Help me become a baseball fan

[lennytheweedwhacker]

Jorge, what do you know about baseball? I know you said you don’t know the rules, but I assume you know the basics just from watching The Simpsons.

I missed this one. Yes. I've learned some basic things from movies and such. One player goes up with a bat and then the other team's player (a pitcher) throws a ball at them. If the man with the bat misses the ball three times he's out. If he hits the ball he can run over to the bases while the other team scrambles to grab the ball and throw it at him again. If he makes it to a base before they throw the ball at the base then he's safe which means he can stand there waiting while the next person from his team bats. If a player hits the ball really hard it can go flying real far and that's called a home run because it gives him enough time to run to first, second, third, and then home in a single play. I also know the guy who is sitting behind the player with the bat makes some hand signals at the pitcher but I don't know what they're supposed to mean.

This almost seems like you're making fun, but I think it's genuine. I pray you're genuine.

[Jorge]

Not making fun at all. What did I get wrong?

[Farmer John]

I also know the guy who is sitting behind the player with the bat makes some hand signals at the pitcher but I don't know what they're supposed to mean.

He's called the catcher and he's schemes with the pitcher about which kinds of pitches he should throw to try to get the batter out. Now let's talk pitches. You've got your fastball, slider, curveball, splitter, changeup, sinker, knuckleball, cutter, breaking ball, slurve, etc. All of which do different, wonderful things.

[Simple Torture]

Get to know the seven ways a batter can get on base:

1. A hit (single, double, triple, or home run)
2. A walk
3. Hit by pitch
4. Fielder’s choice
5. Error
6. Dropped third strike
7. Catcher’s interference

[spike]

Let’s let our resident Astros fan Reid expound on hand signals.

[spike]

Get to know the seven ways a batter can get on base:

1. A hit (single, double, triple, or home run)
2. A walk
3. Hit by pitch
4. Fielder’s choice
5. Error
6. Dropped third strike
7. Catcher’s interference

8. Extra innings

[lennytheweedwhacker]

Not making fun at all. What did I get wrong?

Saying things like "throwing at..." a player made me wonder.

-While it's true that three strikes is an out, it's not necessarily the batter swinging and missing three times. Unless there are two strikes, a foul ball also counts as a strike. If there are two strikes any foul ball doesn't count toward the "count". The count being balls and strikes. 4 balls is a walk and the batter automatically goes to first base. The umpire behind the catcher determines balls and strikes. Fun baseball videos are coaches and/or batters arguing with the umpire and getting ejected

Edit: I see simple torture added all the ways someone can get on base. A few of those don't happen terribly often (i.e. catcher's interference. Hits, walks, and hit by pitches are the most common

[Jorge]

I also know the guy who is sitting behind the player with the bat makes some hand signals at the pitcher but I don't know what they're supposed to mean.

He's called the catcher and he's schemes with the pitcher about which kinds of pitches he should throw to try to get the batter out. Now let's talk pitches. You've got your fastball, slider, curveball, splitter, changeup, sinker, knuckleball, cutter, breaking ball, slurve, etc. All of which do different, wonderful things.

Why does the catcher have special knowledge of what would throw the batter off? Aren't they both kind of guessing?

[lennytheweedwhacker]

Tendencies, film study etc...Like they know Joe Knickles can't hit any of the pitches that break (curve, slider etc...) so they're going to work against his weaknesses. But they have to be pretty precise with those pitches because they are slower than a fastball typically. If the curve doesn't curve much it's easier for the batter to tee off on it because it just kinda hangs up there. It's a combination of choice and execution

[lennytheweedwhacker]

You really should just watch some beginner's guide to baseball basics youtube videos, or whatever the f*ck is out there

[Jorge]

OK, cool. Do players in baseball cycle positions? Like are pitchers always pitchers or are they also batters sometimes?

[Jorge]

You really should just watch some beginner's guide to baseball basics youtube videos, or whatever the f*ck is out there

Wow... suddenly feeling unwelcome

[Farmer John]

The signals are also so that the catcher knows which kind of pitch he's about to receive. If he's expecting a slow, looping curveball and he gets a 98 mph fastball instead instead, it probably wouldn't go well.

[lennytheweedwhacker]

You really should just watch some beginner's guide to baseball basics youtube videos, or whatever the f*ck is out there

Wow... suddenly feeling unwelcome

It will be easier for you. You can then come back and share what you learned or ask questions based off it. Trust me nobody here wants you to get into baseball more than me.

[lennytheweedwhacker]

The signals are also so that the catcher knows which kind of pitch he's about to receive. If he's expecting a slow, looping curveball and he gets a 98 mph fastball instead instead, it probably wouldn't go well.

That too. 90+ mph pitches are just insanely fast. Amazing that batters can even catch up to them

[Jorge]

Maybe we don't have to get into the basic rules here. I can research that. I was just answering ST's question. Right now I'm more interested in points of entry, you know

[96583UP]

have you considered oiling up your chest and rubbing it while standing on the street corner staring at people waiting to board a bus and grunting at them aggressively?

[Simple Torture]

Get to know the seven ways a batter can get on base:

1. A hit (single, double, triple, or home run)
2. A walk
3. Hit by pitch
4. Fielder’s choice
5. Error
6. Dropped third strike
7. Catcher’s interference

8. Extra innings

I guess you're technically correct? My list would better be titled "7 ways to reach first base" (and then not include double, triple, and HR). But I'd argue that that's not "reaching base" since it doesn't happen in the same inning as the batter's plate appearance.

[lennytheweedwhacker]

Maybe we don't have to get into the basic rules here. I can research that. I was just answering ST's question. Right now I'm more interested in points of entry, you know

Very much helps to know the basic rules first though.

[Jorge]

Yeah I'm just saying that doesn't have to be the focal point of this thread