base·ball (bas'bôl') n.
1. A game played with a bat and ball by two opposing teams of
nine players, each team playing alternately in the field and at
bat, the players at bat having to run a course of four bases laid
out in a diamond pattern in order to score.
2. The ball that is used in this game.
What is the fascination of keeping track of all these numbers
and statistical information for Baseball? Is it so we can remember
Ted Williams, Minnie Minoso, Roger Maris or even Bill Mazeroski?
Wally Moon when he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers even developed
a specialized swing for the Los Angeles Coliseum when they played
there the first couple of years. He hit left handed but the right
field fence (where most left handed hitters hit home runs) was over
300 feet away while the left field fence was only 250 feet away. He
practiced swinging late and started hitting home runs to left. They
were called Moon shots. And they made him seem more of a power
hitter than he really was. Minnie Minoso kept coming back to play
again and again. He played in the 40s 50s 60s 70s and 80s. That's 5
decades. Bill Mazeroski was a great second baseman, probably
remembered best for his walk off home run against the Yankees in
game 7 of the 1960 World Series. Roger Maris... what did he do?
Broke Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs by hitting 61 in 1961. Ted
Williams... He is considered by many to be the greatest hitter of
all time.
The only thing that really matters is the final score. But would
baseball be baseball if all those stats weren't kept? How would we
know who might be the best there ever was or who is having a good
season or not? Would anyone know this if Baseball wasn't into all
of this numbers mumbo jumbo?
Baseball is chock full of numbers. Just look at the rules of the
game. The positions in the field even have numbers so that someone
can keep score easier. The bases even have numbers (if you consider
first, second etc as numbers) ... except for home plate. Numbers
were put on the player's uniforms so that the fans could more
easily see who was where. Heck nowadays even the seats in the
stadium have numbers so that you know where to sit.
So what does all of this have to do with the cache? I don't
know... But this is what I came up with.
1338765780110708
We will provide hints, all you have to do is ask.
