152 pitches

[Strike For The South]

In pony league. These guys are blowing out their elbows out before they lose their virginity

[Greyblades]

Christ, strike is becoming Fragony.

[drone]

It's a conspiracy between managers and the Tommy John Industrial Complex. Thanks Obama.

[ReluctantSamurai]

Tommy John Industrial Complex.

Well, they can always sell prints of their pre-surgery MRI's. TJ himself just put up 20 signed MRI's for something like $1500 USD, recently

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Christ, strike is becoming Fragony.

It's the booze.

Kad does it too.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

In pony league. These guys are blowing out their elbows out before they lose their virginity

The number, of itself, would be less worrisome if it didn't also come with too much pressure to throw curves, sliders and even screwjies at that age. Moreover, in the golden age of the game, you were expected to throw at about 80-85% unless facing their best hitters so that you could preserve arm strength. That is another trend that is headed the wrong way IMHO.

[Strike For The South]

The number, of itself, would be less worrisome if it didn't also come with too much pressure to throw curves, sliders and even screwjies at that age. Moreover, in the golden age of the game, you were expected to throw at about 80-85% unless facing their best hitters so that you could preserve arm strength. That is another trend that is headed the wrong way IMHO.

Yup. The pressure on these kids to expand their repertoire is insane. It used to be a guy could go into the minors with 2 pitches (and that second pitch was probably shaky) Now the only way that happens is if you throw 98 MPH and you are already pigeonholed as a relief guy.

I honestly think Tommy John was the worst thing to happen to the game. Well that, and the pressure on these kids to produce in these ridiculous select leagues. Basically you can only break into baseball now if you're an upper middle class white guy or a subsidized Dominican. Couple the heavy financial investment with baseball Dads and I pity these umps.

A perfect example of it was this game, they clearly went over the pitch count and everyone stayed mum

[The Lurker Below]

The biggest change from the golden days is the strike zone. We wanted more glamour in the game - home runs - so we tightened up the zone so any big ape could make contact. Now we don't have hitters so much as we have lumberjacks. Relax that strike zone and the pressure to put movement on the ball eases up a lot. Then you also lose your home runs, and supposedly, attendance.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

The biggest change from the golden days is the strike zone. We wanted more glamour in the game - home runs - so we tightened up the zone so any big ape could make contact. Now we don't have hitters so much as we have lumberjacks. Relax that strike zone and the pressure to put movement on the ball eases up a lot. Then you also lose your home runs, and supposedly, attendance.

Oh yeah! Put it back to the bottom of the numbers to the top of the knees and you might actually have to pay a contact hitter or two.....

[Papewaio]

All professional games are getting faster/fitter and more intense.

And more about chasing the marketing money then the sweet science. Thing is it causes a long term boredom with most games when only one (safe) style is played.

[Ja'chyra]

I'm sure all that makes sense to someone but let's face it rounders is a playground game, not a real sport.

[drone]

And Britain is an island province of greater Europe!

"I'm not an athlete, I'm a professional baseball player." - John Kruk

[Kadagar_AV]

No need to diss rounders...

Me and my mates have had quite some fun playing "drunk rounders" in the park, you know, when you have to take a small shot at every corner...

I have also occasionally found some thicker tree branch, and used it to smash smaller rocks out into the nearby lake. It's quite an enjoyable thing to do, when utterly bored.

I still struggle to understand how anyone can actually take interest in watching OTHER people hit stuff with a wooden bat.

I mean, I would get it if it was an actual bat. Like, I would pay REAL money to see, say, Ozzy Osbourne use an actual living bat to whack away a ball, blood spilling everywhere and stuff...

But let's face it, the USAnian version of rounders just does NOT have the same entertainment factor.

[Kadagar_AV]

Your ignorance does not take away from the depth and complexity of the greatest game ever invented.

Shouldn't "the greatest game ever invented" have spread outside of the US by now, though...

If, and it's a very big IF, this would actually happen to be the greatest game ever invented.

I'm just asking, you know.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Your ignorance does not take away from the depth and complexity of the greatest game ever invented.

Cricket?

Also, what Kad said - if it was so awesome it would be popular outside the Us, but rather like American Football - it isn't really.

[Kadagar_AV]

Hah, you are ignorant once more. Japan loves Baseball more than we do, and its always been popular in Latin America. European teams did well in last year's WBC Series. Go back to sliding down a slippery mountain or whatever it is you do 2187.227 Yards above sea level.

Oh, if the JAPANESE love it, it must be sane. Aight?

It's not like they find it normal to read graphic tentacle porn on the subway or anything...


Europeans do well in all sports we try, so it's no big surprise we have some people here also playing whack-a-ball.


As for the greatest sport... My very subjective opinion would be downhill skiing. Buuuuut, then I belong to those kind of people who doesn't really consider anything a sport unless it has a believable chance of actually getting you killed or severely maimed.

My more objective opinion would have to be football, and no, not USAnian soccer, silly... I mean actual football.

Mainly (and only) because it has the most supporters.

[a completely inoffensive name]

I thought this thread was going to be about how difficult it is for aspiring screenwriters to make it in hollywood.

Instead you guys are talking about the most boring, corrupted sport to ever represent the erosion of the american spirit.

[Kadagar_AV]

I thought this thread was going to be about how difficult it is for aspiring screenwriters to make it in hollywood.

Instead you guys are talking about the most boring, corrupted sport to ever represent the erosion of the american spirit.

Nuh-Uh!

I stress to differ.

PVC talked about gentlemanly cricket, whereas I mainly talked about whack-a-ball.

Ja'chyra also brilliantly brought up rounders.




The sport that erode the USAnian spirit would be American Football... I mean, everyone in more educated countries are well aware of the fact that it is, undoubtedly so, just rugby with girly padding and sissy rules

[Ja'chyra]

Nuh-Uh!

I stress to differ.

PVC talked about gentlemanly cricket, whereas I mainly talked about whack-a-ball.

Ja'chyra also brilliantly brought up rounders.




The sport that erode the USAnian spirit would be American Football... I mean, everyone in more educated countries are well aware of the fact that it is, undoubtedly so, just rugby with girly padding and sissy rules

true story

[Ironside]

Hah, you are ignorant once more. Japan loves Baseball more than we do, and its always been popular in Latin America. European teams did well in last year's WBC Series. Go back to sliding down a slippery mountain or whatever it is you do 2187.227 Yards above sea level.

You mean those places you've either occupied or made into banana republics? Now, in Japan's case it totally justified and was well done, it's just that a good sport would spread with less massive cultural influence.

Cricket got the same thing, pretty much only parts of the old Britsh empire that it's big.

It's played in Europe, but it's not a big sport media wise.

[Papewaio]

Cricket is pretty big in a lot of the Commonwealth countries.

India alone has more cricket fans then there is Americans. It's probably second only to Football aka soccer in number of fans worldwide.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

You mean those places you've either occupied or made into banana republics? Now, in Japan's case it totally justified and was well done, it's just that a good sport would spread with less massive cultural influence.

Cricket got the same thing, pretty much only parts of the old Britsh empire that it's big.

It's played in Europe, but it's not a big sport media wise.

On the other hand - we also invented Football and Rugby.

They didn't spread just because of British Imperialism.

I recall Strike saying that the first time he played Rugby in College, it almost killed him.

[Papewaio]

Rugby & Association Football combined are what American Football is derived from.

Baseball is derived from games brought to the US by UK immigrants.

So US games are a bit like Hollywood movies. Not original, but more polished for local audiences

[Seamus Fermanagh]

As usual, the history of baseball involves any number of competing stories and agendae...

linkie

[Strike For The South]

it's true first time I played rugby, I nearly had a heart attack