Pittsburgh Pirates

Archive for July, 2010

We are deep into spring already, and baseball and softball seasons are in full swing. Children are practicing and playing on fields all across America. And parents are faced with decision making. It’s off to the sporting goods stores to purchase softball baseball equipment. But which softball baseball equipment do you buy for your little slugger? It’s best to have an idea before you start shopping. Don’t let overzealous sales clerks talk you into baseball softball equipment you don’t need.

Usually it is as easy as what type of child you have. Boys play baseball and girls play softball when they are children. So then it is down to what position they play. Once you figure all this out, you can begin to purchase your child’s softball baseball equipment.

First, let’s examine softball equipment. Softballs are larger versions of baseballs.

Softballs range from 11 to 12 inches and contrary to their name are hard like baseballs. They should be provided by the team, but your child will need some of their own to practice. Since softballs are large, it only makes sense that softball gloves and mitts are also larger. Each child will need one of their own. Softball bats are a different story. Softball bats are actually shorter than baseball bats. Softball bats are no longer than 34 inches long. These should be provided by the team also, but once again it’s good to have one for practice.

Baseball & softball bats can be made out of a number of materials. In the beginning, players used baseball & softball bats made from wood. As the sports and technology progressed, baseball & softball bats were made from metal. These are the ones you see being used most. Finally, there are carbon fiber baseball softball bats, but they are a little high tech for youth teams.

So what other softball gear might your child need? Protective helmets for all players are an important safety item of softball equipment. Every batter needs one. Every player needs cleats as well. Here, youth baseball cleats would probably be fine. If your child opts to be a catcher, then they’ll need shin guards and a chest protector and mask as part of their personal softball gear. Perhaps the catcher is the most expensive position to consider.

The final piece of softball equipment needed is softball uniforms. There is a standard to softball uniforms, but they do differ in colors, names and sponsorships. This is where a team can get creative with their softball gear and really make them their own.

So what about the baseball side of softball & baseball equipment? Well, it really isn’t that different from softball equipment. Baseballs are 9 inches and baseball bats are no longer than 42 inches. As discussed previously, there are three materials to choose from in baseball softball bats. Baseball players use gloves and wear helmets. Each child should have one of each, as well as a pair of youth baseball cleats. As with all youth shoes, make sure your child’s youth baseball cleats fit them properly. Catchers in this sport wear shin guards, a chest protector and a mask as well. Baseball uniforms are hard to distinguish from softball uniforms. Again this is an area where teams can show their creativity.

Article by Brian McClure

Pitchers should treat the mound like they own it. The youth baseball pitcher is setting the tone for the game and all eyes are upon him. The first thing a youth baseball pitcher should do when he takes the mound is let everyone know it his.Many parents and coaches are so concerned with winning, they forget something this simple that will greatly enhance the youth baseball pitchers experience, development and maturity.Click Read More for 4 simple tips for youth baseball pitchers.

Here are 4 simple tips every pitcher should take before throwing the first pitch no matter when he comes into the game.

1) A youth baseball pitcher should first check the surface of the mound before he begins his warmup pitches. Is there any hole or rocks that could interfere with fielding the ball? Look to be sure and throw them out of the playing area if seen. Something this simple can turn a routine play into a hard one. Make sure you have a nice surface to work on.

2) Is the slope for your landing foot acceptable? If it is not it will affect the pitchers release point and ability to get the ball over the plate. We need strikes and balls put in play, not walks.

3) Is the rubber o.k.? Be sure the length and depth of the divot for your pivot foot are acceptable.(and they will be different for every youth baseball pitcher) they can greatly affect the pitchers balance and the pitcher will have problems right from the start.

4) When the youth baseball pitcher takes the mound and has done these things, before he makes the first pitch to a batter, he should turn and make sure all his defense is ready and in position. As they get older and players know when to play for a right side ball or a left side ball, he can even call defense(which means he is going to pitch and try to get strikes toward that side).

Pitching is not only throwing fastballs and curveballs. Its about team leadership and commanding the mound. If you start reviewing these things with youth baseball pitchers you will see them develop more confidence and a better attitude as they develop and mature.

Many different positions need an infield baseball glove. Some of these positions include the pitcher, basemen, shortstop and even the catcher. While the idea of infield gloves might make sense, there are some people who believe a glove is simply a glove. They, of course, couldn’t be more wrong.

One of the most important things that these infield baseball gloves have is a deep pocket. You will want more room to catch the ball in, and at the same time have an area that cushions the fast flying ball into your hand. But there is more to these gloves than just this one factor.

Another thing you need to be able to do with infield gloves is transfer the ball from them quickly. Some gloves tend to be bulky and fit your hand awkward. Because of this, they slip and slide which makes taking the ball from them very difficult. An individual should find a glove that fits their hand snug and offers minimal movement. It should then allow them to reach in quickly and easily release the ball into their throwing hand for a smooth play. Since time is of the essence, you don’t want to be bogged down with a sloppy play.

Cushion is another factor that has to be taken into consideration as well. You will have balls coming to you as a fast speed. If you were to catch a number of them barehanded, it would be almost certain that a broken finger would occur. With that in mind, there must be enough padding available from the glove to allow an individual to slow down the force of the ball comfortably. In comparison, it must also not be too padded down to the point that it is hard to grip the ball and release it when the time comes.

The quality of the glove will be important as well. While you can find a number of cheap gloves on the market, you should note that they will break down too soon. In some cases, you might find that this becomes more expensive than buying one of the high quality infield baseball gloves that are available.

To determine if the infield gloves you are considering are a good choice, look at the stitching on the side of the glove. It should remain neat, and not be too thick and excessive, or thin in appearance. It is also very important that you ensure your selection is made from genuine leather and isn’t a synthetic material. Leather has been shown to withstand more abuse in baseball than any other glove type on the market.

When it comes to infield baseball gloves, you will find that the number of brands will be staggering. What will vary among the names are craftsmanship, quality and price. When you are considering any of the available brands, take the time to focus on what you are getting for the money, and be open to spending a little bit more money. It will also pay to shop around online as well as in stores for infield gloves as well. This gives you the best chance to find a great glove at a lower price.

Many young person and outdated individuals are fantastic followers of baseball cards since 1800. Many individuals had spent huge sums of money for this fantastic pastime of baseball card collection. Couple of individuals gone further much more extent on this hobby and took this as career too. Later to civil war many individuals are inclined towards this baseball sport. For these enthusiasts baseballs playing cards are printed on cardboards with player’s pictures and these days printing technologies was not developed the way it was now.

A sporting great company known as Peck and Snyder started first time printing of these baseball cards in the year 1860. This company used these cards as totally free flyers by retaining their products particulars more than them. Between 1860 and 1870 all these enthusiasts took this hobby to further extent by pasting these cards on scrape books which are featured in various themes. This improved curiosity for these cards was recognized by the company known as Goodwin & Co produced huge numbers of these playing cards in the year 1880. This business used them as cigarette packet stiffeners and experienced a huge sales increase for their tobacco products. This gave a chance for other tobacco companies to start the similar way printing and kept these baseball cards in their cigarette packs. These companies were Allen & Ginter, Mayo and Co, Buchner & Co, and Kimball.

In between 1909 and 1915 was the period considered as golden era by the baseball card enthusiasts. Honus Wagner T206 cards were emerged during this time period. The rate of Honus Wagner T206 is 0.000 in the present market and only fifty of them can be seen in well shape now. Also there are similar popular baseball cards which featured famous players like Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, Shoeless Jackson, CY Young, Napoleon Lajoie and Honus Wagner.

There are only three present baseball card producers; these are Upper deck, Donruss and Fleer. The player’s pictures on baseball cards are every year refreshed as per the very best performances. Every player’s first card is famous as “rookie” and this would be always at higher price than any of his other cards. Baseball card enthusiasts still feel that, tobacco based baseball playing cards are always their most favorite among numerous other available playing cards. All these enthusiasts rate Honus Wagner card as the “Mona Lisa” of their entire collections. 1.27 million dollars was the cost went for a card of Honus Wagner in a eBay auction by Gretzky.

If you’re looking for Baseball Card Boxes or 1952 Topps Baseball Cards, check out our blog, your one stop for all your demands!

Article by Nicole Roberts

When it comes to browsing through youth baseball gloves, there are some things that you should consider. Not all gloves are created equally. For the player to do his best, he should have a glove that will work well for him while he is out on the field. With a glove being a necessary piece of equipment for baseball, it is important that you choose one that will leave the player well protected and ready to catch the ball in his position.

There are a few different materials with which youth gloves can be made. Leather is by far the most durable material for a baseball glove. Within the realm of leather, there are three choices. These depend on the grain of the material, and are known as premium steer hide, top grain, and full grain. Top grain youth baseball gloves are the top pick for most players. This is because they are easier to soften and quicker to break in before use.

Another consideration you should make is the position you play while using the glove. Various positions on the baseball field can call for different gloves. For example, a catcher uses a special mitt. Having an outfielder’s glove would not provide the catcher with the proper protection in order to catch the fast pitches coming his way. Be sure that you are aware of your position before selecting the appropriate glove.

Youth baseball gloves come in sizes, and these can be important to determine which glove will best fit the player’s hand. You will want to make sure that you choose a youth size, as adult sizes run larger. The exception to this rule would be if you have extremely large hands for your age. Most youth can properly use gloves ranging in sizes from 9 to 11.5

Your budget should also be considered when purchasing youth gloves. Gloves can range from to over 0, so it is important to know what you can spend before you start shopping. The differences in prices will have to do with the brand, material, and customization of the glove. A standard glove will the cheapest, and can be found in most sporting goods stores.

Custom-made gloves are another option, but are more often chosen by adults. This is because the young player’s hand is likely to not be finished growing. This will mean an upgrade within one or two years. An adult glove, on the other hand, will tend to get more use, as their hands are already full-grown. It is also important to note that the price will be higher with a custom baseball glove, but the fit of the glove is likely to be much better.

Selecting from the all the youth baseball gloves on the market can be a difficult decision. However, there are some things you can decide on before beginning your shopping to make the choice easier. Consider the material, size, position, and your budget in order to choose the right glove.

Based in Chicago, Illinois – the White Sox is one of the oldest professional baseball teams in the AL, the team was established back in the 1900s when it was known by the name of that Chicago white stockings, a name that many may raise an eyebrow at.  In 1903 the name was changed to the Chicago White Sox.  The team is also known by many other names such as the Go Go Sox, the South Siders, the ChiSox, etc.  Their current ballpark is the U.S.  Cellular field; the team owners are Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn, the team manager is Ozzie Guillen and the general manager is Ken Williams.

Important moments and accomplishments:

The Chicago White Sox have made an impressive collection of major league titles which represent the number of accomplishments ever since the inception of the team.  The white sox have earned one WL pennant in 1894; they have won two west division titles in the years of 1983 and 1993, they won two central division titles in 2000 and 2005 and they have also earned three World Series titles in the years of 1917, 1906 and 2005.

Pitchers in the current roster:

-Javier Velazquez
-Mark Buehrle
-John Danks
-Clayton Richard
-Gavin Floyd

Chicago White Sox recent news:

If you are a true White Sox fan then you know that the guy everyone is watching and talking about is called Alexei Ramirez because everyone knows what he is capable of doing and this will be his coming out party to the rest of the world, the young man has a lot of power and is very aggressive and many people are actually looking forward to see him shine as A White Sox mobile into the post season.

Alexei Ramirez is without a doubt one key player in the white sox roster and him in conjunction with the rest of the team are seen as the perfect combination for success.

Article by Al Terry

The undying loyalty of the fans is apparent as Dodgers baseball tickets are being purchased frantically. Most of them want to get back to the Dodgers Stadium to enjoy the games in the company of other like-minded fans.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Dodgers baseball tickets are selling like hot cakes despite the team’s not so satisfactory performance in the 2007 season. The Dodgers are from Brooklyn and are one of the oldest teams, having been formed as the Brooklyn Bridegrooms in 1884. They were also referred to as the Brooklyn Dodgers. Walter O’Malley purchased the team and moved them to Los Angeles in 1957 and changed the team’s name to Los Angeles Dodgers. The team’s new ballpark, the Dodgers Stadium was completed in 1962 and remains to date one of the most loved baseball stadiums. The team kept increasing it fan base by winning the League Pennants in 1963, 1964 and 1965. They also won the World Series in 1965. The team performed very well in the following two decades winning World Series championships (in 1955, 1959, 1963, 1965, 1981 and 1988) and several division titles. The 1990s saw the team win the National League rookie of the year award 5 times consecutively from 1992-1996. The team was purchased by Rupert Murdoch in the 90s and in 2004 Frank Mccourt became the team’s new owner.

Dodgers baseball tickets are in great demand as people want to watch their favorite team make it to the playoffs this season. New manager Joe Torre and new members Andruw Jones and Hiroki Kuroda have raised hopes for a better performance. Matt Kemp, Russ Martin, James Loney, Brad Penny, Derek Lowe, and Chad Billingsley are being touted and are expected to turn the team’s luck around. It is no wonder that people do not want to go home disappointed and instead want to be where all the action is watching the games, having secured the best Dodgers baseball tickets.

You can avoid disappointment by making purchases using an authorized ticket broker’s service. Most of them operate online 24/7 and their websites are secure using encrypted servers. This makes it easy for people to use their credit/debit cards to purchase the tickets without worrying that the information they provide. Tickets come with a guarantee and are delivered at the doorstep within a day or two of purchasing them.

Authorized ticket brokers offer a variety of tickets from cheap ones to the premium tickets. Last minute tickets to sold out events are also offered to those who make plans impulsively. You can buy single game tickets or make bulk purchases for your large group of friends.

Tickets get pricier as the day of the game gets closer, so if you make purchases in advance you may be saving considerably. If you need genuine tickets to the games you need to purchase them from an authorized agent. Getting your tickets from scalpers may prove to be a costly mistake as you may not gain entry to the game as such tickets are mostly invalid.

Just book Dodgers baseball tickets and enjoy watching the team play off their opponents while digging into a huge Dodgers dog and enjoying a beer with your friends.

There are things parents need to know about their teenagers and their internet usage. Teens are smarter than adults are when it comes to the internet and how to use it. Face it; your children have grown up right in the middle of the technical revolution. Your teenagers can get on the internet at home and at home. Most teenagers have cell phones with internet access. It is time you figured out where your children spend most of their time on the World Wide Web.

I have worked with teenagers most of my life. For the past twenty years, I have worked in various pizza restaurants. I have seen teens come and go by the thousands. They all left me with one huge warning. Most parents have no idea what their teenagers really do when they are on their own. The teenagers know this and they take full advantage of it. It is time parents took the time to find out more about their teenagers and who they spend their time with. My daughter is fourteen and she is one of those “know it all” teenagers. She is a good kid, but all good kids have secrets they keep from their parents. Below are some of the sites where teenagers spend their time.

YouTube- YouTube is a site that is full of videos. YouTube has all kinds of videos. Teenagers love this site. They love to see the strange and wacky things that are happening in the world. Teenagers love to make their own videos and put them on YouTube. A teenager at work actually made a video of himself shaving and put it on YouTube. He wanted to see how many people would click on his video. YouTube is not a bad site. There are some good videos on the site. YouTube removes sexually explicit videos as soon as they find out about them. The problem is many teenagers find the videos before YouTube finds them.

MySpace-MySpace is no longer the most popular site for teenagers. The problem is many people try to show their stuff on the site. Naked women send pictures to anybody and everybody on the site. There are good and bad things about MySpace. There are many good people sending out good information. There are many bad people sending out bad information. My daughter still uses MySpace. She thinks it is boring, but she uses it. Teenagers love to put pictures of themselves on sites like these. Teenagers do not realize that strange people look all over these sites for personal information. Teenagers believe every site is safe to them. Watch your teenagers and make sure they do not send personal information through sites like MySpace.

Craigslist-Craigslist is an interesting site. My nephews are teenagers and they love this site. Craigslist is a site where you can sell anything all around the world. You can also buy things. You put an ad on the site with your email. Somebody will email you if they are interested in what you have for sale on Craigslist. You will exchange phone numbers and meet somewhere to exchange the product for money. Prostitutes used to use Craigslists to get customers. Craigslist said they took the prostitutes off, but some teenagers (I know) have a different opinion. Teenagers love Craigslist. It is a site filled up with information and things for sale. My nephew sold some baseball tickets on the site for me. He even joked about what kind of weirdo we may meet up with. The sale was successful, but you never know. Teenagers know weird people hang out on sites like Craigslist.

Facebook-I actually love Facebook. Teenagers use the site in a different way than I do. Facebook is a site where you meet friends and family members. I found a bunch of friends from college on Facebook. I could not find them anywhere else on the net. Teenagers use Facebook to send pictures of themselves to each other. They use Facebook to plan parties. Some teenagers use Facebook as a hook up site. My daughter actually had her phone number on the site at one time. Good thing I was aware of that. Facebook is another site where weirdo’s can go to find personal information about your teenagers. This is a special world. We all might as well face the facts. Do not let me forget this information. Facebook is the place that has all the strange games many people like to play.

MyYearbook- My fourteen-year-old daughter showed me this site last night. Teenagers use MyYearbook to keep in touch. This site is interesting and dangerous at the same time. MyYearbook is a site to keep in touch with family and friends. MyYearbook is also a site to go to when you want to hook up with somebody else. They already have twenty million members and I only found out about it last night. This is another site where weirdo’s can come and (check out) information about your teenagers. MyYearbook has its own games for you to play.

Pornography sites-If you have a teenage son, you realize he loves girls. This is natural. Many parents do not realize how many pornography sites their teenager looks at. I see it at work, sixteen and seventeen year old boys looking at pornography sites through their cell phones. They do it during work. The teenage boys are working and trying to hook up with girls while they are working. Some of these girls are girls from the internet. How can you be sure the girls you see on the internet are really girls?

The internet is a dangerous place for your teenager. You cannot watch them like a hawk every minute of the day. You can become aware of what is going on with their lives. Many parents do not have any idea about what is going on with their teenagers. I will let everybody know (in the coming weeks) how bad our culture has become. Your teenager and their internet usage is just the beginning. There are things parents need to know about teenagers and their internet usage. The sites I have listed above are only a few of the popular sites teens love to use. It is time for parents to open their eyes and realize this world is not getting any better. Do not believe your teenager is the only good teenager out here in the world. There are many great teenagers in our world. They need direction. They need parents that care about them. They need parents to teach them what is right and what is wrong. You can start this process by becoming aware of your teenager and their internet usage.

Sources
MyYearbook
Facebook
Myspace
Craigslist
YouTube
life at pizza delivery stores in FL, KY, OH, and IN
my fourteen year old daughter

For sports fans, April means one thing: baseball season has arrived.  In Kansas City, the Royals are a hot ticket item despite their recent struggles.  Kansas City went 65-97 and finished in last place in the American League Central division last season.  However, the season was not for nothing, as some young players emerged as potential major contributors going forward, and baseball in Kansas City looks to be on the rise for the first time in a long while.

Last season the story surrounding the Royals focused on hurler Zack Greinke.  Greinke was a high draft pick that had seemingly gone awry, as he had some emotional troubles that looked to derail his baseball career.  Greinke fought hard, though, and eventually exorcised his demons.  Last season he finally realized his vast potential and won the American League Cy Young Award.  The then-25-year-old went 16-8 with a 2.16 ERA and 242 strikeouts in 229 innings.  All of a sudden the Royals have one of the best pitchers in the game and a true ace at the top of their rotation.

Kansas City also has one of the league’s top closers in Joakim Soria.  Soria missed some of last season due to injury, but has shown the ability to be dominant in the ninth inning.  While the front and back ends of the staff are among the best in the majors, everything in between is in question.  The Royals need Gil Meche to stay healthy and perform up to his ability as a second starter.  If they can get Luke Hochevar to make good on at least some of the talent that once made him the number one overall pick, their rotation could be in solid shape.

The Kansas City lineup doesn’t have a ton of pop, but it does have an emerging slugger in Billy Butler.  The first baseman hit .301 last season with 21 home runs and 93 RBI.  He’s only 23 and looks to have more power coming; he also projects to be a potential batting title contender.  With a largely mediocre lineup around him, though, the Royals will struggle to give their pitchers a ton of run support.

One team that the Royals will have to step up their offensive game against is the Boston Red Sox.  The Sox come to town in April and every Royals fan will be clamoring to get Kaufman Stadium tickets to see those matchups.  The Red Sox boast arguably the best rotation in the majors.  With Jon Lester and Josh Beckett heading up the staff, the Sox go five deep with John Lackey, Dice-K Matsuzaka and Clay Buchholz.  None of these pitchers will be enjoyable to face.

If you’d prefer to see country music royalty instead of baseball royalty, be sure to head to the Sprint Center on April 9th.  There you’ll be able to see George Strait team up with Reba McEntire for one heck of a show.  Those in attendance will likely hear some hits off of Strait’s 2009 album Twang.  The record has dominated the charts since its release, maintaining a number one spot on both the Top Country Albums and Billboard 200 lists for good portions of 2009 and 2010.  The album’s title track and “Living for the Night” have garnered a lot of attention, so make sure to listen for those songs.  Whatever you do, don’t miss seeing Strait team up with McEntire for a country music extravaganza.

When it comes to authentic symbols of youth league baseball, it’s hard to beat baseball pins. Trading pins have become so ingrained as a part of the game that many people travel to the Little League World Series in Pennsylvania every August and never see a baseball game. Instead, they spend their time trading baseball pins.

Among those who play the game, baseball pins make terrific souvenirs. Trading the pins quickly turns strangers into friends, and helps players remember the season and the teams they faced in the tournaments.

The popularity of baseball pins is not really surprising. When properly designed, they can be attractive works of art. They’re affordable, portable and easy to carry. They represent teams that players are proud to be a part of.

Every team wants to have the best baseball pins, the ones that others will trade 2, 3, or even more lesser pins for. With just a little bit of design savvy, your team can be the one with the most rockin’ pins you’ll find anywhere, and other teams will be clamoring to trade baseball pins with your players.

It’s not hard to design great baseball pins. Start with the premise that bigger is always better. In the world of baseball pins, that’s a given. The bigger pins offer more space for artwork, creating more visual appeal.

Then think about your team. What will best represent your team’s winning attitude and strengths on baseball pins? It’s easy and fun to design pins if you keep your players in mind. And remember, all good suppliers of baseball pins won’t charge you for artwork or revisions, so you’re really limited only by your imagination.

Once you’ve settled on the design for your baseball pins, start thinking about add-ons. The best way to really make your pins stand out from the pack is to choose great extras. The right add-ons will give your baseball pins the extra trading muscle you want to make them a home run with traders.

Glitter enamel is a great place to start. This economical option gives your baseball pins an elegant, rich look that really stands out.

Danglers are a great way to showcase your team’s great year. Add danglers to your baseball pins to show the year of the tournament. If you’re on a tight budget, you can add new danglers in later years without having to replace the main pins.

Want more? Add action! Spinners and sliders add motion to your baseball pins. A batter swinging or a runner sliding for home can give your pins eye-catching appeal that static pins just can’t match. Bobble heads also add a great motion factor that spectators can’t miss. These popular add-ons all give your pins a fun element of play that other pins lack.

If you have a mascot, blinking LEDs can give them flashing eyes. Whether you want menacing or merry, blinkers add another dimension to your team’s baseball pins.

No matter what you want your team’s baseball pins to look like, a good supplier can help you make them a reality. Order early for guaranteed delivery before the tournaments and your players will be ready to make new friends by trading baseball pins.