Is baseball a joke?

Question

It seems to me that you can lose half of your games and still be considered dangerous. Barely any teams have a dominant winning record and lose 80 games to their 90 wins. How is losing 80 games impressive? I don't see the athleticism in baseball that I see in football and soccer. I do know the mental aspect in baseball which is very important in a win. I have been watching since I was 5 when my favorite pitcher Ben McDonald was playing. I just watch football and see such an exciting game. Has baseball lost it's flare?

I don't think there is no talent in baseball. It just seems that a team that can only win 6 out of every 10 games, can't really be the best. Now 6 out of ten is the best you will see in MLB. Have you seen the stadiums? No one is even there until the playoffs. It's a real joke. Talent is there, but so is arrogance. I've never seen so many cocky players than I have in baseball. Especially now days. Baseball is not physical, but mental. A little physical at best. A team that loses every other game can win the World Series every year. Am I wrong?

For the guy who said I know nothing about baseball. I played 10 years and 5 in football. The sport is a joke compared to the 60's and 70's. For you to say I don't know the sport, just prove a point and I'll agree. When a sport comes to an end like baseball, it's all over ESPN, but not today. All they will want to show is football, because basball is a joke unless there is some grand slam or triple play.

Yankees and Red Sox fans sell out a game. What a surprise.

Scubasteve, I feel bad for you being so bias. I like baseball the same as NFL. Your point are kindergarten and I see why you try to protect the MLB. I know it's a mental game. I thougt I mentioned I played for ten years. I said today it's a joke.

As I've gathered, I know nothing about baseball. I know nothing about sports. Baseball is so balls to the wall I can't get enough. A total intellectual who know what will happen week to week sport. I know what will happen The top 5 teams will barely be better on paper than than top 15. Then on of the top 6-15 will win the World Series. And yes, Baseball players are cockier than football players. It just depends on if you can judge character. You see a lot of ego on the football field, but baseball players are rediculously arrogant. I can't explain it , but if you are a baseball fan you will understand. Basically, they are douchebags.

Answer 1

I like baseball, and I have a favorite team, The Braves. But I know what you mean. I've actually started going to local small town games cause they just seem... I don't know. I want to able to smell the grass and hot dogs and sit in bleachers that hurt your ***. The major leagues is just a way to admire great players, but they've lost sense of the real game to me.

Answer 2

Here's the point that you have no idea about baseball: MLB set a record this year for attendance throughout the country on a Saturday afternoon. Meaning more people showed up to baseball games across the country on this day than any other day in baseball history. Your claim that nobody is ever in the stands at a baseball game is false, Boston has had a record of sell out crowds and attendance dating back to last year. The Yankees are breaking records for attendance for the season. Attendance to baseball games throughout the country is up in every ballpark. You should do a little research before you bring up such points.

And the whole records thing, you've got to be kidding me. MAYBE one team at .500 will make the playoffs. How many teams in the NFL make the playoffs with a record of 8-8? You really think there is parody in the NFL? I'd really like to see any team compete with New England this year, only team with a shot is the Colts. Once the playoffs start anything can happen in any sport, so that means on any given day any team is a threat to whatever team they play. Baseball is an intellectual sport, if you find it boring it just means you don't understand the game the way it was invented. Why do you find football exciting? It is barbaric and hard hitting and big plays. I love football myself but it is certainly not the greatest sport.

AND you can't be serious about complaining about MLB players. How many teams don't have a player that's been arrested in the NFL? Not exactly the best role models. If the player doesn't like the contract they agreed to they don't have to show up for work and can get a new contract. Isn't that the definition of whining? And there is no way a 350 lb lineman is a better athlete than guys like Carl Crawford, Jose Reyes, Arod, Clemens (at the age of 45). Seriously GET A CLUE about what is going on.

The only possible thing wrong with baseball is steroids and that exists in the NFL as well. Merrimen was caught on steroids and now has the most popular commercial for the league.

Answer 3

In many ways baseball is a subtle game. It takes a variety of skills for a team to be successful. The fact a small, average-sized or large person can be successful is a testament to the beauty of the game. The fact that winning 6 of 10 games is considered successful is a testament to the strategy and nuances of the game, not some inherent flaw.

To say it takes "a little physical" to be a ballplayer is simply an ignorant remark. These guys are professional athletes who bust their hump to stay game-ready.

You must only watch Devil Ray games if you think "No one is even there until the playoffs". An average major league game has an attendance between 30,000-33,000. Think about that. That's 81 games at home per team averaging 30,000 a pop. That's pretty remarkable.

I have no doubt some ballplayers are arrogant. So are some doctors, some lawyers, some garbage men, some office managers, some delivery men. Arrogance is a human defect not limited to baseball. And I don't even want to get into character issues with athletes in football and basketball.

So has baseball lost it's flair? Perhaps to some casual fans it has, but to people who love the game it's as beautiful a sport as it ever was.

Answer 4

Parity is inherent in the game -- always has been. That doesn't make baseball a "joke", it is just the nature of the game.
Baseball is the only sport where offense and defense are completely unrelated. Therefore, you really have 2 games going on at the same time -- the game your pitcher is pitching and the game your offense is hitting.

That aspect of the game gives a team with less talent overall a shot at beating a much better team if their pitcher is on -- one good pitching outing by Tampa can negate the Yankees billion dollar lineup on a given night. Some would say that is what makes baseball special, others may not -- that doesn't make the game a joke, however.

Additionally, every sport has parity increase with number of games played. College football has undefeated teams regularly with a 12 game season. The NFL has one and two loss teams dominate.
College basketball has fewer one loss teams and more upsets with their 30-35 game schedule.
When you play 162 games, the parity is even greater.

As to athletecism, you are correct. Baseball doesn't have the athletes that the NFL or NBA does. That is a problem that the game needs to address. However, you still have a ton of very good athletes, and the ability to hit a baseball is much more rare than the ability to throw a TD pass or dunk a basketball.

As to excitement, baseball doesn't lend itself to immediate gratification like football. Football doesn't have the tension and suspense baseball does though. The one on one matchup -- Mitch Williams vs. Joe Carter, The Eck vs. Gibson, Pujols vs. Lidge -- this type of drama is limited to baseball.
Also, baseball is filled with special moments that transcend the game in a way football or basketball cannot match.
Steve Bartman altering the future of the Cubs by interfering with a flyball. Carlton Fisk willing a ball fair in the 75 World Series. Bill Buckner booting a grounder and costing the Sox a World Series. AGain, unique to baseball.

So, baseball has lost some flair as football has risen to the top of the sports landscape in the US. The lack of a salary cap creates an unfair system, and today's in your face culture makes footbal more appealing to most.

Baseball still is far from being a joke, however.

Answer 5

Football is soo overrated, it's not that exciting at all. Most of the time it's just a draw play up the middle. The running back will get three yards and then they go into a huddle. Football is not constant action at all. And let's not forget the ridiculous amount of penalties. A guy will make a great play but then it will get called back because of holding. The refs just pick and choose when to call a holding penalty because holding happens on every single play. There is just as much athleticism in baseball is in football. Are you saying a 350 lb. offensive lineman is a great athelete?
In football you can be 8-8 or 9-7 and still be considered a dangerous team, how is that impressive? Not to mention the fact that they only play once a week. In baseball they play everyday for 7 months.
And people who say that Baseball players are a bunch of rich whiners that don't respect the game, how is football any different? They are all millionaires and Randy Moss even admitted that he stopped trying for the Raiders last year because they were losing! And Shawne Merriman, who is now starring in an ESPN commercial, tested positive for steroids last year but now everyone seems to forget about that! Steroids are a problem in football as well as baseball, let's not act like Football players don't do anything wrong!
Do you even watch Sportscenter? They have all kinds of baseball highlights, not just grand slams and triple plays. Haven't you ever heard of a little show called "Baseball Tonight!" Don't get me wrong, I actually like football, but it is really annoying when football fans try to say that football is way more exciting than baseball. That is just not true, football can be extremely boring and the games last four hours.

Answer 6

Ever heard of the NHL? It's the same way there too. .500 teams are considered threats and sometimes make it into the playoffs. Seems odd, but it happens. Baseball has so many variables. For instance, say your team is Detroit. You love your Tigers. But now you gotta go up against the Twins and Johan Santana. Yikes. It's a probable loss. The next day, you face Sydney Ponson. It's a probably win unless the offense just completely chokes. See what I mean? Any team with talent in baseball is dangerous, which is why nobody can legitimately make fun of the Devil Rays anymore.

Answer 7

The sport where the concept is to get the most players home.

Baseball is ment to be slow. That way more people could play it. Some sports require to much physical requirements to get into it. Basketball demands tall players and football demands a whole list of things like memorizing plays, being tough and knowing all the rules (there are far more rules in football than baseball).

Answer 8

In the NFL you can go 8-8 and still get to the playoffs, so it is not just baseball. For the true baseball fan a tight race is a good thing and not a bad thing. When there is parody it makes for a much more interesting season. It takes a very good team to make it and when there are many possibilities coming down the stretch the fans are the benefactors

Answer 9

You've obviously never tried to hit a 95 mph fastball consistently.

It's been said by some that hitting Major League pitching over time at a .250 batting average ,or better, is one of the hardest things to do in all of sports.

Consider the hand eye coordination and strength.



I didn't mean to dis you here.

I do agree that many baseball players are spoiled, but football is an entirely different game.

You can't argue either sports fan base however.

Enjoy which ever you choose.

Answer 10

I always wonder why someone goes into a question area just to rag the folks there. I see it here ("Baseball is sooo boring", "Why is it called the World Series when it's only Americans..."Blah, blah.) Golf get the same nonsense.

It's clear that you know nothing about baseball, you neither play nor appreiciate the game. Isn't your time better spent on a sport you enjoy, something you know something about instead of this junk?