Any baseball guys here?

[shane8353]

When it comes to sports, baseball was my first love and still is. I am a die hard Texas Rangers fan, have been all my childhood to adulthood. Was wondering if any of you men are baseball fans? More as fan of the game not the MLB, but if you have a team thats cool to know. Reason I ask is cause baseball is already started up for kids around my town and for the majors. So just a little curious.

[outside60]

I am a fan. My younger son's first practice is in a few days. I grew up a big Pirate fan. I followed the Pirates from the late 60 to late 70s. I became an Atlanta Braves fan in the early 80s. This was most likely due to me no longer living in PA and the fact that the TV station WTBS broadcasted a lot of the Braves games. WTBS has ceased from showing the Braves games for sometime now but this year my older son and I will split the cost of the MLB Extra Innings TV package. This will allow us to watch the Braves again on a regular basis.

[scrounger]

I follow baseball all throughout the year. I play in 2 baseball leagues in our small town. One is a younger mixed league and the other is an old farts league. We have a few gentlemen in their 70's who play. Well........I'm just 53,so I guess I have something to look forward too in retirement. (God willing)
I dont care who wins the world series.......as long as its the underdog.

John

[frankthomson]

Im in baby!
i love baseball. in fact its such a perfect game that there's no doubt in my head that God gave us this game, specifically.

I play MSBL (30+ league), wood bat hardball. Im quite a few years from 30, lol, but who cares? I catch and play 1st base.
Its prob my 8 or 9th yr in the league. We already started practice.

So funny playing with younger guys. They all want to win...badly.
For me, I'm just happy to be granted another day on this earth, and thank God for allowing me to continue playing the best sport/game on this planet.


AMEN JESUS
THANK YOU JESUS

[bowhunter]

Life-long Cardinals fan!!!

[Wally]

Official Bench Warmer. I learned to detest the politics of little league.


Now if you're talking Whiffle Ball........ Yee-ha!


(Oreoles and Washington Senators were my teams)

[frankthomson]

WB is way cool, too.

HOW ABOUT *HALF-BALL*? ...HB rocks!

[Tall Timbers]

When I was a kid I followed baseball and the Los Angeles Dodgers were my team. The line-up didn't change much in those days so I knew the names of the players and can still remember many of the names: Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Wes Parker, Maury Wills (I think), Willie Crawford.

I don't follow any sports anymore. I do coach both competitive and recreational soccer teams. Soccer didn't exist when and where I grew up, but now that I understand the game I like soccer best.

[john boland]

I like to watch baseball but cannot watch every single game of a particular team all season long. Most people are Yankee's Fans or Hate The Yankee's Fans. No middle of the road in that debate. I was a Braves fan for many years but after last year, I have had to turn my back on the Braves. Just seems to be more disappointment waiting to happen. Thinking of going with the Washington Nationals this year for a change of pace to see if they might be in the mix of the National League to take on the Phillies. Detriot with a healthy Verlandeer should be tough in the American League and will be interesting to see what Valentine will bring to Boston. The Cubs should be the Cubs once again and the people of Chicago will be disppointed once again in their quest for a World Series. Kershaw should have a good year for the Dodgers with Kemp bringing a big stick. Puhols for the Angels will be the big story for awhile to see if he earns that mosterous paycheck. Kansas City was starting to come around late last year and might be a sleeper. If Josh Hamilton can put his personal problems aside, Texas should bring much offense as usual. San Fransico has to find more offense to be competive trying to get back to the Big Show. Tampa Bay will showcase show fine pitching. Florida, Cincinnati, Mets, Arizona, Toronto, Milwaukee, Colorado, Oakland, Seattle and everyone else up in the air?

[frankthomson]

I'm a Phillies fan....but at the end of the day, may the best team win.

Play Ball!!!

[Prodigal Son]

I'm a Phillies fan as well. But i love to what any good baseball game.

[shane8353]

I love the smells and sounds of the ballpark. Earl Ray smoking up some bbq. Hot dogs cooking up. Fresh cut grass. Leather gloves. New baseballs. Taste of sunflower seeds. Crack of a bat. Smack of the ball into the glove. Its just earthly bliss for me. My son is only 2 and already shows signs that he will love baseball like I do. He loves going to Ranger games with me and will sit through the whole game. I enjoy the game and hope its something we will be able to enjoy into eternity.

[4given]

Who are the Yankees? How can you be an ex Braves fan? Is that like being an ex Yankees fan?

I was a braves fan when the only thing they were famous for was Hank Arron. Why are you an ex fan because Bobby Cox retired? I've been at several games when we sent the Houston Astros home for the year.

But the best baseball team in the world is the one my 12 year old son is playing catcher for; don't know the rec team name yet but the travel team is the Rampage. I'm gonna have to build the little big fella a new trophy shelf. How many 11 year old catchers you seen turn two double plays in a playoff game? I could not believe it neither could the boys, the coaches, or the umpires. He taught them boys thou shall not steal 2nd or 3rd that day. My only regret is nobody had it on video cause jr. was definitely on his A game that day. He also has the highest RBI on every team he plays, the only thing that really ticks him off is they almost always pinch run for him, so he can gear up.

Last year he was playing on loan to an out of town travel team when he hit a line drive down 3rd base so hard the base runner, the 3rd baseman, and the 3rd base coach all moved out of the way, the ball bounced off the fence without touching the ground first, it scored 3 runs. After the game, which they won, the opposing coach came over and asked how old that boy was who hit the rocket shot down 3rd base because they did not believe he was 11. That coach told our coach he had been around baseball for years and had never seen a kid hit the ball that hard. He got invited back several times to play with that team after that day.

The funniest one to me though happened 2 years ago when a game was tied we had a runner on base with 2 outs my son Drew hit a rocket shot line drive straight at the shortstop right into his glove. The shortstop was sure he had caught the ball and so where the kids on his team; except the left and center fielders they all started for the dugout. If I had not seen it I would not have believed it. The ball literally folded the shortstops glove over and went all the way to the fence. They were running in off the field while their coach was yelling at them about the ball was still in play.

The pitchers are scaird of him he has hit so many of them with line drives and a couple have been hurt, which I absolutely hate because it messes Drew up, he has a really big heart. One time he did not even run to first base he ran to the pitchers mound to help, the coaches and umps sent him over to first base. He had tears in his eyes and he was the one who had hit the ball not the who was hit. His batting coach will not pitch to him without an L screen, even then he has been hit twice, once dropping to his knees. Drew asked him Mr. Gene are you OK? Gene says yeah I'm OK, Drew says no your not your on your knees. He had been hit so fast he did not have time to realize he dropped to his knees and he was behind the L screen.

The only way I pitch to him is with a pitching machine and L screen and I used to do that without wearing a glove, not anymore. I have had too many balls hit right back up the middle by my head, I use the glove to catch or block them. His batting coach does a drill where he soft tosses two balls and tells him to hit the upper or lower ball, he has become so fast with his hands sometimes he can recoil and hit the second ball also.

I don't know if we're going to get to play school ball though it is a small town and the politics are thick.


Yeah I love baseball if I did not work shiftwork I would coach.

[Nate C]

Lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan here, come from a family tradition of supporting the red birds.

Shame we lost Albert, but life moves on.

[Chris]

I'm a Braves fan!! Looking forward to baseball season.

[shane8353]

I hope the Braves don't experiance another end-of season meltdown again. By the way, thanks to the Braves the Rangers wouldn't be in the World Series back to back seasons.

[jjmundt]

I'm a Braves fan!! Looking forward to baseball season.

Me too...have been for 30 years.

Regards,
Joel

[kjlistrom]

MN Twins fan since the mid 60's, been to many of their games.

[jonshaff]

Yankees and Phillies fan here! I use to not admit the Phillies were my first love (of baseball) even tho as a kid we'd always go, and I'd love watching the philly phanatic!

[anasazi]

Oriole fan since 1965.