I had to go to summer school for failing gym

[plumtreeblossom]

I don't follow baseball, or any sport for that matter, but I feel I should have at least a faint wisp of working knowledge on this*. Please tell me, what exactly is going on with the Red Sox right now? Are they having a really good season or something? Explain in layman's terms, if you please. Large print optional.




_{* Understand, the only reason I happened to watch any of the 2004 World Series winning games was because the cast of Murder In The Cathedral, which I was in, would rush to someone's TV-having house after the rehearsals/performances to watch the games, and my social options were to go along or sit home alone, so I went along. But after that I forgot all about baseball.}

Comments

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

No one cares about the National League

Maybe none of you DH-lovin' pussies around *here*. 8)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_mattt/]

What ruse is this? You asked for the over-simplified version and you're giving me grief over the DH? I think you know more than you do :) !!!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_mattt/]

That should say "more than you pretend to" :)

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

That was pheromone, not me. I don't even know what DH is!

[ron_newman]

Designated Hitter. Used only in the American League. Someone who bats in place of the pitcher, because pitchers usually can't bat worth sh*t. The Designated Hitter does not field, unlike all other players.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_mattt/]

DH = Designated Hitter

The two leagues, American and National, have slightly different rules.

The American League, our league, essentially allows 10 people on a team (at a time) for 9 batting positions and 9 fielding positions. The 9 of 10 need not be the same for batting and fielding.

This means that when batting, the 10th guy (David Ortiz, in our case), only has to bat and doesn't go out into the field to play defense. Meanwhile, a defensive player, almost always the pitcher, doesn't have to bat, because pitchers tend to be pretty lowsy batsmen. So in the American League, there's one guy who typically just hits, called the designated hitter, and the pitcher only pitches.

Int he National League, there's 9 people for 9 positions, so everybody on the team bats and everybody plays defense.

[ron_newman]

And to make things just a bit more fun, which rules are used depends on who's playing at home. So in the World Series, both teams use a Designated Hitter when playing in the American League ballpark, and neither one can use a DH when playing in the National League park.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_mattt/]

This leads to much amusement, as we get to watch Dice-K, Schill, and all those guys bat.

Do you remember when Julian Tavarez was batting in inter-league play during the regular season. I think at one point, he swung the bat backwards.

[ron_newman]

And other hilarity can result when someone who's usually a Designated Hitter is forced to take the field. I love David Ortiz, but he's really not someone you want to have in the outfield.

[spwebdesign.livejournal.com]

In other words, the DH is the American League's way of perverting the game. I could play in the AL! Basically, the qualifications for DH are (1) you are fat, (2) you're no longer a spring chicken, (3) you can't field worth shit, (4) you strike out a lot, and (5) when you do make contact the ball goes far. All the fat geriatric former talents who can't face retirement with dignity play in the AL, while the real athletes play in the NL.

The other difference between the two leagues is that there are a lot of really bad (we're talking Pee Wee league-caliber!) teams in the AL, so that the good AL teams get to pad their records against them and might seem to the casual observer to be better than the good NL teams; whereas in the NL the good teams actually have to beat decent teams (Pittsburgh Pirates being the exception), and so their records aren't as gaudy.

No one cares about the National League

I beg your pardon! Fans of baseball care about the NL. Fans of homerun hitting contests and ridiculously football-like box scores like the AL. You'll be caring about the NL well enough when the Colorado Rockies(/surrogate San Diego Padres) are sweeping your precious Red Sox!

(This is all meant in good fun, of course.)

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

At the one Red Sox game I attended, I saw fat Mo Vaughn slam a tremendous hit that sailed way past the fielders. I don't know if he was a designated hitter, but he does seem to fit the qualifications you list!

[spwebdesign.livejournal.com]

Mo Vaughn was a first baseman, but he may have ended up a DH. I don't remember. First base is a position often played by DH types because it requires the least amount of defense: just stand at the base and catch it when someone throws it right at you!

[ron_newman]

Which means we may get to see David Ortiz at first in some World Series games.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_mattt/]

My bad. Ignore the comments below. I thought <lj user="plumtreeblossom" was responding, hence my confusion when she asked for an explanation only to give me grief over the DH. As for the DH, though...

[thorbol.livejournal.com]

Great comment! I'm a Red Sox and American League fan all the way, but I never did like that DH business and probably never will.