OK, so I have my opinion on which is more exciting. What is your opinion?
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I'll take the combination of small ball and long ball of the National League any day. Although I have to admit watching DH David Ortiz hit is always a great experience.
National League! More excitment and small ball!
Watching a pitcher's at bat is a real Snooooooozer.
American league!
American league!
Being an umpire, I appreciate the National League baseball approach......small ball, bunting for a hit, bunting to advance the runner, and of course the pitcher having to hit.
On the other hand, I'm looking forward to the series. Lots of gamers on these 2 teams. I love the double play....and the impact a homer can make.........
On the other hand, I'm looking forward to the series. Lots of gamers on these 2 teams. I love the double play....and the impact a homer can make.........
Top Gun, I think you're right. Garner was definitely snoozing when Suppan came up with Womack on third last night. 
I like it all.
I like it all.
As if they could stop it anyway.
NL is real baseball says the Angels fan. The DH adds excitement at the expense of it not being real baseball anymore. The next logical step would be to expand the roster and have designated fielders and designated hitters. You'd have the best hitters and the best fielders at all times. It would be more exciting, but it wouldn't be baseball. No thanks.
No question in my mind, it's the NL. It has it all. LaRussa said it when he started managing in the NL from the AL, that he thought the NL had an unwarranted snobish attitude about their being "real baseball"....then he got to the NL and found out it was true.
I like that there is more emphasis put on D and overall strategy as it makes it more suspenseful and more involving than sitting back and waiting for the 3 run homer (or cringing when the guy who is in the lineup solely for his bat makes another bonehead play.)
The actual at-bat by a pitcher isn't the point (but keep in mind that some NL pitchers are clever enough to be able to hit). It's the suspense when your team has fought to get a guy on base and it's getting to the bottom of the lineup....is the pitcher doing well enough to hit for himself? How much more has he got? Can he lay down a bunt? Which guy off the bench would be the best matchup?
We watch these games to get involved, talk about them before, during, and after, follow the strategy. The NL keeps you engaged the whole way and on so many levels I get very irritated when some non-fan says, "baseball is boring". (Man, you do NOT understand the game!)
Baseball is chess with sweat....in the NL, that is.
I like that there is more emphasis put on D and overall strategy as it makes it more suspenseful and more involving than sitting back and waiting for the 3 run homer (or cringing when the guy who is in the lineup solely for his bat makes another bonehead play.)
The actual at-bat by a pitcher isn't the point (but keep in mind that some NL pitchers are clever enough to be able to hit). It's the suspense when your team has fought to get a guy on base and it's getting to the bottom of the lineup....is the pitcher doing well enough to hit for himself? How much more has he got? Can he lay down a bunt? Which guy off the bench would be the best matchup?
We watch these games to get involved, talk about them before, during, and after, follow the strategy. The NL keeps you engaged the whole way and on so many levels I get very irritated when some non-fan says, "baseball is boring". (Man, you do NOT understand the game!)
Baseball is chess with sweat....in the NL, that is.
"Chess with Sweat" LOL! Great analogy!
Well, it should be obvious that I'm a Cardinal fan and that I prefer the National League. It is such a pure game. I have never enjoyed watching an American League game as much because the strategy is simply not there. I believe the BoSoxs the other day were reported to have sacrifice bunted some 13 times the entire year. I love the bunting game. I love the strategy of pitching against that sac forcing the pitcher to locate and try to get the popup. I love the different alignments to defend the bunt. There is more. In the National League, that pitcher having to bat brings so many elements into the game. Do you leave him in if your team is trailing in the 5th or 6th? Are you going to make a double substitution? What are the dynamics of how you just changed the batting order? How many guys from your pen are going to be used and how? You will lose one of them when thier at bat comes up. Well, I hope I've made my point. I know others can argue more offense in the American League. However, I want to sit at a game or at home for that matter and be the Manager. I want to think the game through and see if LaRussa makes the same moves as I would and then see or at least try to understand the moves he makes. Well, I apologize for being to long with this.
The teams that play 'small ball' are all sitting home right now, as usual.
You don't win in the MLB by bunting.
You don't win in the MLB by bunting.
Watching national league ball is like watching paint dry. And this series is just not the same without the Yankees!
Watching Americal League Ball is like watching a slow-pitch softball game. It doesn't matter whether they can catch it. It only matters if you can find 9 guys that can out homer the other team.
Yep,
Nothing more exciting then watching a pither turn to bunt
AMERICAN LEAGUE POWER!
Nothing more exciting then watching a pither turn to bunt
AMERICAN LEAGUE POWER!
Wow, don't like small ball, don't like the strategy, don't like thinking about the next move. Just hang 'em and bang 'em guys, eh?
Your choice, but to me that's like having a plain hamburger when you could have the super-deluxe, cheese and muchroom, pickle and onion, sauce and lettuce MegaBurger!
Your choice, but to me that's like having a plain hamburger when you could have the super-deluxe, cheese and muchroom, pickle and onion, sauce and lettuce MegaBurger!
quote:
And this series is just not the same without the Yankees!
Yeah.
National League is real baseball.
American League is a twisted version of the game.
If you pitch - you hit. That is baseball IMO.
American League is a twisted version of the game.
If you pitch - you hit. That is baseball IMO.
Even when I was a kid, I had to Manage the game. I would be thinking ahead to who was coming up and who I had on my bench. I had to think about the stats while also knowing that I should rely on the bunt. Now, maybe that is why I'm a better high school coach than a pro coach but that is what I used to do. I remember Bruce Sutter coming over and so, that is where I started thinking in terms of 8 inning games because if we had the lead then the 9th was ours. Personally, that is as much the fun of watching a game as is the home run etc. It isn't as simple as watch a pitcher square to bunt. Do you sub for that pitcher? Are you going to make a double switch? Are they going to run a shift on defense? Well, I could go on and on. The American League is winning to this point. We will see now how they fare with the big guy having to play first, Manny still getting the thrills in the outfield and Martinez getting to hit where he can receive some of his chin music back.
I do want to post that I think it is good for baseball that Boston is in. However, I detest the slight that the Cardinal's Organization is experiencing. ONE MORE EXAMPLE -- DID YOU SEE WHO ESPN CALLED IN FOR THEIR PREGAME SHOW YESTERDAY? TODD WALKER. THEY DID OVER 10 MINUTES ON WALKER VS BELLHORN AT SECOND AND WHAT THE BOSTON ORGANIZATION HAS DONE THIS YEAR. Talk about stretching it, Walker invited to discuss the upcoming game and then it is two years of Boston secondbaseman in highlights. Made me want to puke! I believe the Cardinals were mentioned in that segment just before game time. Say about 2 minutes total.
I do want to post that I think it is good for baseball that Boston is in. However, I detest the slight that the Cardinal's Organization is experiencing. ONE MORE EXAMPLE -- DID YOU SEE WHO ESPN CALLED IN FOR THEIR PREGAME SHOW YESTERDAY? TODD WALKER. THEY DID OVER 10 MINUTES ON WALKER VS BELLHORN AT SECOND AND WHAT THE BOSTON ORGANIZATION HAS DONE THIS YEAR. Talk about stretching it, Walker invited to discuss the upcoming game and then it is two years of Boston secondbaseman in highlights. Made me want to puke! I believe the Cardinals were mentioned in that segment just before game time. Say about 2 minutes total.
quote:
And this series is just not the same without the Yankees!
Yeah!
Meaning, it sucks not having the exciting Yankees play in the world series!
Being a child of the '60's, I chalk many things up to my propensity to paranoia. But even the Sons of Sam Horn (Red Sox) site has duly noted the lack of Cardinal coverage...and respect.
There is an east coast bias regarding coverage. ESPN had the "why Not Us" show, 90 minutes of Red Sox reminicences and predictions. It takes 2 hours to drive from ESPN to Fenway.
I'm not sure Harold Reynolds has gotten over his depression as yet, what with neither the Yankeees nor Barry Bonds in postseason....
That Harold, just loves to go out on a limb, doesn't he!
That Harold, just loves to go out on a limb, doesn't he!
News just in Orlando.
Harold was just invited to a World Series party - cohosted by the Yankees and BARRY.
They are serving humble pie and popcorn that has been injected with an undetectable steroid.
Jeter is going to be munching on a popcorn kernel the size of a basketball.
Harold was just invited to a World Series party - cohosted by the Yankees and BARRY.
They are serving humble pie and popcorn that has been injected with an undetectable steroid.
Jeter is going to be munching on a popcorn kernel the size of a basketball.