibly obscene contact. Some bloke said Boston Red Sox were the best fans in the World. Actually - the best fans in the world are Celtic Supporters - they got an award from FIFA when 80,000 travelled to Sevilla to watch them play in the UEFA CUP final.

2. The trophy presentation was pretty shabby too. Firstly, they gave it to the owner of the Club. In my book baseball is sport - therefore the 'winners' are the chaps who walk off the pitch a little bit sweaty and covered in mud having outscored their opponents. Is there a captain in baseball - where was he during the award ceremony? Do the owners call the shots - I put the money up so I get all the glory...the trophy is mine all mine. Laps of honour/shirt kissing/silly hats/- all missing. Shame really.

Red Sox fans have very smelly breaths! :wink: :lol:

Most Americans get their moralility and social attitudes from baseball, therefore it's more than just a sport. It's the fundemental pillar of US society, without which chaos would reign...:wink: :P

ukm :D

I totally agree with you on the trophy thing - the same happens in the Superbowl. Not only that, but you might have noticed it is simply an on-camera ceremony - the audience isn't involved at all and there is no great cheer as the presentation is made.

If you tried hugging a stranger in a crowd you'd be arrested for sexual harrassment! lol

Completely agree with the trophy presentation, the players were out there earning it so they should get to raise the trophy. And the on camera only thing? Is it because they were on the road? That was lame, lame, lame!

I'm going to give the Red Sox fans the benefit of the doubt with the hugging, they were in St.Louis and since there is no segregation in US stadia, they were probably surround by Cardinal fans who - although probably needed one - did not want a hug from the enemy.

That's too much like having a strange man touch your bottom in a sexual manner. Nation o' homophobes. :roll:

I think the trophy ceremony would have been different had it been at Fenway. In basketball, they present it at center-court. The trophy always goes to the owner, they get a coveted ring too. The MVP trophy is for the players. The owners get the credit for compiling a team that is good enough to make it to the final and win. Let's not forget how US pro sports work, in that they are all independently owned franchises run by the organising group - in this case MLB. It's all about the owners.

Why don't they hug? I think Vegas has it right. I remember when we beat Holland 4-1 in Euro 96 - not even a final - there were rendom acts of same sex hugging and kissing everywhere I went that night. However, if you look at any of the footage from Boston of that night, I think you'll find they were doing a decent job of celebrating.

To truly grasp the "World Series", you have to first accept that the world begins and ends on American shores.

Once you can deal with this "fact", the awarding of trophies to owners and other crap can be easily accepted.

I can happily provide a video to the MLB/NFL/NBA of BOTH Plymouth Argyle's celebrations, having won the Second Division Title last year in a crucial game against runners up Queens Park Rangers who were excellent sports (both the team and fans). The trophy was not awarded until the last home game of the season and the Chairman happily waited until all the players had got bored of it before he started mugging with it. As our club is "Run for fans, by fans", I think it was great that our wealthiest fan got some time with the trophy but definitely not first - that would be terrible but c'est la vie here.

Not a big fan of American sports here.....

This whole 'World Series' is as bad as the NBA and the NFL who proclaim themselves as 'World Champions' wink
I dont think the NHL or the MLS is as bad, or even lacrosse at that wink

I agree that the presentation and celebration stuff is a lot to be desired. I think these sports have die hard fans but they dont seem to have that extra bit of passion/lunacy what we seem to have in the UK wink
The MLB teams dont have official captains perse, its more in the way of leaders, like catchers and other role players. Iam a fan of american sports but there are certain aspects of american sports which annoy me too. The main being the attitude of certain figures/personalities in the media towards sports like footie.

I'll be looking out for those guys! Thanks for all this info.. I am now a little wiser.... Interestingly (for me anyway) my club - QPR's most famous player has just had a song written about him by a fan - note his fame and populaRity is linked to raffish ways - back in the 70's he used to have a couple of pints before a game in the pub with the fans then head off to the match and score a hatrick (apparently)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/funny_ol...961457.stm

i bet Curt Schilling and Manny Ramirex don't do that!


http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/funny_ol...961457.stm

Talking about QPR....
Did you know that John Spencer was playing for the Colorado Rapids until the end of this season? but apparently he's going to hang up the boots and head back to the UK...

Did you ever see that game a few years back where QPR played Port Vale, and QPR were down 3 or 4-0 at half time? QPR came back to make it 3-3 or whatever the final score was, John Spencer knocked in a few goals then for QPR.

I can just remember the days of Dave Webb, and Stan Bowles, what a character he was!! QPR had a pretty good team then, its good to see that QPR might be coming getting good again, remember the astro turf at Loftus Road?

Amazing going from snooker to football at his age lol

The glory day were back in the 70's when the lost the league to Liverpool by 1pt. Yes it's all just around the corner again -
Stan lives in Council Flat in Brentford now - and is stoney broke ..

blinkin' 'ell I had think about that one!! :-?
you forgot the the bit about the commentators booth with whispering Ted too!! :wink: