I was implying that it's easier to get excited about going to the dentist than to get excited about a "rebuilding" baseball team.
I enjoy the extra strategy when it comes to the pitcher batting. It affects when pitchers are changed because if the pitcher is struggling to finish an inning with two outs, but he's up first in the next inning. Do you let him try for that last out, do a double switch, or just bring in a guy to get the last out and put a pitch hitter in for him when he's up to bat. When the 9th spot is actually up, there's a ton of strategy depending on how many innings you have left, what the score is, who's on base, etc.For me it's because the pitchers have to hit. I understand that it's "tradition", but to me it's stupid. It's basically a free out for the opposing team every time one comes to the plate. Pitchers have one job - to pitch.
What's even more frustrating is the fact that the National League is one of the last places that force the pitcher to hit. Every level of baseball now uses a DH.
I can see the lower levels of baseball using a DH because winning isn't nearly as essential there as developing the talent is.
Peavy on the mound was always a good enough reason to go to the park or watch the game, especially when you're expecting a pitcher's duel. I wish I could have gone to those match ups against Clemens when he was an Astro a few years ago.
I've always been a Padres fan even when they went through the first fire sale in the early 90's. Maybe I was more naive then because I was 10, but I still had hope for the Padres to do well. When Moores came in '94, there was a blockbuster 12 man trade and that brought excitement. After they lost the World Series in 98, there was still Tony Gwynn and his 3,000th hit in '99. Even after that there was always a few guys to cheer for like Gwynn and Hoffman, and more recently Peavy, Young, Gonzalez. In the middle of this decade, Moores usually tried to field a team that was decent enough to hope for and was sometimes just good enough to barely make the playoffs. The feeling I get from Moorad is that he wants to take a few years off and get a young, talented together. I can understand that, but I'd rather them keep a few anchors like Peavy, Gonzalez, and Bell around and let the players develop around them.I've always believed that you have to set yourself an all time favorite and really get into the details if you want to be excited for a team, even when they are playing poorly. I have never lived more than two miles from the Rays stadium and I've been a fan since day one. That will never change, no matter where I go.
Far too many Rays fans (and I say this with honesty) have another team that they like better. All of them will tell you "I love the Rays when they aren't playing xxxxx". So that's fine, maybe there is a team that they are really into elsewhere. But it really kills the spirit of rooting for your home team when there is another team out there with priority.
Part of getting really excited for your team is to be able to say "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time" when something finally starts going their way.
I haven't played FBB because I know what FFB does to my interest in teams. Eventually you just stop caring about how a team does and only concern yourself with the selfish interest of how your own players do - or at least that was my experience. I'm afraid of that happening with baseball so I avoid it.
All that said to really say this: Get into a team and stick with them, through the ups and downs. Once you build a relationship with whoever it is you become a fan of there will be no such thing as a bad game. Look at my Rays. I couldn't be happier right now but damnit if we didn't earn this after years and years of not producing.
Its the bad years that make the good years so damn good.
Oh and the NL is a different beast. You really have to appreciate good fielding, good defense, and sacrificial base running. I'm an AL fan but its more of a chess game and manager's really need to be on their toes in the NL.
The best hitting pitcher is a pitcher who can bunt well. That is basically the only hitting skill that is required of them. It's a hard skill to master, but it's not like they have to be in the batting cage every day.But doesn't this make the National League even worse? You don't ever train pitchers to hit throughout every other level of baseball, yet when they make it to the show, they're expected to contribute in that capacity? At the Major League level? Then you get a manager like Tony LaRussa who is the king of over-managing. Double-switches, having his pitcher bat 8th, etc.
Without a doubt a lot of strategy is involved and it's a bit of a different game than the AL. Personally, I like for my pitchers to worry about getting outs, not making them.
Bastard I think that's the game I'm remembering of, but I think there were a couple Peavy/Clemens match-ups. I am happy I got to see Clemens pitch at Yankee stadium though.ha i went to the game where they dueled and both pitched complete games with the pads winning 2-0! i went to the all-star game and home run derby at the murph and numerous playoff games but that game right there stands out as one of my most memorable.
Bastard I think that's the game I'm remembering of, but I think there were a couple Peavy/Clemens match-ups. I am happy I got to see Clemens pitch at Yankee stadium though.
I've always had trouble trying to watch National League games. They're just not as fun as American League games. Not sure what it is.
I guess I'm basically having issue with the club basically taking a couple years off and not even trying to put a competitive group on the field.
lol, I'm a Padres fan. The last time we went beyond the first round of the playoffs was 1998 and before that it was 1984. I don't expect them to get to the playoffs every year, but I do expect maybe 70-80 wins and for them to keep a franchise player or two. That's not happening now and I think my expectations are reasonable.That brings up another great point. We are seeing the same dissapointment across all sports now a days. I'm 26, so I can't really use the "Back in the day..." or the "When I was younger..." statements just yet, but I remember when small victories would suffice for a few season before fans and owners were out for blood and making big changes.
Do you know how fast an owner would be nixed if he told his season ticket holders to please bare with him for the next two seasons as they worked through a reorganization during hard times and a below average economy. Even with all the bad going on around the nation, many expect a playoff team every year as if its owed to them.
Teams can't afford to make ALC or NLC games every year. That's not how it works. It's never worked that way. But for some reason fans expect it. And if they don't get it there's no loyalty in to fall back on. They won't even check the scores in the paper the next day.
http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=518792
This is the reason I enjoy baseball. Watching players such as Jason Heyward, Tommy Hanson, Zack Greinke (from last year at least), and so on and so forth is what makes baseball great. The kids who live up to the hype.
blah. the AL is an abomination. boring, dull, predictable anti-baseball league.
I don't know why you have trouble watching the NL...maybe you don't like baseball?
Hmmm...I would thoroughly enjoy a Giants beating.they've now won 4 in a row. perhaps in some weird cosmic sense this thread has been good luck for the pads. if they sweep the giants can we get the thread title changed to the "Official 2010 Padres thread"?
The best hitting pitcher is a pitcher who can bunt well. That is basically the only hitting skill that is required of them.
You guys don't have Bonds anymore. He owned us all of those years.The Giants getting beat down would not make me happy
For some reason against the Padres it's either Rags or Riches. We never just do 'okay' we either dominate them, or we get dominated.
Unless you are Carlos Zambrano. I remember a couple years ago when they were like "and the cubs really want Zambrano to pitch on short rest for the offensive boost he provides to the lineup".
I thought how sad is that, where you need a pitcher to boost your offense. Then I remembered I'm a giants fan, and we didn't/don't even have that.
Unless you are Carlos Zambrano.
If by "boring" you mean more average runs per game, then yeah, it's boring.
Dammit Padres. Another good game like tonight and I'll forgive you completely.they've now won 4 in a row. perhaps in some weird cosmic sense this thread has been good luck for the pads. if they sweep the giants can we get the thread title changed to the "Official 2010 Padres thread"?
Dammit Padres. Another good game like tonight and I'll forgive you completely.
I'm used to 9th inning close calls. Hoffman was pretty sketchy those last few years.yeah but pins and needles those last 2 innings. nice of adams to pitch out of that lead off triple and bell with runners on the corners with 1 out in the 9th. of course as a padres fan, would we have it any other way? :hmm: but hot damn if it isnt exciting baseball!