This is from a friend -- Mark Visda who is currently in the United States:
Hey Rick,
I know you're a huge baseball and New York Yankees fan, and I figured I'd just share you with some thoughts I had from watching my very first live baseball game: 2nd of a four-game Seattle Mariners home stand against the Yanks. I'll just put this in bullet points so it won't be so difficult to read. Do correct me if I'm wrong with some of my observations. I'd appreciate the real fan's perspective so the next time I watch, the experience will be better for me.
Rick: Hi, Mark! Glad you’ve decided to give baseball a try. It is of all the major sports the most traditional. If there is one sport that is so-stats heavy and dependent then it’s baseball. Let's not delude ourselves; if any sport should be called "The Sweet Science" then it's baseball. Boxing is just trying to beat the living shit out of another human being. And oh, Seattle is a really nice place. Check out the coffee shops near Pike Place or have a cuppa by Puget Sound.
Mark: A lot of intervals / pauses happen during the game. I think that's why it doesn't really make me interested to watch it on TV. There are a lot of "rest" periods - the changeovers, after every pitch, when the manager or catcher goes up to the mound, when the pitcher throws to the bases just in case someone plans to steal a base, etc. These are kind of augmented when watching live because you don't have the ticker and the stats and all the other stuff they show on TV during these intervals. But the fans are rabid enough throughout, and the field announcer talks a lot to promote stuff and play games to keep the fans engaged. The music is also used with some subtlety, they don't blast it like they do in NBA arenas or in Araneta.
Rick: Of all the major sports, it is only basketball where the scoring is to borrow an over-used cliché “fast and furious.” All the others, American football, football, hockey, and baseball take a while to put points on the board. The breaks are short and are usually timed with commercial breaks. And there are no TV timeouts. The game is like chess where the managers try to counter the other team’s moves.
Chnageovers are obvious – they take the fields for offense and defense. But that’s only a minute. The game between pitcher and batter is fascinating. It’s both mental and skill. The pitcher tries to outwit the batter with the stare down and the way he stands on that mound. Like that one where the Seattle pitcher tried to fool Mark Teixiera with a slow pitch that the Yankee first baseman did not fall for. He deposited it in the upper deck in the eighth inning that won it for NY. You might want to check out the picture above where Seattle fans point to where Tex's HR landed as outfielder Ichiro Suzuki walks past the warning track.
I know you're a huge baseball and New York Yankees fan, and I figured I'd just share you with some thoughts I had from watching my very first live baseball game: 2nd of a four-game Seattle Mariners home stand against the Yanks. I'll just put this in bullet points so it won't be so difficult to read. Do correct me if I'm wrong with some of my observations. I'd appreciate the real fan's perspective so the next time I watch, the experience will be better for me.
Rick: Hi, Mark! Glad you’ve decided to give baseball a try. It is of all the major sports the most traditional. If there is one sport that is so-stats heavy and dependent then it’s baseball. Let's not delude ourselves; if any sport should be called "The Sweet Science" then it's baseball. Boxing is just trying to beat the living shit out of another human being. And oh, Seattle is a really nice place. Check out the coffee shops near Pike Place or have a cuppa by Puget Sound.
Mark: A lot of intervals / pauses happen during the game. I think that's why it doesn't really make me interested to watch it on TV. There are a lot of "rest" periods - the changeovers, after every pitch, when the manager or catcher goes up to the mound, when the pitcher throws to the bases just in case someone plans to steal a base, etc. These are kind of augmented when watching live because you don't have the ticker and the stats and all the other stuff they show on TV during these intervals. But the fans are rabid enough throughout, and the field announcer talks a lot to promote stuff and play games to keep the fans engaged. The music is also used with some subtlety, they don't blast it like they do in NBA arenas or in Araneta.
Rick: Of all the major sports, it is only basketball where the scoring is to borrow an over-used cliché “fast and furious.” All the others, American football, football, hockey, and baseball take a while to put points on the board. The breaks are short and are usually timed with commercial breaks. And there are no TV timeouts. The game is like chess where the managers try to counter the other team’s moves.
Chnageovers are obvious – they take the fields for offense and defense. But that’s only a minute. The game between pitcher and batter is fascinating. It’s both mental and skill. The pitcher tries to outwit the batter with the stare down and the way he stands on that mound. Like that one where the Seattle pitcher tried to fool Mark Teixiera with a slow pitch that the Yankee first baseman did not fall for. He deposited it in the upper deck in the eighth inning that won it for NY. You might want to check out the picture above where Seattle fans point to where Tex's HR landed as outfielder Ichiro Suzuki walks past the warning track.
Some pitchers tug down their caps so the batter doesn’t see his eyes. He also does that so the first and third base coach of the opposing team do not catch the eye signals. The manager goes to the mound for a variety of reasons – to check on his pitcher, to advise him on what to do, or buy time for the next pitcher to warm-up (because he only gets five official warm-up pitches on the mound before the batter takes to the plate), and they throw to first base to remind the first base runner that “I’m here buddy and I haven’t forgotten you.” The runner tries to distract the pitcher from trying to strike out the batter. The defensive team adjusts their alignment depending on where the runner is and who is at bat.
The stats they show on TV are usually also showed on the huge TV screen in the outfield. I love what the PAs do to make the game more fun. I loved singing and dancing along with the crowd at the middle of the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium when the groundsweepers would do their famous "YMCA" routine. I tremdously enjoyed singing along to "Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the 7th inning stretch. Incidentally the best "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" is at Chicago. And you will find more families at baseball games than any other sport. American football is something best watched with your buddies, basketball with some cool chick, hockey if you’re spoiling for a fight (exag of course), and football with your best mates coz you want to sing loud and proud.
Mark: The baseball field is huge. Walang sinabi ang Araneta or any other stadium natin sa Pilipinas. My cousin and uncle told me Safeco was one of the better fields around in the MLB. Since it's the only field in the US that I've been to (I did see the Anaheim Angels' field when I went to California, but only on the outside), I can't compare it with anything. It was really nice to me, though. We got pretty far out seats (it was under the big electronic board, behind area where the left fielders stand) but there are areas that are closer where you can watch, with the catch being that you have to just stand up. And there were so many stores and food stalls to look into. They even had a play area for kids.
Rick: Safeco and Camden Yards in Baltimore are nice parks. I haven’t been to too many either as I usually watch at Yankee Stadium. Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, and Dodger Stadium have so much history in them so going there is always a treat. You should try to go to Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park (although don't root for them Red Sox). It's a must. And if you have time, take the bus trip for the Port Authority in midtown Manhattan to Cooperstown for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Cooperstown and the Naismith Hall of Fame gave me mondo goosebumps. And oh, baseball fans are more stat conscious that any other fan of sports.
Mark: In connection with that, for the casual fans who don't bother watching the entire game glued to their seats, they can just lounge around the place, walk and look at stuff. We left our seats after the 6th inning and went to the viewing area just below the Yankees bullpen. I got pretty good shots of Mariano Rivera warming up before he closed out the last inning. Speaking of Rivera, he's really famous, huh? When he came to the mound, lots of cameras were flashing and people were cheering... because apparently, there are a lot of Yankees fans. I'm guessing not just in Seattle but everywhere else. They're kind of like the Lakers I guess, very high-profile. Although Alex Rodriguez didn't play, Derek Jeter was there, and Johnny Damon was also right in front of my view. Mark Teixeira also hit the winning HR so maybe I should consider myself lucky, eh? Hah
Rick: Yeah there are lots of Yankee fans everywhere. I figure same with the Red Sox because they are the most visible and popular. The most famous and sellable baseball cap is the one with the interlocking “NY” in front. And we’re not just talking about North America.
.
Mark: The fans here in Seattle love their team. This is just a generalization I'm making, I know, but it's nice that people still come out to watch the Mariners even though they aren't legit contenders. They like the Seahawks too, and my cousin says the Sounders games are usually sold out. And oh, they had the Sounders vs. Barcelona game here a couple of weeks ago and I missed it because I was on a road trip. I wanted to see Messi! Dang it. Too bad they don't have the Sonics anymore.
Rick: Yeah the Sounders are amazingly filling it in. I asked my friend Miggy to either get me a Sounders or Colombus Crew jersey. I used to collect NBA jerseys but not anymore. It’s the football jerseys that I’m getting now and not just my Liverpool (no Man United please).
Mark: America is a pretty wasteful country.
Rick: Most definitely. That’s partially why they are in a recession.
Mark: They love Ichiro and Ken Griffey Jr. The latter, they call him Junior, for short. It's sad though that the team has to rely on a veteran on the downside of his career to win games. I feel like Junior has been in baseball since forever. He did hit the game winner in that 14 (?)-inning marathon against the White Sox though. Nice. My cousin told me too that Nintendo is a part-owner of the Mariners, and that's why they paid a lot to retain Ichiro, and keep that Japanese flame burning.
Rick: When I think of the Mariners, I think one of their best teams was when they had Alex Rodriguez, Griffey, Tino and Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson and the others who were there. They’ve hit hard times since their 114-win season. I’m glad that fans stick to their team through thick or thin. I get the same question when people ask me why I am a New York Islanders fan. Since it’s hockey, I drop my gloves and pick a fight. Hahahaha.
Mark: That's it for now. I'm just on a three-week vacation here and it's my first time in the US. It's been great. Hopefully I can go back and watch baseball again and some NFL and MLS. Fuck David Stern, now I can't watch the former Sonics. Anyway, great stuff with the blog as always, especially with the ADMU UAAP recaps. More power to ya, man.
Rick: Have fun, dude. Enjoy it. I was just talking to some sports scribes yesterday during the UAAP games and they were talking about Makisig folding up and other sports not doing well. The simple answer is we are a small country and cannot support too many endeavors. And like people didn’t see that coming. C’mon, who watches them? Their channel is high up in the numbers because Sky Cable isn’t dumb enough to lump them with the other sports channels because that means competition for them. We’re too Manila-centric with people in the corporate and advertising world who don’t know jack. That’s why outside the PBA and UAAP every other league and sport is hard-pressed. Boxing, billiards, and bowling to an extent can survive but that’s not for all. Others survive because they have a patron. The V-League cannot even make a career for its players.
The stats they show on TV are usually also showed on the huge TV screen in the outfield. I love what the PAs do to make the game more fun. I loved singing and dancing along with the crowd at the middle of the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium when the groundsweepers would do their famous "YMCA" routine. I tremdously enjoyed singing along to "Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the 7th inning stretch. Incidentally the best "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" is at Chicago. And you will find more families at baseball games than any other sport. American football is something best watched with your buddies, basketball with some cool chick, hockey if you’re spoiling for a fight (exag of course), and football with your best mates coz you want to sing loud and proud.
Mark: The baseball field is huge. Walang sinabi ang Araneta or any other stadium natin sa Pilipinas. My cousin and uncle told me Safeco was one of the better fields around in the MLB. Since it's the only field in the US that I've been to (I did see the Anaheim Angels' field when I went to California, but only on the outside), I can't compare it with anything. It was really nice to me, though. We got pretty far out seats (it was under the big electronic board, behind area where the left fielders stand) but there are areas that are closer where you can watch, with the catch being that you have to just stand up. And there were so many stores and food stalls to look into. They even had a play area for kids.
Rick: Safeco and Camden Yards in Baltimore are nice parks. I haven’t been to too many either as I usually watch at Yankee Stadium. Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, and Dodger Stadium have so much history in them so going there is always a treat. You should try to go to Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park (although don't root for them Red Sox). It's a must. And if you have time, take the bus trip for the Port Authority in midtown Manhattan to Cooperstown for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Cooperstown and the Naismith Hall of Fame gave me mondo goosebumps. And oh, baseball fans are more stat conscious that any other fan of sports.
Mark: In connection with that, for the casual fans who don't bother watching the entire game glued to their seats, they can just lounge around the place, walk and look at stuff. We left our seats after the 6th inning and went to the viewing area just below the Yankees bullpen. I got pretty good shots of Mariano Rivera warming up before he closed out the last inning. Speaking of Rivera, he's really famous, huh? When he came to the mound, lots of cameras were flashing and people were cheering... because apparently, there are a lot of Yankees fans. I'm guessing not just in Seattle but everywhere else. They're kind of like the Lakers I guess, very high-profile. Although Alex Rodriguez didn't play, Derek Jeter was there, and Johnny Damon was also right in front of my view. Mark Teixeira also hit the winning HR so maybe I should consider myself lucky, eh? Hah
Rick: Yeah there are lots of Yankee fans everywhere. I figure same with the Red Sox because they are the most visible and popular. The most famous and sellable baseball cap is the one with the interlocking “NY” in front. And we’re not just talking about North America.
.
Mark: The fans here in Seattle love their team. This is just a generalization I'm making, I know, but it's nice that people still come out to watch the Mariners even though they aren't legit contenders. They like the Seahawks too, and my cousin says the Sounders games are usually sold out. And oh, they had the Sounders vs. Barcelona game here a couple of weeks ago and I missed it because I was on a road trip. I wanted to see Messi! Dang it. Too bad they don't have the Sonics anymore.
Rick: Yeah the Sounders are amazingly filling it in. I asked my friend Miggy to either get me a Sounders or Colombus Crew jersey. I used to collect NBA jerseys but not anymore. It’s the football jerseys that I’m getting now and not just my Liverpool (no Man United please).
Mark: America is a pretty wasteful country.
Rick: Most definitely. That’s partially why they are in a recession.
Mark: They love Ichiro and Ken Griffey Jr. The latter, they call him Junior, for short. It's sad though that the team has to rely on a veteran on the downside of his career to win games. I feel like Junior has been in baseball since forever. He did hit the game winner in that 14 (?)-inning marathon against the White Sox though. Nice. My cousin told me too that Nintendo is a part-owner of the Mariners, and that's why they paid a lot to retain Ichiro, and keep that Japanese flame burning.
Rick: When I think of the Mariners, I think one of their best teams was when they had Alex Rodriguez, Griffey, Tino and Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson and the others who were there. They’ve hit hard times since their 114-win season. I’m glad that fans stick to their team through thick or thin. I get the same question when people ask me why I am a New York Islanders fan. Since it’s hockey, I drop my gloves and pick a fight. Hahahaha.
Mark: That's it for now. I'm just on a three-week vacation here and it's my first time in the US. It's been great. Hopefully I can go back and watch baseball again and some NFL and MLS. Fuck David Stern, now I can't watch the former Sonics. Anyway, great stuff with the blog as always, especially with the ADMU UAAP recaps. More power to ya, man.
Rick: Have fun, dude. Enjoy it. I was just talking to some sports scribes yesterday during the UAAP games and they were talking about Makisig folding up and other sports not doing well. The simple answer is we are a small country and cannot support too many endeavors. And like people didn’t see that coming. C’mon, who watches them? Their channel is high up in the numbers because Sky Cable isn’t dumb enough to lump them with the other sports channels because that means competition for them. We’re too Manila-centric with people in the corporate and advertising world who don’t know jack. That’s why outside the PBA and UAAP every other league and sport is hard-pressed. Boxing, billiards, and bowling to an extent can survive but that’s not for all. Others survive because they have a patron. The V-League cannot even make a career for its players.
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