HomerunMonkey.com Blog
What You Need To Play
Fielding Face Masks Should Be Mandatory
Jun 10th
The need for protective equipment has evolved and will continue to evolve. There was a time when players went on the field in nothing more than matching street clothes. We’ve come to realize that the threat of injury is real. It is also more probable than possible.
In baseball and softball, catchers wear full body protection. Batters wear helmets. Shin guards, elbow pads, gloves, shoulder pads and other protective gear have become commonplace. Any athlete playing a sport (baseball, softball, hockey, lacrosse, football, soccer, etc.), where the chance of injury is high, should wear the proper protection. Age, level of More >
Wood vs. Aluminum Bats – The Great Debate
Jun 4th
The decades old debate over aluminum vs. wood bats will probably exist as long as the choice is available. Those who love wooden bats REALLY love wooden bats (and vice versa of course). Baseball was played with wooden bats for a great number of years. In fact, even with the advancements in aluminum bats, it’s the professionals who use wood bats and the amateurs who use the all-mighty aluminum bats.
So, the question is… which is better? Wood or Aluminum? Well, the easy answer is that it depends on what you’re using it for.
Aluminum bats are used in most More >
Congratulations to the Winner of Our Easton Bat Giveaway!
Jun 3rd
Just want to give a shout out to Matt from Connecticut who won our Easton Bat Giveaway!
Congratulations Matt… we hope you enjoy it! Hit one out of the park for us!
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Blown Call –
Instant Replay Needed in Baseball?
Jun 3rd
Did you see what happened? Of course you did… it’s been replayed a million and a half times since last night!
Just in case you’re unaware… Detroit Tigers pitcher, Armando Galarraga, was unquestionably robbed on Wednesday, June 2. What would have been a perfect game was stolen by one bad call. Galarraga sent 26 consecutive batters back to the bench with their tails between their legs. With two outs in the ninth inning, the Tigers needed only one more out to clinch the perfect game. Then Umpire Jim Joyce made a [now] famous ruling that denied Galarraga his place in baseball More >
Is a ground-rule triple possible at Fenway?
May 27th
If you believe what you read on the internet legend has it that a ground-rule triple is possible at only one park: Fenway. On the Green Monster there is a ladder that groundskeepers used to retrieve home run balls.
Fenway Park - Boston
Although the netting has gone, the ladder remains and it is this, if hit, that yields the mysterious ground-rule triple. Sadly this is a case of where you certainly shouldn’t believe what you read online. It simply isn’t true. Or if it is it certainly doesn’t make it into MLB’s official ground-rule list. In fact the ladder has only been More >
The ‘Code’: Ten unwritten baseball rules you might not know
May 6th
Last month, when A’s pitcher Dallas Braden called out Alex Rodriguez for cutting across the Oakland Coliseum mound, the country was informed of a small slice of baseball’s Code that had lain mostly dormant in recent memory. It was only one of a litany of unwritten rules that covers major leaguers’ actions, designed essentially to preserve a baseline level of respect between competitors. They constitute the moral fabric of the game. The best known of these rules tells players not to steal a base when their team holds a big lead in the late innings of a game. Others include barring overt More >
What’s A Proper Batting Stance?
Apr 16th
For kids and beginning baseball and softball players, finding the right stance is critical for a successful career. If you happen to watch professional baseball players today, you might begin to think that there isn’t a single correct stance, and that’s a correct assumption. However, when beginning to play ball and deciding on your stance, there are a few rules to follow. This post will give a step-by-step guide on how to get into a proper batting stance for beginning baseball and softball players.
1. Determine if you would be more comfortable in an open stance, even stance, or closed stance. More >
Mark Buehrle’s Amazing Play on Opening Day
Apr 8th
Mark Buehrle’s Amazing Play on Opening Day 4/5/2010
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How To Throw A Curveball
Mar 19th
Throwing a curve ball in the same manner as the Major League pitchers do is an acquired skill. No one is born with the knowledge. However, a number of coaches teaching younger players in middle school and high school are unknowingly teaching the skill in a manner that can injure the young players under their care. An overhand curve ball puts excess stress on the young players’ arm and shoulder and can lead to destruction of vital tissues in the shoulder and elbow. Teaching a curve ball should follow the steps defined below for best results without harming the players.
1) More >
