New to baseball...new to the game

Vinnyvagus · 04-09-2012, 11:10 PM

Hiya.

I'm a Brit who has moved to the US a year ago. Friends have introduced me to the game and I've been to a few live games. This season I have purchased a MLB.tv subscription as I am intreagued by it all and starting to follow the game and stats and trying to know who's who in the game (I've come from a country where baseball players were never really well known!)

I'm still struggling to understand all the abbreviations and stats but I guess that will come in time.

The big thing...am I in for some punishment? First not only am I am new to baseball...but having to learn and undestand this game :-)

I've purchased OOTP 13 and its currently downloading.....

Anyway wanted to add my first post! :-)

scott1964 · 04-09-2012, 11:21 PM

Welcome

Nugget699 · 04-09-2012, 11:30 PM

OOTP can be a bit overwhelming, but if you start with a small fictional league with just one or two minor league affiliates it will ease you into the game a bit more.

TGH-Adfabre · 04-10-2012, 12:41 AM

That is great. For the abbreviations you can use:
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/baseball_basics/abbreviations.jsp
I am sure there are some missing. Feel free to Google them or post here.
Baseball is a weird game. Post any questions and people will help out, especially because you are new to the game and OOTP.
My piece of advice is to turn scouting off. Learning the game and OOTP with an additional layer of uncertainty can be daunting.
Good luck

Hellenstone · 04-10-2012, 02:56 AM

Try to play for yourself in a local baseball or softball hobby team.
I do this here in Germany on the Softball team of out local German Major League (1.Bundesliga) team.
Helps a lot and gives more fun the the game in any way ;-)!

Germaniac · 04-10-2012, 03:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grisu_HDH

Try to play for yourself in a local baseball or softball hobby team.
I do this here in Germany on the Softball team of out local German Major League (1.Bundesliga) team.
Helps a lot and gives more fun the the game in any way ;-)!

Schoene Gruesse nach Heidenheim in die alte Heimat

Germaniac · 04-10-2012, 03:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vinnyvagus

Hiya.

I'm a Brit who has moved to the US a year ago. Friends have introduced me to the game and I've been to a few live games. This season I have purchased a MLB.tv subscription as I am intreagued by it all and starting to follow the game and stats and trying to know who's who in the game (I've come from a country where baseball players were never really well known!)

I'm still struggling to understand all the abbreviations and stats but I guess that will come in time.

The big thing...am I in for some punishment? First not only am I am new to baseball...but having to learn and undestand this game :-)

I've purchased OOTP 13 and its currently downloading.....

Anyway wanted to add my first post! :-)

When I got started with baseball (some 30 years ago) all I had was AFN Radio and a small book in which the basic baseball rules were explained.

Basically there is one advice I can give you "Take your time !" It may be hard, but give yourself the time to understand the game. The basic rules are pretty simple, but as soon as you get further things can be pretty complicated and you need a little time to understand it all.

The easiest way to do that is to watch live games via MLB.TV and listen to the commentators - you'll be fine, don't worry

Hellenstone · 04-10-2012, 03:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Germaniac

Schoene Gruesse nach Heidenheim in die alte Heimat

Wie??? Was?? Wann??? Wo???

jmount78 · 04-10-2012, 08:47 AM

Welcome to Baseball and OOTP! If you have XM Radio, that is one of the best ways to learn baseball by listening to MLB Network Radio on XM.

Also, one thing that helped me learn some soccer was to buy FIFA 11 for the PS3. I think buying one of the baseball games on either the Xbox 360 or PS3 might help as well.

OOTP is a great game and you made a wise choice!

GMLoophole · 04-10-2012, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Germaniac

Basically there is one advice I can give you "Take your time !" It may be hard, but give yourself the time to understand the game. The basic rules are pretty simple, but as soon as you get further things can be pretty complicated and you need a little time to understand it all.

The easiest way to do that is to watch live games via MLB.TV and listen to the commentators - you'll be fine, don't worry

This is the advice I was going to give... don't be overwhelmed with the jargon and (in some cases) stats thrown around. Soon enough you'll know more than the announcers (especially if you start listening to Yankees radio broadcasts!). The Giants' broadcasters are good on TV and radio and do a good job of explaining things. FP Santangelo recently left to work TV broadcasts for the Washington Nationals; I haven't heard his work there yet but he's a former player and good at analysis. Avoid Fox broadcasts, or listen with the sound off!

If your nerdery reaches adequate levels, you might keep a scorecard while listening to an internet radio broadcast. It might be hard to teach yourself, but it's a good way to focus on game proceedings. I imagine most teams' radio stations air their postgame shows; you can find each team's radio affiliate on their website. WFAN covers the Mets and their postgame shows can be amusing; KNBR is the Giants' station but sometimes they let callers go on too long (especially on the weekend).

If you are ever in the US during summer, try to attend a minor league ballgame (AA or A level). You can usually sit very close to the action, tickets are usually easy to get and cheap, and the mascots are fun. I absolutely love them, and although I'm lucky to work a few blocks from AT&T Park, I have to drive an hour plus for minor league games :P Minor league baseball streams radio calls of almost every minor league game for free; you can access those at milb.com.

Also, I love seeing all the international posters that have become interested in baseball basically on their own. Here's to seeing it in the olympics again!

Peregrine · 04-10-2012, 09:16 AM

I don't know where in North Carolina you live, but there are minor league teams in NC all over the place - the Durham Bulls in the Triangle area are a AAA team and it's a lot of fun to watch their games, there are other AAA teams in Charlotte and other minor league teams all over the place.

jmount78 · 04-10-2012, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peregrine

I don't know where in North Carolina you live, but there are minor league teams in NC all over the place - the Durham Bulls in the Triangle area are a AAA team and it's a lot of fun to watch their games, there are other AAA teams in Charlotte and other minor league teams all over the place.

Well, Peregrine just showed how observant I am! I live in North Carolina and go see the Kannapolis Intimidators play almost every weekend. His advice is great as there are minor league teams all around North Carolina from the Western part of the State to the Eastern part of the State!

Germaniac · 04-10-2012, 11:23 AM

Vinnyvagus,

it's too bad you missed so much time before finding out about this great game - but it's never too late.

A good way to find out about the game - besides broadcasts and live games - is reading books about it.

I could post an endless list of books you should read, but two I really would recommend:

"Nine Innings - The Anatomy of a Baseball Game" by Daniel Okrent.

In this book Okrent offers an incredible behind-the-scenes look of a 1982 game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Baltimore Orioles.

"Pure Baseball" by Keith Hernandez and Mike Bryan

In this book Keith Hernandez analyzes a couple of 1993 games (Philadelphia vs. Atlanta and NY Yankees vs. Detroit)
Just like Okrent he takes you inside the game, almost pitch-by-pitch.

These two books will help you to really understand what's going on in a baseball game - I've read both books several times and still find something that I missed previously !

drama38 · 04-10-2012, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Germaniac

When I got started with baseball (some 30 years ago) all I had was AFN Radio and a small book in which the basic baseball rules were explained.

Basically there is one advice I can give you "Take your time !" It may be hard, but give yourself the time to understand the game. The basic rules are pretty simple, but as soon as you get further things can be pretty complicated and you need a little time to understand it all.

The easiest way to do that is to watch live games via MLB.TV and listen to the commentators - you'll be fine, don't worry

This is really well-said. I've also been a fan for 30 years and I find my appreciation for the game STILL increases more and more each season. There are subtleties in the sport that I am only just discovering. It's a truly rewarding game if you let yourself be open to it and have some patience (this especially helps if you're an Orioles fan!

).

I would also recommend - eventually - watching the Ken Burns documentary, "Baseball". It's long (~20 hours!), a big time commitment. I'm only about halfway through it (intended to start back up before this season but am lagging a bit) but it will give you a little appreciation for how the game became what it is today.

Other recommended viewing:

Field Of Dreams
The Rookie
Bull Durham
The Natural
Major League

I'm sure I'm forgetting some amazing ones!

Welcome!

eriqjaffe · 04-10-2012, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drama38

I'm sure I'm forgetting some amazing ones!

A few others, off toe top of my head:

Eight Men Out
Bingo Long's Travelling All-Stars And Motor Kings
Pride Of The Yankees
A League Of Their Own

RchW · 04-10-2012, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peregrine

I don't know where in North Carolina you live, but there are minor league teams in NC all over the place - the Durham Bulls in the Triangle area are a AAA team and it's a lot of fun to watch their games, there are other AAA teams in Charlotte and other minor league teams all over the place.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmount78

Well, Peregrine just showed how observant I am! I live in North Carolina and go see the Kannapolis Intimidators play almost every weekend. His advice is great as there are minor league teams all around North Carolina from the Western part of the State to the Eastern part of the State!

Let me third this advice. Best cheap entertainment you can get. I went to a Greensboro Grasshoppers (A ball I think) playoff game last September and had a great time. They had excellent beers at the "hoppers" park.

Edit

Welcome aboard Vinnyvagus

SMFXR01 · 04-10-2012, 05:11 PM

I am also British.
I pick my teams based on size of their nose and colour of their beards.....
I think these Americans types get too hung up on all those stats.....
Not that I win much.

(especially since I have found out that you can change the facial hair)

To be honest I look at three stats
Whip for Pitchers
SLG pct for my 3 best hitters
Fielding ratings for my Shortstop, Catcher and Center Fielder.

When I first began I would let OOTP arrange my line-ups.
Then, as I could see the differences, I would tinker here and there and see the outcome.
My main problem is knowing what is a good, fair trade.
Just can't see what makes one.

If you have any questions this board is the best place.
Doesn't matter what it is...there is always somebody who seems to know.

VARoadstter · 04-11-2012, 01:50 PM

As a Brit you probably like Cricket. If you can understand that game Baseball will be a snap.

Seriously, though, if you are in the Raleigh/Durham area in NC go see the Bulls at the DBAP. Heck, I'd be happy to meet you for a game and even buy you a beer (they don't have just that crappy American stuff, either). How much better can you do that that?

Vinnyvagus · 04-11-2012, 10:22 PM

I Live in Raleigh, NC and intend to go and see the Durham Bulls play. In fact I was looking at the Bulls website this week to look at their schedule. I was also thinking of going to see the Carolina Mudcats as well.

Thanks so much to everyone for their thoughts and ideas on OOTP and also the game of Baseball.

I am getting overwhelmed with the stats and abbreviations..even for a guy in my early 30's...I feel like a kid learning to read and write again! :-)

I've been to Ohio to see the Cincinnati Reds as I have a friend there so he got tickets. I saw the game last season Vs SD Padres and saw a number of home runs. Not bad for a first game. With that in mind I kind of felt obliged to follow the Reds now and especially now I have MLB.tv. I have been watching the Reds games.... and also amazed at how much they have signed Votto for. (ooh see...I've remembered a players name :-) )

As for the books and DVD's... I will look into these.

As for the cricket...yeah I get it but then i grew up with it. Suppose thats the same with baseball here. You grow up with it and it becomes a whole lot easier.

Whats the two impotant stats for a guy batting would you say? I see batting average on TV, but then I hear there are a whole load more to consider. Pitching I guess is all about ERA or is that not the case?

Thanks again...

hopeful1212 · 04-11-2012, 10:57 PM

Always glad to see new people getting interested in baseball and OOTP! So, welcome to both!

For hitters, I'd look at OBP and SLG, since they measure the two most important things hitters can do, getting on base and hitting for power.

OBP is on-base percentage and will tell you how often a guy gets on-base. It's times-on-base divided by plate appearances. So a guy with a .300 OBP will get on base 30% of the time. .321 was the mlb average in 2011, .360 is good and .400+ is great..

SLG is slugging percentage and it's total bases divided by at-bats. It's less intuitive than OBP, but basically guys that hit a lot of home runs and doubles will have higher SLG. .399 was the mlb average in 2011, .500 is good, .550 is great and the very best might get to .600.

OBP is more important than SLG. You can tolerate guys with a low SLG if they're playing 2B, SS, CF, or C. But you really want to avoid guys with less than .300 OBP on your team, as they'll just make too many outs and kill too many scoring chances.

For pitchers, ERA is good. It measures what you are looking for in a pitcher (allowing as few runs as possible). There's some advanced stats that are a little better at predicting future ERA, but I wouldn't worry about that just yet.

04-09-2012, 11:10 PM	#1
Vinnyvagus Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: England, UK Posts: 39	New to baseball...new to the game Hiya. I'm a Brit who has moved to the US a year ago. Friends have introduced me to the game and I've been to a few live games. This season I have purchased a MLB.tv subscription as I am intreagued by it all and starting to follow the game and stats and trying to know who's who in the game (I've come from a country where baseball players were never really well known!) I'm still struggling to understand all the abbreviations and stats but I guess that will come in time. The big thing...am I in for some punishment? First not only am I am new to baseball...but having to learn and undestand this game :-) I've purchased OOTP 13 and its currently downloading..... Anyway wanted to add my first post! :-)

04-09-2012, 11:21 PM	#2
scott1964 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Denver Posts: 5,561 Blog Entries: 19	Welcome __________________ This just feels more like waiting in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles. PETA.....People Eating Tasty Animals.

04-10-2012, 12:41 AM	#4
TGH-Adfabre Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 2,599	That is great. For the abbreviations you can use: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/baseball_basics/abbreviations.jsp I am sure there are some missing. Feel free to Google them or post here. Baseball is a weird game. Post any questions and people will help out, especially because you are new to the game and OOTP. My piece of advice is to turn scouting off. Learning the game and OOTP with an additional layer of uncertainty can be daunting. Good luck __________________ You mock me, therefore I am My wife

04-10-2012, 02:56 AM	#5
Hellenstone Minors (Double A) Join Date: May 2011 Location: Southern Germany Posts: 152	Try to play for yourself in a local baseball or softball hobby team. I do this here in Germany on the Softball team of out local German Major League (1.Bundesliga) team. Helps a lot and gives more fun the the game in any way ;-)! __________________ *"I don't want to play golf! When I hit a ball, I want someone else to go chase it!" (~Rogers Hornsby)*

04-10-2012, 11:23 AM	#13
Germaniac Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Frankenthal, Germany Posts: 2,993	Vinnyvagus, it's too bad you missed so much time before finding out about this great game - but it's never too late. A good way to find out about the game - besides broadcasts and live games - is reading books about it. I could post an endless list of books you should read, but two I really would recommend: "Nine Innings - The Anatomy of a Baseball Game" by Daniel Okrent. In this book Okrent offers an incredible behind-the-scenes look of a 1982 game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Baltimore Orioles. "Pure Baseball" by Keith Hernandez and Mike Bryan In this book Keith Hernandez analyzes a couple of 1993 games (Philadelphia vs. Atlanta and NY Yankees vs. Detroit) Just like Okrent he takes you inside the game, almost pitch-by-pitch. These two books will help you to really understand what's going on in a baseball game - I've read both books several times and still find something that I missed previously ! __________________ I'm going to have to meet my Maker some day. And if He asks me why I didn't let this boy play, and I say it's because he's black, that might not be a satisfactory answer. Happy Chandler, 1947

04-09-2012, 11:30 PM	#3
Nugget699 Major Leagues Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Sydney Posts: 444	OOTP can be a bit overwhelming, but if you start with a small fictional league with just one or two minor league affiliates it will ease you into the game a bit more.

04-10-2012, 08:47 AM	#9
jmount78 Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: North Carolina Posts: 304	Welcome to Baseball and OOTP! If you have XM Radio, that is one of the best ways to learn baseball by listening to MLB Network Radio on XM. Also, one thing that helped me learn some soccer was to buy FIFA 11 for the PS3. I think buying one of the baseball games on either the Xbox 360 or PS3 might help as well. OOTP is a great game and you made a wise choice!

04-10-2012, 09:16 AM	#11
Peregrine All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Cary, North Carolina Posts: 635	I don't know where in North Carolina you live, but there are minor league teams in NC all over the place - the Durham Bulls in the Triangle area are a AAA team and it's a lot of fun to watch their games, there are other AAA teams in Charlotte and other minor league teams all over the place.

04-10-2012, 05:11 PM	#17
SMFXR01 All Star Starter Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 1,196	I am also British. I pick my teams based on size of their nose and colour of their beards..... I think these Americans types get too hung up on all those stats..... Not that I win much. (especially since I have found out that you can change the facial hair) To be honest I look at three stats Whip for Pitchers SLG pct for my 3 best hitters Fielding ratings for my Shortstop, Catcher and Center Fielder. When I first began I would let OOTP arrange my line-ups. Then, as I could see the differences, I would tinker here and there and see the outcome. My main problem is knowing what is a good, fair trade. Just can't see what makes one. If you have any questions this board is the best place. Doesn't matter what it is...there is always somebody who seems to know. Last edited by SMFXR01; 04-10-2012 at 06:06 PM.

04-11-2012, 01:50 PM	#18
VARoadstter Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 211	As a Brit you probably like Cricket. If you can understand that game Baseball will be a snap. Seriously, though, if you are in the Raleigh/Durham area in NC go see the Bulls at the DBAP. Heck, I'd be happy to meet you for a game and even buy you a beer (they don't have just that crappy American stuff, either). How much better can you do that that?

04-11-2012, 10:22 PM	#19
Vinnyvagus Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: England, UK Posts: 39	I Live in Raleigh, NC and intend to go and see the Durham Bulls play. In fact I was looking at the Bulls website this week to look at their schedule. I was also thinking of going to see the Carolina Mudcats as well. Thanks so much to everyone for their thoughts and ideas on OOTP and also the game of Baseball. I am getting overwhelmed with the stats and abbreviations..even for a guy in my early 30's...I feel like a kid learning to read and write again! :-) I've been to Ohio to see the Cincinnati Reds as I have a friend there so he got tickets. I saw the game last season Vs SD Padres and saw a number of home runs. Not bad for a first game. With that in mind I kind of felt obliged to follow the Reds now and especially now I have MLB.tv. I have been watching the Reds games.... and also amazed at how much they have signed Votto for. (ooh see...I've remembered a players name :-) ) As for the books and DVD's... I will look into these. As for the cricket...yeah I get it but then i grew up with it. Suppose thats the same with baseball here. You grow up with it and it becomes a whole lot easier. Whats the two impotant stats for a guy batting would you say? I see batting average on TV, but then I hear there are a whole load more to consider. Pitching I guess is all about ERA or is that not the case? Thanks again...

04-11-2012, 10:57 PM	#20
hopeful1212 Major Leagues Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 385 Blog Entries: 257	Always glad to see new people getting interested in baseball and OOTP! So, welcome to both! For hitters, I'd look at OBP and SLG, since they measure the two most important things hitters can do, getting on base and hitting for power. OBP is on-base percentage and will tell you how often a guy gets on-base. It's times-on-base divided by plate appearances. So a guy with a .300 OBP will get on base 30% of the time. .321 was the mlb average in 2011, .360 is good and .400+ is great.. SLG is slugging percentage and it's total bases divided by at-bats. It's less intuitive than OBP, but basically guys that hit a lot of home runs and doubles will have higher SLG. .399 was the mlb average in 2011, .500 is good, .550 is great and the very best might get to .600. OBP is more important than SLG. You can tolerate guys with a low SLG if they're playing 2B, SS, CF, or C. But you really want to avoid guys with less than .300 OBP on your team, as they'll just make too many outs and kill too many scoring chances. For pitchers, ERA is good. It measures what you are looking for in a pitcher (allowing as few runs as possible). There's some advanced stats that are a little better at predicting future ERA, but I wouldn't worry about that just yet.