I Baseball B Good Play Person Find Fast

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Baseball is one the biggest sports in America. It's also popular in many other countries as well. Because of the large popularity, I will dedicate one lesson on baseball so you can be equipped to talk to English speaking people about this sport.

Playing baseball

I like to play baseball. It is my favorite sport."
I used to play baseball when I was younger."
Baseball is a great sport."

What position do you play?"

I play second base."
I play shortstop."
I play center field."
I'm the catcher."
I'm a pitcher."

What kinds of pitches can you throw?"

I have a fastball and a curveball."
I have a pretty good slider."
My best pitch is a forkball."

I always wanted to learn how to throw a curveball."
My curveball doesn't curve at all."

I love turning double plays."

I'm a good hitter."
My batting average is above 300."
I can hit a homerun every now and then."

I'm a fast runner so I can steal a lot of bases."

Baseball - Topics

Topics in baseball

I can't believe how much players make."
I don't like Alex Rodriguez because he followed money instead of going to a good team."
The biggest contract ever was signed by Alex Rodriguez. It was a 10 year deal for two hundred and fifty million dollars."

Most good players usually make above five million dollars a year."

Baseball doesn't have a salary cap. That's why the Yankees are so powerful. They have the money to buy all the good players."

I think baseball would be more fair if there was a salary cap."
Although grammatically, fairer is more correct than more fair, it is common to use it this way when speaking. It is based on sound and flow of sentence. Using more in front of fair is emphasizing more.

The difference between National league and American league is that the pitcher doesn't bat in American League. They have a designated hitter that bats for the pitcher."

It's good that Byung Hyun Kim went to the American league. He wasn't a good batter."

Byung Hyun Kim was at a Seattle night club the other weekend."

Baseball - Baseball Cards

Collecting baseball cards

In America, baseball cards have monetary value depending on how good the player is. So there are some serious baseball card collectors who have thousands of baseball cards. But for the average person, having a couple of baseball cards of your favorite player is good enough. If you want to find a baseball card for a specific player, you can find them at a baseball card store.

Do you have any Chan Ho Park cards?"
I'm looking for Byung Hyun Kim's rookie card."

How much is this card worth?"
What is the value of this card?"
Do you have a case I can store this card in?"

Baseball - Equipment

Buying baseball equipment

Many stores carry baseball equipment. You can find them at large stores like Fred Myers, or a sporting goods store.

Cleats - Shoes with large bumps on the bottom to give you better traction in dirt or grass.
Baseball - The ball itself.
Baseball mitt - The glove worn when playing defense to catch balls.
Batting glove - A glove worn while batting.
Bats - Aluminum or wood item used to hit the baseball.
Pine tar - Sticky material used on a wooden bat so it doesn't slip.
Stirrups - A type of sock worn on top of socks that are usually worn as a decoration. It will show colored lines about 3 centimeters thick on each side of the leg.

Where is the baseball section?"
Where can I find baseball bats?"
Where are the baseball mitts?"
Do you sell pine tar for bats?"
Do you have children mitts?"
Where can I find wooden bats?"
Do you have soft baseballs?"

Baseball - Amateur League

Many people like to play baseball even after growing up. But they are not good enough to play in a professional league, so they have amateur leagues for fun. Most major cities will have recreational league and if you are looking for one, you will need to call up the city. Do a search in the Internet for Parks and Community Services for your city name, or Parks and Recreation. Here is an example on a small city of Lynnwood. In the search engine, I type, 'Lynnwood Parks and Recreation'. You should see some links and they should have phone numbers. Call that number and ask how you can join a baseball team.

Hi, I wanted to join an adult baseball league. Do you have these events?"
When are signups?"
What process do I need to take to join a team?"
When does the season start?"
How much does it cost?"
What days and times do teams usually play?"

For most adults, we like to watch baseball, so you might not have to go through the above process. However, when you get a kid, your son might want to play.

I'm looking for a baseball league for my 10 year old son. Where can I find information on little league?"
Where can I sign up my 8 year old son to play baseball?"

Most of the time, your son might have friends and they will sign up with your permission. But if you have to find it, you can use the sentences we have learned right above to find a team for your son.

Baseball - Interactive Practice

Click on Listen All and follow along. After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation, become Person A by clicking on the Person A button. You will hear only Person B through the audio file. There will be a silence for you to repeat the sentences of Person A. Do the same for Person B. The speed of the conversation is native speed. Use the pause button if the pause between each sentence is too fast for you. After practicing several times, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.