What I Know and Remember About Baseball - Seasons
The shift from 1974 to 2007 has been dramatic. Baseball once relegated to the dreams and comforts of summer is now a year round ambition for a surprising large number of players. Not only for paid players but for the amateurs as well.
Way back when, well if you were born after 1985, pre baseball season followed the winter sports of basketball and in some areas soccer. As each team sports season has gotten longer in all age groups, with the exception of high school sports, the down time and need for pre season conditioning has diminished.
Many training exercises in other sports cross over. Running, sprint training and over all conditioning are several of the cross over items. Some movements are directly related to baseball while others a good for general athletic mobility. Team sports predominately have the athlete in a upright athletic position. Back straight, knees bent, weight forward on the toes.
Fielding, butt down hands out, and batting are the most notable baseball specific activity. Time should be set aside every couple of weeks to reacquaint the muscles with those movements. Simple stationary fielding drills in the back yard are excellent. They are quick, fun and involve family.
Thirty perfect swings with the bat, nothing to hit or strike, is also excellent and unique to baseball. During any season players should enlist the 6 second swing on a regular basis. Adapted from Tai Chi, players take a deliberately slow and controlled perfect swings.
From the step and continuing with a complete follow through, encourage your player to close their eyes and visualize a perfect swing at a perfect pitch. Relaxed and in balance from a comfortable starting position, take an exhale breath and close your eyes. Visualize a pitch being released and going in slow motion, take the perfect stride in slow motion. Rotate the hips and load the core. Hands to the ball, roll trailing hand over leading hand, striking the ball, while close to the body and complete with the follow through.
This entire process should occur over a period of about 6 seconds, a true eternity when compared to live action. As a reader are probably wondering what Tai Chi has to do with batting.
A quick check on Chinese history will reveal centuries worth of expert swordsmen. The stroke of the sword is not so dissimilar to that of a bat swing. Each needs balance, power and targeting. As a comparative youngster to the human experience, baseball can learn a great deal from the activities of swordsmen that have been perfected and examined over hundreds of years and thousands instructors.
Simple drills not only provided muscle memory for doing them correctly, but when the parents are involved on such an individual and intimate setting, it makes up for time lost to the shows their Kids watch on Nick and other teen and pre teen targeting programming.
Parents compete with several media over the attention of their children. In 1974, competition was with the radio, shortly thereafter, MTV. Today, kids are bombarded from the moment they wake up until they fall asleep with sounds and noise from all sorts of things vying for their attention and spending dollars. relevision, radio, public places at large and the internet.
As a Parent, the most important thing you can give to your child is yourself.
What better opportunity than to separate your and your child from all the noise and participate together in a single activity. This is where baseball memories start. These memories are held closest to the heart.
So, once or twice a month, regardless of the season or the weather, take time with your child to practice a little baseball. Keep things simple, keep them brief and try a few yourself.
Much of baseball is situational. If this happens then I do that. Learning correct technique is best learned when you teach. Let your child teach you a little. Reinforcement of proper technique is quick and deep. Strengthening the connection between you and your child.
It is amazing what you each will learn together.
Mr. Dowdy is the father of 3 and after re-entering competitive baseball with his oldest that lead to frustration of finding suitable glove, he became an Official Distributor for Kelley Athletic available at http://NW.kelleyusa.com Also visit http://www.hirschgroupllc.com for more news/tips/articles
Origin and Early History of Baseball Explained
Henry Chadwick, called the father of baseball, its first writer and the inventor of the box score, claimed that American baseball was positively descended from the British game of rounders, which became “town ball” in this country, then baseball. He was an eyewitness to the evolution, having seen rounders played as a boy in England, and rounders, town ball and baseball in this country.
A. G. Spalding, founder of the famous sporting goods house, a fine pitcher himself, and publisher of the “Baseball Guide,” claimed that such a theory was nonsense and that baseball was purely an American invention. A committee was appointed to investigate the matter. The findings of the committee - that baseball had been invented in 1839 by Abner Doubleday, a distinguished Civil War General, in Cooperstown, New York - were based wholly upon evidence submitted in a letter written by a man who stated that he had observed the actual invention when he was a schoolboy in Cooperstown.
Many accepted the findings of the committee even though there seemed to be much more evidence to support Chadwick’s claim than that of Spalding. To this day, even though numerous baseball authorities have repeatedly poked holes in the Doubleday theory, there are many who still believe this old story. It should be noted that Abner Doubleday himself never made any claims whatever to having had any influence on baseball. He had died years before the findings were published.
By the early 1840s, the baseball games played in this country had been pretty well standardized into “Town Ball,” played East of New York, and “the New York Game,” played, naturally, in New York. They were alike in many respects but Town Ball was patterned more after the ancient rounders, while the New York Game seems to have been largely taken from cricket. In 1842, the New Yorkers drew up the first diagram of a baseball field and grown men began to take this boys’ game seriously and to see in it possibilities for a great sport.
In 1845, the Knickerbocker Baseball Club of New York was formed, the first such organization in history. It was an amateur group with duly elected officers. No professional organization was to appear for twenty-five more years. The Club immediately began drawing up a set of standard rules and making plans for a more satisfactory playing field. Draftsman and surveyor Alexander Cart-wright was given the task of preparing a diagram for a new type of field.
By the following year, Cartwright had prepared the diamond diagram which, except for minor changes, is the baseball field used to this day wherever baseball is played. The Knickerbockers also established uniform rules which set the pattern for present-day ball.
The First Game. - The Knickerbockers then issued challenges to take on all comers and the first baseball game ever played under organized rules took place on June 19, 1846, at Elysian Fields (near Hoboken), New Jersey. “The New York Nine” was the opposing team and they beat the Knicks 23-1 in four innings.
So depressed were the Knickerbockers that they played no more inter-city games until 1851, but limited their play to practice games. After five years of practice, they evidently believed they were ready for another go at the game and took on the “Washington Baseball Club of New York” on June 3, 1851 on the same Elysian Fields.
Both teams were tied at the end of the ninth, but the Knicks got two runs in the tenth to win the game 22-20.
From this small beginning, the great game of baseball has developed into the huge game it is today.
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What I Know and Remember About Baseball - First Base Reach
It is a tight game and the batter is a known bunter. Third and Second baseman are playing in on the grass in anticipation. The Pitcher delivers an inside fastball. Just as the Pitchers arm is ready to release the batter squares around and shows bunt.
Third base crashes down to gather up the ball which takes a funny hop to the infield away from his glove. Not a good bunt as the ball moves between third baseman and the mound. The batter is fast and is halfway to first when the third baseman finally gains control of the ball. As he grasps the ball the throw the runner is now one third of the way there. He launches a frozen rope to first.
The throw is off and low. Stretch into the splits the first baseman reaches and scoops the ball into his mit as the runners foot touches the bag. OUT, the umpire calls as the ball was in the mit before the runner reached the bag.
These are the exciting moments of baseball that get every ones heart racing. It happens in the brief moment between successfully hitting the ball and the seconds it takes to cover the distance from home to first.
Yet, how does the first baseman know when to stretch and how far? Most of all , how does he get there?
A newbie to the position will take a step towards the man with the ball before their release. True, making a step with the glove side foot is correct. However, the step is too soon as there is no information about the path of the ball to be caught.
Ideally a baseman will wait until the ball is released before take the step to the ball. From a comfortable position, feet should width apart, knees bent, heels off the ground, the baseman has plenty of time to make the appropriate stride to receive the ball. Being in a strong, athletic position gives the baseman the proper position to react as quickly as their body will allow.
To stretch before the ball is thrown puts the baseman in an non balanced position using weaker muscles. Think about it for a moment. Which is faster and under more control; standing and taking a step directly at the ball or being stretched out and lifting your forward foot off the ground to redirect your position.
Worse yet, if the ball is high, the baseman has almost no position or strength to make a jump to at least knock the ball down and keep it in the infield. It is a recipe for batter success to turn a tough single into a stand up double.
This method of tagging a bag can be applied to any base virtually 100 percent of the time where the baseman is to receive a throw for a force out. In all aspects of baseball, the greater the balance, the higher degree of success the player will have.
Remember, comfortable position, tag foot on the bag, step with the glove foot towards the throw after the ball is in the air, adjust as needed to receive the throw.
Mr. Dowdy is the father of 3 and after re-entering competitive baseball with his oldest that lead to frustration of finding suitable glove, he became an Official Distributor for Kelley Athletic available at http://NW.kelleyusa.com Also visit http://www.hirschgroupllc.com for more news/tips/articles
Testing An Athlete for Their Speed Potential is Essential for Success
A key part to any good training program is to know the current status of an athlete with regards to their strengths and weaknesses. How fast is the athlete now! How agile is the athlete! What is their reaction time like? Are they fast only over a short distance or do they possess speed-endurance! Does the lack of good flexibility inhibit their ability to become faster? The only way to answer these questions is to perform some pre-season testing.
Many coaches perform some form of pre-season testing yet many do not know which tests to choose and which are specific to the fitness component that they are trying to test. Choose tests that are specific to the movements in your sport. This requires performing a needs analysis and understanding the exact requirements for your sport.
Benefits of Testing Include:
Identifying the current status of the athlete with regards to speed. It gives you an idea of where you stand in comparison to fellow athletes in your sport. When you conduct testing it will allow the athlete to see where they stand in relation to other athletes. They can also use these tests to motivate them in training to improve and strive to beat their test score the next time testing comes around.
Testing helps you to set goals for yourself. You may not be as fast as your opponent but you can certainly decrease the difference gap. Speed is recognised as one of the most important factors for success when training athletes. Once you know your current speed status then you can set goals for yourself on what times you will aim to get.
Testing also allows you to see if you are fast in certain areas but not in others. Eg. Do you have linear speed but are slow when it comes to speed with multi-directional changes?
Are you fast once you get going but lose time due to being slow off the mark? As already mentioned there are many often neglected factors that determine how fast an athlete is.
Testing gives you specific times and results for a test that are measurable and allows you to set goals for improving on theses times. When you beat a previous time for a certain test then you know that you have become a faster athlete.
Tests for Speed include the sprint test over 10 metres, sprint test over 20 metres, fan drill (used for the ITN Test), suicide sprints (speed - endurance, wave run speed and agility test and the 3 line speed and agility test.
Tests for Agility include the agility box run test, 5 ball pick-up, 4 cone sprint, “T” agility test and the bowtie drill.
Tests for Strength include 1 RM tests (bench press, 1 RM test (squat, handgrip strength test (hand grip dynamometer, abdominal strength test (sit-ups in 1 minute, isokinetic strength tests, total number of dips, pull-up test and total number of push-ups.
Tests for Power include medicine ball side-throw, medicine ball overhead throw, single-leg hopping test, squat, vertical jump test, standing broad jump test.
Tests for Flexibility include sit and reach, shoulder flexibility (use goniometer), hamstring flexibility.
Testing guidelines include testing prior to commencing your training program and conducting a thorough warm-up before you begin testing.
When testing you have to duplicate the exact testing procedures and variables in order to obtain valid and reliable results. You should also avoid excessive physical activity the day before testing. Perform the test at the same time of the day, perform the tests on the same surface and try to perform the test under similar weather conditions.
Other key points include performing the explosive tests first during a training or testing session. Be sure to clearly instruct the athletes on how to perform the test and allow for a trial run through of the test thus allowing for the “learning” factor associated with a new test.
Tests should be simple and easy to administer. Perform tests in the same order when re-testing. Have the athletes wear the same shoes and clothing. Test every 6 - 8 weeks. There is no need to test every month or few weeks and in fact this can be counter productive. You must allow enough time for the adaptational effects of your training to occur.
These tests should not be too time-consuming to set up and perform. There are many tests that you can perform that do not require special equipment. Most of these tests are not costly or difficult to set up.
Testing is a great way to monitor your training program and to see what changes need to occur in order to be more productive.
With any good speed testing program it is very important that you perform tests specific to your sport. In tennis speed occurs over very short distances. In other sports such as American Football you would test speed for wide receivers over 40 yards. This is where the needs analysis that you have conducted for your sport will identify these important variables.
David Horne is a former professional tennis player who has created several online sports web sites including http://www.sportsebooks.com which is the Ultimate Sports eBook Directory for all sports fans!
Say it Ain’t So, Barry, but Deep Down We All Knew This Day Would Come…
Back in 2001 in the spring and summer I worked a project that took me all over Northern California. Coming back home for the weekend the wife and I would often stop at the Cattleman’s Restaurant in Livermore. We liked it because the atmosphere was cowboy and the food good and plentiful and there really aren’t any steak houses in vegan Santa Cruz. On this particular August evening we were late getting in and the place had filled up. We were told it would be a half hour and we could wait at the bar and they would call us.
The bar was already pretty full and all the TVs were on the Giants game. I got a beer and the wife a bloody Mary. A steady stream of folks entered and asked the bartender ‘when is he up?’
The bartender would answer next inning, third up or whatever the situation was. As Barry went on deck the bar suddenly began to fill and I realized the patrons had left their meals, purses, infants and whatever else and had come in to watch Barry.
As usual in the sport of baseball there was first a ball and strike and then a very loud crack and we could see the ball sail out of the park. Everybody jumped up, including me. We were high fiving and doing all the idiotic sorts of antics baseball fans do when their team hits a home run. This particular home run was one of a record setting 73 Barry hit that season. What excitement!
At that very moment the last thing any of us was thinking was ‘golly gee, this home run won’t count.’ Had I mentioned that thought to anyone in the bar they would have thought I was nuts and not a prophet. Maybe even thrown a punch.
I have watched baseball for about 50 years but had never seen anything like Barry. The defensive shift to pull was like no other in the history of baseball. It was more like four outfielders and three infielders. During that time I also remember several times remarking that Barry at times looked stiff and almost waddled. His neck seemed especially stiff. I didn’t know that his shoe size would increase over one whole size too.
Having read about his extensive training and nutrition program I immediately attributed his increase in bulk to training. Barry’s off-season rigor was well publicized. I even once remarked that Barry was such a hard trainer he actually grew muscles on his scalp. Barry shaves his head so when he takes off his helmet he had what looked like muscles. Later we were to learn that he increased one whole head size.
But steroids weren’t just what made Barry great as any minimally informed baseball fan will know. Barry hit that many home runs because he seldom swung at bad pitches. He walked more than any player in history. What was so incredibly amazing about his 2001 stretch was his average nightly box score would be a home run, a single and three walks. Repeatedly that season Barry was walked in situations that no other player had ever been walked.
Who can ever forget the home run race between McGuire, Sosa and Bonds? It had to be one of the most exciting times ever for baseball fans and for that we are thankful. Ironic how all three have been linked to juice…but not guilty until proven.
Barry was a competitor despite his unpolished character and arrogant demeanor. Barry always played to win and for that we thank him for his entertaining show. So now the greatest man to ever play the game has to wait and watch as he enters a no-win trial. I hope he gets off. Barry played to win and he did whatever it took to get that edge. And he knew other players were doing it. Barry just couldn’t let them have the edge.
If he’s guilty, and he may not be, slap him on the wrist, give him probation and let him age in peace. Barry has to live with Barry and we have to live with the letdown. Of course there will be those that want blood and those that want justice for all those records he robbed.
My guess at least some of Barry’s home runs will be disallowed taking him back down below Hank and the Babe. Quite frankly whatever the commissioner decides is fair and just won’t sit well with the fans. No matter what he does the boo birds will be following him around for some time. I wonder if he will also disallow the walks as well as home runs. No one wins here.
Say it ain’t so, Barry. If you have to go down may as well go down in a blaze of glory. Do whatever it takes to make amends and get back on that field one last time. Let’s not leave it like this…it’s too personal.
And I know there will be a number of us standing and cheering once again when you do.
Jack D. Deal is a longtime San Francisco Giants fan and the owner of Deal Business Consulting. He can be contacted at jddeal@jddeal.com Related articles can be found at http://www.jddeal.com and http://www.freeandinquiringmind.typepad.com
How to Bat In Baseball
Take a boy to the ball field and guess what he will pick up for the first time… a glove or a bat? Right. Just about everybody who plays baseball, or who ever thought of playing baseball, loves to bat. Some players have the gift of being “born” hitters; that is, they are blessed with excellent eyesight, quick reflexes, strong wrists and husky shoulders. These players usually become the better batters, but that does not mean the average player with normal build and strength cannot become a moderately successful batter.
Selecting a Bat - Take a bat and swing it. If it feels “good” and is not too heavy or not too light, try it out. Do not use a bat that is too long, stay away from a bat that is too short. To help you select the right type of bat, remember that the average school player uses one that is about thirty-four inches long. Also, the weight of the bat is equal to one ounce for each inch. Thus a 34-34 bat, in length and weight, is just about average.
Stance - Many batters approach the plate and do not know how close, or how far, to stand from the plate. Some batters wonder whether they should stand in front of the batter’s box, others cannot decide whether it is best to place their feet to the rear of the batter’s box. None of this is important in the learning stage of batting, but what is important is that the batter makes himself comfortable at the plate.
When a batter takes his stance, he is taking one of three stances: the parallel stance, the closed stance, the open stance. Each stance has its advantages, but the batter who feels most comfortable in any of the three should use that particular stance.
Again, just which stance to assume is strictly a matter of choice and comfort. However, the more advanced player may, on occasion, switch stances according to the type of pitcher he is facing, or the situation in the game.
In the closed stance only the front foot (the left if a right-handed batter, the right if a left-handed batter) is closer to the plate.
In the parallel stance both feet are the same distance from the inside batter’s box line closest to the plate.
Spread - The spread of the feet is also a matter of individual taste. Some batters prefer to keep their feet close together thus making for a longer stride when swinging at the pitch. Others will take a medium spread, thus shortening the stride; and there are some batters who will take a wide spread and therefore cut down their stride to a minimum.
The average hitter normally spreads his feet about seventeen to nineteen inches and many coaches recommend this spread distance. The power hitter, however, will use a shorter spread since he gets most of his strength from a longer stride. Joe DiMaggio had just about the widest of all spreads and his stride was one of the shortest. But the average batter should not attempt to imitate great batters in spread and stride unless he feels comfortable doing it.
It is not good for the beginning player to take too close a spread because it may cause a lunge in the stride. The stride should be smooth and quick, therefore the proper spread is most important.
Grip - Just as in choosing a bat, taking a stance and assuming a spread, comfort dictates, for the most part, just how to grip the bat. Some batters keep their hands together; others may leave a bit of space between the hands when gripping the bat. No matter what type of grip, hands together or apart, the bat is not to be gripped too tightly.
By keeping the fingers securely, but not tightly, around the bat and the fingers aligned on the bat, the batter can get a better snap of the wrists when meeting the ball. Grip a bat too tightly and the arm muscles automatically tighten up thus permitting no wrist action.
Grasp these basics of baseball batting, and you will be off to a great start.
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What I Know and Remember About Baseball - Granparents
Back to 1974, East Tacoma Washington, it is game day, almost 10am. As Players and Parents cross the parking lot, silver haired seniors begin to gather at the fringe of the field. For them between the talking and their pace, it will still be 10 more minutes or so before they reach the bleachers.
For the seniors there are no pressures to finish a blog on Myspace. No handheld HD camcorders to capture those perfect moments to upload onto Youtube. Any talk about stocks is what Grandmother is brewing on the stove from last nights left dinner.
Loud speech and jibes about how deaf each other has become is usually followed by the pleasantries of passing around the swisher sweets with the solemn oath that Grandma will not find out.
All in all, it is just like watching little boys as they gather at the base of their favorite tree to swap candies before dinner outside of Moms watchful eye.
What ever conversation is being discussed is promptly dropped when the umpire makes his presence known. That is the moment all glasses focus on him with a unified effort to remind the umpire of what a strike zone is. Foul verses fair ball. And what ever bleacher umpire coaching they can assist with or invent.
For Grandparents, their heroes are warming up. Under five feet tall and awkward, these are seasoned players ready for action. With chewing gum being formed into bubbles, they eye the opponents for weakness. These Players rarely make the papers and are prone to tummy aches after the consolation ice cream Sunday following a tough loss or energetic win.
So what has really changed in the last 32 years? Have Grandparents lost the luster for their favorite players? Is their interest in baseball so far from their busy lives managing their portfolios on E*TRADE or keeping up with their posts on Myspace or Youtube?
Communication breakdown between distanced Grandparents and Grandchildren is the likely culprit. In 1974, most kids could take a modest bicycle ride to visit with their Grandparents. Weekly dinners or stops on the to or from shopping kept Grandparents aware of what was happening.
To days Grandparents are separated from their Grand Children by distance, difficulty in traversing any safe route and the demands of the Parents by their jobs, schools and activities. Not wanting to interfere or become a burden on the challenges their own children face in this modern world, Grandparents site peacefully by keeping themselves occupied as best they can.
Many leagues expect Parent participation in the preparation of fields, helping hands at the fundraisers and financial support of the year end finale. Some leagues go as far as to mandate how much time Parents must volunteer in order for their children to participate.
How much nicer would the fields be if there were a team dedicated to their preservation. This same team could have the donation table in front of the local grocery store manned for days on end without missing a beat. Accountants, Lawyers, Engineers, Master Carpenters, Master Electricians and Salesmen; this team is highly skilled and backed by years of solid experience.
Grandparents quietly sitting and tending to their own affairs are the most under utilized resource available to any league. In years past, bake sales were the sole territory of the blue hair brigade. Slow, methodical women that make cookies and cakes to die for.
Let us take a look at the numbers. Say your league has 10 teams, each team has 12 players; the most Grandparents available is 480. Putting it into reality, there are probably only 30% of those in the area and lets say only 50% have the ability to physically participate. Now you only have 72 people to work out the details of field maintenance, help with fundraising, figure out the IRS forms and manage the league checkbook. When if even can you find 72 people just waiting to be asked to come out and play.
How wonderful would it be to be able to organize 72 willing, motivated, trained and experienced people for your volunteer efforts? With that many people the entire facility could get a once over every week. Needed repairs assigned to the proper folks. Compensation for these folks lies in the participation of something meaningful and the love they have for their heroes.
The process of developing your own blue hair brigade is quite easy. At the beginning of the season have a meeting with all the Grandparents and see what commitments you get. Should you find the numbers lacking, visit the local senior center. An offer of something as meaningful to do will clear out that hall faster than a skunk in a sorority house.
Mr. Dowdy is the father of 3 and after re-entering competitive baseball with his oldest that lead to frustration of finding suitable glove, he became an Official Distributor for Kelley Athletic available at http://NW.kelleyusa.com Also visit http://www.hirschgroupllc.com for more news/tips/articles
Safety First In Baseball Explained
The safety factor is an important one at all levels of baseball, but it is particularly necessary with beginners. It should not be overlooked at any stage of Little League activity, whether in spring training, tryouts, practice sessions, or games. Coaches and managers might like to post the following list of precautions in a dugout, clubhouse, or dressing room:
1. Have an adult at the field at least a half hour in advance of the scheduled activity to control the group until the start of organized activity.
2. Check the field for obstacles - holes in outfield, stones, a hole in front of pitching rubber, etc.
3. Have the adult space the youngsters who are warming up so that other groups are not endangered by wild throws and muffed catches. The throwing should be parallel.
4. Unless the area is unusually large, have the adult keep the boys from participating in batting practice until the regular workouts begin. Pepper games can be organized if the players are spaced properly, with groups bat ting the ball parallel to each other. There should be no more than four players in each pepper game.
5. Have boys bring a jacket or sweater to wear during warm-up and after workout.
6. Require batters to wear batting helmets during batting practice. Helmets must be worn by batters and base-runners during games.
7. To keep bats from slipping out of batters’ hands, use non-slip grips of tape on the handles, or have players use rosin on their hands.
8. Have rules about retrieving foul balls batted into busy streets.
9. The head-first slide should be prohibited except when returning to a base.
10. During sliding practice, bases should be left untied when boys are being taught the fundamentals of sliding.
11. Build a warning track at least six feet out from the fences and back stop, using cinders, gravel, or some similar material.
12. Inspect equipment regularly - particularly batting helmets and catching equipment.
13. Teach players to take good care of all equipment and facilities.
14. Players should not wear watches or rings.
Additional Safeguards
1. Medical examinations should be given to all players prior to the opening of the season.
2. If possible, a physician or nurse should be in attendance at each game.
3. All participants should be covered by accident insurance.
4. The team should possess a first-aid kit, which should be complete and available at every game. It should be in the charge of someone trained to use it.
5. Preseason first-aid instruction should be given all managers and coaches each year.
6. All protective equipment should be of good quality and should fit properly.
7. All dugouts should be screened.
8. All players not participating in the game must remain in the dugouts.
9. Players should be taught the proper techniques of sliding, hitting, fielding, etc.
10. Equipment should not be left on the ground where it can be stepped on and injury result.
First-Aid Kit
Contents of the first-aid kit should include:
2 Bandages 1″ x 10 yd.
33 Band-Aid plastic strips
2 Bandages 2″ x 10 yd.
1 Burn ointment
1 Bandage 3″ x 10 yd.
3 Ammonia inhalants
1 Cotton 1/2 oz.
1 Scissors
1 Adhesive tape 1″ x 2-1/2 yds.
1 Antiseptic
1 Gauze 1 yd.
1 First-Aid guide booklet
12 Sterile gauze pads 2″ x 2″
6 Sterile eye pads
1 Triangular bandage
If all these precautions are taken, each game should be safe for all players.
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Spring Training For Major League Baseball Players
There is some intense training that occurs throughout the life of a baseball player. Some of that training begins when they are very young and is not considered as a guarantee that anyone would be training for Major League Baseball play. At this point in life, they are simply learning how to hold a bat and the purpose of bases and perhaps how to slide into home plate a time or two.
Every spring though, there is a certain buzz in the training camps for people that are members of one of the Major Leagues Baseball teams. The buzz might be heard from the State of Arizona, but there is sure to be a certain amount of shouting and sliding from the State of Florida too. There are a lot of talented people that go to Spring Training each year and every single MLB team gets into the mindset of refining the skills needed to win.
Fans are really interested in the Major League Baseball’s Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues. Of course, if you want to visit any ballpark in the Cactus League it would be a very good idea to don some suntan lotion or be sure to be very liberal with the sunscreen because the temperatures have a tendency to reach the 100’s, or since it is Spring Training time, the weather might cooperate and be in the 90’s.
For MLB fans that have a particular liking to palm trees, then they would probably be more in tune to following on of the teams that are assigned to the Grapefruit League. Spring is a great time to visit Florida too since Hurricane Season is months away and tourists do not start arriving until the end of April. Crowds can still be expected at the parks though because the MLB places tickets for sale for every day of training.
Getting information about a team, including tickets in either locale is very easy to do. Access to the Spring Training Guide for the team of your choice will provide a fan with information about Spring Training tickets, the teams Spring Training schedule and information about the particular field where the team will be training. The Training Guide for fans will also inform fans of what the first full day will be where the full-squad will workout.
Many teams at Spring Training are very familiar about where they will go and what is expected of them. Every year the Spring Training schedule offers the same routine and rarely is the team placed anywhere else than where they went the previous year. If the Yankees were in Ft. Lauderdale at Legends Field in 2007, then you can make a bet that they will be there in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
James Brown writes about http://www.mlbgearshop.com