Showing posts sorted by relevance for query baseball. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query baseball. Sort by date 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.”


Saturday, March 31, 2018

Baseball Facts & Favorite Moments Review

Baseball, baseball bat and glove with baseball quote
Image Source: Pixabay
Hello once again from the Baseball Contributor here on Review This!  It's Springtime, which means the thoughts of baseball fans everywhere turn to the start of the new MLB season.

Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE baseball. It consumes my time from Opening Day to the last moment of the final game of the World Series every year.  During the season, the first thing I do every morning is check the baseball listings on TV ~ then plan my day around the times the game(s) are broadcast. I am a died-in-the-wool FANatic, and proud of it. 

In the winter I 'pine' for baseball season and spend my free time reading baseball books and watching baseball movies

My very favorite quote is by Bill Veeck:

There are only two seasons – winter and BASEBALL

Therefore, as we enjoy Opening Day and all the baseball games this year, I'll share some baseball moments and a few baseball facts to get you in the mood for the Major League Baseball season and any Minor League games you might be fortunate enough to be able to attend.


Baseball Honors Number 42 on Jackie Robinson Day


Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson (Wikimedia)
April 15th is known as 'Jackie Robinson Day' throughout baseball, celebrating the life of Jackie Robinson and the retiring of his number 42. April 15, 1947 was the date of his MLB debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

In 1997, the 50 year anniversary of Robinson's debut, his No. 42 was retired across all of Major League Baseball. Only one player at the time was wearing that number (Mariano Rivera) and he was 'grandfathered' in and was the only active player allowed to wear No. 42 until his retirement in 2015.  Since then, no other active player will ever again be assigned number 42.  Instead, on April 15 each year, all players and teams throughout baseball wear number 42 on their uniform honoring Jackie's major contribution to baseball, which was that of breaking the color barrier.  In addition to the honor, celebrations are planned at many stadiums.

Jackie's 'legacy' lives on through 'Jackie Robinson Day' each April 15. Number 42 was special. 


The Shift – in Baseball


A baseball diamond
Normal baseball positioning
I've been watching baseball games all my life, yet there are still terms I haven't heard and/or don't know what they mean.  Most baseball terms have been coined over the years by sports writers and announcers as they reported the action on the field or the results of the game.

Baseball has its own ever-changing language, so its not surprising that even long-term baseball fans still have to look things up in order to understand what the broadcaster said.

The term 'shift' has been part of baseball terminology for many years, yet I can't recall it being used as often as it has in most recent years of baseball.  “The Shift is on”, the sportscaster tells us.  All of a sudden it seemed to me as if it was happening in every game I watch.  Finally I got out my trusty Baseball Dictionary and looked it up!


The 'Shift' means “to change fielding position;' to move defensive players from their traditional positions in the field to defend against a particular batters' way of hitting, or to be in a better position for a double play.”

All individual players move left or right to step into the path of the ball for fielding, But the shift in most recent years seems to involve half the players on the field moving to another position all at the same time before the batter even hits. I've begun paying closer attention to this move now that I know what they are talking about. My baseball education continues..... 

Update: As of the beginning of the 2023 Major League Baseball season, the rules have changed and The Shift is no longer allowed.


Doubled Off First Base


I watch a lot of baseball, following the games and players and listening to the announcer's descriptions of the action on a regular basis.


Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter at Bat  (Wikimedia)
On a Saturday afternoon in August 2014 I was watching the Red Sox-Yankees game being played at Fenway Park. Derek Jeter was on first base and took off for 2nd base when Jacoby Ellbury hit the ball into the outfield.  Unfortunately, the ball was caught and Derek was too far off base to get back safely.

The announcer stated that Jeter had been 'Doubled-Off'.  I basically knew what it meant, but even though I've heard the term often, I never really thought about the definition.  Suddenly quite curious, I got out my Baseball Dictionary to look up the exact meaning.  


To be 'doubled-off' means 'caught off base and put out before tagging up after the batter has flied out, resulting in a Double Play!'   


This 'doubled-off' double play was a most unusual happening for Derek Jeter.  Not to worry, his two-run double in the third inning sparked a 4-run inning, and the New York Yankees won the game 6-4.


Minor League Memories


Rochester Redwings Frontier Stadium Minor League Baseball
Rochester Redwings Frontier Stadium (c) Personal Photo

My family are fans of the Rochester Redwings, the top Triple A minor league baseball team for the Minnesota Twins located in Rochester, NY, and we go to their games often.  A long ball was hit one night directly toward where my family was sitting.  Everyone is jumping up & down hollering "I've got it, I've got it", except my mother who remained sitting down.  Like a 'heat-seeking' missile, that ball headed straight for my mom and hit her right over the heart. She wasn't badly injured, but had a huge bruise for weeks.  My brother really wanted to have the baseball, but mom wouldn't give it to him, saying she had the badge of honor proving she'd caught it.



Baseball in baseball glove
Source: Pixabay

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(c) Wednesday Elf, The Review This Baseball 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.”


Saturday, February 1, 2025

National Catchers Day Review


February 2nd is National Catchers Day.


Catcher and batter in baseball

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


Baseball catcher and batter in a baseball game

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: 


*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) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Saturday, May 4, 2024

Brothers in Baseball - A Sports Review

 

Image of two brothers


Over the many years of Major League Baseball, there have been quite a few sets of brothers who have played the game. Along with several fathers & sons and even grandsons of former players.


Most of the brothers that fans have watched have played for different teams. What makes the two sets of brothers featured here unique is the fact that they are currently playing for the same team. 


The Naylor Brothers of the Cleveland Guardians


The Naylor Brothers who play professional baseball
Bo & Josh Naylor, Professional Baseball
Players with the Cleveland Guardians


Noah-Gibson “Bo” Naylor is a Canadian professional baseball catcher for the Cleveland Guardians. Born in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Bo is 24 years old. He made his MLB debut with the Guardians on October 1, 2022.


Joshua-Douglas “Josh” Naylor, brother of Bo Naylor, is a Canadian professional baseball first baseman and outfielder for the Cleveland Guardians. He made his MLB debut on May 24, 2019, for the San Diego Padres and began playing for the Cleveland Guardians in 2020. Josh is 26 years old.


Note: Josh and Bo Naylor have a younger brother, Myles (age 19) who is currently playing for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball. A Brotherly Love of Baseball indeed. 


The Rogers Brothers of the San Francisco Giants


Taylor & Tyler Rogers, twin relief pitchers for the San Francisco Giants Baseball Team
Taylor & Tyler Rogers, twin relief pitchers
for the San Francisco Giants Baseball Team


Tyler and Taylor Rogers are both relief pitchers for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. What makes them especially unique is not only are they brothers playing for the same team and playing the same position, but they are also identical twins!

Born 30 seconds apart in 1990 (Taylor is the oldest), the Rogers twins are 33 years old. They are mirror image identical twins - Taylor is left-handed and Tyler is right-handed. 


*Note: Taylor & Tyler Rogers became the 5th set of twins to play in the MLB.


Summary


A Sports Review of Baseball Brothers featuring the Naylor Brothers playing for the Cleveland Guardians and the Rogers Twins pitching for the San Francisco Giants. 


Many other brothers, in the past and currently, have become professional baseball players. If you do a search online, you can find multiple stories about them.  My favorites were the Molina Brothers (Bengie, Yadier and Jose) who became the first family of catchers in Major League Baseball. 


If you follow professional baseball (as I do fervently), you will enjoy watching the baseball brothers featured here and reading other stories about brothers in baseball. 


For More Baseball Reviews on ReviewThisReviews, Click Here.


For More Sports Reviews, Click on ReviewThisReviews: Sports.


*Brothers in Baseball Review written by Wednesday Elf, the Baseball Contributor on ReviewThisReviews.com 


Bo Naylor & Josh Naylor (Photo Credit by Erik Drost on Wikipedia via Flickr 





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.”


Saturday, March 16, 2019

Review of Spring Training in Baseball

Baseball, baseball glove and bat lying on grass
Source: Pixabay
Spring Training is a period of training and exhibition play beginning in late February and lasting up to Opening Day of Major League Baseball.

For about four weeks, experienced players and rookies alike train and play at small parks in Arizona or Florida, getting ready for the beginning of the baseball season.  It is a unique baseball experience for fans, giving them up-close access to favorite players and a chance to see blossoming prospects who could go on to be the next big star. 

For me, the Baseball Contributor here on Review This and a huge baseball fan, Spring Training is a sign that the long, cold winter is nearing an end and warm weather and the joys of baseball season are about to begin.  I believe in the quote:


Collage of baseball and crossed bats with a winter scene depicting favorite baseball quote


Spring Training



Spring Training is nearly as old as baseball itself, although it was not the big business it is today with designated parks just for Spring Training games and winter excursion packages to games in Arizona and Florida for snow-weary fans. 

In bygone days, training games were held locally to save money, training indoors in inclement weather. Later, teams began training in the south, but there were no organized training leagues until after 1910.  Today it is as much a marketable enterprise as the regular baseball season with two distinct leagues, one in Florida and one in Arizona.


Cactus League in Arizona


Picture of cactus in Arizona desert
Source: Pixabay

The Cactus League holds spring training in the desert for teams from both leagues (American and National). These teams are generally located around Phoenix and include:


  • Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
  • Arizona Diamondbacks
  • Chicago Cubs 
  • Cincinnati Reds 
  • Cleveland Indians 
  • Colorado Rockies 
  • Chicago White Sox 
  • Kansas City Royals 



Grapefruit League in Florida


Scene of a Florida  beach with palm trees
Source: Pixabay

The Grapefruit League holds spring training in various parts of Florida, both the Gulf coast and the Atlantic coast. This league includes the following teams: 


  • Atlanta Braves 
  • Baltimore Orioles
  • Boston Red Sox 
  • Houston Astros 
  • Miami Marlins 
  • Minnesota Twins 
  • New York Mets 
  • New York Yankees 
  • Philadelphia Phillies
  • Pittsburgh Pirates 
  • St. Louis Cardinals 
  • Tampa Bay Rays 
  • Toronto Blue Jays 
  • Washington Nationals 


Following is a famous quote by Roger Hornsby, the well-known second baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals (1915-1919), that definitely says how I feel when there is no baseball.


Baseball quote by Roger Hornsby


Summary


Will  you be attending any Spring Training games this year, or have you done so in the past? Leave me a comment telling me where you went and what team you got to see. 



Mary Beth Granger at the St. Louis Cardinals Spring Training site in Jupiter, Florida
*Blog Note:  Mary Beth Granger, our own MbgPhoto here on Review This, travels with her husband to Jupiter, Florida each February to attend their beloved St. Louis Cardinals Spring Training games.


For the rest of us, join me in welcoming the beginning of the Major League Baseball season and the fact that this represents an end to winter and the return of the 'Boys of Summer'. 




For More Baseball Reviews, Check Out ReviewThisReviews: Baseball




Lets 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.”


Saturday, July 11, 2015

Baseball's All-Star Game

Review of a Mid-Summer Classic

*Updated on 6/25/2021

Welcome to July baseball from Wednesday Elf, known as the 'baseball fan contributor' here on Review This!  It's time for a mid-season story about baseball's All-Star Game.

The All-Star Game


Image of stadium seating at a ballpark
Stadium Seating - Source: FreeImages

The Mid-Summer classic known as the All-Star game has occurred (nearly) every July since 1933.  (No official MLB All-Star Game was held in 1945 due to World War II and was cancelled again in 2020 due to a worldwide panendemic.) 

In 2020, we again had a cancellation of this 'Summer Classic'. The All-Star game was to be held at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles. Instead, they will host the All-Star game in 2022.


Coors Field in Denver
Coors Field in Denver


Now, the 2021 All-Star Game will be held July 13th in Denver at Coors Field ~ home of the Colorado Rockies. 


Facts About the All-Star Game




Illustration of crossed baseball bats and baseball on a baseball diamond

The All-Star game is held on either the second or third Tuesday in July to mark a symbolic halfway-point in the Major League Baseball season.  Known as the 'All-Star Break', no regular-season games are scheduled on the day before or for two days after the Tuesday All-Star Game.  A number of festivities are held the day before the All-Star game, including the 'Home Run Derby', a contest between MLB's top home runner hitters, which began in 1985.

2015 was the 30 Year Anniversary of the 'Home Run Derby' (1985-2015)


The participants (players) in this annual mid-summer event are chosen by the fans in both the National League and the American League.  Until 1947, the team selections were chosen only by the managers, but since then the fans get to select the starting lineup.  The pitchers are still selected by the managers.  Ballots used to be given out at ballparks throughout baseball for voting on players for the game.  That year (2015) was the first year that all voting is done entirely on the internet.

All-Star Game Venue


The ballparks chosen for each year's All-Star game alternate between the National and the American League, with venues selected for a variety of reasons by a MLB selection committee. The choices may be made to commemorate a particular historical occasion, the opening of a new ballpark, or a significant year. For instance, the game was held in Yankee Stadium (home of the New York Yankees) in 2008 as it was the final year for that stadium prior to the new Yankee Stadium opening in 2009. 



The Midsummer Classic Baseball book cover
Available on Amazon


While waiting for the next All-Star Game in 2021, us baseball fans can catch up on past All-Star games with this great baseball reference book The Midsummer Classic.  It's a fun book for baseball fans who love reading and compiling statistics.  The book has facts and play-by-play game data of every All-Star game through the year 2000. (published in 2001). A comprehensive resource for fans, researchers and baseball historians.







Wednesday Elf , the baseball fan, has more stories about baseball be found at:

Baseball Moments and Memories Blogspot





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.”


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