Spring Training..baseball

[fatman]

So I drifted somewhat from an OP and yak'd a wee bit of baseball w/Tommy. thought I'd start a thread. How many baseball fans do we have and what is your favorite team.

Me; a die hard NY METS fan for some 34 years. I've attended a 3 game series in ATL for the past 7 years, excluding '10 as they did not play in ATL on a weekend. They are in a financial bind this year (MADOFF ponzi), the rotation is pitiful, the DL is too deep, but hey..thems my boys!

 

[cornguy]

I've been a baseball fan since I was a little squirt and my dad took me to my first game at old Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.

I've got two favorite teams -- the Cardinals in the NL and the White Sox in the AL, but I keep tabs on all the divisions and pay attention to the league leaders. I follow baseball from spring training right through the last pitch of the World Series. I love the history of the game and every year I'm fascinated by how its long season slowly unfolds and which teams are still playing in October.

 

[tanless1]

Go Padres

 

[krgulick]

Grew up watching the Phillies, through the many bad years and some of their greatest teams since the 70s. Always marveled at how Mike Schmidt always made it look so easy playing 3rd base and Steve Carlton making hitters look foolish with that nasty slider he had. To today's good team with Halladay making some history for himself last year. Looks like he may well add to Philly's Hall of Fame roster some day.We will have to see what this season holds in store.

 

[cornguy]

Hey, I remember Lefty when he was a youngster with the Cards. That was the worst trade the Cardinals ever made -- Carlton for Wise.

 

[collin]

Growing up not too far from Shea Stadium I was a Mets fan for years. Moved away in 1967 but remained a fan for another dozen or so years.

I never was a Yankee fan but went to many games in the mid sixties. Even harrassed Mantle enough one day in the outfield that he turned and flipped us off. Still not a Yankee fan.
Been a die-hard Cubs fan for over 45 years now!
Rarely miss a game on television 'cause my wife's a big fan also,...and with a son living two miles from Wrigley we get to go to several games a year!
GO CUBS GO!

 

[pstlpkr]

Go Padres

I thought I was the only one on the planet.
Go Padres!
My favorite player of all time...
Anthony Keith Gwynn Sr. "TONY GWYNN" #19

Batting Average (over 20 seasons with an average of 162 game per season)

.338

I saw him wear out a pitcher in the first inning many years ago.

It was incredible to see him foul off ball-after ball-after ball-after ball-after ball (well you get the idea) then single and eventually reach home. Not sure how many pitches it was... seemed like a hundred (to the pitcher)(more like 25 actually). It was cool.

 

[krgulick]

Indeed, the better end of that trade was by far the Phillies. If I remember right, the next year he had that great year of 27 and 10, having the majority (seemed like anyway) of the Phillies 59 wins that year and his first Cy Young. But they too have made some real bone headed trades in their time.

 

[bubbadreier]

Is it bad that I hate baseball with a passion? :D

 

[puffintuff]

I was a big Mets fan when I was a kid. Seaver, Mays, McGraw and the rest.

Damn shame they didn't take the Series that year.

 

[hobie1dog]

Is it bad that I hate baseball with a passion?

Nope, I'm with you on this one.....boring.....30 minutes of action that takes 3 hours to play.

 

[collin]

Is it bad that I hate baseball with a passion?

Not so much,......I hate o.u. football with the same passion.

I understand. :mrgreen:
The Detroit Tigers have always been a favorite franchise of mine also.

Home of the greatest player of the game, Ty Cobb.

 

[papipeguy]

OK, I've got my kevlar on; I'm a long time Yankee fan and proud of it. Tradition is important to me. Admittedly, baseball is not what it was 50 years ago...or maybe it is.

Growing up in the late 1950's and 60's it was all about Mickey Mantle, Maris, Richardson, Kubek and the rest. Every spring you knew who the starting lineup was and there were few surprises. Through the eyes of a 12 year-old all was right in the world.

I live in Pa but I still pull for my Yanks. People gripe about their payroll but they could n ot do what they do without being successful.

I just enjoy the game. Heck, I'll watch kids play a pick-up game when I can.

We have a AAA Philly team here that is dead last in their league but #1 in attendance in all of minor league baseball. The Iron Pigs and their staff represent what is right about the sport. While they are not an affiliate of my NY team, I support them because its all about baseball- America's sport.

 

[bubbadreier]

To me I just find baseball boring! I could never get into it!

 

[collin]

I understand,....a well played baseball game is like a chess match, and to many people it can be a little boring.
Both are games that are very easy to learn to play...but almost impossible to master or sometimes even follow, …..for instance; a particular game actually begins many days before it's played. Weakness’s in the upcoming opponent are considered when choosing for instance the starting pitcher for a game to be played four days before the actual game in question.
Believe it or not it can be very complicated.

 

[krgulick]

Agreed, it can get complicated. But baseball is not for everyone. Just like football or basketball seems boring to some other people. That is just people's differences, nothing wrong with that.

 

[tanless1]

Baseball is not unlike a fine cigar, or your favorite pipe.

Sit back and enjoy it for what it is.....it is also a fine excuse to participate in either(2 birds one stone). I don't know the stats, I don't care about the ranking.
The crack of the bat, and the velvet tones of ucker,or scully. A hot day and a radio,workin in the shop(not very hard) ribs in the smoker,roll the couch out of the garage and turn your cell phone off.....plug me in.
I did write a letter to the padres last year lodging a compliant,and recomended drug testing...just fell APART.
Because of their preformance ; I didn't follow the charges.

 

[fatman]

I do understand how many dont like the sport, and hold no grudges, I can't take the NFL. But as an aside, I did attent a college game today (both wife and son are full timers of), just cant get enough baseball. had my special order Boswell filled enough for 3 innings and got nothing but compliments of the 'smell'! I dont kno the lads name, but he attempted a triple in the first inning only to collapse half way to 3'd base. Word was he had some sort of hair line fracture in his back. plz keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

 

[cornguy]

Papipeguy, ya gotta root for a team called the Iron Pigs. What a great name. Minor league baseball is very cool. Tickets don't cost a fortune and you can sit close to the action. That's baseball the way it was meant to be.

Tommy, good luck with those Cubs. The last time they won a world series was 1908, right?

(Sorry about that, but as a Cards fan and a Sox fan I just couldn't resist.)

It's always a big deal when the Cubs come to St. Louis. Hordes of Cubs fans from southern and central Illinois invade Busch Stadium. It's one of the best rivalries in sports.

 

[papipeguy]

Yeah, the Iron Pigs are a play on pig iron which has a long history here making armament for the Revolutionary war up to the demise of Bethlehem Steel. Hope the ball team has better luck.

As for the Cubs; everybody loves the Cubs. The history, romance, and heartache of that team should be an opera.