Baseball by the Numbers

If you read my blog post from last week, you know that I was MIA due to a few wonderful days at the beach. Oh, and on that note, I somehow failed to upload the pics of the actual decorated Bubba Keg to my blog, so they're up now if you want to take a look!

Also, yesterday on Instagram I revealed that I will be spending my summer interning for MASN (Mid-Atlantic Sports Network) and I could not be more excited for it. I love that things are falling into place for this summer and can't wait for it all to start on Monday. Actually, I am really enjoying this weekend of doing absolutely nothing so that might have been a bit of a lie.

Part of my R and R weekend is going to a Washington Nationals game later today. I love baseball (obviously) and an afternoon at a ballpark is my ideal summer afternoon! That being said, it's a bit chilly and cloudy today...what gives, mother nature? In light of my internship and afternoon plans, I have decided to do Baseball By the Numbers:

1- Number of Hot Dogs You Should Eat

2- Maximum Number of Strike you can get on Foul Balls

2:57- Average Game Length

3- Strikes in an out and Outs in half an inning (aka each team gets 3 outs)

4- Number of Balls for a Walk

6-4-3 or 5-4-3- Common Double Play Combos (shortstop-second-first or third-second-first) each position on the field has an assigned number

9- Numbers of Players in the Field

16- Ounces in a Beer

30- Number of Teams in the MLB

60-70- Number of Baseballs Used Per Game

396.5- Average Home Run Distance

xoxo,

SSP

The Friday Five: Peanuts and Cracker Jacks

Let's Play Ball! Yes, ladies and gents, it is that time of year again, probably my favorite time of year. March 31st is officially Opening Day for MLB (though there's a game on the 30th) and I am so ready. One of the best and worst things about spending my Spring Break in Florida is that I get a taste of baseball and warm weather again, only to have to come home and anxiously await it's arrival in Charlottesville.

Before I go any further though, I just want to make sure that all y'all are going to tune in to see the Virginia Basketball Team beat Michigan State tonight! The game is at 9:57 (late, I know...) and everyone should be in their best blue and orange ready to cheer on the Cavaliers! Anyways, in honor of Opening Day, today's Five on Friday is baseball themed to get you ready for the season ahead.

1) The Captain Says Farewell

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Is it even remotely surprising that I am kicking off this list with my main man? Nope. Well, this is Derek Jeter's last season as a professional baseball player and my Yankees are going to rely on him pretty heavily in that infield with weak support at 2nd and 3rd. (hopefully Teixeira has a good season at 1st though). This farewell tour is going to be rough since we are just getting over the loss of Mo, but I'm confident that I speak for all Yankees fans when I say that we are so grateful for all the years, rings, and memories with him! #2 on the field, but #1 in our hearts!

2) Make Opening Day a National Holiday

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This was actually a White House petition and it received its 100,000 signatures much faster than anticipated. As a result, President Obama's White House will have to decide if the Opening Day of America's Favorite Pastime is worthy of a national holiday.

3) 10 Games to Watch in 2014

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Sports Illustrated compiled a list of the 10 games to watch in 2014 for those of you who are interested in watching more than just the team you're a diehard fan for. Notice the Yankees are absent from this list, yet another sign of the struggles that seem to await us this season. That being said, I think Derek Jeter's final game as a Yankee is going to be one to watch (through blurry tear-filled eyes) as the last of the Core Four heads to retirement.

4) Beat the Streak

Tired of looking at your abysmal March Madness bracket? Well sign up for MLB.com's Beat the Streak. The longest hitting streak in the MLB is held by a former Yankee, Joe DiMaggio, and it stands at 56 games. In this online MLB game, or app, you will pick a player (or double down with 2) each day and if they get a hit, your streak is extended by one. It is a fun game to play, even if you end up getting your streak busted pretty early. Plus this year there are scratch-off prizes for short streaks as well! I think it's a fun way to keep up with how players around the league are performing, so if you're a baseball fan this is definitely worth checking out.

5) LA Dodgers Are Paying the Big Bucks

{via}

Guess what? We can stop giving the Yankees so much flack about financing a huge payroll because this year, the Dodgers are doing it even bigger. Yes, for the first time in 15 years, the Yankees do not have the highest payroll by $33 million...which means that even if A-Roid wasn't banned, the Dodgers would still claim that title. Oh, and the Yankees are the highest-valued franchise in America, so really their payroll is proportional to what they bring in, right? Yes, it's a bit of a stretch...

Are you ready for baseball to start?

xoxo,

SSP

Take Me Out To The Ballgame...Spring Training

Thank God it is warm again today because going from 75 and sunny in Florida to 30 degrees here yesterday was a rough transition. That being said, I am still daydreaming about being in Florida and watching baseball. My perfect lazy afternoon would be spent at a baseball stadium and Spring Training is a great way to do that. As you may notice in my pictures, the parks are much more intimate than a normal stadium and the overall atmosphere is much more relaxed. One of my greatest memories of Spring Training was a couple of years ago, in seats similar to the ones we had in the picture below, and Nick Swisher interacting and joking with the fans (including myself) during the game. 

beer and baseball: a great combo

How else is Spring Training different? Well, the number of guys there is significantly higher than a roster, especially in the first couple of weeks. It is always exciting to see the non-roster invitees because they're the minor league players who are (hopefully) the future of the franchise, or at least trade material for other players. Yankees fans tend to be more invested in their farm system after the Core Four. Of course, ownership's approach to the farm system has changed over the years...but that's probably something that none of y'all care about.

Since there are so many players, sometimes combinations like this pop up and you just can't help but chuckle a bit...

I didn't take this, but it made me laugh

It is a great environment to watch baseball, even if you aren't a fan of the teams playing. Honestly, we were just happy to be wearing shorts for once! 

Beer and Baseball again! Loving that I'm in Lilly and Jacks and the
boys are in Chubbies and Sperrys...so typical for our family

Oh, and to see those players we've had a crush on since we were 5...

Or pictures with the now-retired number of one of your all-time favorites...

And to see famous people throw out the first pitch! Can you even tell that's Richard Gere? He was going seriously incognito in that outfit...

Getting to enjoy dinner and drinks outside was also a huge perk!

Frenchy's Iconic Grouper Sandwich...it's so good!

 Basically we were just happy to be there taking it all in!

Oh, and sometimes you fish on the same boat as a Yankees player, 5 minutes after he gets off! Gosh, I wish I had realized that is why I recognized the guy getting into the car next to us as we pulled up to the marina. 

we went fishing

If you get the chance to get to a game in Arizona or Florida, definitely do it! The parks are small so there really isn't a bad seat and it's so much fun to explore all the different parks and the towns they're located in! Even if you aren't a dedicated fan but an afternoon of having sun warming your skin at a ballpark sounds appealing, this is the place for you. Not everyone there is a diehard fan, though you will definitely find some...

What a dedicated fan! How many people do you think take a picture with that truck?

Well, it's back to reality for me, how did you spend your Spring Break?

xoxo,

SSP

P.S. Congrats to my Cavaliers on winning today!!!

5 days, 15 outfits

Spring Break is so dang close. I am basically checked out now because my exam got moved to the week after break because of the snow day and I am so ready to get to Florida. Before I get there though, I need to plan and pack. And when I say plan, I mean plan. I won't get home until tomorrow afternoon and we have to leave for the airport on Saturday before the sun even thinks about waking up. One of the greatest parts about this trip I'm going on is that we do so many things, and at the same time, that means I need multiple outfits every day and I am a already chronic over-packer. I can't help it, I like clothes and I like to have options. True story: Last year, my bag was 1lb over the weight limit, so I reached into my bag and pulled out my jewelry case. I put it back on the scale and I was 1.5lbs under the weight limit...I seriously wish I had a picture of my Dad's face in that moment, the shock/horror was priceless.

That being said, I need to make sure that I don't run into that issue again this year so a packing plan is a go for me. I already know that I need an outfit for...
running each morning

days at the beach

an afternoon at the ballpark/shopping/being a tourist

going out to dinner at night
(keeping in mind that even if it's hot during the day, it will feel much chillier as the temperature drops and the sun goes away)

I know my actual Spring Break plans might not be the most common, but the outfits that it requires are pretty much the same for any beach vacation coming your way. How do you fit all those outfits into one suitcase? Borrow space from your brothers! Just kidding...kind of. Here is a packing list to minimize stressing over that. A quick tip for this list is to make sure that your basics are wearable with a few combinations. Even if this means you pack all basics and jewelry to spice up an outfit, it will be worth saving the space.

Don't forget, this is the packing list of a chronic overpacker going on a trip requiring several outfit changes...you can make it on much less than this.
Also, pack efficiently, if you lay it out ahead of time, you will pack smarter and figure out what needs to go in the suitcase and what can be packed in a carry on.

Are you ready for Spring Break? Where are y'all escaping to for the week?

xoxo,
SSP

SATC Sunday: Perfect Afternoon

"Miranda was a big fan of the Yankees. I was a big fan of being anywhere you can smoke and drink at two in the afternoon without judgement"

-Carrie

This quote is perfect to today. I got to go to the Nationals game with one of my good friends, Rebecca, this afternoon and we had a great time. Most of you probably don't know this, but I am a sports-aholic. I seriously could watch sports all day, every day. My perfect afternoon is a baseball game. Actually it is really just a perfect day for me. My brothers and I are (hoping) to go to the Nationals Single-A team's game on Wednesday after work, depending on how moving is going at that point. The game would be even more perfect if Bryce Harper plays a rehab game that night. 

This is another crazy week leading up to a glorious week at the beach with my family next week, but totally worth it to get my vacation time in!

What is your perfect lazy Sunday afternoon?

xoxo,
SSP