The off-season is a reminder that we can’t attend every baseball game, no matter how much a fan might want to be at the ballpark. And for fans of baseball, not so much just one specific team, it’s only physically possible to attend one game per day (save for perhaps a doubleheader or Cubs/Whitesox, Yankees/Mets split). As a result, while managers and GM’s spend the off-season gearing up for spring, fans can make adjustments as well in order to make sure they watch as efficiently as possible in the upcoming season. Spending less money, seeing more games (both in person and at home), doing a fan’s part in willing his or her team towards October glory, it all starts in the months leading up to opening day. So what can you do to make a bigger commitment to baseball in 2011?Season Tickets The holy grail of professional sports fandom, season ticket holders are kingpins, even among aficionados. Arguably the only fans in the stadium with a legitimate right to gripe when the franchise falters, season ticket holders, like players, make a commitment to the team for the full-season. Not to mention, even when out of town, friends and clients will always appreciate an occasional ticket source.Direct TV MLB Extra Innings Great for both fans of a specific team who no longer live within driving distance of the home stadium and general baseball fans who enjoy games regardless of who’s playing. The Extra Innings Package shows up to 80 out of market MLB games a week and is bundled with the MLB Network for additional coverage, opinion and analysis.MLB.tv Read the rest of this entry »
As Spring training ends for another year and the players get ready for the regular season, we again wonder what the whole point of it was? Each year we get excited about the prospect of baseball starting up again, and then get bored with the whole concept of watching exhibition games that don’t mean anything. The thing is, Spring Training is not really for the fans. Oh sure, we pay to see the games, and we get excited for the fact that baseball means an end to the cold weather (in theory), but in truth, Spring Training is Read the rest of this entry »
The thing about baseball is when you are talking about World Series Contenders, you have a tendency to talk about the same teams over and over again. Starting in the American League, you have the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees fighting over the East Crown, once again. The Red Sox got some got the best free agents in the off season and are looking to overtake the Yankees once again. The Rays lost their Read the rest of this entry »
This season’s MLB rookie class was really something to watch. Each gave an amazing effort and outstanding performance, truly setting the bar high for future rookies to come. I would like to give credit to the lower levels of the Major League Baseball organization and the developments they have made. Because of their progress, these rookies are coming into the league well equipped, more prepared, and with better knowledge and understanding of the game. They are showing more maturity, both on and off the field, putting up spectacular numbers, and carrying themselves like seasoned veterans. A couple of them were even considered for MVP honors. While all the rookies are indeed rising stars and there are no clear cut favorites, there were a couple who stood out. Buster Posey,http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id457763, catcher for the San Francisco Giants, won Rookie of the Year for the National League. The first Giant to win since 1975, he had 18 homeruns and 67 RBIs, making them World Series champions. American League Rookie of the Year winner Neftali Feliz,http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id491703, deserves recognition as well. The closing pitcher for the Texas Rangers helped them reach their first World Series ever, and set a rookie record of 40 saves! So the question is stick to be answered, who will fall into the Sophomore Slump?
Though we may be mired in the frigid grip of winter, spring is always just around the corner, a source of optimism and hope for baseball fans across the globe as we attempt to look past these bleak baseball-less months. The beginning of March marks the beginning of baseball season, with legions of fans making the trip to their favorite teams spring training site. The Grapefruit League hosts 15 teams with all games played within the state of Florida. The Cactus League also hosts 15 clubs, taking advantage of the warm Arizona desert. Not all competitions are exclusively professional; for example, many big league teams will match up against local college talent in exhibitions, such as Atlanta Braves vs. Georgia Tech, Boston Red Sox vs. Boston College, etc. Furthermore, even in games with two major league teams listed, many clubs utilize split squads, enabling for simultaneous games and allowing for more total playing time. Though spring training statistics do not count towards regulation play, March numbers can go a long way towards building a players confidence entering the season. Not to mention, many rookies earn their spot in the lineup, rotation or bullpen, as spring training position battles are a rite of passage for most aspiring ballplayers. So, where can you see your favorite team play this March? Below is a full listing of participating organizations by league and their spring baseball headquarters.Grapefruit League Florida: Atlanta Braves: Champion Stadium, Lake Buena Vista at Walt Disney World Boston Red Sox: City of Palms Park, Fort Myers Baltimore Orioles: Ed Smith Stadium, Sarasota Detroit Tigers: Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland Florida Marlins: Roger Dean Stadium, Jupiter Houston Astros: Osceola County Stadium, Kissimmee Minnesota Twins: Hammond Stadium, Fort Myers New York Mets: Digital Domain Park, Port St. Lucie New York Yankees: George M. Steinbrenner Field, Tampa Philadelphia Phillies: Bright House Field, Clearwater Pittsburgh Pirates: McKechnie Field, Bradenton St. Louis Cardinals: Roger Dean Stadium, Jupiter Tampa Bay Rays: Charlotte Sports Park, Port Charlotte Toronto Blue Jays: Dunedin Stadium, Dunedin Washington Nationals: Space Coast Stadium, VieraCactus League Arizona: Read the rest of this entry »
Highlight September 3rd through 5th on your calendar, no matter whether your rose-colored glasses skew towards the Redbirds of St. Louis or the Big Red Machine in Cincinnati. Baseball’s hottest new rivalry, Reds vs. Cardinals, will write its final regular season chapter over Labor Day weekend, with both teams still in contention for the top spot in the National League Central. Since a franchise high point the in the late 80′s and early 90′s, the Reds have been mired in decades of mediocrity, however with the team’s resurgence towards the top of the standings this season, the two divisional foes have reignited the flame.Cincinnati second baseman, Brandon Phillips, poured proverbial gasoline on the fire when he recounted his personal sentiments towards St. Louis, telling reporters, “I’d play against these guys with one leg. We have to beat these guys. I hate the Cardinals. All they do is expletive and moan about everything, all of them, they’re all little expletives, all of ‘em. I really hate the Cardinals. Compared to the Cardinals, I love the Chicago Cubs. Let me make this clear I hate the Cardinals.” Read the rest of this entry »
After running a streak of 14 straight NL East pennants over the course of the 90′s and early 2000′s, the Atlanta Braves have not seen the playoffs since they fell short to the Houston Astros in the 2005 NLDS. Now, in longtime manager Bobby Cox’s final season as Braves’ skipper, the team is once again in position to make a post-season push. Forming their most likely opposition are the Philadelphia Phillies, who have walked away with their own divisional pennants in back to back seasons now. The battle for the NL East looks to come down to one final high intensity series scheduled to begin on September 20th, spanning three games. Both the Braves and Phillies positioned themselves for late season runs as they moved to add the necessary pieces before the trade deadline approached. Read the rest of this entry »
The Yankees and Red Sox will renew their acquaintance for one more 3 game series in 2010, in the regular season’s penultimate set of games. As usual, playoff implications should once again be on the line when the two teams take the field at Yankee Stadium on September 24, 25 and 26. The Yankees currently lead the AL East, facing intense competition from both the Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays currently trail the Yanks by just one game, with the Red Sox sitting in 3rd place, well within striking distance. The three AL East leaders are put in a unique situation by the lack of parity found throughout the rest of the American League. Were any of the three to relocate the Central or Western divisions, they would either find themselves as division leaders or mired in merely a two team race, with the Texas Rangers standing as the sole team in the AL with a comparable record. Read the rest of this entry »
When the Padres and Giants square off in a 4-game series beginning September 9th, unexpected implications will be on the line. Only a season ago, the San Diego Padres finished the regular season a full 20 games back in the National League West. To the see Fathers atop the standings at this late juncture is a surprise to many, perhaps even San Diego fans themselves. Just a year after trading away Jake Peavy, their ace over the past few seasons, a wide selection of analysts and writers across the country expected the Padres to take a step backwards in 2010, though so far the San Diego ship appears to be sailing along, full steam ahead. Their closest competition for divisional supremacy comes out of San Francisco where the Giants are in the midst of an impressive turn around in their own right. While the Giants faired slightly better than the Padres over the course of the 2009 season, sporting a winning percentage of .543 and finishing just 7 games back of the pennant and 4 out of Wild Card berth, San Francisco fans haven’t enjoyed post season play since they won the West in 2003. In 2008, the two teams finished 4th and 5th within the 5 team division. Read the rest of this entry »
A new year should once again mean a new name atop the ever changing carousel better known as the American League Central. With the Detroit Tigers winning the pennant in 2007, the White Sox following suit in 2008 and the Twins taking home the crown last season, great competition has defined the division at the expense of consistency. The 2010 season will most likely see one of the previous two division winners once again lay claim to the automatic playoff berth afforded to the AL Central winner. The Twins and White sox will match up on September 14th in the first game of a 3-game series. The competition should heat up, as it’s likely only one of the two teams will realize their playoff aspirations, with a three-set of better record teams currently competing for the AL East’s top spot. Read the rest of this entry »
