I am a relatively passive baseball fan, which you would be if you've been watching it for 7 years and the season ends sometime in July every year. Yes, I'm a Tigers fan.
Watched their game 1 tonight at the Yankees. Man, first game I've seen the Yankees play and at the top of the 3rd I hated them already. They are Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Man U rolled into one.
Tig's did OK but will need to get on the end of some of the pitches tomorrow. They only need to steal one win in NY before relying on home advantage to get them through. If the Yankees starter tomorrow isn't as predictably annoying as Wang, 4 of 5 balls dropping 2 feet across the strike zone, they might have a chance.
I have some questions for some people that are more savvy with the rules than I am.
1) What is the rule with a "sac fly"? If you smash one out towards the wall and it gets caught, when are the runners on base allowed to run? I've seen a lot go out to the wall and get caught as the first or second out, but the runners don't advance.
2) Who decides who pitches first? Is it a coin toss or some other method.
More questions will undoubtedly follow, until sometime around this weekend or even deeper into the month if things go well.
I guess no-one watches it ;o)
Go Tig's!
1-1 now, two home wins and the Ys are out.
No. I did follow the NCAA Baseball this year, which the little team who play outside my office won the World Series of but I'm not really into it.
I can manage about five minutes perhaps on a good day as I'm walking to the parking lot behind my office.
Think the Tigers could make the grown-ups World Series?
Wow what a game! 6-0!
One more tomorrow afternoon and Jeter and co can hit the golf course before the leaves cover it.
Well I managed to get one "no baseball at Yankee Stadium" joke out yesterday...
C'mon Tigers give Detroit another title. Maybe that will increase the pressure on Mr Millen to resign.
If a ball is hit in the air, the runners must not try to advance before the ball is caught. Because they do move a couple of steps, they have to come back and touch the bag, called 'tagging up', as or after the ball is caught and then run if they wish. If the ball is dropped, it is a hit, and the batter must go to first base at least. Anyone already on first must go to second to make room, etc.
The sacrifice fly is an attempt to move the runner. The batter would like to get a hit, but must try to hit the ball out, so there is time for the runner to advance, after the catch. Sometimes, there is not enough distance, so they don't run.
There is also a sacrifice bunt. They try to tap the ball on the ground and stop it more or less dead. If there is aman on second, they tend to bunt towards third, to draw the third baseman in and leave the bag unguarded.
You may see an "infield fly" called by the umps. The batter is out and the runners on base are moved up one base. It is because a ball hit high, but in the infield would hold the batters at the bags, then, if the fielder just knocked it on the ground instead of catching it, it would be a hit and they would have to run; there would be time for a double play. It would happen every time so they came up with the infield fly rule.
It really isn't rounders though, it is a game of high skill.
Thanks for the rules advice. I thought that's how it was but I wasn't sure.
I am getting to that annoying point in the game where I know most of the basic rules, tactics etc., but there's no "dummy commentary" like you get on some sports coverage.
Rugby's the same way. I used to watch the 5 Nations religiously and watch a fair bit on Setanta but I need a Rugby for Dummies to help me out. Or to wait until I get to Bristol and get chummy with some local fans.
I'm finding Wikipedia a good source for info like this too. Is there anything that's not on Wikipedia?
My train goes right past Oakland coliseum (A's), during baseball season I am sure I have been transported to hell.
And now we have football season starting and when there is a Raiders game there are tailgate parties in the parking lot...right where my car is parked generally..
If a ball is hit in the air, the runners must not try to advance before the ball is caught. Because they do move a couple of steps, they have to come back and touch the bag, called 'tagging up', as or after the ball is caught and then run if they wish. If the ball is dropped, it is a hit, and the batter must go to first base at least. Anyone already on first must go to second to make room, etc.
The sacrifice fly is an attempt to move the runner. The batter would like to get a hit, but must try to hit the ball out, so there is time for the runner to advance, after the catch. Sometimes, there is not enough distance, so they don't run.
There is also a sacrifice bunt. They try to tap the ball on the ground and stop it more or less dead. If there is aman on second, they tend to bunt towards third, to draw the third baseman in and leave the bag unguarded.
You may see an "infield fly" called by the umps. The batter is out and the runners on base are moved up one base. It is because a ball hit high, but in the infield would hold the batters at the bags, then, if the fielder just knocked it on the ground instead of catching it, it would be a hit and they would have to run; there would be time for a double play. It would happen every time so they came up with the infield fly rule.
It really isn't rounders though, it is a game of high skill.
I agree with you, I like baseball. I like the pitching matchups and all the various tactics. I know it isnt everyones cup of tea but I likw the game. I follow the Buffalo Bisons (Cleveland's AAA farm team) and some team called The New York Yankees :oops:
There's no toss up by the way, the away team always bats at the top of the innings, probably so that if the home team is behind at the bottom of the ninth then there's the chance of a grandstand finish. :wink:
My train goes right past Oakland coliseum (A's), during baseball season I am sure I have been transported to hell.
And now we have football season starting and when there is a Raiders game there are tailgate parties in the parking lot...right where my car is parked generally..
From what Ive seen of the Raiders they are a horror story on the field this season :shock:
I think some of the Raiders fans are hilarious, it must be so funny to see those fans (who look like extras from out of a Mad Max film) all tailgateing :lol:
Its a toss up between them or the Hoggetts (Redskins fans who cross dress and wears a pig's nose)
I wonder if John's a Hoggett? :wink:
I am a relatively passive baseball fan, which you would be if you've been watching it for 7 years and the season ends sometime in July every year. Yes, I'm a Tigers fan.
Watched their game 1 tonight at the Yankees. Man, first game I've seen the Yankees play and at the top of the 3rd I hated them already. They are Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Man U rolled into one.
The Yankees are a big payroll team and like many other big payroll teams of the past theyve got mercenaries........... like Gary Sheffield and Corey Lidle in the team. Not to mention A Rod who's a train wreck. For the biggest payroll in the Major League, theyve got bad pitching from out of their starting lineup, and in the regular season a very dodgy ballpen at times. Not to mention their offence being shutdown.
To be quite honest I'm not entirely sure why I like them like I do, because Ive never really liked big teams, but I watch them on YES and MSG before that and they just grew on me....... :???:
I can see why fans hate the Yankees here, there's a few Red Sox and Mets fans here around Buffalo and Yankee haters are having the time of their lives :twisted:
Tig's did OK but will need to get on the end of some of the pitches tomorrow. They only need to steal one win in NY before relying on home advantage to get them through. If the Yankees starter tomorrow isn't as predictably annoying as Wang, 4 of 5 balls dropping 2 feet across the strike zone, they might have a chance.
That sinker pitch is one of Wang's trademark pitches. He's not that much of a strike out pitcher, he gets a lot of ground outs, and to be fair he's been the most reliable starting pitcher of the Yankees this season. He had his problems in game one, and it was a suprise at the time when Torre pulled him. Apparently Torre asked Wang to pitch in game 4 (with 3 games rest) but Wang thought he couldnt do it. I can understand Torre's concerns because Jared Wright sucks. All through the regular season he wouldnt last over 5 innings.
There's been a postmortem going on for the last few days about the Detroit series in the New York media. Personally I think the Yankees went into that series and won game one and thought that Detroit were going to be a roll over. in the stretch after the All Star game Detroit struggled and I think the Yankees were complacent. The media all said that Detroit were going to get killed but to the the Tigers credit they rallied after game 1 and I think the series turned after Mussina gave up the tieing and winning runs in game 2. Kenny Rogers (not the country and western geezer who was 'the gambler' :wink: ) had a terrible record against the Yankees (as a Ranger) but he had a hell of a game, and Leyland did a really good job of prepping and motivating all his team for the series.
The Tigers went into Oakland and got the win, and I think they maybe a good bet to do the sweep.
The Yankees are a big payroll team and like many other big payroll teams of the past theyve got mercenaries........... like Gary Sheffield and Corey Lidle in the team. Not to mention A Rod who's a train wreck.
errrr.......... Corey Lidle died today. His plane crashed into a 50 storey building in New York this afternoon.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061011/ap_o...lane_crash
Sad about Lidle. Good to see some banners up in Oakland supporting his family.
The Tig's did the biz again yesterday. I joined the game late, just in time to see the As run up a 3-1 lead. I wasn't worried though. These Tigers can score at will, and they soon had a 7-3 lead.
Watching some solid baseball for the first time in my life, I am finally getting to grips with the tactics. The game is much better when watched on delay on a TiVo as then you can skip through the annoying commercials in between innings... and see if the base runner really was safe!
I have some serious questions about who is in charge of the A's. Some weird decisions going on behind the dugout.
1) Why do they have blinds in the fancy boxes that reflect onto the field and distract the players? Yeah, make sure the ritzy corporate types can watch the game, but make sure it's not worth watching until sundown. A really partizan group could lower the blinds for the away team batting and raise them for the A's.
2) Why didn't they open up the top tier of seating? When they were chasing the game that place was loud! Imagine the extra decibels of the top tier, that would have been a 50% increase in noise level! If they were worried about not filling them, sell them for a fiver or a tenner, once the other seats were taken. Crazy.
What amazes me with the Tigers is their depth of batting. You don't know who the number 1 is! I was stunned that the A's walked Polanco yesterday, as there is no weak link in the batting. In fact the 7, 8 and 9 in the order have the most HRs. I think the California based Fox crew were genuinely shocked at how good this team is.
Just like the pinstripes, the A's have not seen too much from their top batters, and their pitching has not been consistent. Add some very lazy fielding and the A's will be finding their calendar opening up next week.
Tigers in the World Series??? Nahhhhhhh....
3-0 tonight and cruising. Not particularly great batting from the Tig's tonight. But superb pitching once more from The K-Man, Kenny Rogers.
Oops, not that one.
Nope, not him either.
That's him!
One of my co-workers is going to the game tomorrow. He was asked if he would watch Sunday's game too. He said "there won't be a Sunday game".
Looks like Detroit's waiting for the winner of the NLCS wink
SWEEP!! razz