A few of the intelligent, attractive, and generous folks who have read my book, Pinch Hitter, have commented that I should’ve written more about the history of pinch hitters in my brief description before Chapter One. Well, I guess I could’ve done that, but Pinch Hitter is a fictional story about a middle-aged man who becomes a pinch-hitting specialist for his local team. Other than a basic description of what a pinch hitter is and does, I didn’t feel it was necessary to bore everyone with the history. In my description, however, I did mention the three top pinch hitters of all time.

For those who are interested in the history of pinch hitters, I recommend they read Stand and Deliver by Paul Votano. In that book, which I only recently discovered, Paul does an excellent job of chronicling the history of pinch hitting beginning in 1892 and ending in 2001.

However, for those who are interested only in how it all began and where things stand in 2008, I offer the following:

Prior to 1892, substitutions of any kind in major league baseball were only allowed in situations where there were injuries. That rule was changed in 1892, however, and the very first pinch hitter was “Princeton Charlie” Reilly. Reilly, who broke into the big leagues in 1889 with the Columbus Solons, played for only eight seasons. Besides being the first pinch hitter, he was also one of the people involved in the formation of the Pacific Coast League.

There have been many successful pinch hitters over the years. The most famous include Smoky Burgess, Jerry Lynch, Gates Brown, José Morales, and one of my all-time favorites, Manny Mota.

Manny Mota played for twenty seasons in the major leagues and, up until 2001, led all pinch hitters with 150 pinch hits. The right-handed hitter was basically a platoon outfielder who was used against left-handed pitchers until 1974. From that year on, he was primarily a pinch hitter. A singles hitter, Mota had the uncanny ability to drive in runs with line drive singles in the later innings. Hall-of-Fame Dodger announcer Vin Scully once said, “Mota could wake up on Christmas morning and hit a line drive to center.”

Mota passed Smokey Burgess on the all-time pinch hitting list with his 146th career pinch hit on September 29, 1979. The Dominican Republic native finished his career in 1982 with a .304 lifetime batting average.

Mota’s record of 150 pinch hits held up for nineteen years. On October 6, 2001, left-hander Lenny Harris took control of that record by collecting his 151st career pinch hit.

Harris, who played eighteen seasons in the majors, ended his career in 2005 with 212 career pinch hits – which is the current record and may never be broken. Harris also holds the record for the number of pinch-hitting at-bats: 804.

Second on the all-time list is Mark Sweeney. At last count, the left-hander, who is currently playing for the Dodgers, had 163 career pinch hits – although he may have added a couple since these stats were compiled. However, in order to surpass Harris’ record, he would need at least three or four more productive seasons. And, being that he’ll be thirty-eight in October and is hitting below .130, that prospect seems unlikely.

One cannot talk about the greatest pinch hitters of all-time without mentioning John Vander Wal, who holds the major league record for the most pinch hits in a season: twenty-eight in 1991. The same applies to Cliff Johnson, who hit twenty pinch-hit home runs during his twenty year career that ended in 1986. Both of those records may hold up for many years.

And then there’s San Diego rookie pinch hitter, David Robbins – oh, wait…he’s just a character in my book. Sorry, folks…sometimes I get a little confused.

Dean Whitney, a semi-retired music producer & publisher and avid baseball fan, recently self-published his debut novel, Pinch Hitter, through BookLocker.com. Dean also writes a baseball blog, which can be found at Dean’s Baseball blog. To learn more about Dean and his baseball novel, visit Dean Whitney.

T J Cloutier is an eminent Professional Poker Player. He has been one of the most influential in this field and many of the beginners of poker consider him to be an ideal for them. T J Cloutier is also a great sportsman as he excelled himself in the field of baseball and football in which he earned distinction of scholarship. The man of diverse personality later joined army and from there he drifted in the world of poker after gathering some painful experience in the world of football.

Within a short range of time, the great man became of the master players of this world and exceeded some of his senior players in talent. Apart from his superb talent in the field of poker, he also participated in two pro football matches with the Montreal Alouettes and the Toronto Argonauts. In addition, he also wrote a number of books along with Tom McEvoy on poker especially dealing with the subjects like Pot-Limit and No-Limit Hold’em series. Besides., he has also written poker articles on Card Player. T J Cloutier is truly a family man having six children and most of his tournaments with his wife Joy.

Among the multiple factors, that altogether make T J Cloutier a legend in the world of poker, is his great gaming talent, unparalleled experience and his great observation power that makes him able to understand the psychology of the opponent players. In one of his many interviews, this amazing player expressed that he can remember almost his every opponent players’ face who have played with him. Most of his junior players respect him more as he has a tremendous well-built career that is garlanded with fame and success. He is the winner of six bracelets and participated in innumerous final tables and tournaments in his entire career. T J Cloutier is one of those rare players of poker who has been honored with the title of Poker Hall of Fame in the year 2006.

So far his specialization is concerned; T J Cloutier has expertise in the tournament games especially in the Pot-Limit Hold’em and No-Limit Hold’em. In addition, the man of great wonder has the credibility to win all the three types of Omaha in the World Series of Poker. All these spectacular achievements have made him one of the masters of the discipline and many of his followers consider him as their icons. However, one fact is that although he has reached several finals and played them, he has won no final event since now.

Nevertheless, most of the times he succeeds to hold the second to the fifth position in the final events of the tournaments. As he is one of the richest players in the world of poker, his total amount of prize money amounts up to $9,250,000 when counted. Apart from his stunning performance in the world of poker, his books also have given him immense popularity allover the world of poker. In fact, his books have been of great help for many of the players. The books deal with the strategies of poker and also the tips to win the games at the final table. In addition to his passion for poker, traveling and golf have been his other interests.

Let Brian Garvin and Jeff West teach you more about T J Cloutier and Poker Chips. This article may be spread around at will provided Resource Box and Links remain as is.

Ladder golf is a new lawn game that is sweeping the country. Sometimes known as bolo toss, ladder golf is an easy game that consists of only a few items – a ladder with three rungs and bolos. A bolo is a 13 inch long piece of nylon string that has a colored golf ball on each end. Bolos come in colored sets of three to separate teams or individuals from each other.

Teams or individuals take turns tossing the bolos at the ladder from approximately 15 feet away. The object of the game is to wrap the bolo around one of the ladder rungs. Each rung is associated with a number of points. For example, the first rung usually counts for three points, the middle counts for 2 points, and the lower rung counts for one point. Of course, the other team or individual can knock your bolo off a rung, which means you get no points for that throw.

At the end of each round (with each person tossing three bolos), the scores are tallied. The goal is for the team or individual to get to a score of exactly 21. If you are close, but go over 21, your points for that round are deducted and you must try again in the next round.

You can purchase ladder golf sets online for between $40 and $70 dollars. But, if you have the time, you can build your own for around $20 in parts and material.

To build your own ladder golf set, you will need 40 feet of PVC pipe. You will also need a dozen PVC t-connectors and a dozen PVC elbow connectors. To make the bolos, you will need 12 golf balls (different colors in sets of three) and nylon rope. Additional tools you will need include a saw, a drill, and scissors. Cut the pipe into 12 one foot long pieces and six 2 foot long pieces. Put a t-connector at the end of each 2 foot piece of pipe then add one of the foot long pieces of pipe into the t-connectors, making sure they point in the same direction. Repeat these instructions twice more to create the ladder rungs.

Using a t-connector, connect two of the two foot pieces of pipe, with the t-connector in the center of the pipe and the open end facing up. Repeat these instructions once again. Use the elbow connectors to add one foot sections to either end to form the base. Push the ladder form into the t-connecters on the base. Repeat these steps to create two more ladders.

To make the bolos, use your drill to put a hole through the center of all 12 golf balls. Cut the nylon rope into 14 inch sections, giving you a half an inch on each end to tie a knot. Put your nylon rope through the hole and tie a knot on one end so it won’t slip out. Put another golf ball through the open end of the nylon rope and secure that end with a knot.

Ladder golf is a fun game that is easy to take with you anywhere and people of all ages will love playing it.

Tom is a writer at newbackyardgames.com where you can learn more about the exciting game of ladder golf.

If you are looking on the Internet for golf swing instruction information you may have come across several good sources of information. There is likely to be a lot of pages with information, some of which will be free and some that you have to pay for. It can be quite hard knowing which is going to be the best.

In a way it is tempting to assume that the information that you buy is going to be better quality than the free stuff, but this may not be the case. Make sure you read plenty of reviews of the information, look carefully at the description of it and make sure that it covers the area that you need information on. It is well worth looking at the source of information and make sure that it either written by a professional or someone who has played for a long period of time.

Also see if there is a sample of the work to read through – make sure that the style of writing is easy for you to read and understand and that the techniques are ones which you think that you can master. Because golf swing instruction is probably one of the most sought after areas of golf, there will be lots of information there.

Before spending money it is probably best to look through the free sources of information. It is well worth taking a methodical approach and with writing down the pages that you have read or working through the search results page by page. Then you will know that you have looked at everything. It may also be worth making some notes of the key points so that you can refer to them before.

It can be very frustrating if you know you found information about something but cannot remember what it was or where it was and have to start searching all over again. It can be good to print out things which you feel are really important so that you have a permanent record.

Perhaps put together a folder or file to keep it all in so that you can delve in and out when you feel that you need to brush up. It is also important to remember that not all of the sources of information that you find will agree. People do not always share the same opinion and so it could be very useful for you to look at lots of sources of information and draw your own conclusions as to which is most likely to be correct or which techniques might work best for you.

The reason that there are many different techniques is because people are all different and so they will find that different things work for them as for others.

This is worth bearing in mind when you are looking through golf swing instruction information and you need to think about your own game and whether things will work specifically for you and what techniques you will find easiest to implement.

For more golf swing instruction, visit the golf instruction site.

Have you ever been told by anyone that you do not have a proper golf swing. Even if you have not been playing for that long you may have observed that this part of your game could do with brushing up a bit and you may have noticed that other people seem to be better at it than others. Initially you may not have how important the swing is to the game as a whole and if you think it through it really makes a lot of sense.

If you can get the first few shots of the point done well then this will not only give you a better chance of potting the ball more quickly but will also boost your confidence too. If you are going to spend some time working hard on one aspect of your game then this should probably be it. If you play the game regularly and keep generally fit you may not have thought that doing any specific golf exercises would benefit you.

However, if you do want to get a better golf swing then you may find that just some gentle golf stretches could start to improve the way you play or maybe doing a workout specifically for golfers could see changes happening faster. Many people do exercises focusing on the core muscles which are the ones used during the swing and find that by regularly doing this they can achieve the proper golf swing that they have been striving for.

There are quite a few different exercises that you can do and it could be worth asking around to see what other players do. You may find that they all do different ones or that some of the ones they do are the same and this will give you an idea of what sorts of things to do.

It could also be worth looking on the Internet, in books and even at videos and DVD’s to get some idea of what types of things to do. It can be quite tricky as they do not always have similar exercises and some of them look quite complicated. Also it is not always easy to tell who has written the website and what expertise they have in the area of golf exercises.

It is important to choose exercises written by an expert in order to guarantee that they will be totally safe for you to do. It could be worth trying just a few each day and seeing whether they have a significant effect on your game. Then you will not be taking up too much time.

If you find that they do not work then perhaps try some other ones and keep at it until you find something that seems to be helping you. Eventually you should be able to get together a personal exercise plan which will not only help you’re your overall fitness but will also help you to achieve a proper golf swing. Why don’t you give it a try and see if it helps you?

For more proper golf swing information, visit the golf swing stretches site.

Sports PLC is pleased to announce the latest golf tournament results from golfballs.co.uk – the number supplier of factory direct golf balls and personalised golf equipment.

Titleist ProV1x golf balls

Player / Tournament:

Ryuji Imada / AT&T Classic

Venue:

TPC Sugarloaf, Duluth, Ga.

Score:

15-under 273

Player / Tournament:

David Mathis / BMW Charity Pro-Am

Venue:

Thornblade Club, Carolina Club, Brights Creek GC and Greer, S.C.

Score:

20-under 266

Titelist Pro V1 golf balls

Player / Tournament:

Andy Bean / Regions Charity Classic

Venue:

Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Ross Bridge, Hoover, Ala.

Score:

13-under 203

Callaway Tour i balls

Player / Tournament:

Lorena Ochoa / Sybase Classic

Venue:

Upper Montclair CC, Clifton, N.J.

Score:

10-under 206

Nike One Platinum ball

Player / Tournament:

Shingo Katayama / Japan PGA Championship

Venue:

Raysum G&SR, Gumma, Japan

Score:

23-under 265

Nike One Black ball

Player / Tournament:

Richard Finch / Irish Open

Venue:

Adare Manor Hotel & GC, Adare, Ireland

Score:

10-under 278

The tournament results service from Golfballs.co.uk is the second initiative of this type from Sports PLC in two years. The Sports HQ in 2007, launched its own golf resource to feature up-to-the-minute news, events and articles – including reviews of the latest golf clubs to expert advice on selecting the correct golf equipment; tips for maintaining and achieving the best results from your golf equipment to in-depth biographies of famous players from past to present.

Other Results

Latest golf ball tournament results from 15th to 21st September 2008. All results are posted weekly to this website and include details of which brand of golf ball is used by which professional golfer from the previous week.

Golf Ball Brand - Player / Tournament - Venue - Score

Titleist Pro V1 Camilo Villegas / Tour Championship East Lake Golf Club 7-under 273

Gonzalo Fernndez-Castao / Quinn Insurance British Masters The Belfry/West Midlands U.K. 12-under 276

Callaway Tour i Lorena Ochoa / Navistar LPGA Classic RTJ Golf Trail - Capitol Hill 15-under 273

Callaway Tour ix Eduardo Romero / Prestonwood Country Club Prestonwood Country Club 15-under 201

Latest golf ball tournament results from 15th to 21st September 2008. All results are posted weekly to this website and include details of which brand of golf ball is used by which professional golfer from the previous week.

Golf Ball Brand - Player / Tournament - Venue - Score

Bridgestone B330-S Will MacKenzie / Viking Classic Annandale Golf Club 19-under par 269

TaylorMade TP Red LDP Matt Bettencourt / Oregon Classic Shadow Hills Country Club 19-under par 269

Latest golf ball tournament results from 8th to 14th September 2008. All results are posted weekly to this website and include details of which brand of golf ball is used by which professional golfer from the previous week.

Golf Ball Brand - Player / Tournament - Venue - Score

Titleist Pro V1x - R.W. Eaks / Greater Hickory Classic - Rock Barn Golf & Spa - 16-under 200

Robert Karlsson / Mercedes-Benz Championship - Gut L

Buying golf bags is an important investment. Get it right first time with the help of these FAQ’s

Buying a new golf bag, whether it’s your first or your third, can be a trial if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Buying the wrong style, size or shape can be a costly mistake that you will want to avoid. These are some of the most frequently asked questions about golf bags that should help you make the perfect purchase.

Q Should I buy a bag with single or double shoulder straps?

Most manufacturers make their golf bags with double straps, as these are far less damaging to the back and shoulders. But do make sure you go for double, and use them to distribute the weight of your golf bag evenly across your body as you walk around the course.

Q What’s a Carry Bag?

This is the golf bag that you will probably end up buying. This style is much lighter and less bulky than the professional tour bags you see being used in matches, and can be carried around the course by the average golfer. Some models come with a built-in stand so you can prop your golf bag upright beside you, giving you easy access to your clubs without straining your back.

Q When might I need a Sunday bag?

The Sunday Bag or Pencil Bag is an ultra-light slim golf bag designed for shorter and social games. They’re pretty useless in wet weather as lightweight, non-waterproof fabrics are generally used to reduce weight. These golf bags have very few storage pockets for your accessories, so don’t expect to be able to stuff one of these with towels and gloves. If you’re starting out in golf or only play occasionally, this would be an ideal purchase, as it’s a smaller investment and is the ideal size for a few clubs.

Q Why do golf bags have compartments?

Imagine 14 golf clubs in a bag without dividers. You’d spend half your time rooting around trying to find the right iron, whilst the players behind you stamp their feet impatiently. With dividers you can separate your longer driver and fairway metals from your medium irons, and then your short irons and wedges. A good feature that many golf bags sport is a separate slot of outside container for your putter.

Q Does my golf bag need a hood?

If you’re playing in wet climates a hood will keep your bag and equipment dry. If you travel a lot, it will offer extra protection and security.

Q Why do prices for golf bags vary so much?

Mainly because the materials used to make golf bags vary. A lightweight nylon fabric is going to cost much less leather or PVC. Some designer brands make exclusive golf bags that are only suitable for the very rich!

Q Is the colour of my golf bag important?

The colour and design of golf bags is mostly a matter of choice, but if you’re playing in winter or when it’s wet, avoid white or cream. Manufacturers have got a lot bolder with their golf bags, and you can now have a bright pink one if that’s your thing!

Neil Bennett with Golfandsports provides you best information to choosing golf clubs including junior and ladies golf clubs. He also provides you details on golf sets and golf equipment.

Many golfers think that the best way to keep fit and tone up for the game is to do golf strength and conditioning workouts. Others feel that a general workout is enough and some people do not do any exercise between games at all. The reason for doing a workout specifically tailored towards the needs of golfers is so that you target the muscle groups that you use during the game.

Of course some people play golf to keep fit and so perhaps a more general workout would be more suitable for them as they are probably more interested in working the whole of their body. Whichever of these you agree with it is important to at least do some exercise between games.

It will at least help to protect your body against injury and strain and could even significantly improve the way that you play. Even if you do not have a lot of time on your hands, you could still do some simple stretches or maybe do a workout just occasionally.

It is well worth finding out whether you can attend a class which offers this type of golf strength and conditioning workouts or if you would rather do it in your own home, see if you can find any on video or DVD.

You can probably find examples of exercises on the Internet or in magazines but it is important to watch someone demonstrating how to do them properly as doing an exercise incorrectly can be much worse than not doing it at all as you could end up putting undue strain on certain areas of the body and cause yourself an injury.

If when you are trying something new, it hurts then stop immediately and think through what you were doing and whether you were doing it correctly. If you cannot get a grasp of what you should be doing, then do not attempt that exercise again.

It is also useful if you do the workout on a regular basis. The more that you do it, the stronger your muscles will become and you will continue to improve when you play the game. You will also find that it becomes part of your daily routine. However, it is also important to get a balance and make sure that you are not over tiring yourself.

If you are not used to doing too much exercise then it may be worth seeing a doctor first and taking things very easy when you begin. You can always go slower than you are supposed to and build up to doing the full routine once you get fitter.

As you do more workouts you should see your game improving and in turn that should encourage you to do more golf strength and conditioning workouts. You do need to be careful not to overdo it and tire yourself out as that will not help your game.

This is usually not a problem for most golfers as they are typically lazy anyways, so it’s a “non” issue.

For more golf strength and conditioning workouts information, visit the golf workout program site.

Seeing a player dribble and attack defenders, feinting one way and then the next, or performing a series of stops and starts is one of the most exciting parts about watching soccer and developing great dribbling skills is one of the mandatory skills required of anyone that is learning how to play soccer

Basically, dribbling basically running with the ball, although there are a few fundamental things that you need to know.

Firstly

The best technique when dribbling is to use the outside of the foot where ever possible. This enables you to run normally, and so more efficiently and faster. Of course if you change direction or make a feint, then you will use the inside of your foot or the instep (the top of your foot), but practising running and dribbling with the outside of your foot is the way to go!

Secondly

You need to keep the ball as close to you as possible, so that the opposition cannot get the ball. How close is that? Well it depends on where the opposition is and how fast they are. If they area is congested and there are lots of defenders, then you will need to keep the ball within touching distance at all times, that is about a foot or so away. If there is a lot of space, and you want to get forward very quickly, then keeping the ball about 5 yards away whilst running fast allow you to run faster. There are times when you are not really dribbling but running with the ball, and there will be times when it is to you advantage to “knock” the ball past the defender and chase it, especially if you are confronted with the last defender and there is a lot of space behind the defender. Can you guess what the advantages are? The knock and run turns the challenge into a foot race, so if you are faster, then you will probably have a chance to shoot. If the defender gets there first, you still have an advantage because he is facing the wrong way and you will get the chance to put pressure on him while he is facing the wrong way, and may get a throw in or even better, a corner.

Thirdly

When dribbling, particularly when close control is needed, it is far better to keep as low as possible, by bending the knees a little. By doing this it is easier to deceive your opponents and change direction. Being lower to the ground will give you more agility with your legs, and you will be more flexible.

How should you practice?

If you are by yourself, then there is little option but to dribble around stationary objects like cones, but try and make it game like and ensure that there is enough intensity in what you are doing to put pressure on yourself. Simply going through the motions just wont cut it!

If there are two of you, then a game of 1v1 where there are two goals set 20yards apart and you can score in either goal. You start by both of you having your back to the goals and one player tossing the ball over their head into the playing area and the other player saying “GO”. Having two goals that either player can score in will encourage turning and faking, a much needed skill in dribbling.

If you have a whole team at training, the using the dribbling square is a fantastic drill.

Mark out a square of 20by20yards and have equal numbers of players on each side, with all players facing inwards to the other side of the square, and each player has a ball. On your command the players dribble across the square to the other side and then back again. The traffic and sheer number of players in the square forces players to look up to avoid collisions and to look for space to explode into, much like a game. This drill is so much better that dribbling through cones.

Nigel Reed has been involved in soccer during the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s as a player and has been coaching youth soccer in Australia since 2000. Nigels main soccer webite has detailed information on How to play soccer as well as a number of Free Soccer Drills Good luck with your coaching

It seems everything from golf clothing from the sweaters down to the gloves have had the designer touch.

Golf gloves and fashion

Thanks to the likes of Catherine Zeta Jones, golf clothing and even humble golf gloves have been targeted by major fashion designers. Film stars and celebrities, especially the women like Heather Locklear and Cameron Diaz, have all made ordinary items like golf gloves and other clothing for the game, desirable gifts for women of all ages.

Jewel-encrusted golf gloves

Check out the must-buy lists in any glossy magazine, and chances are you’ll come across designer golf gloves or clothing that have graced the hands of the likes of Jones and Diaz. There are now designer leather golf gloves, hand-beaded with a rainbow of Swarovski crystals, 14k gold and sterling silver. Whether or not it will improve your golf swing is another matter. Perhaps it is inevitable that where celebrities go, designer goods will follow.

Rich sports’

Golf, alongside skiing and tennis are the new rich sports’ according to the editorial director of the lifestyle bible, Wallpaper. Now, so much of the game is about how you look in your golf clothing and whose designer gloves you wear, that he’s even launched a new magazine that isn’t interested in golf per sae but in the golf clothing, accessories, equipment and gloves the lifestyle and the glamorous locations that go with the sport.

Designer golf gloves

Well known designers such as Gucci and Prada have all jumped on the golf bandwagon and have designer label golf gloves that will cost you the earth, as well as other golf clothing and accessories including tee bags and visors. It’s thought that the brands are cashing in on the rich-sport craze, kicked off by the huge amount of celebrity golfers from the old school like Sean Connery right up to snake-hips Justin Timberlake.

Golf clothing is cool

Sports that used to be unfashionable are now cool. There was a time the only golf clothing about was polyester with grandpa-sweaters and flared trousers, and you wouldn’t be caught dead in it not even wearing golf gloves. But now thanks to the likes of Tiger Woods and the celebrity golfers, the game has become a younger pastime, hence the fact designers are queuing up to launch their own ranges of golf clothes, including jewel-encrusted golf gloves.

If you are after reasonably priced golf clothing and gloves, why not visit Sports HQ. Sports HQ offer a wide range of golf clothing, including gloves, for players who are more interested in the game than in fashion.

Sports HQ is the European division for Confidence Sporting Goods, inc., the famous manufacturer from Palm Springs , California . We sell a huge range of sporting equipment, including golf clothing and gloves. Because we sell directly to you, you can expect to save up to 70% on normal retail prices when buying from us.

About Forgan

Forgan is the oldest golf club factory in the world, dating back to the earliest years of what would later become the Royal and Ancient golf club, the sport’s traditional custodians. In 1819, its forerunner, the Society of St Andrews Golfers, appointed Allan Robertson as a ball-maker and Hugh Philip, a local carpenter, as its club-maker.

Duncan White with Forgangolf provides you best information of custom golf clubs including custom made and built golf clubs. He is expert in provide details about custom fit golf clubs and golf clubs custom fitting.