re: How can people actually follow baseball?

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really does not seem like there is much differences between the "stars" and the rest of the players.

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For someone who doesn't follow baseball and normally follows football NCAA/NFL, I can see why he would think that.

Baseball is a different type of game, the season is a 162 games, the stars standout over the course of a season and not a single game. Everyone has hot streaks and slumps. Couple that with a sport in which if you get a hit once every 3 times you come to the plate gets you're in the HOF.

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The season lasts like 8 months

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this argument always cracks me up because:

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The MLB season is shorter in months than both the NBA and NHL, but no one bitches about the length of those seasons. People that don't like baseball will always find something to bitch about. The fact remains that baseball is a great game, and in many cases people who find baseball boring are often simple minded.

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thanks for taking care of that for me

Also, a quote you'll probably appreciate, that you may already know:

"Baseball is dull only to dull minds." -Red Barber

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thanks for taking care of that for me

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No problem. The "baseball is boring" argument just really chaps my arse. It's a perfect example of our society's need for instant gratification. Granted, the athleticism of football and basketball players can outshine a "boring one hit shutout," but it's a shame that sports fans today can't really appreciate the tremendous amount of skill it takes to pitch and, especially, hit a baseball.

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The "baseball is boring" argument just really chaps my arse. It's a perfect example of our society's need for instant gratification. Granted, the athleticism of football and basketball players can outshine a "boring one hit shutout," but it's a shame that sports fans today can't really appreciate the tremendous amount of skill it takes to pitch and, especially, hit a baseball.

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Same thing with soccer- Americans are truly spoiled...

I will admit I just can't get into soccer. I get the talent that it takes to do what they do, it's just not my cup o' tea.

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does not seem like there is much differences between the "stars" and the rest of the players.

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My main gripe with baseball is the amount of games played and the time it takes to complete a game. I just can't watch a batter get out of the batter's box and readjust his batting gloves, his jersey, etc. after every single pitch.

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How can someone follow a sport were there are so many inconsistencies?

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The sad thing is, with advanced statistics, we can usually tell when someone is declining, and other crazy things. At the very least, Bill James and friends can make relatively accurate predictions on how a player will do that year. Where good WR play can effectively increase a QB efficiency, there is no quantifiable stat for that. Baseball fans can use BABIP to see if players are getting lucky or unlucky, not just "dammit, he shoulda made that catch, the QB got unlucky there".

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My main gripe with baseball is the amount of games played

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I don't get why it matter's if they played 81 games from April through September rather than 162. What is wrong with having a game pretty much every day? One of the best things about baseball is if you go 0 for 4... or your team loses... you come back the next day and get a clean slate. The sport is a game of failure and I think the fact games are played everyday during the season is one of the best things about professional baseball.

The game is slower paced I guess but hell, even football spends more time with teams in the huddle and substituting than actually running plays (exception is probably Oregon football ). I was at the D'Backs game last night which was a low scoring affair that went 3 hours but had a blast watching Ian Kennedy and Bumgardner pitch great games.

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How can people actually follow baseball?

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Those of us who are capable of higher thought follow baseball.