Ken Griffey Jr Research Paper

Thus is the nature of baseball, a fickle game wrought with tradition, the foremost of which is the iron clad law mandating that the game is cruel and will take away as freely as it gives. My father always told me, “Baseball is a game of errors - the best hitters fail seven out of ten times - the key to success is knowing how to deal with the failure.” It is this aspect of the game, its want to frustrate and demoralize the player, that I think has driven most of my

“Every strike brings me closer to the next home run”(Babe Ruth). I was wondering how much baseball really affected my life and the choices I make. The answer is a lot, and it still continues to leave a mark on this life I love. Over the many years of my involvement in the game I have learned that life is full of ups and downs. Baseball teaches people to bounce back from negatives, this I believe.

I was born in Independence, MO on November 14, 1999. I was born into a sports family. My great grandpa and grandpa started teaching me baseball as soon as I could hold one. My great grandma and grandpa babysat me while my Mom was at work. He would sit on the floor and roll the ball to me. When it got warmer, we would go outside and play on his deck. I have loved baseball ever since. Sports have always been my passion. I play baseball and basketball. I started playing basketball my freshman year of high school and started playing baseball as soon as I was ready. There was never a time in my life where I wanted to stop playing sports, never once. I have never had a coach that has made me want to quit playing. If I had a coach that hated me, I paid attention to myself and didn’t let him get to my head about playing the game. I am going to try so hard to go as far as possible with baseball. I want to play baseball for the rest of my life. It’s what I’ve wanted to do since I was in middle school. I’ve known what I wanted to do with my life for the longest time. Sports are “my everything” and

Ever since I could remember, I have always had a great interest and love for the game of baseball. As a kid, I would spend countless hours in the backyard with my grandfather, or even by myself, tossing, hitting and fielding a baseball. When I wasn't in the yard pretending to be Nomar Garciaparra I would watch the Boston Red Sox games on TV with my Grandfather.  Even in my early adolescence, as impatient as most are, I had the patience to sit there and watch the Sox.With my eyes glued to the screen with a look of anticipation fixed on my face ready to mimic my grandfather with the excitement of a home run hit or the frustration of Mo-Vaughn striking out. Call me crazy, but I was addicted, even as a young boy, to Boston Red Sox baseball.

Throughout my life I have always said “I will be a Major League Baseball player.” I do not just say this, but I put in work every day to get better. Day-to-day I pray to my Lord and savior Jesus Christ to help me get there someday. Throughout high school I have been attending many college showcases to get my name out there, and get a shot to show scouts what I can do. A showcase consists of hitting, fielding, running, and scrimmages with those that also attended. Even though I get piled with school and a job, I still manage to have time doing what I love. Not only baseball but the gym to get stronger on

I went home full of excitement and quickly recounted to my mom the success I had that day at baseball. I went to bed that night with more confidence than I thought possible and looking forward to another day of baseball. Made my way through school that day visualizing my performance that afternoon for tryouts. With more excitement than nerve I began the second day of tryouts. Thursday we worked on throwing and catching skills, friday was batting. An area in which I struggled a little more than others but with confidence pouring out of me I stepped into the box. Even with the confidence boost working on my skill I struggled heavily and was not happy with my performance. So trying to keep my confidence up I tried to finish that day of tryouts but I could tell that the coaches were less pleased with my performance that day. There’s not a much faster way to be served a large slice of humble pie than to realize you may not be all that you once thought you were. So keeping that in mind I finished the day doing my best. When we gathered together to make final cuts I could feel my heart beating in

Jackie Robinson was told to go out to talk to Branch Rickey, the manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, he was thinking about putting Jackie on the team but at that time Mr.Robinson didn’t know that. “The truth is you are not a candidate for the Brooklyn Brown Dodgers. I've

Later that year Rickey offered Jackie a chance to play for the Montreal Royals, who were the Dodgers' minor league team. If jackie was to succeeded as a minor league player he would have a chance to play in the Major league Rickey stated. Rickey taunted and teased Robinson until, at one point, according to Glenn Stout's book, Jackie Robinson: Between the Baselines, an aggravated Robinson called out, "Mr. Rickey, what do you want? Do you want a ballplayer who is afraid to fight back?""I want a ballplayer with guts enough not to fight back," Rickey replied. Rickey understood that character would weigh more heavily in baseball's integration that batting average. Rickey envisioned a peaceful infiltration and told Robinson that he could, under no circumstances, fight back or he'd ruin his chances. Thus, baseball's "noble experiment" began.

remembered. "So I decided I would become a ballplayer and get away." When he left

Not long after, Branch Rickey, president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, noticed Jackie’s talents and his incredible character. Rickey saw that Jackie had the potential to not only excel on the team, but he saw something else in Robinson. He saw his ability to become a leader in order to make a change that needed to be done. Rickey told Robinson once, “Jackie, we’ve got no army. There’s virtually nobody on our side. No owner, no umpires, very few newspapermen. And I’m afraid that many fans may be hostile. We’ll be in a tough position. We can win only if we can convince the world that I am doing this because you’re a great ballplayer, and a fine gentleman.” (Jackie). Rickey saw in Robinson the courage to not lash out when criticized, and the ability to turn the other cheek when taunted.

Jackie Robinson once said, "The way I figured it, I was even with baseball and baseball with me. The game had done much for me, and I had done much for it." By doing, what he loved and cared for he knew at the end, he will accomplish the impossible during the nineteens. Jackie impact on baseball changed the face of American sports. Without Jackie’s courage, American sports will not be the same.

I, Damien Smith am a baseball player and I been playing baseball since I was 6 years old. I started in youth baseball and worked my way to the top for a spot on the varsity baseball team at Mount East High school. Let me tell you about my father, my father’s name was Rick Smith and he was an exceptional great man and a great baseball player. He was a professional player in the minor league and my dream was to follow his ways of baseball. Dad introduced me to baseball as a child and I fell in love with it ever since. Unfortunately when I was ten years old, Dad died from a tumor in his brain and it was a stage four tumor. Doctors couldn’t do anything about it and it was a terminal illness and dad knew he was going to die soon.

“It would be the first time that a black man would be allowed to participate in a world series.”(Robinson) “I had become the first black player in the Major Leagues.” This shows that Robinson was the first black player in the major leagues and had stopped segregation in sports. When he was invited to join the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team, he knew he would face racial slurs, snubs, rebuffs, and physical threats from fans, teammates, and other opponents who didn’t want a black man playing in the major leagues. “I was proud to be in the hurricane eye of a significant breakthrough and to be used to prove that a sport can’t be called national if blacks are barred from it” (Robinson). This shows that Robinson faced many “racial slurs” and very many hate comments yelled at him. Ignoring these difficulties, Jackie continued to play baseball because he felt that his family members were enough to keep him playing. He also felt that he couldn’t let his fans down, black or white, who supported him. He never gave up even though he faced many difficulties. Robinson’s obstacles in Major League Baseball made him proud of his many, many obstacles along with negativity. The things Jackie faced also helped him to realize how lucky he is to have his encouraging wife, along with the team’s owner; Branch Rickey; supporting

The game of baseball has been intertwined in our history. It has been there though the wars and though the civil rights movements. The game has seen it all. There have been great players who have put their career’s on hold to fight for their country. “More than 500 major league baseball players during World War II, including stars like Ted Williams, Stan Musial and Joe DiMaggio”. But maybe none more important to our country than Jackie Robinson. As Robinson was making his debut in baseball the country was starting up another crucial civil rights movement. many people credit Robinson for breaking the color barrier in baseball in 1947 as the moment that kicked off the civil rights movements of the

We are your legacy, for you have helped to shape us and enriched our lives beyond measure. Coach just doesn't seem to accurately describe who you were to me. You are not only solely responsible for my love of softball, you came at a time in my life where I needed someone to believe in me... I can never repay you for the love, kindness, instruction, motivation, wise words and life lessons you instilled in me. You were my coach, my mentor, and my friend. You introduced me into the softball family and I never left. Thank you for being in my life and thank you for being you. You will forever live in our hearts. RIP Metcalf