I'm a new one to this site, so you'll have to excuse any repeated points that I may make.
10. Their first baseman fields the ball and promptly throws it off the side wall, rather than hitting B and running over to tag the base.
9. The inability to figure out how to make an "A" throw (good arm, quick toss to planned destination)..or thinking that if you "Track & Field" (push A & B very hard and rapidly) the controller, your runner might run faster.
8. Blaming the game for not giving the player the ability to control the motion/direction of the closest player to the ball - making one hope and pray for a Computer Assisted play (the same can be said for the inability to change directions when a defensive player has decided to run toward a base).
7. Getting 10-run ruled. Period.
6. Letting Al Pedrique or Bill Shroeder stay in the lineup.
5. Not knowing to hit "B/down" when a player steals home, as the newbie dejectedly watches the opponent score, as his catcher is behind the dish with the ball in hand.
4. Getting pissed about a clear home run not leaving the yard or a line drive down the line going through the wall. (said newbie might argue about the burnt-out Diamond Vision in centerfield / Black Monster that's been known to keep balls in play...or the invisible, Metrodome-like plexi-glass that exists above the wall in the power alleys).
3. Not realizing the strength and power of pinch-hitters until very late in the game...or thinks that someone or something has control over when a player will make an inexplicable "BOP," or error.
2. On a hard grounder to third, the newbie will proceed to throw the ball to first...only to realize that he didn't move his pitcher out of the way, and proceeded to cut-off his own throw to first.
1. He likes the music and how it changes when they are men in scoring position.
- Just my thoughts.
That is a quality list... Some others off the top of my head:
- Attempting a throw when they are too close to the stands
- Falling prey to the 1st & 3rd double steal
- Losing every rundown
- A sheer inability to get under a deep fly ball
- Getting picked off because they try to steal every time
- Thowing to 1st on base hits, thereby giving up a double
- Swinging late at every pitch
- Gratuitous use of fastballs
- Letting Calvin Schiraldi pitch in a close game
- Losing with Houston 20 times before realizing they suck
Any more?
Damn, I hate to start off on "Rafael Santana" level...but I guess ya gotta start somewhere.
Here's a couple more newbie-isms.
- Hoarding the pause button...using controller #1 and not pushing PAUSE when controller #2 is asking for time-out to make a change, take a leak, crack open another round, etc. - not sure if this is universal, or simply limited on my NES.
- Plays with Boston and believes that Bill Buckner, Rich Gedman and Bob Stanley deserve another chance...decides to utilize all three players.
- Goes "Sax" and continues throwing to the wrong and/or unoccupied (by a defender) base
- Hates that the game has numerous unexpected, yet hilariously unique glitches
- Thinks he can actually bunt for a base hit - that is, without Vince Coleman (or any Cardinal for that matter, except Jack Clark), Gary Pettis, Don Baylor (who somehow possesses "A" speed), et al. A-speeders
- Questions why the players are so fat
- Doesn't realize the powerful fury that is Detroit's lineup until going through the order once
- Repeatedly hits B when trying to pitch, essentially trying countless pick-off attempts...or won't stop throwing the ball around when there's a man on base (presumably for the purpose of pissing off his over-matched opponent)
- Needs the sound "on" to catch a fly ball
- Believes that if you replace Marty Barrett with Tony Armas, you should expect the second baseman to start making errors (when Boston's in the field) - as if that's Armas now at second defensively
- His batter goes to an over-exaggerated "Tettleton" and foul tips a bunt into the catcher's glove - happening so quickly that he's not sure what happened
- Doesn't believe in the quick pitch as a calculated form of strategy
- Doesn't like the scoreboard's accumulation of game stats or the postgame newspaper that shows his inability to play the game
Finally, (as an Astro fan) I take offense to their bad showing on RBI...but, I do subscribe to the theory that it's the No-Friendo player and not the team - that makes the difference. Alright, they suck...but they did make it to the NLCS in '86, so they are on RBI for a reason. After Nolan, Glenn Davis, and Kevin "Large Mouth" Bass, they are pretty soft. (Charlie Kerfeld's sidearm crap is fairly mouthwatering as well).
Any More?
how about trying to catch a flyball with an infielder and not realizing it is too deep for them until it is too late resulting in at least a double...
newbies also swing at everything thrown up there... they have no idea of the strike zone. then you can really screw them up with the forkball.
newbies always throw moon balls.
thats all i got for now... this is a good list and i will come up with more.
Some of those happen all the time over here. I dont know how many times greg throws the ball away on a ball hit to his first baseman, i always chose the wrong fielder to get the ball, and my strikezone is in the other batters box. Plus, i like the music, its entertaining.
i dont know which games you have been watching tinypines but i have never seen greg throw the ball away with his first baseman. you, on the other hand, are right in that you do swing at everything. your other problem is that you bop too much cause you try to throw the ball too quickly... maybe you should still be considered a newby.
Denny Walling level, finally!!
Greg always throws the ball away with his first baseman. At least once a game.
I am talking to Aaron on Instant Messenger right now, he still swears that I throw the ball away, I dont think I have ever done that, I always just hit the B button. He's a little mixed up.
I got some:
They wonder why the ball goes by the catcher on a throw form deep center.
Rainbow throws
Trying to bunt frequently
Getting the ball stuck in the stands.
I cant think right now
Hey I like the music, I usually like to have it on low so you can hear it a little, and a cd playing in the background.
id say defense as whole is the biggest flaw by the newbies....playing the hits....flyballs....throwing to the right base....rainbow throws...all of it....they cant play the field and therefore they cannot win....hitting is usually easy for the new guys, once they get it down in straight pitch....everything else has been stated above....defense is the big problem
i dont know about burnzky... he is smoking the good stuff cause the only one who throws the ball away is him... and he does it after every put out.
I agree with bban that defense is the killer for newbies, but their offense is no picnic either. Most of our rookies when playing straight pitch swing late at just about every pitch, which ends up being a grounder near 2nd base...
I love running the bases against rookies...
Running bases against rookies is quite humerous. A friend of mine rarely plays RBI, but he is knowledgeable about it. He just doesn't play very much. Sometimes, I'll pick the Cardinals to let him think I'm taking it easy on him. You can see where this is going. Good base running with the Cardinals against the inexperienced can lead to a blow out much like the power hitting teams. The sheer frustration in which people experience when screwing up run downs is absolutely hilarious to watch. Then their confidence really hits the shitter when they realize how stupid and gullable they really are.
I am going to have to disagree about the music. I believe it is an acquired taste, and I love it. We never play the CDs because we want to hear the music. And, damnit, I really love it when the music changes when a runner reaches base. That music gives momentum to the hitting team, and therefore the music must be audible for the hitters to gain from it. All our rooks hate the music. We had guys that wouldn't come over because they knew we were playing. Speaking of music, something that is rare, but great, in curve pitch is the leadoff HR off the first pitch. That is the only time when there is a HR hit during complete silence. Because after the first pitch, the music starts and doesn't end.
I must admit I can't stand the music, but props to those that can. A true hardcore RBI player...
The leadoff pitch dinger is Rob Wilfong's forte, Rickey Henderson has nothing on Roberto leading off...
I love hitting a bomb on the first pitch of the game, silence then fireworks.
Hay gantry is there a glossary term for the crowds loud reaction when the next ball is hit after a homer, they go nuts.(like when a run is scored)
it doesnt matter if it is a foul ball after a homerun... the crowd is just releasing their stored emotions.
The best thing you can do to a rookie is definately give them a free lesson in base running. If you can get someone one1st and 3rd.... it's hilarious to watch them steal home and 2nd. Also, getting in a hotbox with a rookie is good, becuase rarely do they understand the defensive nuances....
what do you mean by "hotbox"?
i am set to play my first game in weeks.. and yes it is a semi-newbie... we'll see what tricks i can pull off.
well, i just slaughtered my brother's friend 12-2(curve style). he committed the usual assortment of newbie mistakes, i.e. the double steal, couldnt catch a cold in the outfield, had his pitchers blow their loads after an inning. as for my pitching, it was a little rusty. blyleven gave up a solo homer to eric davis in the second and then, in the third, gave up a tater to al pedriq... not a good thing... other than that, it was a good game to get the rust out.
Hotbox is simply another name for a rundown. Have you ever actually played baseball, Gwynn?
Wow Dill, you didn't just go there on Mr. Gwynn, never heard a rundown called a "hotbox" before, maybe a Pickle. Only baseball term I have ever heard with the name hotbox is the area you defend in over-the-line. But that isn't even really baseball. And for the record I bet Gwynn3k has PLAYED in more baseball games than you have watched on your television set.
I seriously doubt that. Unless he is some washed up softball player and is counting those games too. Or if he really is Tony Gwynn. You're really taking up for him, are you two involved or something? I'm REALLY sorry I hurt both of your feelings.
thats cool, i ve been working on some final papers...
i can stick up for myself... hotbox is not a term we use out here for a pickle/rundown. i have heard of hotbox as a game similar to over-the-line.
guess we use different terminology depending on geography.
Yeah could be a difference in geography. I never called it a "pickle" for obvious reasons. Actually I probably used "rundown" about 95% of the time.
I never heard of hotbox or pickle, but don't feel too bad if Pines has never heard of it. Rundown is all I know out here in Chicago, though I haven't played baseball since I was 13. My claim to fame is catching a fly ball of my foot in a real game. That should tell you how terrible I was...