Baseball: The Game with Something for Everyone

Baseball can truly be everyone’s favorite sport because there is something in the game for everyone. Whether you play the game, watch the game or play the trading card game of the game, you can find something you like in baseball.

 

 

For the people who are interested in history, baseball was invented in 1839, so there is a lot of history throughout the game’s past. Cooperstown, NY is the prime place for history, as it has the National Baseball Hall of Fame museum, the Baseball Wax Museum, and Doubleday Field, the birthplace of baseball. Furthermore, there are a wide variety of baseball gear that has been treasured throughout the years. For example, a piece of a player’s equipment is saved when they hit a milestone or season record (Babe Ruth’s 60th home run ball). You could spend countless hours researching the past of baseball.

 

The people that play the game love almost all of it, but they all have their favorite parts. You could love the rush of stealing a base, hitting a bomb, getting a hit, striking someone out, throwing someone out, or catching a fly ball. There are so many parts of the game to love, you must love something!

There is plenty of strategy involved with baseball as well. For example, you could study which pitches are thrown when and where. All pitchers have a strategy to try to make someone not hit the ball solid (or at all). Furthermore, coaches sometimes put a shift on (move positions from where they normally play to where the batter usually hits the ball). With a shift on, a would-be base hit could be fielded and have you thrown out! Sometimes coaches bring in a pinch hitter (different player off the bench to hit) because they would be better against the pitcher than the other player. All in all, there is a ton of strategy to think about during each game.

Even if you know practically nothing about the game, there is still plenty to do at the ballpark. Each MLB park has its own little unique things they do to make the experience more fun for the fans. Some parks have zip lines, arcade games, slides, and other fun activities to do during the game. In addition, baseball has no timeouts or halftime, so there is almost always action going on. Usually, in between innings, there is something happening on the field or jumbo tron (often) not baseball related. For example, there could be a hat mix-up game, mascot race or sing along. Furthermore, you are allowed to have lunch or dinner right at your seat at the park. If you are into the game, then you could receive a ball or meet one of the players!

In conclusion, baseball is an incredibly versatile game that everyone can enjoy.

How to Be a More Effective Pitcher

In baseball, many would say the most important player on the field is the pitcher. Because he is the one delivering the ball to the batter, I would agree. The most important goal of a pitcher is to mess up a hitter’s timing. Without good timing, a batter has almost no hope of getting a hit. Therefore, pitchers that don’t change speeds and location (to mess up a hitter’s timing) will not succeed often. There are only a few steps to become the best pitcher you can be (most involve practice!).

 

Step 1. Accuracy

Before we work on stunning off speed pitches, we should get down to the basics. To truly be an effective pitcher, the ball must go where you want it to go. This makes it more difficult for the batter when he is unable to predict where the ball will be around the strike zone. The best pitchers in baseball can throw the ball almost as hard as they can and have to ball end up where they were aiming. To work on accuracy, first have a friend, parent or coach catch for you. After warming up, You should stand a little ways away from your catcher (about 30-40 feet, depending on age) and pitch to them. This exercise is called a  flatground because one is pitching on flat ground. Throw about half speed fastballs (4 or 2 seam), and have your catcher hold their glove by each knee. Once you have hit the glove by the left knee 5 times, then move on to the right (vice versa). Practice this drill often for increased accuracy, and throw faster as you get more accurate.

 

Step 2. Pitch Selection

Every batter has that one pitch and spot they love to hit. To keep the batter off balance and less prepared for an accidental meatball, pitchers should have one or two off speed pitches. Check this link to see your options on different pitches to throw and how to hold them: http://www.thecompletepitcher.com/pitching_grips.htm   The best two off speed pitches to throw in my opinion are the circle change-up and 12-6 curveball. The goal of a change-up is having the batter think it is a fastball, but it is a lot slower. Throw a change-up exactly like a fastball, and your fingers on the ball will slow it down. The curveball is usually only used with two-strike counts, and often isn’t going be thrown for a strike. This is the best swing-and-miss pitch, but should only be used by people over 13-14. If thrown incorrectly (if wrist is snapped), it could badly injure a player. The curveball I throw is 12-6 (up to down). I throw my curveball by putting my index and middle fingers on the right seam, and throw it so my fingers are sideways. The ball rolls off my fingers, putting topspin on it, and I bring my arm down to my side. With off speed pitches, you could make a batter completely off balance if thrown well.

 

That’s basically it! Accuracy is key, and make sure to mix up your speeds and locations. Stay calm on the mound and have fun. You’re playing baseball, so have a good time!