BISONS BASEBALL

Bison Baseball us| Review of Nokona Catchers Mitt For Baseball

2010-08-30T21:35:00.000-07:00

The classic American tradition of hand-manufacturing ball gloves in Nocona, Texas, is practically as old as baseball, and the long-lived Nokona brand is part of this history. As a parent, you dream of seeing your little one in his very first American-made Nokona catchers mitt paired up with Mizuno turf cleats, ready to rampage through the youth baseball field. For close to a century, Nokona mitts have stayed U.S. handcrafted using genuine U.S. hides, unlike other glove brands, eliciting the "American Made for American Played" slogan.

The ultra premium line of Nokona catchers mitt caters to serious advanced-level players, like those made from genuine buffalo leather on the palm front combined with classic Nokona walnut crunch leather on the back. Nokona uses free-range bison hide from South Dakota for a rugged but supple feel and excellent performance comparable with ultra premium sports footwear.

Staple lines of Nokona mitts target beginning and mid-level players, made from top grain leathers like buckskin pre-oiled cowhide leather. It is oil-injected while being tanned to produce a flexible but heavier-weight mitt that aids in competitive training and drills. Premium buckskin on the front is combined with sandstone tanned leather on the back, which is stronger than other steer hides.

For today's young catchers, the newer kind of Nokona catchers mitt considers every aspect of the game, with features like breathable finger stalls, a full grain liner, laminated palm, and position-specific CTX leather. These gloves have been produced using a unique tanning method applied on genuine prime leathers to add sturdiness but retain comfort.

Kenneth Alber provides many tips to get the best from Nokona Catchers Mitt. Visit his Youth Baseball Cleats site for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenneth_Alber

Bisons baseball | Buffalo Nickels - Coins For The Collector

2009-04-22T01:48:00.000-07:00

Buffalo Nickels 1913-1938
The Buffalo Nickel is a classic in American design. It is both a simple and powerful coin that truly symbolized the ruggedness of American idealism. Probably the finest tribute to the coin was the Buffalo Commemorative Silver Dollar. When it was introduced in 2001, the mint sold its entire production run of 500,000 coins in two weeks. In 2006 the mint again recognized the timelessness of the design by producing the "American Buffalo" or "Gold Buffalo" as it is known to collectors. It is almost an exact replica of the original Buffalo nickel. This was the first time that the United States Government has minted pure 24-karat gold coins for the public and the bullion trade. The coin had a legal tender value of US$50.
The original coin was designed by James Earle Fraser, a former assistant to the famous sculptor and coin designer Saint-Gaudens and the coin replaced Charles Barber's Liberty Nickels. Some egos were bruised because Barber was the Chief Engraver of the US Mint at the time. However in the end, the Treasury Secretary chose the Buffalo Nickel over Barber's objections and it went into production in 1913. The coin was the first to accurately portray the Native American on a coin. The design of the Indian is actually a composite of three Native American chiefs that posed for the portrait. They were: Iron Tail (an Oglala Sioux), Big Tree (Onondaga), and Two Moons (Cheyenne). The "buffalo" portrayed on the reverse was an American Bison, Black Diamond, from the Bronx Zoo.
Type Information
The general type coin collector will normally obtain one example of the Buffalo Nickel.
For the specialized type coin collector two major varieties of the Buffalo Nickels were minted, one had the "FIVE CENTS" on a raised mound on the reverse. As early as April 1913, rapid wear in this area became evident on the coins in circulation. The mint modified the design by cutting away the mound and placed the bison on a straight line, then put the denomination in the recessed area under the line. These are known as Type II coins and the original design are labeled as Type I.
Collector Points
No Buffalo nickels were minted in 1922, 1932, and 1933. Proofs come in two versions: Matte Proofs were made from 1913 through 1916, and Brilliant Proofs in 1936 and 1937. Because of the design, well struck coins are hard to find. This is especially true of coins from the branch mints
Investor Information
This is a favorite coin among series collectors. Untold numbers of collectors have put together date and mint mark sets. The most difficult coin to obtain is the very rare 1918/7-D over date. Scarce to rare dates in high grade include all the San Francisco coins from 1913 through 1928, with 1918, 1920 and 1924 through 1927 being the hardest to find. Denver coins are usually weaker strikes than San Francisco pieces and present the collector with challenges like the 1918 through 1920 issues, and the 1925 and 1926 coins, along with the famous 1937-D 3-legged Buffalo.
Because of the coin's classic design and strong base of collectors it holds its value well and has overcome many of the negatives such as the small size and base metal content. Prices for well struck examples are often much higher that the values listed in price guides.
Muscle Cars is dedicated to providing information on all the great muscle cars of the past
.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Edwards

Bisons baseball | Geocache Containers - The Different Types of Containers For Geocaching

2009-04-21T03:39:00.000-07:00

Geocache containers come in just about every shape and size. Some were made specially for Geocaching, some were made for the military and adopted by the sport and others are just everyday containers like Tupperware.
It would be nearly impossible to list every single Geocache container possibility, but I will list those that you are likely to find more often than others.
1. Film Canisters & Medicine bottles - These are definitely two of the most common types of Geocache containers. I've come across these so many times I almost get sick of them. However, they do make an excellent cache container because they are small enough to be hidden in public, but large enough to fit a log and even a small item or two.
2. Magnetic Key holders - These are also very common. You'll find these primarily under light post skirts and on guardrails, but anywhere there is metal these can be attached.
3. Ammunition Cans - Basic, Military ammunition cans are used very frequently in wooded area and anywhere that one can get away with hiding a large cache. Just about any time you find an ammo can, you can be pretty sure that it will be full of small toys and trinkets and in many cases coins and trackables.
4. Nanos - A nano is a very small container, about the size of a pencil eraser, made specifically for Geocaching. These are always fun to find and since they have a small magnet in them, they can be attached to anything with metal.
5. Lock & Lock - A lock & lock is basically a Tupperware container that has a locking device on each of its four sides. These are fairly common as well and and great for many cache locations.
6. Decon Container - A decon container is a green container that is made for the military, but adopted by Geocachers because of it's rugged material and tight seal that can withstand just about any weather condition. These have a "hook" attached to them, which is actually there to connect to Soldier's flack vests.
7. Bison Capsules - These are your standard bison tubes. These are excellent to hang inside of a fence post or on the limb of a tree. They aren't extremely fun to many though, as only a log can normally fit inside.
So there you have it. As I mentioned before, Geocache containers come in all shapes and sizes, but what I've listed above are the most common container types that you will come across in your Geocaching adventures!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Josh_Spaulding

Bisons baseball | The American Cheeseburger

2009-04-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

If you are a teen and have a hungry for something filling, then why not take a look at the American cheeseburger to fill that void. The cheeseburger is as much an American classic, as Baseball is the American pastime. It is virtually impossible to not find an establishment that offers a cheeseburger, if you happen down a busy road in America. These cheeseburgers come in many different sizes and with many different condiments, but what does not change about this wonderful meal is the appreciation for it. From companies like McDonalds and Burger king selling their versions of the cult classic, to the smaller family run restaurants that seem to have perfected the burger you have many options.
Old Fashioned Style
One of the first things that you will notice about the American cheeseburger is that it is made with classic old fashioned style. There are many family recipes that you can find, and each one has a specific taste that will keep your appreciation and attention. It is hard to pick one burger out of a crowd of family run restaurants, as they always seem to be so similar. What sets a burger apart from its counterparts however, is what is applied after the burger is actually cooked. There are the typical burgers that you find today that one would expect, and then there are the ones that try to break the mold. These are the burgers that you will always come back too, as they cater to those that want the biggest boldest taste that they can find.
King Angus
If you are looking for the best of the best when it comes to the American cheeseburger, then you need to look no further than the Angus burger. This meat is the absolute top choice when it comes to beef, and when you try an Angus burger for the first time you will quickly see what all of the fuss was about. This meat is the prime cuts of the best AAA meat that you are going to find next to Japanese Kobe beef. More and more burger joints today and jumping on the Angus beef bandwagon, and this is for good reason. The sales will climb if you are using the best ingredients, and you will notice your customer base rise. This is the best way to introduce a great burger, and you will thank yourself for the change.
Specialty Burgers
If you find the common American cheeseburger somewhat old and you are looking for something new and exciting, then you are in luck. There are many places today that go that extra mile to try and introduce you to a new burger. With the likes of the bison burger and or the addition of coleslaw and French-fries, these burgers are now making the charge for the people that want something new and pack a different taste. Look around for what may be the best burger you can find, as it is always the journey that is most enjoyable and not the destination itself.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeremy_Harris

Bisons baseball | The History of Buffalo Nickel – Part II

2009-04-18T19:07:00.000-07:00

Continued from Part I
A buffalo (bison) named Black Diamond, who was a resident of the New York Zoological Park served as the model. Fraser utilized a little artistic freedom to depict the bison as though he was on the Great Plains. A few years after the release of the nickel, Black Diamond was sold to a meat packing plant who then sold him as Black Diamond steaks despite numerous attempts to save him. The stuffed head of Black Diamond was displayed at a major coin convention during the 1980’s.
The American Indian fascinated Fraser, so much so that it was no surprise he chose an Indian design for the 5-cent coin design. Fraser, who grew up in the Dakota Territory in the 1880's was a witness to the slaughter of the American buffalo and the destruction of the way of life of Native Americans of the Great Plains. By creating the Buffalo Nickel, Fraser was able to honor and preserve an important part of American history.
The preliminary sketches were very impressive and Mint Director George E. Roberts, who also had held that post when President Roosevelt revamped the coinage, was highly enthusiastic. Although the designs were, on general principle, quickly approved by Secretary MacVeagh, quite some time passed while various officials argued among themselves how the details should appear on the coin. By June 26, 1912, Roberts had tentatively approved plaster models of the new five-cent coin—although he did request that Fraser lower the relief somewhat.
During the summer of 1912, all was going well and a finished product was close at hand, or so it seemed. The Hobbs Company of New York, a manufacturer of coin-operated vending machines, got wind of the planned design change on the five-cent piece and wanted to review the designs for they feared the new design would not work in their vending machines.
Several months of bickering, changes, etc would ensue between Hobbs, Fraser, MacVeagh, etc. In December of 1912, MacVeagh grew tired of the mess and ordered that Fraser be allowed to complete his work. In late 1912/early 1913, models went to Chief Engraver Charles Barber, who oversaw the preparation of dies and the striking of pattern coins early in January 1913. It is known that Barber was cooperative in the effort, which was uncharacteristic of him considering that the coin being replaced was one he designed and he had no or little input into the new design.
All seemed well until, somehow, a pattern coin fell into the hands of one of the Hobbs folks and the design war began once again. Changes were asked and the Mint Bureau agreed. The changes were accommodated without sacrificing artistic creativity and once again all seemed well as it seemed the Hobbs folks were content. Again, so it seemed. Although the on-site engineer indicated that all seemed fine, once the engineer returned to company headquarters in New York, Hobbs’ officials did an abrupt about-face. The company now wrote the Mint that the latest pattern was totally unacceptable—and produced a long list of additional changes that also would have to be made.
Fraser complained to MacVeagh about the circus-like atmosphere. MacVeagh tended to agree, and asked Mint Director Roberts to settle the matter quietly by not asking the artist to do anything more. Roberts saw the matter differently and ordered Fraser to work on the latest list of Hobbs’ demands. It was now nearly the middle of February 1913, and there was no end in sight. The artist complained once again to the Treasury.
Finally, on February 15th, MacVeagh set up a final conference that was held with all interested parties with the end result being MacVeagh ordering an end to the matter and that the most recent designs be used. Production began on February 21, 1913 with a single coining press at the Philadelphia Mint started turning out the nickels at the rate of 120 a minute.
When the coins reached circulation, public reaction was mixed. Although MacVeagh promised the nickel would be "immensely interesting and beautiful." the New York Times condemned them as a "travesty on artistic effect." Other critics said that the coin's "rough" surfaces would encourage counterfeiters (I guess a nickel went a long way back then). Unfortunately, the biggest complaint, and one that would plague the nickel forever was the complaint about the nickels inability to withstand heavy use. One coin collectors' magazine predicted that the slightest wear would obliterate the date and the inscription Five Cents "beyond understanding." Sure enough, although now in circulation for only a month it was noticed that the lettering for the words 'FIVE CENTS' on the Buffalo Nickels was wearing away. The words were positioned within the outline of the raised mound on which the buffalo was standing. The early coins showed the bison standing on a grassy mound. For the new version, engraver Charles Barber cut away the base of the mound to make a straight line. He also lowered the words Five Cents so the rim would protect them from wear.
Collectors noticed right away that the inscription was clearer. But the changes did not help the date on the other side of the coin. Excessive wear of the numerals continued to plague Buffalo nickels. Barber again made minor modifications in 1916 by lowering the relief of the head and strengthening several details, including the nose. In addition, the lettering of the word LIBERTY was made heavier. Although the date problem was now well known, with all the modifications Barber made, he never addressed the problem of the date wearing down too rapidly. That was unfortunate as now we see all the games being played with acid, etc., in order to restore dates. More on acid date recovery later. By the end of 1937 planning for the Buffalo nickel's successor was well under way, as the design's required 25 years would end the following year. It was to be replaced by the third coin to bear a likeness of one of our presidents, Thomas Jefferson. The

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_Scott

Bisons baseball | Popularity and cultural impact

2009-03-22T04:12:00.000-07:00

Writing in 1919, philosopher Morris Raphael Cohen described baseball as America's national religion.[137] In the words of sports columnist Jayson Stark, baseball has long been "a unique paragon of American culture"—a status he sees as "devastated" by the steroid abuse scandal.[138] Baseball has an important place in other national cultures as well: Scholar Peter Bjarkman describes "how deeply the sport is ingrained in the history and culture of a nation such as Cuba, [and] how thoroughly it was radically reshaped and nativized in Japan."[139] Since the early 1980s, the Dominican Republic, in particular the city of San Pedro de Macorís, has been the major leagues' primary source of foreign talent.[140] In the Western Hemisphere, baseball is also one of the leading sports in Canada, Colombia, Mexico, the Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. In Asia, it is among the most popular sports in South Korea and Taiwan.

Two players on the baseball team of Tokyo, Japan's Waseda University in 1921.In recent years, baseball's position compared to football in the United States has moved in contradictory directions. In 2008, Major League Baseball set a revenue record of $6.5 billion, matching the NFL's revenue for the first time in decades.[141] On the other hand, the percentage of American sports fans polled who named baseball as their favorite sport was 16%, compared to pro football at 31%; in 1985, the respective figures were pro football 24%, baseball 23%.[142] Because there are so many more major league baseball games played, there is no comparison in overall attendance. In 2008, total attendance at major league games was the second-highest in history: 78.6 million, 0.7% off the record set the previous year.[61] Attendance at games held under the Minor League Baseball umbrella also set a record in 2007, with 42.8 million;[62] this figure does not include attendance at games of the several independent minor leagues.

As of 2007, Little League Baseball oversees more than 7,000 children's baseball leagues with more than 2.2 million participants in the United States and around the world.[143] Babe Ruth League teams have over 1 million participants.[144] A varsity baseball team is an established part of physical education departments at most high schools and colleges in the United States. By early in the 20th century, intercollegiate baseball was Japan's leading sport; today, high school baseball in particular is immensely popular there.[

source : wikipedia

Bisons baseball | Sabermetrics

2009-03-22T04:11:00.000-07:00

Sabermetrics refers to the field of baseball statistical study and the development of new statistics and analytical tools. The term is also used to refer directly to new statistics themselves. The term was coined around 1980 by one of the field's leading proponents, Bill James, and derives from the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR).[131]

The growing popularity of sabermetrics since the early 1980s has brought more attention to two batting statistics that sabermetricians argue are much better gauges of a batter's skill than batting average:[132]

On-base percentage measures a batter's ability to get on base. It is calculated by taking the sum of the hitter's successes in getting on base (hits plus walks plus hit by pitches) and dividing that by the batter's total plate appearances (at bats plus walks plus hit by pitches plus sacrifice flies), except for sacrifice bunts.[133]
Slugging percentage measures a batter's "power" (more accurately, hitting ability, strength, and speed). It is calculated by taking the batter's total bases (one per each single, two per double, three per triple, and four per home run) and dividing that by the batter's at bats.[134]
Some of the new statistics devised by sabermetricians have gained wide use:

On-base plus slugging (OPS) measures a batter's overall ability. It is calculated by adding the batter's on-base percentage and slugging percentage.[135]
Walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) measures a pitcher's ability at preventing hitters from reaching base. It is calculated exactly as its name suggests.[136]

source : wikipedia

bisons baseball | Baseball statistics

2009-03-22T04:10:00.000-07:00

Organized baseball lends itself to statistics to a greater degree than many other sports. Each play is discrete and has a relatively small number of possible outcomes. In the late nineteenth century, a former cricket player, English-born Henry Chadwick of Brooklyn, New York, was responsible for the "development of the box score, tabular standings, the annual baseball guide, the batting average, and most of the common statistics and tables used to describe baseball."[123] The statistical record is so central to the game's "historical essence" that Chadwick came to be known as "Father Baseball."[123] In the 1920s, American newspapers began devoting more and more attention to baseball statistics, initiating what journalist and historian Alan Schwarz describes as a "tectonic shift in sports, as intrigue that once focused mostly on teams began to go to individual players and their statistics lines."[124]

The Official Baseball Rules administered by Major League Baseball require the official scorer to categorize each baseball play unambiguously. The rules provide detailed criteria to promote consistency. The scorer's score report is the official basis for both the box score of the game and the relevant statistical records.[125] General managers, managers, and baseball scouts use statistics to evaluate players and make strategic decisions.

Rickey Henderson—the major leagues' all-time leader in runs and stolen bases—stealing third base in a 1988 game.Certain traditional statistics are familiar to most baseball fans. The basic batting statistics include:[126]

At bats: plate appearances, excluding walks and hit by pitches—where the batter's ability is not fully tested—and sacrifices and sacrifice flies—where the batter intentionally makes an out in order to advance one or more baserunners
Hits: times reached base because of a batted, fair ball without fielding error
Runs: times circling the bases and reaching home safely
Runs batted in (RBIs): number of runners who scored due to a batter's action (including the batter himself, in the case of a home run), except when batter grounded into double play or reached on an error
Home runs: hits on which the batter successfully touched all four bases, without the contribution of a fielding error
Batting average: hits divided by at bats—the traditional measure of batting ability
The basic baserunning statistics include:[127]

Stolen bases: times advancing to the next base entirely due to the runner's own efforts, generally while the pitcher is preparing to deliver or delivering the ball
Caught stealing: times tagged out while attempting to steal a base

Cy Young—the holder of many major league career marks, including wins and innings pitched, as well as losses—in 1908. MLB's annual awards for the best pitcher in each league are named for Young.The basic pitching statistics include:[128]

Wins: games where pitcher was pitching while his team took a lead that it never relinquished, going on to win
Losses: games where pitcher was pitching while the opposing team took a lead that it never relinquished, going on to win
Saves: games where the pitcher enters a game led by the pitcher's team, finishes the game without surrendering the lead, is not the winning pitcher, and either (a) the lead was three runs or less when the pitcher entered the game; (b) the potential tying run was on base, at bat, or on deck; or (c) the pitcher pitched three or more innings
Innings pitched: outs recorded while pitching divided by three
Strikeouts: times pitching three strikes to a batter
Winning percentage: wins divided by decisions (wins plus losses)
Earned run average (ERA): runs allowed, excluding those resulting from fielding errors, per nine innings pitched
The basic fielding statistics include:[129]

Putouts: times the fielder catches a fly ball, tags or forces out a runner, or otherwise directly effects an out
Assists: times a putout by another fielder was recorded following the fielder touching the ball
Errors: times the fielder fails to make a play he should have made with common effort, and the batting team benefits as a result
Total chances: putouts plus assists plus errors
Fielding average: successful chances (putouts plus assists) divided by total chances
Among the many other statistics that are kept are those collectively known as situational statistics. For example, statistics can indicate which specific pitchers a certain batter performs best against. If a given situation statistically favors a certain batter, the manager of the fielding team may be more likely to change pitchers or have the pitcher intentionally walk the batter in order to face one who is less likely to succeed.[130]

source : wikipedia

bisons baseball | Uniqueness of each baseball park

2009-03-22T04:08:00.000-07:00

Uniqueness of each baseball park

View of Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, from behind third base. The "Green Monster" is visible at the far left.Unlike those of most sports, baseball playing fields can vary significantly in size and shape. While the dimensions of the infield are specifically regulated, the only constraint on outfield size and shape for professional teams following the rules of Major League and Minor League Baseball is that fields built or remodeled since June 1, 1958, must have a minimum distance of 325 feet (99 m) from home plate to the fences in left and right field and 400 feet (122 m) to center.[112] Major league teams often skirt even this rule. For example, at Minute Maid Park, which became the home of the Houston Astros in 2000, the Crawford Boxes in left field are only 315 feet (96 m) from home plate.[113] There are no rules at all that address the height of fences or other structures at the edge of the outfield. The most famously idiosyncratic outfield boundary is the left-field wall at Boston's Fenway Park, in use since 1912: the "Green Monster" is 310 feet (94 m) from home plate down the line and 37 feet (11 m) tall.[114]

Similarly, there are no regulations at all concerning the dimensions of foul territory. Thus a foul fly ball may be entirely out of play in a park with little space between the foul lines and the stands, but a flyout in a park with more expansive foul ground.[115] A fence in foul territory that is close to the outfield line will tend to direct balls that strike it back toward the fielders, while one that is farther away may actually prompt more collisions, as outfielders run full speed to field balls deep in the corner; these variations can make the difference between a double and a triple or inside-the-park home run.[116] The surface of the field is also not regulated. While the diagram in the Rules and gameplay section above shows a traditional field surfacing arrangement (and the one used by virtually all MLB teams with naturally surfaced fields), teams are free to decide what areas will be grassed or bare.[117] Some fields—including several in MLB—use an artificial surface, such as AstroTurf. Surface variations can have a significant effect on how ground balls behave and are fielded as well as on baserunning. Similarly, the presence of a roof (seven major league teams play in stadiums with permanent or retractable roofs) can greatly affect how fly balls are played.[118] While football and soccer players deal with similar variations of field surface and stadium covering, the size and shape of their fields are much more standardized; the area out-of-bounds on a football or soccer field does not affect gameplay the way foul territory in baseball does, so variations in that regard are largely insignificant.[119]

These physical variations create a distinctive set of playing conditions at each ballpark. Other local factors, such as altitude and climate, can also significantly affect gameplay. A given stadium may acquire a reputation as a "pitcher's park" or a "hitter's park", if one or the other discipline notably benefits from its unique mix of elements. The most exceptional park in this regard is Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies. Its high altitude—5,282 feet (1,610 m) above sea level—is responsible for giving it the strongest hitter's park effect in the major leagues.[120] Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, is known for its fickle disposition: a hitter's park when the strong winds off Lake Michigan are blowing out, it becomes more of a pitcher's park when they are blowing in.[121] The absence of a standardized field affects not only how particular games play out, but the nature of team rosters and players' statistical records. For example, hitting a fly ball 330 feet (100 m) into right field might result in a easy catch on the warning track at one park, and a home run at another. A team that plays in a park with a relatively short right field, such as the New York Yankees, will tend to stock its roster with left-handed pull hitters, who can best exploit it. On the individual level, a player who spends most of his career with a team that plays in a hitter's park will gain an advantage in batting statistics over time—even more so if his talents are especially suited to the park.[122]

source : wikipedia

Bisons baseball | Individual focus

2009-03-22T04:07:00.000-07:00

For a team sport, baseball places individual players under unusual scrutiny and pressure. In 1915, a baseball instructional manual pointed out that every single pitch, of which there are often more than two hundred in a game, involves an individual, one-on-one contest: "the pitcher and the batter in a battle of wits."[108] Contrasting the game with both football and basketball, scholar Michael Mandelbaum argues that "baseball is the one closest in evolutionary descent to the older individual sports.[109] Pitcher, batter, and fielder all act essentially independent of each other. While coaching staffs can signal pitcher or batter to pursue certain tactics, the execution of the play itself is a series of solitary acts. If the batter hits a line drive, the outfielder is solely responsible for deciding to try to catch it or play it on the bounce and for succeeding or failing. The statistical precision of baseball is both facilitated by this isolation and reinforces it. As described by Mandelbaum,

It is impossible to isolate and objectively assess the contribution each [football] team member makes to the outcome of the play.... [E]very basketball player is interacting with all of his teammates all the time. In baseball, by contrast, every player is more or less on his own.... Baseball is therefore a realm of complete transparency and total responsibility. A baseball player lives in a glass house, and in a stark moral universe.... Everything that every player does is accounted for and everything accounted for is either good or bad, right or wrong.[110]

Cricket is more similar to baseball than many other team sports in this regard: while the individual focus in cricket is mitigated by the importance of the batting partnership and the practicalities of tandem running, it is enhanced by the fact that a batsman may occupy the wicket for an hour or much more. There is no equivalent in cricket for the fielding error and thus, in this way, less statistical emphasis on personal responsibility.[111]

source : wikipedia

Bisons baseball | No clock to kill

2009-03-22T04:06:00.000-07:00

No clock to kill
In clock-limited sports, games often end with a team that holds the lead killing the clock rather than competing aggressively against the opposing team. In contrast, baseball has no clock; a team cannot win without getting the last batter out and rallies are not constrained by time. At almost any turn in any baseball game, the most advantageous strategy is some form of aggressive strategy.[103] In contrast, again, the clock comes into play even in the case of multi-day Test and first-class cricket: the possibility of a draw often encourages a team that is batting last and well behind to bat defensively, giving up any faint chance at a win in order to avoid a loss.[104] Baseball offers no such reward for conservative batting.

While nine innings has been the standard since the beginning of professional baseball, the duration of the average major league game has increased steadily through the years. At the turn of the twentieth century, games typically took an hour and a half to play. In the 1920s, they averaged just less than two hours, which eventually ballooned to 2:38 in 1960.[105] By 1997, the average American League game lasted 2:57 (National League games were about 10 minutes shorter—pitchers at the plate making for quicker outs than designated hitters).[106] In 2004, Major League Baseball declared that its goal was an average game of merely 2:45.[105] The lengthening of games is attributed to longer breaks between half-innings for television commercials, increased offense, more pitching changes, and a slower pace of play with pitchers taking more time between each delivery, and batters stepping out of the box more frequently.[105][106] Other leagues have experienced similar issues: In 2008, Nippon Professional Baseball took steps aimed at shortening games by 12 minutes from the preceding decade's average of 3:18.[107]

source : wikipedia

Bisons baseball | Distinctive elements

2009-03-22T04:05:00.001-07:00

Baseball has certain attributes that set it apart from the other popular team sports in the countries where it is has a following, games such as American and Canadian football, basketball, ice hockey, and soccer. All of these sports use a clock; in all of them, gameplay is less individual and more collective; and in none of them is the variation between playing fields nearly as substantial or important. Many of baseball's distinctive elements are shared in various ways with its cousin sport, cricket, making the comparison between cricket and baseball an intriguing one.

source : wikipedia

bisons baseball | Strategy and tactics baseball

2009-03-22T04:03:00.000-07:00

Many of the pre-game and in-game strategic decisions in baseball revolve around a fundamental fact: in general, right-handed batters tend to be more successful against left-handed pitchers and, to an even greater degree, left-handed batters tend to be more successful against right-handed pitchers.[94] A manager with several left-handed batters in his regular lineup who knows his team will be facing a left-handed standard pitcher may start one or more of the right-handed backups on the roster. During the late innings of a game, as relief pitchers and pinch hitters are brought in, the opposing managers will often go back and forth trying to create favorable matchups with their substitutions: the manager of the fielding team trying to arrange same-handed pitcher-batter matchups, the manager of the batting team trying to arrange opposite-handed matchups. With a team that has the lead in the late innings, a manager may remove a starting position player—especially one whose turn at bat is not likely to come up again—for a more skillful fielder.[95]

Pitching and fielding tactics

A first baseman receives a pickoff throw, as the runner dives back to first base.The tactical decision that precedes almost every play in a baseball game involves pitch selection. Among the wide variety of pitches that may be thrown, the four basic types are the fastball, the changeup (or off-speed pitch), and two breaking balls—the curveball and the slider.[96] Pitchers have different repertoires of pitches they are skillful at throwing. Conventionally, before each pitch, the catcher signals the pitcher what type of pitch to throw, as well as its general vertical and/or horizontal location.[97] If the pitcher disagrees with the selection, he may shake off the sign and the catcher will call for a different pitch. With a runner on base and taking a lead, the pitcher may attempt a pickoff, a quick throw to a fielder covering the base to keep the runner's lead in check or, optimally, effect a tag out. If an attempted stolen base is anticipated, the catcher may call for a pitchout, a ball thrown deliberately off the plate, allowing the catcher to catch it while standing and throw quickly to a base.[98] Facing a batter with a strong tendency to hit to one side of the field, the fielding team may employ a shift, with most or all of the fielders moving to the left or right of their usual positions. With a runner on third base, the infielders may play in, moving closer to home plate to improve the odds of throwing out the runner on a ground ball, though a sharply hit grounder is more likely to carry through a drawn-in infield.[99]

Batting and baserunning tactics

A batter squares to bunt, moving his hands up the barrel of the bat to increase his control and deaden the ball on impact.Several basic offensive tactics come into play with a runner on first base, including the fundamental choice of whether to attempt a steal of second base. The hit and run is sometimes employed with a skillful contact hitter: the runner takes off with the pitch drawing the shortstop or second baseman over to second base, creating a gap in the infield for the batter to poke the ball through.[100] The sacrifice bunt calls for the batter to focus on making contact with the ball so that it rolls a short distance into the infield, allowing the runner to advance into scoring position even at the expense of the batter being thrown out at first—if the batter succeeds, he is credited with a sacrifice. (A batter, particularly one who is a fast runner, may also attempt to bunt for a hit.) A sacrifice bunt employed with a runner on third base, aimed at bringing him home, is known as a squeeze play.[101] With a runner on third and fewer than two outs, a batter may instead concentrate on hitting a fly ball that, even if it is caught, will be deep enough to allow the runner to tag up and score—a successful batter in this case gets credit for a sacrifice fly.[99] The manager will sometimes signal a batter who is ahead in the count (i.e., has more balls than strikes) to take, or not swing at, the next pitch.[102]

source : wikipedia

Bisons baseball | Personnel baseball

2009-03-22T04:02:00.001-07:00

Player rosters

Relief pitchers warming up, overseen by a bullpen coach. A manager will often have both a right-handed and a left-handed reliever warm up to maximize his strategic options.Squad or roster sizes differ between different leagues and different levels of organized play. Major League Baseball teams maintain 25-player active rosters. A typical 25-man roster in a league without the DH rule, such as MLB's National League, will feature:[91]

eight position players—catcher, four infielders, three outfielders—who play on a regular basis
five starting pitchers who constitute the team's pitching rotation or starting rotation
six relief pitchers, including one specialist closer, who constitute the team's bullpen (named after the off-field area where pitchers warm up)
one substitute or backup catcher
two backup infielders
two backup outfielders
one specialist pinch hitter, or a second backup catcher, or a seventh reliever

Other personnel
The manager, or head coach of a team, oversees the team's major strategic decisions, such as establishing the starting rotation, setting the batting order or lineup before each game, and making substitutions during games—in particular, bringing in relief pitchers. Managers are typically assisted by two or more coaches; they may have specialized responsibilities, such as working with players on hitting, fielding, pitching, or strength and conditioning. At most levels of organized play, two coaches are stationed on the field when the team is at bat: The first base coach and third base coach, occupying designated coaches' boxes just outside the foul lines, assist in the direction of baserunners when the ball is in play, and relay tactical signals from the manager to batters and runners during pauses in play.[92]

Any baseball game involves one or more umpires, who make rulings on the outcome of each play. At a minimum, one umpire will stand behind the catcher, to have a good view of the strike zone, and call balls and strikes. Additional umpires may be stationed near the other bases, thus making it easier to judge plays such as attempted force outs and tag outs. In Major League Baseball, four umpires are used for each game, one near each base. In the playoffs, six umpires are used: one at each base and two in the outfield along the foul lines.[93

source : wikipedia

Bisons baseball | Rules and gameplay

2009-03-22T03:59:00.000-07:00

A game is played between two teams, each composed of nine players, that take turns playing offense (batting or hitting) and defense (fielding or pitching). A pair of turns, one at bat and one in the field, by each team constitutes an inning; there are nine innings in a game. One team—customarily the visiting team—bats in the first half (or "top") of every inning; the other team—customarily the home team—bats in the second half (or "bottom") of every inning. The goal of a game is to score more points (runs) than the other team. The players on the team at bat attempt to score runs by completing a tour of (circling) the four bases set at the corners of the square-shaped baseball diamond. A player bats at home plate and must proceed counterclockwise to first base, second base, third base, and back "home" in order to score a run. The team in the field attempts both to prevent runs from scoring and to record outs, which remove opposing players from offensive action until their turn in their team's batting order comes up again. When three outs are recorded, the teams switch roles for the next half-inning. If the score of the game is tied after nine innings, extra innings are played to resolve the contest. Children's games are often scheduled for fewer than nine innings.[77]

Diagram of a baseball field (the term diamond may be used to refer to the square area defined by the four bases or to the entire playing field). The dimensions given are for professional and professional-style games; children often play on smaller fields.The game is played on a field whose primary boundaries, the foul lines, extend forward from home plate at 45-degree angles. The 90-degree area within the foul lines is referred to as fair territory; the 270-degree area outside them is foul territory. The part of the field enclosed by the bases and several yards beyond them is the infield; the area farther beyond the infield is the outfield. In the middle of the infield is a raised pitcher's mound, with a rectangular rubber plate (the rubber) at its center. The outer boundary of the outfield is typically demarcated by a raised fence, which may be of any material and height (many amateur games are played on fields without a fence). Fair territory between home plate and the outfield boundary is baseball's "field of play", though significant events can take place in foul territory, as well.[78]

There are three basic tools of baseball: the ball, the bat, and the glove or mitt:

The baseball is about the size of an adult's fist, around 9 inches (23 centimeters) in circumference. It has a rubber or cork center, wound in yarn and covered in white cowhide, with red stitching.[79]
The bat is a hitting tool, traditionally made of a single, solid piece of wood; other materials are now commonly used for nonprofessional games. It is a hard round stick, about 2.5 inches (6.4 centimeters) in diameter at the hitting end, tapering to a narrower handle and culminating in a knob. Bats used by adults are typically around 34 inches (86 centimeters) long, and not longer than 42 inches (106 centimeters).[80]
The glove or mitt is a fielding tool, made of padded leather with webbing between the fingers. As an aid in catching and holding onto the ball, it takes various shapes to meet the specific needs of different fielding positions.[81]
Protective helmets are also standard equipment for all batters.[82]

At the beginning of each half-inning, the nine players on the fielding team arrange themselves around the field. One of them, the pitcher, stands on the pitcher's mound; he will begin his pitching delivery with one foot on the rubber, pushing off it in order to gain velocity when throwing toward home plate. Another player, the catcher, squats on the far side of home plate, facing the pitcher. The rest of the team faces home plate, typically arranged as four infielders—who set up along or within a few yards outside the imaginary lines between first, second, and third base—and three outfielders. In the standard arrangement, there is a first baseman positioned several steps to the left of first base, a second baseman to the right of second base, a shortstop to the left of second base, and a third baseman to the right of third base. The basic outfield positions are left fielder, center fielder, and right fielder. A neutral umpire sets up behind the catcher.[83]

Awaiting a pitch: batter, catcher, and umpire.Gameplay starts with a batter standing at home plate, holding a bat. The batter waits for the pitcher to throw a pitch (the ball) toward home plate, and attempts to hit the ball with the bat. The catcher catches pitches that the batter does not hit—as a result of either electing not to swing or failing to connect—and returns them to the pitcher. If the batter hits the ball into the field of play, he must drop the bat and begin running toward first base, at which point he is referred to as a runner. If the runner successfully reaches first base, he is said to be safe there and is now on base. He may choose to remain at first base or attempt to advance to second base or even beyond—however far he believes he can reach safely. If a player reaches base despite proper play by the fielders, he has recorded a hit. A player who reaches first base safely on a hit is credited with a single. If he makes it to second base safely as a direct result of his hit, it is a double; third base, a triple. If the ball is hit in the air within the foul lines over the entire outfield (and outfield fence, if there is one), it is a home run: the batter and any runners on base may all freely circle the bases, each scoring a run. This is the most desirable result for the batter. If a player reaches base due to a fielding mistake, he is not credited with a hit—instead, the responsible fielder is charged with an error.[84]

Any runners already on base may attempt to advance on batted balls that contact the ground (land) in fair territory, before or after the ball lands; a runner on first base must attempt to advance if a ball lands in play. If a ball hit into play rolls foul before passing through the infield, it becomes dead and any runners must return to the base they were at when the play began. If the ball is hit in the air and caught before it lands, the batter has flied out and any runners on base may attempt to advance only if they tag up or touch the base they were at when the play began, as or after the ball is caught. Runners may also attempt to advance to the next base while the pitcher is in the process of delivering the ball to home plate—a successful effort is a stolen base.[85]

A pitch that is not hit into the field of play is called either a strike or a ball. A batter strikes out if he gets three strikes. He is awarded a base on balls or walk, a free advance to first base, if he is thrown four balls. (A batter may also freely advance to first base if any part of his body or uniform is struck by a pitch before he either swings at it or it contacts the ground.) Crucial to determining balls and strikes is the umpire's judgment as to whether a pitch has passed through the strike zone, a conceptual area above home plate extending from the midpoint between the batter's shoulders and belt down to the hollow of the knee.[86]

A strike is called when one of the following happens:

The batter lets a well-pitched ball (one within the strike zone) go through to the catcher.
The batter swings at any ball (even one outside the strike zone) and misses.
The batter hits a foul ball—one that either initially lands in foul territory or initially lands within the diamond but moves into foul territory before passing first or third base. If there are already two strikes on the batter, a foul ball is not counted as a third strike; thus, a foul ball cannot result in the immediate strikeout of the batter.
A ball is called when the pitcher throws a pitch that is outside the strike zone, provided the batter has not swung at it.[86][87]

A shortstop tries to tag out a runner who is sliding headfirst, attempting to reach second base.While the team at bat is attempting to score runs, the team in the field is attempting to record outs. Among the various ways an out may be recorded, five are most common:

The strikeout: as described above, the batter is out if three strikes are recorded against him before he puts the ball into play or is awarded a free advance to first base.
The flyout: as described above, the batter is out if he hits a ball in the air and a fielder catches it, whether in fair territory or foul territory, before it lands, whether or not the batter has run.
The ground out: the batter (in this case, batter-runner) is out if he hits a ball that lands in fair territory and, before he can reach first base, a fielder retrieves it and touches first base while holding the ball or relays it to another fielder who touches first base while holding the ball.
The force out: a runner is out if he is required to attempt to advance—either because he is on first base and a batted ball lands in fair territory, or because the runner immediately behind him on the basepath is thus required to attempt to advance—but fails to reach the next base before a fielder touches the base while holding the ball. The ground out is technically a special case of the force out.
The tag out: a runner is out if he is not touching a base and a fielder touches him with the ball or a glove holding the ball.
It is possible to record two outs in the course of the same play—a double play; even three—a triple play—is possible, though this is very rare. Players put out or retired must leave the field, returning to their team's dugout or bench. A runner may be stranded on base when a third out is recorded against another player on his team. Stranded runners do not benefit the team in its next turn at bat—every half-inning begins with the bases empty of runners.[88]

An individual player's turn batting or plate appearance is complete when he reaches base (or hits a home run), makes an out, or hits a ball that results in his team's third out, even if it is recorded against a teammate. On rare occasions, a batter may be at the plate when, without his having hit the ball, a third out is recorded against a teammate—for instance, a runner getting caught stealing (tagged out attempting to steal a base). A batter with this sort of incomplete plate appearance starts off his team's next turn batting; any balls or strikes he recorded the previous inning are erased. A runner may circle the bases only once per plate appearance and thus can score at most a single run per batting turn. Once a player has completed a plate appearance, he may not bat again until the eight other members of his team have all taken their turn at bat. The batting order is set before the game begins, and may not be altered except for substitutions. Once a player has been removed for a substitute, he may not reenter the game. Children's games often have more liberal substitution rules.[89]

If the designated hitter (DH) rule is in effect, each team has a tenth player whose sole responsibility is to bat (and run). The DH takes the place of another player—almost invariably the pitcher—in the batting order, but does not field. Thus, even with the DH, each team still has a batting order of nine players and a fielding arrangement of nine players.[90]

source : wikipedia

Bisons baseball | Baseball around the world

2009-03-22T03:58:00.000-07:00

History of baseball outside the United States
Baseball in Cuba, Baseball in Japan, and Baseball in the United Kingdom
Baseball, widely known as America's pastime, is well established in several other countries as well.

The history of baseball in Canada has remained closely linked with that of the sport in the United States. As early as 1877, a professional league, the International Association, featured teams from both countries.[65] While baseball is widely played in Canada, and many minor league teams have been based in the country, the American major leagues did not include a Canadian club until 1969, when the Montreal Expos joined the National League as an expansion team. In 1977, the expansion Toronto Blue Jays joined the American League. The Blue Jays won the World Series in 1992 and 1993, the first and still the only club from outside the United States to do so. After the 2004 season, Major League Baseball relocated the Expos to Washington, D.C., where the team is now known as the Nationals.

Sadaharu Oh managing the Japan national team in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. Playing for the Central League's Yomiuri Giants (1959–80), Oh set the professional world record for home runs.The first formal baseball league outside of the United States and Canada was founded in 1878 in Cuba, which maintains a rich baseball tradition and whose national team has been one of the world's strongest since international play began in the late 1930s. The Dominican Republic held its first islandwide championship tournament in 1912.[66] Professional baseball tournaments and leagues began to form in other countries between the world wars, including the Netherlands (formed in 1922), Australia (1934), Japan (1936), Mexico (1937), and Puerto Rico (1938).[67] The Japanese major leagues—the Central League and Pacific League—have long been considered the highest quality professional circuits outside of the United States[68] (since the Cuban Revolution, all of that country's players have officially been considered amateurs).

After World War II, professional leagues were founded in many Latin American nations, most prominently Venezuela (1946) and the Dominican Republic (1955).[69] Since the early 1970s, the annual Caribbean Series has matched the championship clubs from the four leading Latin American "winter leagues": the Dominican Winter League, Mexican Pacific League, Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League, and Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. In Asia, South Korea (1982), Taiwan (1990), and China (2003) all have professional leagues.[70]

Many European countries have pro leagues as well, the most successful beside the Dutch being the Italian league founded in 1948.[71] Compared to those in Asia and Latin America, the various European leagues and the one in Australia historically have had no more than niche appeal. In 2004, Australia won a surprise silver medal at the Olympic Games. The Israel Baseball League, launched in 2007, folded after one season.[72] The Confédération Européene de Baseball (European Baseball Confederation), founded in 1953, organizes a number of competitions between clubs from different countries as well as national squads. Other competitions between national teams, such as the Baseball World Cup and the Olympic baseball tournament, have been administered by the International Baseball Federation since its formation in 1938. As of 2009, the organization has 117 member countries.[73]

After being admitted to the Olympics as a medal sport beginning with the 1992 Games, baseball was dropped from the 2012 Summer Olympic Games at the 2005 International Olympic Committee meeting. It remained part of the 2008 Games and will be put to a vote again for each succeeding Summer Olympics. The elimination of baseball, along with softball, from the 2012 Olympic program enabled the IOC to consider adding two different sports, but none received the majority vote required for inclusion.[74] While the sport's lack of a following in much of the world was a factor, more important has been Major League Baseball's reluctance to have a break during the Games so that its players can participate, something that the National Hockey League now does during the Winter Olympic Games. Such a break is more difficult for MLB to accommodate, because it would force the playoffs deep into cold weather.[75] Major League Baseball initiated the World Baseball Classic, scheduled to precede the major league season, partly as a replacement high-profile international tournament. The inaugural Classic, held in March 2006, was the first tournament involving national teams to feature a significant number of MLB participants.[76]

Bisons baseball | Attendance records and the "age of steroids"

2009-03-22T03:56:00.000-07:00

Attendance records and the "age of steroids"
The player's union became bolder under the leadership of former United Steelworkers chief economist and negotiator Marvin Miller, who was elected executive director in 1966.[51] On the playing field, major league pitchers were becoming increasingly dominant again. After the 1968 season, in an effort to restore balance, the strike zone was reduced and the height of the pitcher's mound was lowered. The following year, both the National and American leagues added two more expansion teams; the leagues were reorganized into two divisions each, and a post-season playoff system leading to the World Series was instituted. In 1969, as well, Curt Flood of the St. Louis Cardinals made the first serious legal challenge to the reserve clause. The major leagues' first general players' strike took place in 1972.[52] In another effort to add more offense to the game, the American League adopted the designated hitter rule the following year.[53] In 1975, the union's power—and players' salaries—began to increase greatly when the reserve clause was effectively struck down, leading to the free agency system.[54] In 1977, two more expansion teams joined the American League. Significant work stoppages occurred again in 1981 and 1994, the latter forcing the cancellation of the World Series for the first time in ninety years.[55] Attendance had been growing steadily since the mid-1970s; in 1994, before the stoppage, the majors were setting their all-time record for per-game attendance.[56][46]

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels, Most Valuable Player of the 2008 National League Championship Series and World Series.The addition of two more expansion teams after the 1993 season had facilitated another restructuring of the major leagues, this time into three divisions each. Offensive production—in particular, the number of home runs—had surged that year, and again in the abbreviated 1994 season.[57] After play resumed in 1995, this trend continued, and non–division winning wild card teams became a permanent fixture of the post-season. Regular-season interleague play was introduced in 1997, and the second-highest attendance mark for a full season was set.[58] The next year, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa both surpassed Maris's decades-old single season home run record and two more expansion franchises were added. In 2000, the National and American leagues were dissolved as legal entities. While their identities were maintained for scheduling purposes (and the designated hitter distinction), the regulations and other functions—such as player discipline and umpire supervision—they had administered separately were consolidated under the rubric of Major League Baseball (MLB).[59]

In 2001, Barry Bonds established the current record of 73 home runs in a single season. There had long been suspicions that the dramatic increase in power hitting was fueled in large part by the abuse of illegal steroids (as well as by the dilution of pitching talent due to expansion), but the issue only began attracting significant media attention in 2002 and there was no penalty for the use of performance-enhancing drugs before 2004.[60] In 2007, Bonds became MLB's all-time home run leader, surpassing Hank Aaron, as total major league and minor league attendance both reached all-time highs.[61][62] Even though McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds—as well as many other players, including storied pitcher Roger Clemens—have been implicated in the steroid abuse scandal, their feats and those of other sluggers had become the major leagues' defining attraction.[63] In contrast to the professional game's resurgence in popularity after the 1994 interruption, Little League enrollment was in decline: after peaking in 1996, it dropped 1 percent a year over the following decade.[64]

source : wikipedia

Bisons baseball | The rise of Ruth and racial integration

2009-03-22T03:54:00.000-07:00

Compared with the present, professional baseball in the early twentieth century was lower scoring and pitchers, the likes of Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson, were more dominant. The "inside game", which demanded that players "scratch for runs", was played much more aggressively than it is today; the brilliant, and often violent, Ty Cobb epitomized this style.[36] The so-called dead-ball era ended in the early 1920s with several changes in rule and circumstance that were advantageous to hitters. Strict new regulations governing the ball's size, shape and composition, coupled with superior materials available after World War I, resulted in a ball that traveled farther when hit. The construction of additional seating to accommodate the rising popularity of the game often had the effect of bringing the outfield fences closer in, making home runs more common.[37] The rise of the legendary player Babe Ruth, the first great power hitter of the new era, helped permanently alter the nature of the game. The club with which Ruth set most of his slugging records, the New York Yankees, built a reputation as the majors' premiere team.[38] In the late 1920s and early 1930s, St. Louis Cardinals general manager Branch Rickey invested in several minor league clubs and developed the first modern "farm system".[39] A new Negro National League was organized in 1933; four years later, it was joined by the Negro American League. The first elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame took place in 1936. In 1939, Little League Baseball was founded in Pennsylvania. By the late 1940s, it was the organizing body for children's baseball leagues across the United States.

Jackie Robinson in 1945, as a member of the era's Kansas City Royals, the barnstorming squad of the Negro American League's Kansas City Monarchs.With America's entry into World War II, many professional players had left to serve in the armed forces. A large number of minor league teams disbanded as a result, and the major league game seemed under threat as well. Chicago Cubs owner Philip K. Wrigley led the formation of a new professional league with women players to help keep the game in the public eye; the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League existed from 1943 to 1954.[40] The inaugural College World Series was held in 1947, and the Babe Ruth League youth program was founded; it soon became another important organizing body for children's baseball. The first crack in the unwritten agreement barring blacks from white-controlled professional ball had occurred the previous year: Jackie Robinson was signed by the National League's Brooklyn Dodgers—where Branch Rickey had become general manager—and began playing for their minor league team in Montreal.[41] Finally, in 1947, the major leagues' color barrier was broken when Robinson debuted with the Dodgers. Larry Doby debuted with the American League's Cleveland Indians the same year.[42] Latin American players, largely overlooked before, also started entering the majors in greater numbers; in 1951, two Chicago White Sox, Venezuelan-born Chico Carrasquel and Cuban-born (and black) Minnie Miñoso, became the first Hispanic All-Stars.[43][44]

Facing competition as varied as television and football, baseball attendance at all levels declined; while the majors rebounded by the mid-1950s, the minor leagues were gutted and hundreds of semipro and amateur teams dissolved.[45][46] Integration proceeded slowly: By 1953, only six of the sixteen major league teams had a black player on the roster.[43] That year, the Major League Baseball Players Association was founded; the first professional baseball union to survive more than briefly, it remained largely ineffective for years.[47] No major league team had been located west of St. Louis, Missouri, until 1958, when the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants relocated to Los Angeles and San Francisco, respectively.[48] The majors' final all-white bastion, the Boston Red Sox, added a black player in 1959.[43] With the integration of the majors drying up the available pool of players, the last Negro league folded the following year.[49] In 1961, the American League reached the West Coast with the Los Angeles Angels expansion team, as the major league season was extended from 154 games to 162. This coincidentally helped Roger Maris break Babe Ruth's long-standing single-season home run record, one of the most celebrated marks in baseball.[50] Along with the Angels, three other new franchises were launched during 1961–62; with this, the first major league expansion in sixty years, each league now had ten teams.

Bisons baseball | The game turns professional

2009-03-22T03:51:00.000-07:00

In the mid-1850s, a baseball craze hit the New York metropolitan area.[16] By 1856, local journals were referring to baseball as the "national pastime" or "national game".[17] A year later, sixteen area clubs formed the sport's first governing body, the National Association of Base Ball Players. In 1863, the NABBP disallowed putouts made by catching a ball on the first bounce. Four years later, the group barred participation by African Americans.[18] The game's commercial potential was developing: in 1869 the first fully professional baseball club, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, was formed and went undefeated against a schedule of semipro and amateur teams.[19] The first professional league, the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players, lasted from 1871 to 1875; scholars dispute its status as a "major league".[20]

The more formally structured National League was founded in 1876; as the oldest surviving major league, the National League is sometimes referred to as the "senior circuit".[21] Several other major leagues formed and failed. In 1884, African American Moses Walker (and, briefly, his brother Welday) played in one of these, the American Association.[22] An injury ended Walker's major league career, and by the early 1890s, a "gentlemen's agreement" in the form of the baseball color line effectively barred black players from the white-owned professional leagues, major and minor.[23] Professional Negro leagues formed, but quickly folded; several independent African American teams succeeded as barnstormers.[24] Also in 1884, overhand pitching was legalized.[25] In 1887, softball, under the name of "indoor baseball" or "indoor-outdoor", was invented as a winter version of the parent game.[26] Virtually all of the modern baseball rules were in place by 1893; the last major change—counting foul balls as strikes—was instituted in 1901.[25] The National League's first successful counterpart, the American League, which evolved from the minor Western League, was established that year.[27] The two leagues, each with eight teams, began as rivals that fought for the best players, often disregarding each other's contracts and engaging in bitter legal disputes.[28]

The New York Giants baseball team, 1913. Fred Merkle, sixth in line, committed a baserunning error in a crucial 1908 game that became famous as "Merkle's Boner".A modicum of peace was eventually established, leading to the National Agreement of 1903. The pact formalized relations both between the two major leagues and between them and the National Association of Professional Base Ball Leagues, representing most of the country's minor professional leagues.[29] The World Series, pitting the two major league champions against each other, was inaugurated that fall, albeit without express major league sanction: The Boston Americans of the American League defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League.[30] The next year, the series was not held, as the National League champion New York Giants, under manager John McGraw, refused to recognize the major league status of the American League and its champion.[31] In 1905, the Giants were National League champions again and team management relented, leading to the establishment of the World Series as the major leagues' annual championship event.[32]

As professional baseball became increasingly profitable, players frequently raised grievances against owners over issues of control and equitable income distribution. During the major leagues' early decades, players on various teams occasionally attempted strikes, which routinely failed when their jobs were sufficiently threatened. In general, the strict rules of baseball contracts and the reserve clause, which bound players to their teams even when their contracts had ended, tended to keep the players in check.[33] Motivated by dislike for a particularly stingy owner and gamblers' payoffs, real and promised, members of the Chicago White Sox conspired to throw the 1919 World Series. The "Black Sox Scandal" led to the formation of a new National Commission of baseball that drew the two major leagues closer together.[34] The first major league baseball commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, was elected in 1920. That year also saw the founding of the Negro National League; the first significant Negro league, it would operate until 1931. For part of the 1920s, it was joined by the Eastern Colored League.[35]

source : wikipedia

Bisons baseball | Origins of baseball

2009-03-22T03:48:00.001-07:00

The distinct evolution of baseball from among the various bat-and-ball games is difficult to trace with precision. A French manuscript from 1344 contains an illustration of clerics playing a game, possibly la soule, with certain similarities to baseball;[1] other old French games such as théque, la balle au bâton, and la balle empoisonée also appear to be related.[2] Consensus used to hold that today's baseball is a North American development from the older game rounders, popular in Great Britain and Ireland. However a 2005 book, Baseball Before We Knew It: A Search for the Roots of the Game, by David Block, and more recently uncovered historical evidence suggest that the game in fact originated in England. Block argues that rounders and early baseball were actually regional variants of each other, and that the game's most direct antecedents are the English games of stoolball and "tut-ball".[3] It has long been believed that cricket also descended from such games, though evidence uncovered in early 2009 suggests that the sport may have been imported to England from Flanders.[4]

The earliest known reference to baseball is in a 1744 British publication, A Little Pretty Pocket-Book, by John Newbery. It contains a rhymed description of "base-ball" and a wood-cut illustration showing a field set-up somewhat similar to the modern game—though in a triangular rather than diamond configuration, and with posts instead of ground-level bases.[5] English lawyer William Bray recorded a game of "baseball" on Easter Monday 1755 in Guildford, Surrey; Bray's diary was verified as authentic in September 2008.[6] This early form of the game was apparently brought to North America by English immigrants; rounders was also brought to the continent by both British and Irish immigrants. The first known American reference to "baseball" appears in a 1791 Pittsfield, Massachusetts, town bylaw prohibiting the playing of the game near the town's new meeting house.[7] By 1796, a version of the game was well-known enough to earn a mention in a German scholar's book on popular pastimes. As described by Johann Gutsmuths, "englische Base-ball" involved a contest between two teams, in which "the batter has three attempts to hit the ball while at the home plate"; only one out was required to retire a side.[8]

By the early 1830s, there are reports of a variety of uncodified bat-and-ball games recognizable as early forms of baseball being played around North America. These games were often referred to locally as "town ball", though other names such as "round-ball" and "base-ball" were also used.[9] Among the earliest examples to receive a detailed description—albeit five decades after the fact, in a letter from an attendee to Sporting Life magazine—took place in Beachville, Ontario, Canada, in 1838. There were many similarities to modern baseball, and some crucial differences: five bases (or byes); first bye just 6 yards (10 m) from the home bye; batter out if a hit ball was caught after the first bounce.[10] The once widely accepted story that Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown, New York, in 1839 has been conclusively debunked by sports historians.[11] In 1845, Alexander Cartwright, a member of New York City's Knickerbockers club, led the codification of the so-called Knickerbocker Rules.[12] The practice, common to bat-and-ball games of the day, of "soaking" or "plugging"—effecting a put out by hitting a runner with a thrown ball—was barred. The rules thus facilitated the use of a smaller, harder ball than had been common. Several other rules also brought the Knickerbockers' game close to the modern one, though a ball caught on the first bounce was, again, an out and only underhand pitching was allowed.[13] While there are reports of the New York Knickerbockers playing games in 1845, the contest now recognized as the first baseball game in U.S. history to be officially recorded took place on June 19, 1846, in Hoboken, New Jersey, with the "New York Nine" defeating the Knickerbockers, 23–1, in four innings.[14] With the Knickerbocker code as the basis, the rules of modern baseball continued to evolve over the next half century.[15]

Bisons baseball | baseball

2009-03-22T03:38:00.000-07:00

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal of baseball is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four markers called bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond. Players on one team (the batting team) take turns hitting against the pitcher on the other team (the fielding team), which tries to stop them from scoring runs by getting hitters out in any of several ways. A player on the batting team can stop at any of the bases and hope to score on a teammate's hit. The teams switch between batting and fielding whenever the fielding team gets three outs. One turn at bat for each team constitutes an inning; nine innings make up a professional game. The team with the most runs at the end of the game wins.

Evolving from older bat-and-ball games, an early form of baseball was being played in England by the mid-eighteenth century. This game and the related game of rounders were brought by British and Irish immigrants to North America, where the modern version of baseball developed. By the late nineteenth century, baseball was widely recognized as the national sport of the United States. Baseball on the professional, amateur, and youth levels is now popular in North America, parts of Central and South America and the Caribbean, and parts of East and Southeast Asia. The game is sometimes referred to as hardball in contrast to the derivative game of softball.

In North America, professional Major League Baseball teams are divided into the National League (NL) and American League (AL). Each league has three divisions: East, West, and Central. Every year, the champion of Major League Baseball is determined by playoffs culminating in the World Series. Four teams make the playoffs from each league: the three regular season division winners, plus one wild card team. The wild card is the team with the best record among the non–division winners in the league. In the National League, the pitcher is required to bat, per the traditional rules. In the American League, there is a tenth player, a designated hitter, who bats for the pitcher. Each major league team has a "farm system" of minor league teams at various levels. These teams allow younger players to develop as they gain on-field experience against opponents with similar levels of skill.

source : wikipedia

Bisons baseball | baseball trends | top 5 trends

2009-03-22T03:34:00.000-07:00

baseball trends

1. US
2. Canada
3. Australia
4. United Kingdom
5. Italy

Source : google

Baseball | bisons baseball | What Are Your Favorite Fun Foods To Eat At A Baseball Game?

2009-03-22T03:26:00.000-07:00

What do you find yourself eating the most of while watching the baseball game in the stadium? Is it hotdogs, soda, pizza, or beer? How about some new favorites to go with the old standby foods? Do you like chocolate covered strawberries or a mellow red wine?

Would cajun chicken & onion rings hit the spot? What foods get a baseball fan excited and ready to go see their number one baseball team win the series? Would Pink Lemonade or a ice cold Cinnamon Tea with mint do?

Have some fun and experiment with different foods to enhance your pleasure of seeing major league baseball teams compete! Try some spicy shrimp tandoor or chargrilled bacon cheeseburgers with all the extras. Lettuce, tomato, mushrooms, pickles, red onions & a provolone, cheddar cheese mix.

Does sweet potato salad with chives and celery sound good? Watch the New York Mets or the New York Yankees play while munching your steak & cheese on a fresh, dipped in gravy, sub roll.

Orange sherbets & raspberry sorbets will take the heat off and satisfy the tastebuds of any hard core baseball fan! Wraps of roast beef and horse radish or chicken with roasted red peppers make my mouth water! Munch on some mango salsa with blue corn chips or all natural buffalo jerky snacks.

Find some new foods at the stadium in the international foods section or make and bring your own new delights to have a roaring experience!

Doreen Gayer is a freelance writer and Web/Graphic Designer for TicketMagic.com You can buy or sell any kind of tickets for sports events, concerts, and theatre shows

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Doreen_Gayer

Baseball | bisons baseball | Baseball Cards As Celebrity Memorabilia

2009-03-22T03:10:00.000-07:00

Baseball fans are by and far one of the most fanatic groups when it comes to collecting sports and celebrity memorabilia. They are only second to American football. They will collect anything that revolves around the sport or in most cases their specific sporting team.

When it comes to baseball in particular most collectors will base a good deal of their collection in baseball cards. In fact, many collectors of baseball cards have collections worth thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Most collectors will begin their collection by saving and protecting every baseball card that they can find. They will not only collect baseball cards of widely popular or high averaging players, but will collect and preserve cards from all averages and teams. They will do this for the simple fact that you never know when a baseball player will go up in value due to their performance. There is also the fact that many players who make the news in a controversial manner will see a rise in the price of their cards.

When collecting baseball cards as celebrity memorabilia you will no doubt want to look into the various methods in which you can protect your investments. Most collectors will purchase the cards in what is know as "mint condition." These cards are free of spots, blemishes, rips, and folds. They are in the same condition they were in when they left the factory in which they were produced. They will take these "mint condition" cards and will place them in protective sleeves that are made out of either hard or soft plastic.

From there most collectors will purchase typical photo album books in which they will store the cards in three-prong baseball card collecting sleeves. This will protect and keep the cards organized.

When storing baseball cards that you are collecting as celebrity memorabilia, you should always be sure to store them in areas that are free from changing temperature conditions, and free of harm from other elements such as water and or wind.

Obtaining baseball cards for your collection is generally the easy part. Baseball cards are generally sold at all major department stores and also at many gas stations in packs that can contain anywhere from five to ten cards. You can also purchase baseball cards at sport memorabilia stores where you will have a greater choice in the type of card that you are purchasing. There are many brands of baseball cards for you to choose from.

You should look into each type of card and figure out from your personal research which brand is worth the most amount of money. Once you have determined this you can settle for that one brand, or you can purchase one or two brands of cards to go with your collection. Most collectors of baseball cards as celebrity memorabilia will collect multiple brands.

Many sporting memorabilia stores also run special trading card nights where you can join other collectors and trade cards from your collection for which you have multiple copies. This is a great way to make your collection grow.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for autographed celebrity photos, celebrity collectibles, and autographed art. You will find it all at these sites for autographed celebrity photos, baseball cards celebrity

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Victor_Epand

Baseball | bisons baseball | How to Break in a Baseball Glove

2009-03-22T02:56:00.000-07:00

Baseball gloves are available in almost every size, color and material known to man. Traditional gloves are made from leather or faux-leather and more recently from buffalo and kangaroo hides. No matter what the material, baseball gloves need to be broken in. Players find that by using various methods to break the glove in, they will get a better fit and therefore play a better game.

Different players will certainly have different methods and ways to show you how to break in a baseball glove. You can expect that for each method, another will be said to work better. Methods for breaking in a baseball glove can be viewed as a personal preference and will need to be tweaked for the individual. To summarize, there are two basic goals in breaking in a glove: to soften the glove and to create a pocket. The best method for breaking in a glove, however, is simply to use it as much as possible.

You can use a multitude of methods to soften the leather. If you want to learn how to break in a baseball glove, this is the best way to start. You can use shaving cream, petroleum jelly, saddle soap or a leather softener made for baseball gloves. Most baseball glove manufacturers offer a leather softener for their products. These usually work very well but some players have their own tried-and-true methods. Experts suggest that you be very conservative in your use of creams or jellies; more is certainly not better in the case of softening leather.

The best method by far for creating a pocket is simply using the glove. The more wear and play time your glove has seen, a better pocket will form. There are, however, other methods to speed up this process and make your glove more comfortable quicker. The most popular method in creating a pocket is to put a baseball inside the glove and then tie it up with string. You can even find products that will help the baseball glove stay closed to form the pocket. By using this method, along with a lot of playing, you will find that a pocket has formed inside the glove before you know it.

Baseball Gloves Info provides detailed information about custom and discount baseball gloves, as well as baseball batting gloves, baseball glove reviews, and advice on how to break in baseball gloves. Baseball Gloves Info is the sister site of Baseball Bats Web

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Gluckman

Baseball | bisons baseball | How Are Baseball Gloves Made?

2009-03-22T02:50:00.000-07:00

In the early days baseball was played with bare hands. But as the game has evolved gloves have become an integral part of the game. Nowadays there are a variety of baseball gloves including youth, catchers' mitts and first base mitts.

Basically, the baseball glove is made out of leather. The method of turning animal skins into leather is known as "vegetable tanning." The other primary method of tanning is called "chrome tanning," and almost all baseball gloves today are made by this method.

Buffalo leather and kangaroo leather are also used to make gloves. The process of glove making involves molding a hollow plastic shell into the exterior convex front and back surfaces of the baseball glove. Shaped segments, including patterned depressions are made to form the outlines of the finger and thumb areas of the glove. A pair of webs is added between the thumb and index finger, and to give the glove a leather-like shine, an additional surface of cut out lines and lacing are added. The shell of the glove is molded utilizing slush, rotation or blow-injection techniques. Initially when the glove shell is formed, it is a convex structure. After construction, the front exterior surface is substantially concave with a convex tubular finger and thumb area. The shell is removed from the mold; the front of the glove is forced inward so that the front and back can be joined together. Padding is usually inserted in the palm area of the glove.

As the game progresses and become more and more competitive, the manufacturing processes will also undergo more changes to make more durable baseball gloves.

Baseball Gloves provides detailed information on Baseball Gloves, Baseball Glove Reviews, Custom Baseball Gloves, Baseball Batting Gloves and more. Baseball Gloves is affiliated with Wood Baseball Bats

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Gluckman

Baseball | Bisons baseball | A Review of Popular Baseball Gloves

2009-03-22T02:43:00.000-07:00

When shopping for a new glove, one has many brands, styles and fits to choose from. Companies make many gloves from various materials that can cost as little as $10 or as much as $250 for a custom made glove. The following is a brief review of companies that offer some of the best gloves on the market.

Rawlings Baseball Gloves

Perhaps the best-known and respected baseball glove is manufactured by Rawlings. Rawlings baseball gloves have been a favorite of amateurs and professionals for over eight years. They are most admired for their comfort and safety features as well as the range of prices. You can purchase the most expensive line of gloves for $300 or so, but Rawlings baseball gloves also come in cheaper versions, sometimes for $10 or less.

Nike Baseball Gloves

Nike is probably best known for its athletic shoes and other lines of athletic clothing. The company, however, has recently begun to manufacture its own line of baseball gloves. The Nike baseball glove has been gaining tremendous popularity in recent years. The most popular baseball gloves by Nike are the "Pro Gold" and "SDR" lines. The Pro Gold gloves are top of the line and usually retail for $100 or more, while the SDR baseball gloves start at around $60. Perhaps the best feature of Nike baseball gloves is the ""dry finger"" liner inside each glove which helps to keep fingers cool and reduce perspiration during play.

Mizuno Baseball Gloves

Mizuno baseball gloves are another popular brand in America. They are even more popular for Asian baseball players. This company offers at least 11 different styles of gloves, with a wide price range. The ""Pro Limited"" series can cost up to $250, but Mizuno baseball gloves are also available in cheaper models for around $20.

Nokona Baseball Gloves

Most baseball glove experts will agree that Nokona offers the best and highest quality gloves available to consumers. These are American-made gloves from Texas and the company has been manufacturing them since the early 20th century. The least expensive line of Nokona baseball gloves usually starts at around $125 and higher-end gloves can cost much more.
In addition to leather baseball gloves, Nokona also offers gloves made from buffalo and kangaroo hides.

Baseball Gloves Info provides detailed information about custom and discount baseball gloves, as well as baseball batting gloves, baseball glove reviews, and advice on how to break in baseball gloves. Baseball Gloves Info is the sister site of Baseball Bats Web

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Gluckman

bisons baseball | How to Win Fantasy Baseball Leagues and Fantasy Baseball Games

2009-03-22T00:42:00.000-07:00

From the days of keeping track of baseball stats with nothing more than pencil, paper and USA Today, fantasy baseball games have exploded to become the national pastime of choice for fantasy aficionados. As a whole, fantasy sports are a $1.65 billion industry as of 2006 according to STATS, Inc with fantasy baseball a good chunk of that. The growth of the internet has led to numerous innovative takes on fantasy baseball such as fantasy simulation baseball leagues, including Baseball among others.

It is not uncommon to find fantasy managers who actively participate in multiple fantasy baseball leagues every season. For example, they may have one Yahoo AL league, one CBS Sports line league and a couple of Baseball fantasy baseball simulation leagues.

The following tips are tried and true pieces of advice that have helped the writers win multiple fantasy baseball league championships in the toughest of leagues.

1. Know the rules inside and out

Each fantasy baseball league has its own rules and settings. Not knowing how points are accrued is obviously not good. Carefully review how many positions you're allowed to have active as that will dictate part of your draft strategy. For example, if your fantasy baseball league requires 2 catchers you may wish to target star catchers much earlier. If you are in an AL only fantasy baseball league with 12 teams that requires 5 outfielders, you will need to fill up on quality outfielders sooner rather than later.

Another thing to look out for is limitations on waiver or trade transactions. I once lost a fantasy baseball simulation league that had a 35 maximum limit on transactions which I hit with 2 critical weeks to go. Some weekly fantasy baseball leagues may require you to set your lineup for the upcoming week ahead of time. If that's the case, transactions and trades need to be done in advance looking ahead 2 weeks or so.

2. Prepare for the draft...

Knowledge is gold. Knowing before the fantasy baseball draft roughly who you'll be targeting and who you want to avoid will prevent too much scrambling through fantasy baseball magazines and fantasy baseball web sites during the draft (if it is live). Also have a general strategy. Are you looking to win strikeout categories by drafting pitching first and foremost? Will you dominate steals and grab those studs early?

Make sure to use Rotowire.com and check the latest fantasy baseball news on the player you're about to pick. There are very few feelings worse than just finding out the player you picked is out for 6 months or the entire season.

Review offseason moves that might impact your target picks. Is the hitter going to a more hitter-friendly ballpark or vice versa? Is there a position shift imminent that might give him more flexibility?

3. ...But don't give up if you had a bad draft

Too many fantasy baseball managers get discouraged if they had a bad draft. Hey, it happens. Maybe you just messed up your picks. Maybe you weren't available during the live draft and the system autopicked a mediocre team for you. One thing is certain. If you give up before the season has even started, you will lose. However, if you pick yourself up, work the waivers and trades, you put yourself in a position to make the playoffs where anything can happen.

4. Focus on hitters first, pitchers second

This secret is controversial in the sense that there are many who may disagree with this philosophy, so take it with a grain of salt. Generally speaking, the performance of pitchers fluctuates greatly while hitters are more consistent. This leads me to avoid overpaying for pitchers -starters or relievers-by targeting stud hitters early on who have a better chance of giving me a strong return for my pick. Build around a core of solid hitters, then target consistent pitchers or up-and-comers for a rotation and bullpen with consistency and upside.

5. Don't go nuts on rookies

Rookies in fantasy baseball are like penny stocks. You might find the occasional winner but the vast majority won't give you the returns you need over a long season. Unlike fantasy football and basketball where rookies can make an immediate impact for their managers, the jump from the minors to the majors is much more difficult for baseball players. Add to that the uncertainty of a guaranteed job with the possibility of being sent back down, and all signs point to letting other managers take the risk on rookies.

6. Regular participation is half the battle

By the time the All-Star break rolls around, it is likely that one third of your fantasy baseball league's managers have either given up or lost interest. That means if you simply pay attention and remain an active manager, you can gain an advantage over one third of the league. One hundred and sixty two games is a marathon, so don't give up. Be persistent.

7. Work the waiver wires

Successful fantasy baseball managers are those who have waiver savvy. They grab dropped players whose managers gave up on too quickly. They pick up set up men on the team when its closer goes down with an injury. They nab the unknown players who inevitably emerge to be a fantasy force every season. One word of advice: if you are in a league which has waiver priority (like Yahoo), don't waste it early. Save your priority for a shot at league crossovers who get traded mid-season.

8. Don't give up on players too quickly

April is always the most interesting month. Impatient managers may get antsy and start jettisoning star players who get off to a slow start. Don't be too hasty to give up on a player with a strong track record of success. Conversely, watch the waiver wires for gems that get dropped.

9. Follow baseball news regularly

Make it a point to subscribe to a quality fantasy baseball news site such as Rotowire.com. Visit it a few times a day and read up on the latest breaking fantasy baseball news. Just like investing in stocks, understanding the whole picture will help you assess your fantasy baseball team's potential as the season progresses. Knowing which particular closer is struggling and may lose his job enables you to go after the setup man who may soon step into their shoes.

10. Stay active on trades

Keep up to date on what other teams' needs are and see if you can work out win-win trades. Pay particular attention to star players who are off to tough starts and make a pitch to try and nab them on the cheap.

11. Manage to win

This may sound obvious, but it is worth reiterating. Understand what you need to do to win. If you're playing a simulation league such as Baseball, you'll need to avoid focusing on stats such as RBI or wins which don't matter in their simulation algorithm. If you're in a weekly points fantasy baseball league, stay on top of what categories you need to carry and win the week. For example, if you're way ahead on strikeouts but behind on wins, you will need to look for starters who are likely to get you wins.

Following these eleven tips can give you a leg up on your competition and lead you to fantasy baseball glory.

Enjoyed this report? You'll likely enjoy Baseball, the only daily predictive simulation fantasy baseball game on the market today. Unlike any other fantasy baseball game, Baseball is the ultimate simulation baseball fantasy challenge for experts and novices alike.

Fantasy Baseball
Fantasy Baseball League

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Deep_Raj