If you love baseball consider playing FANTASY by Cee

3/9/2010

MLB’s Diamond and Cubic Zirconia of Winter by Claire Reclosado 

3/9/2010

Getting to Know You (Or Whee A Quiz) by Cathy

3/4/2010

Quick! Grab a pencil and a piece of paper so you can answer this simple quiz. Although if I’m being perfectly honest, I never grab a pencil for quizzes. I read the questions, think up an answer and then read the bottom “If You Answered…” part of the quiz. Then I change my answers. Because who wants to be “Needs Improvement Nellie” when she can be “Kinky Kitten Katrina”?

Um, this is not one of those quizzes. Ready?

1. Do you think a pitcher is:
   
   1. Prettier when it has a sparkly frame?
   2. A fine and dandy container for beer?
   3. Worth millions if he can throw a 90 mph fastball?
2. When you think of diamonds, are you:
   
   1. Wearing a tiara?
   2. Remembering how you lost your engagement ring (after one too many pitchers of beer)?
   3. Reliving the most amazing World Series ever?
3. You hear the phrase, “Not another run!” You:
   
   1. Grab nail polish for your pantyhose.
   2. Hide your wallet so you don’t have to pony up for the next case of beer.
   3. Want to trade the shortstop who missed that easy line drive.

Aren’t quizzes fun? Now it’s time to check below and see how you scored. And if you’re thinking that scored means something a little bit more, er, intimate, I already told you. This is not one of those quizzes.

If You Answered:

(A’s) You might have accidentally stumbled here. This is Baseball Beauties. Not Bathing Beauties. (But now that you’re here, why not stick around and get to know us? Baseball is busting with the thrills you know and love. Like last minute wins, heartbreaking losses, even talent competitions! (And you can wear your crown under your baseball cap.)

(B’s) You might have what we affectionately call a “beer gut.” Which is not that unusual for a Baseball Beauty; in fact, it’s one of those baseball-bonding things among us gals. I bet if you take a look around here, you’ll find a neat exercise to work off that bulge. But if you’re like me, you won’t bother. That’s what those extra-large baseball jerseys are for. (See? We’ve bonded already.)

(C’s) You’re ready for some baseball! I know you’re absolutely beside yourself, now that you’ve found this fan-alicious community here at Baseball Beauties. I’m kinda beside myself, too, thinking about the baseball fun and games we’re going to share. I just know we’re going to be bosom buddies!

Um, baseball-wise. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE QUIZZES! (Sheesh.)

Spring Training (What is it?)

2/21/2010

Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training. All other players show up 5 days later due to the fact that their positions are less demanding and don’t require extra work.

In the past, players used Spring Training to get in shape to the regular season. Today, everyone arrives in top physical condition.

There are no NL or AL in the pre-seasons (however the home team still determines the Designated Hitter rule)

The teams are equally divided 15/15 between the Grapefruit League in Florida and the Cactus League in Arizona

Have you been to either Florida or Arizona for Spring Training?

Have you ever wondered about the Mascots?

2/4/2010

In baseball, teams represent themselves in several different ways. Aside from the most important factors that draw attention, those being the team’s skill and dexterity, it is also their uniforms, their colors, and the mascots who attract fans to the team. The first mascot was introduced in 1964 by the New York Mets. Mr. Met was created to provoke excitement and fun during baseball games for fans of all ages. However, the idea of mascots didn’t really become popular until 1977 with debut of the San Diego Chicken.

The San Diego Chicken made appearances at Padres games. He was originally the KGB Chicken, and he was at the games to promote a San Diego FM station, KGB. The way that he would dance around and perform strange antics, he became a novelty at the baseball games. The Padres themselves were not the greatest team and Chicken became the biggest highlight of the games. The funny thing is that the Chicken had nothing to do with the baseball team; he just showed up and did his thing, and the audience loved him! The Chicken is not the actual mascot for the Padres. The Padres have a mascot called the Swinging Friar, who has been around since 1958. However, the Chicken clearly brought more attention to the game than the Swinging Friar ever did. It was the Chicken who kept the fans coming. The Padres realized this and continued to allow him to perform. After seeing the success of the San Diego Chicken, other baseball teams soon started catching on to the idea of having a team mascot.

The Philadelphia Phillies management created a green creature they called the Phillies Phanatic in 1978. The Phanatic engages himself with the fans as well as the team. He attempts to knock the opposing team off their game. Or he’ll go and sit next to one of the fans in the audience; he might even sit on the lap of one of the fans. The Phanatic is so important to the team, that he even travels with the team to Japan, Australia, Mexico, Canada, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico.

Some baseball teams have had a few different mascots come and go. The Toronto Blue Jays used to have BJ Birdie as their mascot from 1979 to 1999, but after making a few offensive gestures that he umpire found to be offensive, BJ was fired and replaced with Ace and Diamond. The Crazy Crab was the San Francisco Giant’s mascot during the 1984 season. Being as how he was the “anti-mascot,” creating satire out of the mascot craze that was going on, fans were encouraged to “boo” the mascot. Things started getting out of hand when people started throwing objects at the Crazy Crab that could have resulted in a serious injury. The Crab was played by an actor named Wayne Doba. He sued the San Diego Padres after two of the players attacked him, causing injuries. The Giants decided it was best to remove the Crazy Crab after only one year of having him aboard. They did not get another mascot until 1997.

The idea of a mascot never really caught on with the New York Yankees. In 1980, they introduced Dandy, who was a play off of Yankee Doodle Dandy. Dandy was extremely unpopular; so much so that he was beaten up by fans who didn’t want a mascot. Perhaps people thought that the team was good enough that they didn’t need some obnoxious, oddball character to help them out with support from the fans. The Yankees haven’t had a mascot since, but that’s not to say that they may not try again in the future.

David Raymond, who was the original Phillie Phanatic, created the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2005. The Phanatic’s induction into the Hall of Fame was followed by San Diego’s Famous Chicken in 2005, the New York Met’s Mr. Met in 2007, and the Cleveland Indian’s Slider in 2008.

I like mascots; I think that they make the games more fun for the kids! What do you think?