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Archive for January, 2010

In SanFrancisco, second day of baseball’s Winter Meetings last month, Giants general manager Brian Sabean made it clear that there are no chances that the club would keep catcher Bengie Molina.

“That ship has sailed. That’s not going to be a fallback position for us,” said Sabean, as if saying that star prospect Buster Posey was already prepared to move up to the Major Leagues.

But then, Tuesday proved that contract talks have a way of changing dramatically overnight as the Giants welcomed back Molina. Molina agreed to a one-year, $4.5 million contract.

When Molina’s three-year, $16 million deal with the Giants ended last season, it was expected that he would seek a multiyear contract somewhere else. The Giants were unwilling to meet Molina’s demands for another multiyear deal — not only for economic reasons, but also because they sensed that Posey was ready for full-time catching duties.

Real innovative equipment that is consists of a cable with attached ball that is further fixed to a rope, the Hit-A-Way helps in improving baseball bat swings and proper timing. To set this one up, the rope can be attached and wrapped to a post or tree. Upon unwinding the rope, the ball would move towards the batter and once hit, the process would repeat again.

For just about $50, you can get better swing, power and batting average through practice with Hit-A-Way. Your eyes, mind and muscles will work together as one without much hassle from picking up balls. This is also light-weight and adjustable at any place and with all ages. Build up your confidence by learning the mechanics of the game and with this hitting aid.

If you intend to master baseball all by yourself but seem impossible, think again. Soft toss machines are made for home practices on your own yard or garage. Just make sure that you also placed a soft toss net to help you manage your balls. On set time, the machine would release the balls toward the batter. An advantage about this equipment is that it could stimulate your senses to develop good hand and eye coordination in your own pace and space. It would also allow you to observe different baseball bat speed at various pitches.

It is worth investing for this soft toss machine would give you bat swings that may lead you to be a better hitter. Most available soft toss machine models ranges from $100 to $300 depending on the quality and durability. Some are feeder style machines while ground based tri-pod models also exist. Rechargeable batteries are also used on some styles while you need extension cords for the others.

A source with direct contact spilled the beans. Hernandez agreed to the deal but the length of time is still unknown. It was said that it would be for a five or six year deal. It all happened the day before clubs and players exchange salary figures for arbitration. The 23-year-old would have been in line for a large payday after making $3.8 million in his first year of arbitration last year.
Felix Hernandez was first spotted by Luis Fuenmayor, a part-time Mariners scout who saw him pitching at age 14 in a tournament near Maracaibo, Venezuela. After graduating from high school, Hernández finally agreed to his first professional contract. Mariners director of international operations Bob Engle signed Hernández as a nondrafted free agent on July 4, 2002. Hernández received a large signing bonus of $710,000, although he said the Mariners were not the highest bidder.
During the 2009 season, Hernandez set career highs in almost every category including wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, and earned run average. Hernandez finished the season 19-5 with a 2.49 ERA and 217 K’s and in somewhat strong contention for the AL Cy Young Award. Felix ended up finishing second in the AL Cy Young Award behind Zack Greinke.

4. Know your bat length. General rule says that the longest is the best. This is utterly true if the other components are not taken for granted. To measure it up, stand on the baseball plate and swing the baseball bat of your preference. The typical length of this plate is 17 inches and a good bat should cover it all.

5. Your grip is important. If you are to use a wooden baseball bat, pine tar or grip tape is a good option. But if you choose an aluminium or composite bat, make sure that you will have a good grip with the baseball bat. Players differ on their grip preference. Some like their grips to be thin while some wants it thick.

6. Makes you confident and comfortable. This is what the baseball bat should make you feel when playing games. The right baseball bat unites with your desire to do your best and thus allow you to produce quality results.

1. Know the league rules. First and foremost, you need a baseball bat if you intend to play a game on a certain league. This requires you as a potential player to know their respective do’s and don’ts. Before you buy, better ask the rules and regulations that will enable you to filter your options.

2. Weigh your bat. Heavier doesn’t necessarily mean it is better. Your goal must be to select the appropriate baseball bat for your age and size. If you got it right, hitting a ball might be a breeze. The weight of the baseball bat also influences your bat speed or the factor that allows you to have the hit.

3. Consider bat speed. The power produced by the player is affected by the bat speed and further connected to the bat weight. A heavy bat would probably miss a good strike zone because of the difficulty on swinging it. Focus on the suitable bat that is lightest bat in the market that will give you that surprising strike.



Mark McGwire played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. For his career, McGwire averaged a home run once every 10.61 at bats, the lowest at bats per home run ratio in baseball history.
In January 17, 2010, McGwire was welcomed like a hero as he made his first appearance as the Cardinals hitting coach. He admitted to have used performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career but during the conference, he stated strongly his discouragement to follow his path. “I’ve learned a lot.” said McGwire.
The crowd waited so eagerly as McGwire appeared from the right door of the stage. Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” was played is full blast as everyone applauded to his old at-bat music as if he just went out on the field about to make his first bat again.
“It’s awesome to be back,” he said before taking questions. “Visiting the [new] ballpark was phenomenal, first time I’ve seen it. It’s going to be a joy to go to the ballpark every day to work. Most importantly I’m just glad they got [construction on Interstate 64] finished. That’s the only reason why I’m coming back, is because they finally fixed it. I told my wife as soon as they fixed it maybe I’ll get lucky and get hired.”

Like any other sport, every game has its own rules and regulations. For baseball, the main concern for the equipment is the bat’s weight and length. Leagues of different sort implement rules to govern them. The next articles will tackle some of the famous groups in the youth and amateur games and their specific guidelines.

Generally, the limiting factor depends on the baseball bat characteristic which includes its length and weight. Most of the well-known leagues have drop limits or the difference in bat length (inches) and its weight (ounces). The -3 drop limit is applied on college and high school leagues and most of the players need to observe the ball exit speed ratio (BESR) rule. For a good example, to qualify on these games, the minimum weight for a 33 inch bat is 30 ounces and for a specific speed limit, the ball should exit the baseball bat.

MLB, it’s not just a game. Major league Baseball donated $1 million thru UNICEF to help children in Haiti. “Major League Baseball believes it is crucial to help the Haitian community in this time of need,” Selig said. “It is difficult for us to imagine the catastrophic toll this earthquake has taken on the people of Haiti, a land not far from the United States. We hope this contribution will help aid in the relief efforts and we encourage our fans to make a donation as well. Our heartfelt condolences go out to all who have been affected by this unimaginable natural disaster.” This is an extension of MLB’s “Going Beyond” effort on behalf of its 30 clubs. They are also encouraging concerned citizens to visit the UNICEF website.
The Yankees also donated $500,000 in support to relief efforts. “The catastrophic event has devastated an entire nation and will have far-reaching effects in the worldwide Haitian community,” the Yankees said in a statement. “The Yankees hope their donation will inspire people throughout the United States to do everything they can to aid the people of Haiti in their time of need.”
Free-agent infielder Miguel Tejada, another Dominican native is preparing a container van with supplies needed for aid. He’s also encouraging all of his MLB colleagues, particularly Dominicans, to step up and help the victims.

The previous articles already defined the baseball gloves suited for the first baseman, outfielders and infielders. What is left are the equipments used by catchers and pitchers.

A fast-paced baseball that runs about 90 mph would surely produce a big impact upon any contact. Thus, a catcher’s glove was designed for this purpose. Stronger and built with thick padding, this equipment allows a comfortable catch after every direct throw. A quick response and good timing of the player are also vital in this part of the game.

Lastly, the pitcher’s gloves are not too big or too small for a good hold of the baseball. As the player aims for a throw, the grip on the ball determines pitch direction as well as the speed. The baseball gloves make sure that this grip is not seen by anyone else.