A Max Kepler Article Reminded Me of Markus

[Puckett guy]

I was reading an article about the Twins new call up Max Kepler. Max is a native German who despite his athletic talents as a youth on the football (soccer) fields abandoned the sport and pursued his true love, baseball. It reminded me how much we have benefited from the great interest Markus has for our national pastime.

[Lukas Berger]

Originally Posted by Puckett guy

I was reading an article about the Twins new call up Max Kepler. Max is a native German who despite his athletic talents as a youth on the football (soccer) fields abandoned the sport and pursued his true love, baseball. It reminded me how much we have benefited from the great interest Markus has for our national pastime. If you are interested the article is here:

[url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2568511-max-kepler-the-german-baseball-player-who-spurned-soccer-for-mlb-dreams]

Nice!

I shudder to think what the situation would be if baseball hadn't captured Markus' interest! We'd have nothing worth playing as far as baseball games go

Kind of a nightmare, really.

So, so, so, glad Markus and baseball found each other. We're all the beneficiaries!

[Lukas Berger]

Reminds me a bit of myself and soccer. I love baseball, as anyone who frequents this site likely realizes, but frankly soccer is an even greater love. That's not due to geography or anything else, most of the people I know barely know soccer exists. But I was exposed it it as a young teenager, and it captured me, body and soul.

That being said, my love for soccer is a personal thing, and doesn't really benefit anyone else, except the SI guys who I pay $50+ every year! Markus' love for baseball, equally against all odds, has resulted in such joy for countless thousands of folks who've played and loved his games. It's an utterly fantastic thing.

[Doc_Brown]

Originally Posted by lukasberger

Reminds me a bit of myself and soccer. I love baseball, as anyone who frequents this site likely realizes, but frankly soccer is an even greater love. That's not due to geography or anything else, most of the people I know barely know soccer exists. But I was exposed it it as a young teenager, and it captured me, body and soul.

That being said, my love for soccer is a personal thing, and doesn't really benefit anyone else, except the SI guys who I pay $50+ every year! Markus' love for baseball, equally against all odds, has resulted in such joy for countless thousands of folks who'ved played and loved his games. It's an utterly fantastic thing.

Dude it's not called 'soccer'! It's called football, get it right for goodness sake!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lukas Berger]

Originally Posted by Doc_Brown

Dude it's not called 'soccer'! It's called football, get it right for goodness sake!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm just an ignorant American, you'll have to make allowances

[aderosa32]

It's definitely Soccer. Football is played with your hands. Everyone knows that.

[Puckett guy]

My thread is off the rails, but I will go along with the replaced topic and add this:

"Soccer" is not a North American invented word. In fact, its origins are in England. The game was called “Soccer” by the upper class who played the game for 17 years before the middle and lower classes took up the sport and called it “football”.

However, today if the rest of the world counts for anything, the sport is "football".

[Cryomaniac]

IIRC Soccer comes from a shortening of the word "Association". The "er" ending would imply it originates from Oxford University (see also calling Rugby "Rugger").

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by lukasberger

I shudder to think what the situation would be if baseball hadn't captured Markus' interest! We'd have nothing worth playing as far as baseball games go

That's an interesting thought. If Markus is ever feeling down about things, he should do an "It's a Wonderful Life" kind of thing . . .

"What would have happened if I had never been born and OOTPB had never been invented? Mein Gott, all these people who I knew in my former life are now evil, killing each other, because they don't have my game to keep them happy! "

Seriously, I think somebody would have stepped into the breach, no? I remember the High Heat franchise getting better at simulating real baseball numbers and results before they went belly-up.

[Brick]

Originally Posted by Cryomaniac

IIRC Soccer comes from a shortening of the word "Association". The "er" ending would imply it originates from Oxford University (see also calling Rugby "Rugger").

When I discovered that origin, I thought it should be pronounced SOSH-er.

[kq76]

Another article about Kepler. This one deals more with his parents' story and then delves into his.