Did You Ever Play and Watch the Game

[Rich Ives]

I see too many posts that make me wonder if the poster ever played the game or watched enough to get a real feel for it.

[Richvee]

11 hours ago, Rich Ives said:

I see too many posts that make me wonder if the poster ever played the game or watched enough to get a real feel for it.

LOL....Check out some Facebook groups. I swear there's groups where members have only read stats, and played video games, and never even seen a real baseball, let alone humans playing baseball live. 

[flyingron]

I haven't played the game since I was eight or so.   I kind of got browned off back then because I got beaned too many times (that and taking a ball to the face when playing third base in a rundown situation).

I've been an avid watcher of the game at all levels (mostly minor league) and always keep a scorecard.

[udbrky]

OK

[ArchAngel72]

Played LL up thru Legion Ball.  I was a team Mgr in Legion and could only play non district games but my batting ave. for both of the years was over 600  each year.   Coach did not like me I swear it was cause I was a decent hitter ( for average ) 

Tried out in college fall ball and got invited back to try out again in the spring.. Never went back.

 

[Mudisfun]

One thing that I have found true in most sports is that the game evolves over time. I started refereeing water polo this year, which I played in HS like 30 years ago, and although much of the games core is the same, much of the nuance has changed. When I played, it was a more physical game and things which we got away with would now be classified as misconduct and get you quickly on the bad side of the officials. Now? even doing 1/2 of what we use to do as BAU is a foul or a turn over. Time moves on and so must we.

Baseball is no different. The rules change, what players and coaches emphasize in practice changes, and our mechanics and interps change based on these events. How many times do we tell a catcher to stick that borderline pitch when if you watch any current catching videos, all of the coaches are teaching the snap the glove into the zone method. 

 

You are right, some guys and gals get on the field and show they have little understanding of the ebb and flow. Some get on their field and they become a different person (applies to coaches, players and fans as well) and some just do not have the ability to change or evolve in how they perceive the game or understand a rule. Sadly, many of these people post, especially on the FB forums. 

[umpstu]

4 hours ago, Mudisfun said:

One thing that I have found true in most sports is that the game evolves over time. I started refereeing water polo this year, which I played in HS like 30 years ago, and although much of the games core is the same, much of the nuance has changed. When I played, it was a more physical game and things which we got away with would now be classified as misconduct and get you quickly on the bad side of the officials. Now? even doing 1/2 of what we use to do as BAU is a foul or a turn over. Time moves on and so must we.

Baseball is no different. The rules change, what players and coaches emphasize in practice changes, and our mechanics and interps change based on these events. How many times do we tell a catcher to stick that borderline pitch when if you watch any current catching videos, all of the coaches are teaching the snap the glove into the zone method. 

 

You are right, some guys and gals get on the field and show they have little understanding of the ebb and flow. Some get on their field and they become a different person (applies to coaches, players and fans as well) and some just do not have the ability to change or evolve in how they perceive the game or understand a rule. Sadly, many of these people post, especially on the FB forums. 

Kind of like the posters who comment about how the runner should be able to blow up the catcher.  Claims game is soft.  It's not soft.  What is the purpose behind ending a guys career?  The Posey and Utley rules are good for baseball.

I played organized ball through 8th grade, but spent almost every summer day playing pick up games somewhere.  Even though you might not be a good player you can still know the ebb and flow of the game.

[BDad]

Grew up going to many games at County Stadium in Milwaukee (where you tailgate, watch the game, then tailgate some more), and learned much about the game from Bob Uecker radio broadcasts.

Played LL and Pony through 7th grade, came back to organized adult ball for a few years, played various softball leagues all along the way. Got sucked into umpiring when my son's LL game needed someone one day, got some training from an experienced all-around great guy, and decided it was fun that my player instincts of what to watch and where to be were all wrong. I've had so much fun learning about the game as an umpire these last few years.

[dumbdumb]

but nobody here who played will tell what bad things they did to the umpires or their coaches did, or their coaches asked them to do, and they did it because the coach asked, when i pose the question.

did anyone let a pitch go on the umpire or the coach ask them to. did anyone use an illegal bat or other unsportsmanlike things. so what naughty things did we do or say to umpires back in the day, and feel so proud that we did it.

so why do we want to know who played and who did not from the op.

[834k3r]

14 hours ago, dumbdumb said:

so why do we want to know who played and who did not from the op.

My guess is he sees a lot of dumb answers or questions from new umpires and wonders if they actually know the game.