1.
Baseball
–
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
2.
Mickey Mantle
–
Mickey Charles Mantle, nicknamed The Commerce Comet and The Mick, was an American professional baseball player. Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball career with the New York Yankees as a fielder and first baseman. Mantle was one of the best players and sluggers, and is regarded by many as the greatest switch hitter in baseball history, Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974 and was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999. Mantle was arguably the greatest offensive threat of any center fielder in baseball history and he has the highest career OPS+ of any center fielder and he had the highest stolen base percentage in history at the time of his retirement. He also had an excellent 0.984 fielding percentage when playing center field, Mantle was noted for his ability to hit for both average and power, especially tape measure home runs. He hit 536 MLB career home runs, batted.300 or more ten times, Mantle won the Triple Crown in 1956, leading the major leagues in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in, he later wrote a book about his best year in baseball. He was an All-Star for 16 seasons, playing in 16 of the 20 All-Star Games that were played and he was an American League Most Valuable Player three times and a Gold Glove winner once. Mantle appeared in 12 World Series including seven championships, and holds World Series records for the most home runs, RBIs, extra-base hits, runs, walks, and total bases. Mantle was born on October 20,1931 in Spavinaw, Oklahoma and he was of at least partial English ancestry, his great-grandfather, George Mantle, left Brierley Hill, in Englands Black Country, in 1848. Mutt named his son in honor of Mickey Cochrane, a Hall of Fame catcher, later in his life, Mantle expressed relief that his father had not known Cochranes true first name, as he would have hated to be named Gordon. Mantle spoke warmly of his father, and said he was the bravest man he ever knew, No boy ever loved his father more, he said. His grandfather died at the age of 60 in 1944, when Mantle was four years old, his family moved to the nearby town of Commerce, Oklahoma, where his father worked in lead and zinc mines. As a teenager, Mantle rooted for the St. Louis Cardinals, Mantle was an all-around athlete at Commerce High School, playing basketball as well as football in addition to his first love, baseball. His football playing nearly ended his athletic career, kicked in the left shin during a practice game during his sophomore year, Mantle developed osteomyelitis in his left ankle, a crippling disease that was incurable just a few years earlier. Mantle began his baseball career in Kansas with the semi-professional Baxter Springs Whiz Kids. In 1948, Yankees scout Tom Greenwade came to Baxter Springs to watch Mantles teammate, during the game, Mantle hit three home runs. Greenwade returned in 1949, after Mantles high school graduation, to sign Mantle to a league contract. Mantle signed for $140 per month with a $1,500 signing bonus, Mantle was assigned to the Yankees Class-D Independence Yankees of the Kansas–Oklahoma–Missouri League, where he played shortstop
3.
Yankee Stadium (1923)
–
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in the Bronx, a borough of New York City. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees, one of the citys Major League Baseball franchises, from 1923 to 1973, the stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the home of the New York Giants football team from 1956 through the first part of the 1973–74 football season. It has also known as The Big Ballpark in The Bronx, The Stadium. The stadium was built from 1922 to 1923 for $2.4 million, Yankee Stadium opened for the 1923 MLB season and at the time, it was hailed as a one-of-a-kind facility in the country for its size. Over the course of its history, it one of the most famous venues in the United States, having hosted a variety of events. The stadium went through many alterations and playing surface configurations over the years, the condition of the facility worsened in the 1960s and 1970s, prompting its closing for renovation from 1974 to 1975. The renovation significantly altered the appearance of the venue and reduced the distance of the outfield fences, in 2006, the Yankees began building a new $2.3 billion stadium in public parkland adjacent to the stadium. The price included $1.2 billion in public subsidies, the design includes a replica of the frieze along the roof that was in Yankee Stadium. Monument Park, a Hall of Fame for prominent former Yankees, was relocated to the new stadium, Yankee Stadium closed following the 2008 baseball season and the new stadium opened in 2009, adopting the Yankee Stadium moniker. The original Yankee Stadium was demolished in 2010, two years after it closed, and the 8-acre site was converted into a park called Heritage Field, the new Yankee stadium opened in 2009 and is currently used by the NY Yankees. The Yankees had played at the Polo Grounds in upper Manhattan since 1913, however, relations between the two teams were rocky, with the Giants harboring resentment towards the Yankees. For the 1920 season, the Yankees acquired star slugger Babe Ruth and in his first year with his new team, by the middle of 1920, the Giants had issued an eviction notice to the Yankees, which was soon rescinded. In 1921, the Yankees won their first American League pennant and this exacerbated Giants owner Charles Stonehams resentment of the Yankees and reinforced his insistence that the Yankees find another place to play their home games. The Giants derisively suggested that the Yankees relocate to Queens or some other out-of-the-way place, tillinghast LHommedieu Huston and Jacob Ruppert, the Yankees owners since January 1915, decided to build their own stadium. They did so at considerable financial risk and speculation, Baseball teams typically played in 30, 000-seat facilities, but Huston and Ruppert invoked Ruths name when asked how the Yankees could justify a ballpark with 60,000 seats. The total bill for construction of the stadium was $2.5 million, Huston and Ruppert explored many areas for Yankee Stadium. Of the other sites being considered, the Hebrew Orphan Asylum, consideration was also given to building atop railroad tracks on the West Side of Manhattan and to Long Island City, in Queens
4.
Griffith Stadium
–
Griffith Stadium was a sports stadium that stood in Washington, D. C. from 1911 to 1965, between Georgia Avenue and 5th Street, and between W Street and Florida Avenue NW. An earlier wooden baseball park had built on the same site in 1891. It was called Boundary Field, or National Park as its occupants were then primarily by the nickname Nationals. The stadium was home to the American League Senators from 1911 through 1960, the venue hosted the All-Star Game in 1937 and 1956, as well as World Series games in 1924,1925, and 1933. It served as home for the Negro league Homestead Grays during the 1940s and it was also home to the Washington Redskins of the National Football League for 24 seasons, from the time they transferred from Boston in 1937 through the 1960 season. The ballpark was demolished in 1965 and the Howard University Hospital now occupies the site, on March 17,1911, Boundary Field, also known as National Park and American League Park, was destroyed by a fire started by a plumbers blowtorch. This left the owners of the Washington Senators in a situation, due to the fact that spring training had already begun. Noyes, president of the Senators, gained approval from the board of directors to build a new ballpark with a steel grandstand on the same site as Boundary Field. Opening Day 1911, the grandstand was sufficiently stable to host President William Howard Taft, construction of Griffith Stadium continued while the Senators were on the road, and was not completed until July 24,1911. The stadium was out at an angle within its block in the Washington street grid. Thus it was over 400 feet down the field line to the bleachers. The elevation of the grass playing field was approximately 100 feet above sea level. The Senators groundskeepers maintained a downhill slope from home plate to first base, however, Griffiths groundskeepers were still adept at keeping a fine sod field that was compared to that of the best golf courses. This was in sharp contrast to the field that can be seen in photographs of Griffith prior to 1923. For many years, the right field grandstand wall served as the foul line for the last 15 feet before the foul pole. The 41-foot tall, hand-operated scoreboard in right-center was in play, as was the National Bohemian beer sign, at one point in his youth, future MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn was the operator of the scoreboard. The outfield seats in left and center field butted up against 5th Street, the football field ran along the third base line. Clark Griffith took advantage of this trend by making improvements in the stadium in 1920 and 1921
5.
Lance Berkman
–
William Lance Berkman, nicknamed Big Puma, is an American former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman. He played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Houston Astros, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, Berkman is a six-time MLB All-Star and won a World Series championship and the National League Comeback Player of the Year Award with the Cardinals in 2011. He stands 6 feet 1 inch, and weighs 220 pounds, Berkman has spent various seasons of his career as a regular at all three outfield positions. A standout baseball player at Canyon High School, Berkman attended Rice University, named the 1997 National College Player of the Year, the Astros selected Berkman in the first round of that years amateur draft, and he debuted in the major leagues in 1999. He joined the Astros vaunted Killer Bs lineup that included Jeff Bagwell, the Astros traded Berkman to the Yankees at the 2010 trade deadline. He signed with the Cardinals as a agent for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. He played the 2013 season with the Rangers before signing a contract with Houston to officially retire as an Astro. Active in charity work, Forbes recognized him on their list of 50 most generous celebrities in 2012 and he has led a group called Berkmans Bunch, an outreach for 50 underprivileged kids to meet Berkman before each Saturday home game for autographs and other gifts. In 2013, he purchased a truck and donated it to the City of West, Texas. Berkman was born in Waco, Texas, the son of Cynthia Ann and his paternal grandfather, whose familys surname was originally Bjorkman, was of Swedish descent. Berkman graduated from Canyon High School in New Braunfels, Texas and he was invited to visit the White House and dined with President Clinton along with the rest of the Baseball America honorees. Throughout college, he batted a collective.385 with 67 home runs and 272 RBI and his 41 home runs in 1997 ranked third-most in NCAA history. That year he made the all-time record book in RBIs, slugging percentage. Berkman returned to Rice in 2014 to finish his degree, the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball selected Berkman in the first round, with the 16th overall selection, of the 1997 MLB draft. The team assigned him to play with the Kissimmee Cobras, their Class A-Advanced affiliate, in 53 games, he hit.293 with 12 home runs and 35 RBI. In 1998, his minor league season, the Astros promoted Berkman to the Jackson Generals of the Class AA Southern League. His potential was beginning to show, as he hit.306 with 24 home runs and 89 RBI over 122 games, the Astros granted him a mid-season promotion to the New Orleans Zephyrs of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League. He played 17 games in New Orleans, and 1998 would prove to be his last full season in the minor leagues, in 1999, Berkman was midway through a great season in New Orleans when he was called up to the parent club, the Houston Astros
6.
Melky Cabrera
–
Melky Astacio Cabrera is a Dominican professional baseball left fielder for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball. He has also played for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, while primarily a left fielder throughout his career, Cabrera also spent a significant amount of his playing time as a center fielder for the Royals and Yankees. Cabrera signed with the Yankees as a free agent. He made his MLB debut for the Yankees in 2005, after playing as a fourth outfielder, the Yankees included him in a trade to the Braves after the 2009 season. Struggling with the Braves in 2010, he was released, recommitting himself to the game, Cabrera had a strong year with the Royals, and was traded to the Giants for the 2012 season. In 2012, Cabrera made his first All-Star Game appearance, winning the All-Star Game MVP Award, one month later, Cabrera received a 50-game suspension after testing positive for high levels of testosterone. Cabrera was signed by the New York Yankees on November 14,2001, at age 17 and he played for the Staten Island Yankees in the Class A Short-Season New York–Penn League in 2003, batting.283 with 31 runs batted in in 67 games. In 2004, he was promoted to the Battle Creek Yankees of the Class A Midwest League and he was promoted to the Tampa Yankees of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League, where he hit.288 with 51 RBIs in 85 games to finish the season. In 2005, Cabrera started off with the Trenton Thunder of the Double-A Eastern League, at the end of June, he was promoted to the Columbus Clippers of the Triple-A International League, where he hit.324 with three homers and 11 RBIs in nine games. On July 7, he made his league debut in center field at Yankee Stadium against the Cleveland Indians. He collected his first major hit, a single, in his third at-bat that day. He was sent down to Triple-A Columbus the next day for 17 games and then demoted again, Cabrera played 6 Major Leagues games batting.211. Cabrera saw a lot of time in spring training of 2006 with starting outfielders Johnny Damon and he impressed the Yankees by hitting.349 in 16 games, but was ultimately sent down to Triple-A Columbus at the start of the season. Cabrera replaced him in field, and hit.318 in May with his first 10 career RBIs. On May 30,2006, batting leadoff for only the time in his career, he recorded his first career 4-hit game. He slumped in June, but hit his first major league home run on June 15. On June 6,2006, in the 8th inning of a 2–1 game against the Red Sox, he made a catch in left-center. This play earned Cabrera a This Year In Baseball award for the play of the 2006 season
