A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

summer of baseball

Can of Corn Challenge: The designated hitter (August)

Oh, the designated hitter.

One of those positions that people either love or hate and the opinions will differ as strongly as what those people think.

Personally, I’m a traditionalist. And being a fan of the Phillies and the National League, I think you can see where I am going with this.

I don’t like the designated hitter.

Look, in amateur sports or adult league softball – I have no issues. In some instances, it’s a great thing as it allows maximum participation. However, when you are getting paid to play the game …

Come on.

Pitchers throughout time have hit for themselves. And they’ve done it well.

In 1973, that changed for the American League with the addition of Major League Baseball Rule 5.11, which allows teams to have one player (the designated hitter) to bat in place of the pitcher.

The DH has extended people’s careers. It probably got some people into the Hall of Fame, and it hurt other candidates by likely keeping them out. But it’s been a part of the game, that’s for sure. Alas, not everybody likes this rule.

I’m sure, eventually, the National League will adopt this rule as well. I can hope that it’s not something I will see.

The designated hitter prolongs careers. Take David Ortiz as one recent example. But it doesn’t mean it’s something one has to like.

These players are professionals being paid millions of dollars to play a game. There are a lot of pitchers who hit well and who love to hit. Others you can tell don’t love it at all.

But you are paid to play baseball.

As noted in Bull Durham, there are three aspects to the game – you hit the ball, you catch the ball, you throw the ball.

Three items.

It’s time to stop worrying about getting rid of an intentional walk process to speed up games and start going back to the game how it used to be. Make the pitchers hit!

What say you on the DH? Yay or nay?

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Summer of Baseball: Hagerstown gives you an old-school baseball setting

It’s nice to know there are some throwback baseball stadiums out there.

As baseball’s minor leagues get more and more popular, some places are having a hard time holding onto their teams. Take for example Oneonta in my area — the longtime Yankees and then Tigers short-season A affiliate bolted town before the 2010 season when new owners took over and lied about how long they’d stay to “try and make it work.” Instead, they moved the team to Connecticut where, yes, attendance went up but makes one wonder if it was worth it for the large bump in rent.

The moon over Municipal Stadium during a game.

But, I digress.

Hagerstown is that throwback. A stadium dating back to 1930 with not a lot of bells and whistles. It feels old in there. There isn’t a lot of pomp and circumstance and, if you’re there for the baseball, then it’s going to give you the experience you want.

I’ve found, in time, that some of these stadiums are hard to visit. But Municipal Stadium has gone through enough renovations to keep it nice, yet still keep its old-school charm.

What’s nice here is the ambiance of the park as a whole. The older “feel” to the ticket booth and the souvenir stand, as compared to a store. The fan services are also being a stand, rather than walking in somewhere. I loved that not all the food was out of a stand, rather having one spot where you could get something grilled right on the spot.

There were also two beers made locally — one for the team — which gave it a cool feel.

Sight lines are good as it didn’t seem there was a bad seat in the house. There weren’t a lot of fans that night, so I didn’t feel squeezed anywhere. People were friendly (including a few fans I had interactions with) and, overall, it was a nice experience.

The night I was there, they announced an attendance of 704, and that was probably being quite kind. It’s a shame, too, It’s a baseball experience that is going quickly by the wayside. With newer stadiums popping up with many amenities, these smaller stadiums and towns are bolting for bigger areas in the hopes of making more money. We can hope baseball will stay in areas like this, but it’s getting harder and harder for teams to maintain their presence.

Though my ratings are average, and I enjoyed myself and my trip to Hagerstown. I’d visit again if given the opportunity. If you have the chance, check it out in case it eventually is too late.

Park Notes:  

Municipal Stadium
Hagerstown, Maryland
Home of the Hagerstown Sun (Single-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles)
Visited on: July 20, 2016
Opponent: Columbia Fireflies (Single-A affiliate of the New York Mets)

Ratings (out of 10)

  • Stadium: 7/10
  • Concessions: 7/10
  • Parking: 9/10
  • Ambiance: 6.5/10
  • Friendliness: 8/10

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Can of Corn Challenge: What do you bring to the ballpark? (July)

The ballpark experience is definitely different for every person.

Some people go for the social aspect. Others go to watch a game and nothing more. Others may experience the food, sights, and sounds.

Score book and passport are two things I always have with me at the ballpark!

It differs all around the park, which makes it even better.

But what do you bring to the park with you? Again, you could poll 100 people and probably will get a different answer from each person.

For me, the ballpark is more than just a game. It’s a safe-haven of sorts. A place where I can unwind and relax and watch the game I love so much. Some people love going to concerts and things like that — I enjoy baseball games.

But I do things a little different as I consider myself a bit of a baseball nerd. And with that in mind, here is what I bring to the park every time I go:

  • Backpack
  • Score book (yes, I keep a score book for every professional game I attend)
  • Baseball Passport (link to my review)
  • Baseball America Prospect Handbook
  • A sweatshirt
  • A camera of some sorts (some days my phone, other days my main DSLR/lenses)

What’s nice is I do this for every game and it all fits in a backpack. The days I carry my DSLR will be harder than others, and heavier. Last year I did it at most games. This years not as much. I love action photography, but I really love paying more attention to the game. I also like using other lenses at the games, though, as it gives you a different perspective. Take for example sitting in the upper deck at an MLB game and using a fisheye/wide-angle lens.

While inside the park, my goals usually include a hot dog — especially if I have never been to the stadium before. Outside of that, it’s just watching the game and taking in the ambiance.

So how about you? What do you bring when you head the park? If you are taking part in this month’s challenge, link up below!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Can of Corn Challenge: Best baseball movie (June)

“A good friend of mine used to say, ‘This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains.’ Think about that for a while.”

This question has been posed to me more than once and I’ve never wavered from my answer.

Bull Durham.

There are some great baseball movies. Field of Dreams. The Natural. Pride of the Yankees. Bad News Bears. The Sandlot. Major League. For Love of the Game.

Then there’s Mr. 3,000. Oh wait … I went too far with that one.

But then there’s truly Bull Durham and it stands above all other baseball movies, bar none.

Years ago, when I was starting out my career at a daily paper, I had to write a column during the MLB playoffs. I wasn’t much of a column person then, so I needed to dig deep. I ended up writing a top-10 picks of baseball movies.

It wasn’t even close.

Bull Durham is a classic in every form. It’s funny. It’s semi raunchy at times. It has a good story. The actors are fantastic.

And it has baseball.

The movie is full of quotes, too, which makes it even better. While it’s true it’s probably not for younger fans, the movie has withstood the time. On a visit to Durham last year, the team store had a bunch of things related to the movie. It’s very cool in that regard.

A quick story about this movie, though.

Years ago, we were playing at a softball national tournament. While there, I met up with an old college friend who was playing with another team. After our games were done, a bunch of us were standing beyond the outfield wall of another game, having a few cordials and chatting. At some point … the quotes started.

And though we couldn’t go through the whole movie, it seemed like between the whole crew, we covered every quotable part of the movie. It was pretty cool.

The movie is just about the perfect baseball movie, and with that in mind, I’ll leave you with this quote:

Skip: You guys. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Larry!

Larry: Lollygaggers!

Skip: Lollygaggers.

If you are a baseball fan and have never seen this movie … I am not sure what you are waiting for. Make sure you go see it … and realize why it’s so amazing!

If you are taking part in this month’s Can of Corn Challenge, link up below and visit any others who might be doing the same! You can see the remainder of the themes for this summer (and join us in any that you would like) by clicking here.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Can of Corn Challenge: Swing and a miss (May)

Even Mighty Casey did it.

Baseball is a funny sport. So is softball, for that matter. If you break it down to its simplest terms, baseball can be explained quite easily.

Somebody throws a small round object at you and you are trying to hit it with a stick. It could come at high velocity, or slower and moving all over the place. If you should happen to hit the ball, the idea is for somebody else to catch it and get you out, either by catching it in the air, or by throwing the ball to another person to get you out.

Simple.

Or is it?

Strikeouts are a way to for pitchers to, sometimes, show some dominance. The idea, of course, is for batters to swing and miss … and then pitchers know they’ve done an excellent job.

Strikeouts come at all levels of baseball. I remember many of mine, be it in baseball or softball. I always prided myself on behind a good hitter and being able to make contract. Still, strikeouts happen — and often it’s a swing and a miss that gets you.

Think about this — the top 10 pitchers in MLB history have combined for 40,726 strikeouts. Let that sit in for a bit. That’s a ton of strikeouts and, most likely, a lot of those have a lot of swing and misses.

I’ve played softball for more than 25 years. That’s a long time to play modified pitch softball. Yes, I’ve struck out. I even remember a few games where I struck out more than once.

It’s all part of the game.

As much frustration a batter gets when he or she swings and misses, remember that more often than not, batters make contact with the ball. So think of the frustration a pitcher must feel!

Back to Mighty Casey, though. Let me leave you with this YouTube video of James Earl Jones reading the famous story of Mighty Casey.

If you are taking part in this month’s Can of Corn Challenge, link up below and visit any others who might be doing the same! You can see the remainder of the themes for this summer (and join us in any that you would like) by clicking here.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!