Apr 18, 2016

It's baseball season!

The husband and I in our Blue jays caps
Okay, confession time. I'm not really into Australian sports...I know, I know. I wrote an AFL hero for my first book. I had to actually research how AFL matches are started because I had no idea. FYI they bounce the ball in the center of the field. Who knew?

I just never got into footy...or cricket. Or either type of rugby. I like the tennis, but never felt compelled to do more than follow the results via updates from my husband.

But then we came to Canada and I discovered baseball. Turns out I didn't hate sport, I just hadn't found the right sport to watch.

Since then I've become an avid Blue Jays fan. They're the local team, here in Toronto, and when the whole city supports one team it's a very unifying experience. If you go to the Roger's stadium on game day it's a sea of blue.

Since baseball isn't too big down under, I thought I'd share some fun baseball facts in case you're not aware of what a fun game it is:

  • During World War II, the U.S. military designed a grenade to be the size and weight of a baseball, since “any young American man should be able to properly throw it.” (source)
  • The earliest known reference to baseball is in a 1744 British publication, A Little Pretty Pocket-Book, by John Newbery. It contains a rhymed description of "base-ball" and a woodcut that shows a field set-up somewhat similar to the modern game. (source)
  • The chances of a fan being hit by a baseball are 300,000 to 1 (source)
  • The first fully professional baseball team was the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings. (source)
  • Charlie Sheen Once Bought 2,615 Tickets to a Major League Baseball Game so He Could Improve His Odds of Catching a Home Run Ball (source)
  • The world’s largest publicly available collection of baseball cards is housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It has over 31,000. (source)

Have you ever watched or play baseball before? If not, whats your favourite sport?

22 comments:

  1. Aw, look at you in your matching caps -- so cute! I'm quite convinced I'd love going to a live baseball game -- all due to the fact that Harry from When Harry Met Sally goes to the baseball. :-)

    I've been to several English Premier League games in London and I've loved them all -- they're such an event, and the people watching is brilliant. :-)

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    1. I think live games are always fun - there's so much atmosphere. Actually, we saw an NBA game live here and it was crazy. They had a DJ playing the whole time, there was lots of entertainment during the breaks. It was quite an evening!

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  2. Hee hee-finding the right sport is the way to go! I never watched any sport (except Olympic gymnastics and ice skating) until I met my hubby who then became a sports doctor and I was compelled to follow whoever he was working for...and then we had two boys who are complete sport nuts and watch/play rugby union, soccer and cricket; so many hours have been spent on the sidelines....
    I think my favourite is rugby union. The All Blacks, and all that.
    When we were in San Francisco last year we went to watch the SF Giants and that was our first ever experience of baseball- we absolutely LOVED it! Everyone was super friendly and helpful with explaining the rules, we did the stretch thing en masse and the food was fabulous. I'd definitely go again (even if I still have no real grip on the rules!)

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    1. Oh, Louisa I thought you would tell us about falling in love with DARTS! Ever since you told me about dressing up and going to an awesome darts match, I've wanted to go. :)

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    2. I think that's the great thing about baseball, it's such a simple game to follow at first but then it gets more complex as you learn and follow the stats. We took my mum to a game last year and she was able to follow along easily even though she's the least sport person I know.

      The stretching routine is funny, and all the songs they have. I love it :D

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    3. ha ha Barb!! We're going along to the DARTS again this year, the dress up is sorted and I can't wait!!!

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  3. Two of my older favorite athletes are Australian. Pat Rafter and Ian Thorpe. Not into baseball yet. Hockey and NBA playoffs are on now. I do love your matching caps. My husband refuses to match me. He always gets a different color.

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    1. I've been sort-of following the hockey and NBA results, though our hockey team hasn't done too well.

      Everyone in our house has the exact same cap LOL we're like triplets!

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  4. Hi Stefanie

    I love rugby league and cricket and am a big fan of them and watch often on the TV and get to games here and there as well :) my footy team is Wests Tigers and in the big bash cricket Sydney thunder I also love a good game of soccer and admit to watching AFL here and there The Sydney Swans. Never watched a baseball game but I love the movie A League of Their Own and have watched it often glad you are enjoying the baseball :)

    have Fun
    Helen

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    1. I can never remember the difference between League and Union LOL I actually sued to watch the cricket with my Nan when I was little, she was a huge fan! But I only ever got excited when the little duck walked across the screen LOL

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  5. Stefanie, I loved your baseball facts! My hubs has done a lot of travelling to North America and he had some fun at baseball games. With four kids who are all into sports I've had to feign a bit of sports enthusiasm. at times (shhh...)My boys are really in to tennis and I really enjoy watching it.

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    1. I'm glad you like them, Barb! Yes, I guess having boys will mean a lot of sports games to watch (although my Dad sat through an endless number of ballet concerts so I guess no one is safe!! LOL)

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  6. Sports....hmmmm....yeh....
    Next? :-)
    The only sport I tolerate well, Stef, is cricket which is ironic seeing as how I'm in the middle of writing a rugby series. But that just involves a lot of googling of hot men in tight shirts :-)

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    1. Ha! Maybe I should be writing a sports series then. Anything for the art ;)

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  7. Looks like you're having lots of fun getting hooked on baseball, Stef. I'm a very unsporting person and have never followed anything really. But when my daughter started competing in horseriding I became quite enthralled by showjumping. I think it's because of the connection between horse and rider.

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    1. Showjumping is amazing to watch. I can't say I know much about it, but I find it fascinating.

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  8. I'm a bit of a sports obsessive and so I need to be careful what I allow myself to watch. A lot of hours/days/weeks can be spent in front of sports TV. My favourite at is (American) football. The short season is a bonus. I also love the big events, Olympics and World Cups (any sport) and I'm there obsessively watching.

    I went along to a baseball game when at RWA Atlanta and had a great day out. Could have been the company and the frozen daiquiris but I think I enjoyed the game as well.

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    1. Oh Lordy, Bron, you just reminded me that the Olympics will soon be on again. Or the fortnight of crap tele as it is known in my house :-/

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    2. Good company and frozen daiquiris never go astray!

      Oh yes, I'd totally forgotten that the Olympics were coming. I've always preferred the winter olympics (fun fact: in Canada they call that 'the Olympics' and the regular Olympics is the less exciting event. must be because of all the snow here.)

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    3. Ha, AA. By the time it's over, I'm pretty much fuming about the crap Olympics coverage and you're fuming about the crap other stuff. :-)

      Stefanie, I'm also a fan of Winter Olympics. Love me some skating and hockey and skiing. And my Canadian family members assure me that these are the ONLY Olympics. They also believe hockey is the only sport so that's goes with.

      Forgot to say earlier: how cute are you two in your matching caps?

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  9. Haven't ever watched or played baseball, but watching at least 1 baseball game is on the list for when I visit North America.
    I'm not a fan of watching any sport at this stage, however, I do watch rugby when NZ is in the finals of the World Cup. I do like watching sevens rugby if I can be there in person. I have a suspicion I'm the same as you though in terms of having not found the right sport for me yet.
    I do love sports romances though.

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    1. A live baseball game is great, Lyn! Even if you're not a fan of the sport itself the atmosphere is worth it :)

      I do love a good sports romance soon, and lucky me there are so many baseball ones at the moment :D

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