Why do we watch baseball? Is there any point? The past two games proves there is no rhyme or reason. The team with one of the best records in the NL faces the team with the worst records in both leagues, and yet they lose both games so far. And that's with our two best pitchers.
And yet, they could go play the Phillies next week and win two or even sweep them. So, why even bother following a season of baseball? Because it's all just a matter of chance apparently. Flip a coin. It's more like the Braves, who happened to win more games than they lost, faced the Pirates, who happened to lose more games than any other team. If the Pirates can beat the Braves at this point, when they were on top in September, is there any real tension?
When I watched the UGA game last week, I knew they would win. Because of level of player talent, coaching talent, funds, previous win-loss records, etc. I knew that LA Lafayette would lose, because they were the lesser team in all areas. Sure, you can have upsets, like Jacksonville St. beating Ole Miss, or Appalachian State beating Michigan a few years ago, but that's why they're called "upsets." It's rare. When the Pirates beat the Braves, it's just "Pirates beat the Braves. That's baseball."
Or say, unranked UGA beating #7 GA Tech last year. It made sense as you watched the game. You saw what worked for UGA and what was not working for Tech, and you understood and appreciated by the end how UGA deserved the victory. You watch the Braves lose to the Pirates, and you just go, "Oh, well he struck out there. That sucked." Or "he hit into a double play. That makes me angry." Or "Hudson gave up a 3 run homerun after this number of hitless innings." Okay. Great. Means nothing. Because the very next day the complete opposite will happen. Then the day after that back to the crap. Hot streaks, slumps - what's the difference?
In summary, the Braves are pissing me off and I'm still excited about football starting.
3 comments:
Unless there is money involved I have never really understood the point of watching any sport. Except BC football and basketball of course.
Baseball is boring. There, I said it. Everything you just mentioned (parity, uncertainty of results) makes a good recipe for excitement, but the game is played at a snail's place. Baseball is a great sport for reasons outside of the contest: pageantry, patriotism, gambling, drinking, and eating lousy food.
...because they play 162 games and it is a game of inches. It's that simple.
The Pirates have a bad front office and a bad team. The Braves have a great front office and a very good team. Therefore, the Pirates are one of the worst teams in baseball, and the Braves are the best. It worked out the way that it should have...not totally random.
If Hudson pitches a no-hitter through 5 and then gets rocked in the 7th, it's because he got tired and left his sinker about chest high where Dora the Explorer could have ripped it into the Allegheny River...it's not a random occurance. It's like Brett Favre getting to the NFC championship game every year then throwing a late INT.
Everything will even out in the end. The Braves will be in the postseason, and the Pirates will continue their stretch of ineptitude. If you don't want to watch the daily minutiae, then don't.
As far as the comparison to football...you're nuts. It's a product of the length of the season. UGA is a pretty good team. They will win 8-9 games, beating most of the teams that they should, but probably losing 1 or 2 that they shouldn't. Vandy is not a very good team. They will win 4-6, but probably beat a good team somewhere. The Braves play 150 more games, and, like in every other sport, you're not always going to beat the other team just because you're better, but you'll win most.
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