I'm currently trying to watch Baseball.

[Not Andy Naylor]

Considerably lower than that at times, despite the announced figures:

Actual crowd: 347.

Yet they managed to fill it with record crowds for the World Series games in '97 and '03 - now that's JCLs for you. Not surprisingly, my most memorable Marlins match is a road game - Game 6 of the 2003 World Series, watching Josh Beckett shut out the Yankees in their own house.

 

[Stat Brother]

Currently listening to Mr Tony.

They are moaning about people leaving yesterday's game early in the 8th!

Small world

 

[Eggman]

Grand Slam Giants. Boom.

 

[Eggman]

Oh. And Go Phillies!!

 

[Official Old Man]

Here's a real nerdy thing about baseball. Some grounds have a blue cloth behind the batter and TV companies can place any advert they want on to it (CGI). There was talk that SKY wanted to do the same with Premier grounds and just have blue cloth instead of these stupid digital screens that must send the players nuts watching a car drive down the left wing. And think about the way the team logo is shown on the pitch at the start of a match, on pitch adverts too?

 

[Stat Brother]

Right, so I have the Nat'nals on.
I've even connected the computer up to the big telly, a luxury normally only afforded to the NFL.

So if anyone wants to talk me through this game, feel free I'd appreciate it.

 

[Barry Izbak]

Cards went down 123 in the first.

Lohse right handed pitcher for the cardinals has a good record this season

second up for the Nats is Harper, a left handed hitter and statisically the righty v lefty match up tends to favour the hitter

OK, so not this time - but Lohse is class!

 

[Stat Brother]

Not a great start.

 

[Barry Izbak]

Sake! lefty righty match up pays off for Laroche

 

[Stat Brother]

Please tell me this is a quiet start
As currently it's going as I expected it, and I can't believe there's been any nuance here that a Yank can spot but I can't

 

[Southwick_Seagull]

Switch over to the Giants V Reds game. Could be a great comeback here.

 

[Barry Izbak]

REDS:
2-0 and you fcuked it up,
2-0 and you fcuked it up

ouch, that is going to hurt

 

[Stat Brother]

Prepare for some fireworks, cos I'm off to bed soon.

I'm trying but not a lot is happening.

 

[Barry Izbak]

Take a DAB radio with you and listen to five live sports extra.
It could be the last Nationals action of 2012 OMG what have I done

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

I'm trying but not a lot is happening.

Apart from a decent pitchers' duel, that is. I suppose hitting is easier to appreciate than pitching. It takes time to realise what a pitcher is trying to do. Lohse has been unreal for the Cards this season, as has Lance Lynn...

 

[bha100]

Its called the World Series because it was originally sponsored by a newspaper called The World. Plenty of things about the US to take the piss out of but the World Series isn't one of them.

I disagree, should change the name to something like the Barry Bonds series of baseball

 

[Mtoto]

The final moments of the Giants-Reds game were a perfect example of the situations you can get in baseball and no other sport.

The Reds have not been ahead at any stage of the game, and are 3 runs down going into the final innings. They get a run and then two men on base, so now the winning run is at the plate. If this batter, or the next one, hits a home run, it is a walk-off, game over, the Reds are into the championship game. Two more outs, though, and the Giants go through.

Batter hits a fly-ball, so two outs. After a 162-game regular season and five more in the playoffs, the Reds' season is hanging by a thread. But it is still possible for the next man in to win the game and series with one good swipe, because baseball lets you score up to four runs with one hit. And the home team always bats last, so no matter how far behind they are, there's always an outside chance that they'll sneak a walkoff and the place will go crazy.

In football, a goal is a goal. Even in cricket, a six is a six, not 24. In baseball, a home run can be 1, 2, 3 or 4. That's one of the reasons why it's so interesting.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Prepare for some fireworks, cos I'm off to bed soon.

I'm trying but not a lot is happening.

Well, it worked. But you should have stayed up for that - a walk-off home run by Jayson Werth. He fought off everything Lynn could throw at him until he got the right pitch, and we go to Game Five. What a great game baseball is.

And on another point, Tyler Clippard looks more like a supply teacher than an athlete. But he sure knows how to pitch.

 

[Stat Brother]

Apart from a decent pitchers' duel, that is. I suppose hitting is easier to appreciate than pitching. It takes time to realise what a pitcher is trying to do. Lohse has been unreal for the Cards this season, as has Lance Lynn...

But that's all it was, I can see that as a critical aspect of the sport but last night was so one sided.

Ambrose, Garner, Marshall, Holding and Walsh didn't spend two and a half hours bowling consecutive maidens.

 

[Barry Izbak]

I'm beginning to worry baseball might not be for you.

With the Nationals taking it to game five with a walk off home run, with the Giants coming back from two games down to win in Cincinnati by surviving a two on two out 9th inning rally, the Orioles also taking it to game five by winning in New York in the 13th and the Tigers winning their game five in Oakland, I can't quite remember such an exciting post season. All the divisional series have gone to game five, the shit or bust game and amongst the contenders are two sides who haven't even been to post season for years in Baltimore's case or ever in Washington.

I've seen some dull baseball games (and Albion games) but none of the post season has fallen into this category.


Go Cards!