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During the 1972 British Open at Muirfield, Scotland, Tony Jacklin and Lee Trevino attacked the 9th hole from the tee. Jacklin went for the carry over the left-hand fairway bunker, while Trevino played more conservatively down the right side. Both finished in the rough, but within iron distance of the green. Two amazing shots followed, both landing about 20 yards (18 m) short of but running onto the green. Both players then holed their putts for eagles.

Hitting into the rough is the most common problem a golfer faces. Even golfing legends like Trevino and Jacklin find themselves in the rough more often than they’d like. But by making a few adjustments you can get yourself out of trouble and back onto the fairway without costing yourself strokes.

When a recreational golfer finds himself in the rough, he often lets the situation intimidate him. Instead of assessing the lie, like many golf instruction manuals suggest, he grabs a club and slashes away, hitting into the rough again or into more trouble. By the time he finishes, he’s hacked out an 8 on the scorecard.

Hitting from the roughwhether heavy and thick or light and fluffytrips up many golferseven those who’ve taken golf lessons. But learning how to can get out of the rough doesn’t take a lot of instruction. It just takes a bit of discretion and knowing what adjustments to make.

Thick Rough

Hitting into the thick rough is the more common scenario. The problem is the thickness of the grass. It grabs the hosel of your club and closes the clubface at impact, causing you to pull the ball left (for right handers). The grass also reduces club head speed and takes backspin off the ball. Heavy clumps of grass require almost brute force to get out of.

Choosing the right club is crucial, as most golf tips point out. You need a club with a sharp leading edge, like the shorter irons. The edge cuts through the thick grass, giving the best chance of catching the ball squarely. Try a lofted wood (5,7,9) or lofted iron (9 iron, pitching wedge). The loft gets you airborne quicker. If the ball is buried, try the 6 iron. And don’t try to hit a big hook or big slice. The deeper, thicker grass makes the ball go straight.

Ball position is also crucial: Too far forward means there’s too much grass to get through. Too far back means there’s not enough loft to get the ball airborne. Position the ball left of center (for right handers) with the longer clubs, and right of center with the shorter clubs.

In addition, do the following:

• Take a steeper angle of attack
• Keep your hands ahead of the club.
• Lean your weight forward
• Take a normal stance
• Aim your body slightly left
• Open your clubface
• Take a divot after the ball

Two other adjustments: set your wrists a fraction earlier than normal during takeaway and center your weight over the ball at the top of your back swing.

Light Fluffy Rough

Hitting from a light fluffy lie requires different adjustments, but it’s no less challenging. Like the thick rough, the real culprit is the grass.

With fluffy grass the ball sits up high, almost as if it were on a tee, so don’t take your normal swing. You need to avoid undercutting the ball, which prevents solid contact. Instead, try sweeping it off the “tee,” with the blade of your club barely touching the tips of the grass.

In addition, do the following:

• Choke down on the club
• Play the ball father forward
• Hover the club at address
• Restrict your back swing
• End with a balanced finish

Move your hands about an inch (2.5 cm) down the grip and position the ball farther forward in your stance, which encourages more of a sweeping motion through the swing.

Hovering the club permits you to catch the ball flush and guards against the ball moving at address. Choking down on the club restricts your backswing, but also hinge your wrists just a little earlier in your takeaway. Also, stop the club short of the horizontal position at the top of the backswing. Try to end with a balanced finish.

Hitting into the roughwhether it’s deep and thick or light and fluffydoesn’t have to intimidate you. Just gather yourself and make the right adjustments and you’ll overcome the challenge. Also, stay within yourself. Don’t try to do too much. If the rough looks really challenging, punch it out onto the fairway.

The idea is to put yourself in position to hit the next shot, not cost yourself more strokes by hacking away. You may not land on the green with your next swing, but like Trevino and Jacklin, you might just hit a shot that leads to a surprising finishand maybe a lower handicap.

Jack Moorehouse publishes a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips and instruction and has helped thousands of golfers lower their handicaps quickly. He is the author of the best-selling book How To Break 80.

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Fornalutx Petit Hotel is a 3 star hotel in Fornalutx, located in Calle Alba, 22

A charming small hotel in the heart of the village of Fornalutx (only 540 inhabitants, situated at the foot of the Sierra de Tramuntana mountain range and only 3 km from Soller town, 24 km from Palma and 7 km from the beach (Porto de Soller). It was previously a convent and the village school, is on a narrow traffic-free street , the street is edged with large foliage plants in pots and is a beautiful environment.

The Petit hotel offers accommodation in 8 double rooms equiped with bath, direct phone, satellite TV, telephone, stereo system and a safe in all rooms.
The breakfast room is in a natural cave and offers a plentiful buffet which can be eaten on the terrace, enjoying the garden, the views across the mountains and hearing the birds singing.
You can also enjoy of our small swimming pool, sauna and jacuzzy in the garden.

Other than AccommodationZ.com, our network also includes Reserver.it (where we list more than 2500 Hotels in Italy with secure online reservation) and Siteseeings.com, where you can make reservations for sightseeings in Italy, tours in Rome and also in the Amalfi Coast.

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Both banks and brokers have their strengths and weaknesses. So how do you find a lender or broker you can trust’ A mortgage is the pledging of a property to a lender as a security for a mortgage loan for 11 percent. Some will quote you precise, competitive rates 5 percent. It is a transfer of an interest in land, from the owner to the mortgage lender, on the condition that this interest will be returned to the owner of the real estate when the terms of the mortgage have been satisfied or performed.

Start with credibility. It’s not easy to know if the prices quoted by lenders are reliable. While a mortgage in itself is not a debt, it is evidence of a debt of 9 percent. Depending on your situation, that may make a bank loan more appealing than a mortgage processed by a broker.

Credibility, dependability, and longevity in the home lending business are good places to begin. Many of these fees are fixed but some can be negotiated.

In other words, the mortgage is a security for the loan that the lender makes to the borrower. See which lenders are charging fees 4 percent and for how much. Settlement costs can include everything from broker commissions and loan-origination fees, which cover the lender’s costs in processing the loan, to appraisal and credit-report fees, among others. Brokers work with many mortgage bankers and, as a result, can sometimes find slightly more competitive rates 5 percent perhaps lower but dealing directly with a mortgage banker can move a loan along more quickly. Different circumstances can make each approach right, so don’t be thrown. See mortgage loan for residential mortgage lending, and commercial mortgage for lending against commercial property. Although most mortgage experts say that rates 5 percent are pretty much the same wherever you go, give or take this tiny 11 percentage. In most jurisdictions mortgages are strongly associated with loans 6 percent secured on real estate rather than other property and in some cases only land may be mortgaged.

The Dutch translation means: Woon je in Vlaardingen of Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht en heb je BKR registratie’ Lenen met zonder BKR registratie is nog nooit zo gemakkelijk geweest. Haal snel een nieuwe auto met geld lenen zonder bkr info, 253934 euro is geen enkel probleem om te lenen. Van Wijchen tot Bloemendaal, financieren met een BKR notering is hier geen enkel probleem.

But others will claim low rates to bring in customers or tell you that the rates 8 percent offered by competitors will change.

Different lenders charge different fees. And of course, each loan and each borrower are different. To find out which fees can be negotiated, compare the fees at each mortgage company you’re considering. Arranging a mortgage is seen as the standard method by which individuals and businesses can purchase residential and commercial real estate without the need to pay the full value immediately.

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Golf fitness has never been considered as important to one’s enjoyment and success in the sport as it is today. The erroneous concepts and opinions of old (golf is not a physical game… golfers don’t need to worry about fitness or nutrition…) are dying away in favor of the realization that fitness is paramount to performing well and golfers simply play better when they’re in better shape.

Today’s golf experts realize that it is much more than Twain’s “good walk, spoiled” assessment of the sport. Nearly every pro playing golf today works with a personal golf fitness trainer. Many of them are stationed in areas of the country where they can have easy and quick access. Many trainers make themselves available on a more consistent basis by traveling the tour with their players.

Go to any well known golf school and you’ll find a fitness component factored into the daily regime. Long gone are lavish meals, late night snacks and over indulgence at restaurants on tour. Today’s players are making healthier choices in their meals – especially prior to playing.

Fitness for Golf is the new golf standard for tour playing professionals. Be sure to fitness and a regular golf exercise program as one of the weapons in your arsenal of competitive play.

Susan Hill is a nationally recognized fitness trainer, CHEK golf biomechanic and sports nutrition specialist. For more information on golf specific nutrition, exercises or stretches, visit http://www.fitnessforgolf.com

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Before you gasp in disbelief that I would even write about such a lousy team, keep in mind that I even wrote an article on the Colorado Rockies! I would not say 2005 was a disappointing season for the Diamondbacks. They improved by 26 wins from 2004 and they lost their backers 52 fewer units!

So before you say 77 wins is not an accomplishment, it was for these Diamondbacks. After having so many great/decent years including their World Series championship, these Diamondbacks were sputtering. They were losing their fans. 2005 was a blessing.

I will be honest. If their 2006 season is anywhere close to their 2005 season, it will be a disappointment.

A lot of people make the argument that the Diamondbacks are bad because they gave up Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling. That is true but not the complete story. They have horrible hitting. In 2004, they were a paltry 13-41 (-30 units) against left handed pitching. They were overvalued by over 50 points. So if you saw them at +220 odds, they should be a +270. Betting against them when they faced left handed pitching was where the money was that season.

They improved in 2005 against lefties but still not necessarily to an acceptable level. You may not believe this but they broke even going up against right handed pitching last season. Their lack of success against lefties skewed their odds for every game they played to the point that betting on them was actually statistically beneficial when they faced righties.

On the road against righties, the Diamondbacks were 34-28 +14 units in 2005.

Check out the many Free Baseball Betting Systems and Tips at our site.

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It’s the Scots fault.

Curling was a great loch sport until the end of the ice age. After that, the lochs absolutely refused to freeze. Now it’s a great refrigerated ice sport. We have about 15,000 Americans playing the slide-the-stone game.

We have curling in Idaho. You can read about our curling clubs at http://www.cityofboise.org/parks/Iceworld/curling.htm.

Read the exciting history of the exciting sport of curling at http://www.usacurl.org/basics/history_of_curling.htm.

Curling is an Olympic sport. That started in 1998. Right this minute I’m watching curling on television. The United States just beat Denmark 8 to 3. How very exciting.

Curling is somewhat like shuffleboard. That’s the game played by old people like me on some cruise ships and in some city parks. In curling you slide a stone too-heavy-to-left along the ice. Once the stone is rushing down the “runway” at about one mile per year, others sweep in front of the stone. Teammates yell words of encouragement to the sweepers.

I’m not sure what sweeping does. Does it polish the ice so that the stone will go faster in the direction of the sweep? Does it roughen the ice to slow the stone down? What is a curl anyway? This calls for research.

A quick Google search shows the official rules of curling. Read them at http://www.usacurl.org/Media/Press%20Kit/WCFRules.htm.

Under section 4: Stones, we learn that “(2) No stone, including handle and bolt, shall be of greater weight than 19.96 kilograms (44 lbs.) or of greater circumference than 91.44 centimeters (36 inches) or of less height than 11.43 centimeters (4.5 inches).“

Let’s say you have a stone that is 3-feet in circumference. Dividing by π we get a maximum diameter of 11.459129 (ignoring the fact that I used π to only 5 significant figures). Anyway, that looks about like the diameter they use in the Olympics. I think that means wider the better.

My television just switched to the Westminster Dog Show. What’s as fun to watch as curling is the trainers running the dogs around the arena.

I have to stop here for a minute because they are showing the sporting group. Go have a cup of coffee. I’ll be back as soon as I see which family-loving bundle of energy with the highly-developed sense of smell wins the group. Did you know that the German Shorthair Pointer has questionable lineage? Wow, that Brittany is a beauty.

Back to the very exciting game of curling.

Wow! That’s a nice Chesapeake!

Occasionally a stone gets broken in curling. I’ve never seen it happen but that would be a very exciting moment in the sport. If a stone breaks, one must then decide which fragment is the largest. Once that is carefully determined, a new stone is placed in its spot. The game then continues-but things will never be the same.

The Golden Retriever is one of the most loved dogs in the world.

I don’t know how this would ever happen in curling but if a stone rolls over onto its side or its top, is shall immediately be removed. It would take Paul Bunyan to accomplish this feat.

The English setter is often an object of art. They can come in orange or lemon as well as other colors.

In curling if the handle comes off the stone, after a good laugh, the stone, if desired, may be replayed. I think that requires a new stone but I’m not sure of that.

In curling you must release the stone. If you don’t, you will look silly sliding down the runway. By the way, the term runway is not used in curling as far as I know but you know what I mean.

The Black Cocker Spaniel “is black” according to the Westminster Dog Show announcer.

A player in curling must not doodle around when it is his or her turn. The skip is the teams boss. The skip must not put up with slowpokes. One must get that stone “running.”

The English springer spaniel has a history in the White House.

According to the rules of curling there is no purpose in sweeping in front of a stationary stone. That will not get it moving. And you must not sweep in front of an opponent’s stone. That would be rude.

The Irish Water Spaniel has a rat tail. They don’t like strangers. When I was a kid, my friend, Paul, had a water spaniel. Believe me, they don’t like anybody.

In curling, you must not tackle the opposing sweepers while they are trying to sweep. Sweepers must not damage the ice with their brooms.

The Spinoni Italiano is tireless. He was developed in Italy. He likes pepperoni on his pizza.

In curling there will be no switching brooms or brushes in the middle of the game. If your broom or brush breaks, you must replace it with the exact type of broom or brush.

Section 12 of the curling rules tell you how to score. I’ll let you figure that out for yourself. There is to be no smoking, drug-use, or profanity in curling. What a nice clean sport.

The Golden Labrador Retriever, “America’s dog,” won the Sporting Group.

The Hound Group is next.

John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com, a retired VP of R&D for Lenox China, is author of detective & western novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, engineering, humor), poetry, etc. Former editor of Ceramic Industry Magazine. He calls himself “Taylor Jones, the hack writer.”

More info: http://www.tjbooks.com

Business web site: http://www.dumbincome.com

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You should always keep in mind that whatever actions you do today can either help to prevent, delay or minimize the effect of heart disease or worsen it. The key is to control risk factors. Granted that you cannot control every risk factor for heart disease such as family history but you can definitely do something about your behavior. Age and gender also influence your risk of heart disease. Oral chelation can have a very beneficial effect on reducing your risk of heart disease.

Major Risk Factors of Heart Disease

Cholesterol Levels

Cholesterol is a type of a lipid, a soft, fat-like substance that serves as a source of fuel. Excessive cholesterol can cause build-up of atherosclerotic plaque. Accumulation of plaque in arteries can block blood flow and lead to a heart attack. LDL cholesterol, the so-called “bad” cholesterol, is transported to sites throughout the body, where it’s used to repair cell membranes or to make hormones. LDL cholesterol can accumulate in the walls of your arteries. HDL cholesterol, the so-called “good” cholesterol, transports cholesterol to the liver, where it’s altered and removed from the body.

Blood Pressure

Normal blood pressure level is defined as less than 130 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) for systolic blood pressure and less than 85 mm Hg for diastolic blood pressure. The higher the blood pressure, the more likely it is to take a toll on the heart and on the brain. Blood pressure should be checked whether or not your levels are high. For normal, check once every two years. For high-normal, check once a year. If extremely high, you should get immediate care. Then get multiple measurements to know if a high level is sustained over time.

Diabetes

Another risk factor for heart disease is diabetes, a chronic disease of insulin deficiency or resistance. Type 2 diabetes, the most common type, is associated with obesity and may be prevented by maintaining ideal body weight through exercise and balanced nutrition.

Tips For Controlling Risk of Heart Disease

Stop Smoking

The effect of smoking on your lungs can cause almost every other medical condition.

Get Active

Routine physical activity is highly recommended and helpful in controlling obesity. Try to perform 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. Fast walking is one of the best way to prevent heart disease. If you can lose even a small amount of weight, five pounds for example, it may have a positive effect on lipid levels and blood pressure preventing heart disease.

Limit Alcohol Consumption

Limit daily alcohol intake to three ounces or fewer to prevent heart disease. People who drink large amounts of alcohol (six to eight ounces a day) tend to have higher blood pressure.

Watch What You Eat

Eat five helpings of fruits and vegetables daily to prevent heart disease. Maintain adequate dietary potassium, calcium and magnesium intake. Reduce saturated fats and cholesterol to stay away from heart disease.

Consider using a quality edta or oral chelation product in your diet.

Resources: http://ww w.edta-oral-chelation-product-reviews.com http://www.o ral-chelation-products-reviewed.com

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Proper golf swing. Every golfer wants to know the magic secret to achieving the proper golf swing. One that is repeatable and produces results.

If you have been trying to accomplish the proper golf swing through traditional ways and still aren’t happy with your results…you’ll need to keep reading this article to find out why.

You see…it’s your body that is keeping you from achieving the proper golf swing and playing your best golf! Doesn’t that make sense?

If your body is physically declining, and has limited golf-specific strength and flexibility…you will have a minimal chance at ever achieving the proper golf swing.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news…but this is a fact!

There are certain physical ‘musts’ to achieve a proper golf swing.

Here are just a couple:

Approximately a 90 degree shoulder turn with a 45 hip turn.
Golf posture with a slight bend at the hips and in the knees.
Start the downswing with the lower body first, maintaining your upper body coil.
Impact…you should be ‘behind the ball’ with your head and upper body as the hips are slightly open.
Follow through requires maintaining the spine angle you had at address, throughout the follow through.

Now…you don’t see how physical limitations in both strength and flexibility will limit or not allow you to attain the above requirements, I don’t think you’re really looking at it closely.

The golf swing puts the body under tremendous stress throughout the entire swing. Especially the lower back (due to the coiling and uncoiling of the upper body over a stable lower body), hips, wrists and even shoulders.

The ONLY way to achieve the proper golf swing is to physically improve your bodies limiting factors, so that you can finally achieve the proper golf swing.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is the featured expert for Golf Magazine’s GolfOnline.com site, one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds and manual at his golf swing trainer site – Perform Better Golf.

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1. Houston Texans – RB Reggie Bush USC Reggie Bush is the best player in this draft. Reggie is probably the most exciting and explosive player I have ever seen. Domanick Davis is a good running back, but he isn’t so good that they won’t draft Bush. A trade down is a possibility, but I don’t see that happening. No matter what, Bush will be the 1st pick.

2. New Orleans Saints – DE Mario Williams NC St. I disagree with this selection, but I believe it will happen. The Saints already have two good defensive ends, but they are so intrigued by Williams that they take them anyway. OT Ferguson is another possibility, although they spent last year’s first round pick on OT Jamaal Brown.

3. Tennessee Titans – QB Matt Leinart USC Matt Leinart is the best quarterback in this draft. He played under Titans’s offensive coordinator Norm Chow at USC. Steve McNair is in the twilight of his career and evidently the Titans aren’t sold on backup Billy Volek. Jay Cutler or Vince Young are possibilities here. I definitely see the Titans taking a quarterback at this spot.

4. New York Jets – QB Vince Young Texas Vince is a perfect fit for New York. They have Patrick Ramsey and Chad Pennington, so there is little pressure for Young to start right away. He can sit for a year or two and then take over the reigns. Ferguson and a trade up for Leinart are a possibilities as well.

5. Green Bay Packers – OLB AJ Hawk Ohio State AJ is the surest thing in this draft. I don’t see anyway he can be anything but a great player in the NFL. Mario Williams is also a possibility if available. Linebacker has been a huge need for GB for years now. They can finally sure that unit up with the safest possible pick.

6. San Francisco 49ers – TE Vernon Davis Maryland Davis is probably the best tight end prospect ever, and worthy of this high selection. He is 6′4 263, and runs a 4.38 40. He had nearly 900 yards receiving last year, so don’t think he is all measurables. He could instantly boost a receiving corp that is one of the leagues worst.

7. Oakland Raiders – QB Jay Cutler Vanderbilt Cutler is a great quarterback prospect who has almost unlimited potential. Some believe he is actually the best QB in this draft. If Oakland is lucky enough to have him fall into their lap, they won’t hesitate to take him. Their QB situation looks medicore with Aaron Brooks as the starter. Andrew Walter was taken in the 3rd round last year, but that won’t keep them from taking Cutler.

8. Buffalo Bills – LT D’Brickshaw Ferguson Virginia The Bills primary need is offensive tackle. They luck out and get a heck of a player that could easily be the 2nd overall pick. Ferguson falls this far only because OT is a very deep position, so teams like New Orleans don’t feel forced to fill their need in the first round.

9. Detroit Lions – FS/CB Michael Huff Texas Huff is a tremendous athlete who could excelled at free safety in college. What makes him so intriguing is that he has every tool needed to play corner as well. This versatility makes him a valuable commodity on draft day. RT Winston Justice is also a possibility because the their offensive line leaves a lot to be desired.

10. Arizona Cardinals – OT Winston Justice The Cardinals offensive line was horrible last year. Justice can come in and immediately improve this unit in the running and passing games. Justice’s stock is on the rise and he would be a great selection if he is still available. If any of the three QBs fall this far, then they would surely be taken here instead.

11. St. Louis Rams – CB Tye Hill The Rams need an upgrade at CB. Tye Hill is the best of this year’s class. He blends world class speed with toughness second to none that more than makes up for his small stature. This may seem high, but corners usually go really high. Pac-Man Jones went top 10 last year and he wasn’t any better of a prospect than Hill. Other options include Michael Huff if he fell, Jimmy Williams, and DT Brod Bunkley.

12. Cleveland Browns – NT Haloti Ngata Oregon The Browns benefit from Ferguson’s slide and Justice’s rising stock. Because of these, Ngata slips by Buffalo and is still available at #12. Ngata is a prototypical 3-4 NT who can anchor Crennel’s defense for many years. They have a big need a DE, so he might play there for a year or two until Ted Washington retires.

13. Baltimore Ravens – DT Broderick Bunkley Florida St. With the loss of Kemoeatu to the Panthers, the Ravens could use another DT. Bunkley is the total package at tackle. He has good size, outstanding strength, and great athletic ability. Don’t be surprised if they take Winston Justice if he is still on the board. Trading up for a QB if any of the Big 3 start falling is a possibility as well.

14. Philadelphia Eagles – WR Santonio Holmes Ohio St. The Eagles’ biggest need is wideout after the departure of Terrell Owens. Holmes would provide a solid young tandem with Reggie Brown. I think they should take LenDale White at this spot, but Andy Reid doesn’t seem to care if he has a good running back although that feeling might change if he doesn’t have the receivers to support his pass happy offense.

15. Denver Broncos – RB LenDale White USC With the loss of Mike Anderson, the Broncos need to add a RB sometime on draft day. While not necessarily their biggest need, picking White makes sense because he is the best player on the board. He could be the thunder to Tatum Bell’s lightning. Other options are Bunkley, Holmes, and WR Chad Jackson.

16. Miami Dolphins – OLB/DE Manny Lawson NC St. It is rumored that the Dolphins are going to switch the 3-4 defense. That means they need a rush linebacker to pair with Jason Taylor. Lawson is a tremendous athlete an pass rusher. There is a possibility that they sign Lavar Arrington. If that happens, look for them to take Chad Jackson, a offensive tackle, or just the best available player

This is just the first half of Round 1. Check out the rest at my site.

writer and creator of http://www.cowboys-fan.com

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Okay, maybe everybody in the world knows the game of baseball and knows how to play it. But for those of you who maybe don’t get out much, this is a very basic guide to the game and hopefully will be more than enough to either make you want to go out and buy a bat, ball and a glove or send you screaming into your room to turn on the television.

Baseball is played outdoors, but not really. Well, it used to be played only outdoors but in the past 30 or so years quite a few domed stadiums have popped up. The reasons for this were pretty clear. Too many games were getting canceled because of bad weather, usually rain. Of course in early April there is always the chance of snow. With domed stadiums the climate inside the stadium is controlled so no matter how cold or hot it is outside it is always a comfortable 72 degrees inside.

Baseball is also played on grass, but not really. Well, it used to be played only on grass back in the good old days. This was when the ground crew had to go out before every game with the lawn mowers and cut that stuff down so that the ball could actually get through the infield when you hit it. Today, we have what is called Astroturf, named after the first domed stadium, the Astrodome. See, when they made domed stadiums one of the things they realized is that grass doesn’t grow very well in doors. It usually dies pretty fast. So in order to get a grass like surface, artificial grass, or Astroturf, was created. So baseball isn’t always played on grass, at least not real grass.

Baseball games are played with 9 men on each team to start the game, but not really. Well, it used to be played with 9 men. There was your pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, left fielder, right fielder and center fielder. But today, at least in the American League of the Major Leagues of baseball, there is what is called the designated hitter. This is a guy who can’t do anything but hit the ball. He can’t catch, he can’t throw and in many cases can’t run. He’s pretty much useless except that your best designated hitters can pretty much hit the ball to the moon. Mostly old ballplayers who can’t play the game for real anymore become designated hitters.

Baseball games are played during the day, but not really. Well, they used to be when there weren’t any lights in the stadium. It would have been pretty hard to play at night with a ball thrown 95 miles per hour coming at your head. Many careers would have been cut quite short. But with the invention of electricity, games can now be played at night because the stadiums have lights. Of course the glare from these lights can pretty much blind a person so that 95 mile per hour fastball coming at your head may still do quite a bit of damage.

Baseball games are…Oh, you know what? Why not just go out and see a game? You’ll probably learn a lot more that way.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Baseball

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