BBConclude.html

In Conclusion: The Joy of Baseball

What to see . Pitcher's windup. . . .the pitch. (Note, in the left photo, how much the pitcher has turned his body before twisting around to throw the ball in the direction of the catcher, who is squatting just ahead in the photo. This twisting is to help the pitcher put as much energy as possible into his pitch. More energy translates into greater speed. Note also the pitching rubber, which is the white object just under the pitcher's right foot in the photo on the left. The pitcher's foot must remain in contact with this rubber until the pitcher has released the ball from his hand.) The follow-through after the ball has been thrown.	Some people say that baseball is dull to watch as a spectator, because the action occurs too slowly and is not constant. They have a point there, because there is a lot of dead time, when nothing major is happening - the ball has not been hit, the runners are not running but waiting on base for a play to develop, and scoring is usually on the low side. But once you understand the fundamental points, you will find beauty in the game: - athleticism, in the motion of the pitcher pitching the ball to the batter, in the batter taking a mighty swing to try and hit the ball, in the fielders running to catch the fly ball or to field the ground ball, and throwing the running batter out at first base; - teamwork, amongst the defense team players on the field, to move the ball around to try and tag out one or more runners on base, and to prevent them from reaching home plate for a score; - precision, in the pitcher pitching the ball to a precise spot to prevent the batter from hitting the ball, in the batter hitting the ball, and in fielders throwing the ball to a precise spot to tag out a runner arriving at the same base, or an outfielder chasing a fly ball so as to catch it when the ball is about to land at a certain point in the outfield. At pitches coming from the pitcher to the batter at 90 miles (150 kilometers) per hour, it takes the baseball about two-thirds of a second to travel the 60.5 feet (18.4 meters) distance. In that 2/3rd's of a second, the batter has to judge when the ball will travel over the expected point of contact and where the ball will be, and try to hit a round object, the ball, with the thick end of the bat, which is also round. Thus, at the point of impact between the ball and bat, the impact point is just that, a point, similar to two billiard balls striking each other, not on a flat billiard table, but in 3 dimensional space. It's not easy to hit a fast travelling baseball with the bat, especially for maximum impact.
The mighty swing...	Stepping into the pitch....Whack!!.... drop the bat, and run to first base...
What to enjoy Atlanta Fulton County Stadium - night game . . . . Intensity - scoring and . Emotion	As a spectator at the stadium, enjoy the sights and sounds of the greenery of the playing field, the beauty of the fan shaped playing area, and the diamond of the infield, and the roar of the crowd when a great play is made. There will be music to stir up the crowd, but emotion and intensity is what will bring the crowd to its feet. Finally, join in the joy of victory for your team. Victory in the Japan baseball championships
Baseball is Life	From its beginnings in the 1840's, baseball has evolved into America's life and is passionately known as "the national pasttime". From the first Christmas gifts of a ball, bat, and glove, and playing in little leagues, school ball, and amateur, there is no greater satisfaction than getting your first hit, throwing a runner out at first, catching a fly ball, and hitting a home run. Baseball is as American as apple pie, from the singing of the US's national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner", to eating a hot dog at the stadium. Baseball is life at its best. We hope that you now have sufficient information to understand and enjoy watching a baseball game.

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