# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/81 "2013-11-01T14:42:09Z")
Baseball could easily be replaced with a staring contest between the two teams, with no loss of action. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/82 "2013-11-01T14:46:09Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > Baseball could easily be replaced with a staring contest between the two teams, with no loss of action. That happened in the NLCS - it wasn’t a big hit although it was amusing for a short time. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/83 "2013-11-01T15:36:37Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > 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. And for all that baseball has…cricket has more and with harder, heavier balls! Longer and, at times, both slower, faster and more violent. More variables and less gloves. Baseball is like cricket but with the strategic and tactical nuance removed. Behold test cricket king of sport, if you fail to appreciate this you are wrong, I can’t really put it any more plainly than that. (Obviously there is no real objective answer to this, each sport has it’s own attraction otherwise _no-one_ would play it…but cricket _is_ best and basketball _is_ tedious, that much at least we know for sure) ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/84 "2013-11-01T15:37:51Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > Baseball could easily be replaced with a staring contest between the two teams, with no loss of action. [like this?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWgg20IqibM) ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Booker\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/71c47a/32.png) [@Happy\_Booker\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Booker_1)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/85 "2013-11-01T16:03:39Z")
Only 103 days until pitchers and catchers report. ---
**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, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/86 "2013-11-01T16:19:07Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > And for all that baseball has…cricket has more and with harder, heavier balls! Longer and, at times, both slower, faster and more violent. More variables and less gloves. > Baseball is like cricket but with the strategic and tactical nuance removed. > > Behold test cricket king of sport, if you fail to appreciate this you are wrong, I can’t really put it any more plainly than that. > > (Obviously there is no real objective answer to this, each sport has it’s own attraction otherwise _no-one_ would play it…but cricket _is_ best and basketball _is_ tedious, that much at least we know for sure) The only time I’ve seen a cricket match on the pitch is when I was in London for a week. It was fun, but please tell me how I watch that in the U.S. I don’t think ESPN SportsCenter has ever shown a cricket highlight over here. And baseball is more based on rounders than cricket. ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/87 "2013-11-01T16:24:13Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > 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. Ice hockey has as much action as lacrosse, though traditional lacrosse is certainly slower than box lacrosse. In fact, the two sports are similar enough that there is a big crossover of players at the high school age and younger, particularly in the northeast USA and I would assume all of Canada since lacrosse and hockey are Canada’s two national sports. You won’t get to see any calves in hockey. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/88 "2013-11-01T16:27:05Z")
The boring game (or sport) is the one where you don’t care who wins. For someone who doesn’t care whether the Red Sox or Cardinals win game 6, that 1-2-3 inning is “boring.” But to someone who does care, that 1-2-3 inning is either fantastic or gut-punching. I admit that there exist people who can appreciate baseball even when their team isn’t playing, but I do not understand these people. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/89 "2013-11-01T17:33:59Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > please tell me how I watch [cricket] in the U.S. 1. Define St. Thomas as “the U.S.” 2. Get the Sports Max package from the cable provider. 3. Cricket! ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/90 "2013-11-01T18:26:34Z")
I recently started watching MLB baseball, and I mainly watch home team games only. The more you watch, the more investment you have in seeing them improve and do well. It’s like watching Chia Pets or Sea Monkeys grow. And the armchair quarterback element. Baseball fans get much satisfaction out of second-guessing managerial decision-making and roster changes. But why baseball in particular? It’s probably my favorite video game sports genre to play because of the strategy element. Once you’ve played baseball video games for awhile, you become attuned to the strategy elements of baseball. So watching baseball is more interesting to me than in the past because I can see the various strategies that are, or should be, employed and can watch how they pan out. Still, watching baseball can be very boring, especially when it’s not my home team and I don’t care who wins. There is a lot of downtime and a lot of games where there’s a clear victor within the first several innings of play. It’s amusing listening to sportscasters trying to make a boring game sound like it’s worth the time to stick around to the end. I usually bale out by the 7th inning stretch if there’s a clear victor. The percentage odds of a comeback after that juncture can be slim to none. But all those moments of boredom are worth it when you have a game that’s decided in the ninth inning with bases loaded and two outs. Baseball is a game of mounting tension. Often the tension never really mounts and you have a boring game. Another aspect of baseball I like are the bloopers. You can have moments of comic relief even in a boring game, and every now and then there’ll be a streaker. I know other sports like golf have streakers, but not as many. ---
**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, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/91 "2013-11-01T19:25:27Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > \*\*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. “Hockey?” Hockey is boring? At least there’s usually people doing stuff, going somewhere, most of the time! > [@theR](#): > > Ice hockey has as much action as lacrosse, though traditional lacrosse is certainly slower than box lacrosse. In fact, the two sports are similar enough that there is a big crossover of players at the high school age and younger, particularly in the northeast USA and I would assume all of Canada since lacrosse and hockey are Canada’s two national sports. > > You won’t get to see any calves in hockey. Lacrosse is a lot like hockey, but I prefer lacrosse - it’s faster and more furious than hockey. Plus, the legs. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Scholar\_Beardpig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@Scholar\_Beardpig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scholar_Beardpig)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/92 "2013-11-01T20:08:39Z")
Dear **Debaser,** You are a brain-dead cretin who knows nothing about baseball or its many and multivariate wonders. Please never venture an opinion about my beloved sport again. Yours &c, **Scholar Beardpig** PS. You are a choad. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/93 "2013-11-01T20:56:06Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > See, like watching paint dry, baseball is so boring Don’t watch, problem solved. ---
**Author:** ![Club\_33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@Club\_33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Club_33)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/94 "2013-11-01T20:57:59Z")
Ah yes, the old and tired “I don’t understand something so it must be boring and stupid” argument. I don’t care whether someone likes baseball or not, and my feelings toward football are quite similar to how some feel about baseball. But at least I understand that my ignorance towards football is my own doing. I don’t try to blame it on the sport. And I certainly wouldn’t start a thread to proudly display my ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/95 "2013-11-01T21:50:59Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > The only time I’ve seen a cricket match on the pitch is when I was in London for a week. It was fun, but please tell me how I watch that in the U.S. [Willow](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow_Cricket). ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2013, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/96 "2013-11-02T01:53:16Z")
I think it was Dave Barry who once wrote; “I’ve finally learned to like soccer, and can watch it for hours. Right up to the time when somebody takes a shot on goal.” ---
**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 2, 2013, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/97 "2013-11-02T02:32:22Z")
I like curling. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2013, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/98 "2013-11-02T02:45:54Z")
Anyone else thinking of Blurnsball? ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2013, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/99 "2013-11-02T02:52:21Z")
Someone has never watched a marathon. ---
**Author:** ![truthSeeker2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7cd45c/32.png) [@truthSeeker2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/truthSeeker2)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2013, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752/100 "2013-11-02T03:05:41Z")
People could try cricket. Its played in India, pak, Bangladesh, south Africa, England, Australia, west Indies (gayana, islands of TnT, Jamaica, etc), srilanka, ireland, Zimbabwe, new zealand, Dubai, Afghanistan, Kenya etc. There are 3 types of cricket match -T20 max 3 hrs, 50 overs max 7 hrs, test cricket max 5 days though most get over in 4 days. Its the 2nd most followed sport (second only to soccer) around the world. Looks similar to baseball but is nothing similar to it. I wish the US also had cricket as a popular sport. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-the-most-boring-sport-evah/672752.md?page=6)