When I first moved to the USA it was October, 2000 and the World Series was on so my new family was watching it. They gave the confused English guy a primer of the rules, handed him a Yankees cap and said that's who I should be cheering for, and, from that day on having had zero interest in really any sport I was completely hooked. Baseball is unique, it's got this different pace of play and all this wonderful lore about it. I love it, always will.
“Pittsburgh PNC Park has such a great view of Pittsburgh skyline that it distracts all who attends games there from how garbage the Pirates really are.”
Updates since this video was released: - DH is now in both the AL and NL. - Playoffs have been expanded to a total of 6 NL and 6 AL teams to make it into the playoffs. - Players positioning themselves to prepare for a certain hitter, known as "the shift," will be banned as of the 2023 season.
I don’t like the fact that the switch is being banned. A good hitter should be able to place the ball “where they ain’t”. Instead it seems that most batters just hit the ball hard.
@@scygnius I think the defense should be able to place the fielders anyplace they want in fair territory. Restricting the defense because their positioning makes it harder to hit doesn’t make sense. That is the job of the defense. Here is a crazy example to make my point. In an obvious bunt situation the defense puts all the fielders in the infield near the baselines to make a bunt impossible. So do we need to make a rule against that? No, the batter just needs to poke it over the infield and get a hit. Same with the switch. If the defense puts everyone on the right side of the field, just hit it to the left. That would stop it without a rule. That’s the way teams I’ve been in always played. If the right fielder was shading over to center, you would hit it down the line. If the outfield played close to the foul line, hit it in the gap. If us amateur hitters can do that, surely the big leaguers can do the same.
As a Brit, I've been wanting to learn about the rules of Baseball for a long time now. I had watched 5 min videos here and there, all of which were pretty poor. I raised an eyebrow when I saw yours was over 20 minutes (too much the other way?) but it was spot on. Interesting, informative and witty. Nice one. 👍
pretty sure there's this dude on youtube that does sports rules explained in a very clear way that could be super helpful as well! if you look up "the rules of baseball explined" it'll come up
That moment at the end where you explained the story of Jackie Robinson was so succinctly described that it almost brought me to tears to think of how beautiful it is that we celebrate him every year by taking the same defiant action they once took to protect him all those years ago.
The Pirates are that asshole. Not that I'm in favor of this, but they are without a doubt the strongest argument for having a relegation system in North American Pro. Sports.
I´m from Uruguay and i love Baseball even though here nobody have any idea of how it is,, the sad part is the lack of interest in this wonderful sport. Thanks for this great video.
Thank you for this charming, brilliant video. I’m just getting into baseball for the first time in Australia during a lockdown, and your perfectly balanced little video has ticked all the boxes. Congrats and thanks. I owe ya!
As a diehard baseball fan I absolutely loved this video. It’s an incredible overview of the sport. Now I feel like I need to watch the 20 hr documentary
I can vouch for Ken Burns as a documentary maker. In 2018 I suggested to my local library in England it should buy his very long documentary of the "Vietnam War", which the library did and it is a first class production covering a huge range of material.
Well done! As a baseball fan for over 40 years, this is possibly the best way to explain to people in my life who don't baseball to understand my seemingly inexplicable passion and immersion into this world. Your dry wit (e.g. think if Ghandi was fast) really makes it enjoyable.
Relatively new to the sport, and when I first heard about players wearing 42 on April 15th, I genuinely teared up a bit. I’ve never been a sports guy, I detest american football especially, but there’s something about baseball that just sits right with me and I love it a lot.
That fucking violin music and painted art absolutely gives a ken burns vibe like no other. This was fucking well done lmao I’ve been doing dishes for about 30 minutes listening to random videos and this one came on and I love that homage to KB I had to stop and dry my hands to write this 😂
I got into baseball after watching a few games on TV while staying in Florida in 2019. The Nationals grabbed my attention for their team spirit and simply because they looked like they were having fun (easy when you're winning I guess). Of course, that year they went on to win the world series, so I was clearly their good luck charm and they have remained "my team". 2021 has been my second full season following MLB from back in the UK and only now do I feel like I'm "grasping" it. Still can't recognise which pitch is which though ;-)
There are a ton of fans who can't identify every pitch that is thrown. Don't sweat it! You can usually google which pitches the pitcher throws and from there its easier to guess
Just want to add to your scandal that what the Astros did that was against the rules was not the trash can banging. You can talk, yell, bang stuff, whistle, holler, use hand signs, etc, to communicate in the game. As long as the communication is not ELECTRONIC, you're fine. What they did was have a centerfield camera focused on the catcher (to see his signs to the pitcher) with a live feed into a monitor just down the stairs from their dugout, and that's the big no-no. The relay of this electronic surveillance was the banging. Had they simply read the pitcher's body language (something they got really good at later) or any other non-electronic surveillance method, and used the can to relay this information, they'd be within the rules. They'd also been known to whistle, once their trash can became an open secret in the league.
As a German who fell in love with the sport at the age of 12 because of watching one movie, I can recommend also "The Pride of the Yankees". From today's perspective it's a cheesy 1942 biopic starring Gary Cooper as Lou Gherig but it captures very well the importance of the sport in the American society in the 30s and 40s. The other movie I recommend is Bull Durham which is just a darn good movie. The best book on baseball is "Ball Four".
For football/soccer enthusiasts, I have a cool comparison that can make some of us enjoy baseball. The duel between a pitcher and the batter is akin to a penalty shout-out. There's a great load of skill, anticipation and gambling... you have to anticipate were the opponent is going to send the ball but be way because he might bluff you and if you guess correctly you need the skill to pull it off.
Now, imagine nothing but these quick-fire "penalty shootouts" for three hours, plus loads of strategy and tension (and a dash of superstitious folklore), and now you understand why this sport is so beloved here.
We had a girl from Turkmenistan who was a nurse where I work, and she got invited to a baseball game and asked me to explain how the game works so she wouldn't be confused watching the game. I discovered that it is far more difficult than I expected to explain baseball to someone who has never seen it before. I ended up drawing a field and using med vial caps to represent players. The force-out is impossible to explain without visual aides.
I’m from the U.K and have just recently gotten into baseball and your series of videos on baseball has massively helped me to understand the rules of the game, so thanks for doing such a great job explaining it all. But I would love to see some videos explaining tactics in depth, because I’m still completely lost when it come to understanding why teams do certain things, or how teams adapt when facing certain opponents. Cheers.
Welcome to the great game of baseball the oldest pro sports league in America and the second wealthiest in the world.I don't know if there are any videos on the tactics but there are forums where you can post questions.
@@jakestolar8457 Not really, most modern cricket grounds either have a rope or low fence around the boundary. The type of hitting in cricket doesn't usually lend itself to high fly balls, but in modern times there has been a shift to more power hitters like in baseball.
@@jakestolar8457 No, cricket fields don’t have to be ovals. There are certain maximum and minimum distances, but it can be any shape. Modern fields are usually oval or round but plenty of older cricket fields are odd shapes as determined by the restrictions of the property it was build on. Lord’s in England (the home of cricket) has a rectangular field with rounded corners, for instance. I think there are some asymmetrical cricket fields in England, too.
Here’s a video of some cricket grounds in England, most aren’t ovals. Even The Oval doesn’t have a true oval field. ua-cam.com/video/IvkIsDhdupE/v-deo.html
I've been watching baseball (Yankees particularly) for literally as long as I can remember, my dad taught me the rules and everything when I was little and showed me the Yankees, and I've been hooked for life. This video was really well done
I was able to attend the 2 London games in 2019. It was a joy to be sitting there, and when discovered as an American, being asked numerous questions about finer points (stolen bases, sacrifice flys, pitch selection, etc.). Remember, it was 6-6 after the first inning of the first game. Great fun...
That sounds great. It was Cardinals Cubs this year. I'm glad to see the MLB seems to want to have rivalry games there. Good way to get into the sport even though it's hard to really see the presence of the rivalry when both teams are geographically playing away.
The thing you said that is so true is that every game you watch, you'll see something new, or something you won't see for a long time. I would like to add that baseball has a certain spontaneity that other sports don't. When the ball hits the bat, literally anything can happen.
You're absolutely right - which can be a bit of a curse. Because so many different things can happen, you need rules that can address all those things, and it causes the rulebook to appear a lot more complex than it actually is. There is a rule for something you might never see watching 100 games, but there still needs to be a rule for that event - if it were to happen. I think it intimidates newcomers. I think it needs to be made clear to these newcomers, that you can enjoy pretty much every game only understanding 5% of the rules. There are just so many different things that have to be addressed - things that happen so rarely.
I like how you mention you enjoy going to games more than watching it on TV because you can see defensive shifts and other small details in the game better. While true, Id also like to point out that watching on TV has it's entertainment advantages too. If you love watching pitching and pitching strategy, or just love watching nasty sliders, watching on TV is going to be a better experience for the most part. When at the game, you're not going to be able to see the pitchers stuff and location unless youre sitting like directly behind home plate, and even then you have the ump in your way. So I have always enjoyed watching on TV for that reason. Being at the game is a completely different experience though as you can take in the sites and sounds a whole lot more
@TheOnDeckCircle I think you forgot the psychological game between the pitcher and the one at-bat. Imo that is the most intense part of baseball: Who intimidates who, and what does that lead to! Getting behind in the count, or being forced to pitch strikes, that is so fascinating to watch. Unfortunately we dont have good options for _the show_ in Denmark, so i am SO grateful for youTube in cooperation with MLB for broadcasting a MLB-game semi-weekly! *THANK-YOU* MLB & UA-cam!!!
I completely agree, if you're ever going to truly love and understand every level of the game, you need to understand that psychological battle between the batter and pitcher. Knowing the pitcher's arsenal, the batter's power and bat-to-ball skills, any weaknesses in the hitters swing, the count and how that effects pitch selection and location, etc, all these things are a huge part of how you can best enjoy watching a game. Just like how most Americans call football (soccer) boring because they don't understand the intricacies of the game, it's easy to find baseball boring if you miss out on this huge aspect
I live in the UK, Baseball isn't much of a thing here. It's got a cult following, but other than about 10,000 players, no one else know much about it. Either way, there have been a few teams popping up over the years, which have potential, I even saw a game in person the other week, and we can get MLBTV which broadcast to the UK, and sometimes air free games.
I wonder why they don't appear to have AFC Wimbledon type Phoenix clubs in the States when teams are relocated? The whole concept of just shifting a club lock stock and barrel from its geographical heartland is obscene.
@@GarybaldbeeBecause unfortunately there's no pro/rel in American sports leagues. If your team gets relocated, your only hope of replacing them is through another team moving to your town or via MLB expansion. Easily the worst part of being an American sports fan, obscene is a good word for it.
What a way to end a video👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽I stopped watching baseball for a couple of years, now that I'm dealing with so much in my life, I'm getting back at it again. God, what a fun sport and I'm starting again to feel that love for it. Imma see if I start practicing it again...which is hard with college and work, but I will. Thank you for this video, mate, baseball like soccer/football is so special sport
Great video. Please do an addendum with the new rules: DH in both leagues, pitch clock, limited infield shifts, extra baserunner in extra innings, limited blocking of home plate by catcher, limited running into infielder to break up double play.
Is it sad that I have watched KB Baseball doc, start to finish, a dozen times or more? I loved it. And then I loved falling asleep to it. NOt because it was boring ( c'mon, whats boring about BB?) but becasue of John Chancellor's amazing narration.
Not at all, I watch it almost every offseason. Watching Ken Burns Baseball next to the fire while it's cold and rainy out is one of the coziest ways to get through the winter
As a child of immigrants to America (turned citizens), the sporting landscape of America was mostly foreign. Basketball was the only sport that my mother and father were remotely familiar with, so understanding sports such as baseball and American football was an activity unto itself. Back in my parents' homeland my late grandfather on my mother's side loved baseball. When he came to visit us in the States he was glued to the tv watching baseball when it was on. I then in turn took interest in the sport, but only slightly; growing up basketball became my favorite sport. As I matured I returned to baseball and eventually learned to appreciate and love it. I wish it was played more widely internationally, though.
Thank you for your contribution. I'm European and therefor only know baseball through the American friends I've got to know along the way. What attracts me to baseball is calmness it masters with its sudden moments of intensity. Keep going please
It's similar to watching some (European) football matches. Defending and midfield passes that barely make it to the penalty box all game. Suddenly two goals get scored back to back
There has been a high standard of the game played in numerous European nations for decades. I worked as a volunteer in the News Sevice at the Sydney Olympics and saw and spoke with members of teams from Italy, Nederlands and even South Africa. Of course all the well known nations were represented in the final eight nations that competed.
Your video has got Joe Pera vibes... which is to say you have quite the calming narration style. I couldn't go without saying the content was informative, well-compiled, and surprisingly entertaining. Handy stuff for the baseball-themed English class I'm teaching today.
I'm from India and I've been watching baseball since the 1990s and understand the game quite a bit. I'm also a big cricket fan which is an equally fascinating game. I hope someone makes a similar video on cricket. Trust me it's going to be exiting. Cricket has been around for long time, it's complex and elegant, full of scandals, its shortest version has more action than baseball and yes the fielding team (defense) doesn't wear mitts. No sissies in cricket. 😜
I'm from the USA but I lived in India for about a year and that's how I learned how cricket works... it (among many other things) was interesting to find myself in a place where the number one most popular sport was one that I hadn't really ever thought much about. And I agree, once you have some understanding of how it all works, it really is a lot of fun. On a few occasions I was invited by coworkers to watch T20 matches and I had an absolute blast.
A famous British Cricketeer ( I cannot remember his name now) as promotion gimmick went to a spring training camp with the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox. He made the same comment about the mitts until he had hardliner hit to him when he played shortstop during a game. That is when as he put it found out why they wear mitts.
@@Breakhammer82 That's because going for the batter's body is a legitimate tactic in cricket. It's done to intimidate or to break the concentration. Batter doesn't get a free walk upon being hit in cricket. He might get a magic spray. 😉
@@coleparker Short stop and catcher wear mitts as ball gets to them at high speed but why should outfielders wear them. Releasing the ball can be quicker without the mitts. Anyway that's how it is. That's what makes both the sport unique. And it's actually 'cricketer' and not 'cricketeer'. 😉
I'm an European from a small country fanatic about football (⚽) you Americans might know as Spain, but it's actually Portugal. I learned the basis from MLB the show and it was really nice to get to know a bit more about the lore of this great sport from this beautifully and tastefully made video. Thank you! P.s. Fyi there's a paid sports channel in France that shows some of the games. Maybe one day I'll watch a full game
hey man tysm for this video i learned a lot and i like the illustrations, i like ur sense of humour it caught me off guard so it was like double funny, i feel like a kno a lot now and i relly liked the recommendations at the end!!! i dont like watching movies but maybe i will give the game a chance !!!! i really liked the last words at the end, so much passion man
In contrary to the opinion here, I love watching baseball on tv bcos I can see the pitchers’ movements clearly. I think I can see all things that happen on the field. 💕💕
I'm from and still live in the UK (Scotland to be precise) and I am a fanatic about baseball since visiting St Louis in 2012. 10 years on and I watch as many Cardinals games throughout the season as humanly possible. When I worked nightshift it was easier as I could watch the afternoon games (typically around 6/7pm here) and the evening games (typically around midnight/1am and the 3am games if it was a west coast game) but even now I still get to watch around 100/110 games a season. I purchase shirts, hats, hoodies and nobody over here gets it really. It really is an amazing game and all the little intricacies and nuances make it that bit better. Even now whilst watching games I still find myself on Google, looking up what certain abbreviations mean and who a player used to play for and certain records and stuff. Anyway, that's enough rambling from me. Just wanted to share my thoughts 🤣🤣🤣
@@hifijohn I get what you're saying but I watch on a dodgy (very good) illegal stream 🤣🤣 recording isn't an option. I'm currently sat watching us against the Reds 🤞
@@GrandSlamScotty they played today beat the reds by one run the reds is one of the original MLB teams, short for red stockings their original name, the cards also get their name from their color-- cardinal red. how did you pick the cards?? My team is the cubs the cards big rivalry. though not this season we are near the bottom.the cards are number one in their division but only one game ahead of the brewers.
Great video. I just got into baseball in the last year due to MLB the show. I get the technical side now, and understand some of the history, but what i'm really missing is what people think of the teams. Barring the Astros (i am aware of the controversy), why do people love/hate certain teams? Why are the pirates mocked? I thought with the draft system it meant teams should ebb and flow from being good to being bad, but is that not the case? I think i'm going to support the padres as they have a fun name and they picked up my player in career mode, but i dont want to find out everyone hates them when i do get to come over the USA! Keep it up, thanks :)
The draft should, in theory, even things out but it's difficult in baseball because players can take a number of years to come up through the minor leagues while others will come up within a year or two of being drafted. And then, many times players just don't turn out to be as good as people think they will. By the time you realize your top draft pick isn't going to be good you've been losing for another five seasons. I went in depth in another comment about the Pirates, basically they don't appear to make a serious effort to sign good players, even after many years of having large attendances (because people went to their games to see the stadium). Most people don't like certain teams just because they're rivals of their favorite team, typically it's a regional thing as I'm sure is the case in many sports.
There is no really hated team in baseball except maybe the Yankees because they buy all the good players. If a team is hated it’s mostly team rivals. Yankees/Red Sox, giants/dodgers, dodgers/Padres, Cubs/cardinals or Athletics/Astros are examples. The Padres are a team no one cares about enough to hate so don’t worry about them being “hated”
For the most part there aren't really any teams that are universally hated. Most non Yankees fans hate the Yankees, but it's not really cuz anybody actually has anything against them, it's just they historically win a lot. Idk what other sports you watch, but it's similar to my understanding of the attitude against teams like Manchester United for Premier League fans, or more recently in American Football the Patriots/Tom Brady or whatever team he's on at that point. People usually hate other teams cause of rivalries. Yankees and the Red Sox are probably the biggest rivals in the MLB. There aren't many teams that have nearly that large a rivalry, but in general if you're a fan of a team you at least don't like the other teams in the division. The draft in baseball is helpful, but getting a good draft pick doesn't necessarily cause an immediate change in the quality of a team like it does in sports like basketball and american football. The hard thing about baseball is the difference in skill level between top prospects from college, and MLB players is so large, that you usually can't just throw them into the MLB. Even most of the best players need time in the minor leagues to work their way up and kind of ease their way up to the skill level required to play in the MLB. But this means it usually takes time for a good prospect to make their way up to the MLB, and on top of that a player can look great in college, or look like they have a lot of potential, but as great as they are now they just are never able to hit a major league curveball. So even if you have a first overall draft pick, you're still gambling on if the player is going to be good, and even if they are good it usually takes time for them to make it to the MLB and really have an impact on your team. Statistically only about 66% of first round picks make it to the MLB, and most of those people don't even end up being very good. Even if you look at the first overall, only about half of them become an all star, and only 3 were ever good enough to be a hall of famer. If you look at the NBA though, since 1965 there have been 16 hall of famers picked overall, and most of them were all stars. So yeah, basically even if you have a first overall pick in the MLB, you're taking a small gamble on the far future of the franchise, but in the NBA and other sports, you're basically deciding the next year of your team. And finally, as a pirates fan, the reason the pirates are clowned on so much is just cuz we have been so bad for so long. The last time the pirates won the division was 1992, and since then we have only made it to the playoffs once, where we lost in the first round. The problem is mostly our owner. He's incredibly cheap, and puts no effort into making the team good. Last year the Pirates only spent about $25 million on their players. (the players who were on our team by the end of the year). Last year Trevor Bauer also signed a contract with the dodgers that made him $28 million last year, plus another $10 million as a signing bonus. So basically the Pirates owner is so cheap, that everyone on our roster combined is worth less than some players in the MLB. Upper management, has no plans or incentive to actually try, and in fact they actively not try because it gets them more money. So yeah, the Pirates are a joke because the owner is a joke and doesn't even try to have a competitive team
To add more perspective about how bad the Pirates have been; from 1993 - 2012, the Pirates did not have a single season with a winning record, and though they became good (and returned to the playoffs) in 2013, it didn't last long and by 2016 they were bad again, which is what they've been ever since. And it's worth noting that the Pirates are far from the only baseball team suffering from long-term futility; the Seattle Mariners haven't made it back to the playoffs since 2001, and the Kansas City Royals missed the playoffs entirely from 1986-2013 (and were terrible for most of those years) and have remained mostly awful ever since (though they did at least win a World Series during their three year window of winning baseball). On the flip side, some teams are seemingly never bad; everyone's already mentioned the Yankees, but the Los Angeles Dodgers (basically the West Coast NL version of the Yankees plus Silicon Valley-level analytics) have spent almost the entirety of the last decade winning their division, and the St. Louis Cardinals have had only one losing season since the beginning of this century (which came the year after they won a World Series, at that!). There was also that period where the Atlanta Braves won their division every year from 1991-2005 (except for strike-shortened 1994, and they still had a pretty good chance of finishing first had the season been completed).
Not a bad job in 21 minutes! I wish I weren't three years behind here, but when you do a good job, it stands the test of time. By now, 2024, they're using the DH in both leagues. I'm a Cardinals fan - not so fanatic as I once was - and I saw the change coming awhile back. I say that because I accepted it awhile back. As far as the game being boring, I always said you had to play the game to understand it. I was bitten playing three years of Little League and getting cut four years in high school. I still learned a lot. Yet, even I lose interest at times - and although baseball remains my favorite sport, I haven't been to a game in a decade and seldom follow on radio anymore. I've just gotten older and my passions have changed. On Fred Snodgrass: my favorite baseball book is, "The Glory of Their Times." If I recall, Snodgrass was actually a catcher playing the outfield at the time of the historic muff. Not that he wasn't capable at his position (center field?) - he just erred - as we all do. McGraw, his manager, and his teammates weren't as hard on him as the media and the public - folk who never stepped into the, "World between the lines," never played under such pressure, didn't have the talent to be out there in the first place. Last point: to this day, I've never seen Ken Burns's historic documentary, "Baseball." I saw his work on the Civil War, but was working when his treatment of the Game aired, and haven't bought a DVD set yet. Maybe I did see one complete episode when I happened to be off. Oh, and I liked your choice of music for the video: reminded me of Carter Burwell's score for the second, "True Grit." Good video!
Enjoyed your video presentation. I think some people do feel baseball is boring to watch on television as a "spectator sport", compared to the NFL, NBA, and NHL. Like you mentioned there is no game or play or shot clock, so some might find it's played at too much of a leisurely pace. While watching a baseball game on TV , I once tried to explain to a family member , why baseball is not boring. I'm not sure what that family member found more boring, my explanation or the game being televised.
Great vid! I would also recommend the movie Bad New Bears! I seem to recall an episode of the Simpsons where Homer decides to quit drinking beer for a month. He's sitting at a ballgame and says to himself, "I didn't realize how boring this game was!"
Worth noting on the ties: This is only in Major League baseball. Ties do exist in other leagues, such as the NPB where the teams tie after 12 innings of play.
Brilliant. I really enjoyed this video. I've recently only been introduced to baseball through a gentleman I'm very much attracted to. I'm trying to learn more so that when we watch games together, I understand it better. He's also been explaining the basics to me too, but I wanted to do some of my own research. I've actually been enjoying watching clips, highlights and then I found this video. Excellent content, well done! Maybe me and this gentleman whom I like will be able to go to a game once I can come to the US to see him. P.S the liking/attraction is mutual 😅
@@notmarcus17 I absolutely do. Detroit Tigers. That said gentleman I mentioned is still very much in my life and we have been together almost a year now, that also happens to be his team.
I've gotten into MLB baseball again recently after decades of trying and failing. It's the first time I've grasped why the rules and the way it's played might be more appealing that what cinematic pitcher-batter standoff representations of the sport would suggest - even tho that's a very cool part of it.. Btw, 12 days in , I saw someone steal third base (might've been the Mariners), which I understand is very rare. Thank god for highlights, though, cuz whereas the NFL leaves you wanting more, the MLB over delivers like crazy. I'd be interested to know what part of it people ignore and what helps keep the magic alive.
The magic of baseball comes from going through the ups and downs of a 162 baseball season. Also the game has very intense moments and is timeless therefore possibilities are infinite
The "magic" that keeps it alive is when a team like the Braves lose an MVP-caliber player that can field and hit really well, and still win. They lost their MVP and made three off-the-grid trades for outfielders that proved to be quite substantial. They proceeded to win the World Series after having to climb the ranks in their division and beat the World Series favorites, a juggernaut Dodgers team. All without the MVP. They only won 88 games, which is not a lot of games in comparison to other championship-winning teams.
The Red Sox sale of the Ruth was related to a few specific items. Ruth was demanding a lot of money and was quite a troublemaker off the field (he was quite the partier, would show up late to games, etc). The Sox grew tired of this and decided they wanted to get rid of him. Due to an ongoing feud with the American League President, Ban Johnson, only two other teams would deal with the Sox...The Yankees and White Sox. At the time, the Yankees and Red Sox were more allies than rivals, as the Yankees had never won anything. During this time frame, the Red Sox and Yankees executed many deals for players, most of which made the Yankees into a powerhouse.
I recently fell in love with baseball and I just turned 30 in February. Baseball had always been around the periphery of my life and I was always an outsider looking in that didn’t get it. It wasn’t until I got into the rich history of baseball that I really started to gain a significant interest. Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson (of course), Shoeless Joe Jackson, Cal Ripken Jr., Ken Griffey Sr. & Jr., Yogi Berra, Sandy Koufax and on and on. I began growing a patriotic romanticism for it. After all, there’s a reason why the saying “As American As Baseball And Apple Pie” exists. I started watching highlight reels of all the wild shit that has happened then entire games uploaded on UA-cam and now watching the 2024 season. If you would of told me 5 years ago I’d become a big baseball fan, I’d say you’re insane. But man is it a wonderful game.
As somebody who don't baseball, I couldn't follow the video after less than a minute of "rules, briefly" section. Too much baseball jardon for me. I'm very happy that baseball fans are happy about this video. I find the "Who Don't Baseball" part of the title to be misleading.
I play townball, and I have some friends and loved ones who come to watch me play but do not understand the game at all. Some of their comments are hilarious but instructive as to how little people who don't follow baseball know about the game. Some quotes: "Who is the man with the fanny pack who collects all the balls?" (In reference to the home plate ump) "You didn't swing, how come you are out?" (Yes, backward K for me.) "Isn't everyone in the outfield? They are out in the field." (Outfield vs. Infield) "Why do you start with runners on first and third?" (Basecoaches are confusing) "You didn't get a turn to hit that time, what happened?" (My daughter didn't understand outs, and thought everyone got an at-bat each inning.) "There is no one on that side of the field, why not just bunt it and get a hit to lead off an inning?" (Ok, this is my question about beating the shift.) "Do they throw something else besides a ball? Why are some called balls and others strikes?" (No knowledge of the game at all, and terminology is weird.) And finally "He caught that ball on the hop, why was the batter safe?" (I mentioned if they catch the ball, it is an out, and she was confused about what I meant.)
1) Absolutely loved the vid and hopefully i'll get into baseball soon enough 2) Not to be rude but i def think you should get a pop filter Outside of that, nun else to say besides u got a new subscriber😂
15:00, bonds didnt use any steroids in the 80s and he was one of the late bloomers in the steroid scandal (he started in 98 but really took off in the early 2000s and hank aaron had almost 3000 more at bats than bonds
It should be noted Bonds was tested by MLB for steroids and he never tested positive. It should be noted no players before 2003 were ever tested. Steroids were around for decades in the MLB but the media started focusing on it right around the time Bonds was breaking records, so bad luck for him.
Welp. Universal DH is here, and it's here to stay. Best get used to it lol. For me I don't mind the universal DH. Is it REALLY that fun watching a pitcher bunt or strike out in every at bat? I feel like watching pitchers be automatic outs just isn't that tantalizing. The only pitcher I want to see in the batter's box is Shohei Ohtani.
Factual correction: The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players of the early 1870s is *not* the same as today’s National League. The NA operated only from 1871-1875 and was then superseded by the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, which is the organization still going today. Great call, thouigh, on “The Glory of Their Times.” One of my favorite baseball books, though perhaps not appropriate for this video’s target audience.
Watching (or listening to) baseball is a leisurely activity done with friends in the summer time while enjoying a cold beer and hotdogs, and it’s slow pace of play, it’s starts and stops, is meant to facilitate discussion, argumentation, recollection, story-telling, mythmaking, razzing, pranks and just generally joviality and camaraderie between and among friend groups.
Baseball isn't intuitive or even obvious and success is relative. So the less you understand about the game, the less enjoyable it is. I completely understand why someone from Europe would see one game and shrug. IMHO, the largest obstacle baseball has in the US to building a future fan base is the fact that almost no games are available unless you subscribe to cable TV. Fortunately, this is somewhat offset by the fact that attending a game live is inexpensive compared to almost every other professional sport. If you take a bus or cab, you can probably get into games in most cities for less than $20 (and in many cases, less than $10) as long as it isn't a special or post-season game.
When I first moved to the USA it was October, 2000 and the World Series was on so my new family was watching it. They gave the confused English guy a primer of the rules, handed him a Yankees cap and said that's who I should be cheering for, and, from that day on having had zero interest in really any sport I was completely hooked. Baseball is unique, it's got this different pace of play and all this wonderful lore about it. I love it, always will.
Great story!
So you moved to New York? Have to make sure that you have a valid reason for being indoctrinated as a Yankee fan
@@tony6666 Florida, but my US family are all from NJ and PA. So, you're either a Yankees fan or Phillies fan (or both).
@@Zerbey yeah nobody supports local Florida teams.
@@tony6666, Northern NJ and Western CT are within the greater NYC Metropolitan Area and also a Yankees and Mets home market.
“Pittsburgh PNC Park has such a great view of Pittsburgh skyline that it distracts all who attends games there from how garbage the Pirates really are.”
I'm a Pirates fan. This video is snide as hell and I regret watching it. But he's right about this. My team sucks.
I feel that comment by the maker of this video wasn’t called for given the instructory premise. Grow up bro
he really didnt have to do em like that
Hilarious. And pretty accurate.
As a buccos fan, totally accurate.
Updates since this video was released:
- DH is now in both the AL and NL.
- Playoffs have been expanded to a total of 6 NL and 6 AL teams to make it into the playoffs.
- Players positioning themselves to prepare for a certain hitter, known as "the shift," will be banned as of the 2023 season.
I don’t like the fact that the switch is being banned. A good hitter should be able to place the ball “where they ain’t”. Instead it seems that most batters just hit the ball hard.
@@bobh6728 I have my doubts, but I'm willing to at least see it at the pro level before I decide for sure if I like it or not.
@@scygnius I think the defense should be able to place the fielders anyplace they want in fair territory. Restricting the defense because their positioning makes it harder to hit doesn’t make sense. That is the job of the defense.
Here is a crazy example to make my point. In an obvious bunt situation the defense puts all the fielders in the infield near the baselines to make a bunt impossible. So do we need to make a rule against that? No, the batter just needs to poke it over the infield and get a hit.
Same with the switch. If the defense puts everyone on the right side of the field, just hit it to the left. That would stop it without a rule. That’s the way teams I’ve been in always played. If the right fielder was shading over to center, you would hit it down the line. If the outfield played close to the foul line, hit it in the gap. If us amateur hitters can do that, surely the big leaguers can do the same.
"The switch?" I've always heard it referred to as "the shift."
Not happy about the removal of the DH or the switch. There, I said it.
As a Brit, I've been wanting to learn about the rules of Baseball for a long time now. I had watched 5 min videos here and there, all of which were pretty poor. I raised an eyebrow when I saw yours was over 20 minutes (too much the other way?) but it was spot on. Interesting, informative and witty. Nice one. 👍
pretty sure there's this dude on youtube that does sports rules explained in a very clear way that could be super helpful as well! if you look up "the rules of baseball explined" it'll come up
@@LilShrooms are you thinking of Ninh Explains? If so I also recommend his channel; he gives very concise and helpful descriptions
I recommend Jomboy Media he does breakdowns of cool or funny moments of MLB games
@@Eragonfrost You *really* have to know the rules already to get anything out of a Jomboy breakdown (otherwise it's just kinda stupid lipreading).
No way, there's tons of comedy just from the human behavior in jomboy videos that you dont even have to be a sports fan to enjoy.@@Kylora2112
That moment at the end where you explained the story of Jackie Robinson was so succinctly described that it almost brought me to tears to think of how beautiful it is that we celebrate him every year by taking the same defiant action they once took to protect him all those years ago.
Uppercut swing at The Pirates there 😂😂😂
That Javier Baez "play" shows how bad they are
Barely getting into baseball, I was caught off guard when he said they were a garbage team lol started cracking up 🤣
The Pirates are that asshole. Not that I'm in favor of this, but they are without a doubt the strongest argument for having a relegation system in North American Pro. Sports.
I´m from Uruguay and i love Baseball even though here nobody have any idea of how it is,, the sad part is the lack of interest in this wonderful sport. Thanks for this great video.
Thank you for this charming, brilliant video. I’m just getting into baseball for the first time in Australia during a lockdown, and your perfectly balanced little video has ticked all the boxes. Congrats and thanks. I owe ya!
Who's your favorite team?
The voice is boring 😴😴😴
The Chicago White Sox have a great closing pitcher named Liam Hendricks, he’s from Australia. You should look into him!
As a diehard baseball fan I absolutely loved this video. It’s an incredible overview of the sport. Now I feel like I need to watch the 20 hr documentary
I can vouch for Ken Burns as a documentary maker. In 2018 I suggested to my local library in England it should buy his very long documentary of the "Vietnam War", which the library did and it is a first class production covering a huge range of material.
Well done! As a baseball fan for over 40 years, this is possibly the best way to explain to people in my life who don't baseball to understand my seemingly inexplicable passion and immersion into this world. Your dry wit (e.g. think if Ghandi was fast) really makes it enjoyable.
Relatively new to the sport, and when I first heard about players wearing 42 on April 15th, I genuinely teared up a bit. I’ve never been a sports guy, I detest american football especially, but there’s something about baseball that just sits right with me and I love it a lot.
Same here, the only sports I follow are baseball and european football, and the only sport I hate is american football
That fucking violin music and painted art absolutely gives a ken burns vibe like no other. This was fucking well done lmao I’ve been doing dishes for about 30 minutes listening to random videos and this one came on and I love that homage to KB I had to stop and dry my hands to write this 😂
I got into baseball after watching a few games on TV while staying in Florida in 2019. The Nationals grabbed my attention for their team spirit and simply because they looked like they were having fun (easy when you're winning I guess). Of course, that year they went on to win the world series, so I was clearly their good luck charm and they have remained "my team". 2021 has been my second full season following MLB from back in the UK and only now do I feel like I'm "grasping" it. Still can't recognise which pitch is which though ;-)
There are a ton of fans who can't identify every pitch that is thrown. Don't sweat it! You can usually google which pitches the pitcher throws and from there its easier to guess
ua-cam.com/video/1FTFWzcgjHE/v-deo.html this is a great video covering the different types of pitches!
With the way these pitchers are throwing, the hitters don't know what pitch is which.
Just want to add to your scandal that what the Astros did that was against the rules was not the trash can banging. You can talk, yell, bang stuff, whistle, holler, use hand signs, etc, to communicate in the game. As long as the communication is not ELECTRONIC, you're fine. What they did was have a centerfield camera focused on the catcher (to see his signs to the pitcher) with a live feed into a monitor just down the stairs from their dugout, and that's the big no-no. The relay of this electronic surveillance was the banging. Had they simply read the pitcher's body language (something they got really good at later) or any other non-electronic surveillance method, and used the can to relay this information, they'd be within the rules. They'd also been known to whistle, once their trash can became an open secret in the league.
Love to see comments from non Americans that love baseball. I want the world to love baseball as I do.
As a German who fell in love with the sport at the age of 12 because of watching one movie, I can recommend also "The Pride of the Yankees". From today's perspective it's a cheesy 1942 biopic starring Gary Cooper as Lou Gherig but it captures very well the importance of the sport in the American society in the 30s and 40s. The other movie I recommend is Bull Durham which is just a darn good movie. The best book on baseball is "Ball Four".
The amount of honesty that this guy has in his video is why I’m clicking the subscribe button.
That and baseball
3:28 As a native Pittsburgher, this warmed my heart.
I am a lifelong baseball fan and I still enjoyed this video. Nice work.
For football/soccer enthusiasts, I have a cool comparison that can make some of us enjoy baseball. The duel between a pitcher and the batter is akin to a penalty shout-out. There's a great load of skill, anticipation and gambling... you have to anticipate were the opponent is going to send the ball but be way because he might bluff you and if you guess correctly you need the skill to pull it off.
Now, imagine nothing but these quick-fire "penalty shootouts" for three hours, plus loads of strategy and tension (and a dash of superstitious folklore), and now you understand why this sport is so beloved here.
Really entertaining and informative. Satiated my 3am thirst for knowledge on what the heck baseball is. From a European 'soccer' fan.
We had a girl from Turkmenistan who was a nurse where I work, and she got invited to a baseball game and asked me to explain how the game works so she wouldn't be confused watching the game. I discovered that it is far more difficult than I expected to explain baseball to someone who has never seen it before. I ended up drawing a field and using med vial caps to represent players. The force-out is impossible to explain without visual aides.
I’m from the U.K and have just recently gotten into baseball and your series of videos on baseball has massively helped me to understand the rules of the game, so thanks for doing such a great job explaining it all.
But I would love to see some videos explaining tactics in depth, because I’m still completely lost when it come to understanding why teams do certain things, or how teams adapt when facing certain opponents.
Cheers.
Welcome to the great game of baseball the oldest pro sports league in America and the second wealthiest in the world.I don't know if there are any videos on the tactics but there are forums where you can post questions.
Different shaped grounds also happen in cricket (and hence also in Australian football, as that is traditionally played on cricket pitches).
They're all an oval though. I don't think there's an equivalent to the Green Monster in cricket/Aussie rules.
@@jakestolar8457 Not really, most modern cricket grounds either have a rope or low fence around the boundary. The type of hitting in cricket doesn't usually lend itself to high fly balls, but in modern times there has been a shift to more power hitters like in baseball.
@@Zerbey LULZ
@@jakestolar8457 No, cricket fields don’t have to be ovals. There are certain maximum and minimum distances, but it can be any shape. Modern fields are usually oval or round but plenty of older cricket fields are odd shapes as determined by the restrictions of the property it was build on. Lord’s in England (the home of cricket) has a rectangular field with rounded corners, for instance. I think there are some asymmetrical cricket fields in England, too.
Here’s a video of some cricket grounds in England, most aren’t ovals. Even The Oval doesn’t have a true oval field.
ua-cam.com/video/IvkIsDhdupE/v-deo.html
I've been watching baseball (Yankees particularly) for literally as long as I can remember, my dad taught me the rules and everything when I was little and showed me the Yankees, and I've been hooked for life. This video was really well done
Born in US, fan since age 8, still loved your video. 67, still play slow-pitch softball. Who did the watercolors? They fit perfectly.
As someone who knows nothing about baseball this video was brilliant. Thank you for making it!
I was able to attend the 2 London games in 2019. It was a joy to be sitting there, and when discovered as an American, being asked numerous questions about finer points (stolen bases, sacrifice flys, pitch selection, etc.). Remember, it was 6-6 after the first inning of the first game. Great fun...
Red Sox vs Yankees is always a classic showdown
@@akiko3688 Not anymore
That sounds great. It was Cardinals Cubs this year. I'm glad to see the MLB seems to want to have rivalry games there. Good way to get into the sport even though it's hard to really see the presence of the rivalry when both teams are geographically playing away.
I went to both of those games as well. I'm a Cardinal fan...@@resmarted
The thing you said that is so true is that every game you watch, you'll see something new, or something you won't see for a long time. I would like to add that baseball has a certain spontaneity that other sports don't. When the ball hits the bat, literally anything can happen.
You're absolutely right - which can be a bit of a curse. Because so many different things can happen, you need rules that can address all those things, and it causes the rulebook to appear a lot more complex than it actually is. There is a rule for something you might never see watching 100 games, but there still needs to be a rule for that event - if it were to happen. I think it intimidates newcomers. I think it needs to be made clear to these newcomers, that you can enjoy pretty much every game only understanding 5% of the rules. There are just so many different things that have to be addressed - things that happen so rarely.
That Jackie Robinson story about all of them wearing 42 just gets me everytime. Baseball is such a unique sport, I just love watching theis game.
I like how you mention you enjoy going to games more than watching it on TV because you can see defensive shifts and other small details in the game better. While true, Id also like to point out that watching on TV has it's entertainment advantages too. If you love watching pitching and pitching strategy, or just love watching nasty sliders, watching on TV is going to be a better experience for the most part. When at the game, you're not going to be able to see the pitchers stuff and location unless youre sitting like directly behind home plate, and even then you have the ump in your way. So I have always enjoyed watching on TV for that reason. Being at the game is a completely different experience though as you can take in the sites and sounds a whole lot more
@TheOnDeckCircle
I think you forgot the psychological game between the pitcher and the one at-bat.
Imo that is the most intense part of baseball:
Who intimidates who, and what does that lead to!
Getting behind in the count, or being forced to pitch strikes, that is so fascinating to watch.
Unfortunately we dont have good options for _the show_ in Denmark, so i am SO grateful for youTube in cooperation with MLB for broadcasting a MLB-game semi-weekly!
*THANK-YOU* MLB & UA-cam!!!
I completely agree, if you're ever going to truly love and understand every level of the game, you need to understand that psychological battle between the batter and pitcher. Knowing the pitcher's arsenal, the batter's power and bat-to-ball skills, any weaknesses in the hitters swing, the count and how that effects pitch selection and location, etc, all these things are a huge part of how you can best enjoy watching a game.
Just like how most Americans call football (soccer) boring because they don't understand the intricacies of the game, it's easy to find baseball boring if you miss out on this huge aspect
I live in the UK, Baseball isn't much of a thing here. It's got a cult following, but other than about 10,000 players, no one else know much about it. Either way, there have been a few teams popping up over the years, which have potential, I even saw a game in person the other week, and we can get MLBTV which broadcast to the UK, and sometimes air free games.
LULZ
@@philithegamer8265 What's so funny? I think it's great that - despite the small following - those that due follow are passionate about it.
@@TickleMeElmo55 Baseball outside of the United States, Latin America and Japan is just way too niche at best.
came from ny to London for the red Sox yanks series before covid. so glad i went. good times
@@philithegamer8265 that doesn’t warrant laughter… at least from any sane person
8:57 As an AFC Wimbledon supporter, I felt that.
I wonder why they don't appear to have AFC Wimbledon type Phoenix clubs in the States when teams are relocated? The whole concept of just shifting a club lock stock and barrel from its geographical heartland is obscene.
@@GarybaldbeeBecause unfortunately there's no pro/rel in American sports leagues. If your team gets relocated, your only hope of replacing them is through another team moving to your town or via MLB expansion. Easily the worst part of being an American sports fan, obscene is a good word for it.
Clueless Norwegian here, looking into this mystery sport after rewatching an old Star Trek DS9 episode. Great video.
Take Me Out to the Holosuite combines my absolute two favorite things.
I'm curious to know what people new to baseball thinks of the Brad Pitt film Moneyball.
Simple, informative, beautiful - that's how your content is. Mighty impressed. New subscriber here from India.
I love your content.
This is your masterpiece.
Thank you so much!
What a way to end a video👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽I stopped watching baseball for a couple of years, now that I'm dealing with so much in my life, I'm getting back at it again. God, what a fun sport and I'm starting again to feel that love for it. Imma see if I start practicing it again...which is hard with college and work, but I will. Thank you for this video, mate, baseball like soccer/football is so special sport
This was absolutely beautifully done and you reminded me of so many reasons why I love the game. Thank you
Whoever did the art did an amazing job
Great video. Please do an addendum with the new rules: DH in both leagues, pitch clock, limited infield shifts, extra baserunner in extra innings, limited blocking of home plate by catcher, limited running into infielder to break up double play.
Is it sad that I have watched KB Baseball doc, start to finish, a dozen times or more?
I loved it. And then I loved falling asleep to it. NOt because it was boring ( c'mon, whats boring about BB?) but becasue of John Chancellor's amazing narration.
Not at all, I watch it almost every offseason. Watching Ken Burns Baseball next to the fire while it's cold and rainy out is one of the coziest ways to get through the winter
As a child of immigrants to America (turned citizens), the sporting landscape of America was mostly foreign. Basketball was the only sport that my mother and father were remotely familiar with, so understanding sports such as baseball and American football was an activity unto itself. Back in my parents' homeland my late grandfather on my mother's side loved baseball. When he came to visit us in the States he was glued to the tv watching baseball when it was on. I then in turn took interest in the sport, but only slightly; growing up basketball became my favorite sport. As I matured I returned to baseball and eventually learned to appreciate and love it. I wish it was played more widely internationally, though.
3:13 Idk if this was even intentional but I love that you said that the Astros canned it
A beautiful and funny audio-visual essay; enjoyed it
Thank you for your contribution. I'm European and therefor only know baseball through the American friends I've got to know along the way. What attracts me to baseball is calmness it masters with its sudden moments of intensity. Keep going please
It's similar to watching some (European) football matches. Defending and midfield passes that barely make it to the penalty box all game. Suddenly two goals get scored back to back
There has been a high standard of the game played in numerous European nations for decades. I worked as a volunteer in the News Sevice at the Sydney Olympics and saw and spoke with members of teams from Italy, Nederlands and even South Africa. Of course all the well known nations were represented in the final eight nations that competed.
Baseball is an anaerobic sport. A bit of idle inactivity followed by explosive reactions.
Your video has got Joe Pera vibes... which is to say you have quite the calming narration style.
I couldn't go without saying the content was informative, well-compiled, and surprisingly entertaining. Handy stuff for the baseball-themed English class I'm teaching today.
I never like a video.. but this video was amazing! Your humor is world class, and made this entire tutorial so interesting!
I'm from India and I've been watching baseball since the 1990s and understand the game quite a bit. I'm also a big cricket fan which is an equally fascinating game. I hope someone makes a similar video on cricket. Trust me it's going to be exiting. Cricket has been around for long time, it's complex and elegant, full of scandals, its shortest version has more action than baseball and yes the fielding team (defense) doesn't wear mitts. No sissies in cricket. 😜
I'm from the USA but I lived in India for about a year and that's how I learned how cricket works... it (among many other things) was interesting to find myself in a place where the number one most popular sport was one that I hadn't really ever thought much about. And I agree, once you have some understanding of how it all works, it really is a lot of fun. On a few occasions I was invited by coworkers to watch T20 matches and I had an absolute blast.
A famous British Cricketeer ( I cannot remember his name now) as promotion gimmick went to a spring training camp with the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox. He made the same comment about the mitts until he had hardliner hit to him when he played shortstop during a game. That is when as he put it found out why they wear mitts.
But also the batter in cricket wears a lot more padding than in baseball
@@Breakhammer82 That's because going for the batter's body is a legitimate tactic in cricket. It's done to intimidate or to break the concentration. Batter doesn't get a free walk upon being hit in cricket. He might get a magic spray. 😉
@@coleparker Short stop and catcher wear mitts as ball gets to them at high speed but why should outfielders wear them. Releasing the ball can be quicker without the mitts. Anyway that's how it is. That's what makes both the sport unique. And it's actually 'cricketer' and not 'cricketeer'. 😉
Hope this video will get more views. As a european football fan I loved it!
This is simply a great, well made video. Informative, interesting, to the point.
I'm an European from a small country fanatic about football (⚽) you Americans might know as Spain, but it's actually Portugal. I learned the basis from MLB the show and it was really nice to get to know a bit more about the lore of this great sport from this beautifully and tastefully made video. Thank you!
P.s. Fyi there's a paid sports channel in France that shows some of the games. Maybe one day I'll watch a full game
Why would we know Portugal as Spain?
What a gorgeous video representing my favorite sport. Thank you for this.
Every documentary Ken Burns has done is a masterpiece, not seen the baseball one yet though, will definitely give it a go
Leo Durocher said it best. Baseball is like church, many attend but few understand
he also said nice guys finish last.
hey man tysm for this video i learned a lot and i like the illustrations, i like ur sense of humour it caught me off guard so it was like double funny, i feel like a kno a lot now and i relly liked the recommendations at the end!!! i dont like watching movies but maybe i will give the game a chance !!!! i really liked the last words at the end, so much passion man
In contrary to the opinion here, I love watching baseball on tv bcos I can see the pitchers’ movements clearly. I think I can see all things that happen on the field. 💕💕
Great video. I don't like baseball but love Jomboy's breakdowns.
Already a fan of baseball, still enjoyed this video. Very well made, good job 👍
Love learning with a little sarcasm sprinkled in the mix ❤️
I'm from and still live in the UK (Scotland to be precise) and I am a fanatic about baseball since visiting St Louis in 2012. 10 years on and I watch as many Cardinals games throughout the season as humanly possible. When I worked nightshift it was easier as I could watch the afternoon games (typically around 6/7pm here) and the evening games (typically around midnight/1am and the 3am games if it was a west coast game) but even now I still get to watch around 100/110 games a season. I purchase shirts, hats, hoodies and nobody over here gets it really. It really is an amazing game and all the little intricacies and nuances make it that bit better. Even now whilst watching games I still find myself on Google, looking up what certain abbreviations mean and who a player used to play for and certain records and stuff.
Anyway, that's enough rambling from me. Just wanted to share my thoughts 🤣🤣🤣
you can always record games and watch them at your convenience.
currently the cards are number one in their division.
@@hifijohn I get what you're saying but I watch on a dodgy (very good) illegal stream 🤣🤣 recording isn't an option. I'm currently sat watching us against the Reds 🤞
@@hifijohn 2 run walk off dinger 🤟
@@GrandSlamScotty they played today beat the reds by one run
the reds is one of the original MLB teams, short for red stockings their original name, the cards also get their name from their color-- cardinal red.
how did you pick the cards?? My team is the cubs the cards big rivalry. though not this season we are near the bottom.the cards are number one in their division but only one game ahead of the brewers.
@@hifijohn visited St Louis about 10 years ago and went to a few games. Hooked ever since. Try not to miss too many games on the TV or on my phone.
Great video. I just got into baseball in the last year due to MLB the show. I get the technical side now, and understand some of the history, but what i'm really missing is what people think of the teams. Barring the Astros (i am aware of the controversy), why do people love/hate certain teams? Why are the pirates mocked? I thought with the draft system it meant teams should ebb and flow from being good to being bad, but is that not the case? I think i'm going to support the padres as they have a fun name and they picked up my player in career mode, but i dont want to find out everyone hates them when i do get to come over the USA! Keep it up, thanks :)
The draft should, in theory, even things out but it's difficult in baseball because players can take a number of years to come up through the minor leagues while others will come up within a year or two of being drafted. And then, many times players just don't turn out to be as good as people think they will. By the time you realize your top draft pick isn't going to be good you've been losing for another five seasons.
I went in depth in another comment about the Pirates, basically they don't appear to make a serious effort to sign good players, even after many years of having large attendances (because people went to their games to see the stadium).
Most people don't like certain teams just because they're rivals of their favorite team, typically it's a regional thing as I'm sure is the case in many sports.
There is no really hated team in baseball except maybe the Yankees because they buy all the good players. If a team is hated it’s mostly team rivals. Yankees/Red Sox, giants/dodgers, dodgers/Padres, Cubs/cardinals or Athletics/Astros are examples. The Padres are a team no one cares about enough to hate so don’t worry about them being “hated”
For the most part there aren't really any teams that are universally hated. Most non Yankees fans hate the Yankees, but it's not really cuz anybody actually has anything against them, it's just they historically win a lot. Idk what other sports you watch, but it's similar to my understanding of the attitude against teams like Manchester United for Premier League fans, or more recently in American Football the Patriots/Tom Brady or whatever team he's on at that point. People usually hate other teams cause of rivalries. Yankees and the Red Sox are probably the biggest rivals in the MLB. There aren't many teams that have nearly that large a rivalry, but in general if you're a fan of a team you at least don't like the other teams in the division.
The draft in baseball is helpful, but getting a good draft pick doesn't necessarily cause an immediate change in the quality of a team like it does in sports like basketball and american football. The hard thing about baseball is the difference in skill level between top prospects from college, and MLB players is so large, that you usually can't just throw them into the MLB. Even most of the best players need time in the minor leagues to work their way up and kind of ease their way up to the skill level required to play in the MLB. But this means it usually takes time for a good prospect to make their way up to the MLB, and on top of that a player can look great in college, or look like they have a lot of potential, but as great as they are now they just are never able to hit a major league curveball. So even if you have a first overall draft pick, you're still gambling on if the player is going to be good, and even if they are good it usually takes time for them to make it to the MLB and really have an impact on your team. Statistically only about 66% of first round picks make it to the MLB, and most of those people don't even end up being very good. Even if you look at the first overall, only about half of them become an all star, and only 3 were ever good enough to be a hall of famer. If you look at the NBA though, since 1965 there have been 16 hall of famers picked overall, and most of them were all stars. So yeah, basically even if you have a first overall pick in the MLB, you're taking a small gamble on the far future of the franchise, but in the NBA and other sports, you're basically deciding the next year of your team.
And finally, as a pirates fan, the reason the pirates are clowned on so much is just cuz we have been so bad for so long. The last time the pirates won the division was 1992, and since then we have only made it to the playoffs once, where we lost in the first round. The problem is mostly our owner. He's incredibly cheap, and puts no effort into making the team good. Last year the Pirates only spent about $25 million on their players. (the players who were on our team by the end of the year). Last year Trevor Bauer also signed a contract with the dodgers that made him $28 million last year, plus another $10 million as a signing bonus. So basically the Pirates owner is so cheap, that everyone on our roster combined is worth less than some players in the MLB. Upper management, has no plans or incentive to actually try, and in fact they actively not try because it gets them more money. So yeah, the Pirates are a joke because the owner is a joke and doesn't even try to have a competitive team
@@Oreo41212 People also think Yankees fans are insufferable at best and dangerous at worst; everyone knows about the "Bleacher Creatures".
To add more perspective about how bad the Pirates have been; from 1993 - 2012, the Pirates did not have a single season with a winning record, and though they became good (and returned to the playoffs) in 2013, it didn't last long and by 2016 they were bad again, which is what they've been ever since.
And it's worth noting that the Pirates are far from the only baseball team suffering from long-term futility; the Seattle Mariners haven't made it back to the playoffs since 2001, and the Kansas City Royals missed the playoffs entirely from 1986-2013 (and were terrible for most of those years) and have remained mostly awful ever since (though they did at least win a World Series during their three year window of winning baseball).
On the flip side, some teams are seemingly never bad; everyone's already mentioned the Yankees, but the Los Angeles Dodgers (basically the West Coast NL version of the Yankees plus Silicon Valley-level analytics) have spent almost the entirety of the last decade winning their division, and the St. Louis Cardinals have had only one losing season since the beginning of this century (which came the year after they won a World Series, at that!). There was also that period where the Atlanta Braves won their division every year from 1991-2005 (except for strike-shortened 1994, and they still had a pretty good chance of finishing first had the season been completed).
Love your channel! Thanks for this episode!
I began watching baseball casually after attending a few live games. baseball is more bearable seeing games at a ball park.
Not a bad job in 21 minutes! I wish I weren't three years behind here, but when you do a good job, it stands the test of time.
By now, 2024, they're using the DH in both leagues. I'm a Cardinals fan - not so fanatic as I once was - and I saw the change coming awhile back. I say that because I accepted it awhile back.
As far as the game being boring, I always said you had to play the game to understand it. I was bitten playing three years of Little League and getting cut four years in high school. I still learned a lot.
Yet, even I lose interest at times - and although baseball remains my favorite sport, I haven't been to a game in a decade and seldom follow on radio anymore. I've just gotten older and my passions have changed.
On Fred Snodgrass: my favorite baseball book is, "The Glory of Their Times." If I recall, Snodgrass was actually a catcher playing the outfield at the time of the historic muff. Not that he wasn't capable at his position (center field?) - he just erred - as we all do. McGraw, his manager, and his teammates weren't as hard on him as the media and the public - folk who never stepped into the, "World between the lines," never played under such pressure, didn't have the talent to be out there in the first place.
Last point: to this day, I've never seen Ken Burns's historic documentary, "Baseball." I saw his work on the Civil War, but was working when his treatment of the Game aired, and haven't bought a DVD set yet. Maybe I did see one complete episode when I happened to be off.
Oh, and I liked your choice of music for the video: reminded me of Carter Burwell's score for the second, "True Grit." Good video!
Enjoyed your video presentation. I think some people do feel baseball is boring to watch on television as a "spectator sport", compared to the NFL, NBA, and NHL. Like you mentioned there is no game or play or shot clock, so some might find it's played at too much of a leisurely pace. While watching a baseball game on TV , I once tried to explain to a family member , why baseball is not boring. I'm not sure what that family member found more boring, my explanation or the game being televised.
I love your channel, thank you for the videos
Great vid! I would also recommend the movie Bad New Bears! I seem to recall an episode of the Simpsons where Homer decides to quit drinking beer for a month. He's sitting at a ballgame and says to himself, "I didn't realize how boring this game was!"
471 views? So much trash on the internet, and such a great video has 471 views. Worried about humanity..
Worth noting on the ties:
This is only in Major League baseball. Ties do exist in other leagues, such as the NPB where the teams tie after 12 innings of play.
Brilliant. I really enjoyed this video. I've recently only been introduced to baseball through a gentleman I'm very much attracted to. I'm trying to learn more so that when we watch games together, I understand it better. He's also been explaining the basics to me too, but I wanted to do some of my own research. I've actually been enjoying watching clips, highlights and then I found this video. Excellent content, well done! Maybe me and this gentleman whom I like will be able to go to a game once I can come to the US to see him. P.S the liking/attraction is mutual 😅
Do you have a favorite team?
@@notmarcus17 I absolutely do. Detroit Tigers. That said gentleman I mentioned is still very much in my life and we have been together almost a year now, that also happens to be his team.
@@nicollemary3164 cool
Im a big fan a BB and it history. IVe never heard of the #42 incident with JR. Brilliant. Funny and tragic, with a heartwarming outcome.
MLB The Show really helped me appreciate baseball a lot. Its available as easily as most sports games in Canada.
I've gotten into MLB baseball again recently after decades of trying and failing. It's the first time I've grasped why the rules and the way it's played might be more appealing that what cinematic pitcher-batter standoff representations of the sport would suggest - even tho that's a very cool part of it.. Btw, 12 days in , I saw someone steal third base (might've been the Mariners), which I understand is very rare. Thank god for highlights, though, cuz whereas the NFL leaves you wanting more, the MLB over delivers like crazy. I'd be interested to know what part of it people ignore and what helps keep the magic alive.
The magic of baseball comes from going through the ups and downs of a 162 baseball season. Also the game has very intense moments and is timeless therefore possibilities are infinite
The "magic" that keeps it alive is when a team like the Braves lose an MVP-caliber player that can field and hit really well, and still win. They lost their MVP and made three off-the-grid trades for outfielders that proved to be quite substantial. They proceeded to win the World Series after having to climb the ranks in their division and beat the World Series favorites, a juggernaut Dodgers team. All without the MVP. They only won 88 games, which is not a lot of games in comparison to other championship-winning teams.
The Red Sox sale of the Ruth was related to a few specific items. Ruth was demanding a lot of money and was quite a troublemaker off the field (he was quite the partier, would show up late to games, etc). The Sox grew tired of this and decided they wanted to get rid of him. Due to an ongoing feud with the American League President, Ban Johnson, only two other teams would deal with the Sox...The Yankees and White Sox. At the time, the Yankees and Red Sox were more allies than rivals, as the Yankees had never won anything. During this time frame, the Red Sox and Yankees executed many deals for players, most of which made the Yankees into a powerhouse.
I need more info on this
Oh boy I’ve baseballed so much in my life, it’s nice to watch this 💜
I recently fell in love with baseball and I just turned 30 in February. Baseball had always been around the periphery of my life and I was always an outsider looking in that didn’t get it. It wasn’t until I got into the rich history of baseball that I really started to gain a significant interest. Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson (of course), Shoeless Joe Jackson, Cal Ripken Jr., Ken Griffey Sr. & Jr., Yogi Berra, Sandy Koufax and on and on. I began growing a patriotic romanticism for it. After all, there’s a reason why the saying “As American As Baseball And Apple Pie” exists. I started watching highlight reels of all the wild shit that has happened then entire games uploaded on UA-cam and now watching the 2024 season. If you would of told me 5 years ago I’d become a big baseball fan, I’d say you’re insane. But man is it a wonderful game.
7:02 AL and NL actually only ceased operating as separate entities in 2000
As somebody who don't baseball, I couldn't follow the video after less than a minute of "rules, briefly" section. Too much baseball jardon for me. I'm very happy that baseball fans are happy about this video. I find the "Who Don't Baseball" part of the title to be misleading.
I play townball, and I have some friends and loved ones who come to watch me play but do not understand the game at all. Some of their comments are hilarious but instructive as to how little people who don't follow baseball know about the game. Some quotes:
"Who is the man with the fanny pack who collects all the balls?" (In reference to the home plate ump)
"You didn't swing, how come you are out?" (Yes, backward K for me.)
"Isn't everyone in the outfield? They are out in the field." (Outfield vs. Infield)
"Why do you start with runners on first and third?" (Basecoaches are confusing)
"You didn't get a turn to hit that time, what happened?" (My daughter didn't understand outs, and thought everyone got an at-bat each inning.)
"There is no one on that side of the field, why not just bunt it and get a hit to lead off an inning?" (Ok, this is my question about beating the shift.)
"Do they throw something else besides a ball? Why are some called balls and others strikes?" (No knowledge of the game at all, and terminology is weird.)
And finally
"He caught that ball on the hop, why was the batter safe?" (I mentioned if they catch the ball, it is an out, and she was confused about what I meant.)
Gives this video a thumbs up!!! So underrated...
This video was awesome! Loved it.
Beautiful video about the greatest game ever devised. Thank you.
MLB, give this dude his own show on your network!
good video but yeah all cricket grounds are different sizes to the boundary and its also different of football (soccer pitches as well)
1) Absolutely loved the vid and hopefully i'll get into baseball soon enough
2) Not to be rude but i def think you should get a pop filter
Outside of that, nun else to say besides u got a new subscriber😂
Thank you for a great explanation of Baseball.
Incredible video! Thank you for your work :)
I, a Brazilian learning about baseball, can totally relate to you learning about European football 😂
Does the batter have to run to the bases when they hit a home run? Or does he get automatic run without running?
he has to run.
He has to hit every base and at least once per season someone hits a game ending homer and forgets and the other team calls them out on it.
2:15 am and I played for like 14 years, yet I still watch lol
15:00, bonds didnt use any steroids in the 80s and he was one of the late bloomers in the steroid scandal (he started in 98 but really took off in the early 2000s and hank aaron had almost 3000 more at bats than bonds
It should be noted Bonds was tested by MLB for steroids and he never tested positive. It should be noted no players before 2003 were ever tested. Steroids were around for decades in the MLB but the media started focusing on it right around the time Bonds was breaking records, so bad luck for him.
Superb video! I love your self aware and self (American) deprecation. It was funny and refreshing
You need to make autotranslate available for this.
I don't like the designated hitter. Having the pitcher hit forces more strategy from the managers.
Welp. Universal DH is here, and it's here to stay. Best get used to it lol.
For me I don't mind the universal DH. Is it REALLY that fun watching a pitcher bunt or strike out in every at bat? I feel like watching pitchers be automatic outs just isn't that tantalizing.
The only pitcher I want to see in the batter's box is Shohei Ohtani.
Factual correction: The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players of the early 1870s is *not* the same as today’s National League. The NA operated only from 1871-1875 and was then superseded by the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, which is the organization still going today.
Great call, thouigh, on “The Glory of Their Times.” One of my favorite baseball books, though perhaps not appropriate for this video’s target audience.
You didn’t talk about the cubs World Series drought?
Watching (or listening to) baseball is a leisurely activity done with friends in the summer time while enjoying a cold beer and hotdogs, and it’s slow pace of play, it’s starts and stops, is meant to facilitate discussion, argumentation, recollection, story-telling, mythmaking, razzing, pranks and just generally joviality and camaraderie between and among friend groups.
its a pastime, can't have a pastime if time doesn't pass by. :D
Baseball isn't intuitive or even obvious and success is relative. So the less you understand about the game, the less enjoyable it is. I completely understand why someone from Europe would see one game and shrug. IMHO, the largest obstacle baseball has in the US to building a future fan base is the fact that almost no games are available unless you subscribe to cable TV. Fortunately, this is somewhat offset by the fact that attending a game live is inexpensive compared to almost every other professional sport. If you take a bus or cab, you can probably get into games in most cities for less than $20 (and in many cases, less than $10) as long as it isn't a special or post-season game.