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Do You Have to Have Been Good at Baseball to Understand It?

Do you have to have been good at baseball to understand MLB?


  • Total voters
    48

Omar 382

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I spent a bunch of time reading these comments. The issue is whether you need to be good at baseball to understand it. A lefthanded pitcher has almost zero idea how to play shortstop at the professional level. So, there's that.

If you are a basketball player and are 5-feet-8, you will never have a clue what it's like to play competitively in the NBA, even if you were all-state in high school. So the point is, limitations even inside the game will affect your ability to understand it. But if you hang around the game, you will learn to empathize.

Hitting a baseball is hard and no matter how much you practice, if you lack bat speed and vision, you are fucked.

Actually, it's been claimed that you cannot actually teach somebody how to catch a ball in the air. Some people can't do it.

But if you never played, you will really not get a true understanding on how to actually play the game. You don't have to be "good" at it, but you need to have been between the white lines.

Other than that, if this is about appreciation for the game, hell ... most people go to a ballgame for the nachos and can't even tell you who's playing. Some of us know way too much about the game and lose sight of the joy it ought to produce. I think my avatar and team logo speaks to that perspective.
um.... link?
 

Omar 382

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I spent a bunch of time reading these comments. The issue is whether you need to be good at baseball to understand it. A lefthanded pitcher has almost zero idea how to play shortstop at the professional level. So, there's that.

If you are a basketball player and are 5-feet-8, you will never have a clue what it's like to play competitively in the NBA, even if you were all-state in high school. So the point is, limitations even inside the game will affect your ability to understand it. But if you hang around the game, you will learn to empathize.

Hitting a baseball is hard and no matter how much you practice, if you lack bat speed and vision, you are fucked.

Actually, it's been claimed that you cannot actually teach somebody how to catch a ball in the air. Some people can't do it.

But if you never played, you will really not get a true understanding on how to actually play the game. You don't have to be "good" at it, but you need to have been between the white lines.

Other than that, if this is about appreciation for the game, hell ... most people go to a ballgame for the nachos and can't even tell you who's playing. Some of us know way too much about the game and lose sight of the joy it ought to produce. I think my avatar and team logo speaks to that perspective.
So now major league pitchers don't even understand baseball? And shortstops don't understand baseball because they aren't left handed pitchers?
 

Villain

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So now major league pitchers don't even understand baseball? And shortstops don't understand baseball because they aren't left handed pitchers?
I took that bolded part as proof that you don't need to be good at baseball to understand it.
 

Omar 382

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I took that bolded part as proof that you don't need to be good at baseball to understand it.
His post was all over this place, so I really didn't understand most of it.
 

JohnU

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So now major league pitchers don't even understand baseball? And shortstops don't understand baseball because they aren't left handed pitchers?

You might try to improve your reading comprehension. I didn't say they don't UNDERSTAND it. I say they have no idea how to PLAY it. Show me a lefthanded pitcher who can play shortstop at the big-league level. If you want to have conversation, at least attempt to stay inside the parameters of the comment.

But at least you admitted you don't understand things.

A link? To what? HOw a 5-8 basketball player has trouble understanding how to play above the rim in the NBA?
 

Iffster

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You might try to improve your reading comprehension. I didn't say they don't UNDERSTAND it. I say they have no idea how to PLAY it. Show me a lefthanded pitcher who can play shortstop at the big-league level. If you want to have conversation, at least attempt to stay inside the parameters of the comment.

But at least you admitted you don't understand things.

A link? To what? HOw a 5-8 basketball player has trouble understanding how to play above the rim in the NBA?

Ignore these two panzies John. Both couldn't play catch with girls. They realize they are failures in most things that involve using their muscles or coordination, so they have decided to make up for it by doing mathematics instead. Not a stupid endeavor....but they want everyone to think like them. Sort of the way alkies and drug addicts want to get others hooked. Then they feel better about their shortcomings. But please be polite with them. They are just ignorant kids. I think Omar is about 14-15....although he lies about his age. the other guy has decided to be Omar's "protector", as Omar lacks social skills.
 

JohnU

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BTW, it is perfectly OK to cite popular beliefs as a point of view without having to "link to it." Having heard once from somebody who claimed to know that teaching a kid to catch is hard to do, I see no reason to burden the matter. Either you believe that shit or you don't. I learned to catch a ball, so I don't know for sure. Hence, the phrase "it's been claimed" ....
 

JohnU

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Ignore these two panzies John. Both couldn't play catch with girls. They realize they are failures in most things that involve using their muscles or coordination, so they have decided to make up for it by doing mathematics instead. Not a stupid endeavor....but they want everyone to think like them. Sort of the way alkies and drug addicts want to get others hooked. Then they feel better about their shortcomings. But please be polite with them. They are just ignorant kids. I think Omar is about 14-15....although he lies about his age. the other guy has decided to be Omar's "protector", as Omar lacks social skills.

I bear no malice but opening a forum with a theory and expecting people to offer opinions seems to be the process. I never tried to discount anybody's point of view and am slightly taken aback that somebody would dismiss mine out of hand. It's fairly common behavior these days ... if you don't agree with somebody, just infer they are a "tard" of some kind.

BTW. I played a lot of ball in my time and I confess that it's a most bizarre sport. Round ball, round bat, square field, that sort of thing.
 

MilkSpiller22

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Ignore these two panzies John. Both couldn't play catch with girls. They realize they are failures in most things that involve using their muscles or coordination, so they have decided to make up for it by doing mathematics instead. Not a stupid endeavor....but they want everyone to think like them. Sort of the way alkies and drug addicts want to get others hooked. Then they feel better about their shortcomings. But please be polite with them. They are just ignorant kids. I think Omar is about 14-15....although he lies about his age. the other guy has decided to be Omar's "protector", as Omar lacks social skills.


@Iffster, I don't think you understand what it is like not to be an athlete. I can't catch a baseball for beans. At least a fly ball. My real problem is tracking. I just can't do it I miscalculate it all the time. And that is ironic for a math major.
I would need to play in a coed league just to be serviceable.
But my unauthenticness makes me live vicariously to an athlete. And because of that I know how it feels to do all that shit you are talking about. I know what it feels to hit a 98 mile fastball because I watch people do it. When you can't, you pretend you can!!!
 

Omar 382

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BTW, it is perfectly OK to cite popular beliefs as a point of view without having to "link to it." Having heard once from somebody who claimed to know that teaching a kid to catch is hard to do, I see no reason to burden the matter. Either you believe that shit or you don't. I learned to catch a ball, so I don't know for sure. Hence, the phrase "it's been claimed" ....
"Hitler never ordered genocide"

It's been claimed Hitler was a great guy
 

DragonfromTO

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You might try to improve your reading comprehension. I didn't say they don't UNDERSTAND it. I say they have no idea how to PLAY it. Show me a lefthanded pitcher who can play shortstop at the big-league level. If you want to have conversation, at least attempt to stay inside the parameters of the comment.

But at least you admitted you don't understand things.

A link? To what? HOw a 5-8 basketball player has trouble understanding how to play above the rim in the NBA?

Look at his post again and drop down the entirety of your post (that he responded to), he bolded what he was referring to (as I did here).
 

BigKen

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I was never a great baseball, football or basketball player. I've coached all of them for more than forty years.
I think I have pretty solid knowledge of all three. All three have changed over the past forty years. I understand the games, the players at the pro level would be something else all together.

Omar......it seems to me that you've just been looking for an argument since you started this thread.........maybe we just don't understand you.
 

Omar 382

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I was never a great baseball, football or basketball player. I've coached all of them for more than forty years.
I think I have pretty solid knowledge of all three. All three have changed over the past forty years. I understand the games, the players at the pro level would be something else all together.

Omar......it seems to me that you've just been looking for an argument since you started this thread.........maybe we just don't understand you.
Huh? 87% of this board agrees with me
 

JohnU

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I can not believe he made a Hitler reference.
 

Voltaire26

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@Iffster, I don't think you understand what it is like not to be an athlete. I can't catch a baseball for beans. At least a fly ball. My real problem is tracking. I just can't do it I miscalculate it all the time. And that is ironic for a math major.
I would need to play in a coed league just to be serviceable.
But my unauthenticness makes me live vicariously to an athlete. And because of that I know how it feels to do all that shit you are talking about. I know what it feels to hit a 98 mile fastball because I watch people do it. When you can't, you pretend you can!!!

I bet with a little training and practice you could. I was a very good outfielder, but I couldn't hit a tee ball.
 

Iffster

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@Iffster, I don't think you understand what it is like not to be an athlete. I can't catch a baseball for beans. At least a fly ball. My real problem is tracking. I just can't do it I miscalculate it all the time. And that is ironic for a math major.
I would need to play in a coed league just to be serviceable.
But my unauthenticness makes me live vicariously to an athlete. And because of that I know how it feels to do all that shit you are talking about. I know what it feels to hit a 98 mile fastball because I watch people do it. When you can't, you pretend you can!!!

And you understand your situation. Unfortunately, there are a couple of people here that are trying to play down the athletic part. Happily, you have come to deal with your "situation" ("and there is nothing wrong with that." :) ), some are not able to do so.
BTW...I can relate, because I often feel the same way when it comes to math. :)
 

Villain

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Ignore these two panzies John. Both couldn't play catch with girls. They realize they are failures in most things that involve using their muscles or coordination, so they have decided to make up for it by doing mathematics instead. Not a stupid endeavor....but they want everyone to think like them. Sort of the way alkies and drug addicts want to get others hooked. Then they feel better about their shortcomings. But please be polite with them. They are just ignorant kids. I think Omar is about 14-15....although he lies about his age. the other guy has decided to be Omar's "protector", as Omar lacks social skills.
I bet I am better than you at you at literally every sport.
 
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