Americas Fallen PastimeHow Baseball Players Have Damaged a National Institution essays

Americas Fallen PastimeHow Baseball Players Have Damaged a National Institution essays How Baseball Players Have Damaged a National Institution Baseball fans are easy to please. Give them a warm summer day, a cold drink, and their favorite team in the thick of the pennant race and they feel like kings. Watch them second guess the manager as he pulls the teams ace pitcher in favor of the young fireballer. Listen to them cheer as he strikes out the opponents slugger with the bases loaded, securing the win. Watch them do it all over again the very next day. Who is the best player of all time? Ty Cobb? Babe Ruth? Ted Williams? Mickey Mantle? Ken Griffey Jr.? Should the designated hitter be abolished? Should Pete Rose be in the Hall of Fame? Ask them for their favorite baseball moment of the past and prepare to have your ear talked off. Older fans might choose Bobby Thompsons Shot Heard Round the World, which captured the 1951 National League pennant for the New York Giants over the Brooklyn Dodgers, or Willie Mays over-the-shoulder, back-to-the-plate catch to rob Clevelands Vic Wertz of an extra-base hit in the 1954 World Series. Somewhat younger fans might take Carlton Fisks frantic waving as his game-winning homer in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series clanged off of Fenway Parks left field foul pole or the dominance of Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez and the rest of the Big Red Machine during the mid-1970s. The youngest might call up Baltimore shortstop Cal Ripken Jrs victory lap around Camden Yards after eclipsing Lou Gehrigs seemingly unbreakable consecutive games streak or the excitement of St. Louis Mark McGwire and the Chicago Cubs Sammy Sosa as they relentlessly pursued Roger Maris single season home run record. Take baseball at its simplest, its purist, and it can be almost religious. Baseball fans only ask for one thing in return. As Braves fan William Correa pleads, I know baseball ha...

20 Verbs Smothered by Bes

20 Verbs Smothered by Bes 20 Verbs Smothered by â€Å"Be†s 20 Verbs Smothered by â€Å"Be†s By Mark Nichol Below are phrases in which a form of â€Å"to be† plus an adjective (or a preposition and a noun) and, often, a preposition can easily be replaced by a simple form of the verb (occasionally accompanied by a preposition), resulting in a more concise statement: 1. Before: â€Å"She is able (or unable) to think for herself.† After: â€Å"She can (or cannot) think for herself.† 2. Before: â€Å"This rule is applicable to both scenarios.† After: â€Å"This rule applies to both scenarios.† 3. Before: â€Å"They are authorized (or empowered) to speak on our behalf.† After: â€Å"They may speak on our behalf.† 4. Before: â€Å"The company is benefited by this policy.† After: â€Å"The company benefits from this policy.† 5. Before: â€Å"The agreement is binding upon both parties.† After: â€Å"The agreement binds both parties.† 6. Before: â€Å"The compound is derived from a chemical reaction.† After: â€Å"The compound derives from a chemical reaction.† 7. Before: â€Å"We are desirous of your reply.† After: â€Å"We desire your reply.† 8. Before: â€Å"She is in agreement with us.† After: â€Å"She agrees with us.† 9. Before: â€Å"He will be in attendance at the event.† After: â€Å"He will attend the event.† 10. Before: â€Å"Their behavior is indicative of what you can expect from them.† After: â€Å"Their behavior indicates what you can expect of them.† 11. Before: â€Å"He is in error in his account of the incident.† After: â€Å"He errs in his account of the incident.† 12. Before: â€Å"It was in existence at that moment.† After: â€Å"It existed at that moment.† 13. Before: â€Å"She is influential on his artistic style.† After: â€Å"She influences his artistic style.† 14. Before: â€Å"I am in possession of some incriminating evidence.† After: â€Å"I hold some incriminating evidence.† (In this case, â€Å"I possess . . .† in place of â€Å"I am in possession of . . .† would imply ownership, not temporary possession, which is what the original sentence implies.) 15. Before: â€Å"My colleague is in receipt of the document.† After: â€Å"My colleague received the document.† 16. Before: â€Å"The mechanism will soon be operative.† After: â€Å"The mechanism will soon operate.† 17. Before: â€Å"The company was in violation of several regulations.† After: â€Å"The company violated several regulations.† 18. Before: â€Å"The committee was productive of a thorough report.† After: â€Å"The committee produced a thorough report.† 19. Before: â€Å"This advertising campaign will be effectively promotive of the product.† After: â€Å"This advertising campaign will effectively promote the product.† 20. Before: â€Å"We are supportive of your efforts.† After: â€Å"We support your efforts.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?Work of Art TitlesHow often is "bimonthly"?