More live games!
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Southpaw Slim
- Kenesaw Mountain Landis
- Posts: 610
- Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2005 7:36 pm
- Location: Oakland, CA
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So we're still expecting the challenge game to take place on the 26th? That sucks for me, because that's the Sunday I have to go to Sacramento to get qualified to do my job (which I've been doing, without the qualification, for almost three years)
That is also the last Sunday of this season.
That is also the last Sunday of this season.
Rule Britannia!
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Baseball=Life
- Baseball Deity
- Posts: 1031
- Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2005 11:16 pm
- Location: SF, CA
Fuck, I had forgotten that the 26th was the potential challenge game date.
Well, if that goes through, that means that Season 1 only has 2 games left, the doubleheader at DeFremery the week prior to that, on June 19th.
Ken (or anyone), please let us know if the 26th is still a go or not! I suspect that it's not, but I'll stay tuned.
Well, if that goes through, that means that Season 1 only has 2 games left, the doubleheader at DeFremery the week prior to that, on June 19th.
Ken (or anyone), please let us know if the 26th is still a go or not! I suspect that it's not, but I'll stay tuned.
"Baseball is like church, many attend, few understand"
- Leo Durocher
- Leo Durocher
When I umped for the last live game, almost without exception, everything that I would have called a strike was swung at and hit by the batter. I felt good about that at the time, but in retrospect, this probably means that I had too tight of a strike zone. I probably didn't call enough borderline strikes. But I did only ump a couple innings... I think now that I'm used to it a bit more, I would be better at doing so. I also umped when Andrew was pitching, and he tends to be either accurate or not (right?).
A rhetorical question: Does a "strike" literally have to go over the plate? Is, say, a ball width away acceptable? Of course, if the ball just barely goes "over the corner" it's a strike. We should probably be consistent in calling pitches at the knees and the "letters" strikes as well.
If we call more strikes, the games will go faster, we won't have a bunch of walks, and we theoretically will have more balls in play, allowing the defense to stay in the game (rather than watching walk after walk) and potentially make fewer errors.
In other words, I agree with Ken and Daniel on this point.
The only problem is that when Andrew pitches, he's going to pitch a no-hitter. (At least that's how I felt at the plate against him.)
A rhetorical question: Does a "strike" literally have to go over the plate? Is, say, a ball width away acceptable? Of course, if the ball just barely goes "over the corner" it's a strike. We should probably be consistent in calling pitches at the knees and the "letters" strikes as well.
If we call more strikes, the games will go faster, we won't have a bunch of walks, and we theoretically will have more balls in play, allowing the defense to stay in the game (rather than watching walk after walk) and potentially make fewer errors.
In other words, I agree with Ken and Daniel on this point.
The only problem is that when Andrew pitches, he's going to pitch a no-hitter. (At least that's how I felt at the plate against him.)
Plus I also think we should keep doing the live games in case: 1. the "Challenge" ever happens or 2. any of us (who aren't already in one) might want to join a league at some point.
I enjoy improving my live game skills.
On that note, I notice that there is a high level of intensity at our games, especially as we all become more familiar with each other, which honestly I don't mind (especially when I'm not the, uh, target of the intensity).
My only caution is this (this applies to me, but I don't know how much it applies to anyone else): I personally have never played organized baseball at any level. Every game is a learning experience for me, which is part of the fun. (Considering that, I feel I've acquitted myself relatively well, but that's beside the point.) There are situations in every game where it's the first time I've ever been in that position in that game situation, which means I don't have the experiential knowledge or muscle memory to immediately do the right thing, and I have to go to my memory of what happens in games I've watched, or my theoretical knowledge of the game. I assume that's true for some others of us to some extent.
Therefore, I think a certain level of forgiveness, or easy-going-ness, or tolerance (or whatever) for mental or physical errors is required, since I'm guessing the people who play our games have wide ranging backgrounds.
I don't mean to make too big a deal of this: Intensity is great. I'm definitely not the most even-tempered guy out there, so I understand getting upset about stuff that happens. Just a thought for the back of everyone's mind: (I think) we're doing this for fun.
I enjoy improving my live game skills.
On that note, I notice that there is a high level of intensity at our games, especially as we all become more familiar with each other, which honestly I don't mind (especially when I'm not the, uh, target of the intensity).
My only caution is this (this applies to me, but I don't know how much it applies to anyone else): I personally have never played organized baseball at any level. Every game is a learning experience for me, which is part of the fun. (Considering that, I feel I've acquitted myself relatively well, but that's beside the point.) There are situations in every game where it's the first time I've ever been in that position in that game situation, which means I don't have the experiential knowledge or muscle memory to immediately do the right thing, and I have to go to my memory of what happens in games I've watched, or my theoretical knowledge of the game. I assume that's true for some others of us to some extent.
Therefore, I think a certain level of forgiveness, or easy-going-ness, or tolerance (or whatever) for mental or physical errors is required, since I'm guessing the people who play our games have wide ranging backgrounds.
I don't mean to make too big a deal of this: Intensity is great. I'm definitely not the most even-tempered guy out there, so I understand getting upset about stuff that happens. Just a thought for the back of everyone's mind: (I think) we're doing this for fun.
Hey Jason, thanks for bringing up the topic of "leniency" at our games. Not that anything has been out of control but it is best to keep the "intensity" in check at this level of play.
I know I've made some pretty blatant errors and have made some stupid plays and believe me I'm tortured by each and every one. (Thank goodness there's no crying in baseball!) But I try to remind myself that a) I'm, as is Jason, just learning the game here, b) everyone has made errors at our games--we're not pros or even semi-pros...and c) even the pros make (sometimes game-determining) errors and they're back in the lineup the next day!
Our little Sunday park baseball is a very special thing. A rare forum for the semi-skilled, semi-competitive but totally avid player to play, not warm and fuzzy softball, but real baseball!
I know I've made some pretty blatant errors and have made some stupid plays and believe me I'm tortured by each and every one. (Thank goodness there's no crying in baseball!) But I try to remind myself that a) I'm, as is Jason, just learning the game here, b) everyone has made errors at our games--we're not pros or even semi-pros...and c) even the pros make (sometimes game-determining) errors and they're back in the lineup the next day!
Our little Sunday park baseball is a very special thing. A rare forum for the semi-skilled, semi-competitive but totally avid player to play, not warm and fuzzy softball, but real baseball!
Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical --Yogi Berra