It saddens me when I drive around my neighborhood and not see children out playing.  These days, video games, social media, and TV take the place of good ’ol outdoor fun.  When I was a child growing up in California, my parents had to drag me inside every night for dinner and homework.  Being outside meant I was involved in a game of “over the line”, “300”, wiffle-ball, or plain old fashion pick-up baseball.

Being a fanatic about baseball, my family and I tend to watch a lot of games during the spring.  Most the time we are tuned into a Texas Rangers game at night while the kiddos are playing.  My wife and I love it when the Rangers are playing a west coast team because it usually means there is still a lot of game left for us to watch once the kiddos are in bed.  Peace, quite, and baseball!  The only thing better is watching a day game.  

One of the many items on my bucket list is to visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Perhaps I will venture to this historic baseball cathedral on my family RV adventure across the country to visit every Major League Baseball park. My wife still doesn't know about this "Griswold" trip - I'll just have to surprise her one year, just as Clark would surprise Ellen. 

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There is a new movie that many baseball fans will appreciate. “Moneyball” is based on the 2003 book by Michael Lewis and stars Brad Pitt as the real-life Oakland A’s general manager, Billy Beane. You’ll remember that Beane had to rebuild his cash-strapped team after many players were taken away during what has been called a buying frenzy. It was Beane who successfully put together a baseball club on a budget by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players. What is so good about the film is that it offers an insider’s view on how coaches and players relate, or in some cases, don’t relate.

Some critics have described Lewis’ book as one of the single most influential baseball book ever written. In an early interview with the author, Lewis said he wrote the book because he “fell in love with the story. The story concerned a small group of undervalued professional baseball players and executives, many of whom had been rejected as unfit by the big leagues, who had turned themselves into one of the most successful franchises in Major League Baseball. But the idea for the book came well before I had good reason to write it – before I had a story to fall in love with. It began, really, with an innocent question: how did one of the poorest teams in baseball, the Oakland Athletics, win so many games?”

The movie is faithful to the book with the point that money can’t buy the secret of success in baseball – or in business. The movie begins with Billy Beane having to relinquish three of the teams most prominent and expensive players (including first baseman Jason Giambi). Any possible victories by the team was then thought to be over, but the team makes an astonishing comeback to challenge the American League record for consecutive wins. Bean presided over a 2002 season that included a 20-game winning streak. However, Bean’s Oakland A’s never made it to the World Series.

The movie’s wonderfully adopted script is credited to two Oscar winners: Aaron Sorkin (‘Social Network’) and Steve Zaillian (‘Schindler’s List’). They both made equal contributions on the final screenplay that made for an effective adaptation of the book. Director Bennett Miller (known as the director of Capote) gave the movie strength and power, and created a film that reflects the human spirit. The film reportedly had a $47 million dollar budget.

Brad Pitt has lost his pretty-boy looks in the film and portrays Billy Beane with commitment and humor. The film does touch upon Beane’s personal life, but it is underplayed and doesn’t get in the way with the story. Beane’es ex-wife is portrayed with depth by Robin Wright (“Message in a Bottle”, “The Conspirator). Other stars in the movie include Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Andy Howe), Jonah Hill (Peter Brand), Sphllip Seymour Hoffman (Art Howe) and Chris Pratt (Scott Hatteberg).

‘Moneyball’ is one of the most entertaining sports movies to come along in many years. It’s not about winning the big game, but concentrates on athletes fulfilling dreams and earning redemption.

Here is what some of critics wrote about the flick:

“Here we have the finest film about baseball since ‘Bull Durham’ and the most in depth film about the game that I can recall.” – Andy Kiser

“’Moneyball’ is not a film that falls into the sports film clichés we're accustomed. Mostly, it's about guys and statistics and changing a culture and how somebody with a new idea has to battle and fight the establishment to innovate. Really, sabermetrics is a metaphor for any innovation. It usually takes one person's commitment and drive and devotion to overcome all the obstacles that stand in his way. That's how this story works. Billy Beane had a vision and he made it happen. It isn't so much about how much success he had with it, but about the journey he took to get there.” – hubpages

“An inspiring sports movie totally different from any other one ever made.” — Chris McKittrick

“One of the best movies of the year.” – Rolling Stone

“I came into the movie with low expectations and was bothered by some of the poetic license taken in telling a tale I’m very familiar with, but the underdog story is compelling, the individual performances are mostly very good, the Aaron Sorkin-penned dialogue is funny and charming, and ‘Moneyball’ is absolutely worth seeing.” — Aaron at the Movies

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I hear people say that "baseball is boring" or "baseball's not very exciting to watch". I've tried to make different arguments over the years, but today these videos are my only argument. Check these out these fun and amazing plays I found on youtube (somehow, no matter who the broadcaster is on the video, I can hear Chris Berman commentating every one of them):

http://youtu.be/2oHWD94jgaw

http://youtu.be/UdYBEJzy-F0

http://youtu.be/ltrGuRZY4Jk

If you come across a cool or funny baseball video, then send it to us and we'll share it with our crew of readers.  

Thanks and touch 'em all!
www.InnovativeBaseball.com

It is finally time! The Oyster is making it's debut at the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Convention in Nashville, TN on January 6-8, 2011. The following weekend (January 13-15), The Oyster will be heading to Waco, TX  to turn heads at the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association (THSBCA) Convention. 

Check out our News Release below. 

News Release 

Between the Lines LLC Launches Innovative Baseball Cleaning Machine

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (January 6 – 8, 2010) – Between the Lines LLC, a company committed to pioneering baseball cleaning solutions, has launched a brand new product, a baseball cleaning machine called “The Oyster” (patent pending). The Oyster uses tumbling elastomer technology to simultaneously clean a bucket of baseballs. In other words, “The Oyster makes pearls one bucket at a time.”

The innovative machine is creating an exciting buzz within the baseball community. Baseball coaches from all levels will now be able to use The Oyster to have new-looking baseballs during every practice.  The advantages of using The Oyster are three-fold:  Safety, Ball Rotation Recognition, and Saving Money.

First and foremost, bright-white baseballs are easier for players to see when on the field, so using The Oyster between practices increases safety on the ball field.  Secondly, repetitive experience with new-looking baseballs enhances training since the red-to-white contrast between seam and leather forces recognition of ball rotation. This is the same type of ball rotation that players experience during game time, so it makes all the sense in the world to practice with pearls (just like the pros). Last but certainly not least, The Oyster will undoubtedly save baseball programs money. Instead of discarding dark and discolored baseballs, coaches will be able to send them into The Oyster and turn them into pearls. This will prolong the life of dozens and dozens of baseballs, saving baseball programs money.  “The Oyster will change the way baseball teams across the country practice, ultimately enhancing The Game for universities, high schools, little leagues, and baseball academies,” said Sam Welsh, co-founder of Between the Lines LLC.

The Oyster is manufactured in the USA, and consists of a sturdy “base” and a specially-designed “drum”. The base is a cube-like structure that contains a rotating shaft and free-standing wheels on the top of the structure. Roughly 2-3 dozen dirty baseballs and specialized elastic cleaning compound are placed in the drum and the drum is placed on the top of the base.  When the machine is turned ON via the built-in timer, the drum rotates for the specified amount of time. As The Oyster drum rotates, the carefully-crafted elastic cleaning compound interacts with the baseballs, lifting the dirt off of the leather without harming the seams. 

This electrifying new baseball cleaning machine, The Oyster, will debut at the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Convention at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, TN on January 6-8, 2011. Check it out at booth 268. For more information about Between the Lines LLC and The Oyster, please visit www.baseballoyster.com , call 866.765.6056, or email contact@baseballoyster.com.

About Between the Lines, LLC

In October of 2009, two brothers, Mike Welsh and Sam Welsh, decided to pursue the design, manufacturing, and selling of baseball cleaning machines. The duo formed Between the Lines LLC in order to pave the way in baseball-cleaning technology. Their first product, The Oyster, is able to clean multiple baseballs simultaneously and will be debuting in January 2011.

Mike Welsh has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing, 12 years of experience in the financial industry, 1 year of experience in the baseball equipment industry, and a lifetime of baseball experience. He was a middle-relief Division I pitcher for the Nicholls State University Colonels in Thibodeaux, Louisiana.

Sam Welsh has a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, 5 years of experience in the human spacecraft industry, and many years of baseball experience. He pitched and played short-stop for the 1995 Texas 4A State Championship team at Coppell High School and then played two years for the Tyler Junior College Apaches in Tyler, TX. 

Here is a little 5-question quiz to test your baseball knowledge. Take a crack then scroll down to see the answers...enjoy!

In honor of winning the World Series this year, here are a few historical facts of the San Francisco Giants. Congratulations to the Giants for defeating a very tough Texas Rangers team.

Over the past decade or so, Major League Baseball has been overshadowed by power hitters blasting towering shots in record-breaking numbers. Most people agree that homeruns are exciting, but teams like this year’s Texas Rangers have shown that scratching and clawing for runs can be even more electrifying. In honor of the Texas Rangers first trip to the World Series in their 50 year franchise history, this blog will discuss the main approach that got them to this elite stage. I’m talking about "small ball".

Generally, the term "small ball" represents an approach to scoring runs by getting runners in scoring position (second or third base) by any means possible. A small ball team will typically give up an out to get a runner in scoring position, or take greater chances on the bases – for instance stealing, stretching singles into doubles, or performing more hit-and-runs. For that reason, small ball teams usually have a good amount of speed and aggression on the pads. This type of team is playing the odds of scoring 1 or 2 runs in an inning and is less likely to have the "big inning" where many runs are scored. Therefore, a small ball team needs to have a quality pitching staff to ensure the opposing team can’t take the lead.

Many teams have no choice to use the small ball approach because they lack consistent hitting throughout the lineup. This isn’t true for the Rangers – they have consistent sticks with power, but still choose to manufacture runs any way possible. This is the way baseball should be played and I hope that the Rangers’ success this year will re-ignite the small ball approach throughout the game. Show the world how it's done Rangers!

To read more about small ball, including its history check out this article.

The Major League Baseball mascot revolution was started in 1964 with "Mr. Met" of the New York Mets. However, the MLB mascot revolution didn't catch fire until the late 1970's after the success of the well-known "San Diego Chicken". Interestingly enough, the famous chicken wasn't San Diego's mascot at all, rather it was a marketing promotion from a local rock station called KGB (Maybe you can use that bit of trivia someday).