Isolating each finger so it can be exercised individually, the patented Gripmaster strengthens hands, wrist, and forearm with spring-loaded piston technology while ensuring the palm doesn't slip from a molded grip. This model offers medium tension (seven pounds per finger) and is recommended for men. Sturdy and highly durable, the Gripmaster easily fits in pocket or purse, enabling hand exercise anytime, anywhere.

A few daily workouts with the Gripmaster Pro and you'll enjoy better control of a baseball/softball bat, tennis racquet, or golf club, with each finger working in seamless unity with the others. You'll also find a ton of other uses for the Gripmaster Pro, including playing guitar or violin, rock climbing, bowling, target shooting, martial arts, yoga, or even relieving stress while clicking a mouse or gaming for hours on end.

Exercising with the Gripmaster is the most efficient and effective way to maintain the health and conditioning of the hand. It's the ideal way to maintain the suppleness and flexibility of the hand to prevent injury. Each finger of the hand is powered by a completely separate system of muscles and tendons located in the hand, wrist, and forearm. The ability to control the ball or control the bat, racquet, or club all starts with the hands. Your hand is really five separate systems which work in seamless unity. The only way to develop superior strength, endurance, and coordination in your hands is to challenge and develop each finger individually. Once you exercise with Gripmaster you'll notice a difference almost immediately.

Customer Review: Kevin Bergen
Gripmaster restored the function of my right index finger . I had broken the flexure extensor ligament of my index finger and after several weeks of use the flexion strength is back and the finger is returning to normal . Good product . Kevin Bergen
Customer Review: Comfortable and fun
It's a great product, I love the grip and it does it's job well. Is very compact can take it anywhere. I love using it at work.

It's high time baseball did something to fix one of its biggest problems. No, I'm not talking about steroids, scuffing baseballs, or the Chicago Cubs. It's the huge competitive advantage some teams have gained merely by belonging to the right division.

Back in 1994, Major League Baseball suffered a lost season, which ended in August with no playoffs or World Series. That was also the first season that the American and National Leagues were restructured into three-division leagues instead of two. At that point there were 28 teams in the major leagues. With the addition of Tampa Bay and Arizona in 1998, that brought the number of teams to 30. Although there has been a realignment of teams since then, the basic structure of the league has not changed since 1998.

With 30 teams and six divisions, there should be an equal number of teams (five) in each league. This is true of all but two divisions: The National League's Central Division has six teams, while the American League's Western Division has four. This may not seem like a big deal until one looks at the percentage chance that each team has of making the playoffs.

Major League Baseball currently allows eight teams into the post-season each year. The six division winners get in, plus two Wild-Card teams (one from each league). That means that (all things being equal) each team should have a 26.67% (8 divided by 30) chance of making the playoffs.

However, in the American League (AL) West there are only four teams. Each team has an opportunity to get into the playoffs by winning its division or claiming the Wild-Card spot for the AL. Each AL West team thus has a 25% chance (1 in 4) of winning its division, plus a 9.1% chance (1 in 11 non-division winners) of claiming the Wild Card spot. This adds up to a 34.1% chance that each AL West team has of making the playoffs. By comparison, each team in the AL East or AL Central has only a 29.1% chance of making the playoffs (20% to win their division, plus 9.1% chance at the Wild Card). That's a full 5% competitive advantage that the AL West teams have over the other two American League divisions.

In the National League, there is a somewhat similar scenario, except the National League (NL) Central has six teams while the other two divisions have five. This means that each NL Central team only has a 24.4% chance to make the playoffs (16.7% chance to win their division, plus 7.7% chance to claim the Wild Card spot). The teams in the NL East and NL West have a 27.7% chance of making the playoffs, so the disparity in the National league is only 3.3% instead of five percent.

If one looks at all six divisions, one can see the wide gap between the teams in the NL Central and the AL West:

National League

East ----- 27.7%

Central -- 24.4%

West ----- 27.7%

American League

East ----- 29.1%

Central -- 29.1%

West ----- 34.1%

As anyone can see, the teams in the AL West have a 9.7% higher chance of making the playoffs than the teams in the NL Central. Compound this advantage with the fact that two AL West teams (the A's and Angels) have repeatedly dominated the other two division rivals (the Mariners and Rangers), and the disparity between the divisions grows even further. This large disparity sways the competitive balance to the point where Major League Baseball needs to address the issue.

The solution is relatively simple: Move one NL Central team to the AL West. Then, (all things being equal) every team has the same chance to make the playoffs each year. Keeping location and competitive balance in mind, logical choices to move to the AL West are Houston or Chicago. The Cardinals (St. Louis) are typically the best team in the NL Central, while Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and Cincinnati are farther east than the Cubs or Astros.

Until the problem is fixed, I'll relish being an Oakland A's fan even more. See you in the playoffs (again)!

About the author: Scott has been a baseball fan and an Oakland A's fan for over thirty years. Visit his (new) sports blog at http://rotojournal.blogspot.com

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Knock one out of the park with Backyard Baseball 2009. Play hardball with David 'Big Papi' Ortiz and other MLB superstars as kids: A-Rod, Jeter, Ichiro, Griffey, Howard, and many more. Choose your favorite MLB team or create your own. Backyard Baseball 2009 features season & single game options, create-a-player, Home Run Derby mini-game, and unlockables. It also includes wireless multi-player and let's you use the touch screen to hit, field, pitch, and run-all with strokes and taps of the stylus. With outrageous game play and awesome power ups mixed in with authentic baseball action, Backyard Baseball 09 is the most fun you can have outside the ballpark.

Power Ups with Meter Enhanced Hitting and Fielding Controls New Player Capabilities
Customer Review: Very good game
Great job! Well worth picking up. I purchased for my 8 yr old son and he has not stopped playing it. Great graphics (remember this is a DS not a PS3), sound is better then what one of the review sites suggested, nothing fantastic, but good enough. Well thought out game attributes such as the base overlay. Being a veteran baseball video game junkie, I gave it a whirl, and found a challenge to be had at the hard level. I still would like to see a port of the old triple play for the Genesis, or even Baseball Stars would be great too. But for now this is the only baseball game in town and worthy of a purchase.

I realize it's fall going on winter, but one can always start thinking about next year and what you are going to do different do become animproved coach.

I would like to give attitude a big plug here because it is so vitalnot just in youth baseball, it is vital in all areas of your player's lives. You have a responsibility to impart more than just baseball lessons to your players if you are truly serious about helpingyour players.

As you may already know I'm a big fan of positive attitude from thecoaches as well as the players and parents. I feel there is no place on a youth baseball club for tearing down of players no matter whatthe perceived importance of the situation.

In the little league world series it was good to hear some coaches goout to on to the field to address their clubs in a tight game andstart off the talk with something positive. Maybe the microphone hadsomething to with it, I hope not.

Your team will take on your attitude no matter what. You will never hurt your effectiveness as coach by being positive, patient, and havingsome fun out there.

You must be an example to parents and players. It's only a game in theend. No else outside of a few adults on your team will even care howyour team does, believe me. You need your players to have positiveexperiences in youth baseball to enrich their lives. This way theymay pass it on if and when they have a chance to coach later.

Here are a few ATTITUDE ideas I would like to share with you. I willsending a few more in the coming weeks. Let's call this letter #1 on ATTITUDE for players and coaches

There are many hallmarks of a well-coached team, disciplined team. Theyare clearly evident during practice and games. The following itemsare what makes up a solid team.

Players believe in school. Players believe in coaches. Players believe in their teammatesPlayers and coaches are punctual for practices, games and meetings. Players dress properly. Players respect their community

ATTITUDE FROM THE TOP DOWN

Mental attitude plays such a big role in the success of a player. Aplayer can have great natural talent and ability, but will have a tough time reaching their potential if they do not develop a good positivemental attitude and outlook. The player with the right mental outlookand attitude will make his natural talent come through. What makes upa proper mental attitude?

DETERMINATION

All skill levels of players will benefit from having a strong desireto be the best they can be regardless of how they did this day or ant other day. You must have a strong determination, a spirited desireto win, but only by the rules, and without dishonoring this great game. To become very good at this game, you must be wiling to invest longhours in practice perfecting your game, because your best opponentsare doing just that very thing.

CONCENTRATION

When you take the field your thoughts should be strictly baseball. Youwill have to groom your mind to and body to perform a skill thoughconcentration. You and the coaches must always be alert and thinking. For example, when hitting, keep one thought with you, follow the ballto plate and hit it.

RELAXATION

Relaxation is essential in developing skills needed in baseball. Youthbaseball is meant to be fun for players as well as coaches. Everyonewho relaxes will perform better no matter what the task at hand. Concent ration and relaxation are like peas in a pod, whether it is throwing a ball to a hitter or spearing a line drive at third. You must learnto control your emotions as a player or a coach. By concentrating on what you doing, you will remove fear and tension from your mind. A confident mind and relaxed body are great keys to success on and off the baseball field.

I hope these tips will help you. I used to think and feel being the loud tough manager was the only way to get results. Over the yearsI have learned that I was missing out on some the best parts of coaching youth baseball, being a chance to be a teacher and a friend. We must have discipline on the team, and it comes from example, not byyelling or tearing down of players. You and your players will havemany good memories to share with others. That is what it is all aboutanyway.

Thanks for your time Coach Chip Lemin 440 465 3337

http://www.baseballecourse.com

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