The opening pitch by the worlds best juggler when he was working at Cirque du Soleil looks exactly as you might think (skip to 57 seconds to see the real action):
When I mentioned how "perfect" Bush's pitch was my liberal friends all immediately countered that it was actually a crappy pitch because it would be easy to hit.
They kind of have a point, though I can see opening with a pitch like that if you think the batter doesn't expect it or might just observe the first couple of pitches regardless of where they are sent.
I just find it funny that they can't even say he can pitch a baseball well.
That would be a legitimate gripe if they didn't have a point with it. You are assuming that their opinion is based on politics when it can be legitimately based on common opinions in the world of baseball alone.
I just find it funny that they can't even say he can pitch a baseball well.
That would be a legitimate gripe if they didn't have a point with it. You are assuming that their opinion is based on politics when it can be legitimately based on common opinions in the world of baseball alone.
Well, it's probably not, because if they've ever followed or played baseball they should know it's not nessissarily true. The entire idea of a straight fastball is that it's hard to hit because it's coming right through the middle of the box, but very, very fast.
I mean, Roger Clemens was one of the best pitchers in baseball history, and for basically his entire career, his bread and butter was a right-down-the-barrel vanilla fastball.
You're right about Nolan Ryan's pitch being funnier than Jordan's, though - I didn't even spot him down there over the side.
Well, it's probably not, because if they've ever followed or played baseball they should know it's not nessissarily true. The entire idea of a straight fastball is that it's hard to hit because it's coming right through the middle of the box, but very, very fast.
That's based on another factor though, velocity rather than placement. We do not know about velocity of the pitch, but since it's probably a slower pitch (it is a ceremonious one after all), I don't think Bush's placement is all that impressive. Sotomayor's pitch seems much more "perfect" to me all things being equal. Also, there is some joke in here with Bush having managed a baseball team, but I don't know what it is.
Anyway, way too much debate about a joke here. One last thing though: I find it odd that the makers of the chart considered Stone Cold Steve Austin a celebrity rather than an athlete.
Yeah, I could argue baseball for ages. I don't follow the sport, but the playing of it, I enjoy. One of the dudes I used to play with, last I heard, was playing the minor leauge in the US, and was a good prospect to go pro, but that was years ago, dunno what happened to him.
Weird but interesting fact - the vast majority of Australian Baseball players in the Major Leagues are pitchers. Six out of the seven currently active, and 21 out of the 31 total across history.
Either way, the point is that putting one right down the middle doesn't make it a bad pitch. Sure, the speed won't be great, but the same could be said of any of those pitches, because like you said, it's a ceremonial pitch with no batter, and none of them are by people who play baseball at that level - well, except Nolan Ryan, I guess, but his was so far out that it doesn't matter.
I'm less surprised about the categorization of Stone Cold Steve Austin, though. While professional wrestling is certainly an extremely athletic activity, and the people who participate are almost all very serious athletes, I can understand the categorization since it's primarily scripted entertainment, rather than a sport.
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Can you spot all of the inaccuracies?
PAPA POW POW, PAPAPA POW
Also
On that note, the position of Nolan Ryan's pitch is way funnier.
I mean, Roger Clemens was one of the best pitchers in baseball history, and for basically his entire career, his bread and butter was a right-down-the-barrel vanilla fastball.
You're right about Nolan Ryan's pitch being funnier than Jordan's, though - I didn't even spot him down there over the side.
Anyway, way too much debate about a joke here. One last thing though: I find it odd that the makers of the chart considered Stone Cold Steve Austin a celebrity rather than an athlete.
Weird but interesting fact - the vast majority of Australian Baseball players in the Major Leagues are pitchers. Six out of the seven currently active, and 21 out of the 31 total across history.
Either way, the point is that putting one right down the middle doesn't make it a bad pitch. Sure, the speed won't be great, but the same could be said of any of those pitches, because like you said, it's a ceremonial pitch with no batter, and none of them are by people who play baseball at that level - well, except Nolan Ryan, I guess, but his was so far out that it doesn't matter.
I'm less surprised about the categorization of Stone Cold Steve Austin, though. While professional wrestling is certainly an extremely athletic activity, and the people who participate are almost all very serious athletes, I can understand the categorization since it's primarily scripted entertainment, rather than a sport.