1.
San Diego
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San Diego is a major city in California, United States. It is in San Diego County, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, approximately 120 miles south of Los Angeles and immediately adjacent to the border with Mexico. With an estimated population of 1,394,928 as of July 1,2015, San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest in California. It is part of the San Diego–Tijuana conurbation, the second-largest transborder agglomeration between the US and a country after Detroit–Windsor, with a population of 4,922,723 people. San Diego has been called the birthplace of California, historically home to the Kumeyaay people, San Diego was the first site visited by Europeans on what is now the West Coast of the United States. Upon landing in San Diego Bay in 1542, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo claimed the area for Spain, the Presidio and Mission San Diego de Alcalá, founded in 1769, formed the first European settlement in what is now California. In 1821, San Diego became part of the newly independent Mexico, in 1850, California became part of the United States following the Mexican–American War and the admission of California to the union. The city is the seat of San Diego County and is the center of the region as well as the San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. San Diegos main economic engines are military and defense-related activities, tourism, international trade, the presence of the University of California, San Diego, with the affiliated UCSD Medical Center, has helped make the area a center of research in biotechnology. The original inhabitants of the region are now known as the San Dieguito, the area of San Diego has been inhabited by the Kumeyaay people. The first European to visit the region was Portuguese-born explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo sailing under the flag of Castile, sailing his flagship San Salvador from Navidad, New Spain, Cabrillo claimed the bay for the Spanish Empire in 1542, and named the site San Miguel. In November 1602, Sebastián Vizcaíno was sent to map the California coast, in May 1769, Gaspar de Portolà established the Fort Presidio of San Diego on a hill near the San Diego River. It was the first settlement by Europeans in what is now the state of California, in July of the same year, Mission San Diego de Alcalá was founded by Franciscan friars under Junípero Serra. By 1797, the mission boasted the largest native population in Alta California, with over 1,400 neophytes living in, Mission San Diego was the southern anchor in California of the historic mission trail El Camino Real. Both the Presidio and the Mission are National Historic Landmarks, in 1821, Mexico won its independence from Spain, and San Diego became part of the Mexican territory of Alta California. In 1822, Mexico began attempting to extend its authority over the territory of Alta California. The fort on Presidio Hill was gradually abandoned, while the town of San Diego grew up on the land below Presidio Hill. The Mission was secularized by the Mexican government in 1833, the 432 residents of the town petitioned the governor to form a pueblo, and Juan María Osuna was elected the first alcalde, defeating Pío Pico in the vote
2.
San Diego Padres
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The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball franchise based in San Diego, California. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball as a club of the National League West division, along with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the NL pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, as of 2015, they have had 14 winning seasons in franchise history. The Padres are the major professional sports franchise to be located in San Diego. The Padres adopted their name from the Pacific Coast League team that arrived in San Diego in 1936 and that minor league franchise won the PCL title in 1937, led by 18-year-old Ted Williams, the future Hall-of-Famer who was a native of San Diego. The teams name, Spanish for fathers, refers to the Spanish Franciscan friars who founded San Diego in 1769. In 1969, the Padres joined the ranks of Major League Baseball as one of four new teams, along with the Montreal Expos, the Kansas City Royals. Arnholt Smith, a prominent San Diego businessman and former owner of the PCL Padres whose interests included banking, tuna fishing, hotels, real estate and an airline. The teams fortunes improved as they won five National League West titles and reached the World Series twice, in 1984 and in 1998. The Padres main draw during the 1980s and 1990s was Tony Gwynn and they moved into their current stadium, Petco Park, in 2004. As of 2016, the Padres are the team in the MLB yet to throw a no-hitter since their addition to the league in 1969. The team has played its spring training games at the Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria and they share the stadium with the Seattle Mariners. From 1969 to 1993, the Padres held spring training in Yuma, due to the short driving distance and direct highway route, Yuma was very popular with Padres fans, and many fans would travel by car from San Diego for spring training games. Throughout the teams history, the San Diego Padres have used six different logos, the original team colors were blue and red before changing to gold and brown in the 70s. Their first logo depicts a friar swinging a bat with Padres written at the top standing in a sun-like figure with San Diego Padres on the exterior of it. The Swinging Friar has popped up on the uniform on and off ever since although the head of the friar has been tweaked from the original in recent years, in 1985, the Padres switched to using a script-like logo in which Padres was written sloped up. That would later become a script logo for the Padres, the teams colors were changed to brown and orange and remained this way through the 1990 season. In 1989, the Padres took the scripted Padres logo that was used from 1985 to 1988, in 1991, the logo was changed to a silver ring with the Padres script changed from brown to blue
3.
Petco Park
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Petco Park is a baseball park located in the downtown area of San Diego, California, United States, that is home to the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball. The park opened in 2004, replacing Qualcomm Stadium, which the Padres shared with the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League, Petco Park is named after the San Diego-based pet supplies retailer Petco, which paid for the naming rights until 2026. In addition to baseball, the park is used as venue for concerts, soccer, golf. The ballpark is located between 7th and 10th Avenues, south of J Street, the southern side of the stadium is bounded by San Diego Trolley light rail tracks along the north side of Harbor Drive. The portion of K Street between 7th and 10th is now closed to automobiles and serves as a promenade along the back of the left. Two of the stadiums outfield entrance areas are located at K Streets intersections with 7th and 10th Avenues, the main entrance, behind home plate, is at the south end of Park Boulevard and faces the San Diego Trolley station 12th & Imperial Transit Center. The ballpark was constructed by San Diego Ballpark Builders, a partnership with Clark Construction, Nielsen Dillingham and Douglas E. Barnhart, the construction cost of over $450 million was partially funded by the Center City Development Corporation and the San Diego Redevelopment Agency. The stadium was intended to be part of a plan to revitalize San Diegos aging downtown. The very first ball park home plate was placed by a boy at the time, Marlon Cook who volunteered through his Boys. The ballpark was scheduled to open for the 2002 season, however. One portion of this was a decision which nullified a ballot proposition which had already been passed. Another delay resulted from the Western Metal Supply Co. building having been declared a landmark in 1978. The resulting delays required the Padres to play the 2002 and 2003 seasons at Jack Murphy/Qualcomm Stadium, the first baseball game ever played at Petco Park, on March 11,2004, was the first game of a four-team NCAA invitational tournament hosted by San Diego State University. The San Diego State Aztecs baseball team, of which retired Padres player Tony Gwynn was the head coach and it was the largest attendance for a game in college baseball history. Lance Zawadzki recorded the first hit, when he hit a double, on April 8,2004, there was lighthearted pushing and shoving before the gates opened around 4 p. m. as numerous Padres faithful tried to be the first to enter Petco Park. But Brent Walker,17, had a distinction all to himself, im very proud to be the first fan to come in, said Walker, who was wearing a San Francisco Giants jersey. The San Diego Padres played their first regular game and defeated the San Francisco Giants 4-3 in 10 innings. On April 15,2004 Mark Loretta hit the first Padre home run off of Hideo Nomo of the Los Angeles Dodgers and it was caught by Mike Hill, a bartender at the Kansas City Barbecue
4.
Playing field
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A pitch or a sports ground is an outdoor playing area for various sports. The term pitch is most commonly used in British English, while the term in American and Canadian English is playing field or sports field. In most sports the official term is field of play, although this is not regularly used by those outside refereeing/umpiring circles. The surface of a pitch is most commonly composed of sod, in the sport of cricket, the cricket pitch refers not to the entire field of play, but to the section of the field on which batting and bowling take place in the centre of the field. The pitch is prepared differently from the rest of the field, a pitch is often a regulation space, as in an association football pitch. The term level playing field is used metaphorically to mean fairness in non-sporting human activities such as business where there are notional winners and losers. Game court Grassfield High School in Virginia, United States, often referred to as Grassfield or Grass field Rules and dimensions
5.
Baseball
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Baseball is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of nine players each, who take turns batting and fielding. A run is scored when a player advances around the bases, Players on the batting team take turns hitting against the pitcher of the fielding team, which tries to prevent runs by getting hitters out in any of several ways. A player on the team who reaches a base safely can later attempt to advance to subsequent bases during teammates turns batting. The teams switch between batting and fielding whenever the team records three outs. One turn batting for both teams, beginning with the team, constitutes an inning. A game is composed of nine innings, and the team with the number of runs at the end of the game wins. Baseball has no clock, although almost all games end in the ninth inning. Baseball evolved from older bat-and-ball games already being played in England by the mid-18th century and this game was brought by immigrants to North America, where the modern version developed. By the late 19th century, baseball was widely recognized as the sport of the United States. Baseball is now popular in North America and parts of Central and South America, the Caribbean, in the United States and Canada, professional Major League Baseball teams are divided into the National League and American League, each with three divisions, East, West, and Central. The major league champion is determined by playoffs that culminate in the World Series, the top level of play is similarly split in Japan between the Central and Pacific Leagues and in Cuba between the West League and East League. The evolution of baseball from older bat-and-ball games is difficult to trace with precision, a French manuscript from 1344 contains an illustration of clerics playing a game, possibly la soule, with similarities to baseball. Other old French games such as thèque, la balle au bâton, consensus once held that todays baseball is a North American development from the older game rounders, popular in Great Britain and Ireland. Baseball Before We Knew It, A Search for the Roots of the Game, by David Block, suggests that the game originated in England, recently uncovered historical evidence supports this position. Block argues that rounders and early baseball were actually regional variants of other. It has long believed that cricket also descended from such games. The earliest known reference to baseball is in a 1744 British publication, A Little Pretty Pocket-Book, David Block discovered that the first recorded game of Bass-Ball took place in 1749 in Surrey, and featured the Prince of Wales as a player. William Bray, an English lawyer, recorded a game of baseball on Easter Monday 1755 in Guildford and this early form of the game was apparently brought to Canada by English immigrants
6.
Baseball park
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A baseball park, also known as a ballpark or diamond, is a venue where baseball is played. A baseball park consists of the field and the surrounding spectator seating. While the diamond and the areas denoted by white painted lines adhere to rules, guidelines for the rest of the field are flexible. The term ballpark sometimes refers either to the structure, or sometimes to just the playing field. A home run where the player makes it around the bases, sometimes a home run over the fence is called out of the ballpark, but that phrase more often means a home run that clears the stands and lands outside the building. The playing field is most often called the ballfield, though the term is used interchangeably with ballpark when referring to a small local or youth league facility. A baseball field can be referred to as a diamond, the infield is a rigidly structured diamond of dirt containing the three bases, home plate, and the pitchers mound. The space between the bases and home is normally a grass surface, save for the mound in the center. Some ballparks, like Torontos Rogers Centre, have grass or artificial turf between the bases, and dirt only around the bases and pitchers mound, others, such as Koshien Stadium in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, have an entirely dirt infield. Two white lines run out from the plate area, aligned with first. These are the lines or base lines, usually differentiated by referring to them as the first base line. If a ball hit by the lands outside of the space between these two lines, or rolls out of this space before reaching first or third base, the ball is foul. If it lands between or on the lines, it is fair, at the end of the lines are two foul poles, which help the umpires judge whether a ball is fair or foul. These foul poles are actually in fair territory, so a ball hits them on the fly is a home run. On either side of plate are the two batters boxes This is where the batter stands when at bat. Behind home is the box, where the catcher and the home plate umpire stand. Next to first and third base are two boxes, where the first and third base coaches guide the baserunners, generally with gestures or shouts. As the baserunner faces away from the outfield when running from second base to third, they see where the ball is
7.
Baseball rules
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The rules of baseball differ slightly from league to league, but in general share the same basic game play. There are several rules, which differ only slightly. The Official Baseball Rules govern all professional play in the United States and Canada, the complete rules are published as the Official Baseball Rules at MLB. com, the official web site of Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. The rules are published in book form in North America by the Sporting News. Many amateur and youth leagues use the OBR with only a few modifications for safety, U. S. high school and high school-age baseball is governed by the rules of the National Federation of State High School Associations. For origins of the game, see Rounders, a game originating in England and Ireland, unlike many other sports, the Official Baseball Rules have remained largely static during the modern era of the game. Many baseball players, fans, and administrators view the rules and traditions of baseball as time-tested. This was not the case during baseballs early days, particularly in the late 19th century, when rules changed almost yearly, often significantly. The game as we know it really only began to take shape in the late 1880s. In 1857, under the Knickerbocker rules which governed until 1872, the next year, called strikes were recognized, and a batter was out if a ball, fair or foul, was caught on the fly or after one bounce. In 1867, the batter was given the right to call for a high or low pitch, the National League was formed in 1876. Its rules changed almost yearly for the quarter century. In 1880, a batter was out if the catcher caught the third strike, before 1883, pitchers were required to deliver pitches with their hand below their hips, in that year, the rule was changed to allow shoulder-high deliveries. Until 1887, batters could call for either a high or low pitch, in 1885, the rules changed, until 1893, to allow bats to be flat on one side, beginning in 1893, they had to be round. In 1887, the rules were changed so that batters could no longer call for a pitch, in that same year, the number of strikes went from 4 to 3. In 1887, a rule was adopted for that year only counting walks as hits, in 1892, the 154 game schedule was adopted. In 1893, the mound was moved from 50 to 60.5 feet from home plate. In 1894, foul bunts were made strikes, and the fly rule was adopted with one out
8.
Baseball field
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A baseball field, also called a ball field or a baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The term is used as a metonym for baseball park.5 inches. Adjacent to each of the two parallel 8. 5-inch sides is a batters box, the point of home plate where the two 12-inch sides meet at right angles is at one corner of a ninety-foot square. The other three corners of the square, in order from home plate, are called first base, second base. Three canvas bags fifteen inches square mark the three bases and these three bags along with home plate form the four points at the corners of the infield. All the bases, including home plate, lie entirely within fair territory, thus, any batted ball that touches those bases must necessarily be in fair territory. Thus, although the points of the bases are 90 feet apart, the lines from home plate to first and third bases extend to the nearest fence, stand or other obstruction and are called the foul lines. The portion of the field between the foul lines is fair territory, the rest is foul territory. The area in the vicinity of the square formed by the bases is called the infield, most baseball fields are enclosed with a fence that marks the outer edge of the outfield. The fence is set at a distance ranging from 300 to 420 feet from home plate. Most professional and college baseball fields have a right and left foul pole and these poles are at the intersection of the foul lines and the respective ends of the outfield fence and, unless otherwise specified within the ground rules, lie in fair territory. Thus, a ball that passes over the outfield wall in flight and touches the foul pole is a fair ball. First base is the first of four bases that must be touched by a player on the team in order to score a run. Unlike when a player reaches second or third base, it is permissible for a batter-runner to overrun first base without being in jeopardy of being put out. After contact is made with the base, the batter-runner may slow down and return to first base at his leisure, the runner cannot be tagged out if he is touching the base with any part of his body. The first baseman is the player responsible for the area near first base. A professional first baseman is often a slow runner and tall, a tall first baseman presents a large target to which other fielders can throw, and his height gives him a larger range in reaching and catching errant throws. Also, a right-handed first baseman must, when setting himself up to receive a throw from an infielder, execute a half-pivot near the base, there are three infield positions that can only effectively be occupied by right-handed players, 2nd base, 3rd base, and shortstop
9.
First baseman
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First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that players team. A first baseman is the player on the team playing defense who fields the area nearest first base, in the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the first baseman is assigned the number 3. Also called first sacker or cornerman, the first baseman is ideally a tall player who throws left-handed and possesses good flexibility, flexibility is needed because the first baseman receives throws from the other infielders, the catcher and the pitcher after they have fielded ground balls. In order for the runner to be called out, the first baseman must be able to stretch towards the throw and they often are power hitters who have a substantial number of home runs and extra base hits while maintaining a.270 plus batting average. Good defensive first basemen, according to Bill James, are capable of playing off first base so that they can field ground balls hit to the side of first base. The first baseman then relies upon the pitcher to cover first base to receive the ball to complete the out, indications of a good defensive first baseman include a large number of assists and a low number of throwing errors by other infielders. The nature of play at first base often requires first basemen to stay close to the bag to hold runners or to reach the bag before the batter. First basemen are not typically expected to have the range required of a baseman, shortstop. As a result, first base is not usually perceived to be as physically demanding as other positions, however, it can also be a very hard position to play, a large amount of concentration and timing is required. Though many play at first base their entire career, it is common for players to be moved to first base in order to extend their careers or to accommodate other recently acquired players. Facing a possible trade or a reduction in playing time. Catchers and corner outfielders are often moved to first base due to deteriorating health or if their fielding abilities at their position are detrimental to the team. When first base is not occupied by a baserunner, the first baseman usually stands behind first base, the distance he plays from the base and foul line is dependent on the current hitter and any runners on base. The exact position may depend on the first basemans experience, preference. For a known right-handed pull hitter, the first baseman might position himself further towards the second basemans normal fielding position, for a known left-handed pull hitter, the first baseman will position himself closer to the foul line in order to stop a ball hit down the line. To protect against a bunt on the first base side of the infield, as soon as the pitcher commits to throwing towards home plate, the first basemen will charge towards the hitter to field the bunt. During these plays, it is the responsibility of the second basemen to cover first base, with a base runner present at first base, the first baseman stands with his right foot touching the base to prepare for a pickoff attempt. Once the pitcher commits to throwing towards home plate, the first baseman comes off the bag in front of the runner and gets in a fielding position
10.
Second baseman
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In baseball and softball, second baseman is a fielding position in the infield, between third and first base. The second baseman often possesses quick hands and feet, needs the ability to get rid of the ball quickly, in addition, second basemen are usually right-handed, only four left-handed throwing players have ever played second base since 1950. In the numbering system used to record plays, the second baseman is assigned the number 4. Good second basemen need to have very good range, since they have to field balls closer to the first baseman who is often holding runners on, on a batted ball to right field, the second baseman goes out towards the ball for the relay. Due to these requirements, second base is sometimes a primarily defensive position in the modern game, the second baseman catches line drives or pop flies hit near him, and fields ground balls hit near him and then throws the ball to a base to force out a runner. In this case, if the runner is to be forced out at second base then that base is covered by the shortstop. With a runner on first base, on a ball to the shortstop or third baseman the second baseman will cover second base to force out the runner coming from first. com
11.
Third baseman
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In the scoring system used to record defensive plays, the third baseman is assigned the number 5. The third baseman requires good reflexes in reacting to batted balls, the third base position requires a strong and accurate arm, as the third baseman often makes long throws to first base. The third baseman sometimes must throw quickly to second base in time to start a double play, the third baseman must also field fly balls in fair and foul territory. Third base is known as the hot corner, because the third baseman is relatively close to the batter, a third baseman must possess good hand-eye coordination and quick reactions in order to catch hard line drives sometimes in excess of 125 miles per hour. Third basemen often must begin in an even closer to the batter if a bunt is expected. As with middle infielders, right-handed throwing players are standard at the position because they do not need to turn their body before throwing across the infield to first base. Mike Squires, who played fourteen games at third base in 1982 and 1983, is a rare example of a third baseman who threw lefty. Some third basemen have been converted from middle infielders or outfielders because the position does not require them to run as fast. Players who could hit with more ability often were not suited for third base, since the 1950s the position has become more of a power position with sluggers such as Eddie Mathews, Mike Schmidt and Ron Santo becoming stars. There are fewer third basemen in the Baseball Hall of Fame than there are Hall of Famers of any other position
12.
Citi Field
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Citi Field is a stadium located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in the New York City borough of Queens. Completed in 2009, it is the baseball park of Major League Baseballs New York Mets. Citi Field was built as a replacement for the formerly adjacent Shea Stadium, Citi Field was designed by Populous, and is named after Citigroup, a New York financial services company which purchased the naming rights. The $850 million baseball park was funded with $615 million in public subsidies, the payments will offset property taxes for the lifetime of the park. The Mets are receiving $20 million annually from Citibank in exchange for naming the stadium Citi Field, the entire public cost is being borne by city and state taxpayers in New York. The first game at Citi Field was on March 29,2009, the Mets played their first two games at the ballpark on April 3 and April 4,2009 against the Boston Red Sox as charity exhibition games. The first regular home game was played on April 13,2009. Citi Field hosted the 2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, marking the time the Mets have hosted the event. The stadium will host the 2018 NHL Winter Classic between the New York Rangers and the Buffalo Sabres, since the 1990s, the Mets had been looking to replace Shea Stadium. It had originally built as a multi-purpose stadium in 1964. The Mets also considered moving to Mitchel Field or Belmont Park in Nassau County, Long Island, Sunnyside Yard in Queens, or the West Side Yard in Manhattan. In December 2001, shortly before leaving office, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani announced tentative agreements for both the Mets and New York Yankees to build new stadiums. Of the $1.6 billion sought for the stadiums, city and state taxpayers would pick up half the tab for construction, $800 million, along with $390 million on extra transportation. The teams would keep 96% of ticket revenues and 100% of all revenues, not pay sales tax or property tax on the stadium. Business officials criticized the plan as giving too much money to successful teams with little reason to move to a different city, at the time, Bloomberg said that publicly funded stadiums were a poor investment. Under Bloomberg, the New York City government would offer public financing for infrastructure improvements. Bloomberg called the former mayors agreements corporate welfare, the final plans for what is now Citi Field were created as part of the New York City 2012 Olympic bid. After plans for a West Side Stadium fell through, New York looked for a stadium to host the opening and closing ceremonies and track
13.
Pickoff
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In baseball, a pickoff is an act by a pitcher, throwing a live ball to a fielder so that the fielder can tag out a baserunner who is either leading off or about to begin stealing the next base. A catcher may also attempt to throw runners out who likewise stray too far from their bases after a pitch, a runner who is picked off is said to have been caught napping, especially if he made no attempt to return to his base. A pickoff move is the motion the pitcher goes through in making this attempt, pitchers in professional baseball use the pickoff move often, perhaps several times per game or even per inning if speedy baserunners reach base. Pitchers with more confidence in their ability to eliminate batters directly via strikeouts or flyouts use fewer pickoff attempts, in lower-skilled amateur games, the pickoff move is less common due to the potential for an error if the pitcher throws wild or the fielder fails to make the catch. In youth leagues that dont allow leading off, such as Little League and Cal Ripken League, the need for a pickoff move is eliminated. Game 4 of the 2013 World Series ended with a pickoff, as Koji Uehara of the Boston Red Sox threw to first base, on 24 August 1983 Tippy Martinez of the Baltimore Orioles picked off three consecutive base runners in the first half of the 10th inning. The catcher for the Orioles, utility infielder Lenn Sakata, had replaced the regular catcher at the start of the inning, Sakata hadnt played as a catcher since Little League. In the bottom half of the same inning Sakata hit a home run. A pitcher uses many tactics to attempt to disguise whether he is going to begin a pitch or a pickoff attempt, however, some deceptive actions are illegal and may be called a balk. When there is a baserunner, the pitcher will pitch from the stretch, for this example we will say the runner is on first base. From the set position a right-handed pitcher can still see the baserunner out of the corner of his eye, a Left-handed pitcher has a clear view of the baserunner because of the way they stand on the pitchers mound. If it is a right-handed pitcher there is one main method of this pickoff move. This involves a shuffle of the pitchers feet to turn towards first base. The first baseman will then attempt to tag out the runner, the left-handed pitcher, due to their natural stance and the way they are facing, has multiple moves. The two main methods are called the throw and spin move. The snap throw is when the pitcher lifts his back foot behind the pitching rubber. A snap throw can also refer to the throwing the ball to the base following a pitch. The spin move is when the pitcher lifts his leg like he is going to pitch the ball but then rotates his body toward first and throws the ball
14.
Baseball scorekeeping
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Baseball scorekeeping is the practice of recording the details of a baseball game as it unfolds. Professional baseball leagues hire official scorers to keep a record of each game. Sportswriter Henry Chadwick is generally credited as the inventor of baseball scorekeeping and his basic scorecard and notation have evolved significantly since their advent in the 1870s but they remain the basis for most of what has followed. Some symbols and abbreviations are shared by nearly all scorekeeping systems, at the end of the game Listing the pitchers in the game Usually two scorecards are used to score a game. Because the traditional method has been in use for so long, it has the most variations in its symbols and it is difficult, at this point in time, to describe an authoritative set of rules for traditional scorekeeping, but what is described here is a representative sample. In the traditional method, each cell in the area of the scoresheet represents the lifetime of an offensive player, from at-bat to baserunner. When an out is recorded, the combination of defensive players executing that out is recorded. If the next batter hits a ball to the fielder who catches it on the fly for the second out, it would be noted as F8. If the following batter strikes out, it would be noted as K, If the batter did not swing at the third strike, a backwards K is traditionally used. Other forms include Kc for a third strike with no swing. A slash should be drawn across the right corner to indicate the end of the inning. If in another inning, a baserunner is caught stealing second base and it is then noted CS, with some scorers adding the uniform number or batting position of the batter to indicate when the runner was put out. Then the defensive combination of the put out, normally 2–4 or 2–6 for a play, is written. If the runner on first is instead picked off by the pitcher, a cut off mark is noted on the base lines. If a batter reaches first base, either due to a walk, a hit, or an error, the basepath from home to first base is drawn, for example, If a batter gets a base hit, the basepath is drawn and 1B is written below. If the batter hits a double, however, the basepaths from home to first and first to second are drawn and this change of position is done to indicate that the runner did not advance on another hit. If the batter hits a triple, the basepaths are drawn from home to first to second to third, If a batter gets a walk, the basepath is drawn and BB or W is written below. IBB is written for a base on balls
15.
Shortstop
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Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. The position is filled by defensive specialists, so shortstops are generally relatively poor batters who bat later in the batting order. In the numbering used by scorers to record defensive plays. More hit balls go to the shortstop than to any position, as there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters. Like a second baseman, a shortstop must be agile, for example performing a 4-6-3 double play. Also, like a third baseman, the shortstop fields balls hit to the side of the infield. Doc Adams of the Knickerbockers created the concept of the position, according to Thorn. In the first five years the Knickerbockers played, the team fielded anywhere from eight to eleven players, the only infielders were the players covering each of the bases, if there were more than eight players, extra outfielders were sometimes used. The outfielders had difficulty throwing baseballs into the infield, because of the light weight. Adams shortstop position, which he started playing at some time from 1849 to 1850, was used to field throws from the outfielders, with the advent of higher-quality baseballs, Adams moved to the infield, since the distance the balls could travel increased. Adams had a playing career with the Knickerbockers, he remained a player with the team until 1860. The shortstop ordinarily is positioned near second base on the third-base side, a shortstop must also be extremely agile, because balls hit to or near the shortstop position are usually hit harder than to other infield positions. Shortstops are required to cover second base in double play situations when the ball is hit to the second baseman or first baseman and they also cover second when a runner is attempting a stolen base, but only when a left-handed hitter is batting. This is because the infield will respond to a batter by shifting toward first base. They often become the man on balls to any part of the outfield that are being directed towards third base and all balls to left. Depending on the system the shortstop may cut balls from left field heading home, however, the emphasis on defense makes the position unusually difficult to fill. Historically, a strong shortstop did not have to be a good hitter.200, since the 1960s, however, such mediocre hitting has become rarer as teams increasingly demand players with ability to both field and hit. Alex Rodríguez, Michael Young, or Miguel Tejada, the year in which the player was inducted is given in brackets after his name
16.
Stolen base
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In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which he is not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or out at the next base, a stolen base most often occurs when a baserunner advances to the next base while the pitcher is pitching the ball to home plate. Successful base stealers are not only fast but have good baserunning instincts, ned Cuthbert, playing for the Philadelphia Keystones in either 1863 or 1865, was the first player to steal a base in a baseball game, although the term stolen base was not used until 1870. For a time in the 19th century, stolen bases were credited when a baserunner reached an extra base on a hit from another player. For example, if a runner on first base reached third base on a single, in 1887, Hugh Nicol set a still-standing Major League record with 138 stolen bases, many of which would not have counted under modern rules. Modern steal rules were implemented in 1898. Base stealing was popular in the early decades, with speedsters such as Ty Cobb. Wills record was broken in turn by Lou Brock in 1974, base stealing is an important characteristic of the small ball managing style. Such managers emphasize doing the things to advance runners and score runs, often relying on pitching. The Los Angeles Dodgers of the 1960s, led by pitcher Sandy Koufax, the antithesis of this is reliance on power hitting, exemplified by the Baltimore Orioles of the 1970s, which aspired to score most of its runs via home runs. Often the small ball model is associated with the National League, however, some successful recent American League teams, including the 2002 Anaheim Angels, the 2001 Seattle Mariners and the 2005 Chicago White Sox have excelled at small ball. The Kansas City Royals have embodied this style recently, leading the league in stolen bases but finishing last in home runs in 2013 and 2014. Successful teams often combine both styles, with a runner or two complementing hitters with power, such as the 2005 White Sox, who despite playing small ball, still hit 200 home runs. Baseballs Rule 8 specifies the pitching procedure in detail, a runner intending to steal on the pitcher breaks for the next base the moment the pitcher commits to pitch to home plate. The pitcher cannot abort the pitch and try to put the runner out, if the runner breaks too soon, the pitcher may throw to a base rather than pitch, and the runner is usually picked off by being tagged out between the bases. Past this moment, any delay in the runners break makes it likely that the catcher, after receiving the pitch. Before the pitch, the runner takes a lead-off, walking several steps away from the base as a start toward the next base. Even a runner who does not intend to steal takes a lead of a few more steps
17.
Double play
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In baseball, a double play is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. Double plays are common, as they can occur any time there is at least one baserunner. During the 2016 Major League Baseball regular season, the average for double plays completed by each team during the course of a 162-game season was 145 – nearly one per game by each team. The simplest scenario for a play is a runner on first base with less than two outs. As both outs are made by force plays, this is referred to as a double play. As the force out at first base removed the force condition at second base, the batter hits the ball in the air a line drive to the first baseman, who catches it, and then steps on first base before the baserunner can return to first to tag up. This is also an example of a double play. Highly desirable to the team and highly undesirable to the batting team. The fielding team is likely to change pitch selection and defensive alignment to try and get a batter to ground into a force double play. Pitchers may throw pitches more likely to be hit as a ground ball – such as a sinker – while fielders can be positioned to make a ground ball more likely to be turned into a double play. Likewise, the team may take action – such as a hit. In baseball slang, making a play is referred to as turning two or a twin killing. Double plays are known as the pitchers best friend because they disrupt offense more than any other play. A force double play made on a ball hit to the third baseman, who throws to the second baseman. A strike em out, throw em out double play occurs when a runner is caught stealing immediately after the batter strikes out. The ability to make the pivot on a double play – receiving a throw from the third base side. All three players were part of the Cubs team that won the National League pennant in 1906,1907,1908, and 1910, and they were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946. The New York Yankees recorded a rare 4-1-5 double play against the San Francisco Giants on July 24,2016, castro threw to pitcher Chad Green at first base to retire Peña
18.
2010 Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team
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The 2010 Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team represented the University of Arkansas in baseball at the Division I level in the NCAA for the 2010 season. Dave van Horn, a former Razorback player, was the coach in his year at his alma mater. The 2010 club hosted and won the Fayetteville Regional, but fell in the Tempe Super Regional to the top-seeded Arizona State Sun Devils, the team was led by two All-Americans, Brett Eibner and Zack Cox. The Razorbacks return several key members of the 2009 Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team went to the 2009 College World Series. A key returner is Andy Wilkins, who was named the Norman Regional Most Outstanding Player, the first baseman Wilkins brings a team-high.319 average to the table, also chipping in 19 home runs and 58 RBI in 2009. Freshman All-American Zack Cox returns to play third base for the Razorbacks and he hit.266 with 39 RBI and freshman school record 13 home runs. Center fielder Brett Eibner, a native of The Woodlands, Texas, Eibner also returns as a pitcher, going 5–5 in 17 games with a 5.00 ERA. Senior pitcher Mike Bolsinger returns from the bullpen, bringing a great slider and 2.99 ERA to the Razorbacks, source, Baseball –2010 Coaches The Razorbacks began the 2010 campaign on February 19 with a 10–2 victory over the Ball State Cardinals. Hogs starter Mike Bolsinger earned the win, and Andy Wilkins provided two hits,2 RBI, and a home run. Every Razorback starting player recorded at least a hit in the contest. It was a different story in two, however, as Ball State took a lead in the first inning and did not relinquish it. Geoffrey Davenport would continue after the start to pitch effectively for four innings. The Razorbacks left twelve runners on base, and committed four defensive errors, game three was initially delayed fifteen minutes due to rain, but once the game started, Brett Eibner and Drew Smyly pitched well. Designated hitter Monk Kreder, a college transfer native to Keller, Texas. Six different Razorbacks scored in the 9–3 victory, Andy Wilkins, James McCann, and Brett Eibner all went deep in game one of a three game series against the Troy Trojans. Zack Cox was 2–2 with one RBI and two runs scored as the Razorbacks prevailed 10–1, Wilkins, Eibner, and Cox would hit home runs in game two, as the No.16 Diamond Hogs took a 10–8 slugfest. Redshirt sophomore Drew Smyly started the game, Jeremy Heatley earned the win, and DJ Baxendale, the Razorbacks started game three with seven runs in the first two innings, but then the bats fell silent. Troy posted six runs, but the Trojans couldnt complete the comeback, Arkansas hosted the No.25 Kansas Jayhawks at Baum Stadium on March 2
19.
Pentagon
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In geometry, a pentagon is any five-sided polygon or 5-gon. The sum of the angles in a simple pentagon is 540°. A pentagon may be simple or self-intersecting, a self-intersecting regular pentagon is called a pentagram. A regular pentagon has Schläfli symbol and interior angles are 108°, a regular pentagon has five lines of reflectional symmetry, and rotational symmetry of order 5. The diagonals of a regular pentagon are in the golden ratio to its sides. The area of a regular convex pentagon with side length t is given by A = t 225 +1054 =5 t 2 tan 4 ≈1.720 t 2. A pentagram or pentangle is a regular star pentagon and its sides form the diagonals of a regular convex pentagon – in this arrangement the sides of the two pentagons are in the golden ratio. The area of any polygon is, A =12 P r where P is the perimeter of the polygon. Substituting the regular pentagons values for P and r gives the formula A =12 ×5 t × t tan 2 =5 t 2 tan 4 with side length t, like every regular convex polygon, the regular convex pentagon has an inscribed circle. The apothem, which is the r of the inscribed circle. Like every regular polygon, the regular convex pentagon has a circumscribed circle. For a regular pentagon with successive vertices A, B, C, D, E, the regular pentagon is constructible with compass and straightedge, as 5 is a Fermat prime. A variety of methods are known for constructing a regular pentagon, one method to construct a regular pentagon in a given circle is described by Richmond and further discussed in Cromwells Polyhedra. The top panel shows the construction used in Richmonds method to create the side of the inscribed pentagon, the circle defining the pentagon has unit radius. Its center is located at point C and a midpoint M is marked halfway along its radius and this point is joined to the periphery vertically above the center at point D. Angle CMD is bisected, and the bisector intersects the axis at point Q. A horizontal line through Q intersects the circle at point P, to determine the length of this side, the two right triangles DCM and QCM are depicted below the circle. Using Pythagoras theorem and two sides, the hypotenuse of the triangle is found as 5 /2
20.
Wild pitch
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A wild pitch usually passes the catcher behind home plate, often allowing runners on base an easy chance to advance while the catcher chases the ball down. Sometimes the catcher may block a pitch, and the ball may be nearby, a closely related statistic is the passed ball. As with many statistics, whether a pitch that gets away from a catcher is counted as a wild pitch or a passed ball is at the discretion of the official scorer. The benefit of the doubt is given to the catcher if there is uncertainty, therefore. Because the pitcher and catcher handle the much more than other fielders, certain misplays on pitched balls are defined in Rule 10.13 as wild pitches. No error shall be charged when a pitch or passed ball is scored. A wild pitch may only be scored if one or more runners advance, if the bases are empty, or the catcher retrieves the ball quickly and the runner are unable to advance, a wild pitch is not charged. A scored run due to a pitch is recorded as an earned run. A runner who advances on a pitch is not credited with a stolen base unless he breaks before the pitcher begins his delivery. Nolan Ryan is the leader in the category, throwing 277 wild pitches over his 27 years in Major League Baseball. He also led his league in the category in six different seasons, however, the all-time record belongs to Tony Mullane, who threw 343 in the early years of the game from 1881 to 1894. After Ryans 277, the pitcher on the list is Mickey Welch 274. Bill Stemmyer still holds the record, throwing 63 wild pitches in 1886. Since 1900, however, the highest total in a season has been 30, the modern record in a single game is 6, held by three different pitchers. Dickey, Phil Niekro, Walter Johnson, and Kevin Gregg all hold the modern-era single inning wild pitch record with four, rick Ankiel, however, has produced five wild pitches in the 3rd inning of the 2000 NLDS. Bert Cunningham of the Players League in 1890 also threw five in an inning, the current active leader is Félix Hernández, with 132 wild pitches. The only other pitchers with 100+ wild pitches are John Lackey with 114. Baseball Reference – MLB Career Leaders and Records for Wild Pitches Baseball Rules See section 10.13
21.
Foul ball
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Foul territory or foul ground is defined as the area of the field outside of the foul lines. The foul lines and foul poles are not part of foul territory, a strike is issued for the batter if he had fewer than two strikes. A strike is, however, recorded for the pitcher for every foul ball the batter hits, if any member of the fielding team catches a foul ball before it touches the ground or lands outside the field perimeter, the batter is out. A foul ball is different from a tip, in which the ball makes contact with the bat, travels directly to the catchers hands. In this case, a strike is issued to the batter regardless of the ball/strike count, some consider such a ball to still be in flight, while others consider it a foul ball and dead from the time it strikes. A ball that hits the roof or an object in fair territory is in play. If it gets stuck in fair territory, it is ruled a ground rule double, in different situations, a foul ball may be considered a positive or negative outcome of a pitch or swing. When there are zero or one strikes, a foul ball counts as a strike, foul balls with two strikes are generally considered positive for the batter, since he thus avoids strike three on a potentially difficult pitch. Also, foul balls with two strikes increase the pitch count, adding to his/her fatigue, thus providing some small advantage to the offense
22.
Chain-link fencing
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A chain-link fence is a type of woven fence usually made from galvanized or LLDPE-coated steel wire. The wires run vertically and are bent into a zig-zag pattern so that each zig hooks with the wire immediately on one side and this forms the characteristic diamond pattern seen in this type of fence. In the United Kingdom, the firm of Barnard, Bishop & Barnard was established in Norwich to produce chain-link fencing by machine, the process was developed by Charles Barnard in 1844 based on cloth weaving machines. The Anchor Post Fence Co. established in 1891, bought the rights to the machine and was the first company to manufacture chain-link fencing in the United States. Anchor Fence also holds the first United States patent for chain-link, the machine was purchased from a man in 1845 from Belgium who originally invented the wire bending machine. In the United States, fencing usually comes in 20 rod and 50 ft rolls, which can be joined by unscrewing one of the end wires and then screwing it back in so that it hooks both pieces. Common heights include 3 ft,3 ft 6 in,4 ft,5 ft,6 ft,7 ft,8 ft,10 ft, common mesh gauges are 9,11, and 11.5. Mesh length can vary based on need, with the standard mesh length being 2. For tennis courts and ball parks, the most popular height is 10 ft, the popularity of chain-link fence is from its relatively low cost and that the open weave does not obscure sunlight from either side of the fence. One can make a chain-link fence semi-opaque by inserting slats into the mesh, the installation of chain-link fence involves setting posts into the ground and attaching the fence to them. The posts may be steel tubing, timber or concrete and may be driven into the ground or set in concrete. End, corner or gate posts, commonly referred to as terminal posts, posts set between the terminal posts are called line posts and are set at intervals not to exceed 10 feet. The installer attaches the fence at one end, stretches it, finally, the installer ties the fence to the line posts with aluminum wire. Top horizontal rails are used on most chain-link fences, although not necessary, bottom rails may be added in lieu of bottom tension wires, and for taller fences,10 feet or more, intermediate horizontal rails are often added. Once stretched, a bottom wire should be secured to the line posts, one generally installs this wire before installing the chain-link mesh. The manufacturing of chain-link fencing is called weaving, a metal wire, often galvanized to reduce corrosion, is pulled along a rotating long and flat blade, thus creating a somewhat flattened spiral. The spiral continues to rotate past the blade and winds its way through the spiral that is already part of the fence. When the spiral reaches the far end of the fence, the spiral is cut near the blade, next, the spiral is pressed flat and the entire fence is moved up, ready for the next cycle
23.
David Ortiz
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David Américo Ortiz Arias, nicknamed Big Papi, is a Dominican American retired professional baseball player. Ortiz was a designated hitter in Major League Baseball who occasionally played first base and he played for the Minnesota Twins from 1997 to 2002 and the Boston Red Sox from 2003 to 2016. Ortiz was a ten-time All-Star, a three-time World Series champion, seven-time Silver Slugger winner, born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Ortiz was originally signed by the Seattle Mariners on November 28,1992, but was traded to the Minnesota Twins in 1996. He made his league debut on September 2,1997 for the Twins. After parts of 6 seasons in Minnesota, Ortiz was released by the Twins, in Boston, Ortiz established himself as one of the most powerful sluggers of all time. He was instrumental in the ending its 86-year World Series championship drought in 2004. He was the MVP of the 2013 World Series, Ortiz finished his career with 541 home runs, which ranks 17th on the MLB all-time home run list,1,768 RBIs and a.286 batting average. Among designated hitters, he is the leader in MLB history for home runs, runs batted in. Regarded as one of the best clutch hitters of all time, Ortiz was born on November 18,1975 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, as the oldest of four children of Enrique Ortiz and Angela Rosa Arias. He graduated from Estudia Espaillat High School in the Dominican Republic, on November 28,1992, Ortiz was signed by the Seattle Mariners just 10 days after his 17th birthday, who listed him as David Arias. He made his debut in 1994 for the Mariners of the Arizona League. By 1995, he had improved those numbers to.332 with 4 home runs and 37 RBI, in 1996, he was promoted to the Single-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers of the Midwest League, a Mariners farm team. He established himself as one of the Mariners best hitting prospects, also in Wisconsin, Ortiz met his future wife Tiffany, who led David to become a fan of the nearby Green Bay Packers NFL team, a devotion that would become lifelong. Baseball America named Ortiz the most exciting player in the Midwest League, despite his strong year in the Mariners system, on September 13,1996, David was traded to the Minnesota Twins as the player to be named later to complete an earlier transaction for Dave Hollins. When he arrived in Minnesota, he informed the team that he preferred to be listed as David Ortiz - using his family name rather than Arias which was his maternal family name. Ortiz rose quickly through the Twins system in 1997, though he started with the High-A Fort Myers Miracle, he quickly progressed through Double-A, to the Triple-A Salt Lake Buzz. At the three levels, Ortiz combined to hit.317 with 31 home runs and 124 RBI, Ortiz made his Major League debut for the Twins on September 2,1997. He got into 15 games in September, batting.327 in 49 at bats and he recorded his first major league hit in his second game, on September 3, with an eighth inning pinch-hit double against the Chicago Cubs
24.
Boston Red Sox
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The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball as a club of the American League East division. The Red Sox have won eight World Series championships and have played in 13, founded in 1901 as one of the American Leagues eight charter franchises, the Red Sox home ballpark has been Fenway Park since 1912. The Red Sox name was chosen by the owner, John I. Taylor, around 1908, following the lead of previous teams that had known as the Boston Red Stockings. Boston was a dominant team in the new league, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first World Series in 1903 and winning four more championships by 1918. Following their victory in the 2013 World Series, they became the first team to win three World Series trophies in the 21st century, including championships in 2004 and 2007. Red Sox history has also marked by the teams intense rivalry with the Yankees. The Boston Red Sox are owned by Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Liverpool F. C. of the Premier League in England. The Red Sox are consistently one of the top MLB teams in road attendance. From May 15,2003 to April 10,2013, the Red Sox sold out every home game—a total of 820 games for a professional sports record. Neil Diamonds Sweet Caroline has become an anthem for the Red Sox, the name Red Sox, chosen by owner John I. Taylor after the 1907 season, refers to the red hose in the team uniform beginning 1908. Sox had been adopted for the Chicago White Sox by newspapers needing a headline-friendly form of Stockings. The team name Red Sox had previously used as early as 1888 by a colored team from Norfolk. The Spanish language media sometimes refers to the team as Medias Rojas, the official Spanish site uses the variant Los Red Sox. The Red Stockings nickname was first used by a team by the Cincinnati Red Stockings. Managed by Harry Wright, Cincinnati adopted a uniform with white knickers and red stockings and earned the famous nickname, the Boston Red Stockings won four championships in the five seasons of the new National Association, the first professional league. Other names were used before Boston officially adopted the nickname Braves in 1912
25.
Guaranteed Rate Field
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Guaranteed Rate Field is a baseball park located in Chicago, Illinois. It serves as the ballpark for the Chicago White Sox. The park is owned by the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, the park opened for the 1991 season, after the White Sox had spent 81 years at the original Comiskey Park. It also opened with the name Comiskey Park but was renamed U. S, cellular Field in 2003 after U. S. Cellular bought the rights at $68 million over 20 years. The stadium is situated just to the west of the Dan Ryan Expressway in Chicagos Armour Square neighborhood and it was built directly across 35th Street from old Comiskey Park, which was demolished to make room for a parking lot that serves the venue. Old Comiskeys home plate location is represented by a plaque on the sidewalk next to Guaranteed Rate Field. Also, the spectator ramp across 35th Street is designed in such a way that it echoes the contour of the old first-base grandstand, the park was completed at a cost of US$167 million. The current public address announcer is Gene Honda, who serves as the PA announcer for the Chicago Blackhawks, NCAA Final Four. The stadium was the first new major sporting facility built in Chicago since Chicago Stadium in 1929 and it was also the last one built before the wave of new retro-classic ballparks in the 1990s and 2000s. However, a few features from the old park were retained. The front facade of the park features arched windows, most notable is the exploding scoreboard which pays homage to the original installed by Bill Veeck at the old park in 1960. The original field dimensions and seating configuration were very similar to those of Royals Stadium in Kansas City—which had been the last baseball-only park built in the majors, as originally built, the park was criticized by many fans because of the height of the upper deck. The original architect, HOK Sport, wanted to eliminate the problems present in many stadiums built since the 1970s. With this in mind, the deck was set back over the lower deck. While it gave nearly every seat in the level an unobstructed view of the field. The first row of seats in the deck at the new stadium is as far from the field as the highest row of seats in the upper deck at the old stadium. g. In response to fan complaints, the stadium has undergone renovations since the 2001 season in order to retrofit the facility to current architectural trends
26.
Chicago White Sox
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The Chicago White Sox is an American professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball as a club of the American League Central division. The White Sox play their games at Guaranteed Rate Field. They are one of two league clubs in Chicago, the other is the Chicago Cubs, who are a member of the National League Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf. One of the American Leagues eight charter franchises, the Chicago team was established as a major baseball club in 1900. The club was called the Chicago White Stockings, but this was soon shortened to Chicago White Sox. The team played games at South Side Park before, in 1910. The White Sox won the 1906 World Series with a team dubbed the Hitless Wonders, and the 1917 World Series led by Eddie Cicotte, Eddie Collins. The 1919 World Series was marred by the Black Sox Scandal, in response, Major League Baseballs new Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned the players from Major League Baseball for life. In 1959, led by Early Wynn, Nellie Fox, Luis Aparicio and manager Al Lopez and they won the AL pennant in 2005, and went on to win the World Series. The White Sox originated as the Sioux City Cornhuskers of the Western League, in 1894, Charles Comiskey bought the Cornhuskers and moved them to St. Paul, Minnesota, where they became the St. Paul Saints. In 1901, the Western League broke the National Agreement and became the new major league American League, the very first season in the American League ended with a White Stockings championship. However, that would be the end of the season as the World Series did not begin until 1903, the franchise, now known as the Chicago White Sox, made its first World Series appearance in 1906, beating the crosstown Cubs in six games. The White Sox would win a pennant and second World Series in 1917, beating the New York Giants in six games with help from stars Eddie Cicotte. The Sox were heavily favored in the 1919 World Series, huge bets on the Reds fueled speculation that the series had been fixed. This set the franchise back, as they did not win another pennant for 40 years. The White Sox did not finish in the half of the American League again until after club founder Charles Comiskey died and passed ownership of the club to his son
27.
Batting (baseball)
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In baseball, batting is the act of facing the opposing pitcher and trying to produce offense for ones team. A batter or hitter is a person whose turn it is to face the pitcher. The three main goals of batters are to become a baserunner, drive home, or advance runners along the bases for others to drive home. Hitting uses a motion that is unique to baseball, one that is rarely used in other sports. Hitting is unique because unlike most sports movements in the plane of movement hitting involves rotating in the horizontal plane. In general, batters try to get hits, however, their primary objective is to avoid making an out, and helping their team to score runs. There are several ways they can help their team score runs and they may draw a walk if they receive and do not swing the bat at four pitches located outside the strike zone. In cases when there is a runner on third and fewer than two outs, they can attempt to hit a fly to drive the runner in by allowing the runner on third to tag up. They might even be hit by a pitch, reach on an error or—if first is empty or there are two outs—on a dropped third strike, the defense attempts to get the batter out. The pitchers main role in this is to throw the ball in such a way that the batter strikes out or cannot hit it cleanly so that the defense can get him or her out. Batting is often cited as one of the most difficult feats in sports because it consists of hitting a small ball, usually moving at high velocity. In fact, if a batter can get a hit in three out of ten at bats, giving him an average of.300, he or she is considered a good hitter. In Major League Baseball, no batter has had over a.400 average at the end of the season since Ted Williams in 1941, an OPS at or near 1.000 is considered to be the mark of an exceptional hitter. A sustained OPS at or above 1.000 over a career is a only a few hitters have ever been able to reach. Batters vary in their approach at the plate, some are aggressive hitters, often swinging at the first pitch. Others are patient, attempting to work the count in order to observe all the types of pitches a pitcher will use. In preparation of hitting, every player has their own particular warm-up routine. Warming up before the game is usually done as a team, at the amateur level, the most notable drill used is the Tee Drill, where you hit a ball off a baseball tee and correct any issues you found during previous games or practices
28.
Pitch (baseball)
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In baseball, a pitch is the act of throwing a baseball toward home plate to start a play. The term comes from the Knickerbocker Rules, originally, the ball had to be literally pitched underhand, as with pitching horseshoes. Overhand throwing was not allowed until 1884, the biomechanics of pitching have been studied extensively. The phases of throwing include windup, early cocking, late cocking, early acceleration, late acceleration, deceleration, pitchers throw a variety of pitches, each of which has a slightly different velocity, trajectory, movement, hand position, wrist position and/or arm angle. These variations are introduced to confuse the batter in various ways, to obtain variety, and therefore enhance defensive baseball strategy, the pitcher manipulates the grip on the ball at the point of release. Variations in the cause the seams to catch the air differently, thereby changing the trajectory of the ball. Starting pitchers typically throw more pitches than relievers, the fastball is the most common pitch in baseball, and most pitchers have some form of a fastball in their arsenal. It is basically a pitch thrown very fast, generally as hard as a pitcher can throw while maintaining control. Some variations involve movement or breaking action, some do not and are simply straight, the cut fastball, split-finger fastball, and forkball are variations on the fastball with extra movement, and are sometimes called sinking-fastballs because of the trajectories. The most common pitches are, Cutter Forkball Four-seam fastball Sinker Split-finger fastball Two-seam fastball Well-thrown breaking balls have movement. A ball moves due to the changes in the pressure of the air surrounding the ball as a result of the kind of pitch thrown, therefore, the ball keeps moving in the path of least resistance, which constantly changes. For example, the spin from a properly thrown slider results in air pressure on the pitchers left side. The goal is usually to make the difficult to hit or confusing to batters. Most breaking balls are considered off-speed pitches and its reduced speed coupled with its deceptive delivery is meant to confuse the batters timing. It is meant to be thrown the same as a fastball, but simply farther back in the hand, a changeup is generally thrown 8–15 miles per hour slower than a fastball. If thrown correctly, the changeup will confuse the batter because the eye cannot discern that the ball is coming significantly slower until it is around 30 feet from the plate. For example, a batter swings at the ball as if it was a 90 mph fastball but it is coming at 75 mph which means he is swinging too early to hit the ball well, other deliveries include the submarine and the sidearm deliveries. There is also crossfire pitching technique which only works for sidearm delivery, a pickoff move is the motion the pitcher goes through in making pickoff
29.
Pitcher
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In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the pitcher is assigned the number 1. The pitcher is often considered the most important defensive player, there are many different types of pitchers, such as the starting pitcher, relief pitcher, middle reliever, lefty specialist, setup man, and closer. The National League in Major League Baseball and the Japanese Central League are among the leagues that have not adopted the designated hitter position. In most cases, the objective of the pitcher is to deliver the pitch to the catcher without allowing the batter to hit the ball with the bat. A successful pitch is delivered in such a way that the batter either allows the pitch to pass through the zone, swings the bat at the ball and misses it. If the batter elects not to swing at the pitch, it is called a strike if any part of the passes through the strike zone. A check swing is when the batter begins to swing, If the batter successfully checks the swing and the pitch is out of the strike zone, it is called a ball. There are two legal pitching positions, the windup and the set position or stretch, either position may be used at any time, typically, the windup is used when the bases are empty, while the set position is used when at least one runner is on base. Each position has certain procedures that must be followed, a balk can be called on a pitcher from either position. A power pitcher is one who relies on the velocity of his pitches to succeed, generally, power pitchers record a high percentage of strikeouts. A control pitcher succeeds by throwing accurate pitches and thus records few walks, nearly all action during a game is centered on the pitcher for the defensive team. A pitchers particular style, time taken between pitches, and skill heavily influence the dynamics of the game and can determine the victor. Meanwhile, a batter stands in the box at one side of the plate. The type and sequence of pitches chosen depend upon the situation in a game. The relationship between pitcher and catcher is so important that some teams select the starting catcher for a game based on the starting pitcher. Together, the pitcher and catcher are known as the battery, although the object and mechanics of pitching remain the same, pitchers may be classified according to their roles and effectiveness. The starting pitcher begins the game, and he may be followed by relief pitchers, such as the long reliever, the left-handed specialist, the middle reliever. In Major League Baseball, every team uses Baseball Rubbing Mud to rub game balls in before their pitchers use them in games, a skilled pitcher often throws a variety of different pitches to prevent the batter from hitting the ball well
30.
Chalk
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Chalk is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is a salt called calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the accumulation of minute calcite shells shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores. Flint is very common as bands parallel to the bedding or as embedded in chalk. It is probably derived from sponge spicules or other organisms as water is expelled upwards during compaction. Flint is often deposited around larger fossils such as Echinoidea which may be silicified, Chalk as seen in Cretaceous deposits of Western Europe is unusual among sedimentary limestones in the thickness of the beds. Most cliffs of chalk have very few obvious bedding planes unlike most thick sequences of such as the Carboniferous Limestone or the Jurassic oolitic limestones. This presumably indicates very stable conditions over tens of millions of years, Chalk has greater resistance to weathering and slumping than the clays with which it is usually associated, thus forming tall steep cliffs where chalk ridges meet the sea. Chalk hills, known as chalk downland, usually form where bands of chalk reach the surface at an angle, because chalk is well jointed it can hold a large volume of ground water, providing a natural reservoir that releases water slowly through dry seasons. Chalk is mined from chalk deposits both above ground and underground, Chalk mining boomed during the Industrial Revolution, due to the need for chalk products such as quicklime and bricks. Abandoned chalk mines remain a popular tourist attraction due to their massive expanse, the Chalk Group is a European stratigraphic unit deposited during the late Cretaceous Period. It forms the famous White Cliffs of Dover in Kent, England, the Champagne region of France is mostly underlain by chalk deposits, which contain artificial caves used for wine storage. Some of the highest chalk cliffs in the occur at Jasmund National Park in Germany. Ninety million years ago what is now the chalk downland of Northern Europe was ooze accumulating at the bottom of a great sea. Chalk was one of the earliest rocks made up of particles to be studied under the electron microscope. Their shells were made of calcite extracted from the rich sea-water, as they died, a substantial layer gradually built up over millions of years and, through the weight of overlying sediments, eventually became consolidated into rock. Later earth movements related to the formation of the Alps raised these former sea-floor deposits above sea level, the chemical composition of chalk is calcium carbonate, with minor amounts of silt and clay. It is formed in the sea by plankton, which fall to the sea floor and are then consolidated and compressed during diagenesis into chalk rock
31.
Catcher
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Catcher is also a general term for a fielder who catches the ball in cricket. Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player, when a batter takes his/her turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to primary duty, the catcher is also called upon to master many other skills in order to field the position well. The role of the catcher is similar to that of the wicket-keeper in cricket, positioned behind home plate, the catcher can see the whole field, and is therefore in the best position to direct and lead the other players in a defensive play. The catcher typically calls for using hand signals. The calls are based on the mechanics and strengths, as well as the batters tendencies and weaknesses. Foul tips, bouncing balls in the dirt, and contact with runners during plays at the plate are all events to be handled by the catcher and this includes a mask, chest and throat protectors, shin guards, and a heavily padded catchers mitt. The physical and mental demands of being involved on every defensive play can wear catchers down over a long season, because of the strategic defensive importance of catching, if a catcher has exceptional defensive skills, teams are often willing to overlook their relative offensive weaknesses. A knowledgeable catchers ability to work with the pitcher, via selection and location. Many great defensive catchers toiled in relative anonymity, because they did not produce large offensive numbers, notable examples of light-hitting, defensive specialists were, Ray Schalk, Jim Hegan, Jim Sundberg and Brad Ausmus. Schalks career batting average of.253 is the lowest of any player in the Baseball Hall of Fame. That he was selected for enshrinement in 1955 was largely a tribute to his defensive skills. Catchers are often able to play first base and less commonly third base, in the numbering system used to record baseball plays, the catcher is assigned the number 2. In the middle of the century, the game of baseball began to evolve from a sport played by amateurs for recreation into a more serious game played by professionals. One of the most dramatic changes was the transition of the delivery from an underhand motion to an overhanded throw. As the game progressed towards professionals and became serious, pitchers began to attempt to prevent the batter from hitting the ball by throwing faster pitches. With the introduction of the strike in 1858, catchers began inching closer to home plate due to the rules requirement that a strikeout could only be completed by a catch. These developments meant that catchers began to take on a defensive role
32.
Umpire (baseball)
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The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump. They are also addressed as blue at lower levels due to the common color of the uniform worn by umpires. In professional baseball, the blue is seldom used by players or managers. In a game officiated by two or more umpires, the umpire in chief is the umpire who is in charge of the entire game. This umpire calls balls and strikes, calls fair balls, foul balls short of first/third base, to avoid injury, the home plate umpire wears the same mask the catcher wears. If another umpire leaves the infield to cover a potential play in foul ground or in the outfield, in the event that an umpire is injured and only three remain, the second base position will generally be left vacant. In nearly all levels of organized baseball, including the majors, an umpiring crew rotates so that each umpire in the works each position, including plate umpire. In the earliest days of baseball, however, many senior umpires always worked the plate, Klem did so for the first 16 years of his career. On the Major League level, an umpiring crew generally rotates positions clockwise each game, for example, the plate umpire in one game would umpire third base in the next. Other umpires are called base umpires and are stationed near the bases. When two umpires are used, the umpire is simply the base umpire. This umpire will make most calls concerning runners on the bases and nearby plays, to indicate a full swing, he will clench his fist. When four umpires are used, each umpire is named for the base at which he is stationed, sometimes a league will provide six umpires, the extra two are stationed along the outfield foul lines are called the left-field and right-field umpires. Outfield umpires are used in events, such as the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. For Major League Baseball, all levels use six umpires, while at lower levels. Rulings on catches of batted balls are made by the umpire closest to the play. The term umpire-in-chief is not to be confused with the crew chief, at the major-league and high minor-league levels, the crew chief acts as a liaison between the league office and the crew and has a supervisory role over other members of the crew. For example, on the Major League level, The Crew Chief shall coordinate, an umpires judgment call used to be final, unless the umpire making the call chose to ask his partner for help and then decided to reverse it after the discussion
33.
Time-out (sport)
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In sports, a time-out is a halt in the play. This allows the coaches of either team to communicate with the team, e. g. to determine strategy or inspire morale, time-outs are usually called by coaches or players, although for some sports, TV timeouts are called to allow media to air commercial breaks. Teams usually call timeouts at strategically important points in the match, or to avoid the team being called for a delay of game-type violation, the requested time out is not effective unless an umpire grants it verbally or by hand signal. Under certain circumstances specified by the rules, umpires are required to call out, even while a play is in progress. Unlike many other sports, the rules of baseball do not limit time outs, the end of the time out is indicated by an umpire verbally declaring Play. and/or by pointing at the pitcher while he is holding the ball. Since baseball provides natural breaks in the action when teams exchange offensive and defensive roles between half-innings, TV timeouts are not necessary, other than coaching visits, which the umpires ensure stay brief, timeouts theoretically have no time limits. However, when no runners occupy a base, a pitcher must deliver the pitch within twelve seconds of receiving the ball from the catcher or else a delay of game is called, resulting in a ball. Also, any relief pitcher is limited to eight warm-up throws before play resumes, though not officially recognized as a timeout, a stoppage in play can also be requested by the defense. This can be accomplished in several ways, first, once in his set position, the pitcher may stop play by stepping off the rubber prior to his windup. Secondly, the catcher may visit the pitcher at any point before he steps on the rubber, finally, the manager or pitching coach may also visit the pitcher before he steps on the rubber. Under MLB rules, a team is limited to one visit per inning, under NFHS rules, a team receives three mound visits for the game and can use more than one an inning. If a team exceeds the limit in either MLB or high school ball, in American college basketball, there are two systems of timeouts used. In games that are not broadcast, each team is allowed four 75-second, in games which are being broadcast, as of the 2015-16 season, each team is granted one 60-second timeout and three 30-second timeouts per game in addition to the media timeouts. A maximum of three 30-second timeouts may carry over into the second half, a timeout cannot be called by a coach when the ball is live. Previously, under NCAA rules in prior seasons, teams had a total of five timeouts, high school basketball allots five timeouts per game, with three 60-second and two 30-second timeouts. In overtime games, each team is one additional 60-second timeout. Media timeouts are typically reserved for televised state tournament games only, in the North American National Basketball Association, the rule on timeouts is more complex. Teams are allowed one 20-second timeout per half, and six regular timeouts, during a 20-second timeout, only one player may be substituted
34.
Citizens Bank Park
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Citizens Bank Park is a baseball park located in Philadelphia, within the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. It is the home of the Philadelphia Phillies, the citys Major League Baseball franchise and it is commonly referred to by locals simply as The Bank or CBP. Citizens Bank Park opened on April 3,2004, and hosted its first regular season game on April 12 of the same year, with the Phillies losing to the Cincinnati Reds. The ballpark lies on the northeast corner of the Sports Complex, which includes Lincoln Financial Field, Wells Fargo Center, the stadiums capacity is 43,651 seats. Pressure for new Philadelphia stadiums increased after a railing collapsed at The Vet during the 1998 Army–Navy Game, the Pirates threatened to leave Pittsburgh in 1997, which helped convince the legislature to approve funding for the four proposed stadiums. The Eagles agreed to a site slightly southeast of Veterans Stadium, the Eagles stadium was built on the site of an old food warehouse and celebrated its grand opening in August 2003. The Phillies originally wanted a downtown ballpark similar to Baltimore, Denver, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, various locations were proposed, initially at Broad and Spring Garden streets, Spring Garden and Delaware Avenue and next to 30th Street Station, where the main post office was located. The team and the city announced that the site would be at 13th and Vine streets, just north of Interstate 676, there was considerable support for a downtown ball park from business and labor and the city at large, but residents of the citys Chinatown section protested. The City and team eventually settled on building at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, in the years that followed, residents, fans and owner Bill Giles expressed regret that the new ball park was not located in Center City. Regardless of location, the team set records in 2010 for attendance and sellouts, the new stadium was designed by EwingColes Stanley Cole, who was the stadiums chief architect. The unveiling of the park and ground breaking ceremonies were on June 28,2001, following the game that evening, the location of the left-field foul pole was unveiled at the outset of the teams annual 4 July fireworks display. On June 17,2003, Citizens Bank agreed with the team to a 25-year, US $95 million deal for naming rights and advertising on telecasts, radio broadcasts, publications, the ballpark was officially topped off on August 12,2003, and opened in April 2004. Shortly after the park opened in 2004, the bullpens were reassigned so the Phillies pitchers used the lower pen and this was done to give Phillies pitchers a better view of the game and to protect them from heckling by rowdy fans. However, the team forgot to rewire the bullpen phones after the bullpens were reassigned, so during the first game, in its first years, Citizens Bank Park allowed 218 home runs in 2004 and 201 in 2005. More than half of home runs were to left-field. Following the 2005 season, the wall was moved back 5 feet. Even with these modifications, the park has a reputation as one of the most hitter-friendly parks in baseball. In 2009, it gave up 149 home runs, the most in the National League and second in the majors behind only the new Yankee Stadium, but has been neutral since, with a.997 park factor in 2011
35.
Home run
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In modern baseball, the feat is typically achieved by hitting the ball over the outfield fence between the foul poles without first touching the ground, resulting in an automatic home run. There is also the home run, increasingly rare in modern baseball. When a home run is scored, the batter is credited with a hit and a run scored. Likewise, the pitcher is recorded as having given up a hit, a batted ball is also a home run if it touches either foul pole or its attached screen before touching the ground, as the foul poles are by definition in fair territory. A batted ball that goes over the wall after touching the ground is not a home run. A fielder is allowed to reach over the wall to attempt to catch the ball as long as his feet are on or over the field during the attempt. If the fielder successfully catches the ball while it is in flight the batter is out, however, since the fielder is not part of the field, a ball that bounces off a fielder and over the wall without touching the ground is still a home run. A home run accomplished in any of the above manners is a home run. This stipulation is in Approved Ruling of Rule 7.10, an inside-the-park home run occurs when a batter hits the ball into play and is able to circle the bases before the fielders can put him out. Unlike with a home run, the batter-runner and all preceding runners are liable to be put out by the defensive team at any time while running the bases. This can only happen if the ball does not leave the ballfield, with outfields much less spacious and more uniformly designed than in the games early days, inside-the-park home runs are now a rarity. They are usually the result of a ball being hit by a very fast runner, either way, this sends the ball into open space in the outfield and thereby allows the batter-runner to circle the bases before the defensive team can put him out. The speed of the runner is crucial as even triples are relatively rare in most modern ballparks, all runs scored on such a play, however, still count. An example of an unexpected bounce occurred during the 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at AT&T Park in San Francisco on July 10,2007, by the time the ball was relayed, Ichiro had already crossed the plate standing up. This was the first inside-the-park home run in All-Star Game history, Home runs are often characterized by the number of runners on base at the time. A home run hit with the bases empty is seldom called a one-run homer, with one runner on base, two runs are scored and thus the home run is often called a two-run homer or two-run shot. Similarly, a home runs with two runners on base is a three-run homer or three-run shot, the term four-run homer is seldom used, instead, it is nearly always called a grand slam. Hitting a grand slam is the best possible result for the turn at bat
36.
Wrigley Field
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Wrigley Field /ˈrɪɡli/ is a baseball park located on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the citys two Major League Baseball franchises and it first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghmans Chicago Whales of the Federal League, which folded after the 1915 baseball season. The Cubs played their first home game at the park on April 20,1916, chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. of the Wrigley Company acquired complete control of the Cubs in 1921. It was named Cubs Park from 1920 to 1926, before being renamed Wrigley Field in 1927, in the North side community area of Lakeview in the Wrigleyville neighborhood, Wrigley Field is on an irregular block bounded by Clark and Addison Streets and Waveland and Sheffield Avenues. Wrigley Field is nicknamed The Friendly Confines, a phrase popularized by Mr. Cub, Hall of Fame shortstop and first baseman Ernie Banks. The oldest park in the National League, the current seating capacity is 41,268, it is the second-oldest in the majors after Fenway Park, between 1921 and 1970, it was also the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. The elevation of its field is 600 feet above sea level. Baseball executive Charles Weeghman hired his architect Zachary Taylor Davis to design the park, the original tenants, the Chicago Whales came in second in the Federal League rankings in 1914 and won the league championship in 1915. In late 1915, Weeghmans Federal League folded, the resourceful Weeghman formed a syndicate including the chewing gum manufacturer William Wrigley Jr. to buy the Chicago Cubs from Charles P. Taft for about $500,000. Weeghman immediately moved the Cubs from the dilapidated West Side Grounds to his two-year-old park, in 1918, Wrigley acquired the controlling interest in the club. In November 1926, he renamed the park Wrigley Field, in 1927, an upper deck was added, and in 1937, Bill Veeck, the son of the club president, planted ivy vines against the outfield walls. The Ricketts family has been pursuing a Wrigley Field renovation since buying the team. Their current plan, revealed during the annual Cubs Convention in January 2013, calls for a $575-million, the team could not come to terms with the rooftop owners who have a lease with the team until 2023 in exchange for paying 17% of the gross revenues. In May 2014 the Cubs announced they would pursue the original 2013 plan to modify the park, the 1060 Project – Phase One started Monday, September 29,2014. During the off-season, the bleachers in both outfields were expanded and the footprint was extended further onto both Waveland and Sheffield Avenues. A3,990 sq ft Jumbotron scoreboard was added to the left field bleachers and it is topped with a sign advertising Wintrust Financial, a Rosemont-based bank and a Cubs Legacy Partner, the W in Wintrust flashes after every Cubs win. A2,400 sq ft video scoreboard was added in the right field bleachers. After the close of the extended 2015 season, work began on Phase Two of the project, the previous clubhouse space was utilized to enlarge the dugout and add two underground batting cages, an auditorium, and more team office space
37.
Rogers Centre
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Rogers Centre, originally named SkyDome, is a multi-purpose stadium in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada situated just southwest of the CN Tower near the northern shore of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989 on the former Railway Lands, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball, previously, the stadium served as home to the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League and the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association. The Buffalo Bills of the National Football League played a game at the stadium as part of the Bills Toronto Series from 2008 to 2013. While it is primarily a venue, it also hosts other large-scale events such as conventions, trade fairs, concerts, travelling carnivals. The stadium was renamed Rogers Centre following the purchase of the stadium by Rogers Communications, the venue was noted for being the first stadium to have a fully retractable motorized roof, as well as for the 348-room hotel attached to it, with 70 rooms overlooking the field. It is also the last North American major-league stadium built to both football and baseball. The stadium served as the site of both the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2015 Pan American Games, during the ceremonies, the site was referred to as the Pan Am Dome instead of its official name. The stadiums construction lasted two and a half years, from October 1986 to May 1989. The approximate cost of construction was C$570 million which was paid for by the government, Ontario provincial government, the City of Toronto. The main impetus for building a sports venue came following the Grey Cup game in November 1982. The game was played in a rainstorm that left most of the crowd drenched. As many of the seats were completely exposed to the elements, to make a bad experience even worse, the washrooms overflowed. In attendance that day was Bill Davis, the Premier of Ontario, the following day, at a rally at Toronto City Hall, tens of thousands of people who attended the game began to chant, We want a dome. Seven months later, in June 1983, Premier Davis formally announced that a committee would look into the feasibility of building a domed stadium at Exhibition Place. The committee consisted of Paul Godfrey, Larry Grossman and former Ontario Hydro chairman Hugh Macaulay, the committee examined various projects, including a large indoor stadium at Exhibition Place with an air-supported dome, similar to BC Place in Vancouver. In 1985, a design competition was launched to design a new stadium. Some of the sites included Exhibition Place, Downsview Airport. The final site was located at the base of the CN Tower not far from Union Station, the Railway Lands were a major Canadian National Railway rail switching yard encompassing the CNR Spadina Roundhouse
38.
Major League Baseball
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Major League Baseball is a professional baseball organization, the oldest of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. A total of 30 teams now play in the National League and American League, the NL and AL operated as separate legal entities from 1876 and 1901 respectively. After cooperating but remaining legally separate entities since 1903, the merged into a single organization led by the Commissioner of Baseball in 2000. The organization also oversees Minor League Baseball, which comprises about 240 teams affiliated with the Major League clubs, with the World Baseball Softball Confederation, MLB manages the international World Baseball Classic tournament. Baseballs first professional team was founded in Cincinnati in 1869,30 years after Abner Doubleday supposedly invented the game of baseball, the first few decades of professional baseball were characterized by rivalries between leagues and by players who often jumped from one team or league to another. The period before 1920 in baseball was known as the dead-ball era, Baseball survived a conspiracy to fix the 1919 World Series, which came to be known as the Black Sox Scandal. The sport rose in popularity in the 1920s, and survived potential downturns during the Great Depression, shortly after the war, baseballs color barrier was broken by Jackie Robinson. The 1950s and 1960s were a time of expansion for the AL and NL, then new stadiums, Home runs dominated the game during the 1990s, and media reports began to discuss the use of anabolic steroids among Major League players in the mid-2000s. In 2006, an investigation produced the Mitchell Report, which implicated many players in the use of performance-enhancing substances, today, MLB is composed of thirty teams, twenty-nine in the United States and one in Canada. Baseball broadcasts are aired on television, radio, and the Internet throughout North America, MLB has the highest season attendance of any sports league in the world with more than 73 million spectators in 2015. MLB is governed by the Major League Baseball Constitution and this document has undergone several incarnations since 1875, with the most recent revisions being made in 2012. Under the direction of the Commissioner of Baseball, MLB hires and maintains the sports umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, MLB maintains a unique, controlling relationship over the sport, including most aspects of Minor League Baseball. This ruling has been weakened only slightly in subsequent years, the weakened ruling granted more stability to the owners of teams and has resulted in values increasing at double-digit rates. There were several challenges to MLBs primacy in the sport between the 1870s and the Federal League in 1916, the last attempt at a new league was the aborted Continental League in 1960. The chief executive of MLB is the commissioner, Rob Manfred, the chief operating officer is Tony Petitti. There are five other executives, president, chief officer, chief legal officer, chief financial officer. The multimedia branch of MLB, which is based in Manhattan, is MLB Advanced Media and this branch oversees MLB. com and each of the 30 teams websites. Its charter states that MLB Advanced Media holds editorial independence from the league, MLB Productions is a similarly structured wing of the league, focusing on video and traditional broadcast media
39.
Los Angeles Dodgers
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The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball as a club of the National League West division. Established in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York, the moved to Los Angeles before the 1958 season. They played for four seasons at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before moving to their current home of Dodger Stadium in 1962, the Dodgers as a franchise have won six World Series titles and 21 National League pennants. 11 NL MVP award winners have played for the Dodgers, winning a total of 13 MVP Awards, Eight Cy Young Award winners have pitched for the Dodgers, winning a total of twelve Cy Young Awards. The team has also produced 17 Rookie of the Year Award winners, including four consecutive from 1979 to 1982 and five consecutive from 1992 to 1996. In the 20th century, the team, then known as the Robins, won pennants in 1916 and 1920. In the 1930s, the changed its name to the Dodgers. In 1941, the Dodgers captured their third National League pennant and this marked the onset of the Dodgers–Yankees rivalry, as the Dodgers would face them in their next six World Series appearances. Following the 1957 season the team left Brooklyn, in just their second season in Los Angeles, the Dodgers won their second World Series title, beating the Chicago White Sox in six games in 1959. The 1963 sweep was their victory against the Yankees. The Dodgers won four pennants in 1966,1974,1977 and 1978. They went on to win the World Series again in 1981, the early 1980s were affectionately dubbed Fernandomania. The Dodgers share a rivalry with the San Francisco Giants. Both teams moved west for the 1958 season, the Giants have won two more World Series, the Dodgers have won 21 National League pennants, while the Giants hold the record with 23. When the two teams were based in New York, the Giants won five World Series championships, after the move to California, the Dodgers have won five in Los Angeles, the Giants have won three in San Francisco. The Dodgers were founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Atlantics, taking the name of a team that had played in Brooklyn before them. The team joined the American Association in 1884 and won the AA championship in 1889 before joining the National League in 1890 and they promptly won the NL Championship their first year in the League
40.
Baseball bat
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A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the sport of baseball to hit the ball after it is thrown by the pitcher. By regulation it may be no more than 2.75 inches in diameter at the thickest part, although historically bats approaching 3 pounds were swung, today bats of 33 ounces are common, topping out at 34 ounces to 36 ounces. A baseball bat is divided into several regions, the barrel is the thick part of the bat, where it is meant to hit the ball. The part of the barrel best for hitting the ball, according to construction, the end of the barrel is called the top, end or cap of the bat. Opposite the cap, the barrel narrows until it meets the handle, the handle is comparatively thin, so that batters can comfortably grip the bat in their hands. Sometimes, especially on metal bats, the handle is wrapped with a rubber or tape grip, finally, below the handle is the knob of the bat, a wider piece that keeps the bat from slipping from a batters hands. Lumber is a slang term for a bat, especially when wielded by a particularly able batter. The bat drop of a bat is its weight, in ounces, minus its length, for example, a 30-ounce, 33-inch-long bat has a bat drop of minus 3. Larger bat drops help to increase swing speed, bats with smaller drops create more power. The bats form has more refined over time. In the mid-1800s, baseball batters were known to shape or whittle their own bats by hand and this allowed there to be a wide variety in shape, size, and weight. For example, there were flat bats, round bats, short bats, earlier bats were known to be much heavier and larger than todays regulated ones. During the 19th century, many shapes were experimented with, as well as handle designs, today, bats are much more uniform in design. On June 17,1890, Emile Kinst patented the ball-bat, the bat is shaped with a curve, hence the name banana bat. The mushroom bat, made in 1906 by Spalding, with baseball bats being larger in the 1900s the Spalding company designed a larger bat with a mushroom-shaped knob on the handle. This enabled the batter to get a distribution of weight over the entire length of the bat. The Wright & Ditsons Lajoie baseball bat and this bat had a normal size barrel but had two knobs on the handle. The lowest knob was at the bottom of the handle and the other knob was roughly two inches above the lowest knob and this was designed to have better spacing between the hands due to the knob being in the middle of the grip
