Pellaz
Tigron of Immanion
booB said:
Yeah, there's that, Paul said drily.
My answer to my own question is a bit like some of y'all's...I grew up with baseball since my dad was a player and umpire, and he got me into Little League. (I sucked, of course. Always got stuck in right field where they prayed no-one would ever hit the ball....
) But I learned the rules and the ins-and-outs of the game....I think the reason why I like baseball is because it really is very much a game of strategy, a lot moreso than the other major sports. At the strategic level, managers have to decide on their batting order, who to pitch, when to pull their starters, where to position their infielders and the outfield for each batter, when to put in a pinch-hitter, etc. In some ways it's a battle of wits between the two managers: "Bases are loaded with the winning run at second. If I put in this southpaw as a reliever, will he pull his left-handed pinch-hitter in favor of his only remaining righty? The lefty's been announced, so he'd be wasted...." There aren't too many games where the PA announcer can be a part of the drama. And there are few -- if any -- professional sports where the very dimensions of the ballpark and its quirks become a part of the game, with every ballpark having different distances down the lines, etc.
On a more tactical level the game 'works' as a conflict between the pitcher and the batter on a purely physical level, but also between the batter and the catcher (who's flashing the signs for the pitches) on a mental level. Once the ball is put into play, it becomes a challenge between the batter and baserunners and the team in the field. To someone not familiar with the game and its rules, a slow game can seem a total bore......but fans can perceive the tension and the drama and know why it's there. A good, tight, well-played ballgame is a joy to watch.
