Cardinals Win World Series, Beat Texas 6-2 in Game 7

Pushed to the brink, the St. Louis Cardinals made a frantic rush to reach the post season on the final day, with a nifty pair of comebacks in the playoffs, and two desperate rallies in Game 6. The Cards won a remarkable World Series they weren’t even supposed to reach. They beat the Texas Rangers 6-2 in Game 7, with another key hit by home town star David Freese and six gutty innings from Chris Carpenter. A day after an epic Game 6 that saw them twice within one strike of elimination before winning 10-9 in the 11th inning. The Cards captured their 11th World Series crown. Freese is shown here lifting the World Series MVP trophy. For the story, go to Major Leagues

From Last Strike to Game 7

In the history of baseball, there have been a small collection of World Series games identified solely by the moniker “Game 6.” The most memorable, perhaps, are the sixth games of the 1986 and the 1975 World Series. But after what unfolded in most dramatic fashion late Thursday night, October 27, a new Game 6 was added to the list. With the Cardinals trailing, 7-5, with two outs in the ninth inning, David Freese hit a game-tying, two-run triple off Rangers' closer Neftali Feliz with two strikes against him. Then, leading off the 11th, Freese hit a long winning home run off Mark Lowe to force a World Series decider. To read, go to Major Leagues

Albert Pujols Hits 3 HRs to lead 16-7 Rout of Rangers

Albert Pujols joined Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only players to hit three home runs in a World Series game, tying records with five hits and six RBIs to lead the Cardinals to a 16-7 rout of the Texas Rangers on Saturday night, October 22. The three-time NL MVP turned on a 96-mph pitch from Alexi Ogando in the sixth for a 423-foot, three-run homer that made it 11-6. Pujols added a two-run shot to left-center in the seventh and a solo drive to left-center in the ninth. He set a Series record with 14 total bases. St. Louis set a franchise post season scoring record, overcoming a short start by Kyle Lohse and getting a win for reliever Lance Lynn. For the article, go to Major Leagues

Justin Verlander Wins AL Cy Young Award and MVP

Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers won the AL Cy Young Award as the top pitcher, capping a brilliant season in which he led the league in wins, earned run average and strikeouts. Verlander, who went 24-5 with a 2.40 earned run average and 250 strikeouts in 2011, received all 28 first-place votes cast by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America. The 28-year old Verlander who featured a 100-mph fastball, pitched a no-hitter in May, and his win total was the most in the league since 1990. He was also named the AL Most Valuable Player, becoming the 10th pitcher to win the award and the first since 1992. For the stories, go to Newsletter

Jim Thome Hits 600th Home Run

Jim Thome powered his way into one of Major League Baseball’s most exclusive clubs on Monday, August 15, when he slugged his 600th home run after a long journey built on hard work and consistency. His pure-left-handed swing sent two home runs over the fence at spacious Comerica Park in Detroit. When No. 600 disappeared over left fielder Delmon Young’s head in the seventh inning, Thome raised his right fist while rounding first base. The 40-year-old Minnesota Twin became just the eighth major league player to reach the milestone, adding his name to a list of greats, including Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714), and Willie Mays (660). Thome has signed a one-year contract for the coming year with the Phillies. To read, go to Feature Stories

Ryan Braun Wins National League MVP

Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun won the NL Most Valuable Player Award after helping the Brewers to their first division title in nearly 30 years. He received 20 of 32 first-place votes. The left fielder led the NL with a .597 slugging percentage and finished second to Jose Reyes for the batting title with a .332 average. The four-time All-Star had 33 homers, 111 RBIs, and 109 runs scored. Los Angeles center fielder Matt Kemp received 10 first-place votes and finished second with 332 points. Pictured here, Braun follows through for a home run against the Dodgers in Milwaukee on August 15. For the article, go to Newsletter

Mariano Rivera Sets MLB Saves Record with No. 602

Mariano Rivera stood by himself, in the center of the diamond at Yankee Stadium. For once, the great closer wasn’t sure what to do next. So he smiled, blew a kiss to the crowd, and then doffed his cap as cheers washed over him following his record 602nd save of his career. Rivera pitched a perfect ninth inning, striking out Chris Parmelee on what appeared to be his signature cut fastball to end the New York Yankees’ 6-4 win over the Minnesota Twins on Monday, Sept. 19. Fans stood and shouted from Rivera’s first pitch to his last as he retired Trevor Plouffe, Michael Cuddyer and Parmelee in order and broke Trevor Hoffman’s mark. Rivera's 602 saves have come in 679 chances. Hoffman got his 601 in 677 tries. For the story, go to Feature Stories

Cardinals Manager Tony La Russa Retires

Tony La Russa announced his retirement from Major League Baseball, just three days after leading the Cardinals to a dramatic seven-game victory over the Texas Rangers to win the World Series. La Russa had managed in the major leagues for 33 years, 16 of them with the Cardinals. The 67-year-old La Russa said good bye to baseball and became the first manager to retire after leading his team to a Series title – the third of his career. La Russa had a 2,728-2,365 record as a manager, putting him behind only Connie Mack (3,731) and John McGraw (2,763) on MLB's all-time wins list. To read, go to Newsletter

Curtis Granderson’s Catches Add to October Lore

Curtis Granderson, the New York Yankees’ brilliant center fielder, made two different catches to stave off trouble as the Yankees stayed alive by defeating the Tigers in the AL playoffs October 4. He overcame his own false step to catch Don Kelly’s bases-loaded smash to end the first inning. Granderson also reacted with a long race into left-center to haul in Jhonny Peralta’s long drive in the sixth inning, while the game was still within reach. “The two catches put Granderson in the category of fielders who have had epic moments in the autumn,” wrote George Vecsey in his excellent story in The New York Times. For the article, go to Feature Stories

Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw Wins NL Cy Young Award

Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers won the NL Cy Young Award as the top pitcher, capping a season where he had the league’s lowest earned run average and highest strikeout total. Kershaw tied for the NL lead in wins with 21 to go along with a 2.28 earned run average and 248 strikeouts in 2011. He is the 13th pitcher to lead his league in those three categories since the Cy Young Award was instituted in 1956. Runner-up Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies received four first-place votes while teammate Cliff Lee finished third. For the story, go to Feature Stories

Major League Batting Styles

	Batting styles have varied among major league hitters during the past half-century. The majority of batters from the 1950s through the ‘80s enjoyed their greatest success in hitting line drives, while the power hitters would go for the long ball. Demonstrating their hitting styles for Don Weiskopf’s sequence-series camera in the Photo Gallery is ten Hall of Fame greats whose advice was tape recorded: Henry Aaron, Pete Rose, Stan Musial, Reggie Jackson, Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Duke Snider, Willie Stargell, Billy Williams, and Harmon Killebrew. Pictured is Willie McCovey's great swing, while Jackson and Sal Bando demonstrate their stances. The Gallery concludes with Don’s interview with Musial who gives “Batting Swing Tips” and discusses his famous hitting stance. To read and view, go to Photo Gallery

Ron Washington’s Leadership Key to Rangers’ Success

When Ron Washington became the Texas Rangers manager in 2007, baseball fundamentals seemed almost foreign to the Rangers, the little things, such as throwing to the right base, advancing a runner with a groundout or taking an extra base that winning teams consistently do. Washington’s reliance on fundamentals had the Rangers in their second consecutive World Series. “We had to change some attitudes and get back to the basics and doing things the right way,” said Washington. “I’m a fundamentalist, with respect for the game, and we made our players believe in it. To read, go to Feature Stories

Yankees First Team to Hit 3 Grand Slams in a Game

In nearly a century of storied slugging, the Bronx Bombers had never put on a show quite like this. The New York Yankees became the first team in major league history to hit three grand slams in a game, with Robinson Cano, Russell Martin and Curtis Granderson connecting August 25 in a wet, wild 22-9 romp over the Oakland Athletics. Cano began the barrage with his slam in the fifth, a clean shot into the lower deck in right field that made it 7-6. Martin connected in the sixth for a 10-7 lead. Granderson took his turn in the eighth, launching a no-doubt drive. For this extraordinary story, go to Newsletter

Joe Maddon and Kirk Gibson Named Managers of Year

	Kirk Gibson of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Joe Maddon of the Tampa Bay Rays have been voted Managers of the Year. Gibson won by a wide margin in the National League and Maddon was a clear choice in the A.L. The results were announced by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Gibson guided Arizona to a worst-to-first finish in his first full season as a big league manager. Maddon won for the second time. The Rays’ path to the postseason was even more dramatic than when they won their first AL East title by two games in 2008, for which Maddon also earned manager of Year honors. For the story, go to Feature Stories

Big League Pitching Styles

	Pitching styles over the past half century have varied in terms of both technique and throwing motion. Most of the pitching greats of baseball had careers that stood up over a long period of time. They used strong leg kicks and high arm angles, with powerful thrusts off the rubber. Featured in Don Weiskopf’s highly illustrated study on pitching styles is a select array of Hall of Fame pitchers. Demonstrating their pitching techniques for Don’s sequence-series camera are Sandy Koufax, Tom Seaver, Juan Marichal, Warren Spahn, Early Wynn, Gaylord Perry, Bob Gibson, Don Sutton, in addition to Billy Pierce who is deserving of the Hall. To read and view, go to Skills and Strategies

Rangers’ Derek Holland Shuts Down Cards in Game 4

Derek Holland kept Albert Pujols in the ballpark and the Texas Rangers won Game 4 of the 2011 World Series. Holland, the 25-year-old southpaw, put the emphasis back on pitching. He threw two-hit ball for 8 1/3 innings to beat the Cardinals 4-0 on Sunday night, October 23, and even the Series at 2-all. He struck out seven, walked two and never was in trouble against a team that erupted for 16 runs the previous night. Holland mixed a pinpoint fastball with a curve and slider. To read, go to Major Leagues

Baseball's Top Fielders Win Rawlings Gold Glove Awards

Clayton Kershaw, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier became the first trio of Los Angeles Dodgers to win National League Gold Gloves in the same year, and Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury became the first three Red Sox in 32 seasons to win the AL honor together. The Gold Glove Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the NL and AL. The Cardinals’ Yadier Molina became the first NL catcher to win in four straight years since Charles Johnson from 1995-98. For the story, go to News Release

Split-Finger Fastball, once popular, Is Falling Away

In the 1980s, everyone was doing it. From Jack Morris and Roger Clemens to practically every pitcher on Roger Craig’s staffs in Detroit and San Francisco, the split-finger fastball was the ticket to success on the mound. The pitch that looks like a fastball but falls off the table at the last second was revolutionizing the game. If many pitching coaches and executives have their way, it is also a pitch that is seeing its last days. A growing number of teams have discouraged their pitchers from developing a splitter, citing health reasons and the belief that throwing it too much can reduce the velocity of a pitcher’s fastball. For the article, go to Feature Stories

Bautista, Kemp Win Aaron Award for Offensive Excellence

Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays and Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers were named winners of the Hank Aaron Award as the outstanding offensive players in their respective leagues. Bautista led the major leagues in home runs (43), slugging percentage (.608) and walks (132). Kemp narrowly missed winning the Triple Crown, leading the National League in home runs (39) and runs batted in (126) while finishing third in batting average (.324). Other stories are “Reyes Wins NL Batting Title; Cabrera Wins AL Crown,” and “Save the Chatting and Play Ball.” For the articles, go to Feature Stories and News Release

MLB Offenses in 2011 Drops to 2-Decade Low

After watching scoring and home runs drop to levels not seen in two decades, Jason Giambi thinks he understands why. “There’s a good generation of young pitchers who have come up and established themselves,” said the Colorado first baseman, an AL MVP in the long-gone sluggers’ era. Teams averaged 4.28 runs per game this season, the lowest since 1992’s 4.12 and down from a Steroids Era peak of 5.14 in 2000. Detroit Tigers’ Justin Verlander, pictured here, who won both the AL Cy Young and MVP awards in 2011, went 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA and 250 strikeouts. For the story, go to Major Leagues

Pitchers Are Using Bigger, More Traditional Windups

A major change continues to occur in the game of baseball. Many major league pitchers are using bigger and more traditional styles of winding up. They are switching back from the no-windup delivery used by most pitchers the past couple of decades. Following a banner year in 2010 when he pitched two no-hitters, Roy Halladay of the Phillies was runner-up for the 2011 NL Cy Young Award. Adam Wainwright, on the left, joined Halladay as two of baseball’s three 20-game winners in 2010. Among the growing number of major league pitchers using the fuller windup are Colby Lewis, Derek Holland, Ian Kennedy, and Doug Fister. Hall of Fame great Don Drysdale, pictured here, had a 209-166 record with a 2.95 ERA and 2,486 strikeouts. For the latest report, go to Coaching Clinic

Major League Players, Owners Sign New CBA

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig and union head Michael Weiner smiled and exchanged handshakes. Baseball ensured itself of 21 consecutive years of peace at a time the NBA season could have been canceled because of a lockout. “We learned,” Selig said after players and owners signed an agreement for a five-year contract running until December 2016. “Nobody back in the ‘70s, ‘80s, and the early ‘90s, 1994, would ever believe that we would have 21 years of labor peace.” For the story, go to Major Leagues

H.G.H. Testing Part of Baseball’s New Labor Deal

Baseball players and owners signed an agreement for a new labor contract, a deal which makes baseball the first North American professional major league to start blood testing on human growth hormone. Baseball introduced blood testing for H.G.H. on minor league players in 2010 because the step could be taken without the consent of the union. An initial positive test for H.G.H. would result in a 50-game suspension, the same as a first positive urine test for a performance-enhancing substance. Random testing for H.G.H. will take place during spring training and the off-season, but there is no agreement yet on random testing in-season. To read, go to Performance Enhancing Drugs

Matty Alou, Batting Champion for Pirates, Dies

Matty Alou, a left-handed slap-hitting outfielder who won a batting title as a Pittsburgh Pirate and who as a San Francisco Giant once shared an outfield with his brothers Felipe and Jesus, has died in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Alou had been ill with a variety of ailments, and the cause was complications of diabetes. He was 72. Known more for his bat, Alou was a prolific singles hitter with a .307 career average. The Alou’s became the first three brothers to play in a major league game in the same outfield. For the article, go to News Release

Paul Goldschmidt Is Minor League Player of Year

Paul Goldschmidt, former Mobile BayBears first baseman, is the 2011 USA TODAY Minor League Player of the Year. At the time of his promotion to the Major Leagues at the end of July, Goldschmidt, 23, was leading all Minor Leaguers with 30 home runs and 94 RBIs. As of August 31, he was still the home run and RBI leader in the Southern League, despite being away from the BayBears for a month. In another BPA story, left-hander Matt Moore, who went a combined 12-3 with a 1.92 ERA for the Montgomery Biscuits and Durham Bulls, is the winner of the Spink Award as the Topps/Minor League Player of the Year. To read, go to Minor League

Naturals Toss No-hit, No-run Game, Turn Triple Play

	During the 2011 season, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals experienced both the first no-hitter and the first triple play in franchise history. Making these notable events far more memorable possible unprecedented, was that both occurred in the same game. On July 19, Will Smith and Kelvin Herrera’s combined no-hitter was aided by a sixth-inning around-the-horn triple play as the Naturals eked out a 1-0 win over the arch-rival Arkansas Travelers. The man most responsible for creating this unique and somewhat enigmatic slice of history would be Smith, who started the game and hurled seven no-hit frames. For the story, go to Minor Leagues

Rawlings 2011 Gold Glove Award Winners

	Minor League Baseball and Rawlings Sporting Goods Company announced the nine MiLB players who have been chosen as recipients of a Rawlings Gold Glove Award for defensive excellence at their position. The winners, who were selected among qualifying players from the 10 domestic-based, full-season Minor Leagues, will each receive their own Rawlings Gold Glove Award, modeled after the iconic award given to Major League Baseball’s top defenders. For the article, go to Minor Leagues

Columbus Clippers Win 2011 Triple-A National Title

	For a second consecutive year, the Columbus Clippers won the final game of the Triple-A season. The International League champions defeated the Pacific Coast League’s Omaha Storm Chasers 8-3 in the Triple-A National Championship Game September 20 in Isotopes Park, Albuquerque, New Mexico. The game’s MVP Joe Martinez pitched seven gutsy innings to capture his third victory of the postseason in the IL Governor’s Cup playoff. Other BPA articles are “For Justin Germano, No Topping Perfection,” and Mike Sarbaugh Named 2011 Manager of Year. To read, go to Minor League

Netherlands Wins 2011 IBAF Baseball World Cup

	The Netherlands baseball team has made history winning the IBAF World Cup final beating Cuba 2-1. It is the first time a European team has won the title since Britain did in 1938. Coached by Brian Farley, an American, the Dutch played a game close to perfection, with veteran right-hander Rob Cordemans shining brightly, and young stars Jonathan Schoop and Marickson Gregorius delivering key defensive plays. Additional World Cup stories are “USA Falls to Netherlands, 7-5.” In Pan Am Games action, “Canada Beats USA to Win Baseball Gold,” and “IBAF World Cup to Cede Title of World Champion to WBC.” For the stories, go to World Baseball

MLB All-Stars Sweep Taiwan Series with Win

The stars of Major League Baseball are heading home after a triumphant trip to Taiwan. On Sunday, November 6, the MLB All-Stars beat the Chien-Ming Wang-led Chinese Taipei national team, 6-4, to sweep the five-game series. “It was a fun game, and they played better and better against us,” said New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano, who homered and singled in the series finals. “I liked the way they play the game. On November 1, Curtis Granderson, shown here, hit a grand slam to lead the MLB stars to a 7-0 win over Taiwan’s national team. Granderson and Cano thanked Taiwanese fans for their hospitality and passion for the game. To read, go to World Baseball

Yu Darvish May Bring his Big-time Arm to the Majors

Yu Darvish, the 25-year-old right-hand pitcher who plays for the Nippon-Ham Fighters, could be taking his splendid arm to the major leagues. If Darvish goes through Japan’s posting system, in which big-league teams bid for the right to negotiate to sign him, he could give some lucky team a young instant ace. The 6-foot-5 Darvish was terrific in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He may be uniquely qualified to adapt to playing baseball in America. He is the son of an Iranian father and Japanese mother who met at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla. Another article on baseball in Japan is “Cal Ripken, Jr. Visits Japanese Youth in Tsunami-Hit Area.” For the articles, go to News Release and Newsletter

Ray Tanner Named College Baseball Coach of the Year

South Carolina head baseball coach Ray Tanner has been named Coach of the Year by Collegiate Baseball newspaper. One of the most respected coaches in college baseball, Tanner led the Gamecocks to their second consecutive national championship at the 2011 College World Series. Tanner, who just completed his 15th season at South Carolina and 24th overall in NCAA Division I baseball, has led the Gamecocks to the College World Series five times including in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2010. Tanner owns a 689-296 record at South Carolina with a .699 winning percentage, second highest all-time among SEC coaches. For the story, go to High School/College/Senior

Lighter Metal Bats Make Scouts' Jobs Easier

College baseball’s new metal bats have been praised by fans, coaches and pitchers. Game times are quicker, and there are dramatically lower run totals. But some of the biggest fans of the new bats are Major League Baseball scouts. For these talent evaluators, the college variation of the Game resembles “true” baseball for the first time in years, making their job a little easier. “It takes some of the guesswork out of recruiting in college baseball,” said Art Gardner, a MLB regional scout in Mississippi. The new metal bats must adhere to the NCAA’s new Ball-Bat Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) standard. To read,, go to High School/College/Senior

Gordie Gillespie Retires after 1,893 Wins over 59 Years

After 59 years and a college baseball-best 1,893 coaching victories, University of St. Francis (Ill.) head coach Gordie Gillespie is finally calling it quits. The coaching legend has amassed 2,402 victories in four sports. It is his record on the baseball diamond, however, for which he will be remembered the most. He leaves the coaching ranks just seven wins shy of 1900 victories (1,893-952; .665), the most ever by any coach at any level of college baseball. Gillespie will remain a part of the USF family, serving as a special advisor. For the article, go to High School/College/Senior

Baseball Coach Joe Gilhousen Retires after 600 Wins

Joe Gilhousen has retired as head baseball coach at Massillon High School after 601 career wins. Only eight baseball coaches in Ohio high school history have won that many victories. Last July, Gilhousen handed in his letter of resignation, possibly signaling the finish of one of the most successful high school baseball coaching careers. Most of Gilhousen’s success came at Glen Oak and Oakwood where he won 575 games, 17 Federal League titles, and two state championships in 33 years. "After 40 years of doing this, I think it's time to move on and do some other things," said the 63-year-old Gilhousen, who picked up his 600th career win last spring. For the article, go to High School/College/Senior

Unbeaten Santa Barbara Wins NBC World Series Title

Santa Barbara (Calif.) Foresters center fielder Brett Vertigan prides himself on being aggressive on the base paths. The Foresters’ leadoff hitter with speed tries to take advantage of every situation. It was his decision to head for third in the bottom of the first inning on a bunt by teammate Jeff McNeil that played a major role in the NBC World Series title game on August 13 at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. By moving to third, Vertigan put himself into position to score the only run of the game. Santa Barbara beat Kenai 1-0 to win the NBC title. With tears in his eyes, manager Bill Pintard hoisted the championship trophy for the third time. Another story on the Non-Pro game is “Holland, Indiana Semi-pro Baseball, 1894-1975.” For the articles, go to High School/College/Senior

Eden Prairie, Minnesota Wins American Legion World Series

After 13 innings of play, Eden Prairie, Minnesota overcame last year’s Legion World Series Championship loss to Oklahoma by edging Tupelo, Mississippi, 5-4 in 13 innings, Tuesday evening, August 16, to capture the 2011 crown. Eden Prairie defeated Las Vegas 2-1 earlier in the day and turned around to play the championship game against Tupelo. The doubleheader kept Eden Prairie on the field for 22 total innings, but the team showed great resiliency in front of more than 5,800 fans at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, NC. It was a great comeback for the Eden Prairie players and head coach Scott Hackett. For the article, go to High School/College/Senior

Sandlot Baseball Games Harken to Bygone Days

	Coen Wilson’s 10-year-old legs chugged deep into center field. His eyes fixed on a baseball that seemed to carry forever at South Park Field No. 5 in Canton, Ohio. His Dave Righetti-model glove opened. The ball plunged right into the pocket. “Play of the day!” shouted Kevin Miller, a middle school science teacher and former H.S. baseball coach. Absent were the applause and cheers from parents. That’s how this group of sandlot-playing kids, under the loose direction of Miller, prefers it. No butterflies or fear of failure, just 50-plus children playing good, old fashioned pick-up baseball games. To read, go to Youth Baseball

Wilmette Sandlot Teams Play Baseball Old-fashioned Way

Without coaches or shouting parents to distract them, an eager group of children gathered at a Wilmette park to play baseball the old-fashioned way. They made up the rules as they went along. The youngest players were allowed six strikes. “There’s nobody telling you what to do,” crowed Drew Wilson, 9, who joined the fun on a sunny day in suburban Wilmette, Illinois. What started out as one mom’s crusade to loosen the grip of her children’s heavily scheduled, highly structured lives has grown by word of mouth to a weekly gathering on a sandlot diamond. A handful of parents get the children to the field, then walk the delicate line of trying to keep them safe while letting them play an old-fashioned adult-free ball game. For the article, go to Youth Baseball

Round Up the Guys and Play Sandlot Baseball

Bobby Valentine remembers the days when he would ride around his neighborhood on his bike and round up the guys for a sandlot baseball game. “I was the ring master,” said Valentine, former major league player and manager, now an ESPN analyst, who grew up in Stamford, Conn. “All the kids in the neighborhood kept their gloves on my bike handlebars,” said Valentine, “so I’d just ride down by their houses hollering that it was time to play. We would play until dinner was on the table. The older kids taught the younger kids how to play.” For the stories, go to Youth Baseball

How to Set Up a Sandlot Baseball Game

From the time he was eight or nine, up until he was about 15, R.J. Licata was a master at organizing neighborhood games. As he looks back now, he is amazed at all the things he learned by taking on this task. “Think about the different hats I wore just trying to get a game of baseball organized. There was a lot of carefree time-wasting, but when it was time to get down to business, we knew what we needed to do.” For the story, go to Youth Baseball

Reviving the Sandlot Baseball Game

Many of us who grew up during the 1940s and ‘50s remember our summer days when we played baseball all day long. We didn’t have Little League but we were among a group of neighborhood kids who showed up at a ball field, picked sides and began playing a ball game. Today, ball fields sit empty during the summer because young children have to have everything organized for them. The lack of pick-up and sandlot games has hurt the development of young players in America. For the story, go to Youth Baseball

Getting Kids Back to Sandlot Baseball

The key to the revival of the sandlot baseball game are the thousands of public recreation and park agencies across the country. Children today do not play enough park and school playground baseball, and there is a long, overdue need to revive the concept and promote a nationwide movement. More opportunities to play baseball in parks and playgrounds need to be provided by local park and recreation departments and school districts. City playgrounds should be open longer and the necessary equipment provided. A major effort should be made to have local recreation and park agencies nationwide, coordinated by the National Recreation and Park Association, spearhead such a movement. To learn more, go to Youth Baseball

Revival of Baseball Pick-up Games

The best way to get children to play more baseball on their own is to promote the return of pick-up games. The youth of America need to be taught how to organize pick-up games. In the Youth Baseball page, Don Weiskopf, publisher of Baseball Play America, explains the rules on how eleven favorite pick-up games are played. They include Work-up, Over the Line, Scrub, Catch a Fly and You’re Up, and a couple of Brent Mayne’s favorites, First to Ten and Play Catch. For the rules, go to Youth Baseball

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