Archive for the ‘Baseball Bats’ Category
A Week into Spring Training
Well, here we are a week into spring training already, and hopes are running high. Players are getting into shape-some trying to make their first major league team, some older players trying to stay on a team, and some veterans just going through the motions. The Tampa Bay Rays are off to a good start as predicted by several sports writers.
So are the Chicago Cubs, but we have all seen that before. Baseball bats are booming, pitchers look sharp, and baseball gloves are actually catching baseballs-just what they are designed to do. Then comes the yearly Chicago Cubs letdown. I do, however, have a theory. For those of you who know the Bible, my theory is this: if the Cubs win the World Series, then the Lord Jesus will come back again! (I know it’s not actually in the Bible, but it should be!) Talk about faith…
Who Will Make it to World Series?
With all the hope and promise of a new season, just who will make it all the way to the World Series? On paper, there are several good prospects-but ‘on paper’ doesn’t mean you’re going to make it to the Series. It doesn’t even mean you are going to make the playoffs. So, just how do two teams make it to the ‘Big Show?’
There are so many factors that either bump a team up, or move a team down, that you can’t just name one or two. There can be a ‘defining moment,’ however, that either launches a team-or really deflates their bubble. It could be as simple as “faith and belief” or simply just one ‘hot’ baseball bat that marks the turning point. Let’s explore this further tomorrow…
Spring Training Up and Running
Here it is early in March of 2010 (it STILL feels like winter) and spring training is once again up and running. Hopes are high for many major leaguers (and would be major leaguers), not to mention baseball fans all over America. There seems to always be a lot of promise at the beginning of the season.
Players are asking themselves “will I make the team,” and fans are wondering if this could be ‘the year’ their favorite team makes it to the World Series. (Sorry, Chicago Cubs fans are not allowed to participate in this…their time has expired!) So, go ahead and oil up that baseball glove and dust off your baseball bat. It’s time to hear-“PLAY BALL”…
Rays Price Ready for 2010
This spring is different for the Tampa Bay Rays David Price. Last spring he started in Triple A baseball which seemed like a slap in the face to him after being called up late in 2008 to pitch to Boston in the ALCS, and then the World Series. It was tough for him to go back to the minors to ‘learn’ a few more things.
Well, now he’s back in the Big Leagues in spring training, and all the cameras aren’t on him like they were last year. Now he has a chance to work on some of his pitches without everybody climbing all over him. It’s a safe bet he’ll be working on his defense by mastering the art of catching with that big baseball glove of his, and a little more ball movement as he delivers to the plate. When David Price pitches, the crack of the baseball bats may not be so numerous…
History of Softball-(Part 7)
Sixteen inch softball has spread to other states, but remains most popular in the Chicago area. Numerous leagues and teams have sprung up and it is even a “letter sport” in Chicago high schools. With more kids and youngsters playing the game, its popularity will go on for years to come.
One of the really neat things about the game of 16” softball is that kids and parents can play it together. Kids are surprised to find out that their moms can smack a 16” softball with a baseball bat, and played the game when they were young girls. Many ethnic groups play in their own leagues all over the city. What a fun game! It knows no barriers…
History of Softball-(Part 4)
Meanwhile, back in Chicago where softball began, it was getting even more popular. It was still played often indoors at armories. Also, outdoor softball in the city had need of a ball that wouldn’t go so far when it was hit with a baseball bat. It was played on playgrounds and small fields, so a ball that you couldn’t hit too far was needed.
A guy named Frederick DeBeer made the first 16” softball for that reason. He also made it with the stitches on the inside and it was called the Cincher. The reason the stitches were placed on the inside was so they wouldn’t wear out on the playgrounds. Another “game-changer” was you didn’t wear a glove when playing 16” softball…
Heartbreak of the 1969 Cubs-(Part 2)
…Actually, the Cubs freefall was more “amazing” than the Mets climb. The Cubs lost 17 of their remaining 25 games as the Mets went zooming past them, and on to being the 1969 World Series Champions. Once again, Cubs fans were left holding the bag, only this time it was different. With all the excitement of being in first place, all the way up until mid-September, and then the Cubs couldn’t even buy a win.
No one would hear the “crack” of the baseball bats that October at Wrigley Field, or any October any time soon. In the years following, other Chicago teams have all been to the Big Game; the Bears, the Blackhawks, the Bulls and the White Sox…just not the Cubs. Fast forward to 2010. It has now been 65-years since the Chicago Cubs have won the Pennant and 102-years since they have won the World Series. That’s not amazing-that’s STUPID!!! I have concluded that the Chicago Cubs are afraid to win. I can think of no other explanation-can you??…
Putting Together a Family Baseball Game
There’s nothing better than watching your kids enjoy an impromptu game of baseball in the backyard on a warm summer night. Not only will they be getting a lot of physical exercise, but it’s also a great way to for the various family members to bond and spend some quality time together. If this sounds like your family, consider buying all the baseball equipment they’ll need to enjoy a full game.
For that reason, make sure you purchase the basics such as baseball bats and balls. But don’t forget to get all the equipment that can truly make it a real baseball game. As such, don’t forget accessories like baseball bases and baseball gloves. And for the highest level of safety, don’t forget the helmets, chest guards, and catcher’s masks.
Chicago White Sox-1959
The city was Chicago. The year was 1959 and I was twelve years old. It had been fourteen years since any baseball team had won a pennant in the “second city,” so I had never seen a “friendly” World Series. I was a Cubs fan so the wait would be l-o-n-g! The White Sox were doing well that year, and in September they were still in first place. Even though I wasn’t a Sox fan, the excitement was building. In August, to boost their chances, the Sox traded for Ted Kluszewski.
“Klu” was a 6’2”, 240 pound first baseman who just happened to hit homeruns. I remembered his big arms made his baseball bat look like a stick. The White Sox made it to the World Series against the Dodgers. In game one, Kluszewski hit a massive homer into the upper deck, and the Sox went on to win that game 11-0. I just knew we were going to take the Dodgers in four games. It didn’t happen as the mighty Dodgers came back to win the Series four games to two. As for the Cubs, the wait is L-O-N-G…
Baseball and a Wedding-(Part 1)
So, I opened my newspaper this morning to an article written by Vin Mannix, and there was a picture of a local couple standing on the pitchers mound at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, the spring training home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They will be married at home plate on Saturday, February 6th. It seems the couple, Laura D. and Damon Z., met while playing softball and their second date was at McKechnie Field. They dated for a year then got engaged, but couldn’t settle on a wedding location.
Damon is a native of Franklin, PA and a lifelong Pirates fan, as are most of his family. The couple wanted an outdoor wedding and Laura, a third grade teacher, thought-how about the ballpark? Damon agreed and they approached the Pirates organization with the idea, and they said yes! The details are pretty cool. The groomsmen will be given baseball bats from the Pirates. (I’m not sure why, as this reminds me of a caveman whacking a lady over her head with his club and dragging her off to his cave, but that’s just me.) See part 2 tomorrow…