Tag: baseball (Page 1 of 2)

We’re Talking Baseball and Lacrosse: Notre Dame Surprises, UVA Dominates

27 May, 2010 / Kat

This weekend is chock-full of college lacrosse and baseball, as the NCAA Lacrosse Championships take place in Baltimore, Maryland, and the conference championships are occuring in college baseball.

To prepare for both, check out my overview of the University of Virginia baseball team and their dominance thus far this season for The College Baseball Blog, and my overview of Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team and their surprise appearance in the Final Four after a so-so season for Examiner.

I promise original content will return to this blog this weekend, when I have time to sit down and write for hours on end.

We’re Talking Baseball…

1 May, 2010 / Kat

Joe Leonard is having an awesome season for Pitt. (Photo: Pitt Athletics)

I just started writing for The College Baseball Blog, one of the premiere websites for college baseball coverage. My first piece for the site is a profile of Pitt junior third baseman Joe Leonard, who is having an amazing season for the Panthers. Pitt currently sits second in the Big East.

If you are coming to visit this site for the first time because of that article, then welcome! I am currently redesigning the site and preparing to launch a blog “grand re-opening” sometime in May, so please feel free to come back soon!

In a Four-Year-Old’s World, Jason Bay is Still a Member of the Boston Red Sox.

1 January, 2010 / Kat

Let's Go Fishing - a childhood fave for me and thousands of other kids

Playing “Let’s Go Fishing” with my favorite four-year-old (a cousin of my fiance’s) this New Year’s Day with the dull portion of the Winter Classic flickering in the background, the topic of conversation turned from what kindergarten would be like next year to the Boston Red Sox. Favorite Four-Year-Old, like every child born and raised in the Greater Boston area, understood that he was a Red Sox fan prior to understanding that hands were for picking things up, not chewing on.

Over the summer, Favorite-Four-Year-Old and I had played “Big Papi” and “Jason BAAAYYY” in his backyard – a catch-tag megamix named after his two favorite members of the Red Sox roster. This afternoon, I wondered if he knew what had conspired a few days before.

We held our faux primary colored fishing rods over the faux thrashing primary colored fish. I sighed, and asked the question that had to be asked. “Who is your favorite Red Sox player?”

Favorite Four Year Old’s head snapped up, forgetting about the fish. “Jason BAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!” he exclaimed, proudly, with a giant grin on his face. He quickly returned to faux-fishing.

I was left with a dilemma. Was I susposed to be the one to have the “free agency” talk with Favorite Four-Year-Old, or was this a talk that his father or grandfather needed to have with him? This was an important talk in the life of a young sports fan, and I felt that it needed to come from a close relative, and not just little ol’ me.

I looked around, trying to find Favorite Four-Year-Old’s father. He was busy in another room eating. His grandfather was no where in my sightline either. Favorite Four-Year-Old didn’t seem to sense the turmoil within me.

So I said nothing and set to not lose too poorly in “Let’s Go Fishing.” In that four-year-old’s world, Jason Bay could still be his favorite Red Sox player. If only just for one more day.

Sitting at the Dock of the Bay

6 August, 2009 / Kat

We all have bad days, weeks, months, years. What happens when we suffer from one? We hit the bar, we sneak out of work early, we take a nap, we play with our cats, we get a manicure. And, most of the time, no one gives us a hard time about it.

Unless you’re an athlete. Because if you are an athlete, sports fans – fickle ones, at that – make it their own pastime to comment about your bad day, remind you about your bad day, and hold it over your head for days, weeks, months, years, lifetimes on end.

Heaven forbid said bad day occurs due to an injury. Then you’re “injury prone,” “weak,” “not a professional,” “disingenuous.” Injury equals weakness, and unless the limb is severed, many believe you ought to be out on the field, ice, court, or pitch. Continue reading

There’s No Crying in Vintage Baseball Wear

26 April, 2009 / Kat

I am still working on the eagerly awaited first annual “Sports Girl Kat College Hockey Year End Awards”, and in the meanwhile, have decided to share with you all one of my new latest fashion finds. (Me? Fashionable? Yes.)

Before it was even universally accepted, my casual wear has consisted of sports related shirts and jeans (or jean skirts when the weather obliges.) Thankfully, instead of wearing super large, nearly dress like football jerseys or t-shirts, many lines have come out that cater to women like me. I featured one back in January (CPR Gear) and am featuring yet another one today – Vintage Blue.

"Dottie" a t-shirt by Vintage-Blue

Vintage Blue is a female owned company out of Philadelphia (but with Boston ties – owner Liza Gonclaves was raised in Boston) who hold the exclusive license to The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League images and team names. If you have seen the movie A League of Their Own (and really, who hasn’t?) you know of the AAGPBL, which was the first professional sporting league for women in the 1940s. While a large portion of America’s men were overseas in the World War II effort, women’s baseball took the place of men’s baseball to provide sports fans with professional baseball to watch.

Vintage Blue creates t-shirts and tote bags with images from this classic and unique time in baseball history, all cut quite fashionably. These shirts make kind of-sort of tomboy me look like I actually tried to look awesomely cool. Upon first glance, they just look like retro, comfy shirts with a fun design, but up close, you figure out that the designs are sports related.

"Martha," a very neat V-Neck that I so am buying, by Vintage Blue

In addition, just in time for the end of Earth Week, this line of shirts is eco-friendly, using chemical-free fabric and recycled paper for all tags and marketing materials. The company has been featured in a bunch of recent “Green Expos” along the Eastern Seaboard. They also contribute 5% of their profits to non-profits around the Philadelphia area and beyond, and supporting programs that encourage positive encouragement and outlets for young women.

Right now, Vintage Blue shirts are being sold in the neighborhood outside Phillies home games, at various Philly retailers and at boutiques like Boston’s Bodega. Their full line is available at their website, which also has their line of non-baseball related shirts. Even if you aren’t interested in their shirts, their website is one of the better web designs I have seen recently – graphically, it’s very unique.

The dear ladies of Vintage Blue – most especially Liza – have passed along a coupon for readers of …On Being a Sports Girl: Buy their “Catch a Foul, Steal a Kiss” shirt, and get one of their totes for free. Not too shabby! Thanks Vintage Blue, and keep churning out these fun shirts!

Catch A Foul, Get a Kiss Offer from Vintage Blue

I’m always looking for neat sportswear companies to feature on my blog. If you would like to tell me all about your line, email me at sportsgirlkat@gmail.com