Page 5 of 9

Re: Help me become a baseball fan

Posted: Tue October 01, 2024 12:48 am
by lennytheweedwhacker
Jorge wrote:
Simple Torture wrote: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.

Re: Help me become a baseball fan

Posted: Tue October 01, 2024 12:51 am
by Jorge
Not making fun at all. What did I get wrong?

Re: Help me become a baseball fan

Posted: Tue October 01, 2024 12:53 am
by Farmer John
Jorge wrote: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.

Re: Help me become a baseball fan

Posted: Tue October 01, 2024 12:56 am
by 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

Re: Help me become a baseball fan

Posted: Tue October 01, 2024 12:57 am
by spike
Let’s let our resident Astros fan Reid expound on hand signals.

Re: Help me become a baseball fan

Posted: Tue October 01, 2024 12:58 am
by spike
Simple Torture wrote: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

Re: Help me become a baseball fan

Posted: Tue October 01, 2024 1:01 am
by lennytheweedwhacker
Jorge wrote: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

Re: Help me become a baseball fan

Posted: Tue October 01, 2024 1:05 am
by Jorge
Farmer John wrote:
Jorge wrote: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?

Re: Help me become a baseball fan

Posted: Tue October 01, 2024 1:09 am
by 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

Re: Help me become a baseball fan

Posted: Tue October 01, 2024 1:10 am
by lennytheweedwhacker
You really should just watch some beginner's guide to baseball basics youtube videos, or whatever the f*ck is out there

Re: Help me become a baseball fan

Posted: Tue October 01, 2024 1:12 am
by Jorge
OK, cool. Do players in baseball cycle positions? Like are pitchers always pitchers or are they also batters sometimes?

Re: Help me become a baseball fan

Posted: Tue October 01, 2024 1:12 am
by Jorge
lennytheweedwhacker wrote: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

Re: Help me become a baseball fan

Posted: Tue October 01, 2024 1:12 am
by 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.

Re: Help me become a baseball fan

Posted: Tue October 01, 2024 1:14 am
by lennytheweedwhacker
Jorge wrote:
lennytheweedwhacker wrote: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.

Re: Help me become a baseball fan

Posted: Tue October 01, 2024 1:15 am
by lennytheweedwhacker
Farmer John wrote: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

Re: Help me become a baseball fan

Posted: Tue October 01, 2024 1:17 am
by 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

Re: Help me become a baseball fan

Posted: Tue October 01, 2024 1:19 am
by 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?

Re: Help me become a baseball fan

Posted: Tue October 01, 2024 1:24 am
by Simple Torture
spike wrote:
Simple Torture wrote: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.

Re: Help me become a baseball fan

Posted: Tue October 01, 2024 1:25 am
by lennytheweedwhacker
Jorge wrote: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.

Re: Help me become a baseball fan

Posted: Tue October 01, 2024 1:26 am
by Jorge
Yeah I'm just saying that doesn't have to be the focal point of this thread