# Things about baseball you just don't understand **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 12, 2009, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-about-baseball-you-just-dont-understand/480969 "2009-01-12T20:35:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-about-baseball-you-just-dont-understand/480969/41 "2009-01-13T16:38:03Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > I don’t understand why the Cubs nearly always fold in August, or why, in those rare years where they make it to the playoffs, they collapse almost immediately. Too few night games. Dennis Eckersley hinted at a possible reason when telling an interviewer once about how he became an alcoholic while with the Cubs. When asked if it’s true that the hardest part of baseball was playing day games after night games, he replied “No, the hardest part is day games after DAY games.” Too much carousing, in a city with lots of opportunity for it. The players get fatigued late in the season. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-about-baseball-you-just-dont-understand/480969/42 "2009-01-13T16:53:29Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Where are you getting this figure? cavity search. I happen to know several of the Sox sabermetricians, and if you think they’re capable of walking away from a 90% success rate, you need another kind of search to see if we might get lucky and locate your brain. Have you ever heard of the pop-up? The strikeout? The fly ball to shallow left? The slow hit grounder to the left side that the pitcher can nab? The medium grounder to the ss position that the shifted ss can get back to? ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-about-baseball-you-just-dont-understand/480969/43 "2009-01-13T17:05:02Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > …I think the logical hole here is that you’re defining “Not winning the World Series” as “Failure,” which is just not a reasonable position to take… Not too crazy when that’s what the Yankees organization defines as failure. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-about-baseball-you-just-dont-understand/480969/44 "2009-01-13T17:44:22Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > I don’t understand why pitchers don’t just lick the fingers of their pitching hand four times instead of throwing the ball to the catcher on an intentional base on balls. The reason they make them throw 4 pitches is because, unless the bases are empty, there is always a chance of a passed ball or something else that would let the runners advance. With the bases empty, I can see just letting the batter take the base without the pitches. Random answers to other questions: I like interleague play, the Diamondbacks have the ugliest uniforms in baseball these days, coaches have on-field responsibilities, and therefore need to be in uniform, and the DH is still a Sign of the Decline of Western Civilization. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-about-baseball-you-just-dont-understand/480969/45 "2009-01-13T17:52:59Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > coaches have on-field responsibilities, and therefore need to be in uniform The rule requiring them to be in uniform could be eliminated, though. It’s an anachronism and it’s not like they have to keep it. It’s never bothered me, personally. ---
**Author:** ![King\_Friday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@King\_Friday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Friday)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-about-baseball-you-just-dont-understand/480969/46 "2009-01-13T17:54:15Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > \ > > I don’t like the advantage the NL has with pitchers who actually get to bat regularly versus the AL’s pitchers who have to stick guys in the lineup who haven’t held a bat since Spring Training. 😉 I know, people say that, but think about it. You have an AL pitcher that bats .000 or close to it versus a pitcher that bats .089. Then you have David Ortiz up against Jeff Reboulet. Sure the NL pitcher might be better at laying down a bunt once in a while, but Ortiz has a better chance at hitting the moon then Reboulet. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-about-baseball-you-just-dont-understand/480969/47 "2009-01-13T17:54:30Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > The reason they make them throw 4 pitches is because, unless the bases are empty, there is always a chance of a passed ball or something else that would let the runners advance. With the bases empty, I can see just letting the batter take the base without the pitches. Yes, but as stated earlier, licking your fingers four times would result in 4 non-balk balls, and not risk a passed ball. Everyone else: In the Lick Your Fingers Gambit, would those four balls be counted as pitches thrown? ---
**Author:** ![King\_Friday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@King\_Friday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Friday)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-about-baseball-you-just-dont-understand/480969/48 "2009-01-13T17:59:17Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I don’t like them buying their success, either, but the fact is that they have been successful. If you’re the GM of the Yankees, buying your success is, in fact, the logical thing to do; they have lots and lots of money, so the economic, logical thing to do is to exchange what they have lots of (money) to address their weaknesses (starting pitchers) and so it makes perfect sense for the Yankees to spend big bucks on C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. Well, hopefully one of these days, MLB will shut down, retool, and come away with a salary cap. A real one, not a salary cap that if you exceed, you pay a penalty. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-about-baseball-you-just-dont-understand/480969/49 "2009-01-13T18:01:02Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > cavity search. > > I happen to know several of the Sox sabermetricians, and if you think they’re capable of walking away from a 90% success rate, you need another kind of search to see if we might get lucky and locate your brain. No–what he’s arguing is that if David Ortiz bunts, his success rate at getting to first base is going to be less than 90%. If you saw Ortiz play last year, you’d know that even if there were no infielders and he managed to lay the bunt down in fair territory he probably had a less than 90% chance of actually reaching first base. The guy could have been thrown out from left field. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-about-baseball-you-just-dont-understand/480969/50 "2009-01-13T18:16:13Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > No–what he’s arguing is that if David Ortiz bunts, his success rate at getting to first base is going to be less than 90%. If you saw Ortiz play last year, you’d know that even if there were no infielders and he managed to lay the bunt down in fair territory he probably had a less than 90% chance of actually reaching first base. The guy could have been thrown out from left field. I think you need to read his post again. He’s definitely making the claim that Ortiz has a 90% at a single if he lays down a bunt. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-about-baseball-you-just-dont-understand/480969/51 "2009-01-13T18:23:23Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Yes, but as stated earlier, licking your fingers four times would result in 4 non-balk balls, and not risk a passed ball. But, as also noted earlier, that means 4 tastes of “rosin-fingers.” **Marley** , if they get rid of the rule about managers wearing uniforms, what will they wear? I know you don’t care one way or the other, but it is a question that would need to be answered. How would you tell the managers apart from a distance without some sort of uniform? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-about-baseball-you-just-dont-understand/480969/52 "2009-01-13T18:25:35Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > **Marley** , if they get rid of the rule about managers wearing uniforms, what will they wear? I know you don’t care one way or the other, but it is a question that would need to be answered. How would you tell the managers apart from a distance without some sort of uniform? How do we tell them apart in every other sport? Bill Belicheck looks like a homeless person, but no one is confused as to where the coach is. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-about-baseball-you-just-dont-understand/480969/53 "2009-01-13T18:26:47Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > **Marley** , if they get rid of the rule about managers wearing uniforms, what will they wear? I know you don’t care one way or the other, but it is a question that would need to be answered. How would you tell the managers apart from a distance without some sort of uniform? They could wear suits like managers in most other sports, or those ridiculous NFL style jumpsuits. Since the managers come to the field from opposite dugouts anyway, I don’t think you need uniforms with names and numbers to tell them apart. A small bonus to managers wearing uniforms, though: eventually the Yankees will retire Joe Torre’s 6, and then all of their single digit numbers will be retired. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-about-baseball-you-just-dont-understand/480969/54 "2009-01-13T18:38:36Z")
World Series champs is an unfair standard to judge teams by. Making the playoffs and even getting into the series are better. A 5 or 7 game series will sometimes have weather or luck distort them. A good well run team can get there in a 162 game season. That is all you can reasonably expect. The Detroit Lions are a huge success for the Ford family. They have filled the seats for 50 years. They have allowed tax payers to build them 2 stadiums. The original 30 mill he paid for the team is not worth 800 million plus. That is success. Fans are disappointed because they judge by a different set of standards. But the Yankees are a success on any level. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-about-baseball-you-just-dont-understand/480969/55 "2009-01-13T18:55:38Z")
I don’t understand how I just agreed with something gonzomax said about baseball! ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-about-baseball-you-just-dont-understand/480969/56 "2009-01-13T19:29:13Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Random answers to other questions: I like interleague play, the Diamondbacks have the ugliest uniforms in baseball these days, coaches have on-field responsibilities, and therefore need to be in uniform, and the DH is still a Sign of the Decline of Western Civilization. The D-backs don’t have the ugliest uniforms in MLB. That honor goes to the Florida Marlins with all their strange combos of black, pinstripes, and teal. The red is an improvement over that horrible purple we wore when we won the World Series. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-about-baseball-you-just-dont-understand/480969/57 "2009-01-13T19:59:27Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > I don’t understand how I just agreed with something gonzomax said about baseball! You agree even with this? > [@gonzomax](#): > > The original 30 mill he paid for the team is not worth 800 million plus. It’s gotta be worth 800 mil if it’s worth a penny. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-about-baseball-you-just-dont-understand/480969/58 "2009-01-13T20:02:15Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > You agree even with this? I think he meant to say the team “is _now_ worth $800 million plus.” I liked the Diamondbacks wearing purple. It feels like half the teams in the league are using gray and red these days, so the change was absolutely boring. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-about-baseball-you-just-dont-understand/480969/59 "2009-01-13T20:05:25Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I liked the Diamondbacks wearing purple. It feels like half the teams in the league are using gray and red these days, so the change was absolutely boring. If I had to pick the D-backs new uniforms, I’d try for some sort of sand and green. It would match the desert colors here. I like the Padres uniforms with their attempt to match the Southern California beach colors. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-about-baseball-you-just-dont-understand/480969/60 "2009-01-13T20:09:31Z")
So when did people stop getting dressed up for baseball games? I’m watching the 1968 World Series Bob Gibson strikeout game on DVD and fans are still dressed in shirts and ties. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-about-baseball-you-just-dont-understand/480969.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-about-baseball-you-just-dont-understand/480969.md?page=4)