Johnsports15

     In baseball, equipment arguably plays the key role in sport. It allows baseball players to succeed at what they do and plays a crucial role in both performance and safety. Baseball helmets and gloves stand out for me for their distinct but critical functions. The question is, however, which is more important?     First, I'll dive into the argument for helmets being the more important piece of baseball equipment. Baseball is a high-speed sport with some pitchers being able to throw a baseball more than one-hundred miles an hour. A direct hit to the head of a batter with a ball going this fast could cause severe trauma to the head, significant brain damage, or even death. Helmets are essential for protecting the batters' heads and preventing these types of serious head injuries.      Helmets aren't just important for batters that have to face fast pitches, but they also protect the heads of any baserunners that are on base. In recent years,...

     Baseball has been around for a long time, making it an easily recognizable game with distinct rules. What if you were to add an additional rule that would change the very fabric of the game? I'm referring to having the baseball players continuously rotate positions every inning.      If baseball players had to continuously rotate positions throughout the game, it would completely transform the sport in fascinating ways. Not only would it add layers of strategy, skill requirements, and excitement, but it would alter the game tremendously making it unpredictable.      Having players rotate positions would increase the emphasis on versatility. Baseball players would need to be skilled in multiple positions. The teams would start to prioritize the concept of versatility more than ever before, favoring athletes who can do well in various positions both in the infield and outfield. Players that can do it all would become essential, and scout...

     Baseball in my opinion is one of the best sports out there. As good as it can be though, there can also be problems with it. One of these problems is steroids. Steroids have cast a long, dark shadow over baseball raising questions about fairness and integrity of the game. For decades baseball was "the American dream," where skill and dedication could elevate a player. However, this ideal has been more complicated within the last twenty years with the more recent rise in steroids. The use of steroids in baseball has created a divide between players that don't and do use steroids. The players who don't use steroids strive for success through their natural talent, while the players that use steroids try to gain an advantage through "cheating."      One of the biggest issues with steroids in baseball is the blow it makes to integrity. Baseball batting records are a very important aspect of the game. When a player hits a ball while on steroids, it often res...

     Baseball is more than just a game. Baseball is a symbol of patience, teamwork, cohesiveness, and a symbol of resilience. For over a century, baseball has been loved and cherished by the hearts of millions of people. From the thrill of a home run to the crack of the bat, baseball displays a story of perseverance.      A baseball player stands at home plate knowing that the odds of him hitting the ball are stacked against him. Even if a player has a .300 batting average which is considered good, that still means they only hit the ball 30% of the time. Despite that, the players come back repeatedly, knowing that one of their next attempts will result in a hit. This ability to face failure yet keep going is perhaps baseballs most powerful lesson since like baseball, nothing in life is guaranteed. But as baseball teaches us, is don't matter if we fail, what matters is that we keep trying and getting up after we fail. Whether it's striking out, dropping a ...

     College baseball and high school baseball may appear to be very similar at a first glance, but actually have plenty of distinctions. These distinctions include the level of play, facilities, competition, and environment.      High school baseball is generally less advanced than college in terms of speed, complexity, and skill level. High school baseball players have had less time honing their skills compared to college players. This is why in high school baseball, pitching isn't as fast, fielding isn't as perfect, and plays aren't as refined as they are in college. Some high school teams are more skilled than others, which results in a wider range of skill levels on the high school level. This isn't to say there isn't diversity in skill on the college level, but typically colleges are more evenly matched since they can scout for players and make a better roster. College baseball athletes have also had much more time to practice on all baseball relate...

     On September 27th, 2024, the Chicago White Sox set an MLB record for having the most losses in a single season. The previous record was 120 losses, set in 1962 by the Mets. The Mets held onto their record until now. The Chicago White Sox now hold the record for most losses in a single MLB season, coming in at 121 losses. To put that into perspective, the Sox played a total of 162 games in this season. They only won 41 of those 162 games.       The White Sox's home stadium, The Guaranteed Rate Field, saw a massive decline in attendance during the middle of the season. Especially when the White Sox lost 12 consecutive games. Funny enough though, the attendance at the stadium saw an increase as the Sox approached the record for most losses. Fans could be seen at home games with banners that said things like "121," and "set the record." A handful of fans attending some of the Sox's last few games even wore paper bags over their heads as a symbol of be...

      Turf Baseball Fields are vastly different compared to a grass and dirt field. In my opinion, turf fields bring more negatives than positives to the table. Turf fields bring an increased risk of injury, playability issues, lack of aesthetic appeal, and lack of adaptability to extreme weather situations.     Increased risk of injury can be a big problem with turf baseball fields. One of the most significant concerns with turf fields is turf burn, as well as added stress on joints and muscles. Baseball players are always sliding from base to base when stealing, or diving in order to catch a flyball. When you dive onto a grass field, you'll most likely get grass stains and some redness. However, with a turf field, a player will most likely get turf burn when sliding or diving which is a very painful rash as a result of the friction. Turf fields also tend to be firmer than a grass field. Surprisingly enough, this can cause unnecessary stress on joints and muscl...

          After the Chicago Cubs won the world series in 2016, I was lucky enough to be invited with my dad to Wrigley Field from my godfather. My godfather won VIP tickets to a Cubs game the following year, so in 2017, I went to Wrigley Field. These VIP tickets didn't just have great seating, they also granted our little group access to be on the actual field before the game started. On top of that, we even had a Cubs player assigned to our group. The Cubs player that I got to meet was Ben Zobrist. In case your unfamiliar with Zobrist, he was on the Cubs team in 2016 when they won the world series, and he played left field. He was even on the field playing left field when the final play was made that solidified the Cubs as world series champions. Zobrist was the player to hit the RBI double in the 10th inning, giving the Cubs the lead, and ultimately leading to their win.      Once I had taken pictures with Zobrist and gotten his autograph...

     The Chicago Cubs have been my favorite major league baseball team for a long time now. I've seen them have plenty of difficulties over the years, but I'm starting to get tired of them consistently being an average team within the MLB. The Cubs had a lot of potential going into the start of this year's season, but somehow managed to squander it when it mattered the most for them. The teams lack of consistency is apparent to almost every Cubs fan. One game they could perform very poorly and lose by a lot of runs, and the next game against the same team they can absolutely crush the team. Thats due their bullpen, defense and. hitting.      Usually if you want to win a baseball game, you want to be able to hit the baseball. Apparently, that's a very hard thing to do for some of the Cubs players. Despite being skillful enough to be a part of the MLB, they just cannot make contact. If players make contact, it's against a mediocre team that a high school te...

    The Chicago Cubs were looking for a new manager to coach their team. On November of 2023, the Cubs hired Craig Counsell as their current manager. He was hired in as the new manager for the Cubs, previously being the longtime manager for the Milwaukee Brewers. Counsell is also a former Major League Baseball (MLB) player who played for the Brewers, Florida Marlins, and the Arizona Diamondbacks. During his time playing on these teams, he played as an infielder and was known for his intelligence, leadership, and interesting batting stance. During his time as an MLB player, Counsell also won two World Series championships with these teams. His world series win in 1997 was with the Marlins, and his World Series win in 2001 was with the Diamondbacks     Counsell retired from playing major league baseball back in 2012, and soon after became a member of the Brewers front office. Then in 2015, he became the team's manager. Counsell did a fantastic job as a manager when he ...