# The mysterious popularity of baseball. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 6, 2000, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mysterious-popularity-of-baseball/28297 "2000-08-06T05:04:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bluepony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Bluepony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bluepony)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2000, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mysterious-popularity-of-baseball/28297/21 "2000-08-12T14:14:48Z")
:::blushing::: he he he…forgot that sac fly is not counted towards AB! Thanks Baglady for the assist. Chicks that know baseball, these are God’s special creatures. 😃 **Go Braves!!** Oh yeah, anyone, what’s up with the Canseco trade to the Yanks? How many DHs and outfielders do they really need? ---
**Author:** ![lovingthepain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a4c791/32.png) [@lovingthepain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lovingthepain)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2000, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mysterious-popularity-of-baseball/28297/22 "2000-08-12T14:53:34Z")
I think Canseco is a little bit over the hill. But look at those pythons, he can still crush that ball. Personally though, I don’t think the Yankees need Jose Canseco. ---
**Author:** ![lovingthepain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a4c791/32.png) [@lovingthepain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lovingthepain)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2000, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mysterious-popularity-of-baseball/28297/23 "2000-08-12T15:04:35Z")
This is sort of an extension to my reply about a being thrown out at first when the run scores. I gave it a tad more consideration and I still stand with my decision. Has anyone ever heard of a swinging bunt? Well, that’s when the batter hits a little dribbler to 2nd or short (but I guess it really doesn’t matter what fielder). As long as the run scores it is still a sacrifice. Just like if there’s a runner on 2nd and the ball is hit to, say, the 2nd baseman and he can’t make the play at 3rd to get the runner going there and just makes a simple throw to first, it’s a sacrifice and doesn’t count against the batter’s average. However, I think, if the runner is on 1st and the ball is hit to the 2nd baseman (again) and he can’t make a throw to 2nd and goes to 1st, thus the batter being thrown out at 1st and the runner advances to 2nd. But this isn’t a sacrifice because he’s out on a fielder’s choice. This isn’t a sacrifice because the runner had no choice, he had to go to 2nd. But this differs if the ball is bunted with a man on 1st. Say the batter bunts and the man on 1st successfully makes it to 2nd and the batter gets thrown out, it’s a sacrifice and a fielder’s choice I think, nevertheless it doesn’t count against his average. Gosh baseball’s confusing, I love it. ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2000, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mysterious-popularity-of-baseball/28297/24 "2000-08-12T15:12:01Z")
Canseco wasn’t “traded” to the Yankees, they claimed him off waivers. Why? To prevent other teams (Toronto, Boston, Chicago W.S., etc.) from claiming him later in the season.\* Yankees GM Brian Cashman’s said that he had no idea that Tampa let him go, and that no one else wanted him. In other words, he bluffed, and was called on it. And now the Yankees are stuck with him and his salary. - don’t ask me to explain this. I know a lot about baseball, but waiver claims like this just don’t make sense. Poke around [espn.com/baseball](http://espn.com/baseball) to get a better explanation. Oh, and the OP: Baseball’s popular because of its mathematical precision. Nomar Garciappara might be batting .385 now, but no baseball fan’s going to round that to .390, or even, .400. We, as fans, revel in statistics, and the fact that the field is very mathemtical (90 feet, 60 ft. 6 inches, etc.) and full of straight lines adds to the beauty. And, a baseball field, with grass, is a beautiful thing to look at. ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2000, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mysterious-popularity-of-baseball/28297/25 "2000-08-12T15:33:04Z")
…the only game in which you can be perfect. …one against nine. …the only (major) sport not played against the clock. …a hot dog and Coke in the summer sun sitting with Dad in the left field bleachers. …the only game with an infinite playing field (alright, one quarter of the globe until the foul lines merge again, or half the globe if you continue them to their beginning points). …ground rule doubles and double plays. …listening to Harry Kalas and Ritchie Ashburn on a transistor radio beneath your covers during a West Coast swing. …chewing gum and cards. …spitting. …spikes. …home stands. …crowdin’ the plate, huggin’ the bag and toein’ the rubber. …a lucky fan catching a foul ball. …the smell of cut grass and leather. …quirky ball parks. …records. …horsehide and lathed ash. …my childhood. ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2000, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mysterious-popularity-of-baseball/28297/26 "2000-08-12T15:41:02Z")
The other week, I went to a minor league game with some friends. It was great! We ate fresh popcorn and juicy hotdogs, won prizes with raffle tickets, watched some girls do a few dances, laughed at the antics of the mascots, watched as fans were pulled out onto the field a few times to try to win $1000 in various silly–but entertaining–games…and in the midst of all this, a baseball game broke out! I think we won, too. ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2000, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mysterious-popularity-of-baseball/28297/27 "2000-08-12T16:19:49Z")
I think ChiefSCott has said it best so far. You aren’t going to find one thing that makes baseball popular, it means something different to every fan. Asking a person why they like baseball is the same as asking why a person likes Chinese food better than Italian food - _they just do_ and trying to analyze it is futile, you’ll never come up with an answer. You can simplify the sport and say it’s a guy hitting a ball with a stick and then people chase it, but you can simplify any sport like that. Football is a bunch of guys beating each other up for a ball that’s not even round. soccer is a bunch of guys just kicking a ball around. You can simplfy anything to make it sound stupid and pointless, but a real fan can tell you it’s really much more complex than that. If you don’t see the attraction, then you don’t see it. People who do see the attraction have difficulty explaining it because it just _is_. Imagine you see a beautiful woman and you point her out to your buddy. You think she’s gorgeous, he doesn’t see it. How do you explain it to him? As someone who used to play the game I can tell you it’s much more complex than hitting a ball with a stick. There’s strategy involved: do you bunt, hit and run, try to steal, pinch hit, walk the batter, etc? There’s the feel of the bat in your hands when you connect solidly with a fstball and feel the impact through your body and you watch the ball fly. There’s the adrenaline rush of trying to steal a base, knowing you only have a couple seconds to get there before the catcher tries to throw you out. There’s the feel of the dirt in your face after making a great diving catch. If you haven’t experienced it, it is difficult to explain the attraction, and even more difficult to explain why you like it. ---
**Author:** ![DRY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mysterious-popularity-of-baseball/28297/28 "2000-08-13T09:20:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lovingthepain \* > \*\*This is sort of an extension to my reply about a being thrown out at first when the run scores. I gave it a tad more consideration and I still stand with my decision. Has anyone ever heard of a swinging bunt? Well, that’s when the batter hits a little dribbler to 2nd or short (but I guess it really doesn’t matter what fielder). As long as the run scores it is still a sacrifice. Just like if there’s a runner on 2nd and the ball is hit to, say, the 2nd baseman and he can’t make the play at 3rd to get the runner going there and just makes a simple throw to first, it’s a sacrifice and doesn’t count against the batter’s average. > \*\* Sorry, but this isn’t correct. Actually, in the example you mention with respect to the swinging bunt, it might indeed be scored a sacrifice. But if the ball isn’t bunted, it isn’t counted as a sacrifice (with the exception of a sacrifice fly). The following is from the official rules of major league baseball, found on this site: > **[MLB.com | The Official Site of Major League Baseball](https://www.mlb.com)** > > Coverage includes audio and video clips, interviews, statistics, schedules and exclusive stories. > [@](#): > > sacrifices > > 10.09 (a) Score a sacrifice bunt when, before two are out, the batter advances one or more runners with a bunt and is put out at first base, or would have been put out except for a fielding error. > (b) Score a sacrifice bunt when, before two are out, the fielders handle a bunted ball without error in an unsuccessful attempt to put out a preceding runner advancing one base. EXCEPTION: When an attempt to turn a bunt into a putout of a preceding runner fails, and in the scorer’s judgment perfect play would not have put out the batter at first base, the batter shall be credited with a one base hit and not a sacrifice. > (c) Do not score a sacrifice bunt when any runner is put out attempting to advance one base on a bunt. Charge the batter with a time at bat. > (d) Do not score a sacrifice bunt when, in the judgment of the scorer, the batter is bunting primarily for a base hit and not for the purpose of advancing a runner or runners. Charge the batter with a time at bat. > NOTE: In applying the above rule, always give the batter the benefit of the doubt. > (e) Score a sacrifice fly when, before two are out, the batter hits a fly ball or a line drive handled by an outfielder or an infielder running in the outfield which > (1) is caught, and a runner scores after the catch, or > (2) is dropped, and a runner scores, if in the scorer’s judgment the runner could have scored after the catch had the fly been caught. > NOTE: Score a sacrifice fly in accordance with 10.09 (e) (2) even though another runner is forced out by reason of the batter becoming a runner. This is the entire section on a sacrifices. There is NO provision for being credited with a sacrifice when you move the runner up on a non bunted ground ball. Note that in the above section, a sacrifice is either a sacrifice fly or a bunted ball. Also, if you hit into a double play which results in a runner scoring, you don’t even get an RBI. This is not to say that a batter who hits a groundout “moving runners over” or driving in a runner isn’t accomplishing something positive. He just doesn’t get credited with a sacrifice, and is charged with a time at bat, unless he bunted. > [@](#): > > \*\* > However, I think, if the runner is on 1st and the ball is hit to the 2nd baseman (again) and he can’t make a throw to 2nd and goes to 1st, thus the batter being thrown out at 1st and the runner advances to 2nd. But this isn’t a sacrifice because he’s out on a fielder’s choice. This isn’t a sacrifice because the runner had no choice, he had to go to 2nd. But this differs if the ball is bunted with a man on 1st. Say the batter bunts and the man on 1st successfully makes it to 2nd and the batter gets thrown out, it’s a sacrifice and a fielder’s choice I think, nevertheless it doesn’t count against his average. Gosh baseball’s confusing, I love it. \*\* Here, you’re right. But the key is, the ball has to be BUNTED to get credit for the sacrifice. ---
**Author:** ![DRY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mysterious-popularity-of-baseball/28297/29 "2000-08-13T09:31:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ruffian \* > \*\*The other week, I went to a minor league game with some friends. It was great! We ate fresh popcorn and juicy hotdogs, won prizes with raffle tickets, watched some girls do a few dances, laughed at the antics of the mascots, watched as fans were pulled out onto the field a few times to try to win $1000 in various silly–but entertaining–games…and in the midst of all this, a baseball game broke out! > > I think we won, too. \*\* Ruffian, where did you go? Just curious, and, for the record, I’m guessing Rancho Cucamonga or San Bernadino. Minor league baseball is a whole lot of fun, especially if you don’t mind the fact that all the players aren’t “household names”. The stadium and setting allows for greater intimacy, the regular fans are often at least as knowledgeable about the game and players (if not more so), you actually have a chance to win these raffles (since there are about 5,000 people instead of 30,000), if you’re the type to heckle (I’m not), there’s a far better chance that a player or coach will actually hear you. Finally, it’s a hell of a lot cheaper. Some people may be put off by the campy attitude, and a downside is that it must suck to have your good players called up to a higher classification. But I love minor league baseball: when I’m in Vegas, I make a point of seeing the Las Vegas Stars. One final point: it’s a hell of a kick to see a player make it big and be able to tell your friends that you first saw him in the minors. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mysterious-popularity-of-baseball/28297.md?page=1)