Squeeze Play (4.7)

Rate, review & discuss the episodes from the fourth season

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How Would You Rate This Episode?

10 (Perfect!)
5
4%
9.5 (One of the Best)
6
5%
9.0 (Excellent)
23
20%
8.5 (Very Good)
33
29%
8.0 (Pretty Good)
24
21%
7.5 (Decent)
8
7%
7.0 (Average at Best)
2
2%
6.5 (Not So Good)
10
9%
6.0 (Pretty Bad)
1
1%
5.0 (Just Awful)
1
1%
 
Total votes: 113

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Doc Ibold
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#91 Post by Doc Ibold »

ConchRepublican wrote:
Styles Bitchley wrote:
Braddah Kimo wrote:Those are pay for light meters here. You pop in coinage and you get illumination at nite for your game or practice.
Awesome info Kimo. Very interesting. Your post should have ended there though. Got to make the new fellas feel welcome. :wink:
Well said.
Agreed.

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#92 Post by Braddah Kimo »

Doc Ibold wrote:
ConchRepublican wrote:
Styles Bitchley wrote:
Braddah Kimo wrote:Those are pay for light meters here. You pop in coinage and you get illumination at nite for your game or practice.
Awesome info Kimo. Very interesting. Your post should have ended there though. Got to make the new fellas feel welcome. :wink:
Well said.
Agreed.
Damn straight.

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charybdis1966
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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#93 Post by charybdis1966 »

I watched this episode the other night and while not one of the best, mainly because of it centering baseball(a sport I don't follow not being american) the amusing character points were still there and the some amusing scenes.

One aspect of the story I thought could have been developed was from the Higgins's line, when hearing that the game the wager would be on was baseball, "It's not even cricket".

As a club cricketer in the 90's a few things did occur to me as odd, that the team of ringers contained a few women as I always assumed the best pitchers/bowlers would be those who could pitch/bowl the fastest, which would be the guys.

But then when the women were bowling they seemed to be flighting their deliveries so they dropped out of the sky, rather like a spin bowler who used flight and guile to deceive the batsman.

While I'm going off at a tangent baseball seems to centre it's batting style on the pull shot where full tosses are hit in the air to gain height and leverage, whereas in cricket the tendency is for batsmen to hit the ball along the ground to avoid being caught and dismissed. However that is easier when most deliveries will bounce before they get to you.

Anyway I've wittered on enough about cricket, but if anyone wants more I'm happy to respond to questions ha ha.

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Doc Ibold
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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#94 Post by Doc Ibold »

charybdis1966 wrote:I watched this episode the other night and while not one of the best, mainly because of it centering baseball(a sport I don't follow not being american) the amusing character points were still there and the some amusing scenes.

One aspect of the story I thought could have been developed was from the Higgins's line, when hearing that the game the wager would be on was baseball, "It's not even cricket".

As a club cricketer in the 90's a few things did occur to me as odd, that the team of ringers contained a few women as I always assumed the best pitchers/bowlers would be those who could pitch/bowl the fastest, which would be the guys.

But then when the women were bowling they seemed to be flighting their deliveries so they dropped out of the sky, rather like a spin bowler who used flight and guile to deceive the batsman.

While I'm going off at a tangent baseball seems to centre it's batting style on the pull shot where full tosses are hit in the air to gain height and leverage, whereas in cricket the tendency is for batsmen to hit the ball along the ground to avoid being caught and dismissed. However that is easier when most deliveries will bounce before they get to you.

Anyway I've wittered on enough about cricket, but if anyone wants more I'm happy to respond to questions ha ha.
I think the pitcher from the Blasters was used as eye candy to distract Rick.

:wink:

Excellent insight onto cricket, though!

I will have to admit, I think I learned more about cricket in this post than at any other time in my life! One thing of note was that it was a softball game, so in the the co-Ed leagues here in the States, you have to have an equal number of men and women, or at least a set amount of women.

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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#95 Post by Pahonu »

It was also slow-pitch softball, another variation of the game, which requires the release of the pitch in an upward arc, and a potential strike is one that lands on home plate. This is dramatically different than fast-pitch and baseball proper. This is because it is considered more of a social game like over the line and other variations where a beer in the dugout or on the sidelines is not uncommon. I remember playing over the line with my college buddies with a small cooler of beer as our batting spot. Lots of fun!

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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#96 Post by charybdis1966 »

Doc Ibold wrote:
charybdis1966 wrote:

I will have to admit, I think I learned more about cricket in this post than at any other time in my life! One thing of note was that it was a softball game, so in the the co-Ed leagues here in the States, you have to have an equal number of men and women, or at least a set amount of women.
That would make sense, if they were plying a variant of a mixed schools game.

Before any cricket buffs notice, I'd better clarify that I meant that usually a cricket batter will look to hit the ball along the ground, but when there is a need for quick runs they may lift the ball out of the ground to gain an additional 2 runs, 6 instead of 4 for hitting the boundary after the ball has hit the floor.

Aiming to clear the boundary ropes to get "a six" entails a higher element of risk(of being caught out and dismissed) which a batsmen has to decide whether it is worth the risk considering the state of the game, quality of bowler/pitcher, time left in the game etc.

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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#97 Post by charybdis1966 »

Pahonu wrote:It was also slow-pitch softball, another variation of the game, which requires the release of the pitch in an upward arc, and a potential strike is one that lands on home plate. This is dramatically different than fast-pitch and baseball proper. This is because it is considered more of a social game like over the line and other variations where a beer in the dugout or on the sidelines is not uncommon. I remember playing over the line with my college buddies with a small cooler of beer as our batting spot. Lots of fun!
You saying it is a "soft ball" game reminds just how hard a cricket ball is, when I first played it was like trying to catch a mini cannon ball, and all the fielders, bar the wicket keeper, do not use any gloves to catch/field the ball. Ouch !

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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#98 Post by Pahonu »

charybdis1966 wrote:
Pahonu wrote:It was also slow-pitch softball, another variation of the game, which requires the release of the pitch in an upward arc, and a potential strike is one that lands on home plate. This is dramatically different than fast-pitch and baseball proper. This is because it is considered more of a social game like over the line and other variations where a beer in the dugout or on the sidelines is not uncommon. I remember playing over the line with my college buddies with a small cooler of beer as our batting spot. Lots of fun!
You saying it is a "soft ball" game reminds just how hard a cricket ball is, when I first played it was like trying to catch a mini cannon ball, and all the fielders, bar the wicket keeper, do not use any gloves to catch/field the ball. Ouch !
It is actually a bigger, softer ball used in the game compared to baseball. I remember playing in school when there weren't enough mits and some of us would play the outfield bare handed. I also seem to remember some sore fingers and bruises from doing so. Still fun though. I also played baseball competitively into high school and remember getting hit by a couple of 85+ mph fastballs in the ribs and hip. No fun there.

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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#99 Post by charybdis1966 »

Pahonu wrote:
charybdis1966 wrote:
Pahonu wrote:It was also slow-pitch softball, another variation of the game, which requires the release of the pitch in an upward arc, and a potential strike is one that lands on home plate. This is dramatically different than fast-pitch and baseball proper. This is because it is considered more of a social game like over the line and other variations where a beer in the dugout or on the sidelines is not uncommon. I remember playing over the line with my college buddies with a small cooler of beer as our batting spot. Lots of fun!
You saying it is a "soft ball" game reminds just how hard a cricket ball is, when I first played it was like trying to catch a mini cannon ball, and all the fielders, bar the wicket keeper, do not use any gloves to catch/field the ball. Ouch !
It is actually a bigger, softer ball used in the game compared to baseball. I remember playing in school when there weren't enough mits and some of us would play the outfield bare handed. I also seem to remember some sore fingers and bruises from doing so. Still fun though. I also played baseball competitively into high school and remember getting hit by a couple of 85+ mph fastballs in the ribs and hip. No fun there.
That reminds of the few times I would field in a position known as slip, that was behind the batter but to the side of the wicket keeper, or "catcher" as you call them. There you could face a ball that if the batter edges the ball would be onto you at full speed, at my level it was only 70-75mph, but fielding with bare hands and, due to the raised stitching on the ball, the possibility that if you don't catch cleanly you either break a nail or bruise a finger tip.

I sympathise with getting bruised, when you bat you do wear leg guards and gloves but you can guarantee wherever you don't wear padding you will get struck.

I was once fielding close in, a position called "silly mid on", where the ball was hit by the batter onto the floor, where it then bounced against my foot and bounced up onto my forehead. Oucheeee!

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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#100 Post by Pahonu »

Luckily, I never got hit in the head. When I was a kid in the mid-80's, I remember there was a major league player for the Houston Astros who got hit in the face with a fastball! His name was Dickie Thon, and it broke his eye socket and ended his season. He recovered , but was never the same, having vision problems, and his career sputtered. I've never forgotten seeing the footage of his "beaning".

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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#101 Post by charybdis1966 »

Pahonu wrote:Luckily, I never got hit in the head. When I was a kid in the mid-80's, I remember there was a major league player for the Houston Astros who got hit in the face with a fastball! His name was Dickie Thon, and it broke his eye socket and ended his season. He recovered , but was never the same, having vision problems, and his career sputtered. I've never forgotten seeing the footage of his "beaning".
There have been some pretty gruesome sports injuries during my time following sports, my soccer/football team, Arsenal, had two horrific leg breaks (one a compound ankle/tibia fracture and the other a double leg break) within two seasons a few years back and the looks on the faces of the team mates were grimly unholy.

The first guy(Eduardo) returned from the injury but was never the same either and left english football after when trying to avoid another leg break moment was accused of diving.

The second(Ramsey) did come back and is now playing the best football of his career.

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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#102 Post by trevor2448 »

Hi Guys.
New to this forum but am enjoying re watching Magnum episodes on Encore.
Squeeze Play is one of my faves.
I always get a chuckle from Magnum on the bench after they fall behind 13-10.
He looks at Higgins and says "Cmon Higgins, get out there."
"Higgins, this is our lives. Want some?" And he offers Higgy some Red Man chew.
Lol!! Magnum is equal mix adult and 14 yr old kid. Ha!

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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#103 Post by 308GUY »

Welcome aboard trevor2448.

Just curious, does the 2448 have some significance that you'd share?

Stick around, you'll like it! :magnum:
"C'mon TC...nothing can go wrong!"

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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#104 Post by trevor2448 »

Thanks 308. Appreciate the welcome!
Yes, I'm a Nascar fan so 2448 is for Jeff Gordon(24) and Jimmie Johnson(48).

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Re: Squeeze Play (4.7)

#105 Post by SignGuyHPW »

This was an absolutely brilliant comedy episode. It also should completely put to bed the theory of Higgins being Robin Masters. If Higgins were Robin Masters then why would he have been worried about the estate being lost in a bet that he hadn't authorised? Also, Benoit, clearly mentioned publishing Robin's first book 22 years later so they had known each other that long and Benoit didn't seem to know Higgins. I think this episode is ultimate proof that Magnum's theory was lunacy. It was also great to see Lord James Blears in another episode.

For the non sports/softball fans that may not have understood everything: Softball is a game that is a variation of baseball, but can be played by a wider variety of skill levels. There is fast pitch softball which is more competitive and slow pitch which most recreational leagues use. The rules are similiar to baseball, but the ball is much larger and is pitched underhand style at a high arch. Robin's team probably won the league, but, in likelyhood, the league consisted of teams sponsored by other clubs or buisnesses and may not have had the most skilled players in it. In other words, it was probably a private league as opposed to one where any player was welcome to participate. Killer was a (fictional) former major league player with the Chicago White Sox that was suspended for life, apparently, for assaulting a newspaper beat writer that came up with a nickname he didn't like. Magnum knew a MLB player was a sure ringer for a softball game.

The playing looked a little weak, but that's too be expected. I was also a bit surprised to see Magnum chew tabacco as he'd not done this in any other episode I can recall. I know it was a fashionable thing to do in recreational softball in that time frame, but TV was kind of phasing out tabacco use by then.

I have a theory that they didn't outright say in the episode, but it made the most sense to me. I think Magnum knew well before the game about the marked deck of cards and had alerted Robin to it. I think if he was really in danger of losing his home, car, etc that he'd have been more conservative trying to score that run, but he ultimately knew the game WAS just a game because he'd been tipped off by the nephew that the card game was rigged off camera. I loved how the lads were watching the photo shoot and wouldn't respond to Higgins because they were transfixed on the girl. It was a pure comedy episode, but one of the better ones they ever did I think.

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