Any other baseball fans out there?

I guess this is probably more for those of us based in the U.S. and Canada, but are there any baseball fans out there? This is my favorite time of the year - because I just love watching baseball. Spring and especially summer are baseball time for me.
Being a born and raised southern CA girl, I root for the LA Dodgers, of course Though I like and watch alot of other teams and just love baseball in general.

What about you? Are you a fan? What team do you like? Tell me/us your baseball stories!

I like Baseball AB. Used to play it as kids, had a lot of USAF kids in my neighbourhood.
My son had a bat etc from the base from an early age. I am not a bad batter or pitcher, well ...was...
In school we played Softball.
These days its more on the Wii.

We do get quite a bit of Baseball on TV now over here. It seems quite popular.
There are teams over here now.
Dodgers would be our team because we have been to LA 4 times...Ha!!

I used to enjoy the base picnic on July 4th, there was always a game then.
Happy days on those Bleachers.

Now someone from the US can give you a better answer I'll bet.

I am also but our Seattle Mariners are sucking real bad and have been for several years. It's painful to watch them.

Brent, so are the LA Dodgers, but I have to have hope cuz their my team

I had high hopes for the Mariners though because they made some good acquisitions (not counting Milton Bradley of course, that guy is just an all-around bad sport) I thought, and I've actually been rooting for them too. I think/hope they can turn it around.

Proof that God has a sense of humor.........

I hate baseball. I swore I wouldn't let my kids play because it is too dangerous. Sigh. I have three sons. All three played from the time they were 5 until they were 12. Thank God they were better at running and stopped then.

I kept books in self defense. It was the only way I could stay focused on the game.

My best friend of 30 years and her husband are fanatics. He is a Cardinals fan and she is a Cubs fan.

I have a very analytical mind. I have been around it a LOT. A few years ago the company I work w/ took us and our families to see the Cubs on a tour bus. I discovered baseball is MUCH better w/ frozen Daquris. And, it is very hard not to see the allure of Wrigley. It was VERY shocking to my co-workers that knew I hate baseball to see me keep the stats and holler about the plays appropriately.

So, I hate baseball and never allow it on my television but I have seen and understand a LOT about it.

Me, me, me!

I love my Arizona Diamondbacks. We have season tickets. We split them with about 4 or 5 other people my husband works with. I grew up a Cubs fan in name only because I am from a suburb of Chicago, and never really cared for the game.

But in summer 2008 I had surgery and was hospitalized for 3 weeks and my family wanted to watch the games on TV when they came to visit me, and it rubbed off on me enough that I became a devoted fan.

I love going to Chase Field, being there in person, we have our favorite place to park outside the stadium, our daughters love going, too. My mom and I have a different experience taking my daughters than when my husband and I take our daughters.

I love all the promotional give-a-ways, I love all the fan-enhancements, I just love it all.

Then there's the whole TV experience. I love that, too. I love the 2 commentators. They are entertaining. We watch as a family or sometimes it's just my husband and me. It's something we can do together.

Yes, I am a baseball fan. I even have a Diamondback's license plate on my car. It is "3B 2S 2O". I'll try to post a picture.

Long live baseball!

Yay, another fan! And a girl LOL People are always surprised when I quote stats or know about pitching or what player went to which team, etc. etc. And guys don't want to talk baseball with me, it's like they don't think it's worth talking about with a girl. Hmmf!

I like the Diamondbacks. To make a totally girly comment, they have really cool uniforms. I know, I know, but they do. The logo is really well-designed. I don't know as much about the team though, you'll have to school me I think of all the teams in the NL West, they're the team I know the least about, mainly because they didn't pick up any of the Dodgers' pitchers in the offseason (that I know of). You know, the ones Dodgers mgt. should've hung onto and offered contracts to, but didn't, and now they're winning games for the Padres and Giants? Grrr.

Lynnette, your Diamondbacks are doing alot better than my Dodgers. We got absolutely crushed last night, it was very painful to watch. And the night before was even worse. Our pitching is bad, and the now the good pitchers we have left, pitifully few that they are, are just imploding. It's enough to make a grown woman cry.

Oh, I love baseball! I really do, though. Survivor, the sport itself is, I think, proof that God has a sense of humor
Pen, I'm surprised you get our games in the UK. Do you get alot of them, or just occasional games?

AB, we get it late at night and is on a lot. Channel 5.
Next time its on, I'll let you know and you can tell me if we are current.

Yes, I LOVE baseball!!

When I was a kid, my Dad and I loved watching baseball and boxing together.

And, we still do!

My parents were here a couple of weeks ago and my Dad and I scoured the Sports channels for a boxing match.

We found three different ones and had a ball watching them.

I am an Atlanta Braves fan, but really I enjoy watching just about anybody.

Hubby and I go to see at least one game a year.

We try to make it two, but for the last few years it has been just one.

He has a really hard time getting away from work.

Last year we went to Atlanta and the year before we went to Colorado.

The year before that it was St. Louis.

It is just the most enjoyable thing to me to actually go see a game live.

Doesn't matter where it is or who is playing either.

I always have a great time.

Anytime we go to see my parents in St. Joseph, we go see a Royals game on Saturday afternoon or evening.

Haven't been to the new stadium yet so I have no idea what the seat prices are now, but last game we went to, we got fantastic seats for $15.00 a piece.

We have just started discussing where we are going this summer.

We may just go visit Mom and Dad and take Dad to the Royals game with us.

I kinda would like to see the new stadium and we are spending most of our vacation money on a good swingset and pool for Zoe.

Did anyone else watch that Mets/Cardinals game that went 20 innings?

It was so fun to watch, but I wondered if it was ever going to end.

Didn't they change the rules about a dozen years ago that you couldn't start an inning after like !2:59 P.M.?

I remember watching a Phillies game (can't remember who they played) that lasted til I think almost 3:00 a.m. and they changed the rules right after that.

Can you tell I am excited about baseball???

Cindy

I love everything about baseball. Nothing brings back more memories than watching my kids play baseball on hot summer evenings from the time they were 4 (t-ball) to the present (adults still playing on teams). It is just all American. I love all the baseball movies also. I am a Minnesota Twins fan. I haven't been to the new ballpark which just opened this season yet but am looking forward to it. My friend is hard core and is on a mission to see a game in every professional stadium in the country. She is doing pretty good so far. She has a room in her home devoted to nothing but baseball.

I love baseball!!!!! My hubby and son are reserved at games but I'm the one with signs and yelling at the umps.

I wait all year for opening day. In our house it's opening day, even a day out of school for Ryan. I love the feeling I get when the stadium is in view. I love the feeling when you are there with 20,000+ of your closest fan friends.

In 2007 the Indians were in the playoffs and somebody always was getting a pie in the face. Rally Pie time. I took pie tins and glued batting in it and sewed them to our caps. We have a channel Sports Time Ohio and a guy named Bruce Drennen has a showed called All Bets Are Off. I sent him some rally pies for his hat and he wore them!! People were calling every day to see how they could get them.

It was so much fun. A guy from AP was taking photos when we got to go on the field as a contestant for craziest fan.
Of course we lost the series and they have been "rebuilding" ever since. "rebuilding" is short for we are so tight we squeak when we walk.
Take me out to the ball game....
kathy

Kathy, my favorite Dodger was on the Indians in 2007 - Casey Blake, our 3rd baseman. He's awesome. A solid, underappreciated player who gets the job done and isn't flashy, just plays great defense and makes some spectacular saves on the hot corner. I love him.
My Dodgers have just taken the lead in the NL West race, and I am so happy! Right now it's only by half a game over the San Diego Padres, but I think that once they are in the lead, it will be a fight for first all the way til the end and we will win it. The boys are playing awesome ball right now and they are playing hard.

How about the Nat's Stephen Strasburg? What a talent. I hope to see him at Chavez Ravine this year. If I can get wind of when he's pitching and if it's lucky enough to be against my Dodgers in a home game, I will do my best to get tickets.

Just because you live in (or visited) L.A. doesn't mean you have to cheer for the Dodgers. I am born and bred Angelina, but I know better than to cheer for the Bums! It's Giants all the way for my mom and me! (My brother went the wrong way and became a fair-weather Dodger fan. In other words, he cheers for the Dodgers only in the 9th inning after my mom and I have been watching a Giants game the whole game.)

I don't follow my team all that much lately, but I still do love my Giants. The Giants always hate the Dodgers, so when we go to Chavez Ravine (where the Dodgers play), we cheer for the other team. I'm taking a bunch of my international student friends to a baseball game, and my mom and I will do our best to convert them to Giants fans!

Baseball is more a game of strategy than a lot of other sports because the fielders have to judge just where the batter is likely to hit the ball, and the batter has to decide what is the best strategic way to play.

Oooh, Vicki, the Giants are the Dodgers most hated rivals. I'm a HUGE Dodgers fan, and not just a fair-weather one either. I know the stats of all the players (in fact, being a rabid baseball fan, I keep up with the stats of quite alot of players for most of the teams). Actually, the game is on right now, my attention is divided between the game (we're killing the Cardinals right now), poker, and this board. I have to say, I've always enthusiastically boo'd the Giants. and probably always will. The only team I dislike more is the Yankees.

I agree, baseball is more a game of strategy than most people appreciate. It's a game of skill blended with nuance. That's why I love it, no matter what team is playing. I can watch a game no matter who is playing (even the Giants ). In fact, I caught the game a week or so between the Giants and the Rockies, when Lincecum and Jimenez pitched, specifically because of the pitching matchup. Jimenez, with his under-1.00 ERA, is phenomenal. The only team to beat him so far this year? The LA Dodgers Lincecum is an amazing pitcher as well - he's certainly beat us every time we've faced him so far this year. I'm sure we'll get to him eventually though LOL

yeah the Indians were stupid to let Casey Blake go. Then they traded away 2 Cy Young winners. WHAT!!!! Their contracts were going to expire at the end of the season and they wanted to get the most on trades. They must have been born stupid, Ron White says you can't fix stupid!!! I really liked Casey

The worst trade was Omar Visquel!!! The nicest guy in the world. We really let management know it. They don't listen to the fans though and I think they should a little. He made it very public that he wanted to stay. He wanted to finish his carrer here.It is always a sell out when Omar is here.
He always takes the time to sign balls. And he is an excellent player. I'll never forget when he stole home. When Ryan was 5 he broke his arm. At that age we let him take a toy to the game, attention span of a gnat. His cast was neon green. We were in Texas to play the Rangers, the players were coming over to sign balls and the players said if I sign your ball can I sign your cast also. They were reading his cast. All the adults were running over to where we were because all the players were gravitating around him. They talked with him like he was a VIP. A trainer tossed him a ball. When they went to remove his cast I told them it was very important that they don't cut through the signatures.

You know men are making these decisions. It's just like going into a store where you know where everything is. Then you find out that management, a man every time in my experience, has moved everything around....
They cut this years budget by 20 mil. Kids love to get the freethings at the gate. A couple years ago they were handing out gloves. I couldn't get my hands on one. And I really tried.We met a couple with their kids one a teenage girl. I offered her $20 for it and she jumped on it. Mall time.

Boston is here and Victor Martinez catcher is here. They interview him and he said he nevered wanted to leave. He said that before his trade also.
When Jim Tome was traded the fans were crapping their pants. Oh hes is the nicest player ever, gagggg! We sat next a family from Ohio, we spent the entire 6 years in Trxas trying to get back home to ohio. Anyway they had a youg son and were staying in the same hotel as the players. Jim went up to the boy and told him to meet me here tomorrow and he would give him balls, bats, jersey and hat. Well the next day they were at the meeting point and he just walked right past the boy.

We got to the park early and Jim was stretching at 3rd base. No one else was around and Ryan pleaded with him to sign his ball. He looked at Ryan like he didn't speak english. He never even acknowleged (sp) that Ryan was there. What a jerk.

I will say something about the Rangers ball park. They built it on the outskirts of town. It has it's own road and parking lot. A great job.
kathy
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Kathy, I just love Casey Blake. I think it's the beard

Tome came to the Dodgers last year, and I thought, why'd they waste money on this guy? Must've been for the name only, because he sure didn't help us win the playoffs. Helped us lose them, I guess.

I couldn't believe it when the Indians traded Visquel. What a dumb move. Last year, sometimes I'd wonder what they are doing, they were not making smart moves. I guess they really needed to shed payroll. Where did Visquel go? I forgot.

The Indians had an excellent game against the Yankees a couple weeks ago, where they blew them out of the water. I heard the play of the last part of the game on the radio and laughed! I hate the Yankees.

My Dodgers are still on top of the NL West!! Whoo hoo!

Speaking of the LA Dodgers, I thought you might be amused at the article that appeared in the LA Times yesterday. It was absolutely ridiculous. The Dodgers actually hired a "scientist healer" to send his good vibes to make the team win! And they paid him at least six figures! You have to read the article to believe it!

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-dodgers-psychic-20100610,0,6975547.story

Long time Braves fan here. Long enough that my earliest childhood MLB memory was sitting in Fulton County Stadium( it was Atlanta Stadium then) and seeing Hank Aaron at the plate. I used to be able to walk right up to the fence and talk to Phil Niekro and Dale Murphy, the old days of baseball. AuntieBubbs I remember seeing them play the Dodgers and standing up so I could watch Garvey at bat. I've been there through some very very bad times and empty seats. But one thing I'm not is a band wagon jumper. Which is why in the 1990's when they started to win and the series win in 1995 all those people who used to make fun of me for supporting my Braves started doing the "Chop", I could say I've been here all along. It's been fun introducing my sons to the team and I'm going to take them to a few games this year., especially since Bobby Cox is retiring. I check scores and stats for all the teams every day and watch my team just about every night. Braves are in first right now, but man do they play some tough teams over the next few days. Twins beat em last night and then comes Tampa Bay and Detroit comes to town soon, which will make things interesting in my house with my wife being the Michigander. My fav Braves right now are Jason Heyward, this kid is awesome to watch and McCann, laid back guy who even with vision problems is doing a great job. Both grew up here locally so it's even better to have them playing for the Braves. So yeah I'm sort of a baseball fan, whether it's sitting in front of the tv watching a game or at the ball park.

UUUGGGHHHH!!!!
I am offically tearing my hair out!!! The Indians were in second place in spring training and expected to do well. NOT!!!!
the past 2 nights they have blown saves! The worst thing is that a lot of the players idiot management traded away are the guys coming through to beat us. Now I just hope to not finish in last place!!!
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I wonder what psychologists say about die hard fans and how we feel when things go really bad when it looked so promising.I start counting days til opening day when the season ends.

These guys just suck and you can feel the sadness when you walk into the stadium more than ever. It's like the dementors from harry potter have taken up residence there. The only positive thing is that we aren't the worst in both leagues...yet.

Are any of you still bothered about the call that cost the perfect game? I can't believe they won't reverse it. I've seen them reverse calls since then after looking at replays. And the guy was so calm about it, very classy. Of course this is the league that will probably let the home run records stand even though they took drugs to get there. If they do that they should let
Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame. It teaches kids that if you take the drugs you may get caught but they'll let you off.

Oh well take me out to the ball game......
kathy