How many much action is there in a baseball game?

Baseball is meant to be savored and enjoyed, like a fine wine or cheese, with a little thrill thrown in here and there. The breaks in action are for the discussions of statistics or " geez, he's throwin' softballs out there!" It's not supposed to be action-packed. If it were, then the runners would carry the bats with them when they run the bases.

I love soccer and hockey b/c they have the most action out of all of the sports. Football bores to me frigging tears. Throw the ball, run a few yards, fall down, get tangled up, blow the whistle, untangle, have a little huddle, reform, and do it all over again. While I loved baseball as a kid, I'm not so fond of it anymore, since it does entail a hell of a lot of standing around doing nothing. My 8 year old son begged us to take him to a baseball game recently (he's only watched one game on t.v., but I figured this might spark his interest). No dice. He was so bored halfway through I didn't think we'd be able to stay until the end! Truthfully, we were all bored. At least when you watch it on t.v. you can do something else while you watch, or between commercials.

Baseball is great to watch (and to listen to.) The action is not just the pitcher lifting his foot, and the batter swinging, it's also watching the outfielders shift, the catcher signalling, the base runner feinting, and all the other movements around the diamond, while trying to figure out what the strategy is and what it should be. The secret to appreciating baseball is to learn the game. Once you know what it's about, it's rarely boring. (But does the article suggest that soccer is about standing around?! In soccer 22 players, one ball and three officials are moving for 90 minutes. What's that about?!)

Music over sports anyday.

Baseball is a lazy persons "sport." Eight guys standing around, waiting for the ninth guy to throw a ball. The batter, stands there, waiting for the ball to be thrown. Oh, wait, he steps back, not "ready," he hits his shoes with the bat, scratches his crotch, spits, swings the bat, steps to the plate, wiggles his feet to get the best stance and waits for the pitch. Here it comes, 98 MPH fast ball. Right down the pipe. A called strike. No action by the batter, he stands there, waiting for the ball to be thrown. Oh, wait, he steps back, not "ready," he hits his shoes with the bat, scratches his crotch, spits, swings the bat, steps to the plate, wiggles his feet to get the best stance and waits for the pitch. Here it comes... While this exciting action unfolds on the field in the stands, the crowd feasts on $5.00 hot dogs and $10 beers all the while sitting in a hard uncomfortable seat they paid 50 bucks for. Then they go stand in line to use the rest room, missing the one time that game actually heats up - the batter swings, hits the ball and glory be - it's a home run! The batter lopes around the bases, high fives his buddies in the dugout, scratches his crotch and sits down. All for a million dollars a year... Yup, soccer is much more entertaining.

soccer is boring because most of the time they are just standing around

You go out and read an article about baseball and figure let me take a shot and give soccer some hype...doesnt work with me on this topic. It just shows me that the person writing the article and yourself have no knowledge of baseball. During the entire game there is so much strategy, positioning of the players, and gamesmanship that you dare would not leave your tv during a baseball game.

During every pitch, the catcher and the pitcher are both attempting to make a call to throw the right pitch and hit the right location. The batter is up there positioning himself in the box to get an advantage and may also be guessing on what pitch is coming. The defense is being moved around by the coaches and other players on the field to get an advantage to make a good defensive catch and oh by the way maybe a game saving catch. If the pitcher is dealing, you may see the batter step out of the box one or two times, that is not boring that is what is call gamesmanship with the batter trying to break the rhythm of the pitcher.

What about when a pitcher starts the game and could possibly throw a no hitter/perfect game ala Roy Halliday in Philadelphia last night. I am still over 24 hours removed from the game which I saw live and can still discuss many many things that went on during that game, between innings, during at bats, and during the tense tense innings wondering will the pitcher give up a hit.

To read one article about stats of non action and how many times a network replays a play etc. etc. is just showing that the author writing this article has no knowledge of baseball. If you making this comment is gonna attempt to compare baseball verses soccer your really not gonna win. Where do the rating stand as it applies to soccer verses baseball. Yea the soccer players may continually run up and down the field, but so what action and movement doesn't always equate to excitement. Ask every person leaving the game in Philadelphia last night and askjed them soccer or baseball and I would say 99 percent of the people would probably just laugh at you with a question of that low intelligence.

Baseball stopped being a sport decades ago, long after it stopped being a game.