Pittsburgh Pirates

Archive for December, 2011

Choosing a correctly sized baseball bat is absolutely critical for anyone trying to be a successful hitter. It doesn’t matter if you’re 4 years old or 40 years old, if you don’t have the right sized bat, then you’re setting yourself up for failure at the plate. There are a number of factors to consider when sizing bats, but before going through the process of actually selecting a bat, you must have an understanding of the basic objectives when trying to hit a baseball.

The first objective is contact. When a batter is at the plate, he must be able to make solid and consistent contact with the baseball. A baseball bat, above all else, must allow the hitter to have the control necessary to consistently hit the ball solidly. If a bat is chosen that causes the batter swing late or it causes him to make poor contact, then the purpose is defeated. A poorly selected bat can easily lead to strikeouts, pop flies, and weak grounders that lead to outs and frustration. The ultimate objective is to make solid contact leading to line drives, hard hit ground balls, and balls hit in the outfield gaps. Contact is critical.

The second objective is power. Power is what separates a good hitter from a great hitter. If you can make good contact, then adding power will only lead to more base hits because the defense has less time to react to very sharply hit balls. Power is generated through the conservation of momentum as energy is transferred from the bat to the ball. Momentum is a function of mass and velocity. In simpler terms, the faster you can swing a bat of a given weight, the more power you create. Likewise, the heavier the bat you use at a given bat speed, the more power you create. So for every person, there is an ideal balance of bat weight and bat speed that creates the most power.

Now that you know that contact and power are the two objectives when hitting a baseball, the task of sizing a bat becomes much clearer. Bats should be chosen to maximize your ability to make consistent contact with good power. There are many, many different guides out there to help players choose a bat size, but the reality is that every individual has to choose the bat that helps him feel comfortable at the plate.

Many hitters select bats that are either to long or too heavy. This is a huge mistake because both of these characteristics negatively affect the primary objectives of a batter. A smaller bat can help achieve both contact and power at the plate.

Better contact is achieved because a shorter and lighter bat can be better controlled at the plate. If a bat is too big, then it can become unwieldy and it becomes extremely difficult to hit the ball with the sweet spot of the bat.

Better power is achieved because a shorter and lighter bat can increase bat speed. If you remember from above, a bat of a given weight swung at a faster speed increases power.

A common bat selection guide states to use a 24-26″ bat for ages 5-7, a 26-28″ bat for ages 8-9, a 28-29″ bat for age 10, a 30-31″ bat for ages 11-12, a 31-32″ bat for ages 13-14, a 32-33″ bat for ages15-16, and a 32-33″ bat for ages 17-18.

To achieve the goals of making good contact with power, it is a good idea to begin with the shortest bat length listed for each age. This will be a great starting place and will likely be the optimal bat size to achieve perfect contact and head-turning power.

Article by Richard Alexander

Baseball players of all ages and in all leagues have to be aware of choosing the best possible gear. You want to be sure that all of your equipment is just right for you personally, and also for your position in the field. Your much more likely to play well if you have the right gear that fits the way it should, for then you’ll be comfortable and able to concentrate fully. In order to help you find the right baseball gear, we’ll go over some important considerations to remember when choosing it.

The game itself revolves around the ball. A typical baseball doesn’t have a long lifespan in fact some games will use several dozen at least. They are easily damaged by hard hitters or lost in a number of ways which is the reason to consider buying them in bulk. Even if balls are supplied for you during games and official practice sessions, you should always have some of your own so you can practice in your spare time. You probably don’t need major league quality baseballs for practice, but you do want good ones that are either leather or a high quality synthetic material. One of your main accessories is your baseball glove so you should take good care of it. To keep the glove clean and protected from the elements, you should use an oil or conditioner. It’s best to use a product specifically designed for conditioning gloves because using something that is too harsh can wear down the leather. When not in use, keep your glove in a cool and dry environment. Avoid exposure to heat and dampness which aren’t good for leather. You will need to replace the laces on your glove every so often, so you need to inspect them to make sure they’re not broken or brittle.

When it comes to clothing, you probably have a uniform, but you also want to pay attention to the clothes you wear in addition to this. It’s important to dress right for the weather and the conditions you’ll be playing in, or you won’t be comfortable and this can be a distraction.A baseball jersey is a basic item that most players wear, and this is often chosen for style or to show off the team’s logo as much as an article of clothing. Make sure your uniform and other clothing is loose fitting enough that it doesn’t constrict your movement. When it comes to choosing baseball gear, you have to consider your own comfort and needs, as well as what’s required by your league. Some equipment, such as your glove, has to be made specifically for your position, as a catcher’s mitt is going to be very different from a first baseman’s. The above points can be referred to when choosing baseball gear, though in many cases you may have to experiment with different brands and styles to find what’s right for you.

The Simpsons has been my favorite show pretty much for as long as I can remember so I wanted to make a list of what I think are the 50 Best episodes of the Simpsons in it’s long history. Yes, we all know that it has been bad or inconsistent for the last decade or so but even with that in mind the show still has amongst the best catalog of anything that’s been on television.

How I Spent My Strummer Vacation, Season 14: This is one of the few later season episodes on the list but it’s pretty damn good. Homer gets taped for a Taxicab Confessions like show for Springfield while he’s drunk and says some bad things about the family. Instead of just remaining angry at Homer, Marge and the kids send him to a one week Rock n’ Roll camp featuring many famous musicians. I like that it isn’t too over the top and wacky like many episodes were around this time period and still are and it is thoroughly enjoyable. The guest stars don’t feel like they were there for no reason and actually made me laugh especially Keith Richards when he yells, What? Who said that?”

22 Short Films About Springfield, Season 7: Take some inspiration from Pulp Fiction and mix it with mid 90′s Simpsons writing and you have pure gold. I love this episode because we get to peak into the lives of other Springfield residents and learn that while not much goes on it’s still hilarious and insane. The stories are weaved together beautifully, I love the story about the tall man in the Volkswagon and Superintendent Chalmers eating at Principal Skinner’s house and Skinner lying about Aurora Borealis being organized in his kitchen.

Bart vs. Australia, Season 6: Sure it isn’t an accurate picture of what Australia is like but that is exactly the point. Every possible stereotype about Australia is perpetuated in this episode and that’s what makes it so good. Bart begins to call different countries to find out which way their water goes down the drain due to his argument with Lisa about the Coriolis Effect and ends up defrauding an Australian family out of “500 dollar-edoos”. To make peace between the United States and Australia Bart has to go and apologize to the Australian Parliament and get kicked in the butt by a giant boot, which as we all know is one of Australia’s proudest traditions. From top to bottom Bart vs. Australia is funny as hell and one of the best Simpsons episodes ever.

The Springfield Files, Season 8: After a night of drinking and Moe takes away his car keys for blowing a Boris Yeltsan rating in the breathalyzer, Homer encounters an alien on his way home. The story of his encounter soon spreads and Agents Mulder and Scully are sent to Springfield to investigate. The guest stars in this episode are great and include David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, and Leonard Nimoy. They service the plot well and are funny such as Mulder’s speedo wallet picture and Nimoy just running off to his car while he’s supposed to be narrating the story.

Das Bus, Season 9: Pretty much Lord of the Flies if it featured the children of Springfield Elementary. While not a top 10 episode from this list it does have some really funny jokes in it. Skinner’s question to the kids if they want to be like the real UN or just squabble and waste time? Plus Bill Gates ‘buying out’ Homer’s internet business is absolutely classic.

Worst Episode Ever, Season 12: Yes, a Comic Book Guy episode has made the list. When Comic Book Guy suffers a heart attack he enlists Bart and Milhouse to run the store and it is going great until Milhouse orders thousands of copies of the comic book called Biclops. Biclops is pretty much just a dork like Milhouse and fails to sell but then the boys stumble upon a stash of secret videos owned by Comic Book Guy and charge admission to view them. I think that the relationship plot between CBG and Agnes Skinner is kind of lame and takes the episode down some this episode is still very funny and a gem amongst the crap that was aired in the 2000′s.

In Marge We Trust, Season 8: Marge becomes the Listen Lady and answers phone calls at the church to help solve people’s problems after Reverend Lovejoy has lost the passion for his job. Meanwhile, Homer and the kids find a box from Japan with Homer’s face on it and try to figure out the mystery of the image. What I like about this episode is that it develops Reverend Lovejoy’s character and shows how he went from being an idealistic youthful reverend to one that really doesn’t care that much (mostly because of Ned Flanders stupid questions and complaints). Also, the Mr. Sparkle subplot is funny and there is a fight with baboons on a moving train, so that automatically improves the show.

Radioactive Man, Season 7: “My eyes! The goggles they do nothing!” Milhouse gets cast as Fallout Boy in the new Radioactive Man movie and really doesn’t want to live his life in the spotlight. This episode is a great parody of the film industry as well as the old Batman shows from the 60s.

Homer’s Phobia, Season 8: The family meets John (guest star John Waters) and immediately takes a liking to him until Homer finds out that John is gay. Homer then worries that Bart will become gay due to John’s influence and tries various ways to make sure he’ll turn out heterosexual. The episode had to make the list for the gay steel mill scene alone which is one of the best jokes ever on the show. Beyond that it is well crafted and funny throughout and John Waters is an excellent guest star.

Homer’s Enemy, Season 8: Although he was just a one time character Frank Grimes was an excellent addition as the hard working guy who had to struggle for everything versus Homer who does next to nothing and enjoys a comfortable family life. Grimes despises Homer and cannot fathom how anybody likes the man and it eventually drives him insane.

Homer to the Max, Season 10: Homer changes his name to Max Power because a TV show features a character named Homer Simpson who is a bumbling idiot. While the storyline lags at certain points it does have great jokes like the Max Power song and Homer’s new names for Marge.

King Size Homer, Season 7: Mr. Burns introduces a calisthenics program at the power plant and Homer wants to get out of having to participate so he comes up with a plan to be legally classified as obese and be able to work from home. There are lots of great jokes in this one with Homer at the computer trying to order a Tab and his consultation with Dr. Nick to become obese.

Marge vs. the Monorail, Season 4: The town’s mob mentality gets them swindled by Lyle Lanley into building a monorail. Marge’s usual worrying turns out to be correct in this episode and she helps to save the day. The Monorail song is my favorite part of this episode.

Radio Bart, Season 3: Bart gets some crappy gifts for his birthday including a Superstar Celebrity Microphone from Homer which he eventually finds a purpose for in playing pranks on the town. He tricks the town into thinking a boy has fallen down the well and when he realizes that his name is on the microphone, Bart goes to the well and tries to retrieve it becoming stuck himself. This episode features Sting and a great song called Sending Our Love Down the Well.

You Only Move Twice, Season 8: “I’m from Canada they say I’m a bit slow eh?” Homer gets a job for Globex Corporation and his boss (Hank Scorpio) while a very nice guy personally turns out to be a super villain in the James Bond vein. The family having moved from Springfield to Cypress Creek all struggle to adapt except for Homer who has never flourished at his job more than working for Hank Scorpio. The episode is loaded with spoofs of James Bond and the family is each given their own story lines within the broader story. I wonder if Homer still owns the Denver Broncos?

The Joy of Sect, Season 9: This show features a few of my favorite jokes in the show’s history including Homer yelling, “Out of my way Jerkass.” and The Batman theme changed to fit the leader of the Movementarians. Its funny that the rest of the town was so easily brainwashed but Homer who had no ability to pay attention could only be swayed by chanting nuh, nuh, nuh, nuh, nuh, nuh lea-der!

Homer at the Bat, Season 3: With a complete team of MLB stars providing guest voices we get a story involving the Nuclear Power Plant softball team and Mr. Burns trying to insure victory by bringing in a group of professional ringers. The baseball players all undergo various mishaps like Ken Griffey who after drinking some brain tonic Mr. Burns had given him has his head swell up to gigantic proportions. The only player who survives the mishaps is Darryl Strawberry who plays Homer’s position and hence keeps Homer on the bench. This is an awesome show with jokes about the movie the Natural and the great Talkin’ Softball song.

The Last Temptation of Krust, Season 9: CANYONEROOOOOOOOOOO!

Deep Space Homer, Season 5: Before this aired I was already a fan of The Simpsons but after I saw this episode 7 year old me fell in love with the show. Homer inadvertently gets selected to try out for a NASA mission in which an average man will get to go into space and only wins the opportunity be the two greatest words in the English language de-fault. There are so many classic lines in this episode such as Kent Brockman and his reporting on ants. It really is just about the perfect show and easily amongst the best that the crew has ever produced.

Kamp Krusty, Season 4: The kids head off to Kamp Krusty which is actually a pretty miserable place where the kids are fed poorly and forced to sew wallets to line the pockets of Mr. Black the head of the camp. Bart starts a revolution amongst the campers and seizes control forcing Mr. Black and his goons to flee.

Bart After Dark, Season 8: With Lisa and Marge off to Baby Seal Beach to clean oil off of rocks…dozens and dozens of rocks, Homer and Bart are left home alone. Bart breaks a gargoyle belonging to an older woman and finds out that she runs a burlesque house out of her home. At Homer’s insistent Bart starts to work at the burlesque house and we are shown where all of Springfield’s perverts congregate.

Homer the Great, Season 6: Lenny and Carl keep having access to all these little privileges and Homer wants to find out why so he follows them and discovers they are in the Stonecutters. The Stonecutters are the secret society of Springfield and Homer is determined to be apart of the group. This is an episode with another memorable song “We Do” and provides lots of laughs both in Homer’s trying to gain access and his memories of being excluded from clubs such as the No Homers Club.

Homer vs. The Eighteenth Amendment, Season 8: A law prohibiting the sale of alcohol is discovered to be on the books for many years in Springfield and after Bart gets drunk on St. Patrick’s day it is finally enforced. With the supply of alcohol getting low Homer hatches a clever scheme to keep it flowing. With heavy bootlegging going on Chief Wiggum is fired and replaced by the humorless Rex Banner who becomes an unwelcome thorn in the side of Homer. This episode is great with the one time character Rex Banner, the town’s overreaction to Bart’s drunkeness, and the use of catapult.

Bart the Daredevil, Season 2: This is a pretty early episode in which Bart becomes a daredevil after seeing Lance Murdock perform stunts. Bart quickly becomes quite an attraction around the town and he then decides to jump the Springfield Gorge on his skateboard which then becomes the episodes conflict when Homer sees it as too dangerous an attempt. The episode is most memorable for Homer accidently getting on the skateboard and falling into the gorge.

Cape Feare, Season 5: “Nobody who speaks German could be an evil man.” Some of the Sideshow Bob episodes haven’t been all that great but this one is definitely a classic. The Simpsons get placed in the witness protection program to protect Bart from Sideshow Bob who plans to kill him. Everything goes according to plan until Bart stalls Bob long enough by make him sing the score of the HMS Pinafore. This one has some great lines like “The Bart The” and some nice physical comedy with Bob stepping on a bunch of rakes

Duffless, Season 4 : After getting pulled over by the cops for driving under the influence Homer is asked by Marge to give up alcohol for a month. Also the kids participate in the science fair at Springfield Elementary with Lisa comparing Bart’s intelligence to a Hamster.

A Fish Called Selma, Season 7: Troy McClure gets his very own episode in which he and Selma get married to resurrect his flat lined movie career. Phil Hartman really shined in this episode as McClure from his attempts at sex with Selma to the great Planet of the Apes musical that featured the song Dr. Zaius.

Homer Alone, Season 3: My favorite part of this episode is when after losing Maggie, Homer calls the missing child hotline and while on hold the play Baby Come Back by Player. It starts out as a Marge centered episode but really develops into how Homer isn’t very competent as raising children without Marge.

Homer: Bad Man, Season 6: Homer gets accused by the babysitter of sexual harassment and a media circus breaks out painting Homer to be guilty without fairly hearing his side of the story. The starting scene at the Candy convention is awesome because Homer steals the gummy Venus de Milo and blows up the convention center with pop rocks and soda. We also get a talk show hosted by a bear named Ben and a made for TV movie starring Dennis Franz as Homer. “He believes the shower curtain gives him sexual powers.”

Hurricane Neddy, Season 8: A hurricane hits Springfield and does almost no damage except to the Flanders house who of course was the most prepared out of all the panicky idiots that inhabit Springfield. This makes Ned begin to question his faith in God and he eventually snaps when the town attempts to rebuild his house and screws it up. This episode explores Ned as a character and reveals that he is so nice because he was apart of a experimental program where as a child he was spanked by a psychologist for an entire year and hence unable to express any rage beyond his usual nonsensical speech. I love in this episode that Ned’s parents were just ‘lousy Beatniks’ and we get to see that he was a terrible child and now is the super Christian moralizer.

Last Exit to Springfield, Season 4: Homer becomes the union leader for the power plant after fear of losing the dental plan and having to pay for Lisa’s braces out of pocket causes him to speak up and demand that they not concede the dental plan. This episode is fantastic from the plot to the top notch jokes that seem to hit every few seconds. It’s chock full of classic moments such as “Dental Plan! Lisa needs braces!”, Homer thinking Mr. Burns is coming on to him, the Godfather II sequence, and of course Lisa’s beautiful strike song. A classic that represents why The Simpsons is one of the best shows ever.

Last Temptation of Homer, Season 5: Michelle Pfeiffer guest stars as the power plant’s new female employee Mindy and Homer immediately becomes infatuated with her. As the title suggests Homer’s temptation is whether to have an affair with Mindy or stay faithful to Marge.

Life On the Fast Lane, Season 1: Speaking of possible affairs, this episode deals with Marge and a French bowler named Jacques played by Albert Brooks. Homer’s continuing insensitivity and selfishness pushes Marge to consider violating her vows which makes Homer more and more afraid that he will lose his wife for good. This isn’t one of the funniest episodes ever made but it is a really good character piece and served to help connect the audience to the family in the series’ first season.

Mr. Plow, Season 4: Homer starts a snow plow business and quickly finds himself in competition with Barney who dubs himself the Plow King. The episode is very entertaining and is most memorable for the TV ads each of them used to promote their plow companies like the Mr. Plow theme song, the artsy plow commercial and Barney landing Linda Ronstadt to sing his jingle.

Natural Born Kissers, Season 9: Homer and Marge learn that to spice up their love life they need to have sex in places where they may get caught. Of course they keep pushing their boundaries and take off in a hot air balloon naked and land in a packed football stadium. Bart and Lisa have a story where they roam the town with a metal detector and find an alternative ending to Casablanca.

Rosebud, Season 5: Citizen Kane if it involved Mr. Burns and his childhood teddy bear named Bobo. Rosebud really brings some human qualities into the Mr. Burns character instead of just being the evil billionaire, I mean he still is evil in this episode but it’s more pathetic than menacing. I love the fact that Hitler once owned Bobo and blamed him for Germany’s defeat in World War II, hilarious.

Selma’s Choice, Season 4: It’s a Selma episode but at least she’s not getting married in this one, just trying to have a baby. She eventually realizes what a mistake it would be after taking Bart and Lisa to Duff Gardens where Lisa drinks the apparently hallucinogenic water on the parody of the It’s a Small World ride. Homer provides my favorite quote of this one about artificial insemination, “Boy I don’t know. You’d have to be pretty desperate to make it with a robot.”

A Streetcar Named Marge, Season 4: Marge stars in the Springfield version of A Streetcar Named Desire and finds inspiration for her character from her marriage with Homer. There are lots of great musical numbers in this episode especially the song about New Orleans. Maggie also leads a revolt at her new day care center that is run by followers of Ayn Rand.

Lisa the Iconoclast, Season 7: “I don’t know why it’s a perfectly cromulent word.” Lisa uncovers the secret history of the town’s founder Jebediah Springfield aka Hans Sprungfeld while researching a school project. Homer is the only person in town that believes Lisa because he wants to be right for once in his life. I really like this episode because it develops the relationship between father and daughter, gives an awesome back story to the town’s founder, and a fight with George Washington.

Stark Raving Dad, Season 3: This is the episode guest starring Michael Jackson under an assumed name and playing Leon Kompowsky, a big white guy who pretends that he is the pop star. Stark Raving dad provides plenty of laughs such as Homer being put into a mental hospital for wearing a pink shirt.

Homerpalooza, Season 7: Homer tries to get back into the current music scene after learning that the classic rock he listens to is no longer cool. He then ends up getting hit in the guy with an inflatable pig shot out of the canon and joins a music tour as a freak attraction.

Who Shot Mr. Burns? Parts 1+2, Seasons 6 and 7: Yeah it was gimmicky as all hell and I remember hearing about the mystery all summer on TV that year but both of the episodes are genuinely funny and a decent mystery to boot. Plus I get a song led by Tito Puente about Mr. Burns which I love to sing.

‘Round Springfield, Season 6: Bart gets hospitalized after eating a jagged piece of metal that came with every box of Krusty-O’s and while visiting her brother in the hospital Lisa discovers her friend Bleeding Gums Murphy is in there too. This episode is both funny and touching as Lisa learns to cope with death while still being a child.

Homer’s Barbershop Quartet, Season 5: I think everyone has heard the great Baby On Board song and the rest of this episode is funny as hell. My favorite part is Homer asking George Harrison where he got the brownies from.

A Star is Burns, Season 6: The town hosts a film festival and Jay Sherman from The Critic is called in to host it. Ok so it’s a crossover with The Critic and that should be kind of lame but this episode is funny. The films at the festival are all classic with Pukahontas, Man Get Hit By Football, and A Burns For All Seasons directed by Senor Spielbergo and starring Tommy Tune as Smithers.

Bart of Darkness, Season 6: The Simpsons get a pool during the summer and Lisa becomes popular while Bart breaks his leg and is confined to his room. One night while messing around with the telescope Lisa gives him, Bart witnesses what he believes to be a murder at the Flanders house. “I’m a mur-didly-urderer.”

Lisa’s Rival, Season 6: Lisa his a new classmate Allison who is seemingly better than her at everything so she enlists Bart to help her sabotage Allison’s diorama. Ralph Wiggum has classic lines like “I bent my Wookie.” and “My cat’s breath smells like cat food.”

Bart’s Comet, Season 6: Bart discovers a comet while doing astronomy work for Skinner and it is heading right for Springfield. Naturally the town panics and comes up with a half-assed plan of shooting the comet with a missile which blows up the only bridge out of town instead. My favorite part is when the town kicks Flanders out of his own bomb shelter and Homer storms out saying how disappointed he is in everyone and then yells especially his children right in Rod and Todd Flanders faces. “The following people are gay.”

Brother From the Same Planet, Season 4: Homer forgets to pick up Bart from soccer practice despite the whole world around him giving him hints on what he is forgetting to do. So, after the two have a falling out Bart joins a program for disadvantaged kids and gets fighter pilot Tom as his ‘bigger brother’. Jealous of Bart spending time with Tom Homer gets his own little brother named Pepe out of spite. What’s funny is that both Bart and Homer lie to their new father and son respectively and sets the stage for a fight between Tom and Homer at Marine World.

$ pringfield, Season 5: This episode is one of my personal favorites and revolves around the story of Springfield legalizing gambling. The family naturally has their roles in the new business, Homer is a blackjack dealer and Marge becomes addicted to gambling and neglects the family. Mr. Burns as owner of the casino descends into a Howard Hughes like lunacy and threatens to shoot Smithers if he doesn’t get into his small model airplane dubbed the Spruce Moose. Also great in this episode, Robert Goulet appearing at Bart’s tree house casino and Homer’s explanation of the gambling monster that has a hold on Marge called Gamblor.

A base runner breaks for second base for a stolen base attempt. The batter swings at the pitch and quite often a baseball announcer will say that the batter swung to protect the runner. Was the runner in some type of danger and needed protection? No. The runner is simply trying to steal a base. Forget this protecting the runner nonsense and a much better option for the batter is to help the base runner instead.

1) Square around as if to bunt even though you have no intention of bunting.

2) Place the bat at approximately the eye level of the catcher.

3) At the last second, pull the bat away and do not attempt the bunt.

This will slightly block the vision of the catcher when he tries to catch the ball and also will prevent him from aggressively jumping out of his stance and gaining momentum toward the base he’s throwing to.

Catchers don’t like this because they can’t make their normal throw that they practice all the time. It disrupts their timing as well as their footwork. There’s a good chance the catcher’s throw will not be a good one. You will be helping your base runner tremendously and not “protecting” him. Catchers work on their footwork constantly. They usually have it down to a science and for it to be disrupted ever so slightly could very well turn into a very erratic throw. Your runner may not just get the base he’s attempting to steal but may very well get an additional base if the catcher’s throw sails into the outfield.

It’s a very effective play and one of the smartest baseball coaching tips you will learn. Very few baseball players or baseball coaches know about it and that’s why it is not done often.

Please note well that this should be used at advanced levels of play only. It should not be used by young players that are just starting out and learning to play baseball. There is a huge difference between baseball coaching tips for young players and baseball coaching tips for players at the high school level of play and beyond. Eight to ten year old players compared to players that are fifteen years old and up should be coached accordingly. Let’s not lose sight of that fact.

At older levels of play, help out your teammate and show your coaches, teammates and everyone else how well schooled you are.

About The Author:

You CAN improve and overcome any baseball weaknesses if you are a player, a coach, or a baseball parent and your son is struggling! Larry Cicchiello has hundreds of baseball articles on line and has some FREE baseball tips on hitting and FREE baseball pitching tips available at http://www.LarryBaseball.com.Get ready to be raising a few eyebrows!

Article by Richard Alexander

No matter what league you play on, you need a variety of gear to play baseball. Certain equipment is fairly standard, while items such as gloves will differ depending on the position you play. When all your gear fits well and is high quality, you can focus on playing your best and not have to worry that your equipment will fail you. Let’s look at some criteria to keep in mind when choosing the gear you need for baseball.

Batting helmets don’t make you a better hitter but they do protect you from harm. People tend to underestimate how dangerous baseball can be, especially when compared to other sports, but people have been killed by speeding pitches. Getting hit by a ball can be very serious, so always wear a helmet when batting. While this is mandatory if you play in any leagues, you should also keep this in mind when practicing. A high quality helmet that fits you well and doesn’t interfere with your vision is what you should look for. One of your main accessories is your baseball glove which is why you need to take good care of it. You should use an oil or conditioner to keep the glove clean and protected from the elements. Look for a product especially designed for conditioning gloves because using something that is too harsh can wear down the leather. Your glove should be stored in a cool, dry place when you’re not using it. Dampness and heat are not good for leather. The laces on your glove will have to be replaced every so often, so inspect them to make sure they’re not broken or getting brittle.Baseball players wear caps with visors not only as part of their team’s uniform, but for practical reasons as well. A cap can help keep your head dry if it’s raining but hard enough to call off the game. Because the visor will help keep the sun out of your eyes, keeping track of the ball will be easier. Finally, a good cap will have a headband that prevents sweat from getting into your eyes. While baseball cap is a basic part of your uniform and it isn’t the most important or costly gear, it can help you focus on your game. As you’ve seen in this article baseball gear comes in many varieties that are perfect for any position. It may take some time to get to know what is perfect for you as an individual. If you play multiple positions you may find it necessary to have a variety of gear choices. Use the above information as a guideline when shopping for baseball gear.

Article by Nathan Richard Park

Women in baseball…In the early 20th century, barnstorming teams known as Bloomer Girls were formed in parts of the U.S. and took on amateur and semi-professional teams that included both women and men.

It is thought that women in baseball first came to be because of an attempt to profit from the “novelty” of female players.

In 1931, Jackie Mitchell signed a contract with the minor league Chattanooga Lookouts. Mitchell pitched against the New York Yankees and struck out their two star players, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig!!! Since then, in 1952, organized baseball formally banned women from signing professional contracts with mens teams. This is still in effect today!

Women in baseball were about to increase, as World War II arose, many men were sent out to fight. This ment that the women had to step in to keep the game of baseball alive until the return of the men. It when then that the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was founded with four teams; the Rockford Peaches, the Racine Belles, the Kenosha Comets and the South Bend Blue Sox. The amount of women in baseball soared!

Rules encouraging the wearing of lipstick and long hair on the women in baseball were declared. Also the banning of wearing trousers off the field.

Initially, the women played fast-pitch softball with a larger ball and underhand pitching. In 1948 overhand pitching was introduced, and eventually there was not much difference between mens baseball and AAGPBL women’s baseball. The women’s baseball game evolved using men’s baseball rules, but with a few small changes…80 feet between bases, 55 feet for the pitching distance and only nine players on the field.

The AAGPBL finally folded in 1954, due to the televising of major league baseball in the 1950′s. But the spirit of the women of baseball was to live on, as on November 5, 1988, the All American Girls Professional Baseball League enshrined memorabilia in the Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, New York. More than 550 names are on a plaque in the exhibit named “Women In Baseball”.

Currently, there are roughly 40 youth and women’s baseball teams in the United States that play in roughly nine leagues and independent tournaments throughout the year.

Article by Kathryn Jones

In Baseball, the league type you’re in and the position you play will dictate which gear choices you need to make. Baseball is often played by various age groups and at varying levels leaving the regulations regarding gear to differ from one location to another. Read on for some helpful guidelines for choosing the right baseball gear.

Baseball shoes or cleats are an important part of your gear, as these will have a large impact on your speed, agility and ability to play your position effectively. These need to be comfortable. Baseball fields vary depending on weather and time of year so you need an all weather shoe that can handle these varying conditions. There are a number of different options in cleats from low to high tops and rubber to metal cleats so be sure you know what your league allows. Custom made gear is best for the serious baseball player. You can get customized gloves in a variety of colors, leather types, webbings and weltings. This is something you may want if you’re experienced enough to know exactly what kind of glove is best for you. If you so desire you can choose a bat that is customized to your material, weight and logo specifications. Customized baseball gear is of course more expensive than your typical retail gear but can be worth it.

A pitching target can be a valuable tool for the pitcher to practice on. This is a simple device that will improve your aim and style when you don’t have a practice partner to work with. One device you might consider is the Rawlings Comeback device which offers you some great fielding practice in addition to your pitching practices. You can adjust the angle if you want fly balls or grounders making this a useful device for infield and outfield positions as well as pitching positions. When it comes to skills the best thing you can do is practice, practice, practice which is why it’s so important to have your own equipment. While baseball is a very traditional game and some types of gear like the bats have changed over the years, many things remain fairly constant. Having a glove that suits your hand and the position you play, and clothing and protective gear that fits properly will always be an essential part of the game. Use this tips to find equipment that fits you and allows you to focus on the game.

What I’ll attempt to do in the write-up is give a rundown of the most notable baseball bat makers and also deliver to light some of the lesser regarded providers. Preserve in brain that most of these makers make softball bats too.

 

Based in Louisville, KY, Hillerich & Bradsby has been about since 1884. It is almost certainly the most preferred and very well identified baseball bat maker in the world. You will see countless specialists using the famous trademarked wood bats every day and night while in MLB games. Louisville Slugger’s TPX and TPS brand names are exceptionally well-liked amongst amateur baseball and softball players, respectively.

 

Nike is rather new to the baseball bat game. But, due to the fact of their popular trademarked swoosh, they have turn into a definite force in the product or service room. Nike has most just lately released two new wooden bat models to go along with their previously impressive composite/metal bat lineup.

 

Easton has been in enterprise for 80+ many years and their baseball brand has been a single of the market leaders for thirty+ years. Easton is credited with generating the very first aluminum bat in 1969 and they keep on to supply innovative technology in the bat they make right now.

 

Softball giant Ray DeMarini commenced this business in 1989 and is credited with creating the initially double walled bat all the way back again in 1993. Currently, they are viewed as a main force in the game. View any NCAA baseball or softball game and you will be certain to see their signature Voodoo or CF bats remaining used.

 

The Combat Activity Group is active across baseball, softball, lacrosse, and hockey. Since 2004, Fight has really been the fastest growing corporation in this space. At a person time, the firm created bats for companies this sort of as Rawlings and Really worth before breaking off and developing their individual identity.

 

Sports Illustrated tends to make the claim that Marucci is the fastest increasing bat maker in the United States currently. Marucci statements that 70% of the best potential customers in the nation are applying their bats. 1 explanation for the reputation of their bats is the reality that St. Louis Cardinals’ slugger Albert Pujols uses and endorses their bats. Phenom Bryce Harper is also swinging a Marucci bat in his very first period of specialized baseball. Marucci’s new Cat five squared is being well known in the amateur ranks.

 

Founded by previous New York Yankee great and existing Los Angeles Dodgers’ manager Don Mattingly, Mattingly Sports activities is a fairly new entry into the bat earning room. They are most known for their V-Grip engineering, which normally takes the standard, rounded cope with and makes it into a V shape, correcting what Mattingly found to be the most prevalent dilemma in hitters…the place of the fingers all around the deal with. The V-Grip aligns the knocker knuckles, positioning the bat away from the palm and into the fingertips.

 

Recognized much more for their baseball gloves and cleats, Mizuno is however an active baseball bat maker. They have put most of their stock into the quickly increasing recognition of maple bats. Lighter than standard, ash-born bats, the maple bat has definitely acquired a following amongst important leaguers.

Article by Frank Vanderlugt

The saying goes that in every sport, practice can make perfect. The serious professionals know this for a fact, and most of them will train just about every day. Baseball players are no exception, and the top professional teams have a full training set up, sometimes with individual coaching designed to help a player improve a particular aspect of their game.

For the batsman, they will need to spend hours a day practicing returning all manner of pitches, against a human pitcher who is pulling out all his own personal stops to catch the man behind the bat out.

While the enthusiastic amateur will not have to same access to experienced coaches and state of the art training facilities, to improve his game of simply just have some fun, he can invest what is a relatively small amount of money in one of the many types of baseball machines available today, either in your high street sports shop or through the internet.

The baseball machines are usually for those who want to practice and improve their swing, and regarded as the next best thing for those people who can’t afford to have their own personal baseball pitcher. That means more than 99% of the world population.

Even then buying a pitching machine is a bit of an indulgence. Something that you might have to spend a little time, before you can convince your wife that this purchase is a necessity. It always helps to have at least one small male child in the family, as then you can persuade your partner that this is a sound investment for junior’s future.

Once the decision has been made to invest in a pitching machine then you need to move on to the next stage in the process. This stage is to convince yourself and the rest of the family is that if you are already buying one of these baseball machines, then you should buy the best there is, and not necessarily what you can afford. You can up with the following pointer “cheap is dear”" That usually works!

Once you have decided on your budget, the next stage is to narrow down the search for the types of baseball machines available on the market that will most suit you and your family. Most people opt for the real ball category. These are the machines which will actually pitch lightweight dimple style balls. The ones with the most power work on compressed air, and can get up a lot of velocity. Obviously for the best results, you should also go for the models with auto-feeders, remote control option, with a batting cage as a standard.

If you really want to treat yourself there are baseball machines that can even be programmed to throw curve balls. Now that really is luxury.If it transpires that your budget can’t stretch that far, then there are many other less expensive but simpler baseball machines available for sale.

When the great day dawns and your pitching machine come home to stake its place proudly in your yard or driveway, you will be able to enjoy your purchase, together with your family and friends. Not only that you will be able to enjoy many hours of interrupted practice and pleasure, which may lead for you and possibly your children to a lucrative career in professional baseball. Stranger things have happened!

More and more families are selecting  not attending major league baseball games than before. Some are staying home and watching the games on television in the comfortable cheap Baseball jerseys, but growing numbers of families are flocking to minor league ballparks. Major league attendance has continued to decline in many markets. You ever a fan of the MLB, have you begun to vacillate your mind and join the flood to fall in love with the Minor League Baseball?

For that price, minor league fans are treated to performances by young stars . Because of this association, minor league fans may occasionally be treated to have an appearance with a major league star who backing from an injury in the minor leagues. Additionally, in some parts of the country, minor league stadiums play host to major league teams during spring training but not in fall training for the same league. Maybe it is time for you to get a training in it and be in your cheap MLB baseball jerseys if you strive for it.

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Fans often sit right along the baselines . Players frequently sign autographs before or after the games.So ,you can wear your favorite baseball jersey to the game or bring your favorite book about the player ,or some CDs to let your favorite player to sign a beautiful autograph on them .  Because of the growing popularity of minor league baseball, and the teams have  built a lot of attractive stadiums with amenities to rival with the major league .

 

For more casual fans, minor league teams offer entertainment like performances by local music artists, fireworks and special promotions like disco night or Christian night. There are so many different kinds of activities can be held in the stadium, so you can enjoy your free time in it with your friends and just in your favorite custom baseball jerseys, maybe you can meet a player of the major league and have a chat with him .no matter what you may meet ,As time goes by ,you may fall in love with the minor league baseball and play baseball in your free time .