What's wrong with Major League Baseball? A Thread by Dale W.

[Dale]

Here's what's wrong. I can hardly keep my wife in the room with me during the World Series because she says every time she looks at the screen someone is spitting. She is, as usual, correct.

[WyoBadger]

There's the whole "adjusting" thing, too.

If you point this out to your wife, it might make her feel better about the spitting.

Just a suggestion.

Tom

[mutepointe]

the same thing that is wrong with every sport these days. sportmanship left a long time ago.

[susnfx]

I don't mind the spitting so much...or the adjusting...

I prefer baseball over football (just stupid to me), basketball (too intense for me), golf (y-a-w-n), hockey (an excuse for pandemonium), boxing (let's hit each other in the head until one of us is unconscious), ....

It can be a little slow, but I understand it much better than other sports, I can see the faces of the players, there's (usually) no violence, and there are just the right amount of moments of real excitement.

My daughter and her boyfriend play baseball with a group of friends (all in their mid-20s) many evenings in the summer and almost every nice evening in the fall. They absolutely love it and have great times. There's just something about baseball to some people ... (and, mute, once in awhile you find a player who is in it for the love of the sport--that's a real find)

Susan

[FJohnSharp]

Yes there is spitting. But ask her to count the number of times players show each other up, in that look-at-me, in-your-face way that has permeated and spoils the NFL and especially the NBA. There is still decorum in baseball. I can overlook expectoration.

[BillChin]

Japanese player Ichiro Suzuki was asked what he would do to if he were in charge of American baseball. His answer, "clean up the dugouts." With the spitting every other minute, by every other player, imagine what that dugout looks out. Better yet, don't. Yech.

[gonzo914]

You want real baseball, check out college ball. All the excitement of major league baseball at a fraction of the cost. You can get seats right behind the dugouts for under five bucks, and if you go on quarter hot dog night, you have an outing for a family of four for less than the soft drinks cost in a major league park.

These's less spitting, too.

The only drawback is that they use those gawdawful aluminum bats. "Piiinng" just doesn't have the authoritaive sound of a solid hit off a wooden bat.

[Wombat]

What's wrong with baseball is that it isn't cricket.

No spitting, aluminium bats banned and no all-in brawls.

[missy]

What's wrong with baseball (and every other pro sport, but especially baseball) is you never have any idea WHO is going to be on the field!

I grew up in the era of the "Big Red Machine". No matter what day, and for quite some years in a row, you KNEW Johnny would be catching, Joe would be doing his "chicken wing" when batting, Pete would have another hit, Davey would give an un-intelligible interview, Ken Sr. and Lee would go quietly about their playing, etc. You knew them, you knew their families and kids, you saw them in the off season at events and at the mall or at their kid's schools.
You could buy a #5 jersey and know who was going to be wearing it in the game. And know it would eventually be retired.

Other than 2 players, I have NO idea who's on the Reds anymore. Even if I know at the beginning of the year, by June it's a whole new team. As for year after year, it's anyone's guess.

Football hasn't gotten quite so bad - yet.

But in ALL pro sports, there's just no team loyalty anymore. Not from the fans, but from the TEAM.

And yeah - the Bengals are loosing. Again. Is it any wonder we support our high school football teams so much more than the pros here????

[chas]

At least in baseball you know what team is going to be where.

My problem with current baseball is the length of the games. Bob Gibson averaged seven seconds per pitch. Ever since Pudge Fisk and Mike "The human rain delay" Hargrove, it seems like every single hitter leaves the batter's box after every single pitch and adjusts every piece of clothing and equipment he's wearing.

I like minor league ball, although I don't get to see enough of it. We've got both an A club and a double A club within an hour. A ball especially can be an adventure -- on any given night you might have a couple of players playing like high schoolers and a couple playing like major leaguers. Double A you'll occasionally get lucky and see a whole game that looks like a major league game. Many moons ago I saw David Justice when he was playing for the Richmond Braves. That was a treat.

[rebl_rn]

I've seen some A ball games that were pretty decent - of course, Greg Maddux was pitching and Mark Grace was playing 1st base. That was a long time ago.

Baseball is timeless. I watched Field of Dreams again not that long ago. James Earl Jones' speech at the end sums it up for me.

[susnfx]

I grew up in the era of the "Big Red Machine". No matter what day, and for quite some years in a row, you KNEW Johnny would be catching...

I was deeply in love with Johnny Bench (in fact, he's the major reason I got into baseball at all) and I would prefer it if you speak of him as Mr. Bench in my company.

Susan

[crookedtune]

I almost never watch any sports at all, only because I'm greedy with my time, and don't want to get sucked in. But when the Red Sox make the series, I do make time for it. (I'm a transplanted New Englander). I don't understand the spitting thing either, but at least it's not tobacco anymore, which is still common in these parts.

[missy]

I grew up in the era of the "Big Red Machine". No matter what day, and for quite some years in a row, you KNEW Johnny would be catching...

I was deeply in love with Johnny Bench (in fact, he's the major reason I got into baseball at all) and I would prefer it if you speak of him as Mr. Bench in my company.

Susan

Sorry Susan - didn't mean it in disrespect!

Mr. Bench's son is now playing high school football. He's something like 6'5" and over 250 lbs, and he's evidently not good at baseball, but his football team will probably win state again.

[djm]

What's wrong with baseball is that I'm not in the major leagues. Playing baseball is a lot of fun. Watching baseball is deadly dull.

What's wrong with baseball is that it isn't hockey.

djm