2012 Offense Performance Thread

[ajra21]

Five more runs today guys. Single, walks, doubles and home runs.

[Mr Coffee]

There are two innings per team. An inning ends when all eleven players are out. A single gets you one run, a double gets you two runs, a triple gets you three and a home run gets you four. We use a baseball just like the US on but we don't wear gloves to field (the backstop/catcher does). The bats have a slightly flat side and it takes two strikes to K someone - walks don't happen very often because you don't get a run for it. The strike zone is from the knee to the chin. You bat at the "pegs" and there are four bases. You don't steal bases but you can run whenever to want to risk it. The shortstop (my position) fields about 3-5 yards from the bat; this position's job is to simply block the ball when the batter hits it. A good shortstop will catch it. Other positions are pitcher, first base, second base, third base, fourth base, catcher, and four outfielders. Sometimes, if you have a very quicker pitcher, or a bad catcher, you might use a long stop. I've seen teams play with two first basemen; and I've sometimes played on teams with two shortstops if their are lots of left handed hitters. It can be a brutal game with pitchers throwing at guys regularly and fielders barging base runners into the yard high base-posts. I have a permanently broken left hand from playing this version of baseball and cricket.

You stand 3-5 yards away from the batter? And he's hitting an actual baseball?

[awy]

lol what the ................

[ajra21]

You stand 3-5 yards away from the batter? And he's hitting an actual baseball?

Yes, it gives me a little more time to get the ball in comparison to cricket. When I play cricket, I split my time between "extra-cover" which is kinda like second base and a position called "silly-mid-on" which normally has me about two yards from the bat. Sometimes I'll wear a helmet and a box (cup?) if I don't trust my bowler to put it in the right place. The year I broke my club's catching record, I caught a lot at "silly-mid-on" because we had some really good slow bowlers.

[Mr Coffee]

Yes, it gives me a little more time to get the ball in comparison to cricket. When I play cricket, I split my time between "extra-cover" which is kinda like second base and a position called "silly-mid-on" which normally has me about two yards from the bat. Sometimes I'll wear a helmet and a box (cup?) if I don't trust my bowler to put it in the right place. The year I broke my club's catching record, I caught a lot at "silly-mid-on" because we had some really good slow bowlers.

Either you don't use an actual baseball, or don't know what a yard is, or guys don't know how to hit or cricket leads the world in sports fatalities.

[Yankee Tripper]

Either you don't use an actual baseball, or don't know what a yard is, or guys don't know how to hit or cricket leads the world in sports fatalities.

[snapple]

Yes, it gives me a little more time to get the ball in comparison to cricket. When I play cricket, I split my time between "extra-cover" which is kinda like second base and a position called "silly-mid-on" which normally has me about two yards from the bat. Sometimes I'll wear a helmet and a box (cup?) if I don't trust my bowler to put it in the right place. The year I broke my club's catching record, I caught a lot at "silly-mid-on" because we had some really good slow bowlers.

This post literally had me thinking you were drinking tea and eating fish and chips.

[awy]

cricket ball is pretty deadly. i don't know how guys stay alive especially when a 'game' lasts several days

[Gegbot]

Either you don't use an actual baseball, or don't know what a yard is, or guys don't know how to hit or cricket leads the world in sports fatalities.

I had to look it up after the description. Imagine my surprise.



If I understood it right though, it seems like it's played as a "guard against bunting"-type defensive position.

[Mr.Muhozi]

Cricket, the game invented by the British to last 5 days in the row in sun...

[Mr Coffee]

I had to look it up after the description. Imagine my surprise.
If I understood it right though, it seems like it's played as a "guard against bunting"-type defensive position.

Yeah, it looks like he's in foul territory. I was imagining a fielder standing right in front of the batter.

[Mr Coffee]

I played in a 1890's rules tournament once. No gloves except for the catcher and a couple of other rules involving balls and strikes and that kind of thing. I play third. It was fine at first-- we used the type of ball they used back then. Unfortunately, we only had a couple and they were lost/damaged pretty early on. After that we used a regular baseball and I was scared to death of a liner coming at my head. I never played further back at third than I did that day.

[Mr Coffee]

Ok, this is stupid.

"Ready? Catch!"

[False1]

Ok, this is stupid.

"Ready? Catch!"

Yeah, I'm out on that.

[awy]

that ball is pretty damn hard. you do not want to get hit by one anywhere on your body.

[ajra21]

Either you don't use an actual baseball, or don't know what a yard is, or guys don't know how to hit or cricket leads the world in sports fatalities.

The baseballs are pretty much identical. I cut them open during university and couldn't see a difference. A cricket ball is most certainly harder as it is basically solid wood covered in red or white leather.

Fielding is definitely harder without the glove. In cricket, I was generally considered a fielding specialist. My batting and bowling techniques were only ever good enough to play for the fourth string team but I would often get picked for the better sides because I didn't drop catches (my club has fives adult sides and feeds the local professional club which means I've played against a handful of the world's best players). That may sound odd but when you have fives guys bowling for hours in the hot sun, the last thing they want, when they finally get a player to hit the ball in the air, is for a teammate to drop it.

That photo is of a "silly-mid" player, the position I tend to field at. That guy is a pro, playing against pros with pros bowling at 90mph - so he's got full leg guards and a helmet. My club doesnt have leg guards tho I will borrow a helmet on occasions.

Playing cricket for whole days and five days is incredibly fun. The patience and technique required to maintain concentration over those long periods is phenomenal. Those who do it at the higher levels have genuin talent and skill; skills that I revere and admire.

As for the baseball part about fielding against the bunt, you are right. But as guys bunt about once a season at the level I played, it isn't the main focus of that fielder. Not sure I ever fielded an intentional bunt in welsh baseball but the occasional "swinging bunt" did occur.

[sweet_lou_14]

This thread became truly incredible. Thanks ajra for giving us so much detail about the way the game is played over there.

For the person who asked how I ever watched cricket, my in-laws are Indian.

[NoodleRay]

I would guess that you'd have to play a while, and take a few off the head before you become silly. Is this the game were the umpires wear white tuxedo jackets and top hats??

[NoodleRay]

What a difference a couple of hours makes, I feel drained and worn out. We had 10 strike-outs and gave up 7 runs, we had some scattered singles. It just seems like the heart of the lineup is swinging at bad pitches.

I know that Wilson pitched a good game, but it doesn't seem like we make any adjustments at all, it looks like some of the lineup is swinging with their eyes closed, I mean when you look that bad it's time to try maybe moving in the batters box, or a different bat, or shorten your swing!

It's one thing to get beat, but it's a whole other thing to look that bad. It actually looked like we gave up threw in the towel, how can an experienced hitter get beat inside 4 times in a row. Other guys swinging at neck high pitches, this is the kind of game that just makes us second guess the whole lineup...

[LIYanks]

Eventually this offense will come around and score runs in bunches. But I got the feeling that some of our aged veterans will be showing gradual decline this year.

[Yankee Tripper]

Eventually this offense will come around and score runs in bunches. But I got the feeling that some of our aged veterans will be showing gradual decline this year.

In 8 games they have scored 5 or 6 runs 6 times. What more do you want?

[LIYanks]

In 8 games they have scored 5 or 6 runs 6 times. What more do you want?

Not really complaining but the so-called clutch hitting is lacking. I expect Cano to start hitting soon. I don't think A-Rod and Tex will be hitting like before.

[b0mber]

Nothing new here, a spurt of games where our bats perform outstandingly with hit after hit followed by a game of silence...as long as we have longer slugfest runs we'll be okay. (not to mention the obvious)

[ThePinStripes]

What a difference a couple of hours makes, I feel drained and worn out. We had 10 strike-outs and gave up 7 runs, we had some scattered singles. It just seems like the heart of the lineup is swinging at bad pitches.

I know that Wilson pitched a good game, but it doesn't seem like we make any adjustments at all, it looks like some of the lineup is swinging with their eyes closed, I mean when you look that bad it's time to try maybe moving in the batters box, or a different bat, or shorten your swing!

It's one thing to get beat, but it's a whole other thing to look that bad. It actually looked like we gave up threw in the towel, how can an experienced hitter get beat inside 4 times in a row. Other guys swinging at neck high pitches, this is the kind of game that just makes us second guess the whole lineup...

Yeah, they really had you running out there in center field

[sweet_lou_14]

If your offense is going to sputter and your pitching is going to blow up, you want it to happen in the same game. Better to lose 7-1 and win the next one 4-3 than to lose 7-4 and 3-1.