Why is baseball the best sport on the planet? Discuss. (1 Viewer)

[Chawks45]

Baseball is a game. It's not a sport.

The participants are not athletes. They have very specific talents for sure. But they're not athletes. Their athletic prowess is on par with a golfer, curler, or a guy playing darts.

You throw together a group of participants from each: baseball, basketball, football, and hockey. Test their athletic capabilities in terms of strength, endurance, etc. The baseball player will come in dead last every single time.

Did you know the NFL's current great quarterback played football and baseball in college? None other than Patrick Mahomes. If you watch some of his sidearm throws and the different platforms from where he throws on the move, one can't help but think of a baseball player. He also played shortstop in high school and has been on the record as crediting his time on a baseball field for some of his ridiculous throws.

Also, Cardinals QB Kyler Murray and current Broncos QB Russell Wilson played baseball.

The NFL GOAT Tom Brady also played baseball and was drafted by the Montreal Expos.

I'm sure there are more.

A good majority of athletes were either two-, three-, or four-sport starts in high school.

Edit to add: How can I forget John Elway.

 

[liftapint]

Sorry to say, but I think Football/Soccer is likely the "best sport on the planet". Lowest barrier to entry, deceptively simple and holy crap do you need to be in great shape to do well.

I do have a deep affection for baseball for all the reasons already listed by everyone else.
I have seen Pedro at his peak pitch in Fenway, I have been to the clinching game of a World Series, I have walked into the cornstalks from off of THE field.
And best of all, I listened to baseball games over the radio, while driving across country with my dad.

And....those are some epic baseball experiences! I literally started crying when I walked into Wrigley Field. I need to get to Fenway.

 

[Dodger]

and the ballpark experience in most markets is not something that an average family can afford.

You’re not wrong. However, I think the best bang for your buck in all of sports is a minor league game. Affordable tickets, all the seats have a good view, and the players are still playing to make it to the next level.

If anyone in this thread has a minor league club nearby, I encourage you to attend a few games this summer. The sun on your face will feel a little warmer and the beer will taste a little colder.

 

[upNdown]

You talking based off the number of games in the season?

I mean yeah, it has the advantage of having the longest season, but my point is people show up.

 

[Wifey]

Checking box scores in the morning, to see what I missed.

I joined a fantasy baseball league for one season and it just about took over my life. I did well...but never again. But I love going to a live game, people watching, eating all the bad things and drinking beer in the sun. I try to do it once a year, usually the minor leagues it's more fun that way.

 

[surfik]

nothing beats basketball....period

 

[ssanel54]

You’re not wrong. However, I think the best bang for your buck in all of sports is a minor league game. Affordable tickets, all the seats have a good view, and the players are still playing to make it to the next level.

If anyone in this thread has a minor league club nearby, I encourage you to attend a few games this summer. The sun on your face will feel a little warmer and the beer will taste a little colder.

Yeah 100%, and it’s not just players making it to the next level, you can often find Stars making rehab starts

 

[TheRealTeddyKGB]

You talking based off the number of games in the season?

Some teams like the Dodgers get 40k+/game. That's more than the Clippers & Lakers combined per game. Multiply that by 81 they go over 3M so either way you want to look at it.

 

[liftapint]

nothing beats basketball....period

Basketball is amazing, when it's played as a team sport. It seems to have becoming a 1-on-1 game too much of the time, at least in the NBA.

College basketball is pretty tough to beat though, I agree.

 

[TheRealTeddyKGB]

Did you know the NFL's current great quarterback played football and baseball in college? None other than Patrick Mahomes. If you watch some of his sidearm throws and the different platforms from where he throws on the move, one can't help but think of a baseball player. He also played shortstop in high school and has been on the record as crediting his time on a baseball field for some of his ridiculous throws.

Also, Cardinals QB Kyler Murray and current Broncos QB Russell Wilson played baseball.

The NFL GOAT Tom Brady also played baseball and was drafted by the Montreal Expos.

I'm sure there are more.

A good majority of athletes were either two-, three-, or four-sport starts in high school.

Edit to add: How can I forget John Elway.

I once saw John Elway throw a ball out of Sunken Diamond. I hated him & everything Stanford bit damn. That was CRAZY!

 

[surfik]

Basketball is amazing, when it's played as a team sport. It seems to have becoming a 1-on-1 game too much of the time, at least in the NBA.

College basketball is pretty tough to beat though, I agree.

more like personal preference...one of two sports I acctualy enjoy watching

 

[Wifey]

I need to get to Fenway.

I would say you would be shocked at how small it is...but you've been to Wrigley... My date was trying to impress and we had box seats, we could hear the guys in the home dugout. It was fantastic.
I also stumbled onto another semi baseball gem...The one and only Durham Bulls game I gone to live, was the 25th anniversary of the movie. It's the baseball hat I wear the most...seems to be the least divisive choice when out and about.

 

[ssanel54]

Some teams like the Dodgers get 40k+/game. That's more than the Clippers & Lakers combined per game. Multiply that by 81 they go over 3M so either way you want to look at it.

Yeah with 81 home games per season, it’s tough to beat, but the Football stadiums hold many more people.

I heard somewhere that NASCAR was the most watched, but I don’t know the metric involved, and also further opening the sport debate

 

[Hot Nuts]

I would say you would be shocked at how small it is...but you've been to Wrigley... My date was trying to impress and we had box seats, we could hear the guys in the home dugout. It was fantastic.
I also stumbled onto another semi baseball gem...The one and only Durham Bulls game I gone to live, was the 25th anniversary of the movie. It's the baseball hat I wear the most...seems to be the least divisive choice when out and about.

I've been to a lot of Durham Bulls' games, both at the old ball park shown in the movie and the new one.

 

[TheRealTeddyKGB]

Yeah with 81 home games per season, it’s tough to beat, but the Football stadiums hold many more people.

I heard somewhere that NASCAR was the most watched, but I don’t know the metric involved, and also further opening the sport debate

Yeah you can have 1/4 of a million people show up for a weekend @ a F1 or Nascar race so I don't doubt it. Also I'm sure I'll be in the minority here but as someone who's spent time on the track (never raced though other than go-karts) I do consider motorsport drivers athletes.

 

[upNdown]

Yeah with 81 home games per season, it’s tough to beat, but the Football stadiums hold many more people.

I heard somewhere that NASCAR was the most watched, but I don’t know the metric involved, and also further opening the sport debate

Yeah you can have 1/4 of a million people show up for a weekend @ a F1 or Nascar race so I don't doubt it. Also I'm sure I'll be in the minority here but as someone who's spent time on the track (never raced though other than go-karts) I do consider motorsport drivers athletes.

There are only 36 NASCAR races per year, so the math isn’t going to work for you. There are 2,460 MLB games, plus playoffs.

 

[liftapint]

There are 2,460 MLB games, plus playoffs.

Maybe at the heart of it all, this is one of the major contributors to my passion for baseball. It's just always there. It's always going on in the background. Driving to the grocery store? Tune in the game and listen to an inning. After dinner, washing the dishes, catch an inning or two. You don't have to be glued to it. It's just there for you!

 

[liftapint]

You go 0-4 today? It's OK, go get 'em tomorrow.

 

[upNdown]

There are only 36 NASCAR races per year, so the math isn’t going to work for you. There are 2,460 MLB games, plus playoffs.

BAD MATH!!

162 games x 15 (because each game has two teams) = 2430

Math is hard

 

[louBdub]

This thread needed a sport.

Ok, back to games….

 

[liftapint]

Now that's funny ^^^

 

[TheRealTeddyKGB]

There are only 36 NASCAR races per year, so the math isn’t going to work for you. There are 2,460 MLB games, plus playoffs.

I think they include TV watchers too which is combined with attendance. Nascar ratings have gone down significantly in last few years so when he said "was" I still think that's accurate

 

[louBdub]

I have no idea what this person is...

The Bullet herself.

 

[raynmanas]

baseball is awesome.

i'm okay with the new clock rules, it was getting ridiculous.

saying baseball isn't a sport and/or baseball players aren't athletes is either willful ignorance or just intentionally inflammatory.

baseball is also by FAR the best fantasy sport. i love poring over statistics.

 

[Sneakygreek]

BAD MATH!!

162 games x 15 (because each game has two teams) = 2430

Math is hard

That’s also wrong. Not every team plays every day so it’s less than that.

 

[liftapint]

That’s also wrong. Not every team plays every day so it’s less than that.

But every team plays 162 games (except for one-off weird circumstances)

 

[TheBigTater]

Maybe at the heart of it all, this is one of the major contributors to my passion for baseball. It's just always there. It's always going on in the background. Driving to the grocery store? Tune in the game and listen to an inning. After dinner, washing the dishes, catch an inning or two. You don't have to be glued to it. It's just there for you!

Showing my age but there was/is still nothing better than listening to a baseball game on the radio. Most of my childhood summer nights were spent listening to a Cardinal game on a transistor radio (link provided for those of you that don't know what that is).

 

[BarrieJ3]

I think most people can recognize the positive. Especially if you’re American.

The history, yes the slowness of it all (I hate that but I get it, the pageantry and such), the fact that missing a game really doesn’t matter until late season, the historical rivalries, etc.

It’s also pretty rough to defend as the absolute “best” (no idea what the key indicators are we’re judging).

It’s one of the easiest (the easiest period?) big American sports to be a professional at, with every draft being at 20+ rounds.

It’s horribly racist, obviously historically but also extraordinarily racist today - plenty of objective evidence to support this (not saying other sports aren’t, there’s just a lot to this topic with baseball today).

The treatment of minor league players is absolutely horrendous. I’m only familiar with basketball “minor league” or “semi-pro”, so I can’t say baseball is the worst, but I’d be amazingly surprised if it wasn’t. I’d you’re in the IL or PCL great, otherwise it’s rough for most.

Not being negative, just not sure if the casual sports fan is familiar with those topics.

Me personally baseball is okay, but nowhere near the top. Mostly because there is so much preparation and so little play. I’m going to work and practice all year for…..3-4 at bats a game? I’m going to stand out here in a field all day for…..6ish play opportunities?

I also can’t just go “play a game”. There is no pickup game, there’s no, “pick up a ball and shoot or kick or etc. with it”. Strong barriers to playing.

Lastly there’s no real “hustle”. Of course there’s hustle players and people who play the game right, but I was someone who was undersized and loved fighting past those bigger than me out of sheer determination. The ability to impose my will on a person or team isn’t there in baseball (unless I’m a pitcher) like it is in soccer, basketball, rugby, football, etc.

I can’t wait til I catch a Dodgers game with my kids up on the hill overlooking LA.

Its definitely not the sport for me and probably towards the bottom, but damn it would be boring if we all had the same favorite sport!

 

[Budha]

Would love to see you stand in the box against Verlander. LOL, that would be hilarious. You might wet yourself.

Or just throw from 3rd to 1st - lol.

 

[ssanel54]

There are only 36 NASCAR races per year, so the math isn’t going to work for you. There are 2,460 MLB games, plus playoffs.

Yeah, 162 games over the season is a lot. I wasn’t sure if that’s what you meant when you were making the statement.