Showing posts with label Baseball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baseball. Show all posts

Saturday, April 4, 2015

Baseball Season is Back!

My souvenir signed baseball from Joe Torre
(c) Elf's Souvenir Signed Baseball

Baseball Season begins here on the Review This! blog with a collection of  baseball stories, crafts and treats.

It's Springtime, which may bring those April Showers for the May Flowers, but baseball fans believe that the true first sign of Spring is the beginning of baseball season!  For all the baseball fans out there, let's check out some fun baseball stories, DIY crafts and tasty treats.









Craft a Fingerprint Baseball

Fingerprint baseball craft

Michelle of Crafty Morning has created an interesting baseball craft that would be perfect for an arts & crafts project to do with your children, or a fun seasonal craft to do with a Scout Troop. 

All you need is paper, paint and fingers!  

Check out the easy step-by-step directions here.

 

 

 

A Famous Baseball Sportscaster

 

Vin Scully, Dodgers baseball announcer
Vin Scully

Major League Baseball Teams each have an announcer who regularly broadcasts games for their home radio or TV network.  There have been many well-known baseball sportscasters over the years, but none who have been with a team as long as Vin Scully.  Known as the Bard of Baseball, Vin Scully has been the Voice of the Dodgers through six decades. At the end of the 2016 baseball season
, at age 88, Vin retired after 67 years as the broadcaster for the Dodgers, first in Brooklyn and then in Los Angeles. 

Here is his story written by HubPages author Ellen Brundige, which she calls the Vin Scully Fanpage.

 

Baseball Cupcakes


Baseball Cupcakes
Yummy Baseball Cupcakes
Randi of Duke & Duchesses created a fun dessert that would make a great 'treat time' for after a Little League game or for a baseball-themed birthday party.

Randi's Baseball Cupcakes were done by baking a pan of cupcakes, frosting them in white frosting, then using Skittles to form the laces, placing them side by side on the frosting.





Baseball Flip Flops Flower Tutorial

 

Baseball Flip Flops
Baseball Flower Flip Flops

For the baseball mom or any fan, create a cute pair of flip flops with a flower design made from baseballs.

All you need is a pair of flip flops (new or old), 2 baseballs (anyone with kids seems to have a bunch of old ones around, or you can buy some new ones), an X-Acto knife and glue.  The 'how-to' instructions are in a YouTube video on the crafty post by KidPep, a website for Crafts, DIY and More.

Baseball hair bows DIY craft

The technique used for the baseball flip flops can also be used for a Baseball Hair Bow with the video on the KidPep website.

 

 

 

I'm 'Crazy About Baseball'


Your writer, Wednesday Elf, has been a baseball fan since childhood and has shared many favorite baseball memories in  “Crazy About Baseball”.

 

Opening Day of Baseball




Opening Day of the 2020 Major League Baseball Season begins on March 26th ~ the earliest Opening Day in history.  Us baseball fans now get to enjoy 26 weeks of baseball with the 30 teams in the MLB. 


More Baseball Stories


There are many more baseball stories to check out on Review This!  Good reading for days your favorite baseball team has a 'rain-out'.

Welcome to the 2020 Baseball Season.  Let's PLAY BALL.




Wednesday Elf on Blogger and on Etsy

 



Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Major League Baseball Stadiums

Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
If you are a baseball fan, there is nothing better than being at a game in person. And when the game is a Major League Baseball game, it's even better, especially when it's your favorite team!



Girl's Day out at the ballpark
Girl's Day Out at the Ballpark!
In June 2014, while visiting my daughter in St. Louis, we acquired tickets to a St. Louis Cardinals' afternoon game. The seats were fantastic, the view outstanding, the weather beautiful (although very hot) and the game fun, even though the 'Cards' lost 3-2 to the NY Mets. In past years I had been to a number of Cardinals games at the 'old Busch Stadium, but this was my first visit to the 'new' Busch Stadium which opened in 2004.

Ballpark Village at Busch Stadium, St. Louis




Ballpark Village, Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
Ballpark Village, St. Louis, Missouri
We also had the opportunity before the game to visit 'Ballpark Village', a new dining and entertainment district in St. Louis located next to Busch Stadium. It just opened this 2014 baseball season and is located on the site of the 'old' Busch Stadium. Between the 'village' tour and the Cardinals game, it was a full (and fantastically fun) afternoon.





Favorite Baseball Stadiums


Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
My favorite major league stadium is Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Home of the St. Louis Cardinals, my favorite team.

Kurt, known as BallparkEGuides1 on HubPages  gives us some great tips for enjoying a game at the new Yankees Stadium in the Bronx, NY. 



It doesn't really matter which baseball stadium you visit or which team is your favorite. If you are a baseball fan, any visit to a baseball game becomes a joyful summer experience.


Experience all thirty baseball stadiums in the country from the comfort of your favorite easy chair with The Baseball Stadium Insider found on Amazon.


'Take me out to the ballgame!' 


*Written by Wednesday-Elf, your baseball contributor on Review This Reviews!



*Baseball Stadium Photos are (c) Wednesday Elf




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Little League Baseball is Over 75 Years Old

Little League World Series Stadium, Williamsport, PA
Little League World Series Stadium,
Williamsport, PA

Nearly eighty years ago, a man in Williamsport, Pennsylvania had an idea about establishing a baseball league for boys that would teach fair play and teamwork. His name was Carl Stotz and in the summer of 1938 he gathered up his two nephews and some of their neighborhood friends and they began playing some informal games. By the following summer, Carl and two of his friends were the coaches of a league of three teams, sponsored by different businesses in the area, and on June 6, 1939, the first 'league' game took place. 


The next year a second league was formed in Williamsport. It was the beginning of what would become Little League Baseball, which grew to become an international organization of nearly 200,000 teams in every U.S. state and over 80 countries around the world. Stotz' dream had come true.


Little League Used to be for Boys Only


Until 1974, Little League Baseball was for boys only. After a lawsuit, the rules were revised to allow participation by girls in the baseball program. Today, there are over two & a half million players in Little League Baseball worldwide, including both boys and girls in both the baseball league and the softball league.


Little League Begins Their World Series Championships


In 1947, the first Little League World Series was held. Today that event has become internationally known and is held each year in August at the Howard J. Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport, PA, where Little League began. My brother & friends have attended several times and say it is a most enjoyable time. 

Read a story about being in a Little League World Series


Play Ball! book cover
Available on Amazon
Play Ball (Little League) is an interesting story for ages 8 to 12 years about two cousins, one a pitcher and one a catcher, who grew up playing baseball and then find themselves in the Little League World Series where their team is on the verge of winning the championship.  

 







Little League Baseball Batter
A Little League Baseball Batter
Not only is Little League an excellent training area for kids who love to play baseball, but many professional baseball players have come out of the program over the years. One of my favorites of the current players in the MLB is Lance Lynn, former pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals and now pitching for the New York Yankees. Little League Baseball is a wonderful organization and we salute them as they celebrate 75 years*.




*NOTE:  The Little League 75 Year celebration occurred in 2014.  The tradition continues to this day.



As a huge Baseball fan, I love talking and writing about baseball.  Did I mention my passion is Baseball? 





Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, April 30, 2014

April Baseball

Baseball and glove in the grass
Source: Pixabay

Baseball fans love the month of April. It's a magical time which includes Opening Day of a brand new baseball season with all its promise of a successful winning season and the possibility of making and breaking records.



"Hammerin' Hank Aaron


Hank Aaron
Hank Aaron with the Braves 1960
One of the most famous 'broken records' occurred 40 years ago on April 8, 1974, when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's 'unbreakable' home run record by hitting home run number 715. “Hammerin' Hank” would go on to have a career high of 755 home runs (a record broken by Barry Bonds in 2007, as baseball records are wont to do). Carolan Ross (Crosscreations) has included Hank Aaron in her HubPages article about the top ten baseball players Best in Baseball - MLB Heroes - worthy of April Baseball recognition.



Jackie Robinson Day


Jackie RobinsonAnd the most special moment of April Baseball is celebrated every April 15th – the day in 1947 that Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball. On that day, every baseball player on every team honors Jackie by wearing his number 42. Ellen Brundige (mythphile) tells us how this Baseball Player Changed the World.



Back in 1947, the father of Hank Aaron told his son that no black man would ever be allowed to play on a Major League team. Jackie Robinson changed that forever.



April Baseball Moments...


A few other 'April' moments in baseball...


  • On April 4, 2003, Sammy Sosa became the 18th member of the 500 Home Run Club 
  • On April 22, 2014, Albert Pujols became the very latest member of the 500 Home Run Club, an 'unofficial' honor held by only 26 players in the history of baseball.
  • On Sunday, April 8, 2012, first baseman Prince Fielder recorded his 1,000th hit while playing for the Detroit Tigers.
  • On April 29, 1986, Roger Clemens made MLB history by striking out 20 Seattle Mariners in a 3-1 Red Sox win. He would go on to win the Cy Young Award later that year and lead his team to the 1986 World Series. 
  • There have only been 23 'Perfect Games' by pitchers in the entire history of Major League Baseball.  Two occurred in April - Charlie Robertson (#5) on 4/20/1922 and Philip Humber (#21) on 4/21/2012 - BOTH for the Chicago White Sox!



April baseball

My favorite time of the year when it all begins again!



Baseball reviews from Baseball Fan Wednesday-Elf.



Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Baseball Managers

Tony La Russa
Tony La Russa
There have been a large number of famous baseball managers over the more than 150 years of Major League Baseball. Every baseball manager begins Spring Training each year with the same hopes & dreams for his team for the upcoming season. As Tony La Russa wrote “Opening Day of Baseball is magical. Sure, it's only Game 1 of the 162 games in the season, but it's more... a day of promise that there will be a winning season.”





St. Louis Cardinals Managers

 

One Last Strike book cover
In his book One Last Strike, La Russa, the St. Louis Cardinals' longest running manager, tells us how he used his 33 years of managerial experience with 3 different teams to bring the Cardinals from virtual elimination to winning the World Series in 2011.


The Cardinals have had some of the best managers in all of baseball, including Red Schoendienst, Whitey Herzog and Tony LaRussa.   
 
CrossCreations reviews them for us in Cardinals Baseball Managers.


Casey Stengel


A scene of the New York Yankees celebrating a win
One of the most well-known baseball managers was Casey Stengel, who managed the New York Yankees from 1949 to 1960. During what was known affectionately as the 'Stengel Era' (1949 to 1953) the Yankees won the World Series five consecutive times. I remember being a pre-teen during the 1950s and thinking that the Yankees were the only team in town! :) 'It's the World Series – the Yankees will win!' Of course it also helped that I lived in New York State and was therefore a loyal NY Yankees fan! 



Hopes and Dreams of Baseball Managers


In this summer 2020, the MLB season has been shortened by a world-wide virus. The baseball season was delayed until the end of July.  Now, all managers – and the teams they lead – hold onto their hopes & dreams in a short 60-game run to determine the 'best-of-the-best' as they do each season. 

Review from the Review This!  Baseball Fan Contributor




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Spring Brings Opening Day of Major League Baseball


Wrigley Field, Chicago
Chicago's Wrigley Field (Image Credit)
The month of March brings the first day of Spring and leads up to the Opening Day of Major League Baseball (4/1/2021). To baseball fans this is what we wait for all winter long. Our feelings for this season are reflected in my favorite baseball quote “There are only two seasons, Winter and Baseball” ~Bill Veeck



As Spring Training comes to an end and the 2021 baseball season begins, we look forward to seeing our favorite players and teams, and reflect back on past favorites. We will miss the ones who have retired (like Mariano Rivera, the marvelous 'closer' on the pitching staff for the Yankees). If you're like me, you find the lives of these men as fascinating and interesting as their baseball careers have been and might wonder what their stories were.



Luckily for us, there are a wealth of baseball books available, written by and about pitchers, position players, managers and sports announcers which put all the excitement of their careers in baseball on printed pages between the covers! I'm reading one right now about 'retired' St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa. The book (One Last Strike) focuses on just a small section of Tony's career (specifically his final season of 2011 and the magical comeback of a team that refused to give up). Once you get interested in reading about a specific player, you find all sorts of fun 'tidbits' of information. For instance, I bet you didn't know that Tony La Russa became a vegetarian – and why. 



As a baseball fan I'm looking for reviews of baseball books you have read and recommend for all us 'fans' who want to learn more about these 'Boys of Summer'. If you write a review, leave me a link in the comments and I may feature it in an upcoming post.



The Science of Hitting book cover
Books such as "The Science of Hitting" by Ted Williams. Did you know that in 1935, Lovell Haskins Peirce, a physics professor at San Diego State University, had Ted in his physics class where the professor gave a lesson on the physics of hitting a baseball?  Ted Williams went on to become the last hitter to top a .400 batting average in a season.

The Science of Hitting





Baseball souvenir
(c) Elf - My treasured baseball
signed by Joe Torre




Now that Spring Training has ended, let's get ready to Play Ball. 




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Sunday, March 2, 2014

I'm the 'Baseball Fan Contributor' on Review This!

A collage of baseball scenes
From the beginning of Spring Training to the last day of the World Series each year, my life is totally wrapped around baseball. I watch whatever game happens to be playing on TV each day, no matter what teams are involved. The first thing I check each morning is the scores and stats of the day before, and the times of the televised games coming up. As you may have guessed, I'm extremely passionate about Baseball. That's probably why Wednesday-Elf is the Baseball Fan Contributor on Review This. 


Grayson Stadium, Minor League Ballpark, Savannah, GA
Grayson Stadium, Minor League Ballpark, Savannah, GA
Besides my 'daily dose' of TV baseball, I have been to games in person in a couple of Major League stadiums, and these days frequently go to our minor league Single-A team games, the Sand Gnats, here in Savannah, Georgia. Many a great major league player has come out of minor league baseball and Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Jackie Robinson once played here at our humble Grayson Stadium, the oldest (1926) working minor league stadium in the United States today.
 
March brings Spring Training each year as teams and players prepare for Opening Day of Major League Baseball beginning most years in early April.  This Baseball Fan is also busy this time of year, getting ready to follow favorite teams throughout the season.  I also spend time featuring baseball stories about this, our favorite sport, on my baseball blog "Baseball Moments and Memories" and reading baseball stories from others.   

For instance, our own Mary Beth (mbgphoto here on Review This) gives us a fun review of hers (and my) favorite team, the St. Louis Cardinals, at Spring Training in Jupiter, Florida where she attends the Cardinals' Spring Training games each season.


Many events take place throughout baseball season, one of the earliest being 'Jackie Robinson Day' on April 15 – the day every ball player on every team wears the number 42 (Jackie's number) to honor him and his contribution to baseball. Greekgeek has written a wonderful tribute to this special player. 

These are just a few of the people and pages I will continue to feature during baseball season as the 'Baseball Fan Contributor.' I invite all baseball fans to join me for the upcoming season... and beyond.


Quick Link:

For a list of all the baseball-related stories currently featured on Review This! ~ click here.
 






Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Most Recent Reviews on Review This Reviews






Search for Reviews by Subject, Author or Title

The Review This Reviews Contributors



SylvestermouseSylvestermouseDawn Rae BDawn Rae BMbgPhotoMbgPhotoBrite-IdeasBrite-IdeasWednesday ElfWednesday ElfOlivia MorrisOlivia MorrisTreasures by BrendaTreasures by BrendaThe Savvy AgeThe Savvy AgeMargaret SchindelMargaret SchindelRaintree AnnieRaintree AnnieLou16Lou16Sam MonacoSam MonacoTracey BoyerTracey BoyerRenaissance WomanRenaissance WomanBarbRadBarbRadBev OwensBev OwensBuckHawkBuckHawkDecorating for EventsDecorating for EventsHeather426Heather426Coletta TeskeColetta TeskeMissMerFaeryMissMerFaeryMickie_GMickie_G

 


Review This Reviews is Dedicated to the Memory of Our Beloved Friend and Fellow Contributor

Susan DeppnerSusan Deppner

We may be apart, but
You Are Not Forgotten





“As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and or Etsy (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from purchases.” Disclosure Statement

X