Red Sox vs. Marlins March 6th Game Summary
The Boston Red Sox swept the Florida Marlins Tuesday March 6th in Jupiter, Florida. The score was tied in the ninth 6 to 6 making extra innings necessary. Boston did not let the Marlins score at all in the 10th bringing the final score 14 to 6, Boston. First baseman gloves had to be on fire with all of these outs against Florida!
Enough can not be said about Daisuke Matsuaka, throwing a fastball estimated at 91-93 MPH. He threw a total of 47 pitches, 31 strikes reaching a low speed of only 71 MPH. Matsuaka threw a curveball of 74-77 MPH, a change-up of 76-78 MPH and a slider of 81-82 MPH. He was replaced with Joel Pinero in the 4th who prevented Florida from scoring the entire inning. Manny Delcarmen was not as lucky as the two pitchers before him having Ramirez score a home run for the Marlins in the 5th bringing the score to 2-1. Competing for the 5th rotation spot, Yusmeiro Petit came to the mound for the Marlins. Petit pitched for 3 innings getting with no walks, 1 hit and 5 strikes. Next in the 4th pitching was Wes Obermueller. Wes got a 1 walk and 2 hits total with a run in the 4th. Felix Rodriguez came to the mound in the 7th, getting 2 runs.
The Red Sox came back in the extra inning of this game scoring 8 runs in the 10th. Joe McEwing, Jacoby Elisbury and Bobby Scales all hit RBI singles with McEwing scoring another RBI single in the 9th. Ed Rogers hit a single in the 7th but later on in the 8th was hit by a pitch with the bases full. Kerry Robinson scored a double in that inning and made the 1st hit of the night for the Sox in the 4th inning. Brandon Moss had an RBI double in the 8th and Jeff Bailey a 2 run double. Jason Varitek scored from the 2nd in the 4th with the help of Dustin Pedroia hitting an infield single. Chad Spann in the 9th with 2 outs hit an RBI single tying up the score to go into extra innings.
The Florida Marlins had trouble scoring at the plate in the 10th leading to their loss to the Red Sox. Dan Uggla was the first Major League batter to hit a single against Matsuaka in the 1st inning. John Gall also hit a double off of Daisuke, also known as the ‘Japanese Sensation’, with runners at 2nd and 3rd. Hanley Ramirez managed to get a 2 run homer in the 5th but was not able to get his hard liner past Matsuaka in the 3rd, stopping him from getting a single. Brett Carroll hit an RBI single in the 8th and Alejandro De Aza scored with a 2-out RBI double in the 9th. Robert Andino complimented that with a 2 run double in the ninth.
All in all, a solid outing by the Red Sox Matsuaka and some timely hitting propelled them to victory!
Scott Peters is an avid baseball and more specifically Red Sox fan. You can visit his site at http://www.baseball-softball-gloves.com/fibagl.html.
Buy a Baseball Glove to Improve Your Game
Any die-hard baseball fan needs good baseball storage. Having good and adequate baseball equipment can mean the difference in the beloved game. All the component parts must be made out of high-quality equipment which you can trust will never let you down. Keeping that gear in the best possible condition is a wise step toward protecting your investment.
Now let’s talk a little bit about your baseball glove. As already mentioned before, you need to make sure that your glove is made out of high-quality material. This can give a really important boost to the quality of your play, so don’t overlook this.
One of the most important things you need to do is research, meaning you need to look for price ranges in different manufacturers, and check their quality/price ratio. After you’ve selected a few brands in your mind, head to the store.
At the store you will have to go through the very important process of trying baseball gloves on. Making sure they feel right is crucial. They need to be comfortable, as you don’t want to feel any bit of unnecessary discomfort during the game.
In the buying decision-making, you need to ask yourself a simple question: are you (or do you want to become) a baseball professional, or you are just playing around for fun with your friends? The gloves which you could buy are different in the two cases, for obvious reasons.
A professional would need high-quality gloves, which cost considerably more. For example, a good catcher’s glove may be up to a few hundred dollars. If you are not a professional, you might find this price curve a little bit too steep, as well as unnecessary.
Also, let’s not forget that more and more women are taking up this all-time favorite sport. Although, for whatever reasons, finding good women baseball gloves may be a challenge, probably because baseball gloves manufacturers still have the man’s version as a priority on their production lists.
And because having comfortable gloves will surely make your playing better, a woman needs to find smaller gloves that would fit a woman’s smaller hand. A woman needs to look for smaller finger stalls, and an adjustable wrist strap is always the best option.
When it comes to first base gloves, any professional baseball player will tell you without any doubt that they are absolutely essential to high performance playing. The first baseman uses these gloves and they need to be made out of high quality material if one’s playing is to be good.
When trying the glove on, you need to feel it and see how it reacts. It needs to be comfortable and you need to be able to take it off quickly, meaning you can open and close it in an instant.
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Outthinking the Batter When Pitching In Baseball
A boy may have a strong arm and know all the mechanics of pitching, but if he doesn’t think about the hitter’s weaknesses and strengths, he’ll become nothing more than a “thrower” and will not help his team much.
A pitcher, even more than a catcher or manager, will know which of his deliveries the batter can or cannot hit. That is, if he studies the hitter constantly. This is just as true in Little League ball as it is in the Major Leagues. As a matter of fact, the younger the hitters are, the more faults they have. Thus, the young pitcher has a great advantage if he thinks about the hitters. Here are some general principles to follow.
Try to get “ahead” of the batter with the first pitch. That doesn’t mean to groove the ball waist high and over the center of the dish. That means get the ball in the strike zone where you think the batter is weakest. If the batter stands so far away from the plate that his bat will not reach the outside corner, there is only one thing to do - pour that fast ball over the outside! If the hitter crowds the plate, fire it over his fists! Now then, if he looks strong at the plate and you know nothing about him, your best pitch is always low and outside or high and inside. Once around the league, the average pitcher should know something about the hitters. Don’t worry about not learning all there is to know about every hitter. If you find one or two with weaknesses and can get them out consistently, you’ve made a good start.
The “situation” (as covered in Chapter 16) tells the pitcher a great deal about what to throw. If he expects a sacrifice, for example, he should pitch high, which will increase the possibility of a pop-up.
If a runner on 3rd streaks for home on a “suicide squeeze” play, he has to keep the ball away from the batter and put it where the catcher can make the tag. (Throwing at the feet of a right-handed batter is recommended; pitch-out if a lefty is at the plate.)
If the pitcher suspects a steal, he shouldn’t throw a slow curve but stick to the fast ball.
When a pitcher has a 3-ball 2-strike count on a hitter, he should go to his best pitch. If his “best” is the curve, use the curve. It it’s the fast ball, use the fast ball. Remember, though, that the “best pitch” may vary from game to game.
Try not to throw the same pitch twice in a row. Change speeds. Move the ball around the strike zone, always shooting at the corners. In doing this, your objective is to upset the hitter’s timing. This is especially important when the pitcher faces the league’s best hitters. The long foul, remember, is just another strike.
The pitcher who gets two quick strikes on the hitter should “waste” the next one by putting it where the batter can’t possibly hit it.
Don’t curve ball a weak hitter! Don’t let up on a weak hitter! If the hitter is really weak, the fast ball can overpower him usually. If you throw the curve, you’re throwing a slow speed pitch and it may be the only one this hitter can get his bat on.
If you’re getting a hitter out regularly with one pitch, don’t start experimenting with another.
If you’re striking a lot of batters out and the game is going well for you, keep that pitching foot on the rubber and pitch as fast as the umpire will let you. On the other hand, if things are going bad, stall all you can to “cool off” the opposition.
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Baseball Isn’t Just Entertainment, It’s Also A Business
George Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees, is spot on by calling out his management team and players for their poor performance thus far this season. He’s also correct in pointing out that the season is still relatively young. There is still a lot of playing left for the boys of summer.
Perhaps understandably, many New York fans have started to demand the firing of team manager Joe Torre.
Many others complain that the true responsibility for this baseball season’s terrible play rest on General Manager Brian Cashman’s shoulders, as he’s the one who put together such a high-salaried and poor-performing team.
And then there are the fans who look to the field, and rightly or wrongly, declare that the Yankees simply don’t have enough pitching.
Whatever the cause, the darkest sign is that online sportsbooks are starting to pitch the Yankees as the heavy underdogs, given their poor win-loss results to date.
Unfortunately, what so many people are missing is that, although sports is a highly emotional undertaking, it’s also a business. And that means it is important to bring a high level of reason to the field.
It’s amazing that, no matter how strategic or rational individual might be, when you shift to the sports arena, an immediate drop in IQ seems inevitable. Why? Because emotion inevitably intrudes on decision-making.
Fortunately, and despite many of his past follies, Steinbrenner is absolutely correct in standing behind his management team and the New York Yankee baseball players under them. He’s not betting on sports, he’s investing in a sports franchise. That means being strategic, making his player picks and management picks carefully.
Steinbrenner didn’t let the team off the hook; far from it. In a recent statement, he told the world he is demanding better results. Better results from his GM, from his team manager, and most certainly, better from his players.
And you can bet that a sports team owner understands the importance of performance.
Much as in the business world, Steinbrenner is saying his sports team is directly responsible for the results on the field. And I would wager that the odds are high that if performance doesn’t improve substantially very soon, we are going to see a big change to the team’s future.
As Steinbrenner points out: “It is time to see if people are ready to step up and accept their responsibilities. Let’s get going.”
Another similarity between sports and business is that that managers tend to get too much credit when things are good and too much blame when they aren’t. They of course have a large roll to play; but they are not the only pieces of the puzzle.
Finally, my argument comes down to one point: it really is still a very young season. And that makes all the difference in the sports world.
So for all you New York Yankee fans out there, remember: it is much too early to panic. Although the Yankees are currently in last place, there is still more that 80 percent of the season left to be played. While the desire to pin the blame on someone is understandably quite high, keep in mind that decisions should be made on a rational, not emotional, basis. There’s simply too much at risk to bet the whole season on a few misplayed games.
Michael Lee-Smith enjoys watching football, hockey and basketball, and particularly enjoys betting on sports online at sites such as the Bodog Sportsbook found at http://www.bodog.com/sportsbook/.
Dealing With Different Pitches
Are you ready to learn the difference between different pitches?
The most important pitch is the four- seam fastball. Everything depends on this pitch.
A sinker or two -seam fastball is an excellent way to introduce ground balls. This is the reason two- seam fastball got the nickname “sinker”
Cut-fastball is when the ball is held off center. This is good on jamming the hitters because of the slow mph movement. The Cut-fastball is slower than the four-seam ball.
Splint - finger fastball is when the baseball is thrown downward toward the infield home plate. This is where strikes come into the baseball game.
Change -up helps to control the speed of the baseball. The hitter has to use his arm to get the full effect . This pitch is slower than a fastball.
Curveball is nothing more than a pitch to strike the hitter out. This pitch is focused on a downward movement to the home plate. It is slower than the normal fastball.
Slider can be classified as a pitch between a fastball and a curveball. Hitters find this pitch to be harder than the curveball while maintaining a slower downward action. The slider is known to have a smaller break which allows a tighter spin of the ball. Often you can spot the dot on the baseball as it approaches the hitter.
Knuckleball is declared by pitchers to be one of the harder pitches to make. This pitch certainly has no spin/ The ball is hard to catch and control. With this pitch no one knows where the ball will end up.
Split finger Fastball or Forkball can be called the out pitch. It can really damage a pitcher’s arm. The baseball is held between the index and middle fingers at a varied depth by the pitcher. This is a hard pitch to make.
How many times have you sat watching a baseball game and wondered what all those hand motions were that the pitcher was using? Now you know. The umpire was sure to know the signs. The next time you set down to watch baseball you will definitely know the difference between each pitch.
Baseball is a sport that has requires many skills and good health. Before entering the sport of baseball , it is wise to have a complete health checkup . There have been many players that are now deceased due to lack of paying attention to the warning signs their bodies were giving off. Play baseball in good health. The baseball sport is exciting to watch.
James Brown writes about http://www.mlbgearshop.com
Why New York City Is A Baseball Town
It’s true that football, basketball and hockey have their fans, but the sports year begins in February and ends in October - preferably the end of October. And even during the other three and a half months, the hot stove league consumes the city’s consciousness, even eclipsing the Jets and Giants playoff runs.
This love for the game of baseball dates all the ways back to the 19th century as baseball was played throughout New York in its earliest forms. The birth of the National League in 1876 eventually brought the city the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants and when the American League set up shop in 1901, the New York Yankees soon set up shop.
Rooting for a baseball team in New York wasn’t about what team was better, it was an absolute birthright. People were born into a fan base and there was no switching side. As the Yankees established themselves, their fans came from the Bronx and also attracted the corporate visitor and tourists.
The Dodgers and Giants were different. Working class, blue collar fans in the first half of the 20th century tended to back one of the two National League teams. Giant fans were generally from Manhattan, while the city’s largest borough had their beloved Dodgers. Much like the class system of the early 19th century, which broke down people by nationality and religion, New Yorkers were identified with the teams they followed.
The best example of that came in 1951, where the Dodgers and Giants finished tied after the 154 game season. A three game playoff was ordered by the National League, which culminated with “The Shot Heard Around the World” by Giants’ Bobby Thompson. Fans fought with each other and until this day old Brooklyn Dodger fans still feel the pain.
After the Giant win, they proceeded to be swept by the Yankees, who had a young and talented Mickey Mantle in the outfield.
The Dodgers had their day in 1955, giving Brooklyn their only championship, but the days of the Boys of Summer ended two years later when the Bums and Giants upped and left for the West Coast.
With only one team in town, the fans of the Dodgers and Giants left behind did not back the Yankees, rather they followed their teams from afar or stopped watching all together. Only when the New York Mets were formed in 1962, did these spurned New Yorkers find a team.
Much like the their predecessors, the Amazins’ quickly established themselves as a people’s team. Although they were inept, fans flocked to the old Polo Grounds - and eventually Shea Stadium - to watch the Mets and root against the Dodgers and Giants when they came into town.
The Yankees, meanwhile, just kept winning. Champions in 1961 and 1962, they lost the Fall Classic the next two years. Then the bottom fell out. They finished close to the bottom or last for the rest of the decade, as the team aged and the mighty farm system went barren.
That gave the Amazing Mets a chance to take the city. And in 1969 they won the World Series against insurmountable odds. Led by young pitchers like Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman, the Miracle Mets won their first the Series 4-1 over the Baltimore Orioles.
They stayed in contention for the next seven years, but never got back to the top.
The Yankees resurged after George Steinbrenner bought the team and through free agency built the 1977 and 1978 champs. But the Boss’s hands on approach eventually cost those Bombers due to too many bad moves.
As the Yankees went down, the Mets came back and in 1986 won the Series again, beating the Boston Red Sox in seven games. Much like the team of a generation before, these Mets were competitive until 1991, but never won the big game.
But like before, when the Mets faded, the Yankees came to the forefront. This time winning four crowns in five years (1996, 1998-2000). Unlike past teams, these Bombers were built from within, while cheery-picking the other talent through free agency and trades. Led by future Hall of Famers Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, the Bombers remain a force in the American League.
The Mets enjoyed a resurgence in 1999 under controversial manager Bobby Valentine and catcher Mike Piazza. They even went to the Series in 2000, only to lose to the cross town Yankees. Then, after five years of mediocrity, the Mets came back in 2006 behind young stars David Wright and Jose Reyes and were one strike away from the World Series, losing to the eventual champion St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.
What makes baseball in New York unique these days is the rivalry between the Mets and Yankees. The teams didn’t play each other in non-exhibition games until 1997 and the Subway Series is the highlight of every season. Both Shea and Yankee Stadiums get a mixed but behaved crowd when the two teams play each other. As both the Met and Yankee fans root for their teams, you can hear chants for both clubs back and forth for all nine innings.
And that’s unlike any other sport in the city. Hockey games tend to have more violent outbursts in the stands, while games between the Knicks and Nets and Jets vs. Giants matches could be played anywhere, since the intensity just isn’t there in comparison.
And that’s why New York, first and foremost, is a baseball town.
Jason OConnor owns and operates Oak Web Works, LLC and also runs www.BestShowTicketsLasVegas.com.
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Baseball’s Evolution from Humble Origins to Spectator Sport
Baseball seems always to have lived more in myth than in history. Children in England and the United States had been playing variants of the game for years such as rounders, one o’ cat, and base.
In 1845, some young men in Manhattan organized themselves into the Knickerbockers BaseBall Club and wrote down the rules of the game they were playing. Twenty years later dozens of baseball clubs in New York and Brooklyn, and their journalist brethren, had made what they called “the national pastime” more popular than cricket, and the metropolis had become the country’s first baseball powerhouse.
As baseball clubs were transformed into entertainment businesses, so grew their need for first-rate players who could attract paying crowds. Although distinctions between players and their clubs (now really small businesses) had been hardening for years, the National League formalized the division, which has continued until today.
Baseball soon outdistanced other spectator sports in popularity and contributed to the sports boom of the 1880s and 1890s. Late nineteenth-century baseball resembled the Gilded Age business world. Owners moved the clubs frequently, while rival leagues sprung up and competed for players and spectators.
The National League either defeated its opponents outright or incorporated them into a subordinate national structure of minor leagues. Not until 1901 was the National League force to accept the American League, the only other surviving major league. Leagues controlled access to spectators by granting franchises. Owners and leagues controlled the players through labor practices that combined elements of chattel slavery (the infamous reserve rule) and freewheeling industrial capitalism: blacklisting, fines, salary limits, and reductions, even the use of Pinkerton spies.
In 1975 and arbitrator ruled that the reserved clause applied for only one year and players, as “free agents,” regained their negotiating power; salaries quickly reached unheard-of levels. Owners retaliated in 1981 but were soundly defeated by a players’ strike.
Then in the late 1980s they conspired (illegally, an arbitrator held) to limit salary offers to free agents. After a twenty-year period of franchise movement, league expansions, and the creation of divisions within leagues, baseball became organizationally stable again in the late 1970s.
Attendance grew dramatically throughout the 1980s, more people attended major league baseball games (over 50 million per year at the end of the decade) than at any other time in the games history. Baseball has been America’s most popular sport for so long mainly because it has successfully straddled some of the nation’s most important cultural divisions. Though it was born among the respectable working class and sporting middle class, the games cultural antecedents lay in the boisterous street culture of saloon-based volunteer fire companies, militias, theater partisans, street gangs, and political factions.
Currently, baseball is integrated in that there are large numbers of African-American and Latin players; it is not unusual for a starting lineup to have a minority of whites. They are a great part in the ball game itinerary.
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How to Choose and Break In A Baseball Glove
When it comes to choosing a baseball glove, you have many things to consider. The type of material is important as well as the type of glove and, of course your budget.
First of all you need to know what type of glove you want. G loves made for specific positions have certain features which are designed to specifically meet the needs of that position. One clear example for this is that a catchers mitt has extra padding needed to help absorb the shock from fast balls and curve balls. Obviously knowing what positions you will play is key in selecting the best glove for the job.
Another thing to consider when choosing a glove is the webbing. There are two types of webbing - open and closed. Open webbing works well for active fielders who want to able to get the ball out of the glove as fast as possible. Closed webbing is better for pitchers, who use it to help hide the ball from the batter.
Gloves are made from three main types of materials. First you have your basic leather glove that we all know and love. Secondly there are leather gloves that are treated with chemicals which cause it to be easier to break in and more durable keeping a better shape longer. Lastly, you can buy synthetic or plastic gloves but these are not of the same quality as leather gloves and are only good for beginners and youth players.
When picking a glove, make sure it is of a size that’s easy to handle and control. You want it to snap open and closed quickly and your fingers should feel snug inside but not too tight.
Once you get your glove home, you won’t be able to play well with it until it is properly broken in. This takes a combination of oils, creativity and elbow grease and there are many age old methods to breaking in a baseball glove.
If you don’t have a secret family recipe for breaking in your glove, you can simply apply oil that’s specifically designed for this purpose. Rub the oil onto every part of the glove including the laces and the inside. The oil will moisturize the glove to keep it from drying out and cracking. It will also keep the webbing from coming lose. When you buy oil made for gloves, you can be assured that this won’t damage the glove as the concoction your uncle Bernie swears by might.
It’s best to apply the oil in the fall and really work it in - let the glove sit until spring then take it out and play ball!
Lee Dobbins is a contributing writer for http://www.sports-wise.com where you can find out more about your favorite sports.
How To Pick A Baseball Or Softball Glove
Choosing the right baseball or softball glove doesn’t have to be difficult, but choosing the wrong glove can effect how well you field and enjoy the game.
Here are some factors to consider
Age
Is the glove going to be used by a youngster, a high schooler, an over 40 year old? The size and quality of the glove really matters and varies depending on how the glove will be used.
For youngsters just starting out there are plenty on very inexpensive gloves on the market. The problem with them is they tend to be made of polyurethane or nylon fabric and are very stiff. It’s very difficult to catch a ball using a rock hard glove. You may want to consider going a step up and buying a real leather glove. This way the youngster doesn’t get discouraged and will be more likely to enjoy learning to catch.
For advanced kids in Little League or Senior League you will definitely want a medium quality leather glove. It should be easy to break in and fairly durable. However, kids grow fast so don’t go nuts and get a $100 glove. It’s not necessary at this age.
High school, college and minor league players should get a very high quality glove. The high level of play requires the proper equipment to compete effectively. Also, a durable glove is required to take the rigors of a couple of seasons. You can expect to get a very high quality glove for under $150.
Older people playing in advanced age leagues don’t need the best. There are gloves available made of soft leather that take very little time to break in. You should pay no more than about $80 for a nice one.
Position
Years ago there were not many choices of gloves besides, catcher, first baseman and ‘fielders’ gloves. Things have come a long way and there are specialized gloves for every position.
As a general rule, smaller gloves are meant for middle infield, slightly larger gloves for third base, and large gloves for outfield. There are special gloves for pitchers and a variety of designs for catchers and first baseman.
There are cool ‘three finger’ designs, gloves with adjustable wrist straps to get the fit right, extra padding for protection and liners for comfort.
Knowing what position(s) you play will dictate what type of gloves you look at. There are some general use gloves available if you play several positions. Pay attention to the recommended position a glove should be used for then narrow down based on your preference for design features.
Design Features
Open Back vs. closed back: This is simply whether the glove has a whole of your index finger to poke through (closed back) or there is a wide slot where you can see the back of your hand. There’s really no advantage one way or another. The open back may be a littler cooler in the summer is about it.
Web Design: H-web, Bee hive web, T-web and on and on. You can narrow it down to open and closed, meaning can you see through it or not. There’s not much performance difference. With the open web dirt scooped up while fielding a grounder will fall through easier. With a closed web blocking the sun on fly balls and pop ups is a little easier.
Pocket Depth: This is important. For middle infield you want a shallow to medium pocket depth so you can transfer the ball from glove to throwing hand as quickly as possible. Third and outfield a deep pocket is a little better. Again, gloves designed for specific positions should already have the right pocket depth.
Quality
Try to buy good quality without paying too much. Real well known brands like Rawlings, Wilson and Mizuno make a nice glove but you will pay top dollar. Akadema makes a very nice glove at a reasonable price.
Buy good quality not matter what the brand. You’ll never regret buying too good a glove, but will always regret not buying good enough.
Scott is a baseball and softball enthusiast. For more information about baseball and softball gloves go to http://www.baseball-softball-gloves.com .
Baseball, Barry Bonds and Steroids
In the last 5 years the growing popularity and use of illegal substances like steroids in major league baseball has created a public outcry and led to indictments, arrests and congressional hearings. Some have even put major league baseball on par with professional wrestling as it is now a drugged or juiced game and old, lasting records by the greats like Ruth and Hank Aaron can easily be broken by lesser athletes on steroids and have become meaningless. Just look at Barry Bonds for an example.
Barry Bonds became depressed in the late 90s as new athletes like McGwire and Jose Conseco were becoming more popular for belting homeruns. Bonds was a great athlete, but he was aging and just like his father was headed for retirement. Bonds and everyone else knew that Conseco and the others were taking steroids. It was inevitable that Bonds would start taking steroids as he was very jealous and had an insatiable appetite for being the leader, he could not stand being in second place to anyone and he saw the great results of McGwire and Conseco.
Barry Bonds started taking numerous types of steroids through his trainer Greg Anderson. His physique, career and baseball would never be the same. Bonds was better after the steroids than anytime in his career. The steroids had elevated his career and possibly made him the best player in baseball history as he has now hit 722 career home runs. Only a few of the greatest players in Baseball history have ever hit into this range. It is similar to what Tiger Woods has done in Golf and his chasing Jack Nicklaus with his 18 career major titles. The difference is that Tiger Woods is a real champion and does not use illegal enhancers or drugs like steroids or cheat in any way. Kids can look up to him as a real hero.
Tiger Woods worked and trained very hard, he is also human as he went through a lot dealing with the loss of his father. Tiger woods through his great game and ethics has elevated professional golf and its fan base to all time highs. Barry Bonds, on the other hand, has devastated major league baseball and its rich history. Records are not meant to be broken on a daily or monthly basis. Records are just that records of greatness, by actual heroes like Joe DiMaggio, Ruth, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle and Ty Cobb. They never used steroids and were great players both on and off the field.
What every professional athlete needs to understand is that our kids see them as idols, heroes and mentors. Its not about the money, its about the game. Ninety nine percent of professional athletes never become a great like Rod Carew, Michael Jordan, or Warren Moon, but they are all imprinted in our children. Everyone remembers the negatives like McEnroe and his emotional outbursts, Rae Caruth and O.J. Simpson whom have abused the legal system and their fame to commit murder, steroids, gambling and the expulsion of baseball legend Pete Rose. The leaders of these professional sports must soon realize that these players have tainted and in some respects ruined the future of sports like major league baseball.
To see immediate evidence of this all one has to do is look at the dwindling number of visitors to the baseball hall of fame in Cooperstown, NY. It used to be almost every young boys fantasy to see the outfit worn by Babe Ruth, the Ball that was signed by Reggie Jackson and his Yankee teammates, the stories of greatness and great hurdles and obstacles that were overcome by some of the legends. Rare baseball cards by players with strict standards like Honus Wagner whom had his cards pulled as he did not want to be associated with cigarettes and tobacco. The meaning of baseballs rich history has greatly suffered and will continue until something drastic is done.
Athletes like Barry Bonds that cheat and use illegal performance enhancing drugs should be banned and immediately removed from baseball and other sports. They should receive punishment worse than Pete Rose and should be stripped of all records, titles, and history in the game. Let someone who worked hard, overcame adversity and great obstacles, and never cheated and had great ethics, standards and was a true hero be the one to determine their fate. Someone like Hank Aaron. Hank Aaron set records, great records, the hard way and they are being tarnished by the likes of Barry Bonds and others. Hank Aaron, like Herschel Walker, overcame a very poor upbringing, racism, lack of resources and through sheer determination became one of the greatest athletes ever.
It is time to stop the commercialism and get back to the basics of these sports. We have forgotten what the game really means. There is a reason why in Brooklyn they still remember the Brooklyn Dodgers. Lets not let the great game of baseball be ruined by people like Barry Bonds. They must be removed from the game, their history completely wiped out and start anew. This is the only way to retain or rescue the image of professional baseball.
David Maillie specializes in automotive safety products and information. He holds numerous patents and awards for his patented headlight cleaner and restorer. For more information, tips, safety and money saving products for your auto please visit http://www.mdwholesale.com
