Break out the peanuts, Cracker Jacks and a cold beer (maybe wait until lunchtime on this one) because the boys of summer are back. You’re going to be a baseball expert after reading today’s Five Things to Know.
We’re looking forward to Friday where we’ll have a preview for this weekend’s NCAA Final Four games.
We can barely stand the excitement,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Five things to know about MLB (Major League Baseball)
MLB’s Opening Day is on Monday so in the spirit of the game we bring you all you need to know to join the conversation.
- The regular season is a long one, 162 games. (In comparison, NBA regular season is 82 games and NFL 16 games). The regular season stretches from April to September.
- MLB consists of 30 teams and is divided into the American League (AL) and National League (NL).
- The game is divided up into nine innings. The visiting team always bats first. (Easy way to remember - they’re the guests…home team uses their manners and lets them go first). “Top of the inning" is the first half of the inning in which the visiting team hits and “bottom of the inning” is when the home team hits.
- The All-Star Game will be held on July 12th at Petco Park in San Diego, CA – home of the San Diego Padres. The team (American/National) that wins the All-Star Game gains home field advantage in the World Series.
- Despite the long season, baseball is the only sport where the season starts and finishes in the same calendar year.
NBA (National Basketball Association)
Stand up for your rights. The City of Atlanta asked the NBA to consider moving the 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte to Atlanta after North Carolina lawmakers passed legislation that limits protections for the LGBT community. (Refresher - North Carolina Gov. McCrory signed a bill which critics say is discriminatory against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons). The NBA said "thanks but no thanks and hopefully they can work things out before the 2017 All-Star Game."
- A little RnR needed. Los Angeles Clippers star Chris Paul, an important part of Team USA, has announced that he will not participate in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil because “his body is telling him he needs more time off.”
Overtime
McDonald’s High School Basketball All-Star Game takes place tonight at 8 pm (EST) on ESPN. Tune in to see the best of high school basketball and the future college basketball stars. The game touts big name alumni like Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal.
Sideline Stat
- In soccer news, USA beat Guatemala (4-0) on Tuesday to keep their 2018 World Cup hopes alive. This win is significant because with a loss Team USA would all but have been eliminated from the 2018 World Cup.
Coaches’ Corner
The difference between the American League (AL) and the National League (NL) in Major League Baseball is the designated hitter. A designated hitter (DH) is a player who only bats and does not play a position in the field. He bats in place of the pitcher, but not in the NL where the pitchers have to bat for themselves. Baseball is the only professional sport that has such a drastic difference between the leagues.
