Something to Ponder and Discuss

[leopard88]

A thought/question occurred to me as I was driving in to work this morning -- Is baseball the least team-oriented of the major team sports (not is it team-oriented at all, but is it the least so)?

Having thought about it, I would say yes, but the need to earn a paycheck prevents me from expanding on my thoughts (for the time being, anyway). Meanwhile, I would be interested to read some of your thoughts on this question.

Talk amongst yourselves.

[pagan696]

i don't know... i'd say the NBA with the 1 all-star mentality makes the team go.

[fonz]

Baseball IS the least team oriented sport. Most of the game consists of a one on one competition between the pitcher and batter.

[Frenchie]

Not that I know a lot about it, but how's cricket compared to baseball?

On the other hand, baseball is the ONLY sport where it's not over 'til it's over.

You could be down by 22 runs, 2 outs, bottom of the 9th, and come back to win.

In all "clocked" sports, there is just so much you can do in a short period of time...

[tBBP]

Not that I know a lot about it, but how's cricket compared to baseball?

On the other hand, baseball is the ONLY sport where it's not over 'til it's over.

You could be down by 22 runs, 2 outs, bottom of the 9th, and come back to win.

In all "clocked" sports, there is just so much you can do in a short period of time...

yeah, tell that to Warren Moon and the rest of the Oilers squad that got came back on by the Bills back in 1990-whatever year that was...35-3, anyone? FRANK REICH, anyone?

[BJ Sands]

Baseball IS the least team oriented sport. Most of the game consists of a one on one competition between the pitcher and batter.

True.

However, other than the occasional solo home run, the act of scoring a run is dependant upon work by more than one player. The guy who scores a run usually has to be driven in by a teammate. In basketball and hockey, one player can score without any assistance from other players.

[tBBP]

Baseball IS the least team oriented sport. Most of the game consists of a one on one competition between the pitcher and batter.

True.

However, other than the occasional solo home run, the act of scoring a run is dependant upon work by more than one player. The guy who scores a run usually has to be driven in by a teammate. In basketball and hockey, one player can score without any assistance from other players.

Yep...Iverson, McGrady, LB23, 'Melo, D-Wade (although usually in the 4th quarter)...

Yep...Iginla, Jagr (?), and all the other superstars whose names I don't remember cuz I can't SPELL them...

yep. Convincing case. But then, hasn't Michael Vick scored on his own before? I remember a certain game against the Vikings a few years back where he rean like 70-something yards for a touchdown (running two Vike defenders into EACH OTHER in the process), and then running straight into the tunnel...okay, MAYBE he had some blocking, but--still...

[slapshot]

Basketball is the least team oriented sport. Even though you can have a team of 5 on the court at the same time, one person can be the offensive and defense dominating star at the same time. One person can basically do it all, especially if your name is Kobe. The same person can steal, block, or grab a rebound, and go the other direction and score. Consistently.

Baseball is different from the other sports...it's the only sport where the defense cannot score at all. It's the only sport where you have to take turns on offense and defense.

Baseball is not just a one-on-one battle between pitcher and batter. What happens after the batter makes contact? Does he just decide top stop running when the ball stops rolling?

Baseball is team-orented defensively moreso than offensively. You can have more than one defensive player involved in a play involving one offensive player.

In baseball, you have to work together as a team to win a game, unless you're happy with solo home runs. What good is a player doing on second base? You either need him to steal a base, or have help from a teammate getting a hit to drive him along.

[tBBP]

Basketball is the least team oriented sport. Even though you can have a team of 5 on the court at the same time, one person can be the offensive and defense dominating star at the same time. One person can basically do it all, especially if your name is Kobe. The same person can steal, block, or grab a rebound, and go the other direction and score. Consistently.

Baseball is different from the other sports...it's the only sport where the defense cannot score at all. It's the only sport where you have to take turns on offense and defense.

Baseball is not just a one-on-one battle between pitcher and batter. What happens after the batter makes contact? Does he just decide top stop running when the ball stops rolling?

Baseball is team-orented defensively moreso than offensively. You can have more than one defensive player involved in a play involving one offensive player.

In baseball, you have to work together as a team to win a game, unless you're happy with solo home runs. What good is a player doing on second base? You either need him to steal a base, or have help from a teammate getting a hit to drive him along.

damn how in the HELL did I forget about KB8? Oh wait, excuse me--KB24? Jack---. Then he got the NERVE to flap his lips about what team USA needs to do to be able to be successful?

The NERVE!

[meetthemets]

Baseball has to be one of the MOST team-oriented sports. If I'm batting and get a hit, I'm on first base. Then what? Without teammates the game can't even function. Hockey and basketball you could realistically play by yourself while your teammates just stand there. It would be tough to win but you could still play. Baseball you couldn't even play without teammates.

[Cyclopsis Joe]

Someone's never heard of stealing home.

Anyway, I think it's either Basketball or Baseball. Everyone else has already given what I would've said for my reasonings.

"Convincing case. But then, hasn't Michael Vick scored on his own before? I remember a certain game against the Vikings a few years back where he rean like 70-something yards for a touchdown (running two Vike defenders into EACH OTHER in the process), and then running straight into the tunnel...okay, MAYBE he had some blocking, but--still..."

Some blocking? I imagine the other 10 guys were blocking for Vick.

[Frenchie]

Most of these basketball prodigy need a little blocking to make their way to the net.

I was also looking at the Defensive side of baseball where a the PERFECT GAME is a very unique event, quite rare, but still unmatched in any sport.

[HedleyLamarr]

If you watch non-NBA basketball, you can see how teamwork is utilized.

I would say baseball is the least team-oriented sport. When it comes down to it, it's a series of one-on-one battles between pitcher and hitter.

[The_Admiral]

In baseball, you have to work together as a team to win a game, unless you're happy with solo home runs. What good is a player doing on second base? You either need him to steal a base, or have help from a teammate getting a hit to drive him along.

That's not working together as a team in the same sense as teamwork in hockey or basketball, or football, for that matter. Everybody is just performing the tasks they've been charged with completing at their stage in the game. Teamwork is least important in baseball, where you don't have passes, turnovers, and things like that as you do in the clocked sports.

You say "unless you're happy with solo home runs." I don't see batting a runner in as teamwork, it's just the outcome of your event (recording a base hit) and his event (crossing home plate from second base), and these events are basically independent from one another, aren't they? It's not the same as Montana to Rice.