American Sports Thread

Started by magickingdom, October 28, 2007, 06:02:17 PM

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Hound

World Series ceist

I watched and enjoyed some of the games in the World Series, but the one thing that confused my was the rotation of the pitchers. For example in the 4th game, when Lester got tired for Boston, they brought on DelCarmen and Timlin for about an innings each, whereas to my untrained eye they would have been miles better off using Matsuzaka and Schilling for an innings or two instead.

heganboy

the issue with pitchers is rest, most require 4 days (or usually 5) before they can go in the rotation again. With schilling and matsuzaka having thrown in that time it would be risking their arm to let them throw. The boys that come in after lester are middle relievers and are specialists, they throw in many cases only a few pitches to get out a specific type of batter. At this stage in the game its very much like a chess match. Pitchers and batters are chosen by the manager for specific match ups given the situation the game is in.
Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity

The Real Laoislad

Quote from: the Deel Rover on October 30, 2007, 01:55:05 PM
Quote from: The Real Laoislad on October 30, 2007, 01:39:46 PM
Watched a Larcrosse match on NASN the other night....Strange sport

is that the game with netted sticks and they move the ball up the field by throwing it from player to player if it is yea its a strange sport

Thats it.
You'll Never Walk Alone.

Gabriel_Hurl

Lacrosse is a great sport - some say that's where the sport of hurling came from

Balboa

Do you chaps prefer to "pitch" or "catch" ?  :P

Gabriel_Hurl

I prefer to play 3rd base myself

Puckoon

Quote from: deiseach on October 30, 2007, 11:08:03 AM
Okay, American football fans. Am I right in assuming that an 82 yard throw for a touchdown in overtime, while spectacular, is likely to give a coach a coronary? The chances of it being intercepted at that range are high. A coach would surely insist that they take as long as it takes to grind up to field goal range. Or am I missing something?

Deisach, AZOfally has rightly answered your question. One extra titbit however. When favre is your quarterback, youd better have a decent ticker in you, otherwise youll suffer alot. When he is good he is spectacular, when he sucks, he sucks big time. He is always looking for the big play. Infact, in his press conference last night (which seemed to go on forever) he pretty much said they had designed the play to hit the tight end up the middle, as the corners were playing inside, and the safeties were playing outside. When he got the ball, he noticed that the faked play action had worked so well, that denver were playing a single safety against the wide reciever and "He just knew that the perfect throw would enable the wide reciever to make the play".
Simple I guess. :-\

Hound

Thanks heganboy. Throwing that ball must be more tiring than it looks!

AZOffaly

They put some force into that Hound, especially on something like a fastball. A major league fastball pitcher would throw anywhere from the low to high 90s and sometimes above. Some pitchers are more subtle, and try to throw a lot of different pitches like change ups, curveballs and sliders, but the amount of pitches they throw, combined with the effort expended makes throwing a lot of pitches (which starters tend to do) with little rest, hard to do.

Also, there is the mentality thing as well. Relief pitchers are trained, and mentally tuned in, to enter games in full swing, when serious economy and accuracy are needed. Sometimes starters make bad relievers because they are used to setting the tempo themselves, and pitching their way into games.

As an aside, I once saw a game where the pitcher broke his arm throwing a pitch. The torque and pressure on the bone as he brought his arm forward just snapped the bone. It's happened a couple of times, but I remember that game well. I think Tampa Bay were playing.

Also, as an indication of how hard those lads throw in reality, this is what happens when a Randy Johnson 95mph  fastball meets a pigeon :D

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7251290349714298106

Gabriel_Hurl

put it into perspective - this is a simulation of what your reaction time would need to be to hit a 90mph fastball

http://www.exploratorium.edu/baseball/reactiontime.html

0.18 seconds - to hit a homer

AZOffaly

Yeah Gab, and thats not trying to figure out is it high, low, inside, outside etc etc. And only at 90 mph.

stpauls

that clip of the bird getting walloped was class, not because the bird got hit but the puff of feathers that came with it! what are the chances of that happening again?

anyone on the thread interested in the NBA, or basketball in general?

Gabriel_Hurl

I'm going to the Raptors opening game tomorrow night

lfdown2

hav to say i think nba is terrible from what iv seen of it its a shoot out from the line with the odd bounce thrown in, though college is a different story, think its great!!

AZOffaly

the NBA is my least favoured 'major' North American sport. I don't like the players or their attitudes, and most of the games are just up-down, up-down affairs until the last 2 minutes when it gets good, and people start playing defence.

College Basketball is much better in my opinion.