I can’t get behind elaborate touchdown dances or emotionally overwrought ESPN documentaries, but I’ll always appreciate the hard work of the mascots on the sidelines. One of my earliest sports memories is being nuzzled by the Phillie Phanatic as I played a pre-game show on the field with my elementary school band. (Popularity: I haz it.) And at my alma mater, inflatable mascot (and John McCain doppelganger) Baldwin the Eagle was ... Read More

  When French painter and printmaker Amelie Mancini moved to New York in 2006, she didn’t even know what a “curveball” was--but after she went to her first night game at Shea Stadium, baseball became one of the central themes of her work. She started Left Field Cards in 2011, putting a cheeky spin on the common baseball card, and was met with immediate success. Left Field Cards has three (and counting) series; ... Read More

  36-year-old Justine Siegal was the first woman to pitch for Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Indians at spring training batting practice this Monday. Although she now lives in Springfield, Massachusetts, she grew up in Cleveland rooting for the Indians.  Justine is the Founder and Executive Director of Baseball for All  “a nonprofit organization that provides meaningful opportunities and instruction in ... Read More

Chelsea Baker, a 13-year-old Floridian, has beat the boys with her killer 65 mph knuckle ball. Being the only girl on a boys-only sports team can't be easy but Baker certainly makes it look that way. Her team has been undefeated the past four seasons, due to her perfect pitch (2 of her games were actually perfect, striking out every batter). You go, girl! However, I'm not surprised that she kicks ass at baseball, only that she has managed ... Read More

Toni Stone is one hell of a woman. She's also one of the best baseball players you've never heard of. Since women's leagues refused her eligibility due to the color of her skin, Stone ended up playing alongside men in the Negro League. She became the first woman to play professionally in the league against big-shots like Ernie Banks, Willie Mays, Buck O’Neil, and Satchel Paige. Today she's often referred to as 'the female Jackie ... Read More