I grew up in the heart of Texas, and how enjoyable it was. I loved Abilene and had a great childhood there as far as the settings go. In the household though, things were very different.

As a youngster, for the first few years of my life, I had a great life. My mother and father raised me in a wonderful Christian household. I was brought to church with them every week, never missing a day. My parents were both raised in the church so naturally they were going to do the same with me. Even at the age of three I remember playing in the nursery with other children. I remember going to Vacation Bible School and learning about stories in the Bible (mainly David and Goliath) even as a young child.

It wasn’t until five that my life was turned upside down. My mother got a new job that required her to work on Sunday’s and my father decided to do work around the house on Sunday’s. My days in the church were over at that time. A year later my mother and father began to grow distant. My father began to work late and not come home until almost the next morning. My mother stopped trying to figure things out and they ended up divorcing when I was 8. In the meanwhile, I was around constant fighting for two years.

My mother assured me that they would be okay as a couple, but she was obviously telling me this to put my mind at ease. It took them another two years before they could really tell me what was going on, and my father would even stop by on occasion to make it look like they were still a happy couple. I knew this wasn’t the case.

If there’s anything good that I can share about this experience, it’s the fact that I listened to a lot of radio between the ages of eight and ten. The music would be nice and loud so that I didn’t hear my parents yelling at one another, and there was one point in time where I came across a baseball game on AM radio. I was unfamiliar with the sport at the time.

I would try to listen to a game every day as I learned more about the sport and the different terms. It took me a while to catch on, but I figured it out as time went by. My father would always speak of the Rangers and Nolan Ryan, and I loved hearing the team play each and every day.

Every time my dad came by, I would always close my door, blast the radio, and hope to hear the Rangers on it. My mother came to realize my obsession with the team and she bought me a hat that I would wear every single day. This was during the 1983 season and the team wasn’t great, but it was so much fun to hear them win.

The Rangers are still just as special to me today as they were in 1983. It’s my favorite thing to see the Rangers play, and it all stems back to my childhood. They helped me through some rough years, and I’ll never forget that.

Few times in my life have I witnessed a media story that’s been as dragged out as this whole baseball steroids scandal. The latest in the saga involves David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, who both allegedly tested positive for steroids a few years back while playing for the Red Sox.

Don’t get me wrong I love David Ortiz. He has been not only the biggest clutch hitter in Red Sox history (Game 4 and 5 of the 2004 ALCS filed in every Sox fan’s memory), but a pretty stand up guy. Now him too!? You know what I really don’t care if he used it! Almost every power hitter since the late 80’s has.

Bonds (damn his head is 5 times bigger than in his Pirate days). Palmeiro (Lied in front of Congress. Nixon would have been proud). Sosa (Yeah he also used corked bats). McGwire (I remember his record breaking home run, watching it at an Atlanta Hooters. Great synthetic memory!). Manny (He probably doesn’t even know he took them). A-ROD (Millions of dollars of pressure on him plus he had to keep up with the Toronto exotic dancer tabs). Canseco (He has been dead on with this scandal and lone truthful source).

When the rest of these guys were filling up stat sheets in the late 90s due to their steroid use, David Ortiz was struggling in Minnesota and his career was on the ropes.

It seems like many people would naturally gravitate toward something that so many others were already doing if they wanted to save their multimillion dollar careers.

Then there’s this whole list that they’re holding back on us as if we’re dogs looking for a treat. The players already “busted” for their steroid use have to hang their heads in shame while the rest of the baseball cheating world is protected by this list.

This story is old news already. How long does the media plan to drag it out for before the finally decide to release this list?!

I’ve had enough of all of the negativity in the baseball world, and I’m really happy to know that football season is just around the corner. I can’t wait to stop hearing everyone fret about steroids, and begin the talk about some good old-fashioned football!

It is critical to throw with proper pitching mechanics if you want to throw at any high level in Baseball. Not only will you minimize your chances of an arm injury if you throw the ball correctly, you will be able to throw harder and have better control of every pitch you have in your arsenal.

One thing you need to understand is that pitching mechanics are not the same for everyone. There are those pitchers who throw sidearm, three-quarter arm slot and others who throw at a ninety degree angle. One thing coaches need to consider when teaching young athletes appropriate mechanics is to ensure they never mess with the arm slot of a pitcher. Many coaches out there will look at a great pitcher like Nolan Ryan and try to mold each pitcher like him. That is a mistake, although there are great pitching mechanic lessons to learn from the master himself, Nolan Ryan, not everyone will have the same arm slot Nolan does, nor the tree trunk legs.

A lot of parents and coaches ask me how proper technique will help their athletes throw the ball faster. This is a very valid question and one that requires some explaining. The majority of power comes from the arm in most little league pitchers, this not only puts undue stress on the arm, it lowers the velocity of each pitch they throw. It makes perfect since for every pitcher to throw with their entire body, not just their arm. It would make sense then, that if a pitcher did use their entire body in unison to the pitch that they would generate more velocity on the ball. It is not uncommon for a pitcher to gain at least five miles an hour once they understand and put to practice common pitching technique.

To maximize your ability to throw harder and throw more strikes; you should use your body in a way that allows you to transfer energy appropriately toward your target. Pitchers get into trouble with their control, velocity and are prone to arm injury; if they throw with poor technique. Pitchers should have great pitching mechanics along with good functional strength and flexibility. Appropriate nutrition and good genetics are also required if a pitcher wants to compete at a higher level.

To conclude, throwing the ball the right way, with correct pitching technique is important for your success on the mound. If you are a pitcher who wants to go to the next level, you need to be an avid student of the game and learn more about pitching technique and proper delivery of the baseball.

After a deal was constructed for the new Shea Stadium to receive $20 million a year from Citi Group for naming rights, the stadium was named Citi Field. Not a bad day at the office considering the team is looking at $400 million in the next 20 years. Then of course, you have the Sterling area that will be named after Delta Airlines as well as a substantially large area behind home plate. However, this is just the beginning to many benefits the stadium has for its fans.

While there are a number of benefits which will be available to fans at the new stadium, increased seating will not be one of these amenities. Citi Field will have a seating capacity of 45,000, down from Shea’s 57,000. The improvements which Citi Field features include seven additional elevators, 80 more restroom facilities, 2 more restaurants, 700 additional wheelchair accessible seats and 9 extra luxury suites.

Other things you’ll be able to enjoy is the improvement from 4 to 11 elevators, over 700 more seats for wheelchairs, 9 more luxury suites, 2 additional restaurants, and almost 80 more restroom facilities. Even things you won’t necessarily notice on your own like the dimensions of the seats, which make the games more comfortable watching. While all the benefits are great, the most important factor for the city is that the New York Mets are positioned to be there until at least 2049.

It’s hard to believe that this may have never happened so soon considering the original plans were built around winning the bid to hold the 2012 Olympics. However, everything fell through and eventually opened the door to the Mets organization for a new stadium. Granted, it would have happened anyways, but the timing couldn’t have been better. So take a look at all the images of construction and the computerized blueprint of what the finished product looks like.

In a short time, you’ll be able to experience it for yourself and enjoy everything that Citi Field has to offer. Even though there will no longer be new memories in Shea, the old ones will live in our hearts for eternity. As we move forward, it becomes evident that this new stadium begins a new chapter into the history of the New York Mets. Will you be a part of it?

While Barry Bonds is known as an incredible baseball player, it is other things about him which may eventually be what he is remembered for. Bonds won four MVP awards as an outfielder, four years in a row. He played in the 2007 World Series and is one of the most widely known players in the sport. In 2006, he surpassed even Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron in home runs.

However, this was not accomplished under ideal circumstances, there were already stories of steroid use, and Bonds was not loved dearly by a majority of fans. This feeling was apparently very mutual and Bonds has never been one to bite back hostile words. Even Hank Aaron became disillusioned and disenchanted, and at the end of the history making record chase, refused to attend any more of Bonds’ games. He has a standing record of 762 homeruns giving him sole possession of first place. Bonds also holds records for most homeruns in a single season-73. There are numerous records and accolades that belong to Bonds, but no ball team would sign him during the 2008 season.

With a jet setting career and a financial future already assured, this godson of the great Willie Mays, came under significant scrutiny regarding the well-publicized Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative case, and was charged and indicted with perjury. He had apparently lied about steroid use when he was under oath and the courts held him accountable for his actions.

This has cast a pall over his entire career. Fans questioned the validity of his MVP awards and his achievements within the game - and the league itself has also expressed concern. Achievements which came through the use of steroids, the reasoning goes, are not to be valued as highly as those accomplished solely through an athlete’s natural faculties.

This overshadowed an impressive baseball career that started out in high school. As he was finishing his final term in high school, Bonds was approached by the Giants. As he finished his high school career, the negotiations between Bonds and the Giants were not going as well as projected, and college seemed like a better choice. He continued to play baseball in college and excelled during this time, including seven consecutive hits during the College World Series. He was then named the All American selection that year by Sporting News.

Barry Bonds is still facing obstruction of justice charges that will not be heard in court until March of 2009. The federal prosecutor had submitted paperwork with a typo, alleging that the steroid use, which Bonds still argues he did not take knowingly, was tested for, and found positive in 2001 rather than the year 2000. This year makes a difference due to testing laws that were not implemented until a later date.

Bonds has been spending his time away from the diamond by working with children’s hospitals, a public service which has comforted many sick and even terminally ill children. Bonds holds an honorary chairmanship from the Macy’s Tree Lighting committee - this committee raises money for UCSF Children’s Hospital Palliative Care Program, a children’s hospice.