I've played baseball in a field with rocks for bases and 5 people total... with a tennis ball, 1 bat and no gloves.What do you need to play an pick up game of baseball, Bats, balls, gloves, bases, and at least 14-15 people if you can't get all 18 people you need.
As for mindless... you're telling me the guy out in center field is required to think for the whole game? What's he thinking? "Please be a pop fly..." "Oh noes, they hit the ball let me run and catch it!!" The only time he has to think is when he actually does catch a ball when he looks back at the field of play and decides "where do I throw the ball", and often that simply involves a small check-down list.
Baseball requires athleticism and practiced precision. It is not complex. Umpires may find it complex, having to watch play for fouls etc. But that does not make the game complex itself, nor complex to play.
I would say the hardest player position on the field, for complexity, is actually catcher. As, to my knowledge, it is usually the catcher who has the brunt of the responsibility for knowing opposing batters' habits, styles, etc, and then calling appropriate pitches to counter them. The pitcher may help with that to an extent but really the entire game rests almost exclusively on the arm, and accuracy, of the pitcher and his ability to execute repetitive, heavily practiced mechanical motions.
A pitcher doesn't have to stand there and think "wow.. what's this guy going to do?" The guy's got a bat and he's going to try to hit the ball with it. Now, which pitch will he not hit? Curve ball? Ok sweet... *toss*... hmmm guess I threw that one pretty good.
'Complexity' can be added if there's someone trying to steal a base, but only marginally so. At the height of play baseball is mostly a 1 on 1 sport. Pitcher vs batter. If the batter wins that little battle, other players get involved.
By comparison, the 22 people on the field for every play in the NFL are all intricately involved in every play. Nobody's just standing their watching and waiting for something to happen so that they can join in. What that means is 22 variables, minimum, on every play.
Compare the quarterback to a baseball pitcher and, position for position, you will find a far, far more complex game in the hands of the quarterback. Not only is he responsible for coordinating the entire offensive team, he must constantly read what 21 other guys are doing on the field, estimate what they plan to do the next second, and execute a play in his team's favor. This scenario repeats several hundred times per game.
There are rules for which formations are allowed, and which are not. In each formation, every position has rules which dictate how they may/must stand, who they are to line up against, whether or not they can move or go in motion. There are more rules and possible penalties governing formations and motion prior to the snap in football than most entire sports have.
Offensive linemen have to study opposing defensive linemen before every game, learn their tendencies, figure out blocking schemes, etc. Defensive linemen do the same in reverse to figure out ways to pressure a quarterback, such as trying to sack, bat down balls, force fumbles at the line, intercept the quarterback, force him to the left side, or specifically to the right side (whichever they determine he's worst at dealing with), etc.
Receivers have hundreds of routes to memorize. They also have to change their style of play to suit the defense they're up against. And they must react, and act, dynamically on every play in response to their opposition AND to what they see when they look back at their quarterback. Is he in trouble and rolling right? If so, do I have a route adjustment I should make to help him get the ball out? Did someone intercept the ball, and should I adjust to chase the guy down and tackle him? Or did one of my receiver brothers catch the ball and should I assist him with blocks?
Tight ends have it worse. They also act as linemen and running backs, depending on the play in question. They have to memorize blocking assignments, run gaps, pass routes, etc.
Position for position the game of football is far, far more complex for the players. They have more rules to learn, more to do, more to practice, more to prep before each game, etc, etc, etc.
What's an outfielder got to do in baseball? Practice catching, practice hitting and learn to figure out where to throw the ball next when he catches it.
While football players can certainly make most of what they do seem like second nature, it does not mean that what they're doing isn't complex. Hell, the redskins have a 700 page playbook they're struggling with and they're suffering this year mostly due to the complexity of the game they're trying to play. Too much to learn at once, they struggled hard early on and haven't recovered fully since. That's one team.
Seriously, go read the wiki link I provided. It'll wake you up a bit.
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