Why do Americans consider a 'bare handed' catch in baseball impressive?

[barden]

?

[barden]

do really good baseball players have trouble catching without a glove cause you're basically taught to miss, by catching with that part of your hand that doesn't exist? So when they catch one without a glove on people are like, 'woah'.

[FoolofaTook]

Phoenix Suns president and CEO Rick Welts, in an effort to breach what he sees as the tiptoed-around topic of homosexuality in men's team sports, recently met with friends, associates and a newspaper reporter to reveal he is gay.

Welts, believed to be the first man in a prominent position in men's sports who has declared his homosexuality, says he wants to now mentor other gay people who seek to pursue a career in sports, according to The New York Times.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/...ticleLarge.jpg

[barden]

how arrogant to assume he's one of the first? All these people are gay:
John Amaechi, basketball
Judith Arndt, cycling
Billy Bean, baseball
Chris Bergland, triathlon
Geert Blanchart, speed skating
Carol Blazejowski, basketball
Glenn Burke, baseball
Ryan Carrillo, skating
Mark Chatfield, swimming
Carin Clonda, squash
Chad Conley, figure skating
Robert Costello, equestrian
Scott Cranham, diving
Mike Crosby, water polo
John Curry, figure skating
John Damien, jockey
Chris Dickerson, bodybuilder
Dora Dome, basketball
Robert Dover, equestrian
Nancy Drolet, hockey
Michelle Dumaresque, mountain biking
Justin Fashanu, soccer
Rudy Galindo, figure skating
Ed Gallagher, football
Ramona Gatto, kickboxing
Missy Giove, mountain biking
Billy Glover, running
Andrew Goldstein, lacrosse
Jordan Goldwarg, skiing
Gina Guidi, boxing
Matthew Hall, figure skating
Matthew Hall, Australian rules football
Bruce Hayes, swimming
Andrew Holder, swimming
Drew Holland, rowing
Savoy Howe, boxing
Ryan Hunka, figure skating
Billy Innes, stock car racing
Patrick Jeffrey, diving
Corey Johnson, football
Rosie Jones, golf
Charles Jones, boxing
Orlando Jordan, wrestling
Chris Kanyon, wrestling
Peter Karlsson, ice hockey
Johan Kenkhuis, swimming
Pirinya Kiatbusaba, kickboxing
Billie Jean King, tennis
Dave Kopay, football
Alex Kostich, swimming
Mark Leduc, boxing
Ilana Lobet, cycling
Greg Louganis, diving
Brian Marshall, track & field
Doug Mattis, figure skating
Ryan Miller, snowboarding
Jen Moore, softball
Chris Morgan, powerlifting
Martina Navratilova, tennis
Jack Nelson, skiing
Rob Newton, track and field
Brian Orser, figure skating
Bob Paris, bodybuilding
Pat Patterson, wrestling
Jon Pauole, swimming, triathlon
Derrick Peterson, track & field
David Pichler, diving
Peter Prijdekker, swimming
Ryan Quinn, skiing
Ian Roberts, rugby
****** Ruffin, basketball
Gunther Seidel, equestrian
Patty Sheehan, golf
Roy Simmons, football
Jimmy Sjodin, diving
Dwight Slater, football
Jerry Smith, football
Muffin Spencer-Devlin, golf
Ryan Stevens, figure skating
Sheryl Swoopes, basketball
Mark Tewksbury, swimming
Brandon Triche, gymnastics
Esera Tuaolo, football
Edward Van Campen, figure skating
Michele Van Gorp, basketball
Dan Veatch, swimming
Lisa-Marie Vizaniari, track & field
Tom Waddell, decathlon
Karrie Webb, golf
Mark Welsh, triathlon
Diane Whipple, lacrosse
Sue Wicks, basketball
Aylssa Wykes, football
Andrea Zimbardi, softball

[barden]

and that list is 3 years old.

[sppunk]

Because a baseball is often traveling 100+ mph when people cheer it was caught with one hand.

[MyOneAndOnly]

those balls travel so fast, and are so hard, that getting hit with one can break just about any bone in the human body. thats why batters wear helmets. Pitchers have had their legs broken by balls hit directly at them.

[killtrocity]

[duovamp]

I didn't know anything in baseball was considered impressive.

[samuel redman]

don't be an idiot

[Trotskilicious]

Originally Posted by barden

and that list is 3 years old.

yeah and none of those people own teams so you didn't prove anything

[ilikeplanets]

CUZ ITS FUCKIN MANLY.

[samuel redman]

drop dead

[Sarcastic Smile]

Originally Posted by sppunk

Because a baseball is often traveling 100+ mph when people cheer it was caught with one hand.

Originally Posted by scottytheoneand

those balls travel so fast, and are so hard, that getting hit with one can break just about any bone in the human body. thats why batters wear helmets. Pitchers have had their legs broken by balls hit directly at them.

These in addition to the fact that your hand is about 1/4 the surface area of a glove by. But yeah, a regular pop up that has lost velocity isn't that impressive.. It really depends on the hit. If you have even been hit with a baseball you can see why it would be impressive, and that's not even at a major league level.

Also if you catch it the wrong way in your hand your can easily break any of the bones or at the least cause yourself extreme pain

[Sarcastic Smile]

Ehh I don't know if I articulated that last part right

[Nimrod's Son]

Originally Posted by barden

do really good baseball players have trouble catching without a glove cause you're basically taught to miss, by catching with that part of your hand that doesn't exist? So when they catch one without a glove on people are like, 'woah'.

It's because it has to be done one-handed, with a very hard ball travelling at high speed

[Nimrod's Son]

Originally Posted by barden

how arrogant to assume he's one of the first? All these people are gay:
John Amaechi, basketball
Judith Arndt, cycling
Billy Bean, baseball
Chris Bergland, triathlon
Geert Blanchart, speed skating
Carol Blazejowski, basketball
Glenn Burke, baseball
Ryan Carrillo, skating
Mark Chatfield, swimming
Carin Clonda, squash
Chad Conley, figure skating
Robert Costello, equestrian
Scott Cranham, diving
Mike Crosby, water polo
John Curry, figure skating
John Damien, jockey
Chris Dickerson, bodybuilder
Dora Dome, basketball
Robert Dover, equestrian
Nancy Drolet, hockey
Michelle Dumaresque, mountain biking
Justin Fashanu, soccer
Rudy Galindo, figure skating
Ed Gallagher, football
Ramona Gatto, kickboxing
Missy Giove, mountain biking
Billy Glover, running
Andrew Goldstein, lacrosse
Jordan Goldwarg, skiing
Gina Guidi, boxing
Matthew Hall, figure skating
Matthew Hall, Australian rules football
Bruce Hayes, swimming
Andrew Holder, swimming
Drew Holland, rowing
Savoy Howe, boxing
Ryan Hunka, figure skating
Billy Innes, stock car racing
Patrick Jeffrey, diving
Corey Johnson, football
Rosie Jones, golf
Charles Jones, boxing
Orlando Jordan, wrestling
Chris Kanyon, wrestling
Peter Karlsson, ice hockey
Johan Kenkhuis, swimming
Pirinya Kiatbusaba, kickboxing
Billie Jean King, tennis
Dave Kopay, football
Alex Kostich, swimming
Mark Leduc, boxing
Ilana Lobet, cycling
Greg Louganis, diving
Brian Marshall, track & field
Doug Mattis, figure skating
Ryan Miller, snowboarding
Jen Moore, softball
Chris Morgan, powerlifting
Martina Navratilova, tennis
Jack Nelson, skiing
Rob Newton, track and field
Brian Orser, figure skating
Bob Paris, bodybuilding
Pat Patterson, wrestling
Jon Pauole, swimming, triathlon
Derrick Peterson, track & field
David Pichler, diving
Peter Prijdekker, swimming
Ryan Quinn, skiing
Ian Roberts, rugby
****** Ruffin, basketball
Gunther Seidel, equestrian
Patty Sheehan, golf
Roy Simmons, football
Jimmy Sjodin, diving
Dwight Slater, football
Jerry Smith, football
Muffin Spencer-Devlin, golf
Ryan Stevens, figure skating
Sheryl Swoopes, basketball
Mark Tewksbury, swimming
Brandon Triche, gymnastics
Esera Tuaolo, football
Edward Van Campen, figure skating
Michele Van Gorp, basketball
Dan Veatch, swimming
Lisa-Marie Vizaniari, track & field
Tom Waddell, decathlon
Karrie Webb, golf
Mark Welsh, triathlon
Diane Whipple, lacrosse
Sue Wicks, basketball
Aylssa Wykes, football
Andrea Zimbardi, softball

OK so first you throw out the women, because there's no stigma being a gay woman athlete. That's not what we're talking about.

Then throw out all of the athletes from non-macho sports, like golf, or the Olympics.

Next, throw out everyone who wasn't even close to being a star.

That leaves: nobody.

[Future Boy]

I would say actively playing when coming out would top being a star. Has there been an active player in any of the big three: MLB NFL NBA?

[sppunk]

Mike Piazza! Oh wait.

[cork_soaker]

it would certainly leave an impression on me

[Andy /]

Originally Posted by Nimrod's Son

OK so first you throw out the women, because there's no stigma being a gay woman athlete. That's not what we're talking about.

Then throw out all of the athletes from non-macho sports, like golf, or the Olympics.

Next, throw out everyone who wasn't even close to being a star.

That leaves: nobody.

also, he doesn't play pro sports, he's a pro sports executive outing himself while active in that job. but let's not confuse ol' barden here with facts when he's pigeonholing arguments.

[Trotskilicious]

Seriously, this is a thread about "What's so impressive about catching a spherical rock-hard object, hit with tremendous velocity, with one gloveless hand?"

[Trotskilicious]

i dunno barden what's so impressive about beefy dudes tackling each other without pads.

[FlyinLo_DyinSlo]

it's because we dont throw like girls

[Dead Frequency]

Dennis rodman was pretty gay

[Sonic Johnny]

Barden has the composure of the kid whose parents forced him to do ballet while all his friends learnt karate.

[Ol' Couch Ass]

What's so impressive about getting a bunch of bored, drugged out kids together in a room to listen to some shitty band?

[Trotskilicious]

What the fuck is so impressive about catching a soccer ball guys?

[killtrocity]

Originally Posted by ilikeplanets

CUZ ITS FUCKIN MANLY.

you're fucking manly

[Trotskilicious]

haha she is