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Archive for February, 2010

Here is a baseball pitch grip generally thought of as a movement pitch, or somewhat similar to cut fastball, a cutter or sinker. The two seam fastball is a pitch that requires a slightly tight grip and deeper in the throwing hand compared to the four-seamer.

In pitching a two-seam fastball, the position of your index and middle fingers are kept directly on top of the narrow seams of the baseball. (See above photo).

Then, keep your thumb on the bottom side of the baseball and on the silky leather in between the narrow seams.

The two seam fastball pitch requires a firm grip to give essential friction; And this is a good advantage to cause the baseball to change direction, it can “back up” or “run in” to the throwing hand side of the plate. It slightly reduces the speed of the pitch as well, which is slower than four-seam fastballs.

(Photo via thecompletepitcher.com)

Chan Ho Park, who pitched for the National League champion Philadelphia Phillies out of the bullpen last season, has made a one year deal agreement with the New York Yankees. This announcement was made Monday at a news conference in Seoul, South Korea. Although the Yankees have not confirmed the signing and even the team’s General Manager Brian Cashman has not disclosed if the deal was really approved and finalized. There were some talks between Park’s agent Jeff Borris and Cashman, and according to Brian Cashman, the deal is not yet over.

It was said that the offered package is worth US$1.2 million with an additional $300,000 in performance bonuses if Park decides to join the Yankees. And this is exactly what Chan Ho Park agreed to when he announced in the news conference his decision to join the New York Yankees. The 36-year old right-hander went 3-3 with a 4.43 earned-run average in 45 games with the NL champion Philadelphia Phillies last year. Park also made 3 1-3 scoreless innings against the Yankees in the World Series.

Park has a career record of 120-95 with a 4.35 ERA over 16 big-league seasons with the Phillies, Rangers, Dodgers, Padres and Mets. And the first South Korean to play in the Major League

(Photo via zimbio.com)

Lou Gehrig aka “Iron Horse”, won the Triple Crown in 1934, leading the American League in batting average (.363), home runs (49), and runs batted in (RBIs; 165).

Lou sacrificed many body injuries to play the consecutive MLB games.  Not as popular as his teammate, Babe Ruth. Lou was a tremendous baseball player; from 1926 to 1938 he hit at least 100 runs for 13 straight seasons,.  He made an American League record of 184 RBIs and hit 493 home runs in 1931.

Unfortunately, in 1938, Lou Gehrig was too ill to play baseball.  He was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a deadly disease that affects the central nervous system.  Lou Gehrig has no choice but to retire from baseball. He was the first player to have the honorable rite of retiring his uniform number, 4 presented by the Yankees. Lou Gehrig was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.  And 2 years later, Lou Gehrig died of ALS at the age of 37.  A movie was made in memory of the great player, his life story entitled “The Pride of the Yankees”.

(Photo via repairstemcell.wordpress.org)

Another common breaking ball grip that combines a bit of beginners curve and knuckle curve, it’s called the overhand curveball or popularly known as the straight curveball.

Learning the straight curve requires good skill in throwing a beginners curveball, because both grips are somehow similar in principles. Working on the beginners grip is a stepping exercise towards the straight curve pitch. As mentioned, both pitching grips are almost the same except for the position of the index finger. It should be placed on the baseball contrary to beginners curve where the index finger is pointed at a target.

To do this pitch, the thumb action goes upward. It rotates up while the middle and index fingers rotate down. The arm movement must be a little short at the end. The position of your pitching arm elbow must be to the opposite hip. This makes a short follow through while giving a real snap off the pitch.

(Photo via completepitcher.com)

Playing the game of baseball is thrilling and fun, but without the proper safety gears, its make no difference engaging in dangerous sports like boxing, skateboarding, or cycling. Seeing a ball pitch from a distance may not seem detrimental, but combining the weight and overwhelming speed of the ball will surely cause a fatal damage if the batter gets accidentally hit. If it wasn’t for Roger Bresnahan, who got struck on the head during the game, the batting helmet would not exist.

A batting helmet is similar to a headgear worn by skateboarders as a protective shell for the head, it covers the back, top and side which are called earflaps. It is meant to protect the batter’s ear from wayward pitches thrown by the pitcher. Helmets with left earflaps are meant for right handed batters while the ones with the right earflaps are for the left handed. Although, there are batting helmets that cover both ears and these are mandatory in amateur level baseball.

So, it is crucial to wear a batting helmet in baseball games or even in practice, because a batter who is “hit by pitch”, due to an unintentional wild pitch may end up fatally injured.

(Photo via goprostock.com)

This is a baseball pitch that speaks for itself, a great pitching grip for beginners, amateurs who wants to learn to throw a curveball for the first time. This pitch is quite the opposite of a fastball that backspins, instead, a curveball spin from top to bottom and leverage comes from the front of the baseball to create the curve.

The beginner’s curveball is the easiest way for amateur pitchers to correctly learn the proper spin.

Here’s how to do it: Grip a baseball leaving the index finger off – like you were pointing at something. (Your index finger will be used to aim the baseball at your target.)

Next, put your middle finger at the bottom seam of the baseball and put your thumb on the back seam. When you throw the pitch, the thumb must rotate upward, and your middle finger should snap downward while your index finger points in the path of your aim. This is the reason why this pitch is great for beginners: the ball follows the direction where your index finger points. The beginners ‘curveball keeps your hand and ball align to the target.

A professional baseball hitter may be able to counter this pitch throw easily, and therefore shouldn’t be applied in the game unless you are playing with amateurs.

(Photo via thecompletepitcher.com)

A new line of baseball bats for the year 2010 is now on the loose. The release of the product was too early to create excitement, and for the most part, the new models are not up to scratch. There’s nothing extra ordinary that came out from most baseball bat brands, except for the significant changes of the 5150 series that the Rawlings introduced.

Rawlings offers interesting features to their product line. Starting with the 5150 Composite bat which is better than the last year’s Comp Lite. It has a multi-wall intermediate balance design. The merging of carbon, fiberglass and aramid fibers creates a superior feel. The price starts with a high cost for the Adult-3 model, which is considerably expensive.

The Rawlings 5150 Hybrid on the other hand is almost similar to the Louisville H2. It substitutes the Rush Gold Lite that had a two piece design like the Demarini’s. The 5150 Hybrid stiff composite handle is bonded to the barrel made of alloy that adds more strength and increased flex. This model is cheaper for the Adult -3model compared to the 5150 Composite.

(Photo via baseballrampage.com)

Having a right grip on baseball is a key to a proper pitching. Learn some of the most common baseball pitching grips. Starting with the Four-seam fastball

To grip the four seam fastball, index and middle fingertips must be placed directly on the perpendicular seam of the baseball. The “U-seam” should be facing your ring finger of your throwing hand (as shown in the above picture).

Next, put your thumb directly beneath the baseball, resting on the smooth leather (see above picture). Ideally, you should keep your thumb in the center of the U- seam on the bottom part of the baseball.

Keep a soft grip on the pitch, just like holding an egg, in your fingertips. Maintain a “gap” or space between the ball and your palm. This is the technique to throwing a good, hard four-seam fastball with maximum speed and backspin: A loose grip minimizes “friction” between your hand and the baseball. The less friction, of course, the quicker the baseball can leave your hand.

Throwing a four-seam fastball with enough force overhand will make it rise unless it’s thrown underhand.

Collecting baseball cards may not just be a hobby it may also provide you with an asset that you or your heirs will be able to sell someday for a lot of money.

Baseball cards have value for different reasons to different people. But how much the piece of history worth is important to many collectors, or people just looking to sell cards they may have inherited.

So, what is the most valuable baseball card that you know? According to recent research done by Forbes Magazine in 2009, the 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth Rookie Card would range from $250,000-$500,000 in good condition. Now, if you happen to stubble onto one of these in near-mint condition the value of this card would shoot up to an estimated 3-5 million dollars! Unfortunately no one has ever found one as of yet.

So, is there a card that would likely sell for a cool 3 million bucks in 2009/2010 if it were put up for auction?  In fact there is, that card is a near-mint condition 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner Rookie card also known as the “Gretzky Wagner” after Wayne Gretzky bought it in 1991 for $451,000.

Have you ever wondered, where and when baseball started? Who invented baseball? Well. No one precisely knows the answers to these questions, but settlers in America brought with them the English games of cricket, rounders and the similar townball, which gradually evolved into the game we know today.

The first known reference to “baseball” as a game was in 1791 in Massachusetts where a town bye-law banned it from the proximity of the town meeting house. There is also a detailed account of a game of base ball in Ontario, Canada in June1838.

However, in 1845 the ‘Knickerbocker Rules’, named after the breeches worn at the time, were devised to regularize the playing of baseball. Alexander Cartwright was given credit for shaping baseball into what it is today. On September 23, 1845, Cartwright published “Rules and Regulations of the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club.” These 20 rules are the basis of the rules of the present Major League Baseball (MLB). The Knickerbockers became the first team to wear uniforms.

More years later and baseball had become so popular that professionals started to play for the better and richer teams and the game was transformed. The success of this formula and the popularity of the game itself led to the foundation of a National League which was the first true major league.

Although baseball started in England it has come a very long way from its humble origins.