How to tick off an MLB fan this week

[Robb]

So far, I'm just on to annoying questions:

"Why do you want to beat bear cubs?"

"Who's Marlen?"

"Why don't you spell 'socks' properly?"

[WilliamPitt]

1. "Which team scored a touchdown?"

[VermontDem2004]

2. The Sun Devils!!!!!

[GOPisEvil]

3. Can you explain the infield fly rule in 20 words or less?

Oh wait - that just makes MLB fans' heads :nuke:

[VermontDem2004]

4. I never understood the infield fly rule

What is it. :hi: I know sometimes when there is a pop fly or something the batter is automatically out before the player even catches the ball. :wtf:

[GOPisEvil]

5. Here's the more than 20 word explanation.

Scenario: runner on 1st, less than 2 out. Batter pops the ball up on the infield. The runner has to stay close to first, because if the pop-up is caught, he'll have to return to 1st to avoid the double play. BUT, if the fielder "accidentally" drops the ball, then he could start a double play. Basically, the infield fly rule is there to protect the runner on 1st base.

[VermontDem2004]

6. I see

so in some case the infielder may purposely drop the ball to make the play at second.

[GOPisEvil]

7. That used to happen before the infield fly rule was instituted.

It was always considered a less-than-manly way to get outs, but in certain situations, outs are outs, no matter how they get made.

[GOPisEvil]

9. Here's a better explanation

http://thereeds.org/~mark/explicatio/infield_fly.html

[HERVEPA]

11. Not exactly.

With only a runner on first (and not 2nd or 2nd & 3rd), you are protected from double play by batter running the ball out.

[GOPisEvil]

12. What about the runner on 1st?

If the ball drops, he would be thrown out at 2nd.

[HERVEPA]

8. Just in case the question is real...

It's to prevent an fielder from purposely dropping a ball in order to get a double play.

Must be runners on 1st and 2nd or bases loaded. less than 2 out.

[GOPisEvil]

10. You can have just a runner on 1st as well (nt)

[HERVEPA]

13. Not exactly. See my message above

[HERVEPA]

14. See my message #11

[GOPisEvil]

15. All that's required for a "traditional" double play is...

...a runner on first and less than 2 outs. You throw the runner on first out at 2nd, and then throw to first to retire the batter.

[Robb]

22. I'm sorry, Who's on first?

Had to be said.

Apologies. :)

[GOPisEvil]

23. I don't know.

THIRD BASE!

[vi5]

16. "So what do you actually GET if your team wins?"

"Wait....so wouldn't the team that has the most pennants and championships and world series be considered the best team?"

"Have you thought about a hobby that doesn't involve living vicariously through the acheivements of others?

[HERVEPA]

17. Many people have both types of hobbies

For me, playing and watching sports, dancing, hiking, etc.

Can't stereotype sports fans.

Incidentally, I have no idea why I should care about my sports teams. It's not like the players come from my city, and even if they did, so what.
The players are mostly conservatives (at least the ones who talk about it), and many spout ludicrous religious statements when they win, thanking the god who apparently cared more about them than about the players on the other team.

Still, I'm a fan. Who knows why.

[VermontDem2004]

18. What is wrong with watching sports?

Do you watch other shows on TV, you know entertainment type of shows? Watching sports for me is entertaining and having a team to root for makes it even more entertaining for me.

[vi5]

20. Not really all that much, but still I see a difference....

When watching a game, no matter how much you gloss it over there are really only 2 possible outcomes. One team wins. One team loses. Doesn't excite me at all.

Plus, my point wasn't about watching sporting events. I have plenty of friends who enjoy just watching the game being played and the skill and agility being involved. My point is more people who invest so much of themselves in a team and an event which when all is said and done has no bearing on anything that they themselves did or didn't do. I can't recall ever having felt bad or good about myself based on the outcome of a tv show or movie.

[VermontDem2004]

21. Hard to compare the two

but didn't you root for the characters, like in a horror did you root for the hero to escape the witch, or in a romance that the guy gets the girl. I know I am using bad examples but it is entertaining for me to watch sports, maybe not for you but it is for me. People find reality shows entertaining, I don't, people find horrors entertaining, I don't, people don't find politics entertaining, I do. It is all in personal taste, I think you are using steorotypes on sports fans, I don't think a fan ever said I helped my Buccanneers win the Super Bowl. But people do go to far such as hurling objects, sending death threats, and calling a fan names who from what I read he is doing great things in this society when the world is going to hell, but that doesn't matter, he deflected a foul ball. I can't understand fans like that.

[vi5]

24. Yeah, but those are the ones I am talking about.....

If you don't live vicariously through the players or the team and don't take any of it personally then I don't have any trouble understanding just a total love of a game and appreciating watching people who are good at something do what they do. Yes, I've rooted for heroes or villains in movies or books. And I have in fact rooted for teams to win particular games or series. But it's the taking of it all so personally and being upset when a team loses or someone does something to cause a team to lose that I don't understand.

Believe me I come from a family of rabid sports fans (Jets and Yankees) who are totally into their teams and watching sports and all that goes with it. So I'm not even saying this as someone who has no experience with this type of thinking or some artsy fartsy ivory tower guy. This type of stuff has been around me my entire life but somehow I just never got into it.

[madrchsod]

19. "cricket

now that`s real baseball"....