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I remember the spring days very well. My friends and I would be outside at the first sign of warm weather. We would grab our ball gloves and stomp through the damp muddy ground to play some catch or perhaps engage in an intense game of run-down. Whatever the activity may be, we all knew that our baseball season was fast approaching.

Like any young athlete we were always looking for ways to improve our game and gain a step on our competition. And like any young athlete we always looked to our superiors for advice. At times they would offer suggestions and teach us a thing or two, but more often than none we usually picked up ideas from observing them.

The one memory that is very vivid in my mind was a training technique that we used called “jogging”. We would band together like a small platoon and jog around the local football field. I can’t remember how far we would jog or for how long? But I can tell you that we jogged and took it quite serious. Sometimes we would jog twice a day; once in the morning and again in the evening.

Now my question is: What the hell does jogging have to do with baseball? Let me think for a minute………..oh that’s right, NOTHING!

The purpose of this article is not to give you a speed program or template to follow, but rather outline some ideas that you can implement right away to get on the right track to help increase your speed for your game. So let’s get to it.

First and foremost you are not an Olympic sprinter. You are a ball player. I say this because when I was working with a young player; his father had made the observation that his son’s running mechanics did not resemble Maurice Greene or Tim Montgomery? I almost fell over. The boy was only 12 years old and just looking for support. He was nowhere near his physical limit. He’s 12 dad! Greene and Montgomery work on sprinting (straight ahead) every single day. They are Olympic athletes with Olympic trainers! We need to be cautious of our mechanics but we are ball players.

Next, aerobic training is pretty much a waste of time. That’s right all of that jogging I did; not going to help me in baseball. There is nothing in baseball that is done aerobically. When was the last time you witnessed a pitcher jogging back-and-forth from the pitcher’s mound to home plate over and over again? Hopefully never! Baseball requires hand and eye coordination and explosive acceleration to get from point A to point B. The last time I checked, it’s only 90 feet between the bases. Ok, depending on what level of baseball you are playing! But you get my point. So, why train slowly, if our sport needs us to be fast?

So what exactly do we need? Most multi-directional sports such as baseball, football, basketball, soccer and tennis require us to have that first-step quickness, acceleration and agility. Have you ever noticed how quickly a major-league infielder reacts to a ground ball? They can take one or two steps perhaps dive and field that ball and turn and make a play. This doesn’t happen from jogging!

Here are some drills that can help you get started. I always prescribe a dynamic warm-up before jumping into any type of agility or sprint training to elevate the body temperature and warm the connective tissue in the joint areas.

* Set up two cones or bases (just so you have a starting and finishing point) approximately 30 yards from each other. Have a partner hit the baseball or softball into the ground and you take-off when you hear the sound and sprint to the designated spot or cone. Remember that when you are playing sports you rely on several of your senses and this drill will help increase your auditory response.

* Have one of your parents throw the ball from behind you and you run in the direction of the ball based on the visual cue. Now you are relying on your visual sense to help develop that speed you need for your game.

* Play a mock game of game of baseball by yourself or with friends. But play it backwards, pretend to hit the ball from home plate swinging opposite of your normal swing and run to third base. Then get a lead off and steal second and so forth. This will seem quite confusing to your body because we’ve become so adapted to playing our sport in one direction.

* Simply a good game of tag with friends will help to increase your agility and first step quickness. Sounds fun…well it should be.

* The centipede: If you have ever observed a centipede walking on the ground you will notice that his tail end always follows along in different directions that the head is moving. This drill will require a few of your friends. Simply form a straight line with roughly 3 yards between each one of you. The person at the front of the line begins the drill by starting with a slow jog and each person will follow accordingly. The leader can then change the tempo and direction of the run as he or she chooses and those following need to mirror that movement. Thus simulating the tail of the centipede.

Remember this is just a starting point. These simple drills will deliver the change of direction and acceleration skills needed for the game of baseball or softball. In part II of this series I will outline a basic template for a speed program so that you can see how to put some of the pieces together. Until then; remember keep it fun and work hard!

About the Author

Shawn is an independent performance coach. He is a graduate of Waynesburg College where he was an all-conference defensive back and attended CFL/NFL tryouts in 1994. He is a certified Renegade Training practioner under world renown Strength & Conditioning Coach John Davies, and is a certified Speed / Agility and Quickness Trainer through N.E.S.T.A. (National Endurance and Sports Trainers Association) Visit his website http://www.gamespeed.biz

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<CENTER> <font color=”RED”size=4>BASEBALL:

<font color=”BLACK”size=4>Bonds vs. Wells <font color=”SCARLET”size=3>”The Tale of the Tape”.

<font color=”BLACK”size=2>by Best Bet Sports Handicapper Jim Sneeringer @ www.daysbestbet.com

<font color=”BLUE”size=3>As Different as Night and Day.

<font color=”DARKBLUE”size=2>It takes a man to stand up and go against the grain, and David “Boomer” Wells ~ is that man.

Wells praised Bonds’ baseball skills but said he should “be a man and come out and say that he did it” if he used steroids.

“If you’re guilty and you got caught, come clean. I think you can get a lot more respect from people than (by) lying,” Wells said.

David Wells, with all of his off the field , Ruth like behavior, doesn’t care what the union wants, doesn’t care that he can be fined by baseball’s “lame duck” commissioner, you see, David Wells is a ball player, and a dam good one, and he respects this game we call baseball that has been good to him.

And David Wells has been good for baseball.

Boomer can pull a “all nighter”, then show up at the ball park and pitch a perfect game. Pitching in post season, few hurlers can match the success this left-hander has displayed thru out his career.

A 5-2 record in divisional series,

4-1 in league championship series,

10-4 record in post season with a sparkling 3.15 earn run average!

Thats what I call in my profession ~ “a MONEY” player.

Baroid Bonds on the other hand, after “juicing up” for severals years, still coudn’t perform at Wells post season level .

The numbers speak loudly….

Bonds vs the Mets in the 2000 post season managed to go 3-17 .

And that my friends, is after juicing up to the extreme, by injecting himself with cattle steroids !

Ruth and Maris are somewhere up their in that big ball park in the sky laughing their baseball caps off.

In Tampa, Joe Torre said allegations of steroid use have given baseball “a black eye.”

“I think the one thing that baseball has always tried to maintain was the integrity because our game more than any other game statistics are so important,” the New York Yankees manager said. “I think that right now that is called into question, and it’s a shame in Barry’s case. He’s such a good player … long, long ago before there was any doubt on what made him good.”

Torre is concerned about the long-term impact on fans.

“It’s certainly a black eye that we all have to be aware of,” he said. “It can turn to anger if you try to circumvent and get around trying to help us clean up. Trying to cut corners or trying a different way to keep doing what you’re doing, that I think is wrong and knowingly wrong.”

We need more “men” like David Wells and Joe Torre to speak up, and I think the time has come for others in the game to follow their lead. It’s bad enough that Bud Selig has permitted these ripoffs of the game to survive as long as they have. But the time has come, and we, as American sports fans, will not tolerate the sham that this commissioner has orchestrated.

Bud Selig is no Judge kenesaw Mountain Landis,

and Baroid Bonds is certainly,

no Babe Ruth.

End of Story~ </CENTER>

About the Author

http://www.daysbestbet.com/about_us_contact http://www.daysbestbet.com/baseball_betting

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Until 2001, almost all wood baseball bats were made from the identical northern white ash that bats had been made from for over 100 years. That year, brought Barry Bonds, his incredible 73 home runs and an exceedingly quick switch in the wood bat market. Bonds’ record smashing season brought attention to the reality that he was using one of a kind maple baseball bats

Hard Rock Maple Baseball Bats are the hitters preference for having a bat that is less likely to separate or break. Maple is a hardwood, which instantly in itself gives the upper hand of having a thicker, more compact baseball bat.

With all baseball bats, you want the maker to be choosing the best quality wood source obtainable. Merely finding a hard rock maple baseball bat is not going to inevitably guarantee that it is positively going to be the item that gets you on base by being more stable and less likely to divide or crack. Trees do not grow in compliance with a future as a baseball bat.

Hard rock maple baseball bats need to be crafted from wood billets that have completely straight grain systems. Maple trees do not always grow uncurved . Choosing the source is exceedingly critical for a producer of hard rock maple baseball bats, since any tree, maple or otherwise, do not always grow straight.

It may only be through knowledge that you will figure which producer is taking care to use only carefully selected billets for making their hard rock maple baseball bats. The standards in size for hard rock maple baseball bats will be across the board comparable as you look from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Generally, you will find a weighty head bat, the medium to light, medium even distribution, and small, very light versions are accessible in similar dimensions as these: 29/32 inches, 2 5/8 inch thin; 15/16 inches thin and 2 3/8; 1 inch medium 2 1/2 inch; 13/16 inch thin 2 3/16 inch.

Hard rock maple baseball bats Customarily will be accessible in a number of colors, including black cherry, black, blue, red, green, walnut and natural, where the finish is left off the handle, or completely natural.

For years bat makers were powerless to make baseball bats from maple due to the elevated moisture volume of the wood - despite the high strength it was simply too heavy to make into a baseball bat. In the late 90’s technology came to the rescue and high tech wood kilns now remove enough moisture from the wood to make high quality, high strength maple baseball bats.

About the Author

William Smith lives in Florida with his wife and three cats. William writes frequently on many subjects that may be of interest to all. Discover all the joys and secrets of baseball at Baseball’s Holy Grail

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February 1 , 2005

Sometime last year while sitting at my desk I began to feel excited. No, it wasn’t because my new pair of jeans was slightly too tight and applying too much pressure on my prostate. It was because I realized how exciting of a sports year 2006 was going to be. Besides the usual great events such as the Super Bowl and March Madness there was also the World Cup of Soccer and Olympic Hockey to look forward to. But just when I thought it couldn’t get any better than that, the powers that be added the World Cup of Baseball, or the World Baseball Classic as I later found it to be named. Three huge global events in a matter of 6 months with March Madness sprinkled in the middle, how can you top that? Well that was then, and this is now.

In reality, I have no one to blame but myself for the let down that I have come to experience. How could I have been so stupid? I mean, surely I should have realized that Bud Selig was running the show and that doom was certainly impending. It may look all well and good now, but here are ten reasons why I wont be watching the World Baseball Calamity, err, Classic.

10. No Yankee pitchers will be allowed to pitch. There is no way that Steinbrenner is going to risk his investments and allow his pitchers to participate in this tournament. Chin Ming Wong is currently listed on the roster of Chinese Taipei, but look for that to change in the next month as they trim rosters from 60 to 30 (this will be a recurring theme throughout the countdown).

9. Chinese Taipei. Just the fact that Chinese Taipei has a team in this thing makes me question its very fabric. Im not exactly sure yet if this is a real country, or just a made up land where every Asian with a hyphenated name was forced to migrate to.

8. Mike Piazza playing for Italy. Give me a break. If you’re going to allow a country to play in the WBC then at least let them lose with their own players. Putting a future hall of famer in their lineup just because his name ends in a vowel seems a little vulgar to me.

7. South Africa. Check out the teams that have been slated in Team USA’s pool: Canada, Mexico, and South Africa? Its one thing to throw this country into the WBC mix, which joins China as being the only teams with a roster that lacks a player who plays on a current major league team, but to put them in a pool with the other North American countries just to give USA one less challenge? Seems pretty obvious to me what’s going on here, not to mention pathetic.

6. Players choosing their country. One of the things that was an initial draw for me was that, being called the World Baseball Classic, I assumed I would be watching the best that each country had to offer while they battled it out against each other. Well, apparently baseball players get to choose where they would like to have been born, and then play for that country. Besides Piazza playing for Italy, you have A’s pitchers Kirk Saarloos and Danny Haren joining former A’s pitcher Mark Mulder on the Netherlands (and after all, Mark Mulder was in fact born in South Holland, Illinois, which, besides the fact that the city contains the word Holland in it, is practically right next door to the Netherlands), and American born Nomar Garciaparra is playing for Mexico (although Michael Young who is half Mexican is playing for Team USA). You also have Alex Rodriguez playing for the Dominican Republic, but then not playing at all, and now apparently playing for the US, even though both the Dominican and US rosters list him as a player for their team. My guess is that by next week he may just decide to play for a World Series of Poker bracelet. While they’re at it they might as well let Barry Bonds play for South Africa. The list goes on and on, which once again shows that this tournament has little to do with national pride, and a lot to do with the financial gain of major league baseball.

5. Drug Testing. Because of the strict Olympic style drug testing, you will be sure to see many more players for the US and other countries drop out of this just as Barry Bonds did. Bonds, who is once again under the delusion that people actually think he is clean, first said he would be honored to play for his country, but recently dropped out, citing the fact that he wants to take more time to rest his knees. Interestingly, he had ample opportunity to announce this in front of the large number of media that was in attendance during a recent celebrity golf tournament Bonds attended, but he instead chose to make the announcement via his web site where he of course is able to avoid any questions that people may want to ask of him. Look for other big names, most notably Roger Clemens, to drop off the roster before they go from 60 to 30 in the next month for similar reasons. The fact is that MLB’s drug testing policy is a joke, and no urine test is going to come close to detecting HGH or anything else that has been newly developed. Even some blood tests will not detect the new designer steroids out there, but it does increase the chance that you will get exposed. However, that is another discussion for another day.

4. All about the money. Let’s face it; the only reason that we are even talking about the World Baseball Classic is because Major League Baseball wants to generate more revenue. Just look at the adds throughout MLB.com. They are even using guilt in order to sell tickets, such as “Your favorite players are supporting their countries. Now its your turn to support yours.” Give me a break. Kind of funny how the rosters are still at 60 players. Wouldn’t it be funny it right after the tickets were sold out they just happened to cut the rosters down to 30, and all the players you wanted to “support” decided they didn’t want to play in March and risk injury? Interesting how that works out.

3. Pitch Counts and Mercy Rules. You heard me right, the WBC has set pitch counts for each round of the World Baseball Classic. For the first round it is set at 65 pitches, and it increases to a whopping 80 pitches in the second round and 95 pitches for the semi’s and finals. Apparently if a pitcher reaches 65 pitches in the midst of an at bat he may finish out that batter, which begs the question does a pitcher who is coming up on his 64th pitch try even harder to throw a strike, regardless of the count, in order to force the batter to make contact in the hope of being able to face one last batter? Talk about changing the way players play the game! They also adopted a mercy rule of 15 runs after 5 innings or 10 runs after 7 in order to end blowouts in a timelier manner. If I wanted to watch little league baseball I would wait until the summer time.

2. March Madness. Talk about poor planning. The WBC takes place smack dab in the middle of March, right during the peak of college basketball’s tournament season. Last year baseball tried to upstage the NCAA with their steroid hearings, and now this? Nice try Bud.

1. Bud Selig. The definition of a poor leader. Sure he got lucky with realignment, the wild card, and interleague play (which by now has kind of lost its luster), but any moron who just happened to be the commissioner during the 90’s would have come up with the same ideas. It was just a matter of time. He single handedly made football the most popular sport in America, and let the issue of steroids run amuck in the world of baseball. Say what you will about George W. Bush, but at least he surrounds himself with competent people. Selig’s cronies are just as clueless as he is. Once again Selig is proving that he’s just about putting money in the pockets of his owners, and that he will continue to milk the fans for all they are worth.

So before you tune in to see just what the World Baseball Classic has to offer, remember these ten things I have laid before you. Don’t make the same mistake you did last year and miss some exciting college hoops because you want to see how uncomfortable some congressmen can make Mark McGwire and Donald Fehr look. Watch something that really matters, not spring training baseball masquerading as the real thing.

RAC’S RANT will appear twice each month on SportsLizard.com. You can contact Dick Richards at racsrant@hotmail.com

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About the Author

My name is Dick Richards and I am fortunate to be able to write a bi-weekly column for www.sportslizard.com. The name of the column is Rac’s Rant, and basically I am able to vent on certain topics that have caught my eye during the past week or so, whether they be sports related or not. The column is relatively new, but I look forward to growing as a writer on sportsliard.com as it grows into the great sports collectibles site that it will become.

The “fantasy” in fantasy baseball stands for what a team would be like with a collection of stars gathered together, not for an alternate universe where value has no relation to reality. Fantasy baseball is all about capturing players’ performance on the field and translating it into a competition. To capture the offensive and defensive sides of play, both hitters’ and pitchers’ statistics are monitored. Runs, RBIs, battting average, home runs and stolen bases comprise the typical hitting categories, while ERA, strikeouts, wins, WHIP (walks and hits allowed per inning pitched), and saves are the usual pitching categories. At first glance these categories (noted as the traditional 5×5 categories) seem fair enough.

The first two pitchers most commonly drafted are Johann Santana and Randy Johnson. It is hard to argue that these two are not the premier pitchers in baseball. The batters most commonly drafted in the top three are Albert Pujols, Carlos Beltran, and A-Rod. Here again are guys with high name recognition, and great stats, and all in the upswing of their careers. But here is where the traditional 5×5 goes off track.

By far the best current hitter in baseball, steroids controversy notwithstanding, is Barry Bonds. Historically, one could point to Joe DiMaggio, Ty Cobb, or Ted Williams, but presently, there is no argument. Bonds makes the greatest impact in the game. Last year he reached base over 60 percent of the time, thanks to both his high walk rate and .362 batting average. The next closest in on-base percentage was Todd Helton at a mere 47 percent. Before you think, “big deal - that’s a difference of 13 percent,” know that a similar 13 percent reduction from Helton’s number would give you Mark Grudelzniak, or Miguel Cairo. Quite a difference. And that doesn’t even bring in Barry’s slugging percentage, which is also incredible. The man hit 45 homers in 373 at-bats last year!

What Bonds has been doing to the game is historic in every sense of the word. That his accomplishments have not translated into fantasy sports strips any claim of realism. In a normal 5×5 league, Bonds is usually drafted late in the first round or early in the second. Yahoo has him ranked as number 12. Number 12 for a man who is arguably one of the best hitters ever, and who, as a hitter, dominates the game on a day-to-day basis.

The steals category should also be rethought. In a traditional 5×5 league, the number of steal attempts a player successfully converts gives him his value. This leads to fairly obvious cases of a player being valued much higher in fantasy terms then in real life, even if you do subscribe to the belief that the number of steals a player gets is in fact as telling as his batting average in determining his overall value. For example, Player A steals 20 bases in 40 attempts, as his coach believes strongly in the run. Player B steals only 18 bases, but out of 20 attempts, for a stellar success percentage. Player B obviously helps his team more, and had a more positive impact on the field, but the owner of player A is the more successful fantasy owner.

Why does it matter? So what if fantasy baseball is detached from the reality of baseball? That’s why it is called fantasy, right? And everyone hates Bonds anyway. Unfortunately, the vastly divergent criteria used by the fantasy sports world and the real world to evaluate players drives a wedge between the hobby and mainstream sports fandom. Fantasy players become more geeky as the hobby (some would rather call it an obsession) drives itself away from real baseball. The 5×5 system demands that participants learn a new set of rules, and each new rule drives the hobby further away from acceptance and relevance. Bonds is not the best player in baseball. He’s actually the twelfth. Alex Sanchez of the Detroit Tigers, a prominent starter on many fantasy teams last year with his 19 stolen bases, was cut from the Tigers this spring. The list goes on, but the point is, fantasy baseball is a reflection of baseball, and derives its legitimacy (if it has any) from its place as an extension of a real-life activity. Fine, a traditional 5×5 player argues, “then why was 5×5 created with these stats to begin with?”

The answer is simple. Fantasy baseball didn’t start with the computer age. People actually went through box scores to accumulate the data necessary to play fantasy sports. Imagine the effort taken after each and every game, scanning newspapers, adding hits, then dividing by the total at bats, noting the stolen bases for each and every player on your team. That would take a lot of work. It’s obvious why the traditional 5×5 stats were chosen. They were in fact the stats given by the box scores!

Thanks to computers, we are no longer limited by the constraints of newspaper box scores and division on scratch paper. Yahoo! alone offers 54 total categories with which to customize your league. This gives you the power to organize your league in whatever way you believe players in real baseball are really valued.

The most popular version of this is the SABR (”saber”) leagues. The popular categories are: runs, RBIs, OBP (on base percentage) and slugging percentage for hitting, and wins, saves, ERA, and WHIP for pitching. This doesn’t even begin to touch the value of a team’s defense, but since there is no objective or standard way to measure defense, that problem has not been effectively tackled yet. The home team’s scorer gives out errors, while defensive range is difficult to pin down as a measurable statistic game to game. It may be some time before Torii Hunter’s spectacular home run-saving catch is a part of fantasy baseball, but undoubtedly the statisticians will come up with some method.

However you plan to do it meanwhile, if Bonds isn’t the clear first pick in your draft, then your league is long on the fantasy, short on the baseball.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Golfers wear them and so do Brownies. Every Hollywood director since Steven Spielberg did Jaws considers it part of their work wardrobe. Its a US import which has become an integral part of British society. And this year it has a special birthday. The baseball cap is fifty.

Up until 1954, it was up to individual baseball players to choose a hat to keep the sun out their eyes. Some went for straw boaters, others preferred jockey caps. There was no consistency amongst players, let alone teams. So, in 1954, a hat company called New Era came up with the standard issue cap known as the 59Fifty. This brought uniformity to the game and fifty years on, its still the official cap of Major League Baseball.

In the late 70s and early 80s the American public became interested in wearing the caps worn by their favourite team and the big names in the game. The trend took hold and the baseball cap eventually made its way into every part of American society, including Hollywood and most importantly, the music scene.

In 1994, New York film maker Spike Lee asked the cap manufacturers to make him a fitted Yankees cap in ‘unofficial’ colours. At first they thought it was a strange request whod want a cap that’s not identical to the Pros? But Spike got what he wanted, people noticed, and demand for hats like his took off making Spike Lee the founder of the fitted fashion cap.

Ian Spencer of UK based cap specialists, Capitate.co.uk said The baseball cap made its way to the UK a while ago, but the last 4 years has seen extraordinary growth, largely due to the increasing number of homes with satellite TV. Through MTV, artists like Limp Bizkits Fred Durst helped introduce the UK to the New York Yankees cap. This was around the time when the British public were keen to show their solidarity with New York after the 9/11 tragedy.

Baseball caps continue to grow in popularity and the music industry retains its influence over whats hot. Usher is currently doing his bit for the Atlanta Braves while Britney flys the flag for the Birmingham Barons. Hats off to the baseball cap.

Ian Spencer is the Managing Director of Capitate.co.uk and is the UK specialist in authentic baseball caps and trucker hats. Ian grew up in Canada, spent a number of years in the US, and now lives and works in Scotland.

Preparing for your Prom Night ian PartridgePreparing for Prom Night

Preparing for prom night should begin months ahead of time.

Getting a date comes first. Girls without steady boyfriends spend more time finding a date than do the boys. The best strategies involve becoming a part of a particular group and building a particular friendship with prom night in mind.

Boys and girls each have their respective areas to prepare. Sometimes it’s difficult just to get the boys to rent their tuxedo, but they also need to arrange for the limousine rental, cover all costs, and make the arrangements for the night-such as a group activity or a romantic dinner before.

For girls, preparing for prom night is more intense. Make a to do list for the prom. Make another just for your hair. Select dress, jewelry, and hairstyle in that order, coordinating everything. If you need a hair stylist, begin asking for recommendations in advance. If you have one already, make a special appointment three months ahead to discuss your prom hairstyle.

Six weeks ahead, book an appointment with your stylist no less than four hours before the limo arrives. Try a complete dress rehearsal with hair, dress, and jewelry a month before your prom. Finally, on the day before collect all your essentials in one place. Does your hairdryer work? Do you need more gel?

These are the essential steps when preparing for prom night. Finally, don’t forget that you and your date will exchange corsage and boutonnire. Buy it the day before, keep it refrigerated, and please try not be nervous when you pin it on.

Ian Partridge lauched a website called http://www.promhair.uswhich includes more resources and links relating to prom night

Prom Night and the Prom Dateian PartridgeHow to get a prom date

Getting the right prom date is often the result of careful planning.

Girls typically work harder at getting a prom date than do boys. They seem to know intuitively how to get a prom date: planning months in advance, spending time with the right guy, and hanging out in the right group. These, the most successful methods, work best with advance planning.

Guys need to face their fears: Will you risk rejection by asking the person you are most attracted to, or play it safe by asking someone else? For you, how to get a prom date includes deciding what you want and what you are willing to risk. Then, ask-but don’t wait until prom week.

If you did wait until prom week, you may still find a prom date. If you have a girlfriend or boyfriend, you should already know how to get a prom date-but you should have asked before now. The next easiest approach is to ask a good friend. After that, asking someone in a lower grade is a safe bet for guys, because junior girls often make it a top priority to go to prom with a senior. Asking someone in another school works, too, since it feels risk-free all around.

If prom week is upon you and you are still wondering how to get a prom date, try asking your cousin, or your brother or sister. Admittedly this is a last choice, but it has a long tradition going back to the earliest of proms.

Ian Partridge lauched a website called http://www.promhair.uswhich includes more resources and links relating to prom night

Prom Nightian Partridgerom hairstyles

A large part of any girl’s prom is the prom hairstyle she chooses. The most popular prom hairstyles are subject to change each year. This year feminine, wavy styles are popular, but edgy styles will also fit the bill.

Today’s most popular prom hairstyles are luscious curls or waves. Multiple layers around the face, fresh curls, and shoulder length hair combine into an ideal of the feminine the mirrors the style of leading pop divas. Similar but less finished, soft twists combine those curls with styles that are half up / half down. Bangs are also in, especially large or sultry bangs swept to one side.

In spite of the emphasis on curls, straight hair still has its place among the popular prom hairstyles. Straight hairstyles that are textured or have a sleek mirror-shine are especially popular.

More daring styles include shoulder length bobs reminiscent of the late ’70s; the mullet is also in, combining cropped sections with longer tresses. Also popular is the extremely short cut worn by actress Alyssa Milano.

Always have a fallback style in case your hair refuses your chosen prom hairstyle. The popular French braid is an example of a style that can add class and control to any bad hair day.

The right accessory can make the difference between attractive and stunning. Bejeweled hair sticks or vintage hair combs are popular. Whatever you choose, be certain the hairstyle is consistent with the dress you have chosen, as well as with your jewelry.

Ian Partridge lauched a website called http://www.promhair.uswhich includes more resources and links relating to prom night

sustainable land plccharacter11Sustainable Land Plc is an established company, with many years experience in land investments and identifying land for sale. Our experienced teams of professionals allow us to acquire land in strategically placed regions of the country, where the opportunity for development is required, and widely identified by national house builders.

The land (land for sale) we acquire has been identified by the Government as areas where there is a need to establish more sustainable communities. Sustainable Land Plc recognizes the demand for housing that has been outlined by the government, and seeks to satisfy this need for future sustainable housing.

Sustainable Land Plc is an established company, with many years experience in land investments and identifying land for sale.

Press Release

A New Tool for Back to School

A new website lets teachers post their students’ grades online in real-time.

Sacramento, CA August 4, 2004 — As the back-to-school season nears, Engrade, an innovative provider of online tools for teachers, announced today the launch of its website http://www.engrade.com. Engrades new website is a free service that allows teachers to post students grades online and allows parents and students to view those grades online in real-time by logging in to their Engrade account.

With this new service, Engrade seeks to give teachers a tool to keep parents and students continually informed of their grades, attendance, and upcoming assignments.

Thanks to educational sponsors, Engrade is a free service. And because Engrades technology is web-based it does not require any installations all of Engrades service are available through their website.

In the past, teachers only method of grade reporting was to periodically print paper reports. Both teachers and students found this to be problematic because those paper reports became out of date as soon as a new assignment was graded so students and their parents never knew exactly how they were performing in class and experienced long delays before seeing their corrected assignment scores.

Now, Engrades new online reporting tools will solve those problems by continually updating students online grade reports as soon as teachers enter new assignments into Engrades website allowing students and parents to be constantly aware of their class grade and assignment scores.

We feel that Engrade will really help students - and their parents - get a better idea of how they are performing in their classes and increase student-parent participation, said Brian Holt, President and Founder of Engrade.

In addition to online grades, Engrade provides teachers with the option of posting attendance records and upcoming assignment due dates online.

Using Engrades online attendance reports, parents can see their students real-time attendance reports from work or from home and teachers can notify the parents of absent students instantly via e-mail.

With Engrades assignment calendar, teachers can post a list of upcoming assignments for students and parents to see when they log in, making the old excuse of I forgot that was due today, obsolete.

Engrades new website seeks to reshape the way grades, attendance, and assignments are reported, increasing students and parents participation and improving student performance.

For more information about using Engrade in your classroom, visit their website at: http://www.engrade.com/

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Press Release

L. Robert Lance Blevins “Titles of the Wrong Kind” Makes its Dbut

L. Robert Lance Blevins Titles of the Wrong Kind seeks the answer to a striking question:How does a child feel when practically raised by his grandparents, blessed with the trait of slow learning and branded a retard? This new and inspirational work based on a true story is guaranteed to captivate readers of all genres.

July 26, 2004 — With the release of a truly inspirational work based on a true story, readers of all genres will be able to find a common connection amongst themselves as they become even more captivated while turning the pages of a truly moving and inspirational story which offers readers everything; love, deception, greed, teasing, frustration and success.

L. Robert Lance Blevins’ “Titles of the Wrong Kind” is getting lots of attention as it allows parents and school administrators alike to gain a valuable insight into how some of the children in the special education system actually feel about their parents; as well as the “system” that encompasses their lives.

Made possible by telling the story of the “system” from the child’s own vantage point and not that of the PhD or Administrator, a most valuable new insight into the “system,” as well as the feelings and thoughts of a child are able to be realized.

Whether you are connected to the special education system or not, this book is truly a must have for any serious reader. Written by a person who spent a good portion of his life in the special education system and then went on to realize success as well as an induction into the National Register’s Who’s Who in Executives and Professionals, this book promises to be a absolute success!

“Titles of the Wrong Kind” is now available for purchase through all major online book stores including http://www.amazon.com, http://www.barnesandnoble.com and others.

This new release can also be ordered through your local book store, or at http://www.blevinsbooks.com.

Title: Titles of the Wrong Kind
ISBN: 1-4137-2406-X

Media Information:

Who’s Who Verification:
631-422-1400

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Press Release

Hellboy HingeHead Now Appearing on Hinges Everywhere

Collectible figure stands atop your door hinge and easily becomes “unhinged” to stand on its own base or roam room to room!

Santa Barbara, CA July 21, 2004 — HingeHeads Hardware today announced their licensing relationship with Dark Horse Comics, Inc. and Mike Mignola, author & creator of the Hellboy comic hero. HingeHeads is proud to release a limited collectors edition of the Hellboy HingeHead; an artistic handcrafted, made in the USA, decorative hardware finial. This exclusive finial fits on the top of your door hinge pins to personalize your interior doors or use as a freestanding item alone or in “communities” throughout your living spaces!

Custom crafted by the artisans at HingeHeads, this new concept for home decor is inspired by Mike Mignola’s original Comic Book series “Hellboy.” Made of high quality “lead-free” pewter, the Hellboy HingeHead stands 2 tall and comes in an OxFire finish. A two-sided adapter and putty are included to fit the common U.S. Industry Standard hinge sizes. For display only, a clear vial tube and graphic insert is provided as part of the packaging for use as a display stand.

Distributed through Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. and Things From Another World, HingeHeads now offers this limited edition in the ever-popular Hellboy lineage.

HingeHeads Product Line
In addition to the Hellboy HingeHead, the company offers customers the ability to select from over 150 individual designs or order custom designs for personal, business or special events including (non-profit) organization activities.

About Us
HH Hardware/HingeHeads design and sell expressive home, garden and lifestyle dcor. Our goal is to enhance and lend expression to our spaces, places and faces. HingeHeads currently holds 3 Design and Utility patents with 4 more pending.

Copyright Information
HingeHeads is a trademark of HH Hardware, LLC. Mike Mignolas Hellboy 2004 Michael Mignola. Dark Horse Deluxe is a trademark of Dark Horse Comics, Inc. All Rights Reserved. All other trademarks and copyrights belong to their respective holders.

Contact Information
For Retailers interested in carrying the custom Hellboy HingeHead, HotHeads, original HingeHeads or our official Red Hat Society products, please contact us by calling: 800.783.3013 (Toll Free) or visit our website: www.hingeheads.com

For business development or press inquiries, contact:
Cynthia Johnston
800.783.3013 (Toll Free)

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Press Release

SpiderMan Movie and Comic Book Figure Toys with Danger in the Amazing SpiderMan Collectibles Sculpture Figures from HamiltonAction.com

SpiderMan toys, action figures and comic books collectors are in for the Ultimate SpiderMan collectible as Marvel Comics’ Spider-Man comes to life in a new First Edition sculpture exclusively from HamiltonAction! Created by Diamond Select Toys, the Amazing Spider-Man collectible statue combines bold hand-painted artistry with gleaming, crystal clear resin to create a truly unique Spider Man collectible that’s certain to become a “must-have” for every Spidey comic book fan!

July 22, 2004 — SpiderMan movie and comic book figure, the Amazing Spider-Man, comes alive in a new limited edition SpiderMan collectibles sculpture figures from HamiltonAction.com.

The Amazing Spider-Man collection is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for fans of Spiderman and Marvel Comics. SpiderMan, the alter-ego of mild mannered Peter Parker, has entertained fans with his comic book adventures since the original Spider-Man comics debuted in the comic Amazing Fantasy in 1962 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

Now, Spider-Man is captured in vivid hand painted, handcrafted detail, and gleaming, glass-like resin. Perched high above the city and clinging to a skyscraper, this Spider-Man figure captures all the action of the Marvel comic books.

Available for the issue price of $39.95, the new “Amazing Spider-Man” collector statue from HamiltonAction.com features revolutionary design. This hand-painted sculpture is combined with dazzling crystalline to create the first-ever Spider-Man sculpture of its kind. Sculptures are limited to 95 casting days, are hand numbered and include a matching numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

This exclusive, limited-edition SpiderMan collectible is available only through HamiltonAction.com and only while supplies last. According to Steve Milo, Director of E-Commerce Business Development for HamiltonAction.com, SpiderMan Collectors shouldnt wait, as this SpiderMan limited statue will be gone before you can blink!

About HamiltonAction.com

Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, HamiltonAction.com develops an innovative array of products that will satisfy the increasing demand for collectibles inspired by some of todays hottest television and big screen entertainment including Family Guy, Marvel Comics, The Simpsons, and more. HamiltonAction.com is a subsidiary of The Hamilton Collection, an established direct mail company that has proudly provided sought after collectibles to millions of collectors for more than 30 years.

To learn more about the new “The Amazing Spider-Man” statue and other products offered by HamiltonAction.com, check out the company’s web site at www.hamiltonactionfigures.com/spiderman/spiderman_44892.asp

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Press Release

Storming Robots Learning Center, Helping to Build a Generation with Robotics Science as Part of Its Culture

Storming Robots Robotics Learning Center is the first learning center in New Jersey offering multi-disciplinary Robotics programs for youth, as well as the LEGO MINDSTORMS Center provides hands-on LEGO robots workshops. Its programs aim to inspire children’s interests in robotics and science technologies by developing their intellect in fundamental engineering concepts, mathematics, strategic thinking, and problem solving.

Branchburg, NJ July 17, 2004 — Storming Robots, the first learning center in New Jersey offering multi-disciplinary Robotics programs for youth as well as the LEGO MINDSTORMS Center provides hands-on LEGO robots workshops. The majority of exercises utilize the popular Lego, Mindstorm and Robotics Kits as learning tools. Its programs aim to inspire children’s interests in science technologies by developing their intellect in fundamental engineering concepts, technology, mathematics, strategic thinking, and problem solving.

Be Fascinated by Your Own Built LEGO Robot

The popularity of LEGO among children is undisputable. Do you remember the wonderful feeling of completing your own LEGO construction with your own hands? It is even more fun programming your LEGO Robots to move on command. However, don’t think it is a trivial task. It requires planning, problem solving, analysis and programming. Under proper instruction, children further develop their applied mathematics skill, fundamental engineering concepts, strategic thinking, and programming knowledge.

Children learn robotics by integrating basic mechanics, mathematics, design and programming.

Learning Tools include LEGO MINDSTORMS components, graphics user interface (GUI) programming languages such as RCX Code and ROBOLAB, along with other LEGO accessories. The MINDSTORMS’ core comprises of various sensors along with a main building block housing an autonomous LEGO microprocessor named RCX which communicates to a PC through its Infra-Red port. You may think the LEGO Robotics Kit was created for entertainment value only but don’t underestimate the benefit and intricacy of these tools. These robotics devices are much more than meet the eye. The same components are used at the college level and for PHD robotics classes.

Sponsoring a Robotics Youth Club and Robots Tournament

In order to promote awareness of science in robotics, Storming Robots is sponsoring a Robotics Youth Club for children aged between 9 and 15. Children will periodically meet at the Storming Robotics center. The center provides all software, computers, and LEGO MINDSTORMS Robotics components for members to conduct their robotics activities and exploration. Membership is free, but the major requirements for participation are enthusiasm, interests in math and science, thirst for challenges, and respect for others. If interested, you may signup online at http://www.storming-robots.com . Because the first year enrollment is limited to 8 - 16 children, an assessment may be given as part of the membership enrollment process.

Members will participate in the annual FIRST LEGO League Robots Tournament as well. The FIRST LEGO League is an internationally known robotics program for children. Annual tournaments allow teams to conduct hands-on robotics design and authentic scientific research. For those with higher aptitudes in math and other science areas, Storming Robots will also make available other related contests, such as the National Continental Math League Contest.

Multidisciplinary Robotics Classes and LEGO Workshop for Youth

LEGO Robotics activities integrate LEGO construction with fundamental engineering concepts and strategic thinking. Most challenges involve a team of two to four members. At the end of most programs, children create an open-solution project by building their own robots, programming it and making a short presentation of their invention. For the more comprehensive programs, parents are invited to watch these presentations.

Storming Robots offer robotics programs which addresses the National Science, Math and Technology Standards.

Storming Robots utilizes robotics curriculum developed by the renowned robotics institutions as its guidelines. These institutions include: the Robotics Academy (a division of the National Robotics Engineering Consortium from the Carnegie Mellon University) and the Tufts University Engineering Continuous Education. These programs address the National Science, Math and Technology Standards. Storming Robots also participates in various related communities to include educational events which focus on software and educational program development involving LEGO RCX (the brain of the robotics kits).

See Some LEGO Bots…

Storming Robots has posted some of its simple robots in its activities page. Click to view some of the activities and programs currently available. Note all bots are made from scratch, i.e. starting from a couple of LEGO bricks.
You may also visit http://mindstorms.lego.com/eng/inventions/default.asp to look at some inventions.

To sign up, the children need to be aged 8 or over. You may sign up online at www.storming-robots.com or email to classes@storming-robots.com. Note that each class size is limited to 8 children, while workshop is limited to 16.

The tentative Opening Date will be October 15th of 2004. If interested, you may sign up in advance and receive 25% off your first month class and workshop fees. Check the Storming Robots program site for possible early classes in August and September of 2004. All robotics challenges have open-ended solutions. The challenge is only limited to how far the child is capable to reach.

Cool experiences, Indeed!

Contact Information:

Elizabeth Mabrey
908-534-9996
pr@storming-robots.com
STORMING ROBOTS

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Press Release

Kids Start Off on the Right Foot with Shoe Clues !

Mom Inventors, Inc. launches innovative new product that helps kids put the Right Shoe on the Right Foot!

WALNUT CREEK, CA April 26, 2004–Mom Inventors, Inc., a Walnut Creek, CA based company announces that it will unveil its newest, Mom Invented product at The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) Tradeshow in Dallas, Texas on May 2, 2004. The international JPMA show is the worlds largest juvenile products tradeshow.

Shoe Clues are fun and durable stickers that teach children to put the right shoe on the right foot! Shoe Clues feature three pairs of stickers in a colorful package. On each pair of stickers is a lovable animal that, when properly placed in the heel of a childs shoes, will be looking at the other. Children quickly see that if the animals are looking in opposite directions, their shoes will be on the wrong feet.

The Shoe Clues packaging boasts the tagline I Can Do It Myself! because children are trying to master new skills daily. A simple task like putting on shoes can be frustrating when a proud child gets dressed all by herself only to be told, your shoes are on the wrong feet, says Tamara Monosoff, CEO of Mom Inventors, Inc. Shoe Clues is a fun tool that helps children put their shoes on successfully and builds confidence!

We are looking forward to showing Shoe Clues to buyers from the nations most respected childrens products retailers, says Monosoff. There is nothing like it on the market today and we have received enthusiastic responses from retailers and consumers who have previewed the product.

We love Shoe Clues! We think this will be one of the hottest new products on the market says, Adena Surabian, President, www.safeandsecurebaby.com. With Shoe Clues, not only does my three-year-old proudly put her shoes on the right feet but she eagerly shows her friends the fun stickers in her shoes!

Shoe Clues will be sold where kids toys, games, clothing, and shoes are sold. Shoe Clues are patent pending and trademarked.

Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) - The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, Inc. (JPMA) is a national trade organization representing 95% of the $6.02 billion industry. JPMA has grown to include more than 400 companies in the United States, Canada and Mexico. These companies manufacture and/or import infant products (856-638-0420).

Safe & Secure Baby - At www.safeandsecurebaby.com, we are passionate about providing parents, grandparents, and other care providers with the knowledge, products, and services needed to improve the safety of children everywhere (888-801-BABY.).

Mom Inventors, Inc. Established by a mother and inventor in early 2003, Mom Inventors, Inc. is founded on the principle that many of the best and most unique ideas come directly from their target market Moms. In addition to developing its own brand of Mom Invented products, Mom Inventors, Inc., licenses products, as well as assists and supports other mom inventors in taking their product ideas to market (866-376-1122).

Tamara Monosoff holds a doctorate of education and is a former member of the Clinton White House staff.

ORDER DESK:   866-376-1122
IDEAL FOR:   Children 2+ years old and Up

PRESS CONTACT:               
Tamara Monosoff, CEO            
Mom Inventors, Inc.
125 Grover Lane          
Walnut Creek, CA 94596          
925-932-6674 Office   
925-457-8998 Cell            
925-280-8224 FAX
tmonosoff@mominventors.com         
www.mominventors.com

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Press Release

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Over the years, sports fans have witnessed foul trades, foul play and foul balls with some of baseball’s greatest players. When ESPN.com’s “The List” catalogued the most beloved ballplayers of all time, fans sounded off about their own major league favorites of the past and present with the possibility that Sinatra was right, and the best is yet to come.

ESPN’s list included infield favorites like Derek Jeter, Ernie Banks, Cal Ripken Jr, and Mark McGwire. Minnesota Twins center fielder Kirby Puckett made the list with fellow outfielders Ichiro Suzuki, Willie Stargell and Sammy Sosa. Of course, the number one spot was reserved for who else, but the “Sultan of Swat,” Babe Ruth.

While ESPN’s compilation covered its bases, ( pun intended) some fans missed their favorites on the field, and had their say. From an overwhelming amount of letters, ESPN formulated another list by the fans, for the fans. Red Sox Nation wrote 114 letters to put Nomar Garciaparra in the lineup with pleads of “Nomah! How can you not love this guy?” Fans wrote in for Boston’s Teddy Ballgame too, claiming that the reason there was never a movie made about Ted Williams is, “because no one would believe it.” Of course, Red Sox fans were walking around with an 86-year old chip on their shoulder from a mildly poor judgment call back in 1920, until the fall of 2004. But, team loyalty in Beantown is far from fair weather, and despite player trades (Village Idiot, Johnny Damon as New York’s newest lead-off hitter) and player errors, (Buckner in ‘86), fan loyalty to Boston’s boys of summer rarely wavers for the Fenway faithful.

At the other end of the spectrum, Yankee fans put Donny Baseball and Mickey Mantle on the list for the Bronx Bombers with fans begging “How could you forget Mickey Mantle? A mixture of power, speed, grace and personality.” The Mick replaced fan favorite Joe DiMaggio in centerfield, and it wasn’t until the summer of 1961, during a hunt for the homerun title against Roger Maris, did Mantle finally gain the acceptance of fans as the underdog. Now, he’s a legend.

Rookies strive to become them, and fans refuse to let go of them. Legends never die. Fans buy jerseys of players past from Mitchell & Ness Nostalgia Co., one of the better known manufacturers of authentic, vintage throwback jerseys, just to relive the glory days. It doesn’t matter if you were alive to see them, or raised to remember them. Mitchell & Ness sales reflect player popularity from both lists, with players like Mantle, Ruth, Stargell, and Sosa lining the shelves along with heroes like Jackie Robinson and Joe DiMaggio.

Eventually, America’s favorite past time will produce more legends for new fans, as young talent like Ryan Howard, Scott Kazmir and Bobby Jenks climb the baseball ranks and make names for themselves among the legends of the past. The players will retire, and new names will come forth. But, that is what it’s all about isn’t it? The birth of the champion, the heartache of October and remembering that there’s always next year.

About the Author

Nina Nocciolino is a copywriter at DMi Partners, an interactive marketing firm, specializing in higher education, real estate, retail and finance.

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Worth - The original aluminum baseball bats were made by Worth in the early 1970’s. The company is still recognized for the high quality Worth bats they manufacture for little league, baseball and softball

Purchasing the correct baseball bats for kids is as consequential as the right glove, the cleats, and every other piece of equipment for the pastime. The correct bat can directly affect how your kids execute at the plate, and conversely, the incorrect bat can leave your kids struggling on the peewee team.

Regardless, ask someone how to buy the Finest bat for your kids, and you’ll get the rigamarole. Some people will say buy weighty and let your kid adjust for greater power. Others will say buy extended and let your kids choke up on the grip so they can handle the additional few inches. Others will say pray to Jobu and dream he delivers the proper bat to you.

Just like he didn’t cut it for Charlie Sheen and the boys in the hit film Major League, Jobu won’t help if you’re looking to purchase bats for kids. The key is taking in all of the suggestion from experts, and looking for consistency. In this instance, the chorus of voices says one thing: both length and weight are important.

With weight, think light. A light bat makes it easier for your kids to command their swings. Don’t let those old-fashioned coaching types recite you that you require a weighty bat to deliver the hits. Kids can actually hit the ball harder and farther with a light bat because they can swing a light bat faster. If you need evidence, contemplate that the NCAA and high school rules officials have passed prohibitions on baseball bats so they cannot be 3 ounces or more lighter than the bat’s length in inches.

When it comes to length and bats for kids, the rules state that Little League baseball bats must be less than or equal to 32 inches in length. Their barrels cannot be more than 2.25 inches in diameter. Of course, for kids in the ‘Farm’ league (age 7 to you don’t want to push these limits. A length of 26 to 27 inches will do.

For the Junior Minors (age 8 to 9), try 27 to 29 inches. For Senior Minors (age 9 to 12), try 28 to 31 inches. And for the Majors (age 10 to 12), you can buy a bat anywhere from 29 to 32 inches.

Rawlings Bats - Most well known for their quality baseball gloves, Rawlings today is among the leaders in bats, making professional wood bats as well as quality aluminum baseball bats used throughout NCAA and high school baseball.

About the Author

William Smith lives in Florida with his wife and three cats. William writes frequently on many subjects that may be of interest to all. Discover all the joys and secrets of baseball at Baseball’s Holy Grail

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Over the last ten years there has been an incredible increase in people participating in baseball fantasy leagues, and fantasy sports in general. There is really only one rule for those involved, and that is they must have a real and ongoing interest and appreciation of the game of baseball. Starting your own fantasy league is easy follow the simple steps below and you will quickly have a league you can enjoy throughout the season.

Fantasy League Step #1 Get your teams together The first step to creating a baseball fantasy league is getting your teams together. You need to find between 8 and 12 friends to participate and create their own team. Why 8-12 teams? This is the range of numbers that will give you a competitive league, which you will need for it to be as enjoyable as possible.

Fantasy League Step #2 ‘The Commish’ Just like Major League Baseball, someone needs to be in charge. Elect a responsible and committed Commissioner to manage the statistics weekly, and is someone who has the opportunity and resources to distribute them to every player in the fantasy league.

Fantasy League Step #3 One League or Two? One of the oldest questions in baseball do we need both the American and National Leagues? Your group will need to decide whether to play with the traditional favourites, or establish a single league.

Fantasy League Step #4 Player draft or auction Teams need players, and the group will need to decide the best way to individually acquire players. Both draft and auction methods work, but whichever method you choose, stay with it throughout the season.

Fantasy League Step #5 Rules You can’t escape rules, even in a fantasy league. Accumulation of points and recording statistics need to be done consistently and to a standard. Agree the rules, and ensure all teams are aware of the compliance requirements, and what happens when they don’t follow them!

Fantasy League #6 Enjoy yourself Americans in their millions play fantasy league baseball to win money, trophies or simply for the sake of it. No matter what your reason, make sure the final prize is agreed by all as this gives you every player the best chance of enjoying themselves.

About the Author

Jay Moncliff is the founder of http://www.baseballcenter.info a website specialized on Baseball, resources and articles. This site provides updated information on Baseball. For more info visit his site: Baseball

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With the popularity of sports and recreational attire at an all time high, the available styles of mens baseball caps has grown tremendously. Never before have you been able to find so many different colors, styles, and logos for each team. And it’s not just with sporting hats either, as specialty headwear has encountered similar growth. You can walk into just about any clothing store and locate the perfect style for your tastes.

Here’s a list of some of the more popular hats that are available today:

1 - There is the officially licensed sport hat that mirrors what the players are wearing. This is probably the most popular style, since the professional athletes are wearing them. People feel more in touch with their heroes by donning these. Even some of the less traditional sports like golf and nascar have come out with their own lines.

2 - There are also certain ’signature’ hats, that are specific to one athlete. Many fans enjoy sporting their favorite players’ likeness on their attire, caps included.

3 - You can also purchase what is called a ‘throwback’ hat. This type of headwear represents a historical team in sports history, complete with their colors and logo from way back when. It’s a nice way to pay tribute to some of the more important franchises in each respective sport’s history.

4 - When shopping for a new ballcap, you have the option of getting a fitted one. These hats tend to feel more comfortable initially, almost like putting on an old pair of jeans. They are made to fit perfectly on your head for additional comfort.

5 - The brim on the hat can also be pre-curved for you, or straight depending on your tastes. Some fans enjoy curving their brims themselves, while others like it to be done for them. A curved hat gives the appearance of being ‘worn in’, and more comfortable to wear.

6 - A hat can be embroidered with just about any logo or saying you can think of. Some of the more popular ones are specific sports logos, beer logos, and funny sayings.

7 - You can find leather mens baseball caps as well, in a variety of colors and styles. These can come either blank, or decorated with a sports logo and are probably the most comfortable hat you can buy.

These are just a small sampling of some of the available kinds of hats you can find, either online or at your favorite store. It illustrates just how popular hats have become over the last several years, as you can locate just about anything you can think of. You would be hard-pressed to find someone you know who doesn’t have at least one baseball cap in their wardrobe. Most people you know (including yourself) have several.

About the Author

James McDonald writes for Custom Baseball Caps, which is a resource for customizing your hats.