# Baseball is the most boring sport evah! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 31, 2013, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752 "2013-10-31T15:00:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/61 "2013-10-31T21:24:15Z")
Baseball fan here, as if my member name doesn’t give that away. So for those dissing baseball because of all the “non-action” time spent between pitches, try this on for size. The typical NFL game takes 174 minutes to broadcast from kickoff till final whistle. Out of that **11 minutes** in actual play. [Cite](http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704281204575002852055561406) A typical MLB game takes 178 minutes, and out of that **18 minutes** is actual play. [Cite](http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323740804578597932341903720) So, could it just be that you **prefer** football over baseball? Cause the numbers actually show that baseball has a slightly higher percentage of time “in play”. ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/62 "2013-10-31T23:35:11Z")
Am I the only one around here who actually likes most sports and doesn’t go out of his way to bash them? There are problems with all the major sports–football is too violent and has disregarded the health of its players for too long, baseball can be sluggish, fouling in basketball stinks, etc. But I like them nevertheless. Baseball, basketball, soccer, football, hell, I can even get behind some golf if the stakes are high enough. Except NASCAR. NASCAR is just terrible and if you like it you are terrible. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/63 "2013-11-01T00:07:41Z")
> [@markdash](#): > > Am I the only one around here who actually likes most sports and doesn’t go out of his way to bash them? There are problems with all the major sports–football is too violent and has disregarded the health of its players for too long, baseball can be sluggish, fouling in basketball stinks, etc. But I like them nevertheless. Baseball, basketball, soccer, football, hell, I can even get behind some golf if the stakes are high enough. Except NASCAR. NASCAR is just terrible and if you like it you are terrible. Nah, I like most sports too. I could never get into golf, and from the American sports football didn’t make a lot of sense but it was kinda fun to watch. I got quite engaged with baseball when I lived in the US, although I couldn’t claim to understand the subtleties. But yeah, soccer and baseball are not sports for those with short attention spans (as mentioned by **casdave** above) so I suppose they don’t suit everyone. The only sports other than golf that I really don’t enjoy watching are those which involve boats or horses. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/64 "2013-11-01T00:25:44Z")
As descriptors go, I prefer “restful” to “boring.” Also, until the DH and interleague regular season play are gone, it isn’t really baseball. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/65 "2013-11-01T00:37:48Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > The typical NFL game takes 174 minutes to broadcast from kickoff till final whistle. Out of that **11 minutes** in actual play. [Cite](http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704281204575002852055561406) > > A typical MLB game takes 178 minutes, and out of that **18 minutes** is actual play. [Cite](http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323740804578597932341903720) > > So, could it just be that you **prefer** football over baseball? Cause the numbers actually show that baseball has a slightly higher percentage of time “in play”. That is all true, although, as was briefly touched on a bit earlier, what exactly qualifies as “actual play,” as in time during which something relevant to the outcome of the game is occurring, is highly subjective. The cited article admitted both that they were fairly generous in this regard, and that a strict timing of the ball actually in play was _less than 6 minutes_. Like I said upthread, I _like_ baseball, but it’s undeniable that there’s a hell of a lot of time spent watching guys literally standing around, spitting and playing with their junk. > [@markdash](#): > > Am I the only one around here who actually likes most sports and doesn’t go out of his way to bash them? There are problems with all the major sports–football is too violent and has disregarded the health of its players for too long, baseball can be sluggish, fouling in basketball stinks, etc. But I like them nevertheless. Baseball, basketball, soccer, football, hell, I can even get behind some golf if the stakes are high enough. Except NASCAR. NASCAR is just terrible and if you like it you are terrible. You are not alone my friend. I certainly recognize the obvious inherent faults of each sport, but even if I am not a fan, I can still appreciate the skill and competition and, given a choice between say, 3 hours of bowling and 3 hours of **Sex and the City** , bowling’s gonna win that one every single time. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/66 "2013-11-01T00:41:04Z")
> [@ghoulasdad99](#): > > Also, until the DH and interleague regular season play are gone, it isn’t really baseball. Amen, brother. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/67 "2013-11-01T00:44:15Z")
On the other end of the spectrum we have box lacrosse - from what I’ve seen so far of the sports I’ve watched, it is by far the most interesting. The action never ends (except for goddamned commercials), there’s a decent amount of scoring, and the guys aren’t afraid to throw down and trade a few punches. And, if you’re a leg woman, those guys have very nice calves on display. 🙂 There’s no justice in a world where millions of people watch boring old NFL regularly, and nobody is watching a sport that’s actually interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/68 "2013-11-01T01:18:51Z")
Am I nuts or was there significantly less spitting this year? I’m not sure if it’s the players or the camera men responsible for that. There have been times I’ve thought “Baseball, why don’t I ever watch this?” It doesn’t take more then a few seconds before someone spits. “Ok, It’s sports, no big deal” But after five minutes it’s “Oh, geez! They don’t ever stop! There’s more spitting then pitching going on!” It’s disgusting and it’s not like they are out there running marathons. The are getting paid enough to act professional like everyone else with a television camera on them. If they want people to watch that is. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/69 "2013-11-01T02:36:47Z")
Baseball requires the viewer to follow a complex narrative. It’s not for everyone. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/70 "2013-11-01T03:30:33Z")
how is learning Klingon lame? more useful than French or Russian or something ime ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/71 "2013-11-01T03:30:33Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Baseball requires the viewer to follow a complex narrative. It’s not for everyone. Yes, that was what I found fascinating about it. I’m not saying I _understood_ the narrative, being a Brit and all, but it was there and required me to at least attempt to engage my brain. It reminded me somewhat of test cricket, for obvious reasons, and soccer, which is another game where the tactics and strategy are not readily apparent to those with no patience. Presumably all of this is true of football as well, I just never got into it. But it is fun to watch large blokes crash into each other while the ball is largely ignored. ---
**Author:** ![drew870mitchell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drew870mitchell/32/3946_2.png) [@drew870mitchell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drew870mitchell)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/72 "2013-11-01T04:27:02Z")
Good work **Debaser** , reading the rebuttals in this thread I’m actually significantly more interested in baseball than I used to be. 🙂 > [@ghoulasdad99](#): > > As descriptors go, I prefer “restful” to “boring.” > > Also, until the DH and interleague regular season play are gone, it isn’t really baseball. I get it about the DH, but what’s wrong with interleague play? ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/73 "2013-11-01T04:30:28Z")
**Parkhead** -I love baseball, can’t stand soccer (or hockey for that matter). I have zero patience for soccer, not enough meaningful action for me. I’m a Yank FWIW ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/74 "2013-11-01T04:33:04Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > The clinching game of the 1918 World Series was a brisk 1:46, shorter than a movie. > > Last night’s game was 3:15, twenty minutes longer than _The Godfather_. Well, the Red Sox are 95 years older and Ruth is dead. Though he could probably still hit better than a lot of the kids. Dig him up, dust him off, and hand him a beer. He can probably find home on his own–Fenway hasn’t changed that much. > [@markdash](#): > > Am I the only one around here who actually likes most sports and doesn’t go out of his way to bash them? Yes, you are, so go away. 😉 > [@ghoulasdad99](#): > > Also, until the DH and interleague regular season play are gone, it isn’t really baseball. They are abominations in the eyes of the Lord. I’m surprised Yankee Stadium hasn’t gone the way of Gomorrah. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/75 "2013-11-01T06:27:16Z")
Soccer is a sport that shouldn’t even be legal unless your GNP is, like, $5,000. Basketball should be only 4 minutes on the clock for the whole game to make it somewhat interesting. Football WAS fun, until all the new rules make it a sport for the geriatric. Baseball may not have the action you’re looking for, but to think in the milliseconds required to hit a 98 mph cutter while a double steal/hit-and-run is called, is mind blowing. And that’s why it takes brains and a real interest to understand it. Lineups, pitchers, lefties throwing at lefties, pinch hitting, designated hitters, switch hitter, bunting, running over the catcher hard enough to make him lose the ball, etc. This game has NO CLOCK like everything else, and it ends when it ends. I suggest hockey for you. It’s still my favorite in the winter! Just think: you can nail someone into the boards even if they don’t have the puck, like they did 2 seconds ago. And the worst player can be the hero or the goat just by standing in the wrong spot. There’s fights, bench clearers with real fists and the occasional jugular vein sliced open by a skate. But nothing, NOTHING, sounds like the crack of a bat, and even if I go deaf, I’ll love baseball even if the Tampa Bay Rays win it all. (well, maybe not). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MaltLiquor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@MaltLiquor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaltLiquor)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/76 "2013-11-01T08:17:25Z")
One hundred percent agree. I am trying but cannot think of a slower paced major sport besides the last few minutes of an American football game. I put it below golf, bowling, even billiards in my watchable category. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/77 "2013-11-01T11:04:25Z")
> [@PaulParkhead](#): > > Yes, that was what I found fascinating about it. I’m not saying I _understood_ the narrative, being a Brit and all, but it was there and required me to at least attempt to engage my brain. > > It reminded me somewhat of test cricket, for obvious reasons, and soccer, which is another game where the tactics and strategy are not readily apparent to those with no patience. > > Presumably all of this is true of football as well, I just never got into it. But it is fun to watch large blokes crash into each other while the ball is largely ignored. I’m convinced the average American football fan is confusing the beer commercials and cheerleaders for the action on the field. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/78 "2013-11-01T12:06:17Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > The typical NFL game takes 174 minutes to broadcast from kickoff till final whistle. Out of that **11 minutes** in actual play. [Cite](http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704281204575002852055561406) > > A typical MLB game takes 178 minutes, and out of that **18 minutes** is actual play. [Cite](http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323740804578597932341903720) > > So, could it just be that you **prefer** football over baseball? Cause the numbers actually show that baseball has a slightly higher percentage of time “in play”. You’re forgetting something. Almost all baseball injuries are self inflicted. \* Yawn! \* You’re equating “moving around” with “action.” I’d love the world if both sports would pick up the pace a little. Give the pitcher the equivalent of basketball’s shot clock or football’s play clock. Make something happen…like the pitcher has 8 seconds to get rid of the ball once it hits his glove. > [@madmonk28](#): > > I’m convinced the average American football fan is confusing the beer commercials and cheerleaders for the action on the field. Beer, cheerleaders & Viagra. It’s getting embarrassing to watch televised games anymore. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/79 "2013-11-01T12:13:59Z")
> [@The Great Sun Jester](#): > > I’d love the world if both sports would pick up the pace a little. Give the pitcher the equivalent of basketball’s shot clock or football’s play clock. Make something happen…like the pitcher has 8 seconds to get rid of the ball once it hits his glove. Indeed. Every time someone brings up the pro-baseball argument about there being no clock and “it ends when it ends,” um, that’s _not_ a good thing. There may be a lot of standing around in football, but at least there’s a timer running. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/80 "2013-11-01T14:33:26Z")
\*\*Baseball is the most boring sport evah! \*\* Huh? Baseball ain’t even in the same zip code as the most boring sports. It’s way behind golf, basketball, football, hockey, curling and many others. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752.md?page=5)