Archive for the 'Baseball Equipment' Category
By midsummer, little league games across the country are in full swing. Venture anywhere near a ballpark and you’re likely to hear the crack of a bat and smell the tempting fragrances wafting through the air from the concession stand. Kids and parents alike enjoy carefree afternoons in the warm sun, relishing America’s pastime all summer long.
Most little league programs outfit kids with all the proper safety gear – batting helmets, catchers’ masks and the like. No little leaguer would ever be asked to step into the batter’s box without a helmet. The same rule should apply while practicing at home, where kids are often more lax with their personal safety and accidents can happen. By instilling your children with practical safety advice at a young age, you guarantee that they carry that knowledge with them to the ball diamond.
It’s been quite a while since the Mariners were a big name in baseball, but it seems that 2009 might be their year. While Ken Griffey Jr. hasn’t done a whole lot to contribute to the team with his play, his presence has given the Mariners confidence. The Mariners haven’t seen a lot of success in baseball since Ichiro’s rookie year, but even Ichiro has picked up his game in 2009. The Mariners are leading the West, and have a record that could get them into the playoffs. In Seattle, the fans have started to flock to Safeco Field in droves, bringing with them Ichiro baseball bats, bobbleheads, and jerseys. The Mariners have a solid infield, outfield, and bullpen, and an even better lineup at the plate. 2009 could be the Mariners year for success.
One team the Mariners have always struggled against is the New York Yankees. Whether it’s some odd issue of polarity between the different coasts, the Mariners lose to the Yankees even in years where the New York ball club is struggling. If the Mariners can crush the Yankees, it will be a good indication of whether the team has World Series potential.
It’s hard to believe, but it’s less than 2 months until the start of the Major League Baseball season. Depending on where you live, you may have to wait a little longer before you can break out your baseball bats and baseball gloves, but at least we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
For me, it’s hard to get too excited about baseball until mid-May because, when I was growing up, that’s when we started baseball practice and we didn’t play our first game until early June. Besides, I’m a huge college basketball fan and I really enjoy watching the big conference rivalry games, so that keeps me from thinking too much about baseball this time of year.
But I’m still anxious for baseball season to get here because that means we can start doing things outdoors again. When you live in the northern half of the United States, the winters can get pretty long, and this one seems to be as long as any of the recent ones. But, before you know it, we’ll be complaining about it being too hot. You just can’t please some people.