[Shooter]

Nick:

Baseball is really a very complex game, but it does not offer the adrenalin junkie his fix as does other sports. The raison d'etre of baseball is the duel between the batter and the pitcher, of course, but all the time there are subtle activities occurring in the field. The catcher directs the other position players to cover certain parts of the field where the batted ball is likely to travel if the pitcher delivers the ball correctly. The field coaches direct the batter to attempt to put the ball in play at certain times or to refrain from swinging at other occasions.

The presence of base runners completely change the dynamics of the duel, since putting a base runner in motion can change the tactical advantage of the defensive team in the field (example: with a runner on first base, the coach directs the runner to attempt to steal second and at the same time directs the batter to swing at the pitch--regardless....this is known as the "hit-and-run" play. In response to the steal attempt, one of the middle infielders shifts position to cover second base,awaiting a throw from the catcher to pick-off the base runner. If the pitch is not good enough to put in play, the batter attempts to fowl the pitch off to protect the base runner from being thrown out at second by the catcher. If the pitch is a good one to hit, the batter attempts to direct the batted ball through the position vacated by the infielder who is covering second. Properly executed, the play will put the base runner on third and the batter-runner on first--"runners on the corners"--and avoids a potential double-play.

I guess this is a clear as mud to a novice, but it goes to show how complex the game can be. If one is aware of the nuances, the game can be as exciting as football (your choice). If not, the game is about as exciting as watching paint dry. The best feature about baseball is the fact that the players never are fighting the clock. Except in Japan, one cannot run out of time in the game of baseball. That is why we say that it is the only game where time stands still.