There seams a chapter to be missing between 'Chapter 27 - Time Marches On' and 'Chapter 28 - Building Team Spirit' of "Young Life of White Tiger".
There is a reference to baseball try outs that aren't mentioned before.
I hope this is the right place, cause I couldn't find an other way to tell the author.
that author has all the site based contact methods turned off. The best you can do is to use the webmaster link near the top right corner to send a message to Lazeez, as he has a way to contact the author and check on the situation.
Non-premium members can contact authors if they have the relevant options turned on.
that author has all the site based contact methods turned off.
You're right :(
I must have been hallucinating. Sorry.
AJ
If the blog is accessed from the author's page or the blogs page, no feedback facility is available. But on the Stream page:
Anthill Mob : error
uploaded the wrong chapter by mistake correct one should be up sooncomment
Posted: 8/24/2017, 7:46:54 PM"
Lo and behold, a comment facility. I've no idea whether it works because I didn't try it.
Spooky huh!
AJ
Bug fixed.
That's some dang powerful bug spray you use, Lazeez. Yo fix them bugs real quick.
Heck as soon as Ernest mentioned the writer had turned off both feedback and comments as a default setting. I stopped even looking for a way to notify the writer. At that point any problems with the story were his/her headache and none of my business.
Perhaps Lazeez could consider a chapter 'thumbs down' facility to report issues like inappropriate content or wrong chapters to the site management.
AJ
I could live with that option. But where a writer decides not to accept feedback in any form. Then I will respect that decision. I don't have to like it but I will accept it as the right of the writer. As for the "thumbs down" option I would probably use it. Of course like any other option there will be those who will abuse the option.
Perhaps Lazeez could consider a chapter 'thumbs down' facility to report issues like inappropriate content or wrong chapters to the site management.
that exists as part of the webmaster link, it's a report type option.
Perhaps Lazeez could consider a chapter 'thumbs down' facility to report issues like inappropriate content or wrong chapters to the site management.
that exists as part of the webmaster link, it's a report type option.
That's actually the best option. If there was a posting mistake, and the author has turned off ALL communications, Lazeez still has his email address and can contact him to warn him that he made a mistake.
That's actually the best option.
The difficulty with that option is Lazeez has a lot to do and shouldn't be bothered every time a reader wants to get feedback to an Author who doesn't want feedback from their readers. If the average reader insisted on sending someone like Anthill Mob a minor correction, Lazeez would be overwhelmed with feedback messages.
Shutting down the communication paths your readers may want to use is a double-edged sword.
The difficulty with that option is Lazeez has a lot to do and shouldn't be bothered every time a reader wants to get feedback to an Author who doesn't want feedback from their readers. If the average reader insisted on sending someone like Anthill Mob a minor correction, Lazeez would be overwhelmed with feedback messages.
That's certainly true, but I'd consider a "posted the wrong chapter" or "the wrong story" would be significant enough, I think it would warrant his intervention (though, truthfully, every time I've ever made that mistake, I promptly get 30 or 40 emails about it over the next couple of days). Now that would overwhelm anyone!
I'd consider a "posted the wrong chapter" or "the wrong story" would be significant enough
That may be true. However, a large number of readers might consider their remarks regarding typos significant enough to route them to Lazeez requesting that he forward them. Lazeez would be overwhelmed with emails.
Authors block feedback knowing that readers cannot notify them of problems. Reader dissatisfaction is the result.
That may be true. However, a large number of readers might consider their remarks regarding typos significant enough to route them to Lazeez requesting that he forward them. Lazeez would be overwhelmed with emails.
Easily solved. Lazeez just sends off a few "Not worth my time, since the author does NOT WANT to be bothered responding to stories".
Readers will soon get the message that it's the author who's at fault, not Lazeez and they'll (eventually) leave Lazeez alone with those types of complaints.
By the way, I wasn't suggesting that EVERYONE reports an incorrectly posted chapter to the SOL Admins, only that 'responsible parties' might consider that response (i.e. other authors after noticing the author doesn't allow feedback).
I wasn't suggesting that EVERYONE reports an incorrectly posted chapter to the SOL Admins, only that 'responsible parties' might consider that response
Explain that to the average reader. :)
Explain that to the average reader.
Explaining anything to the average reader is an exercise in futility. :)
It's not available on the individual chapter pages. I envisaged something as accessible as the 'thumbs down' facility for forum posts, and automatically reporting the author, story and chapter back to the management.
AJ
There are some things with this particular story that lead me to believe that the either author might not know much about certain cultural aspects of the United States or has set his story in a parallel universe.
The fact that there is no way to directly contact the author makes those errors or things that are different from the universe we live in more amusing to a certain extent.
...or has set his story in a parallel universe.
Cultural faux pas or not, it's an enjoyable bit of fluff. These type of stories would have to be set in a parallel universe, because they can't happen in the real world. Earn over 500 million dollars before age 14? ;)
makes those errors or things that are different from the universe we live in more amusing to a certain extent
Amusing perhaps, but at a minimum I cringe every time "hit" is used as a noun with regards to a baseball at bat that results in an out! I don't know why the author didn't put the story in his own country, and have the protagonist play Cricket. Likely I would have learned some things about the game.
but at a minimum I cringe every time "hit" is used as a noun with regards to a baseball at bat that results in an out!
If that's me you're talking about, blame the stadium announcers in the thousands of MLB video clips I watched. Also, the baseball scenes were thoroughly vetted by a a baseball umpire.
If that's me you're talking about, blame the stadium announcers in the thousands of MLB video clips I watched. Also, the baseball scenes were thoroughly vetted by a a baseball umpire.
Anthill Mob has his character playing baseball in high school during freshman year. So they may be mentioning that. But regardless the nitpicking is a little extreme in my opinion. Its basically an enjoyable story.
If that's me you're talking about
Not at all. Your baseball scenes are fairly problem-free; the comment was about Anthill Mob, and would normally only have been made to (him?) except no way to do so; venting here is all that is available. "Hit" appears 178 times in the first 38 chapters, and I would not be surprised if it was incorrectly used 150 of those times. You can hit a line drive to the third baseman for an out, but you cannot get a hit that the third baseman catches for an out. Getting a hit means you reached at least one base safely; a line-out, fly-out, ground-out, sacrifice fly, or sacrifice bunt is never a hit, nor is grounding into a fielder's choice.
If not the batter but at least one of his teammates -already on base- progresses to a next base, is that a hit or is it called something else?
If not the batter but at least one of his teammates -already on base- progresses to a next base, is that a hit or is it called something else?
Depends on the circumstance, it can be a stolen base or a sacrifice play by the batter.
Depends on the circumstance, it can be a stolen base or a sacrifice play by the batter.
I know there are things like sacrifice bunts and stolen bases, but I wanted to know if it's absolutely necessary for the batter to reach the first base for his...well...batting the ball...to count as a hit.
I know there are things like sacrifice bunts and stolen bases, but I wanted to know if it's absolutely necessary for the batter to reach the first base for his...well...batting the ball...to count as a hit.
It's my understanding he has to make it safely to a base for it to count as a hit. He has to be safe on a base when the play is over before it counts.
It's my understanding he has to make it safely to a base for it to count as a hit.
Correct.
He has to be safe on a base when the play is over before it counts.
Not exactly. He has to reach first base for it to count as a hit (whether he proceeds to another base or not) but he doesn't have to ON first base. He may have run onto another base and been thrown out, or he may have been heading to another base when another runner makes the final out of the inning. First base is also the only base where a runner may run *through* the bag (meaning stepping on the base, but continuing on), so long as he doesn't turn towards second. All of those would be hits without being safe ON a base.
Not exactly.
Thanks for that. From the clips I've seen they don't usually give you the change in stats if he gets out trying to make 2nd or 3rd, the commentators just say he's out. The only time I've seen them mention the 'hit' stats after he wallops a ball is when the batter is now a runner safely on a base they discuss his hit stats.
He has to reach first base for it to count as a hit (whether he proceeds to another base or not) but he doesn't have to ON first base.
Also not exactly. That was why I was wondering about the comment I wrote that apparently I forgot to hit the post button.
Joe is on first base. Kevin is at bat. Kevin hits (verb) the ball just over the head of the second basemen and it skips on the ground. The center fielder catches it on a one hop and throws it to the second basemen before Joe can make it there. Joe is out, and Kevin does NOT get a hit (noun). Kevin is recorded as getting a Fielders Choice in the game statistics.
Here's where it gets fun. Joe is on first, Larry is on second. Kevin hits another blooper into short center field. Joe is still forced out at second like before, but this time the second basemen notices that Larry didn't stop at third and is running for home. So the second basemen throws to the catcher, who fails to tag Larry out. When the second basemen does that, Kevin then runs to second.
Now Kevin gets awarded a single base hit (not a double, even though he's on second) because he reached first on the fielders choice, and it was only because play continued that he was able to then make it to second. He'll also end up getting an RBI (run batted in) since Larry made it home safely.
I don't really know why, but I find as an adult that professional baseball is one of the most boring things to watch ever. And I grew up a fan of the Big Red Machine and loved to watch the games on TV when I was a kid.
Now Kevin gets awarded a single base hit
I would argue that he would not. Got a rule book cite for that? Reached on a fielder's choice, took second on the throw home, but that does not equal a hit either way. I agree that he would get an RBI.
Got a rule book cite for that?
Actually, I do.
Official MLB Rules, 9.06, page 111, commentary on the rules.
http://mlb.mlb.com/documents/0/4/0/224919040/2017_Official_Baseball_Rules_dbt69t59.pdf
(1) Runner on first. Batter hits to right fielder, who
throws to third base in an unsuccessful attempt to put
out runner. Batter takes second base. The official
scorer shall credit batter with one-base hit
Actually, I do.
No, you don't. Your scenario (back up and read it) had a runner forced out (fielder's choice) before the throw home. Your rule book cite is an example in which no out was made. That rule is not about whether there was a hit or not (there was), but whether the hit was single or double (single). When there is no error, and no out made, there is usually a hit. I put usually because while I can't think of an exception off-hand there are lots and lots of exceptions! When there is an out in front of the runner it usually is not a hit.
What I posted was the commentary on the rule. Read the actual rule.
9.06 Determining Value of Base Hits
The official scorer shall score a base hit as a one-base hit, two-base hit, three-base hit or home run when no error or putout results, as follows:
(a) Subject to the provisions of Rule 9.06(b) and 9.06(c) (Rules 10.06(b) and 10.06(c)), it is a one-base hit if the batter stops at first base; it is a two-base hit if the batter stops at second base; it a three-base hit if the batter stops at third base; and it is a home run if the batter touches all bases and scores.
(b) When, with one or more runners on base, the batter advances more than one base on a safe hit and the defensive team makes an attempt to put out a preceding runner, the scorer shall determine whether the batter made a legitimate two-base hit or three-base hit, or whether the batter-runner advanced beyond first base on the fielder's choice
The Fielder is still going to get credited with a putout (rule 9.09) but the batter is still going to get credited with a hit, because it was the OTHER base runner who was put out.
And this is why we have fun and friendly arguments over the rules - they're convoluted and complicated. :)
You are still missing that the entire rule 9.06 has two predicate conditions (in the first sentence). Namely that no error or putout results. In your example, a putout occurred, so the entire rule you are quoting is moot. There is no hit.
I don't really know why, but I find as an adult that professional baseball is one of the most boring things to watch ever.
That is why they sell beer and other foods at the ballpark. In a way it is worse than (American) Football, hours of play, a few minutes of scoring.
American Football is exactly one hour of play, 4 15 minute quarters. Plus 30 minutes of commercial breaks (the NFL allows the TV station covering the game to call time out for commercial breaks), 30 to 45 minutes for a half time show, and another 30 minutes of arguing over rules and the call on the field.
American Football is exactly one hour of play, 4 15 minute quarters.
Served up in one to two minute segments with several minutes of time outs and the like between the plays.
The NFL and NBL only count clock time for when the ball is live and in play, so an hour of play time can take a couple of hours to play. A lot depends on how the game goes and the various non-play time activities.
Served up in one to two minute segments with several minutes of time outs and the like between the plays.
You apparently missed this part:
Plus 30 minutes of commercial breaks (the NFL allows the TV station covering the game to call time out for commercial breaks), 30 to 45 minutes for a half time show, and another 30 minutes of arguing over rules and the call on the field.
You apparently missed this part:
Nope. because there are special time outs for commercials and the shows between halves and quarters, which is what it seemed you were talking about. I was referring to the actually playing of the game. And even if it wasn't on a TV broadcast it would still take a lot longer than an hour to play because it's a fully timed game.
A common example from the top level American Football games, pro or college and some high school games. The referee calls for them to start the play after a time out. The clock doesn't start until he signals for the clock to start when they commence the play, the clock runs, the quarterback takes the ball and passes downfield to a receiver, the receiver runs out of bounds, the clock stops as soon as he leaves the field and the referee blows the whistle. The set up to commence the next play can take a minute or more without a time out being called, but the clock is stopped and won't start until they're all set and the ball is moved as part of the play. No TV ads or anything need occur, and the game can go from the first whistle to the last whistle to end the quarter, 15 minutes of playing time will take about 25 to 30 minutes of real life clock time without any timeouts. Just non-play time.
In basketball the same thing happens, and it's been known for the last minute of play for a half to take five minutes of real time due to the clock stopping for fouls and out of court etc.
Mind you, at low level amateur games the clock usually starts with the first whistle and runs until the last whistle, with stops only for time outs declared by the referee.
Nope. because there are special time outs for commercials and the shows between halves and quarters, which is what it seemed you were talking about.
Again, you aren't reading the whole thing.
and another 30 minutes of arguing over rules and the call on the field.
The referee calls for them to start the play after a time out. The clock doesn't start until he signals for the clock to start when they commence the play, the clock runs, the quarterback takes the ball and passes downfield to a receiver, the receiver runs out of bounds, the clock stops as soon as he leaves the field and the referee blows the whistle.
True, but incomplete. If a down ends with the ball in-bounds, the clock does not stop. Even if the clock does stop, there is a separate play clock with a time limit on the start of the next play, while the refs can stop the play clock, if the play clock runs out because one team or the other is not ready to start the next play, that's a 15 yard penalty for "delay of game".
As to team called time outs, each team starts each half with a fixed number of time-outs they can call (3 in the NFL) and if they run out, they are sol. In the NFL, they can't even dispute the Ref's call on the field if they are out of time-outs.
DS, you mentioned the special ad breaks and discussions over the rules and calls. What I mentioned are the normal clocks stops that happen regardless of there being a televised game and ads or not, regardless of rule discussions and arguments. I never said what you said didn't, happen, I simply pointed out the was no way, ever, the game was going to be over in just an hours, because the way the rules are written there will always be other times the clock is stopped while real life time moves on. The most frequent reasons to stop the clock are the call of any penalty, a score of any sort, the ball goes out of play, then you have the team time outs, and the breaks between quarters. Then you get to ad in the rule discussions, the TV ads, and all the other guff for a televised game.
What I mentioned are the normal clocks stops that happen regardless of there being a televised game and ads or not, regardless of rule discussions and arguments.
True, but those normal delays are minor by comparison. I doubt in total they would ever add more than half an hour to a game.
Those normal delays are also, not as consistent as you imply.
There are times, if the team on offense has a significant lead in the score already, they will work to keep the ball in-bounds and run relatively short gain plays to keep the game clock running and run the clock down more than trying for additional scores.
True, but those normal delays are minor by comparison. I doubt in total they would ever add more than half an hour to a game.
I've not had anything to do with top level American Football here, but during the 1970s and 1980s I officiated at top level basketball games under the FIBA Rules of two 20 minutes halves fully timed with a ten minute half time break (nominally 50 minutes) will usually run from 80 to 120 minutes without any breaks inserted for television. I never got to officiate on a televised game. I've also seen a game run to 180 minutes without any extra periods or injury delays, simply way too many fouls with the clock stopped while they were administered.
For regional level games and up they're usually fully timed and allowed 150 minutes between games where multiple games are on the one court. The same rules for local games allows 60 minutes between games because only the last two minutes of each half is fully timed.
Since the NFL and similar games have longer periods between the plays when the clock is stopped, and they take longer to restart, I can't see them being any quicker than a fully timed basketball match.
Since the NFL and similar games have longer periods between the plays when the clock is stopped
See that's my point. At the pro NFL level the game clock does not stop at the end every play, it only stops if a penalty is called, if the ball goes out of bounds or if one team call a time out (and the number of times a team can call a time out is strictly limited).
Also, the normal period between plays when the game clock has been stopped clock, when there isn't a dispute over the call on the field, isn't as long as you are implying.
ETA: Unless the team on offense is out of time-outs and and deliberately trying to stretch a short clock, it's uncommon for the ball to go out of bounds more often than once every 3 downs or so.
See that's my point. At the pro NFL level the game clock does not stop at the end every play, it only stops if a penalty is called or if the ball goes out of bounds.
Also, the normal period between plays when the game clock has been stopped clock, when there isn't a dispute over the call on the field, isn't as long as you are implying.
I never said it stopped on every play.
However, the play stops add a lot more time than you seem to think. Depending on the play you can have a multitude of reasons for the clock to be stopped from checking the 1st down distance with the chains through setting the ball on the field and the players lining up.
In your initial post on delays you said:
American Football is exactly one hour of play, 4 15 minute quarters. Plus 30 minutes of commercial breaks (the NFL allows the TV station covering the game to call time out for commercial breaks), 30 to 45 minutes for a half time show, and another 30 minutes of arguing over rules and the call on the field.
Which only covers the TV ad time outs, the half time show, and rules discussions - argued or not. In response to that I mentioned there were game play related delays to a game that add a lot of time as well. I then went on to mention the TV ad time outs and the long halftime show are about the only things that apply to the televised games while all the other delays apply to all fully timed games.
Another I just remembered is the time taken to switch teams when control changes teams and for special plays, all part of the game and usually with the clock stopped.
However, the play stops add a lot more time than you seem to think.
Still a lot less than you think for reasons beyond what I mentioned. I found some semi official numbers.
I missed one thing that will stop the game clock. An incomplete pass. And it turns out, I drastically underestimated commercial time.
According to this, https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-makes-nfl-games-take-so-long/
The average time for an NFL game is just over thee hours of which 69.8 minutes is commercials, 15.6 minutes is downtime for penalty calls and 13.2 minutes for incomplete passes.
And I was wrong about how lone the half time show takes, it's 12 minutes for a regular season game and 30-35 minutes only for the super bowl.
https://mic.com/articles/80705/how-long-is-the-super-bowl-halftime-show#.T6mioQD1T
188.38 minutes (2016 figure) - commercial time 69.8 - 15.6 penalty time - 13.2 minutes for incompletions -12 for a half time show - 60 minute game clock = just 17.78 minutes for all other game clock stoppages.
Commercials alone account for over half the discrepancy between the nominal game clock time and the actual elapsed time for NFL games.
At the college level, if other stoppages are similar to the NFL, the average total elapsed time for a non-televised American football game should be around 118 minutes, just under 2 hours.
If not the batter but at least one of his teammates -already on base- progresses to a next base, is that a hit or is it called something else?
If the batter does not reach base it cannot be a hit. The runner can advance by many means other than a hit. Stolen base, passed ball, defensive indifference, error, ground out, fly-ball out (which is a sacrifice fly only if the advancing runner was on third, and scores as a result of the fly).
While on the topic of hits note that there are possibilities to both get a hit and make an out from the same at bat. Example: a batter hits a double, but is thrown out at third trying to stretch it to a triple. The hit counts, but the out is recorded.
ou can hit a line drive to the third baseman for an out, but you cannot get a hit that the third baseman catches for an out. Getting a hit means you reached at least one base safely; a line-out, fly-out, ground-out, sacrifice fly, or sacrifice bunt is never a hit, nor is grounding into a fielder's choice.
Ahh, I see what you mean. In baseball there is a difference between the verb hit, as to strike the ball with the bat, and the noun, as to get a hit which means you struck the ball with the bat and made it safe to a base.
Mind you, I can see how someone would say he 'hit the ball for a catch.' When I next check the baseball scenes in my stories I best double check I didn't mess the terminology.
I got used to US sports terminology going weird when writing Finding Home due to the rule about taking a knee. - Researching Play Ball I learned there are 9 innings in adult and pro ball, but only 7 in school ball.
Did I post a response to this last night regarding fielders choice that for some reason I'm not seeing this morning, or did I manage to type a long comment and then forget to hit post?
...or did I manage to type a long comment and then forget to hit post?
That's the one, I guess, since I also can't see a comment of yours.
did I manage to type a long comment and then forget to hit post?
I get angry when I do that. Another of my idiotic errors is to get in a rush and click the 'left turn' arrow instead of 'Full Screen'.
So its it not just me. I want to leave a comment or note that I can edit your story, and correct the sports part.
I searched for his contact also just to edit his ludicrous baseball analogies. I would suspect he has received a British education as he has used the term "revised" to mean "study" as a student here in the US would say.
To the many who did not grow up with baseball or who think watching it is like watching paint dry, I suggest watching the game with the same mindset as watching a chess game. There are mind games being played by the pitcherbatterbase runnersmanagers.
To the many who did not grow up with baseball or who think watching it is like watching paint dry, I suggest watching the game with the same mindset as watching a chess game.
I doubt that will help any. Chess isn't exactly a popular spectator sport.
True, but thinking chess helps keep watching a baseball game in perspective.
I doubt that will help any. Chess isn't exactly a popular spectator sport.
but thinking chess helps keep watching a baseball game in perspective.
If you are trying to get people who think baseball is boring to watch more of it, "well it could be even more boring" is entirely the wrong perspective.
Another bothersome quirk in Anthill Mob's baseball games is that he doesn't understand who bats first or why. In the first game he has that decided by coin-toss-plus-election, as in American Football. It isn't mentioned in later games, and some games have proper batting order, but in the last Freshman game he has his team away, but batting second.
If I might return to the subject a bit. It really is frustrating not being able to respond to an author. But let me talk a bit more about his amazing lack of knowledge about baseball and then spending entire chapters giving us nothing but play by play. This really could apply to some other authors also. It's fine to have characters playing sports or other activities, but when they are not really critical to the plot, why punish the reader with excruciating details of a game; and a silly freshman high school game at that. Plus his lack of knowledge just makes it worse. Did anyone catch his reference to the guy behind the catcher as the "referee"? Kind of similar to one of my favorite pets peeves in survival stories, which I love. Some authors just go on and on with needless details of what gear they are taking with them: brand names, model numbers, etc. that simply don't matter. Almost like they need to prove their knowledge, or worse yet they don't really have enough plot so they go with laundry lists to fill the page; like filling a chapter with play by play. In both cases a good piece of advice is keep the plot moving and get on with the story.
I can understand that those not interested in a particular sport will find play-by-play uninteresting, but I find most sports interesting when the telling is not factually incorrect. An example would be the DMan stories. Hopefully there won't be somebody out there telling me that Cold Creek actually doesn't understand hockey, because about all I know about the sport has come from reading his stuff!
Now that Anthill Mob says Book 1 is complete, I suppose a good way to get feedback to 'em would be to do a review. Considering it, but would gladly defer to a more experienced reviewer. he/she says "Bit disappointed in the vote score" which sounds like a perfect opening...
Its weird because the story has a pretty high rating.
Americans like Mary Sue stories!
I'm following it but I dislike the fact there's no dramatic tension. The protagonist always wins the race, always wins the fight contest, always wins the baseball match, always makes oodles of money from his investments etc etc.
AJ