Baseball is Back - Seasonal Highlights Review

Reviewing a Summary of Upcoming Major League Baseball Events for 2025.

Major League Baseball involves the regular season of 162 games played among 30 teams, followed by the Playoffs and concluding with the World Series in October.

In recent years, many changes have come to the sport, including having games played in unusual venues outside the regular 30 baseball stadiums. There have been games played at the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa, the Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and the Rickwood Field Game in Birmingham, Alabama. There have also been several games played over the years in International locations (Japan, Mexico, Australia, South Korea and the United Kingdom) aimed at growing the sport’s popularity. These games have created memorable experiences for fans, as well as the players. 

Baseball Experiences for the 2025 Season

• Spring Training began on February 20, 2025 and will continue until March 25.

• March 18-19, 2025. The MLB World Tour in 2025 will be held in Toyko, Japan featuring a two day-two game series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs. Each of these MLB  teams will also play against a Japanese baseball team on these dates. 

• March 27, 2025 is Opening Day for the Major League Baseball Season

• July 15, 2025 - The 95th All-Star Classic will be held in Atlanta, Georgia this year at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves. The annual Home Run Derby will be held the day before, on July 14th.

• August 2, 2025 - This year’s unusual venue for a baseball game will be held at Bristol Motor Speedway, a popular NASCAR track in Bristol, Tennessee.  This special regular season contest is between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds. 

• August 17, 2025 - the eighth annual MLB Little League Classic will once again be played during the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA.  This year’s game features the Seattle Mariners and the New York Mets. 

Summary

From Spring Training through Opening Day to the World Series in October, Major League Baseball will keep baseball fans entertained. Mark the dates for the MLB special events in 2025, plus enjoy following your favorite team throughout the season. 

Image Source: Pixabay

Baseball is Back! 

Let’s Play Ball! 

Baseball Books for the 2025 Season: 

Baseball Prospectus 2025

Baseball America 2025 Almanac

*Baseball Seasonal Highlights review written by Wednesday Elf 

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National Alfred Hitchcock Day Reviewed

March 12 has been selected as the day we honor the Master of Suspense - Alfred Hitchcock.

Alfred Hitchcock Day is a holiday in the category of Arts & Entertainment. On March 12 we celebrate the life, times and work of this master filmmaker.

Presenting Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock (Wikipedia)

Hitchcock was an English film director who became one of the  most influential figures in the world of cinema.

In a career that spanned six decades, Hitchcock directed over 50 feature films, many of which are still watched and well known today.  Some of his most famous were Strangers on a Train,  Dial M for Murder, To Catch a Thief, Vertigo, North by Northwest, The Birds and Psycho. The actors in these, and other, Hitchcock films were some of the top names of the day, including Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Grace Kelly and Ingrid Bergman.

Hitchcock became as well known as any of his actors due to his cameo appearances in most of his films, his many interviews, and his television series Alfred Hitchcock Presents. 

Born in Essex (near East London), Alfred Hitchcock grew up in a rather austere and strict environment without much joy. He had no real friends and developed many fears over the years. Perhaps his background helped bring out the suspenseful and fearful ideas he had for his many films.

Hitchcock's favorite subject was geography and he loved maps and timetables of trains, trams and buses. He had a particular interest in London trams and, fans of Hitchcock films will note, a large percentage of his films included rail or tram scenes. 

Alfred Hitchcock married Alma Reville, an English screenwriter, in 1926 and they had one daughter, Pat. Alma became his closest collaborator and wrote or co-wrote many of Hitchcock's films. 

One of Hitchcock’s most famous movies was Psycho. The violence (shower scene) and the early death of the heroine by a disturbed murderer became the hallmarks of a new horror-film genre and became very popular with audiences. 

Alfred Hitchcock’s films showed recurring themes and plot devices throughout his directing career. The "Hitchcockian" style included the use of "editing and camera movement to mimic a person's gaze, thereby turning viewers into voyeurs, and framing shots to maximise anxiety and fear."

Summary

Alfred Hitchcock received many awards for his work over the years, and frequent accolades.  Life magazine called him the "greatest master of melodrama in screen history". The holiday of National Alfred Hitchcock Day celebrates this outstanding Master of Suspense.

Related Reviews:

• Alfred Hitchcock Suspense Films Collection Reviewed by Sylvestermouse Cynthia

For more Holiday Reviews, Check out

ReviewThisReviews: Holidays

A Few of the Many Favorite & Most Well-Known Hitchcock Films:

The Birds [DVD]

Psycho (1960) - 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital [4K UHD]

North By Northwest (4K UHD + Digital)

Rear Window - 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital [4K UHD]

*Review of the Holiday ‘National Alfred Hitchcock Day’ was written by Wednesday Elf.

 

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Book Review of Bad Liar

A Crime Thriller by Tami Hoag

Bad Liar is Book #3 in the Broussard and Fourcade Series.

Series Location: The fictional town of Bayou Breaux located in the Bayou country of Partout Parish in the French Triangle of Louisiana. 

Main Characters: Annie Broussard and Nick Fourcade

Annie Broussard, a Sheriff’s deputy, and Nick Fourcade, a detective with the Sheriff’s department, met each other in Book #1 of the series (A Thin Dark Line) while working on a case together.  By Book #2 (The Boy), Nick & Annie are married and parents to a little boy.  

In Book #3, Bad Liar, Annie is now a detective with the Sheriff’s department, while husband Nick has become the lieutenant in charge.  They end up working two separate missing persons cases, plus, a  murder. 

Synopsis of Bad Liar

Bad Liar: A Novel

Annie is searching for Robbie Fontenot, whose mother is desperate to find her grown son, a recovering drug addict. The local police have no interest in the case, stating an adult has the right to disappear.  Annie agrees to help the mother search for her son.

Meanwhile, Nick Fourcade investigates the seemingly sudden disappearance of Marc Mercier, a local hometown hero. 

It soon becomes apparent that nothing is as it seems in the lives of either man. And it’s unclear whether either - or neither - might be the unidentified murder victim. 

Mix in old  jealousies, new deceits, family loyalties gone wrong and love turned sour and Nick & Annie end up with a complicated trail to follow. 

Summary

This riveting new police procedural/crime thriller by author Tami Hoag takes you down a path that leads deep into the Louisiana swamp, endangering all who cross the path of a bad liar. 

~The Broussard and Fourcade Three-Book Series by Tami Hoag

A Thin Dark Line

The Boy: A Novel

Bad Liar: A Novel

For more book reviews, check out

ReviewThisBooks.com

*Review of the Tami Hoag crime novel ‘Bad Liar’ written by Wednesday Elf

 

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Waldorf Salad Food Review

 

Waldorf Salad ~ a delicious appetizer course.

Waldorf salad was first created on March 13, 1886 for a charity ball held at the famed Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. It is one of several signature dishes created or developed by the hotel’s maitre d’hotel, Oscar Tschirky.

Originally, the recipe for the salad was just apples, celery and mayonnaise. Later, in 1928, nuts were added. Today, a more modern version includes grapes. Other modern variations are listed in this article on Wikipedia, but my favorite variation is the original recipe, as my mother used to make it for me, of simply apples, celery and walnuts, all dressed with mayonnaise and served well-chilled on a lettuce leaf. This fruit salad is listed as an appetizer course, but my favorite way of eating it is as part of my main meal with a grilled pork chop. 

Recipe Summary

The basic recipe I use for Waldorf Salad is simply one cup of diced apple (peeled or unpeeled), one-half cup of diced celery and about one-fourth to one-half cup of broken walnuts. Toss ingredients together with 2-3 tablespoons of mayonnaise, chill for several hours and serve on a lettuce leaf.

*Note: You can sprinkle the cut up apples with lemon juice,  if desired. I also sometimes substitute a spoonful of the mayonnaise with sour cream for a creamier taste. 

This salad is mentioned in the 1934 Cole Porter song “You’re The Top"

You're the top

You're a Waldorf salad

You're the top

You're a Berlin ballad

But if, baby, I'm the bottom

You're the top

It was also mentioned in a 1979 episode of the British television sitcom Fawlty Towers when an American guest demands a Waldorf salad! 

Waldorf Salad has also made the List of Regional Dishes, a list of regional or local dishes associated with specific regions of the United States. This dish is associated with New York City (Manhattan) where the original famous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel was located from 1893 to 1929. 

My all-time favorite salad! 

The Complete Salad Cookbook: A Fresh Guide to 200+ Vibrant Dishes Using Greens, Vegetables, Grains, Proteins, and More (The Complete ATK Cookbook Series)

The Salad Bowl: Vibrant, healthy recipes for light meals, lunches, simple sides & dressings

For more recipe reviews, click on

Review This Reviews: Recipes

*Waldorf Salad food review written by Wednesday Elf

+Images in this article were taken by Wednesday Elf.  The intro image is from Pixabay, created by GetStencil. 

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

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Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life - Book Review

A Review of a Young Readers book by Wendy Mass

I have a deep love of reading and never pass up an opportunity to read. I usually carry a book with me when I go out just in case there are free minutes to fill. Waiting with nothing to do is not an option when I could be filling that time with reading. 

Recently I was at my son’s house waiting for the family to be ready to go out. Not realizing there would be a ‘wait time’, I neglected to bring along a book. Therefore, I looked around for something to read. My  grandson had a new book in the Young Readers genre and the title (Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life) looked intriguing. I began to read this book written for the 12- 14 year old age range, not planning on doing more than filling a few minutes of time with no intention of reading the entire book. I was wrong. Within two pages I was hooked.  The story turned out to be delightful and the writing captured my attention.  Thus, I ended up taking the book home with me to finish.  This is my review of the book and why I ended up reading a book written for Young Readers.

Synopsis of Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life

Jeremy Fink lives in a New York City apartment with his mom; his dad having died 5 years ago. Jeremy’s best friend, Lizzie, lives in the apartment next door with her dad. Being the same age and both being raised by single parents has brought them close.

As summer vacation begins, Jeramy plans on sleeping late, having a lazy summertime of leisure, going to the state fair, and anticipating his long-awaited thirteenth birthday in one month. 

Then, a box arrives in the mail that changes everything. 

First, we need to go back over everything that happened in that one month leading up to Jeremy’s birthday. There is the Big Mistake, the old man, the book, the lamp, the telescope, and this box, which started it all. 

The mysterious wooden box is beautifully made and has keyholes on four sides. The top has engraved words: 

The Meaning of Life: For Jeremy Fink to Open on his 13th Birthday.

The main problem is, the keys to the box are missing and the box is made so that only the keys will open it without destroying what’s inside. Jeremy and Lizzy set off to find the keys…. And thus their summer adventure begins. 

Summary

The story is filled with delightful, though rather quirky, characters; a coming-of-age story with surprising twists and thought-provoking ideas. It has a tweens-oriented mystery theme plus many subtle positive messages for youngsters. A really good story especially for those eager to officially become a teenager. 

Link to more reviews of YA books on ReviewThisReviews

For more Book Reviews, check out
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*Review of the YA book “Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of  Life."

~by Wednesday Elf. 

 

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National Catchers Day Review

February 2nd is National Catchers Day.

In 2019,  Xan Barksdale created National Catchers Day. A minor league catcher for the Atlanta Braves, Xan went on to become a well-known catching coach and author of the best-selling book Catching-101. Xan’s aim in creating National Catchers Day was to celebrate baseball and softball catchers of the past and present.

Is Catcher the Hardest Position in Baseball?

In the very early years of baseball, catchers stood 20 feet or more behind the batter and wore no protective gear. Today, the defensive position of the catcher, crouched down between the umpire and the batter, has become the most important position in the game as catchers have more responsibilities than anyone else on the field. It is also the hardest position in baseball to play.

Well-Known Major League Baseball Catchers

Image Source: Pixabay

There are many baseball catchers who have made a name for themselves over the years due to their outstanding achievements in that position. In this article, we will mention just a few of those past and present whose names baseball fans recognize. Every fan will have their favorites, so don’t be surprised if I include MY favorites as we recognize and celebrate baseball catchers on National Catchers Day. :) 

Jorge Posada

One of my most favorite catchers, who played 17 seasons with my favorite baseball team ~ the New York Yankees ~ is Jorge Posada. His MLB debut was in 1995 and he retired after the 2011 season. Posada established himself as a mainstay in the Yankees lineup as  a solid-hitting catcher (one of the Core Four players) who contributed to the Yankees’ winning seasons. 

Posada’s career stats included 275 home runs and 1,065 runs batted in. He played in 4 World Series as the Yankee’s catcher and his #20 has been retired by the NY Yankees. 

"If the world was perfect, it wouldn't be."

Johnny Bench

Ranked #1 in most polls of MLB best catchers ever, Johnny Bench played his entire baseball career as the catcher for the Cincinnati Reds (1967-1983). At the time of his retirement, he held the MLB record for number of home runs hit by a catcher. Bench still holds the Red’s team record of 389 home runs and 1,376 runs batted in.

"You wouldn’t have won if we’d beaten you."

Mike Piazza 

Piazza played 16 years as a catcher in major league baseball; his first seven years for the Dodgers (1992-1998). I remember him most during his six years (1998-2005) with the New York Mets, especially in the 2000 World Series against crosstown rivals, the NY Yankees. Mike became known as the greatest 'hitting' catcher in the history of baseball. 

Piazza is regarded as one of the best offensive catchers in baseball history. His uniform number 31 was retired by the Mets in 2016.

"When you come to a fork in the road.... take it."

Buster Posey

Gerald “Buster” Posey is another MLB catcher who spent his entire career with one team, playing twelve years with the San Francisco Giants from 2009 to 2021. Posey’s career saw him earn many awards, including Golden Glove and Silver Slugger, beginning with being named the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year. His MLB stats included 158 home runs and 729 RBIs and he was a 3x World Series champion.

Buster retired in 2011 and today is President of Baseball Operations for the San Francisco Giants.

“Ninety percent of the game is half mental."

Yadier Molena

“Yadi”, as fans chanted in many games during his career, was one of the most beloved of baseball catchers. Molena played his entire 19-year career for the St. Louis Cardinals. 

Molina ranked first in many categories among catchers.  He also holds the record, along with pitcher Adam Wainwright, for all-time most games started and won as a battery. He holds many awards and distinctions over his long career, including career stats of 2,168 hits, 176 home runs and 1,022 runs batted in. 

Yadier Molina is the product of a baseball family, beginning with his father who played second base as an amateur and was the all-time hits leader in Puerto Rican baseball. Yadi’s two older brothers also had standout major league baseball careers as catchers, Bengie for 4 different teams and Jose for the Cubs and the Angels. 

Molina retired in 2022 and today is the team's Special Assistant to the President of Baseball Operations, as well as the manager of the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League. 

“I always thought the record would stand until it was broken."

Yogi Berra

Yogi Berra is a name everyone, fan and non-sports people, most know about, not just for his nearly 20 years as a professional baseball catcher, but also as a manager and a coach. His playing stats and managerial roles aside, what Yogi seems to be most remembered for is his zany use of the English Language. His ‘Yogisms’ have often been quoted and remain so to this day. You will find several of them sprinkled throughout this article. 

"I really didn't say everything I said!"

Summary

There you have a few fan favorites of baseball catchers in honor of National Catchers Day celebrated each year on February 2. 

Let me know which MLB catcher (or even Little League or softball league catchers in your family) are your favorites in the comments below and enjoy remembering them on this holiday. 

"It ain't over till it's over."

Stories of some baseball catchers: 

Catching-101: The Complete Guide For Baseball Catchers

Long Shot

The Journey Home: My Life in Pinstripes

Yogi

*National Catchers Day review written by Wednesday Elf, the Baseball  Contributor on ReviewThisReviews

 

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

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