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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.

Jack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson was an exceptionally talented and disciplined baseball hitter, with a career average of .317. He was known as the most aggressive and successful base runner of his era. But these statistic achievements were not the real reason for his significance. In 1947, Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers. As the first black man to openly play in the major leagues since the 1880s, he was instrumental in bringing an end to racial segregation in professional baseball, which had relegated African-Americans to the Negro leagues for six decades.

In 1999, he was named by Time magazine on its list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. Also in 1999, he ranked number 44 on the Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team as the top vote-getter among second basemen.

Jackie Robinson did it all. He scared the pitchers, rattled the fielders, broke the batting record books but most importantly he opened the doors for the blacks in Major League Baseball. Baseball was a sport that was run by the Whites and played by the Whites, this had changed forever.

In 1962, Jackie Robinson was inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame. Jackie Robinson died at the premature age of 53 in 1972. After his death the Jackie Robinson Foundation was instituted. It provides scholarships to 141 students annually who are sent to more than 60 colleges all over the country.

Image via Wikipedia

Batting is often cited as one of the most difficult feats in sports as it works down to hitting a small round ball with a thin round bat. In fact, if a batter can get a hit in three out of ten at bats, giving him a batting average of .300, pronounced three-hundred, he or she is considered a good hitter. But of course, to get you to that edge you need extremely good skills and a fine bat that makes a perfect swing. A good bat contributes a high percentage of accuracy in hitting that pitch.

Bats come in various widths, lengths and materials. Naturally, a heavier bat will give more momentum to the ball. However, a heavier bat means less speed in the swing. A lighter bat will give the batter more control but less momentum. The material composition of a bat also determines how far a ball will travel. Bats made out of aluminum or graphite hit balls farther than bats made of wood.

These reviews on various baseball bats will aid a player in their selections. Players have different strengths and weaknesses but right decision will give them the edge they need to get the results they’re looking for. Ultimately, it boils down to what is comfortable for them.

Another heart warming day for the White Sox as Frank Thomas officially announced his retirement at the U.S. Cellular Field Conference and Learning Center, first hand news by MLB.com Thursday night. Thomas who broadcasted about his illustrious 18-year-career, with 15 coming as part of the White Sox organization has finally decided to put his bat to rest and leave his career in Major League Baseball for good.

Thomas honestly speaks about his accomplishments. The two time American League Most Valuable player joined the Hall of Famers Mel Ott, Babe Ruth and Ted Williams as one of four players to have a .300 average, with 500 home runs, 1,500 RBIs, 1,000 runs scored and 1,500 walks in his career. Frank Thomas ranks in the top 30 all-time in eight statistical categories, including sitting in a tie for 18th with Willie McCovey and Williams at 521 home runs. These numbers certainly indicate how well he did his homework, keep countless hours in the weight room yet spent just as much time going over film to get extremely prepared.  Thomas played for 18 years, which is a long time in this game and undoubtedly for his indefinite absence, he’ll be missed.

Does the name “George Herman Ruth, Jr.” ring a bell? Or should I say “Babe” Ruth. For those who haven’t known, Ruth was regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes in American Culture and has been named as the greatest baseball player in history. Also known as “the Bambino” and “the Sultan of Swat”, He played in American Major League Baseball from 1914-1935. Ruth Started as a Pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and later on joined New York Yankees as a full-time right fielder. He became one of the league’s most productive hitters and won seven pennants and four World Series titles with the Yankees. His home run hitting prowess and enigmatic personality made him a baseball celebrity in the Roaring Twenties. Ruth retired in 1936 and became one of the first five players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. In a 1999 ESPN poll, he was ranked as the third-greatest US athlete of the century, behind Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali. The name Babe Ruth will forever be remembered as the supreme baseball player in the Professional League