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My wife has started to watch baseball with me. She has even gone on line and learned the basic tenets of the game. Last night she said that she understood why I love this game. This morning she reminded me that the Dodgers and Angels are playing tonight on TV. Is this heaven?

Chuck"she wants to learn how to score a game!!!"Jackson

P.S.- HOLY CRAP!!!! She understands the balk rulings. I just got a 2 minute overview of the ins-and-outs of the balk. I understand it better now.

I guess, if you're a Dodgers fan...

Very cool. You're at the gates now. If she brings 2 beers to the couch and sits next to you to watch the game, then you're in.

Chuck Jackson wrote:Is this heaven?

No, it's Iowa.

Mark wrote:

Chuck Jackson wrote:Is this heaven?

No, it's Iowa.

And the award for excellence in film references goes to...MARK WISEMAN!

TMurphy wrote:And the award for excellence in film references goes to...MARK WISEMAN!

When it come to baseball movie references, he's The Natural.

Better check the car for dents!

Mark wrote:When it come to baseball movie references, he's The Natural.

Let's all Bang the Drum Slowly in honor of his cinematic recall excellence.

Chuck Jackson wrote:

Mark wrote:When it come to baseball movie references, he's The Natural.

Let's all Bang the Drum Slowly in honor of his cinematic recall excellence.

If you lived in Massachusetts, I might think you were one of those Damn Yankees!

My Grandfather was a semi pro baseball player before WWI. My first memory of him was laying on his feet as we listened to the Cardnials on his Zenith SW/AM radio, which I still have and it still works. I played a lot more baseball than trombone until I went off to college. My son played ball well enough to get a 4 year scholarship to a D1 school. My wife and I spent a lot of our time and money watching him pitch from about age 10 on. I have probably watched 80 % of the braves games since TBS started showing them in Arkansas in the 70's. Then I moved to Atlanta. ALL THIS AND YOU GET THE BALK RULE IN ONE SUMMER! NOT FAIR! NOT A BIT FAIR! If you get the infield fly rule next week you had better check the hood for dents and the floorboards for tobacco stains.

Wade, when a team makes lineup or defensive changes that eliminate the DH, it only effects the team that made the change. For example...

Let's say it's the 8th inning, and you're down by a run. Two outs. DH gets up and draws a walk. He's slow, so you send a guy in to run for him. Next hits one out. The next guy, your centerfielder, strikes out. You're now up by a run. You decide your pinch runner is a better defender than you're centerfielder, so you send him in to play the field. When he came in, he WAS the DH, so he bats in the DH slot. Since you put your DH in the field, your pitcher now bats in the original centerfielder's spot. No more DH for you for the rest of the game...but that does NOT change the other team's lineup at all.

My favorite is the batter getting the opportunity to run to 1st base if the catcher drops the 3rd strike.

iiipopes wrote:My favorite is the batter getting the opportunity to run to 1st base if the catcher drops the 3rd strike.

What if he drops the 3rd ball?

I spent about 20 years umpiring softball (Pac 10, ASA National Tournaments) and really enjoy watching either baseball or softball. Just finished watching the NCAA CWS for softball, and watched one team (can't remember who, right off the top of my head) just ork the infield fly. Pop-up to first, immedieately called and signaled by the plate ump. 1st baseman drops the ball (fwiw, really a stretch on "ordinary effort" in my opinion, but I have not ever called that caliber of softball) which rolls to home. Catcher pics up ball, steps on home plate. Safe signal by plate ump. Throws ball to third, where runner that was on third is standing on third. 3rd baseman tags her. Safe signal by field ump. Runner from second is meandering towards third. Third baseman tags her. Out signal by field ump. 3rd out of inning. ESPN shows the replay, which includes plate ump's signal, and vocal "infield fly, batter out if fair". Nicely done by the umpiring crew (and that is a REALLY easy one to mess up!)

Is this heaven: Yes, having your spouse share the passion. Understanding the balk rule, that is a double bonus. Major League.

windshieldbug wrote:

iiipopes wrote:My favorite is the batter getting the opportunity to run to 1st base if the catcher drops the 3rd strike.

What if he drops the 3rd ball?

That isn't as much a factor as the batter getting 4 balls. For as we all know.... "A man with 4 balls cannot walk."

There's no crying in baseball!!!!