UWECBaseball.com

agreeableone asked:


While watching the league playoffs, I wondered where did these guys come from? They are from different countries, ethnic groups, religions and have a wide variety of ages and physiques.

Have you read a book, or studied baseball players and baseball for a long time? Did you learn what brings one young boy up to the major leagues, while another never leaves the sand lot or little league?

Rick Grantham asked:


Have you ever caught a pop-up fly ball at a Major League Baseball game? In the past, sports memorabilia mainly consisted of baseball cards. Today, however, a wide variety of items from all MLB teams, including the New York Yankees, is available. From replica helmets to cups, and from office supplies to Bobbleheads-you can find a wide variety of MLB memorabilia on the market.

For truly dedicated MLB memorabilia collectors, your next mission is to get a MLB autograph. This task can actually be easier than it might seem. However, it is important to follow some important guidelines:

1. Get organized

When the moment of truth arrives, make sure that you have your MLB sports memorabilia ready for a player to sign. Which types of pens should you use? Use ballpoint pens for autographed baseballs. Meanwhile, black or blue Sharpie® pens are perfect for autographs on other items.

2. Remember that patience is a virtue

If players sense that an autograph-seeding crowd is starting to get rowdy, they will typically cease signing items. Also, consider that players tend to have security entrances, making it more challenging for fans to land autographs. Thus, the window (or door) of opportunity for capturing MLB players’ autographs, has become much narrower.

3. Ask for one at a time

Never ask a MLB player to sign more than one item. If you ask a player to sign 100 trading cards, baseballs or bats, he might get suspicious. Certain players are indifferent when you ask for multiple signatures, though others would be offended if you turned a profit by selling the items on an online auction site.

4. Write about writing

Try writing a polite letter of request to the MLB player, and include an envelope that is stamped and self-addressed.

5. Women and children first

According to insiders, players tend to be more willing to sign autographs for children and attractive females. You could increase your chance of getting an autograph, by dressing up your child, nephew or niece, etc. in a team jersey, and then have them request an autograph.

6. The early bird catches the signature

Stadiums typically open about two hours prior to each MLB game. Wait for signatures nearby the dugout of the home or visiting team.

7. Be nice

Here are some guidelines to remember when trying to obtain autographs from MLB players:

• Refer to players by their first names. There is no sweeter sound to any human

• Smile

• Never call a MLB by the WRONG name. That nearly guarantees you will go home empty-handed.

• Remember to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’

• Compliment the player on a specific play

• Never yell at players as they are stretching, batting, etc.

After securing MLB memorabilia, getting a MLB player to autograph it is icing on the cake. While that mission may seem daunting at first, you can complete it by following some basic steps. Follow the aforementioned tips to get a player’s John Hancock-regardless of what his name is!

Al Terry asked:


MLB tickets are something that any sports fan would enjoy. In every sense of the word, these baseball games are major league in terms of the standard of players and the adrenalin rush that each game inspires.

Over A Century Of Baseball

Major League Baseball was founded way back in 1876, which means it’s been all about baseball for over a hundred years now. Currently there are thirty teams from the United States and Canada that play the game. While there is generally a rush for MLB tickets no matter what game is playing, things reach a fevered pitch when the World Series arrives. This was first started in 1903 and has emerged as one of the biggest events of the international baseball world.

This is interesting to note, as the World Series seemed to have been jinxed from the start. Just a year after it started, the Series faced its first boycott. In 1919, it became the turf for one of the biggest scandals in the MLB- the Black Sox Scandal. The World Series has also weathered everything from strikes to earthquakes and has always managed to pull through, delivering unforgettable baseball moments time and again.

Scandals And Superstars

When the demand for MLB tickets is so high, you can be sure that part of that popularity is due to the big stars and the even bigger scandals. Many players have been immortalized by the game. Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Yogi Berra and Dizzy Dean are all players who will never be forgotten in the world of baseball.

However, there are a number of incidents which some people would prefer to forget. Nevertheless, they have entered the realm of MLB folklore and have helped shape baseball as we know it today. It’s interesting to note the shift in scandals that has occurred over the years. Initially, gambling was the main problem as was seen with the infamous Black Sox incident. Today, most of the scandals revolve around substance abuse and the use of steroids.

Major League Baseball has also been home to some legendary records and plays. The league works together with the Baseball Hall of Fame which gives baseball fans an in-depth look into the some of these records and also pays homage to some of the game’s greatest players.

There are a number of special aspects of the game which fans with MLB tickets are always on the look-out for. One of these is a phenomenon known as the Perfect Game. This is what happens when a pitcher (single or multiple) wins the game without allowing a single player to get to first base. Naturally, it’s an incredibly hard feat to pull off and studies have shown that more people have orbited the moon than pitched a Perfect Game. So far, only 17 of these have been played in the Major League, the most recent occurring in 2004.

You can catch this amazing play and many others if you have passes for a game. They may be hard to get at the ticket counters, since baseball tickets are always in high demand. But you can also get them online. Just get in touch with an authorized ticket vendor and order your MLB tickets.