Jeopardy! contestants stumped again by baseball-themed clue
Every now and then the televsion quiz show Jeopardy! will oblige baseball fans with a question or even an entire category dedicated to their favorite sport.
And every now and then, those questions will be posed to a group of contestants not at all familiar with our national pastime.
That leads to the awkward dynamic of complete silence in the Jeopardy studio, while hundreds of thousands of people yell the answer at their televisions and then contemplate applying for the show. At least until the next clue is read.
[Elsewhere Sean Doolittle dressed up as a Wookiee to see ‘Star Wars’]
One of those moments played out during Friday’s episode, though we must admit this $1,600 clue may have gone over the head of many casual baseball fans as well.
The response that came from the contestants was a trio of confused stares.
Don’t feel too bad, folks. As host Alex Trebek put it, it is an unusual word.
It’s also a word that many baseball fans are still getting used to themselves, and in some cases are still stubbornly dismissing. The impact and usage of sabermetrics is one thing baseball fans will surely never unite on. And that goes beyond the case of old school fans versus new school fans. It’s a matter of belief and a matter of how deeply fans aim to understand and appreciate every facet of the game.
That’s not to say it’s wrong to not fully believe or wholly acknowledge sabermetrics either. It just may prove beneficial to establish some understanding of the knowledge it provides given where the game appears to be headed. Not only is it never going away, it’s going to play an increasingly bigger role in the evaluation process now that more teams are accepting it.
[Elsewhere: Dodgers hit with record $43.6 million luxury tax bill]
That aside, it’s probably worth knowing the terminology just in case Jeopardy decides to dip in that well again too. You can never know too much, baseball fans. Never.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
