"The wind up, the...TIME OUT!" 

All wound up?! As in, just when the suspense was building, the momentum was swinging in our direction, "at their behest" (someone with the authority to do so) the "time clock" is suddenly stopped. Or the pitcher who, has followed proper form so as to not be called out (yup, not only the batters can) -- assuming there are runners on base, for what's in baseball referred to as a "Balk!" (most games go on without such a call)...has to put a halt right in the middle of a motion that they have gone to great pains...as in lots of labor...prior to delivery...lots and lots of practice...proper breathing, hand motions, leg kicks. Just to have it rudely, abruptly halted (many a mother throughout the years can relate to such "premature..."). And even an un-seasoned pitcher learns there's a difference between a full wind-up and what's (curiously termed, as most of them ever really experienced it...) a "stretch". Not so natural, it turns out, which is why it takes lots of practice, under the watch-full eye of a coach...even prior to game time, in the bull pen (see the tie- in to the last post, bet you thought it would never come)...Whereas both a pitcher and a batter can be called out for...

Stalling: For time, what else? Only a cynic would point out that they took their cue not from the coach who has sent in some signs, regardless of what so-called venue we're talking about. Which would be considered as actual strategy -- which is what lots of base...ball fans tune in for, given the otherwise slow pace...But what I'm talking, not balking for, is the cue for just one more...commercial break. A cue that might only come indirectly from the coach or even the "ref" but originates from, at least in our collegiate days, from the person on the sideline donning conspicuously different head gear...usually, customarily a red hat -- a real stand out (literally), as they stepped on, off the field, to signal...

Game on, off: The strategy for maxing out the use of Time Outs and the way in which the sponsors and producers have co-labor-ated to fit in all those adds which, of course, pay for play, differs depending on the flow (sometimes referred to as cadence) of each sport. But a seasoned fan who is quick to catch on learns that if they tune in to what's referred to as the late stages, they'll experience what I, as your sponsor and host liken to "ad infinitum" -- an almost endless array of goods and services, even (odd) commodities you might decide, at the very last minute, "before time winds down"😟 -- especially if it guarantees to speed up the game...

Come this far: A highly prevalent psychological ploy, to keep you, the viewer (sports fan-dumb!), in the game...even from a distance. May as well see it to the end. A ploy that is combined with the type of reinforcement "schedule" that begins with what's in the "B-mod" world known as "continuous" -- which has you watching a TV movie without too many commercial breaks, and then reinforces you every-so- often as in an "intermittent reinforcement schedule" with some sordid details, or plot thickening (sickening?) stuff, that keeps you tuned in, enduring all those commercials...

"Brought to You": Did you ever even consider taking Time Out! to thank, in any form, all those responsible, for bringing "this telecast" -- some names of which are prominently displayed and others might be just below your awareness..."subliminal" adds that, due largely to what's called the "panic of 1957"😧 has been largely banned, at least in the UK...

No Worries: You still have time to go for one more rest room break, grab just one more snack, prior to game time, even beginning, as it's still what in the land of sports entertainment, is referred to as "Pre-game" Well before what's called the "first pitch" which is often, simply ceremonial, symbolic, frequently doesn't even make it to what's called "home plate" from the "pitcher's mound" (the grade of which is just slightly higher but enough to justify such a name)...  

Pitch Count: Not likely something you, the loyal reader, is keeping track of, analogously speaking, the word count, the number of posts (wins????) I've now posted, and how many so-called "followers" (both bloggers and You-tubers dream about such stuff) I've managed to accumulate (all about analytics)... 

Slight Paws: A requirement for all pitchers (and Amazon drivers) to come to a complete stop, prior to completing their delivery. Just a brief breather, time for a sip or two of that omni-present Gatorade, bottle...the ad-mixture of which might differ depending on...

Next up! As in coming in from what, in baseball lingo, called the "on-deck circle" (usually great care is taken prior to game time to drawing this out, just to have it scuffed up)..."now strolling towards the Batter's Box" If you bother to tune back in here, next few daze you'll be among those "Keeping with the times..." Where you'll learn how and why we go from March Madness to April Gladness..."dial it in" (as they say in bball, after a perfect set-up, wind-up, right smack! into the catcher's specially designed glove👆👇✌😃👍!)