Educational Curriculum Materials

Transcription

1 Educational Curriculum Materials Combining Baseball with Education and Character Development for Capital Region Students ValleyCats School Day June 13, 2018 Page 1

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS MATHEMATICS Take Me Out to the Ballgame - Baseball Math Problems Page 3 The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round - Mileage Chart Page 4 Take the Field - Baseball Field Dimensions Page 5 Hey Batter, Batter - Player Statistics Page 6 ENGLISH Keep Your Head in the Game - Baseball Terms Page 7 Baseball Scramble & Game Day Grammar Page 8 Great Game - Write to the ValleyCats Page 9 SCIENCE Rain, Rain, Go Away - Baseball & Weather Page 10 Keep Your Eye on the Ball - How Does a Baseball Curve? Page 11 GEOGRAPHY On the Road Again - New York-Penn League Geography Page 12 Born in the USA (and Beyond) - Where are the ValleyCats from? Page From Sea to Shining Sea - Plotting Minor League Baseball Teams Page HISTORY Put Me in Coach - Baseball in the Capital Region Page 17 Buy Me Some Peanuts and Cracker Jack - America s Pastime Page 18 ACTIVITIES Who s on First? - Keeping Score Page 19 ValleyCats Word Search Page 20 Baseball Crossword Puzzle Page 21 Let s Go Cats - Color SouthPaw Page 22 Page 2

3 BASEBALL MATH PROBLEMS TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME Directions: At a ValleyCats game, you can buy a souvenir, something to eat and something to drink. Based on the scenario below calculate how much money you would have left after the game. On your way to The Joe, you stopped at your local bank to withdraw money from your savings account. You withdraw $ for the ValleyCats game. During the 1st inning, you stop by the Concession Stand to purchase a hot dog and a bottle of soda. On your way back to your seat you stop into SouthPaw s Den to purchase a hat. After the 3rd inning you buy a bag of peanuts and a baseball. During the 7th inning stretch you buy an ice cream sundae. After the ValleyCats victory you stop back into SouthPaw s Den to purchase a new ValleyCats t-shirt. ITEMS TO BUY COST Money Left Hot Dog, Bottled Soda, Hat Peanuts, Baseball Ice Cream Sundae T-Shirt What did you spend at the ValleyCats game? $ Now you want to deposit the money you have left back into your savings account. How much money do you have left after the game to deposit? $ ValleyCats Prices Hot Dog $2.50 Bottled Soda $2.50 T-Shirt $18.00 Ice Cream $3.50 French Fries $3.50 Hat $16.00 Peanuts $4.00 Popcorn $3.00 Baseball $6.00 Page 3

4 MILEAGE CHART THE WHEELS ON THE BUS GO ROUND AND ROUND Directions: The ValleyCats travel all over the northeast each summer. Answer the following questions using the mileage chart for the New York-Penn League. MILEAGE CHART ABD AUB BAT BRK CT HV WV LOW MV SC SI TC VT WIL Aberdeen x Auburn 315 x Batavia x Brooklyn x Connecticut x Hudson Valley x West Virginia x Lowell x Mahoning Valley x State College x Staten Island x Tri-City ValleyCats x Vermont x 400 Williamsport x 1. How many miles do the Tri-City ValleyCats have to travel to play the Vermont Lake Monsters? What is the total mileage roundtrip? 2. If Tri-City travels to play Hudson Valley on Friday through Sunday and then travels to Staten Island on Monday for games Monday - Wednesday, returning home after their game, how many total miles will the ValleyCats travel? 3. How many hours will it take to get to the Auburn Doubledays if the bus is traveling 60 miles an hour? 4. What team is the furthest from the Tri-City ValleyCats in miles? 5. What is the shortest trip in the entire league by miles? 6. What is the longest trip in the entire league by miles? Page 4

5 BASEBALL FIELD DIMENSIONS TAKE THE FIELD Directions: Use the diagrams to help answer the following questions. 1. What shape is home plate? 2. Using the dimensions of home plate, what is the perimeter of home plate? 3. What is the distance in feet, a batter will run if he hits a double? 4. If a player hits 1 home run, a triple and strikes out in his other at bat, how many total feet will he run around the bases? 5. If you walked from home plate, down the foul line, to the left field fence, approximately how many yards would you walk? (Hint: 3 feet = 1 yard) 6. How much further, in feet, would a batter have to hit a home run to make it over the centerfield wall instead of in left or right field near the foul poles? Page 5

6 PLAYER STATISTICS HEY BATTER, BATTER Directions: Statistics are very important to batters. One of the most important statistics to a batter is his batting average. Use the formula below to figure out the average for these ValleyCats batters from the 2017 season. AVG = (# of Hits / # of At Bats) A batting average is represented by a decimal carried out to three places, such as.300. Walks are not considered At Bats and therefore do not affect a batter s batting average. A good batting average is over.260. A great batting average is over.300. BATTER HITS AB s AVG J.J. Matijevic Colton Shaver Kristian Trompiz Kyle Davis Jonathan Arauz Page 6

7 BASEBALL TERMS KEEP YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME Directions: The following terms are important for any baseball fan to know in order to understand what is going on around them. Use the list as a spelling quiz, vocabulary, or have the students write an essay using 8 of the terms. TERMS Around the horn: Throwing the ball around the infield after an out. Ball: A pitch that is thrown outside the strike zone. Blooper: A soft, shallow outfield hit. Bunt: To hit a pitched ball lightly so that it does not go beyond the infield. Clean up batter: The 4th hitter in the batting line-up. Closer: A relief pitcher who gets the final outs for a win. Double: A hit in which the batter reaches second base. Double play: A play by which two players are out on the same play. Error: A misplay by a fielder that should have been made. Grand slam: A home run that is hit with the bases loaded. Manager: The leader of the team who makes decisions and enforces rules. Pinch hit: To bat in place of a regular player. RBI: Run Batted In Relief Pitcher: The pitcher who replaces the starting pitcher when he is taken out of the game. Rookie: A first-year player. Sacrifice bunt: A play in which the batter bunts to move his teammates from one base to the next. Single: A hit in which the batter reaches first base. Steal: An attempt to advance to the next base without the ball being hit. Strike: A pitch that is thrown in the strike zone. Triple: A hit in which the batter reaches third base. Triple play: A play in which three players are put out on the same play. Umpire: The official who administers all the rules of the game. Walk: When a batter goes to first base because of four balls thrown by the pitcher. Page 7

8 BASEBALL SCRAMBLE Directions: Part of the fun of going to ValleyCats baseball games is learning the words used during the game. See if you can figure out what the mixed-up baseball terms are below! untb lbudoe kalw albl rrero negsli tba moeh BIR eksrit emho urn ogvel lesablab levcalyast seab thap ith drnga mlas egma pirlet cthpier eataemtm inw oplobre atbret GAME DAY GRAMMAR Directions: Read the following sentences. Correct any mistakes you find or identify the parts of the sentence. 1. Circle the nouns in the following sentence: The player wearing the white jersey hit the ball over the fence. 2. Underline the verbs in the following sentence: The runner stole second base after the catcher dropped the ball. 3. Insert the proper punctuation in the following sentence: The batter swung and the umpire yelled STRIKE THREE 4. Correct any mistakes that you find in spelling, punctuation, or capitalization: SouthPaw iz over 6 feat tall and is the ValleyCats biggest fan! you ll see him dance on the dugout at every valleycats gam Make sure to give him a big hihg five when you sea him SouthPaw luvs base ball Page 8

9 WRITE TO THE VALLEYCATS GREAT GAME! Directions: SouthPaw and the ValleyCats players love to hear from our biggest fans! Use a piece of paper to write a letter to your favorite ValleyCats player or mascot. Tell them about your favorite part of the ValleyCats game, why you like baseball, or why it is important to be a team player. Bring your letter to the stadium or mail it to the team at this address: SouthPaw (or Player) c/o Tri-City ValleyCats School Day 80 Vandenburg Ave Troy, NY Page 9

10 BASEBALL & WEATHER RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY Directions: The ValleyCats rely on more than talent. They need the help of Mother Nature to even take the field. Answer the True or False questions below and then draw a picture of your weather forecast! TRUE OR FALSE T or F T or F T or F T or F The ValleyCats will play baseball if it is just raining lightly. The umpire can stop the game if there is thunder and lightening. If the field is too wet, the game may be delayed to let the ground dry. The ValleyCats have a large tarp to cover the whole infield when it rains. DRAW A PICTURE OF YOUR WEATHER FORECAST FOR THE VALLEYCATS GAME How was the weather at the game? Was your forecast correct? Page 10

11 HOW DOES A BASEBALL CURVE? KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL Directions: During the course of a ValleyCats game, pitchers throw many types of pitches to the batters they face. These pitches include a hard, straight pitch, called a fastball, and a wide variety of pitches that move or change course as they approach the plate, like a curveball, slider, or knuckleball. How does a pitcher throw a curveball? Look at the diagram below and then answer the questions. Introducing...the Curveball The diagram shows how you would grip a baseball in order to throw a curveball. When throwing this type of pitch, a pitcher can make a baseball curve up to 17.5 inches in the time it takes a ball to get to the plate. It takes about half a second for a baseball to get to home plate from the pitcher s mound. A baseball curves because of the 216 red stitches made of cotton that hold a baseball together. In addition to holding the ball together, they hold a thin layer of air around them as they spin. A curveball is thrown with more top spin, allowing more air to flow around the bottom of the ball than the top. This causes the air to move faster around the bottom of the ball, creating less pressure, allowing the ball to drop or curve. The curveball generally travels between 70 to 80 miles per hour and will rotate 1,900 times in a minute. CURVEBALL Palm is turned inward with a release like you re pulling down on the ball. Sidespin and backspin should be created with wrist, not elbow. 1. When a pitcher throws a curveball, what is the furthest distance he can make the ball curve? 2. What part of a baseball helps make a ball curve? 3. Creating less on the bottom of the baseball allows it to curve. Page 11

12 NEW YORK-PENN LEAGUE GEOGRAPHY ON THE ROAD AGAIN Directions: The ValleyCats are one of 14 teams in the New York-Penn League. The League is comprised of teams from the states of New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and West Virginia. Below is a map of these states. Test your geographical skills with the following questions. 1. Identify the capitols of each state: New York Connecticut Massachusetts Vermont Ohio Pennsylvania Maryland 2. Three of the seven states border the Great Lakes. What 5 lakes make up the Great Lakes? 3. T or F The state of New York has 6 New York-Penn League teams. 4. T or F The Batavia Muckdogs are west of the Auburn Doubledays. 5. T or F The State College Spikes are the only NYPL team in Pennsylvania. 6. T or F The Vermont Lake Monsters have to travel North to play the Aberdeen Ironbirds. Page 12

13 WHERE ARE THE VALLEYCATS FROM? BORN IN THE USA (and Beyond) Directions: One of the great things about going to a ValleyCats game is that the Cats roster is made up of players from all over the United States. Often, there are even players from around the world! Use the map to answer the questions below. Take a look at the ValleyCats roster on the next page and place marks on the states that American players come from and then answer the following questions. 1. What state has the most players on the ValleyCats roster? 2. Which American-born ValleyCats player had to travel the farthest to play in Troy, NY? 3. The ValleyCats players all hope to play in the Major Leagues for the Houston Astros. How many players are from Texas, where the Astros are located? 4. How many ValleyCats players are from another country? 5. Including the United States, how many different countries are the ValleyCats from? Page 13

14 WHERE ARE THE VALLEYCATS FROM? Roster for BORN IN THE USA (and Beyond) Page 14

15 PLOTTING MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAMS FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA Directions: There are over 200 Minor League Baseball teams across America, Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico. These teams play in 19 different leagues and are all affiliated with a Major League Baseball team. Choose (5) teams from the list of (160) American Minor League Baseball teams and answer the questions below. Use your answer to compare teams and discuss how they relate to the Tri-City ValleyCats. (See next page for a listing of every Minor League Baseball team. For additional information, utilize team websites.) Find the following information about your teams: Team Name: Level of Professional Baseball: Name of League: 2017 Attendance: Number of Games Played: Stadium Name: Seating Capacity: Cost of a ticket: Downtown or Suburbs: Distance from Troy, NY (miles): Mascot: Team Colors: Inaugural Season: Now plot your teams on a map of the United States. Compare your teams to the ValleyCats. How does cost and attendance compare? How does your team s name relate to their location or history? Choose a Major League Baseball team. Compare and contrast it to your Minor League teams. Page 15

16 PLOTTING MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAMS List of All Minor League Baseball Teams in America & Canada Aberdeen IronBirds Daytona Tortugas Kingsport Mets Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Akron RubberDucks Delmarva Shorebirds Lake County Captains Reading Fightin Phils Albuquerque Isotopes Down East Wood Ducks Lake Elsinore Storm Reno Aces Altoona Curve Dunedin Blue Jays Lakeland Flying Tigers Richmond Flying Squirrels Arkansas Travelers Durham Bulls Lakewood BlueClaws Rochester Red Wings Asheville Tourists El Paso Chihuahuas Lancaster JetHawks Rome Braves Auburn Doubledays Elizabethton Twins Lansing Lugnuts Round Rock Express Augusta GreenJackets Erie SeaWolves Las Vegas 51s Sacramento River Cats Batavia Muckdogs Eugene Emeralds Lehigh Valley IronPigs Salem Red Sox Beloit Snappers Everett AquaSox Lexington Legends Salem-Keizer Volcanoes Billings Mustangs Florida Fire Frogs Louisville Bats Salt Lake Bees Biloxi Shuckers Fort Myers Miracle Lowell Spinners San Antonio Missions Binghamton Rumble Ponies Fort Wayne TinCaps Lynchburg Hillcats San Jose Giants Birmingham Barons Frederick Keys Mahoning Valley Scrappers Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Bluefield Blue Jays Fresno Grizzlies Memphis Redbirds South Bend Cubs Boise Hawks Frisco RoughRiders Midland RockHounds Spokane Indians Bowie Baysox Grand Junction Rockies Mississippi Braves Springfield Cardinals Bowling Green Hot Rods Great Falls Voyagers Missoula Osprey St. Lucie Mets Bradenton Marauders Great Lakes Loons Mobile BayBears State College Spikes Bristol Pirates Greeneville Astros Modesto Nuts Staten Island Yankees Brooklyn Cyclones Greensboro Grasshoppers Montgomery Biscuits Stockton Ports Buffalo Bisons Greenville Drive Myrtle Beach Pelicans Syracuse Chiefs Buies Creek Astros Gwinnett Braves Nashville Sounds Tacoma Rainiers Burlington Bees Hagerstown Suns New Hampshire Fisher Cats Tampa Yankees Burlington Royals Harrisburg Senators New Orleans Baby Cakes Tennessee Smokies Carolina Mudcats Hartford Yard Goats Norfolk Tides Toledo Mud Hens Cedar Rapids Kernels Helena Brewers Northwest Arkansas Naturals Trenton Thunder Charleston RiverDogs Hickory Crawdads Ogden Raptors Tri-City Dust Devils Charlotte Knights Hillsboro Hops Oklahoma City Dodgers Tri-City ValleyCats Charlotte Stone Crabs Hudson Valley Renegades Omaha Storm Chasers Tulsa Drillers Chattanooga Lookouts Idaho Falls Chukars Orem Owlz Vancouver Canadians Clearwater Threshers Indianapolis Indians Palm Beach Cardinals Vermont Lake Monsters Clinton LumberKings Inland Empire 66ers Pawtucket Red Sox Visalia Rawhide Colorado Springs Sky Sox Iowa Cubs Pensacola Blue Wahoos West Michigan Whitecaps Columbia Fireflies Jackson Generals Peoria Chiefs West Virginia Black Bears Columbus Clippers Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp Portland Sea Dogs West Virginia Power Connecticut Tigers Johnson City Cardinals Potomac Nationals Williamsport Crosscutters Corpus Christi Hooks Jupiter Hammerheads Princeton Rays Wilmington Blue Rocks Danville Braves Kane County Cougars Pulaski Yankees Winston-Salem Dash Dayton Dragons Kannapolis Intimidators Quad Cities River Bandits Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Page 16

17 Baseball in the Capital Region PUT ME IN COACH Directions: New York s Capital Region has a rich history of affiliated, Minor League Baseball. A few members of the Baseball Hall of Fame were born in the area and several more spent time playing here. Below is a list of players or people who were influential to baseball in the area. Research each player and find information about their careers, then match them with their accomplishments. PERSON FACT Johnny Evers A. I was born in Cohoes, NY in 1870 and elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in I helped rescue 3 people from a burning building while playing for the New York Giants. Tommy Lasorda B. I played for the Schenectady Blue Jays in 1948 after serving two years in the US Army. I went on to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1954 to 1955 and then manage the LA Dodgers from 1976 to George Stacey Davis C. I was born in Troy, NY in 1857 and elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in I was one of the first catchers to use a glove and wear a chest protector. I won five pennants while playing for the Chicago White Stockings. Mike King Kelly D. I played for the Albany-Colonie Yankees in 1994 and made my Major League debut with the New York Yankees in I retired in 2013 after winning five World Series and setting the record for most career saves. Roger Connor E. I was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964 after debuting with the Troy Trojans in I was a Pitcher that had to adapt as baseball rules changed. I pitched from 45 feet, 50 feet, and then 60 feet from the plate in my career. Tim Keefe F. I was born in Troy, NY in 1881 and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in I made my professional debut as a shortstop for the Troy Trojans, but am best known as the pivot man in a double play with Tinkers and Chance. Mariano Rivera Bernie Williams G. I made my professional debut with the Troy Trojans in 1880 and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Babe Ruth broke my home run record of 138. H. I played for the Albany-Colonie Yankees, developing my skills as a switch-hitter. Outside of baseball I am a classically trained guitarist and have released two jazz albums. Page 17

18 AMERICA S PASTIME BUY ME SOME PEANUTS AND CRACKER JACK Directions: During the late 19th and early 20th century, baseball was the most widely played sport in the country and became known as America s Pastime. Since then, many items have become part of the American and baseball culture. Read the clues below and see if you can figure out what is being described. 1. Thought to be introduced to baseball at the Polo Grounds in New York City this has become the most popular ballpark item to eat at a ballgame. In 2013 over 22 MILLION of these were served in Major League stadiums alone. 2. First played during the Seventh Inning Stretch of the 1918 World Series, this song has been played prior to most professional baseball games since World War II. 3. Eaten by soldiers in the Civil War as a source of energy, this food item became an affordable, tasty ballpark snack following the war. They are still served in the shell. 4. This caramel corn snack was first served at baseball games as early as 1896, but it's was eternally linked to the game of baseball 12 years later. In 1908 it was made famous when included in the lyrics to Take Me Out to the Ballgame. 5. This souvenir was originally created in 1971, out of hardware cloth and papier-mâché for the 1971 Iowa High School Boy's State Basketball Finals. Modern versions are made of foam with screenprint logos that often say We Are #1. 6. Generally used to celebrate Independence Day, these were setoff following the first Major League night game on May 24, 1935 when the Cincinnati Reds hosted the Philadelphia Phillies at Crosley Field. Now they are used throughout baseball season to draw fans and, often, to celebrate home runs. Page 18

19 KEEPING SCORE WHO S ON FIRST Keeping score is easy! All you need is a basic knowledge of the rules of baseball. Experts use a simple code, which is based on numbering players by position. Grab a pencil and scorecard at the ValleyCats game and keep score for a couple of innings! Players positions are numbered as follows: 1 - Pitcher 6 - Shortstop DH - Designated Hitter 2 - Catcher 7 - Left Fielder PH - Pinch Hitter 3 - First Baseman 8 - Center Fielder PR - Pinch Runner 4 - Second Baseman 9 - Right Fielder 5 - Third Baseman Symbols for plays: 1B - Single WP - Wild Pitch SH - Sacrifice Hit 2B - Double SB - Stolen Base SF - Sacrifice Fly 3B - Triple DP - Double Play F - Foul Fly HR - Home Run PB - Passed Ball L - Line Drive E - Reached on Error BK - Balk CS - Caught Stealing FC - Fielder s Choice K - Strikeout CI - Catcher s Interference HP - Hit by Pitch BB - Base on Balls FO - Force Out Every time a batter goes to the plate, use the numbers to indicate how he was retired, or how he reached base. Fielding plays that retire batters or runners also require the use of numbers. For instance, the batter that grounds out to the shortstop is retired 6-3 in your scoring. If he flies to the Right Fielder, just use the number 9. If the ball is foul; 9F. Place a heavy, dark line under a box to indicate a change, either of the pitcher or the batter. Page 19

20 VALLEYCATS WORD SEARCH Directions: Find and circle the twenty-four hidden words. B L L U B B I S C L U D I D T S A A R E T H E I B L E G I G E S C G R O U N D E R A T N L D L T K X N E D I O M Q I G I A S P E S L W F E E U N H E N L Z C I O T N H R L N B U R E Q A P B R I O O I I L B L R S C O U N T T R P G F R A B E T Y A K K E R A N T L F S C P E Y Q E E E J I J K I L E Q E A V R R E U K F A B P J A H N L S H U T A S Y D P A O Z B Q V S Q K E H I T T E R L U X P U S T R U F F U N R J D K T C M S B F R K C X G W H U U J Y N WORDS: ACE BACKSTOP BALK BALL BASE BREAKING CALLED COUNT DINGER DOUBLE ERROR GAME GROUNDER HITTER INFIELD INNING LINE OUT PEN RUN SHUT STEAL TRIPLE WHIFF Page 20

21 BASEBALL CROSSWORD PUZZLE Directions: Use the clues below to fill in the crossword puzzle ACROSS DOWN 1 Two base hit 2 The man behind the catcher 5 Mistake that allows a runner to reach base 3 The tool used by player in the field 6 Not a ball (pitch) 4 Round tripper (2 words) 8 Person who coaches the team 6 One player bunts, the other steals home 9 Ball hit out of play 7 Where relief pitchers warm up 11 Run batted in (abbreviation) 10 Area over the plate between the knee and 12 Player who teams up with the pitcher on every play chest (2 words) 14 Sticky substance used for better grip (2 words) 13 A fly ball that is caught, but scores a run (2 words) 15 Championship round of Major League Baseball 16 Getting two outs in succession (2 words) 18 An infield hit where the hitter doesn t swing the bat 17 One base hit 20 Three base hit 19 Advancing one base by way of pitcher s mistake 21 Three white bags on field 22 Wooden stick 22 The other half of base Page 21

22 COLOR SOUTHPAW LET S GO CATS Directions: Use your creativity and artistic skills to color SouthPaw. Page 22

23 Past Education Day Supporters Thank you! Page 23