Why is baseball the best sport on the planet? Discuss. (3 Viewers)

[upNdown]

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

I love fantasy baseball when we were doing by hand, and in the early days of the internet. Definitely the best fantasy sport. But once it got to the point where you had to update your lineups daily, it got to be too much for me.

 

[raynmanas]

I love fantasy baseball when we were doing by hand, and in the early days of the internet. Definitely the best fantasy sport. But once it got to the point where you had to update your lineups daily, it got to be too much for me.

i guess i'm a sick puppy because i love that part too. it's part of my morning ritual to take 5 minutes and make sure the lineup is good to go, and i inevitably feel a tiny bit empty for a little while when the season ends.

 

[Sneakygreek]

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

Do you understand how hard it is to hit a baseball? It is by far the hardest thing to do in all of sports, objectively speaking.

 

[Budha]

Not sure. But they could easily transition to the game of baseball and be a first baseman.

So by that logic, Johnny Weir would be a ferocious hockey player….lol

 

[SixSpeedFury]

This thread needed a sport.

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Ok, back to games….

 

[Dodger]

Do you understand how hard it is to hit a baseball? It is by far the hardest thing to do in all of sports, objectively speaking.

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/thre...ort-on-the-planet-discuss.103549/post-2140164

 

[liftapint]

Do you understand how hard it is to hit a baseball? It is by far the hardest thing to do in all of sports, objectively speaking.

I think people under estimate how difficult it is, because so many people played baseball/softball as a kid. Seems easy enough, right? lol

But yeah, OK, "best sport ever", I can see where that is problematic. It's awesome that there are so many sports, and different people can enjoy different sports (or games, or competition, or whatever you want to nit-picky call it) depending on what they like. I just really appreciate the routine of it all, with baseball. Listening to a game, so fantastic.

And fantasy baseball is awesome.

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.

I mean yeah, there are a lot of minor league levels, so it makes sense that there are a lot of rounds to their drafts.

I didn't know about how horribly racist baseball is. I'm actually surprised by this, given how international the player pool is. I'm going to research about this, because that really sucks. I believe you, for sure. It just really sucks to hear that.

 

[upNdown]

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.

You should try poker.

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).

I don't see how that's true today, but if you want to expand on that I'm listening.

 

[4SUMERZ]

What is really considered a sport rather than a game.
The best game by far is darts. Where else can you be the best, and do it while holding a beer or cigarette in your other hand for balance?
#2 would be billiards.

 

[upNdown]

What is really considered a sport rather than a game.
The best game by far is darts. Where else can you be the best, and do it while holding a beer or cigarette in your other hand for balance?
#2 would be billiards.

Well if you're going to start making sense, lets talk bocce. You know, the game people used to play before all this cornhole bullshit?

 

[liftapint]

What is really considered a sport rather than a game.
The best game by far is darts. Where else can you be the best, and do it while holding a beer or cigarette in your other hand for balance?
#2 would be billiards.

Maybe @TheDuke can help enlighten us here. Because clearly I have no idea what a sport is or who should be called an athlete.

 

[CantSpellPoker]

Same here. Camden Yards is up there as well and I do really like the new Citi Field in NY, but with the detailed steel architecture, old school vibe and river backdrop, PNC is my current favorite.

I’ve been to 25. There was a time 10 years ago where I would scoff at the notion that I wouldn’t end up seeing them all, but it’s been several years since I ticked any new ones off the list. Still plenty of time, but I’m down to the ones that are isolated from others. I used to “park-hop” and knock 3 out in the course of a week a couple times per summer.

Pittsburgh is at the top in terms of sitting in your seat and watching the game. However, I had a pretty poor experience in terms of some other things, such as parking, concession wait times, general concourse crowdedness, etc. The Pirates were good at the time I went, and I actually had a stadium employee say to me, “Yeah, this place isn’t meant to house a full crowd, it’s a nightmare when people actually show up.” Thought that was funny.

 

[TheDuke]

Where else can you be the best, and do it while holding a beer or cigarette in your other hand for balance?

The outfielders in baseball could easily be holding a drink, hotdog, or smoke while putzing around in the field waiting on the small chance the ball comes floating along.

 

[louBdub]

BOCCE BALL!

Ok. I’ll stop.

Maybe…

I’m bored.

 

[TheRealTeddyKGB]

I'm sure we agree racism is in every sport @BarrieJ3. Especially in ownership. Imo one thing baseball has done right over the years is the ratio of Managers that are people of color to Players of color. Way more appropriate than the NFL & until very recently the NBA too.

 

[TheDuke]

Maybe @TheDuke can help enlighten us here. Because clearly I have no idea what a sport is or who should be called an athlete.

I'm no expert.

I just know baseball ain't a sport.

And baseball players aren't athletes.

Although I'm not a closed minded person like you. If folks actually had some compelling arguments as to why baseball participants were athletes, I'd be willing to listen.

In baseball, the majority of the time, the majority of the participants are either standing still or seated on the bench. And they very rarely break a sweat. How is that a sport?

 

[ssanel54]

The outfielders in baseball could easily be holding a drink, hotdog, or smoke while putzing around in the field waiting on the small chance the ball comes floating along.

Those guys are probably in the outfield not for their fielding capabilities, but for the fact that they can smack a little ball that’s coming at them 100+ mph over 400ft in the air.

That’s far more difficult than a guy who is 7 feet tall being able to drop a ball through a metal cylinder without having to jump

 

[Irish]

I’ve been to 25. There was a time 10 years ago where I would scoff at the notion that I wouldn’t end up seeing them all, but it’s been several years since I ticked any new ones off the list. Still plenty of time, but I’m down to the ones that are isolated from others. I used to “park-hop” and knock 3 out in the course of a week a couple times per summer.

Nice, I've been to most of the stadiums in the eastern half of the county, and had similar plans to make it to all of them one day. Those plans died were put on indefinite hold once the kids came lol.

 

[4SUMERZ]

The outfielders in baseball could easily be holding a drink, hotdog, or smoke while putzing around in the field waiting on the small chance the ball comes floating along.

Yeah, but the downside would be when they go to bat, they would have to leave their drink in the dugout and cigarette in the ashtray.

 

[upNdown]

I'd be willing to listen.

ell
O
ell

 

[ssanel54]

Yeah, but the downside would be when they go to bat, they would have to leave their drink in the dugout and cigarette in the ashtray.

Drink maybe, but I thinks that’s also why they all switched to chewing tobbacco

 

[TheDuke]

ell
O
ell

This @liftapint guy hasn't provided any real arguments other than throwing around insults.

Nor have you. You tried making some weird comparison to bodybuilding but then you really only demonstrated that you knew nothing about bodybuilding.

 

[liftapint]

I'm no expert.

I just know baseball ain't a sport.

And baseball players aren't athletes.

Help me understand why baseball is not a sport. What defines a sport to you? Is it defined by sweat? The amount of physical endurance required?

 

[upNdown]

This @liftapint guy hasn't provided any real arguments other than throwing around insults.

Nor have you. You tried making some weird comparison to bodybuilding but then you really only demonstrated that you knew nothing about bodybuilding.

Stop acting like you're being serious. Have your fun hating on baseball - whatever

 

[TheDuke]

Stop acting like you're being serious. Have your fun hating on baseball - whatever

ell
O
ell

 

[bernielomax]

.

 

[Mandos]

I'm no expert.

I just know baseball ain't a sport.

And baseball players aren't athletes.

As the person denying that baseball is a sport (in contradiction to the dictionary definitions cited above) and that baseball players are athletes I think the burden of providing a definition for what "sport" and "athlete" mean are on you, otherwise this entire discussion is pointless.

 

[liftapint]

FYP

lol pure troll.

 

[TheDuke]

Where is PCF's resident gematria guy?

I would have thought he would have made a giant post that the WBC was completely rigged. All sorts of bizarre numbers from the date, time, Ohtani's birthday, his favorite ice cream flavor, etc explaining how that end was predetermined.

Where is that guy?

I'd like his opinion on baseball as a hobby vs sport. It would be a more fact based opinion than @liftapint guy's opinion.

 

[BarrieJ3]

You should try poker.

I don't see how that's true today, but if you want to expand on that I'm listening.

I'm sure we agree racism is in every sport @BarrieJ3. Especially in ownership. Imo one thing baseball has done right over the years is the ratio of Managers that are people of color to Players of color. Way more appropriate than the NFL & until very recently the NBA too.

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).

I did mention already other sports can be racist as well. And in fact, baseball was pioneering in moving past racism historically.

But if you want to know, ask Mookie Betts. Ask Preston Wilson.

I’m not being stirring the pot or saying that MLB is evil, please notate that.

The MLB African American presence has been dwindling for years. Recent years have the % of players down to 7. That’s meaningless without notating that it was at 20ish at its peak (can fact check but those should both be within a %).

Of course the experience will be subjective and change from person to person, but in almost all outside reports done, blacks in the MLB report it….not being a good time. Not by anyone persons fault, not because anyone is racist. But simply because, MLB doesn’t engender itself to the African American community. Their culture, their background, their history - it’s mostly lost in clubhouses where white america and Hispanic/central/South America cultures reign supreme. N word, nooses, etc can be found in locker rooms - again not necessarily with ill intent.

And when you have all stars, faces of the league, reporting how lonely and rediculous they feel in mlb and mlb locker rooms - imagine minor league players.
It’s an issue that MLB has been actively trying to solve because of course they want more eyeballs - and they just can’t change core values that easily or quickly.

It’s so easy to get lost in subjective examples and conflicting reports and everything else - especially on PCF.

I guess to help it hit home I would leave it at this. In the past 10 years, if I go to a NBA game on the sideline seats and yell Coon or Nig*er, I’ll be lucky to just be banned from all NBA venues for life. If I go sidelines at an NFL game and do the same and players hear me, yup it’s trouble. If I go to an MLB stadium and yell the same?

Ask Torri Hunter. Brunson, DeShields, Adam Jones.

Those fans get to keep coming back.

And before someone says “I’ve heard someone yell it at a different sports game”, then you’re missing the point.

There are leagues where when that happens fans are removed immediately. Where players feel comfortable letting officials and employees know if they want action taken. MLB? That’s more a, you learn to live with it and either worry about or figure what’s the point reporting.

Again, not villianizing American Baseball or making them out to be the evil Empire, just saying that it’s a slightly out there experience and trend compared to the two other major American sports with black athletes.