Baseball Rules for Beginners

[k9david]

Hi all, i am visiting the US in September and will be going to my first Baseball match in San Francisco.

We are going to see the Giants vs the LA Dodgers at the AT&T stadium, really excited at the prospect.

Now i expect i will be flamed but was hoping that someone could point me towards the best place for the basic rules. I don't wish to appear a total dodo sitting in the crowd not having a clue whats going on.

Any other suggestions to make the visit more memorable would be appreciated, i have the tickets and a parking permit as i guess parking and traffic around the stadium would be grim

The only onfo i have picked up is that the Garlic fries are a must have

Thanks in advance

[AlpineE92M3]

Typically a game is 9 innings. Easch team tries to score as many runs as they can, the pitching team is on defense and tries to strike out the batting team 3 times. Then they switch. Once both teams strike out 3 times, it's the end of the inning. The team who has the most runs in the 9th inning wins, unless both teams strike out in the 9th, then they go on to extra innings, 10th, 11th more if needed. That's basically a beginners crash course on how baseball is played.

[csu87]

# 1 rule of baseball is there is no crying in baseball

# 2 rule is get as drunk as you can, eat way too many peanuts/sunflower seeds and yell at anyone who is cheering for the team you arent cheering for.

# 3 rule is if a foul ball/HR comes at you, use your bare hand and dont spill your beer. That will get you on Sportscenter and give you insta street cred.

[Delta0311]

Rule number 1, try not to fall asleep. Baseball is about as exciting as that janitorial event at the winter Olympics.

[jeveryday]

Being that your location says Dorset(which i guess is in the UK) first know that this is in NO WAY as exciting as watching soccer at a stadium.

1. Drink beer, eat popcorn and hot dogs

2. Everything AlpineE92M3 already said

3. 7th inning stretch(middle of the 7th inning), almost like intermission(game stops)

4. Mascot is a Seal

[jeveryday]

Originally Posted by Delta0311

Rule number 1, try not to fall asleep. Baseball is about as exciting as that janitorial event at the winter Olympics.

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by Delta0311

Rule number 1, try not to fall asleep. Baseball is about as exciting as that janitorial event at the winter Olympics.

Only if you're clueless about the game.

[Delta0311]

Originally Posted by bmw1racer

Only if you're clueless about the game.

Played that and football through most of my childhood years and teens. I'm no pro but not clueless either.

[csu87]

Originally Posted by bmw1racer

Only if you're clueless about the game.

I played baseball for years, been going to games for even longer, and it is still boring if all you do is watch the game. And forget about sitting down and watching a full regular season game on TV without doing something else.

The best part about baseball is the atmosphere in the stadium, and the games you can play during the game while there. If you think baseball is a fast paced seat of your pants experience, I invite you to watch literally any other ball sport except golf.

Now if you are at a playoff game, or one of those play in games, its completely different, but that is still more because of the stadium environment than the actual game. I was at the Rockies play in game, then one of the World Series games when they made their run, and it was a completely different experience than the 100s of regular season games Ive been to.

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by Delta0311

Played that and football through most of my childhood years and teens. I'm no pro but not clueless either.

Sorry, I didn't mean that as a dig.

A lot of people say baseball is boring because of the inaction in between plays, but I think that's what makes it exciting: the anticipation/tension of what could happen next...

[Delta0311]

Being at the game is pretty fun though, the atmosphere makes it entertaining. I played sports most of my life and personally I find watching nearly all sports on TV to be fucking boring. Even football is boring as all hell due to all the down time; hang out for a minute and then the actual play is usually just a few seconds; rinse and repeat.

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by Delta0311

Even football is boring as all hell due to all the down time; hang out for a minute and then the actual play is usually just a few seconds; rinse and repeat.

What sucks are all of the timeouts: team timeouts, referee timeouts, TV station timeouts... And you could say the same for b-ball.

[csu87]

Originally Posted by Delta0311

Being at the game is pretty fun though, the atmosphere makes it entertaining. I played sports most of my life and personally I find watching nearly all sports on TV to be fucking boring. Even football is boring as all hell due to all the down time; hang out for a minute and then the actual play is usually just a few seconds; rinse and repeat.

I always fall asleep during halftime/3rd quarter and wake up just in time in the 4th quarter to watch my Cowboys blow it. But atleast my dreams are action packed. When I fall asleep watching baseball, my dreams put dream me to sleep as well.

OP, in all honesty, I would wager that only maybe 50% of the people at the game know anything more than 9 innings, 2 halfs per inning, 3 outs per half. You'll be fine and just cheer when the people around you are cheering.

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by csu87

I always fall asleep during halftime/3rd quarter and wake up just in time in the 4th quarter to watch my Cowboys blow it.

There's your problem right there.

[k9david]

Wow, thanks for all the responses, so basically i don't need to know much more than the basics, cheer when everyone else does, drink and eat to much and make sure i don't fall asleep. Sounds like a good afternoon or a visit to my mother in laws (not the cheering part)

Some of our soccer games can be boring as hell and if you have ever watched cricket then thats just an endless visit to the beer tent and toilet. Its amazing whats deemed a spectator sport here, darts and crown green bowling (not 10 pin) for example. Theres even a new TV programme that involves celebrities and sheep

We wanted to see a NFL or College footaball match but it seems almost impossible to buy tickets over here in the UK.

Anyway many thanks again, really appreciated.

[crimson49er]

do get garlic fries (you'll be able to smell them once you get within a couple blocks of the stadium)
do hit up the bars before (& after) across the street from the ball park
do bring a sweater/jacket. even in the peak of summer, it gets into the 50's at night
Don't wear blue....Dodgers suck, GO GIANTS

What an awesome game for a first baseball game. This is the oldest rivalry in Baseball (both team moved to California from New York). They are division rivals and it looks like this series is going to decide who wins the division & makes the post season!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=skOsApsF0jQ

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by crimson49er

Don't wear blue....Dodgers suck, GO GIANTS

Au contraire, the Giants are doing the sucking (NL West standings check).

[csu87]

Originally Posted by k9david

Wow, thanks for all the responses, so basically i don't need to know much more than the basics, cheer when everyone else does, drink and eat to much and make sure i don't fall asleep. Sounds like a good afternoon or a visit to my mother in laws (not the cheering part)

Some of our soccer games can be boring as hell and if you have ever watched cricket then thats just an endless visit to the beer tent and toilet. Its amazing whats deemed a spectator sport here, darts and crown green bowling (not 10 pin) for example. Theres even a new TV programme that involves celebrities and sheep

We wanted to see a NFL or College footaball match but it seems almost impossible to buy tickets over here in the UK.

Anyway many thanks again, really appreciated.

We can get that here too, but it only comes on late at night and costs a few extra bucks

[Flying Ace]

Originally Posted by csu87

# 1 rule of baseball is there is no crying in baseball.

this rule is not universally followed...

[csu87]

Id cry too if I was on the Mets. But Im sure those were tears of joy since he thought he was being traded away.

[k9david]

Seems theres the same rivalry as we have in the UK between supporters, think I'll wear a neutral shirt in case I'm in the wrong section of the stadium.

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by k9david

Seems theres the same rivalry as we have in the UK between supporters, think I'll wear a neutral shirt in case I'm in the wrong section of the stadium.

Good idea.

Some people take it way too far, especially after several beers... Then they end up on the news and in jail and/or in the hospital.