I know nothing about baseball and want to learn. Where do I start?
December 11, 2011 12:14 PM Subscribe
I would like to converse with my boyfriend about baseball. I know *nothing* about baseball. Seeking books, websites, info places etc. to get myself up to some reasonable level of speed here.
The boyfriend is passionate about baseball. He has been bonding with my dad over it via Likedin. That's all very nice. Now, *I* want to do be able to do that too. I know nothing about baseball though. Dad and boyfriend have had massive head starts as both were sickly children who spent large chunks of time in bed watching baseball, reading about baseball etc. So, as an adult with no prior knowledge about baseball (I basically know the rules, can name a handful of teams and perhaps half a dozen players some of whom are not current ones) where do I start?
I realize that perhaps the ship has sailed on me becoming as expert as the boys. But if there were some interesting books I could read which might give me a general overview and perhaps a few cool stories that might start a conversation and perhaps allow me to see if this might actually be an interest for me, that would be fabulous. Suggestions?
The boyfriend is passionate about baseball. He has been bonding with my dad over it via Likedin. That's all very nice. Now, *I* want to do be able to do that too. I know nothing about baseball though. Dad and boyfriend have had massive head starts as both were sickly children who spent large chunks of time in bed watching baseball, reading about baseball etc. So, as an adult with no prior knowledge about baseball (I basically know the rules, can name a handful of teams and perhaps half a dozen players some of whom are not current ones) where do I start?
I realize that perhaps the ship has sailed on me becoming as expert as the boys. But if there were some interesting books I could read which might give me a general overview and perhaps a few cool stories that might start a conversation and perhaps allow me to see if this might actually be an interest for me, that would be fabulous. Suggestions?
This may sound insane, but watch the sports shows. Usually, the post game shows are great to learn about baseball. You won't have to sit and watch the game and when they talk about what happened, you get to see the replay of what they are talking about.
I knew nothing about sports. Then I worked on several sports shows. I have to say, after a short time, I could discuss any game with any person about sports. Made me interesting at parties because I'd I guess it helped that I could ask the sportscasters about stuff, but really, anything you have questions about you can google. Try the ESPN postgame highlights. You'll gain a lot of info there. If you want to read something, there is a Dummys book for baseball (as well as any other sports you may want to learn about.)
Good luck!
posted by Yellow at 12:26 PM on December 11, 2011
I knew nothing about sports. Then I worked on several sports shows. I have to say, after a short time, I could discuss any game with any person about sports. Made me interesting at parties because I'd I guess it helped that I could ask the sportscasters about stuff, but really, anything you have questions about you can google. Try the ESPN postgame highlights. You'll gain a lot of info there. If you want to read something, there is a Dummys book for baseball (as well as any other sports you may want to learn about.)
Good luck!
posted by Yellow at 12:26 PM on December 11, 2011
Oops, sorry about the merge of a half deleted sentence in there. But hopefully it made sense!
posted by Yellow at 12:28 PM on December 11, 2011
posted by Yellow at 12:28 PM on December 11, 2011
If you know the rules of the game already, I'd suggest two things: reading a) the ESPN Baseball homepage daily, read the best blog coverying your boyfriend's favorite team a few times a week, picking up Moneyball for an introduction to advanced statistics (this will also help you sidestep a good bit of the nonsense repeated by color announcers and mainstream baseball pundits). For the history of the game, read The Glory Of Their Times and stay away from the Ken Burns miniseries.
On preview, I'm going to actually suggest doing a ton of reading on your own, in addition to asking your boyfriend questions - if he's been a fan of the game from childhood, chances are he won't be able to explain a lot because he's never really had to think about it (for instance, my girlfriend asked me to explain the infield fly rule once, and even though I can spot its application on the field, I had a hard time actually explaining it). And, for the most part, stay away from
EPSN "analysts" except for hard reporting and the analysis they make you pay for, which generally tends to be good.
posted by downing street memo at 12:32 PM on December 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
On preview, I'm going to actually suggest doing a ton of reading on your own, in addition to asking your boyfriend questions - if he's been a fan of the game from childhood, chances are he won't be able to explain a lot because he's never really had to think about it (for instance, my girlfriend asked me to explain the infield fly rule once, and even though I can spot its application on the field, I had a hard time actually explaining it). And, for the most part, stay away from
EPSN "analysts" except for hard reporting and the analysis they make you pay for, which generally tends to be good.
posted by downing street memo at 12:32 PM on December 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
Disclaimer: I have not been a baseball newbie for a long, long time, but these books have been proven somewhat helpful in trying to get other newbie friends up to speed with me:
Watching Baseball Smarter, Zack Hample
Baseball Field Guide, Dan Formosa and Paul Hamburger
If you like infographics etc. check out Craig Robinson's Flip Flop Fly Ball.
As for history and historical references, it would help if I knew the teams your dad and boyfriend like.
posted by Electric Elf at 12:39 PM on December 11, 2011
Watching Baseball Smarter, Zack Hample
Baseball Field Guide, Dan Formosa and Paul Hamburger
If you like infographics etc. check out Craig Robinson's Flip Flop Fly Ball.
As for history and historical references, it would help if I knew the teams your dad and boyfriend like.
posted by Electric Elf at 12:39 PM on December 11, 2011
Try going to a game, and splurge for great seats. After sitting behind home plate at an exciting game, baseball became much more interesting for me.
posted by yarly at 12:39 PM on December 11, 2011
posted by yarly at 12:39 PM on December 11, 2011
Pick up this guide to baseball field rules. It's seriously awesome (and made by graphic designers, so it's beautiful as well) – it was my introduction to baseball and I regularly recommend it to other foreigners moving to the US.
posted by halogen at 12:43 PM on December 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by halogen at 12:43 PM on December 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
Watch Bull Durham. While not a primer, it's really a touchstone for fans of the sport.
If you don't live near a Major League team, you probably live near a Minor League team. Minor league baseball is much less expensive and much more of a goofy Americana-type experience with fireworks displays and three-legged races and whatnot. It's a lot of fun. Even people I know that don't watch the sport like going to minor league games. When the season is going, of course.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 12:51 PM on December 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
If you don't live near a Major League team, you probably live near a Minor League team. Minor league baseball is much less expensive and much more of a goofy Americana-type experience with fireworks displays and three-legged races and whatnot. It's a lot of fun. Even people I know that don't watch the sport like going to minor league games. When the season is going, of course.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 12:51 PM on December 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
Nthing just "Ask him to explain it to him you" because that turns it into an activity.
Thanks to growing up in a very different culture, my girl knew nothing, nothing, nothing about baseball. When she found out how it was rather important to me, she very shyly asked me whether that was the one with the helmets and cheerleaders? She's so damn cute sometimes.
But she has been happier than a kid with unlimited Lego since she has started learning. We watch games together, I try not to explain too much so she can enjoy discovering things herself, and then once and awhile she'll say "Okay wait a minute WHAT?" Then we'll pause, and I'll doodle something on a piece of paper to explain what a "shift" is, why the best hitter bats third, or why they called them "southpaws."
Because she has a math/engineering mind, she's particularly been drawn in by the statistical stuff, but the thing about baseball is that it's so deep and nuanced that you'll probably find your own sweet spot.
(And yes, I had to pause an explain "sweet spot" too. It's fun, actually. Overall it's been a huge and fun bonding experience for us, as I suspect it will be for you.)
Other thoughts:
Yes, a live game or two is great, but if you do this ask him to NOT explain things during the game. Just soak it up and forget the details. It's a social thing.
Ken Burns' miniseries "Baseball" is a terrific ~20-hour (!) documentary about the sport's history. It can be slow sometimes, but it's fascinating, especially the early 1900's stuff. If you saw his "Civil War" or "Jazz" miniserieseseses, you know exactly what to expect. Slow pace, minute detail, amazing rare film footage, and very human stories to really connect you with the history. Some of it, especially around the race conflicts, is downright tear-jerking.
If you insist on reading, Zack Hample's "Watching Baseball Smarter" is a lovely book, but only really works once you have the basics of strikes, balls and outs down cold. It's about the hidden game that isn't immediately obvious.
posted by rokusan at 1:05 PM on December 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
Thanks to growing up in a very different culture, my girl knew nothing, nothing, nothing about baseball. When she found out how it was rather important to me, she very shyly asked me whether that was the one with the helmets and cheerleaders? She's so damn cute sometimes.
But she has been happier than a kid with unlimited Lego since she has started learning. We watch games together, I try not to explain too much so she can enjoy discovering things herself, and then once and awhile she'll say "Okay wait a minute WHAT?" Then we'll pause, and I'll doodle something on a piece of paper to explain what a "shift" is, why the best hitter bats third, or why they called them "southpaws."
Because she has a math/engineering mind, she's particularly been drawn in by the statistical stuff, but the thing about baseball is that it's so deep and nuanced that you'll probably find your own sweet spot.
(And yes, I had to pause an explain "sweet spot" too. It's fun, actually. Overall it's been a huge and fun bonding experience for us, as I suspect it will be for you.)
Other thoughts:
posted by rokusan at 1:05 PM on December 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
What do you want to learn? Do you want to know the ins & outs of the sport as it is played? Do you want to know the history of the game? Or do you want to know why it seems so meaningful -- so culturally resonant -- to the people that love it? If it's the third, you might value Green Fields of the Mind, a shortish essay by the late Bart Giamatti, former Baseball Commissioner and Yale President. It think it captures something about why the game matters to so many of us.
posted by .kobayashi. at 1:20 PM on December 11, 2011
posted by .kobayashi. at 1:20 PM on December 11, 2011
Start following the team in your area...watch some games (or at least the highlights), if possible, go to a game or two with your boyfriend, learn the players' names, read the local sports pages about your team, and keep track of whether they're winning or losing. By following a team, you'll learn about the sport, who plays what position, and give yourself lots of conversation material. Personally, I think baseball is a boring sport but being a baseball fan can be fun- it's all about the drama and the personalities and you'll end up enjoying it a lot more if it's something personal (following a particular team and knowing all about them) than you would if you focus on learning stats and rules.
posted by emd3737 at 1:22 PM on December 11, 2011
posted by emd3737 at 1:22 PM on December 11, 2011
You might want to let it be "their thing" or just learn slowly be being around them, anything else is Trying Too Hard. Why not pick something else you all already like to bond over? Most people like food, books or movies, pets etc.
posted by meepmeow at 1:22 PM on December 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by meepmeow at 1:22 PM on December 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
One thing that makes baseball different from a lot of other sports is that there is no time limit. The players continue playing until all nine innings have played their course.* From the moment the pitcher winds up to throw the ball, anything can happen. It's fascinating to see how the different possibilities play out, pitch after pitch.
*with a couple of possible exceptions.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 1:28 PM on December 11, 2011
*with a couple of possible exceptions.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 1:28 PM on December 11, 2011
What you need is Bob Costas. I love baseball but I am like you are about golf. Don't get it, don't find it interesting, think the minutiae is boring, don't get the appeal and why there's so bloody much money tied up in it. But when I happen to hear Bob Costas on the radio or clicking through on the TV, I feel like a golf fan. He talks with obvious love for the game but without sentimentality and without boring minutiae. Anyone who can teach me about golf can teach you about baseball. (These are random googled links, there's an endless supply out there.)
For fun, watch Bull Durham as suggested above, and also Field of Dreams, The Natural, 8 Men Out, Pride of the Yankees, Bang the Drum Slowly... Eventually, if you are snowed in for a week, you could watch Ken Burns' Baseball.
posted by headnsouth at 1:43 PM on December 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
For fun, watch Bull Durham as suggested above, and also Field of Dreams, The Natural, 8 Men Out, Pride of the Yankees, Bang the Drum Slowly... Eventually, if you are snowed in for a week, you could watch Ken Burns' Baseball.
posted by headnsouth at 1:43 PM on December 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
Don't take this the wrong way, but maybe you might just let your man and your father have this interest to themselves. I think learning the history, and watching some movies and maybe reading a really great biography of Mickey Mantle by Jane Leavy would be worthwhile activities.
posted by Ideefixe at 2:01 PM on December 11, 2011
posted by Ideefixe at 2:01 PM on December 11, 2011
I have to agree with Bob Costas. True story: as I was heading into a restaurant, he was exiting. Some guy recognized him and went up to him and said "I just want to thank you, Mr. Costas, for explaining baseball to my wife! Now she never interrupts me during the games." To which Costas was very appreciative.
posted by dfriedman at 2:03 PM on December 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by dfriedman at 2:03 PM on December 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
I learned an excessive amount of baseball by learning how to keep score of a game. Keep score in a score book, not just the runs. If you want a specific project to work on with your dad or you boyfriend, have them teach you how to keep score. It also makes it easier to pay attention to the game because you're writing something down. You don't have to actually be at the game, you can do it from the radio or the tv (easier on the tv, especially until you get the hang of it).
posted by dpx.mfx at 2:08 PM on December 11, 2011
posted by dpx.mfx at 2:08 PM on December 11, 2011
Two things that work for me:
--I listen to the local sports station on my commute. Whenever there are trades or controversies going on, the talk shows will be all over them.
--When I go to a game with my husband, I wear headphones and listen to the radio commentary. That makes the game more fun for me, and I'll occasionally say something like, "The strike zone has expanded, to the detriment of the hitter."
--On line, you can find live blogging of televised baseball games. If you look at those while watching the game, you get lots of commentary. It's especially good when an obscure rule becomes relevant -- and baseball is just full of obscure rules.
What doesn't work in our house: asking questions during replays. No no no.
posted by wryly at 2:20 PM on December 11, 2011
--I listen to the local sports station on my commute. Whenever there are trades or controversies going on, the talk shows will be all over them.
--When I go to a game with my husband, I wear headphones and listen to the radio commentary. That makes the game more fun for me, and I'll occasionally say something like, "The strike zone has expanded, to the detriment of the hitter."
--On line, you can find live blogging of televised baseball games. If you look at those while watching the game, you get lots of commentary. It's especially good when an obscure rule becomes relevant -- and baseball is just full of obscure rules.
What doesn't work in our house: asking questions during replays. No no no.
posted by wryly at 2:20 PM on December 11, 2011
There are lots of different ways of being a baseball fan, and the answer to your question really crucially depends on what kind of fans your boyfriend and/or dad are. If they take pleasure in newfangled saber-stat geekery, you'll want to read one bunch of books and websites (Fangraphs, Baseball Prospectus); if they're lovers of the history, trivia, and inside stories of the game you'll want another (probably best to start with some memoirs about the teams they follow and the players they like). Figure out what kinds of conversations they like to have, what topics and ways of talking about baseball interest them: is it geeking out about run expectancy and win probability stats? debating in-game strategic choices? remembering historical greats and arguing about who's greater? offbeat trivia? stories about ballplayers' personalities?
One book that works well as a bank of conversation starters for almost any kind of fan is the Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract — it's a fat book of anecdotes, trivia, and fun debate-starting arguments organized as a list of the best all-time players by position. Another might be Rob Neyer and Bill James's more recent Guide to Pitchers. These are digestible in small chunks and even a five-minute dip into either one will teach you stuff that you can use to open up a conversation.
posted by RogerB at 2:41 PM on December 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
One book that works well as a bank of conversation starters for almost any kind of fan is the Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract — it's a fat book of anecdotes, trivia, and fun debate-starting arguments organized as a list of the best all-time players by position. Another might be Rob Neyer and Bill James's more recent Guide to Pitchers. These are digestible in small chunks and even a five-minute dip into either one will teach you stuff that you can use to open up a conversation.
posted by RogerB at 2:41 PM on December 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
Wanted to add: When the season starts, join a fantasy baseball league. Even if it's with coworkers or even just random people from Yahoo/ESPN/Whoever. I actually think this helps much more than picking a team because you suddenly have 20 or so players on random teams and that gives you someone you can root for in most games. So if they're like me (I buy the season subscription so baseball is pretty much on from Spring Training through October) and watch a lot of random games, you're more likely to have a rooting interest in Team A's shortstop or Team B's outfielder, which makes the games more interesting.
And if you play for a couple years, you'll have a casual knowledge of 60-100 players throughout the league, which makes things more interesting.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 2:48 PM on December 11, 2011
And if you play for a couple years, you'll have a casual knowledge of 60-100 players throughout the league, which makes things more interesting.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 2:48 PM on December 11, 2011
Go watch games with your bf and your father. There's still a little bit of America left in America, so it's likely that you are, at any given moment between March and November, within a short distance of a baseball or softball game. Little Leagues, high schools, colleges, the Minor Leagues ... all easily accessible and cheap. And fun. It's the next best thing to actually playing.
Imagine I said all that in James Earl Jones' voice, it'll work better.
posted by zomg at 2:49 PM on December 11, 2011
Imagine I said all that in James Earl Jones' voice, it'll work better.
posted by zomg at 2:49 PM on December 11, 2011
Agreed on just asking him when you have questions. Also, maybe just watch a game and wikipedia anything you don't understand. There's a lot there but it's mostly pretty simple really. I also recommend going to the SBNation blog of his favorite team and read the live comments while watching a game.
posted by saul wright at 2:49 PM on December 11, 2011
posted by saul wright at 2:49 PM on December 11, 2011
Don't listen to the people telling you to let the boys have their baseball to themselves. Baseball is AWESOME.
Keeping score is indeed a good way to learn about the game, as dpx.mfx said. (I should do that this year, actually).
Me? I like the lore of the game. I love reading baseball memoirs and books and at the beginning of every season, I get on a baseball reading kick. Here are some books I've really enjoyed:
The Official Rules of Baseball, Illustrated (does what it says on the tin)
Slouching Toward Fargo (The St. Paul Saints is one of the quirkier independent minor league teams, and this is about them)
The Echoling Green
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning: 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of a City
and so many more. The only sport I can think of with as many books written is Boxing.
And I also agree with listening to local sportcasters. Some excellent advice. HAVE FUN! I wish I could learn about baseball all over again.
posted by bibliogrrl at 2:51 PM on December 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
Keeping score is indeed a good way to learn about the game, as dpx.mfx said. (I should do that this year, actually).
Me? I like the lore of the game. I love reading baseball memoirs and books and at the beginning of every season, I get on a baseball reading kick. Here are some books I've really enjoyed:
The Official Rules of Baseball, Illustrated (does what it says on the tin)
Slouching Toward Fargo (The St. Paul Saints is one of the quirkier independent minor league teams, and this is about them)
The Echoling Green
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning: 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of a City
and so many more. The only sport I can think of with as many books written is Boxing.
And I also agree with listening to local sportcasters. Some excellent advice. HAVE FUN! I wish I could learn about baseball all over again.
posted by bibliogrrl at 2:51 PM on December 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
I rather enjoyed Men At Work by George Will.
posted by Devils Rancher at 7:29 PM on December 11, 2011
posted by Devils Rancher at 7:29 PM on December 11, 2011
Reading Baseball for Brain Surgeons by Tim McCarver is what turned baseball from a baffling cricket-like mess that lasted an eternity into a gripping, dynamic strategy match.
posted by workerant at 7:35 PM on December 11, 2011
posted by workerant at 7:35 PM on December 11, 2011
I would recommend the book Ball Four by Jim Bouton. It's a hilarios read, and it's not so much about the game as it is the life of a ballplayer during the long baseball season. It will help color your view of the game.
posted by azpenguin at 8:23 PM on December 11, 2011
posted by azpenguin at 8:23 PM on December 11, 2011
I strongly agree with RogerB. The first thing you'll want to know is why your dad and boyfriend love baseball. Let me add to that: the second thing you'll want to know is why you love baseball. You might not love baseball for the same reasons they do, but if you find that you love any aspect of the game, you will probably find enough common ground for all of you to enjoy baseball together. It is probably more important that you enjoy the game than that you know the ins and outs of why your dad and boyfriend enjoy the game, but knowing why they love it will probably help you along the way.
I really like the stats side of the game. So I read FanGraphs and other related materials (as others have mentioned up-thread). My wife likes the history of the game, so she reads books like Crazy '08 and October 1964.
posted by Jonathan Livengood at 8:23 PM on December 11, 2011
I really like the stats side of the game. So I read FanGraphs and other related materials (as others have mentioned up-thread). My wife likes the history of the game, so she reads books like Crazy '08 and October 1964.
posted by Jonathan Livengood at 8:23 PM on December 11, 2011
Two sublime books, one old and one recent, that help illuminate why we care about baseball:
The Boys of Summer, by Roger Kahn.
The Last Best League, by Jim Collins.
posted by dixiecupdrinking at 9:38 PM on December 11, 2011
The Boys of Summer, by Roger Kahn.
The Last Best League, by Jim Collins.
posted by dixiecupdrinking at 9:38 PM on December 11, 2011
There are lots of different ways of being a baseball fan, and the answer to your question really crucially depends on what kind of fans your boyfriend and/or dad are.
This this this this, plus Jonathan Livengood's comment above.
My SO is a lifelong baseball fan. I'm not a sports fan, generally speaking. But I enjoy following our home team, and approach each game more like a story than anything else.
As a not-interested-in-stats person, I loathe fantasy baseball. On the other hand, it's basically a RPG using real people, so if that floats your boat, go for it.)
posted by desuetude at 10:07 PM on December 11, 2011
This this this this, plus Jonathan Livengood's comment above.
My SO is a lifelong baseball fan. I'm not a sports fan, generally speaking. But I enjoy following our home team, and approach each game more like a story than anything else.
As a not-interested-in-stats person, I loathe fantasy baseball. On the other hand, it's basically a RPG using real people, so if that floats your boat, go for it.)
posted by desuetude at 10:07 PM on December 11, 2011
Girl who fell in love with baseball two years ago here. As others have said, your first step is to try to figure out what type of baseball fan you want to be. Are your dad boyfriend into a specific team? Do they follow the sport in general and talk about trades or coaches, or history & old games?
If you want to learn the rules, and get a general understanding of gameplay, don't just watch some games on tv, listen to them on the radio. Radio broadcasters explain so much more of the game than the tv broadcasters, they have to due to the nature of the medium, and an experienced radio guy will have the best stories to go along with the plays.
The year I spent listening to Jon Miller, Dave Fleming, Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper announce Giants games on the radio taught me more about baseball than any website alone. You begin to get the flow of a game by listening to it, and can start understanding the weird rules and details of the sport by listening for names of plays/rules you've never heard of and heading over to wikipedia to look it up.
I also suggest following your team's beat writer (from your local paper) on twitter or if they have a blog, read that. Beat writers are such a good resource for the behind the scenes details, rumors, and explanations of what's going on behind the scenes of your team. The insights you'll glean from a beat writer are instant conversation fodder in almost nay situation. And it'll take you from, "hey, tough loss, last night" to "damn, I can't believe [MANAGER] took [PITCHER] out in the 6th..." so much faster.
Lastly, I second the suggestion of finding the SB Nation blog for your team. Reading a live game thread might seem completely confusing at first, but the posters will not only throw out awesome nerd references to BSG, Star Wars and Game of Thrones while posting hilarious gifs (at least this is the case at McCovey Chronicles, the website of my heart) they're make so many stats references that you'll be fully versed in the fangraphs page for every player on your team in no time.
In short: listen to games, follow your local sports writer faithfully, and keep your laptop in front of you for at least half a season and you'll be able to out water-cooler your coworkers, family and friends in no time. Also, you might just fall in love with this weird game, and start reading books like The Baseball Codes, Summerland, and A Band of Misfits (seriously, even if SF isn't your team, this book is so good.
posted by nerdcore at 11:39 PM on December 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
If you want to learn the rules, and get a general understanding of gameplay, don't just watch some games on tv, listen to them on the radio. Radio broadcasters explain so much more of the game than the tv broadcasters, they have to due to the nature of the medium, and an experienced radio guy will have the best stories to go along with the plays.
The year I spent listening to Jon Miller, Dave Fleming, Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper announce Giants games on the radio taught me more about baseball than any website alone. You begin to get the flow of a game by listening to it, and can start understanding the weird rules and details of the sport by listening for names of plays/rules you've never heard of and heading over to wikipedia to look it up.
I also suggest following your team's beat writer (from your local paper) on twitter or if they have a blog, read that. Beat writers are such a good resource for the behind the scenes details, rumors, and explanations of what's going on behind the scenes of your team. The insights you'll glean from a beat writer are instant conversation fodder in almost nay situation. And it'll take you from, "hey, tough loss, last night" to "damn, I can't believe [MANAGER] took [PITCHER] out in the 6th..." so much faster.
Lastly, I second the suggestion of finding the SB Nation blog for your team. Reading a live game thread might seem completely confusing at first, but the posters will not only throw out awesome nerd references to BSG, Star Wars and Game of Thrones while posting hilarious gifs (at least this is the case at McCovey Chronicles, the website of my heart) they're make so many stats references that you'll be fully versed in the fangraphs page for every player on your team in no time.
In short: listen to games, follow your local sports writer faithfully, and keep your laptop in front of you for at least half a season and you'll be able to out water-cooler your coworkers, family and friends in no time. Also, you might just fall in love with this weird game, and start reading books like The Baseball Codes, Summerland, and A Band of Misfits (seriously, even if SF isn't your team, this book is so good.
posted by nerdcore at 11:39 PM on December 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
All you need to do is watch games with him. Ask him questions as the game progresses. Most likely he'll love your new interest in his hobby, and he gets to explain something he's passionate about to you.
posted by Terheyden at 1:21 PM on December 12, 2011
posted by Terheyden at 1:21 PM on December 12, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Thorzdad at 12:24 PM on December 11, 2011 [2 favorites]