Posted on: May 22, 2011 by admin
The 2011 MLB season is well underway. Teams have already been jockeying for position to try and gain strong momentum to stay on top for the very long season. The MLB has long been criticized that the season seems too long. However, there seems to be no reason they feel they should have to change it. The more games they have the more viewers they will get, then the more commercial spots they can sell to make money in a very down economy. Some teams with lower attendance suffer more than most since they are always trying to find ways to draw fans into their stadiums to watch the teams play.
However, when the season is as long as it is and if that team is struggling, it is really hard to give a fan a reason to leave the comfort of their home to head to the ballpark. Parking costs a ton, then you have tickets to buy, and if you’re rich then food.
The ballpark experience can be great for the family to enjoy though. But with gas higher and things just costing more, many families cannot afford to take in as many games as they once could. Either way, the season is here and going strong, sit back and enjoy.
Posted on: May 6, 2011 by admin
The 2011 MLB draft will be coming up soon. Typically the baseball draft can get overshadowed by the NFL and NBA drafts. One reason for this is that the MLB draft can drag out for 70 plus rounds. It really just depends on how many players teams need. With this many rounds not as many people tend to watch the MLB draft as much, except for the first few rounds.
Sports agents, as an example, usually do not bother signing players up unless they feel they can be drafted in the first few rounds. Some top agents will even not touch a player unless they feel he can be drafted in the first round or maybe the second.
Another thing hurting the MLB draft will be that players drafted rarely enter the 40 man roster on a MLB team the first season. Many of them will go to the minor leagues for at least one or two seasons. Some, no matter where they are drafted, never make a 40 man roster.
The MLB draft has gotten more notice over the past decade. With multi million dollar signing bonuses at stake, it is hard for people to ignore it any longer.
Posted on: March 3, 2011 by admin
Baseball does not have to be an expensive sport for kids. There are many types of leagues out there now from various organizations. The YMCA for example has a little league organization in many cities offering affordable baseball to just about anyone. What about all of the equipment? Usually kids do not have to have all of their own equipment. Typically you will need some practice clothes like sweats and t-shirts, a glove and that can be all really. Teams will often have batting helmets, bats and uniforms for game play. However, there could be an initial fee to play; you just need to check around.
Then there are the more elite teams, or even off-season teams. These teams and leagues will typically have special needs. Since not every city has a ton of special teams, you may find yourself traveling to various cities and states to play games. There also may end up being tournament fees, special uniform costs and so on. So be prepared to spend some money if your child ends up playing in an additional league or on one of these teams.
You have the option to research all of this before hand though. Each league will be able to estimate the costs for you and give you a list of needs that they will either require or recommend. Keep in mind that there are cheaper options out there so do not give up and ask the coach or league rep what you can do to try and save a little money. It is not uncommon to see kids share bats, batting gloves and so on.
Posted on: February 28, 2011 by admin
Baseball card collecting can be a fun but tricky thing. It can be a really fun hobby for the family to be involved with together. Baseball card values greatly depend on lots of factors. One huge factor is how the player is doing. If the player stinks, then the card is not going to do very well. Next, a huge factor is the condition of the card. With the new rating systems out, it is really hard to get a card that is a 10 rating. Be sure you are careful when you open packs of cards. Handle them very carefully.
The other factor that may be tough for the average collector to determine is the rarity factor of the card. Rare cards are better in that there are not tons of them in circulation. The more the card is out there, the less valuable the card will be. Inserts in sets are highly valuable. Special insert cards are tough to find and the rarer they are the more value they will hold. The value does not always have to be a book value; it can be valuable to you just because the cards hold value to you. So have fun collecting and try not to get in over your head.