Cricket v/s Baseball

[Swervy]

Originally Posted by Duncan

Baseball used to be America's favorite sport along with boxing but now it's behind football, soccer, basketball and a few others. It's really not that popular anymore. I'm not even sure if it's in the top five.

My issues with baseball is that it lacks class, strategy, skill and intelligence. Any moron who can hit the ball hard can do well in it.

Bit harsh I think...I think there is a lot of skill involved in pitching

[chekmeout]

Originally Posted by Swervy

Bit harsh I think...I think there is a lot of skill involved in pitching

Would you say the same amount of skill as bowling leg spinners, flippers and googlies
Or the same as bowling yorkers, slower deliveries, off cutters and leg cutters
Or the same as bowling off spinners, "doosras", arm ball etc.

Cricket is simply a game which requires more skill..
Test cricket is the only sport in the world with real class..

[Swervy]

Originally Posted by chekmeout

Would you say the same amount of skill as bowling leg spinners, flippers and googlies
Or the same as bowling yorkers, slower deliveries, off cutters and leg cutters
Or the same as bowling off spinners, "doosras", arm ball etc.

Cricket is simply a game which requires more skill..
Test cricket is the only sport in the world with real class..

I dont know..its a different kind of skill..pitchers have to throw the ball from 90 ft (???) into an imaginary area about the size of an average TV screen,and not use the ground to extract any movement from,and also not use intimidation as a weapon either (in that the ball must not be thrown at the batter)..pretty tough if you ask me.

I agree though about the game of baseball...I grew up in a time when the following of American sports were de rigueur (hope I have used that one correctly!!!!) ..American football has stayed with me, and is still a passion of mine..baseball really just didnt interest me

[chekmeout]

But definitely I doubt even an American will be able to convincingly argue that cricket (may it be Twenty20 or ODIs) deserves a place in the Olympics over baseball/softball..

Baseball is like played in 1 country in the world!! (OK fine bit of an exaggeration but still)

[Swervy]

Originally Posted by chekmeout

But definitely I doubt even an American will be able to convincingly argue that cricket (may it be Twenty20 or ODIs) deserves a place in the Olympics over baseball/softball..

Baseball is like played in 1 country in the world!! (OK fine bit of an exaggeration but still)

it has a huge following in Japan,Cuba, Mexico etc

[Anil]

for me there is no comparison....baseball has taken the worst in cricket(full tosses and slogs) and developed a game around it...i haven't been able to watch a game for 5 whole minutes so far...

[Langeveldt]

Im a big baseball fan (Cards) and absolutely love baseball and cricket.. Just look at the crowds both sports pull, because they are both great sports.. I love them both

Cricket fans say baseball is just an uneducated slog.. Baseball fans say cricket is boring..

Fact of the matter is, baseball and cricket are both skilled sports.. Just watch a few double plays where there is milliseconds to spare to get an appreciation of baseball.. And cricket isn't all defensive of course..

I think the main issue behind people's appreciation for a game, is how well they know the intricacies and skill involved behind it before making wild and pointless judgements..

[Anil]

Originally Posted by Langeveldt

Im a big baseball fan (Cards) and absolutely love baseball and cricket.. Just look at the crowds both sports pull, because they are both great sports.. I love them both

Cricket fans say baseball is just an uneducated slog.. Baseball fans say cricket is boring..

Fact of the matter is, baseball and cricket are both skilled sports.. Just watch a few double plays where there is milliseconds to spare to get an appreciation of baseball.. And cricket isn't all defensive of course..

I think the main issue behind people's appreciation for a game, is how well they know the intricacies and skill involved behind it before making wild and pointless judgements..

it's all subjective, you list out the reasons why you find it interesting...i can list out a whole list of reasons why it is not...ultimately it boils down to personal preference...it's not anyone making wild, pointless judgements...

[roseboy64]

It's not that easy to hit a baseball.If it was, then everybody could play. Also, there's a lot of skill involved in hitting and pitching and believe me there is strategy. I'm not about to say which is better but just going on purely biased opinions is just poor. If you watch enough baseball, say a season of MLB, you'll get to understand why people like it. You may not like it but you'll find out that it's not as dumb as you percieve. I actually thought cricket was boring when i first started watching. The first baseball game i watched i enjoyed. Maybe it depends on the level of the game, that's why you need to watch a full season, but it can be quite entertaining if you know what's happening. Same as in cricket. I had to know what was happening before i even found it vaguely interesting.It's now on the same excitement level with me as baseball.So i can't say which is better but that none is really more skill required or entertaining than the other.

[age_master]

the main thing for me is that you get the ball on the full in baseball which is much easier to hit (it also has to be in a pretty small area) than cricket where in can be on the full, bounce full or short, move off the bounce or in the air.

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I'm more a fan of cricket, but I'm a huge baseball fan too.
Anyone who calls baseball boring obviously did not see the American League Championship last post-season. It was one of the most thrilling events in any sport ever. Fantastic.

Picture this. The Red Sox and the Yankees have a bitter rivalry where the Yankees continue to win the division year after year with the Sox the number two competitors. The Sox are then consistently defeated in the postseason series as the Yankees tend to charge toward champion status. Years of second best and near a century without a World Series ring. The Sox have made the Series before, but continue to lose in tragic circumstances.

Now the Red Sox have a great year, but still finish second best and, as fate always has it, they must beat the Yankees to get to the World Series. The 7-game series is 3-0 to the New York Yankees and they look to close it out sadistically in Boston. Boston's best pitcher, and arguably the best in the league, Curt Schilling has a torn tendon in his right ankle and is unlikely to participate in the rest of the series. Boston down a run in the 9th inning. They tie the game dramatically. The game goes into extra innings. In the 12th inning, ie 3 extra innings, they break through and win the game with a two run home run by Ortiz. 3-1...

Back to New York for Game 5. Alas, it takes 14 innings (5 extra innings) for the game to be settled, with Ortiz lobbing the ball into the outfield to get it done for Boston. 3-2...

Knowing that no team has ever come back from 3-0, Boston continue in their attempts to do the impossible against their gargantuan opponents. Game 6 now and the Yankees once more try to close things out, this time in New York. They look to do it against Schilling, who plays against all advice and odds as his team has a slim chance at victory. On a bloody heel, Schilling takes to the mound in severe pain. Playing on adrenaline alone, he pitches beautifully and keeps Boston in the series, as Boston win 4-2. The series now a level 3-3.

One game away from the World Series and an unprecedented comeback. No drama in this one. The Sox score 6 in the first two innings and finish off with a 10-3 victory to defeat the New York Yankees and head to the World Series. Believe me, you have never witnessed such passion and desire to win as the Red Sox in that series. It was incredible and absolutely unforgettable.

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Originally Posted by age_master

the main thing for me is that you get the ball on the full in baseball which is much easier to hit (it also has to be in a pretty small area) than cricket where in can be on the full, bounce full or short, move off the bounce or in the air.

Don't be fooled into thinking there's no variation. There are some pitches that literally only the pros can hit. Some ridiculous movement in there.

[Monty]

baseball aint a sport in america it is a money making scam

did you know they allow players to take steriods and it is stupid that one of their proud statitics is how many times they have hit the ball

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Originally Posted by Monty

baseball aint a sport in america it is a money making scam

did you know they allow players to take steriods and it is stupid that one of their proud statitics is how many times they have hit the ball

Forgive me when I say that that's an ignorant comment. It just is.

[Duncan]

Originally Posted by Swervy

Bit harsh I think...I think there is a lot of skill involved in pitching

I was referring to batting... but yeah, it was a bit harsh to say that about pitching. There is some skill but definetely not like bowling in cricket.