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plaidbooks · 4 years ago

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Nicknames and Slumps - “The Big Leagues” baseball AU

(moodboard by @witches-unruly-heart)

A/N: Here’s chapter 2 of the Baseball AU! I know I mentioned some chapters going towards the Summer Bingo--and they will--but I wanted to establish Sonny in this universe a little bit, first. This chapter takes place in the off season, and the beginning to Sonny’s second season of pitching for the Mets. Like before, feel free to DM me any questions you have about baseball/the AU!

Also, shoutout to @thatesqcrush and her husband for answering my arbitrary Mets questions!

P.S. Aquafresh is a brand of toothpaste

Tags: yelling, otherwise none

Words: 1803

Taglist: @witches-unruly-heart @beccabarba @thatesqcrush @itsjustmyfantasyroom @permanentlydizzy @ben-c-group-therapy @infiniteoddball @glowingmess @whimsicallymad @lv7867 @storiesofsvu @cycat4077 @alwaysachorusgirl @glimmerglittergirl @joanofarkansass @redlipstickandblacktea @reading--mermaid @averyhotchner @mrsrafaelbarba @detective-giggles @crowleysqueenofhell @dreamlover31

Sonny’s first year in the majors was almost flawless. Outside of his perfect game in his sixth start, he was dominate; he kept his ERA hovering around the low 1.00’s, and he was still undefeated. He did, however, have a few no decisions, only two of which were his fault. But besides that, he was the star everyone talked about. He even won the Rookie of the Year award; something almost unheard of with pitchers. The Cy Young award shocked no one, and the Mets were frantically offering him more money, trying to keep him. As if he’d go anywhere else.

Even with his spectacular pitching, the Mets didn’t make it to the post-season. But as the Mets watched the World Series from their homes, all anyone could talk about was the kid, Sonny Carisi.

He had gained notoriety among sportscasters and journalists for his outstanding performance on the field. But the fans adored him for his off days, and for how he conducted himself off the field. Not only did Sonny donate most of his time in the off season—not to mention his money—to multiple volunteer organizations, but he also offered to do signings at small, struggling mom and pop shops for free. He’d bring in huge crowds, spending hours at these events, taking pictures, signing autographs, talking to kids and adults alike.

While in the ballpark, on days he pitched, he would do his workouts in the trainer’s room, coming out of the dugout just to throw in the bullpen. He was focused, working on his mechanics. But on days he didn’t pitch, he was one of the first out on the field. Sonny had a penchant for hanging out right next to the dugout, signing autographs and taking pictures. He never declined—unless the umpire was yelling at him to get off the field so they could start the game—and he had a blast. And when he was in the outfield, shagging balls during batting practice, he’d toss them up to the crowd, or give them to kids with a huge smile.

Sonny’s trademark smile earned him his first nickname: Aquafresh. He threw his head back and laughed when he first heard it, loving it. He wasn’t as fond of his other nicknames that sprung up afterwards: Stringbean and Earthworm Jim being his least favorites. But there was one that apparently was going around that he didn’t hear from the crowd.

*************************

It was early morning, and he was watching the postgame wrap from the night before while he ate breakfast. Normally, Sonny didn’t watch the pre- or postgame commentary. But since he started dating you, he made it a point to watch if you were on. He smiled as he saw you wearing his jersey, thinking you were too damn cute, and wanting to cuddle with you on the couch.

The conversation slowly shifted from the game that happened to Sonny, as it normally did…not because you forced them to talk about him. In fact, you did your job as normal; it was your cohosts that would change the subject to him. And now that they knew—the world knew—that you two were dating, he almost wondered if it was on purpose, to see if you slip up on some personal info about him, or you two together.

“Speaking of Carisi, have you heard the new nickname? I heard the Staten Island Little Leaguers came up with it,” one of the guys said.

Sonny watched your face light up. “I have! They call him Peanut Butter Cup, right?” you asked, though he knew you didn’t need to; you never said anything that you couldn’t back up.

“Peanut Butter Cup? Where did they get that from?” another of your colleagues wondered out loud.

You smiled, and Sonny felt a swell of pride at your knowledge. “From his last name. They went from Carisi to Risi, then to Reese, then Reese’s and bam! Peanut Butter Cup,” you explained.

Sonny laughed, flushing with embarrassment, his heart warm. Children called him Peanut Butter Cup. Not for the first time, he felt an intense longing; Sonny wanted children, wanted a family. He was only 22, but he had known most of his life that he wanted to be a father. He made a mental note to bring up the prospect of children with you. It was still early in your relationship; you’ve been dating about five months, but with your jobs, you rarely saw each other. Hell, you saw each other more at work than off the field. Your relationship was mostly over text or phone calls, but he still felt deeply about you. He wasn’t sure if it was love yet, but he was hoping to get to know you more in person in the off season.

Once he finished breakfast, Sonny sent you a text: I saw your show from last night.

You responded almost instantly, unsurprising to him; your whole livelihood was on your phone. And? Did I do well?

He smiled, heart fluttering; he liked that you valued his opinion. Fantastic. Just one thing.

What??

I hate peanut butter.

***********************

Sonny Carisi was named the Opening Day starter for the Mets, shocking absolutely no one. He had just turned 23 and was already the best pitcher for the club, maybe even in baseball at the moment. Or so he, and everyone who watched him, thought. But that first game, the Cubs lit him up. Sonny gave up more runs in that game than he had in any other start combined. His manager took him out in the 4th, something that’s never happened to him before. When Sonny pitched, he was normally a shoo-in for at least 7 innings.

Frustrated, Sonny sat hard on the bench, not letting anyone outside the pitching coach talk to him.

“It happens to everyone eventually, Carisi. Just gotta let this roll off your back, come back strong your next outing.”

But that next outing, he did worse. He didn’t know what was happening to him. His command was perfect, his stuff great. It’s like everyone he faced suddenly could see right through him, knew every pitch he was going to throw before he threw it. It was infuriating. His ERA ballooned up to the 5.00’s, and he wondered dimly if the Mets would trade him.

Sonny eventually started shutting everyone out. He even stopped watching the pre- and postgame shows, whether you were on it or not. He stopped reading the articles you wrote, and he stopped reaching out. He even stopped being the first out of the dugout, stopped signing things by the dugout. On his days off, he spent it hiding in the locker room until game time. He didn’t want to field the questions about what was wrong with him; he didn’t have an answer, for them or himself.

************************

“Sonny, please open the door,” you called, knocking on the front door to his loft. He’d been avoiding you, and you worried about him.

You heard the latch unlock and took a step back. Sonny opened the door, looking annoyed. “What do you want?”

“I want to make sure my boyfriend is okay. Can I come in, please?” you asked. You knew he was frustrated, and that this may be something you’d have to deal with while dating. And you planned to force yourself into his life, to help him as best you could, whether he wanted to shut you out or not.

Sonny scoffed, turning and walking into his home. But he left the door open, and you followed, closing it behind you. “Of course, I’m not okay! Haven’t you been watching?”

“You know I have been. So, you’re in a slump; it happens—”

“Not to me!” he yelled, throwing his hands in the air.

You took a breath, staying calm. “It was bound to happen, babe.” You tried to put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged you off.

“So, what? You’re going to side with those other analysts? Calling me a fluke and writing shitty articles about me?”

You flinched at the accusatory tone in his voice. “Of course, not—”

“Why not? Everyone else is doing it; I’m sure your bosses would eat it up.”

You sighed, trying to shove down your own defensiveness. “Would you please just listen to me for a moment?” He shot you a glare but didn’t speak up. “You know I analyze pitching for a living, right?”

“So? I’ve tried to make my fastball faster, tried to make my curve drop more, but I can’t—”

“Sonny,” you said softly, making him stop his rant. “Instead of trying to blow pitches passed batters, you should be working more on your mechanics and command. If batters are making contact, then make that work for you. Force grounders or popups, trust your defense to back you up; they’re there for a reason.”

His eyes scanned yours as he took in your words. “Th-that’s a great idea, actually….”

“I’m glad you think so,” you replied, smiling.

Sonny returned your grin. “I—I’m sorry for snapping at you,” he sighed heavily. “I just…I don’t know what’s changed between last season and now—”

“You’re not new anymore; teams can break down your pitching style. You won a Cy Young and Rookie of the Year; they’re all so threatened by you that they all probably studied the hell out of you.”

He nodded, feeling a little better with your praise. “Y-yeah….”

You reached up, cupping his face, making him look at you. “There’s nothing wrong with you or your pitching. The batters just stepped up their game. So now, you have to answer back, okay?”

He lifted a hand, placing it on top of yours, and turned his face in your hold, pressing his lips to your palm. “Thank you, doll. And again, I’m sorry for yelling—”

“It’s fine, Sonny. I understand that you’re frustrated,” you said, smiling.

He squeezed your hand. “It’s not fine; you’re just trying to help. I should listen to you more; you’re so smart, and not to mention beautiful. I promise to never snap at you again.”

Your smile grew, and you lifted to your tiptoes, giving him a tender kiss. He leaned down, deepening the kiss. He wrapped his arms around your back, pulling you flush against him, and you hummed into his mouth. Slowly, he pulled back, leaning his forehead against yours, rubbing his nose with yours.

“Just so you know, I’ve never, and will never, write a shitty article about you, or call you a fluke, Stringbean,” you muttered against his lips.

Sonny let out a chuckle. “You know, you’re the only person who can call me that to my face, and not have me get annoyed.”

You giggled, pressing your lips to his once more. And sure enough, his next start had him looking back to normal, except instead of striking out double digits, he forced grounders for eight scoreless innings.

#sonny carisi x reader #law and order svu #law and order svu fanfic #fanfic #my writing #the big leagues au #baseball!au #baseball!sonny

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ebullientbun · 5 years ago

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Don’t Be A Deuce Bag

Starring: tennis!Jin x Reader Genre: mildest angst if any, fluff, friends-to-lovers!au Word Count: 3.5k Warnings: someone gets hit in the balls, slight swearing, lots of tennis jargon A/N: this is originally for the Sports!AU August prompt by @btsboulangerie, but I had a feeling that I won’t be able to finish it in time yeet

Summary: You and Jin are doubles partners, though you dream of being more than that. But doubles partners communicate, and Jin has been giving you the silent treatment. You need to get to the bottom of it.

The general public would always see tennis as some sort of elite sport, a hobby that rich people enjoy in their free time if they weren’t on a golf course. But they never consider the level of strategy, technique, and effort that goes into playing a match in competitive tennis, thinking that it’s just for players needlessly grunting as they hit the ball or dramatically falling into a split running towards a fast ball. But you found it to be more than that.

You found a home with the people with you on the tennis court. You’ve made your first friends in high school with these people, driving to and fro from away matches to all day tournaments. You’ve spent countless hours at dawn or late at night practicing drills with each other.

And you’ve discovered your love to be on the court. You first joined the team not expecting much, already knowing that you’ll be accepted onto the team since they were in constant need of female members, but you genuinely created a unique bond with each and every single one of them.

Not too long after your singles match, you plop down on the bleachers next to your best friend, Sooyoung. Snatching your fourth fruit snack packet from your tennis bag, you begin fueling yourself with sugar as you watch the other ongoing matches. You brighten, nudging Sooyoung on the shoulder. “Oh my god, look at Taehyung over there, third court”.

She turns, squealing excitedly. “He’s wearing a headband! Ugh, he’s so hot.” She leans forward to read the scoreboard, squinting. “He’s losing against Jimin, though.”

You hum. “Somehow, being frustrated is low-key making him hotter.” You watch as he wipes his forehead with a towel before tossing it on the bench; you sigh longingly. “I’d let him eat my ass like a cupcake anytime.” Sooyoung giggles at your comment, playfully shoving you in embarrassment.

“Can you not talk about our opponent like that? You’re rooting for the wrong team,” a voice sounds from behind you.

Kim Seokjin. Your doubles partner since you’ve joined the team and made you fall in love with the game. Instead of going through the motions, you felt a combination of excitement and anxiety during every match with him because he’s made it something to build yourself for.

You whip your head around, glaring at doubles partner. “Mind your own business, Jin. It’s legal to thirst.”

He rolls his eyes, before paying his attention back to the match on the first court.

Your relationship with Seokjin was nothing short of incessant bickering. You first got to know each other when you were filling up the team’s water jug as a newbie, and upon struggling to hold it up as it got heavier, he had come to the rescue to help out. Your coach saw the both of you as an opportunity for a mixed doubles team, since none of the other members wanted to be part of it and you both were getting along well. You both gave it a shot - having a position from the coach is better than being benched.

He easily gets on your nerves. He’s a gentleman, yet has a hankering of complaining. When you aim a ball too far and it lands out, suddenly he’s a know it all and tries to correct you for it. But when he makes a mistake, suddenly it’s the wind’s fault! You have to admit, he did help you with your form when you struggled with your backhand stroke back then.

All of that is tolerable when you consider the amount of synergy the both of you have on the court together. While you’re known for dominating at the net, Seokjin was known for keeping long rallies at the baseline. Was he garbage at the net? Sure. But you’ve been mixed doubles partners for the past couple years and have figured out a routine that worked. Playing with a different partner never interested you when you both knew each other’s playing styles so well.

That, and you had a small crush on him. Only a teeny one.

You offer him one of your fruit snacks, and he happily plucks one from the pouch. “Which court are we playing on soon?”

Seokjin nods towards the other section of courts, “Court 7, after Jeon’s finished playing.”

“We have a good advantage then, he’ll be too tired after the singles match to have enough energy for our match right after,” you comment.

Seokjin scoffs, “As if. He’s a powerhouse; he’ll just chug a Gatorade and go back at it again.”

“Who’s his partner again?”

“Yerim, I think.”

You groan. “No way, I hate that bitch! I just played her in singles and she slices every other ball.”

Seokjin hums pensively, “At least we have that advantage of how she plays.”

You nod, crumpling up your now empty fruit snack pouch and tossing it into the trash can. “Yeah, we’ll be fine.”

Things were not fine.

As Seokjin predicted, Jungkook was a monster and did not resist holding back slamming the ball towards you every time. It’s a dirty tactic to aim solely for the female opponent, but luckily for you and your partner, you were more fearless to his fastballs.

What you did not expect was cheating.

Your match is on the third set, both sides tiring out with a close score. Seokjin and you are in the lead 4-3. Currently, Jungkook is serving to Seokjin, while you are positioned near the net. Seokjin had been rallying cross-court with Jungkook for a while, but the angles were too wide for either of you or Yerim to poach from the net. With quick strategy, Seokjin abruptly rallies the ball straight, into a wide open area that Yerim, expecting another diagonal rally, fails to block. You figure it’s a clean win on the point, but Yerim holds up her pointer finger in the air.

“Out.”

...What?

Both you and Seokjin freeze. Mid high five too. You snap your head towards her.

“...That was in the line.” You walk closer to her at the net.

“No,” she argues, “it was close but it landed outside the double lines.” She crosses her arms and walks over to the area near where the ball landed and points with her racket at a spot out of bounds.

Oh, hell no. She didn’t even see where the ball landed, she isn’t even facing towards it.

You gape in disbelief, turning towards Jungkook. “Are you sure?”

Jungkook bites his lip, looking from you and Seokjin to his partner, before replying, “Yes.”

The audacity. You could feel the steam coming out of your ears. You are this close to childishly throwing a tantrum and asking for a referee, but you stop upon feeling a firm grasp on your shoulder.

“Whatever you’re thinking, don’t,” Seokjin mutters, glaring at them for good measure. “We are not going to stoop to their level if this is how they want to play.”

“This is the third time she’s called one of our ‘in’ balls ‘out’, and we’re just gonna sit here and let that happen? Your ball was obviously within the line,” you hiss. You want to smack that snooty look off her face.

Seokjin furrows his eyebrows, frustrated as well - most of the balls Yerim called were his. “Play fair and stay calm. We don’t want to make rash mistakes and slam the next few points into the net.”

You take in a deep inhale, before huffing. Offering your doubles partner a stiff high five, you get back into position for the next point.

Jungkook serves the ball to you, noticing how you rally back but don’t approach the net immediately as you usually would. He subtly starts closing towards the net, but you internally smirk - he was going to drop a short ball on your side.

As expected, he slices the next rally directly down the middle of the court, Seokjin frantically trying to poach the ball but missing. But you’re ready.

“Mine!” You rush towards the net, and with all of the pent up anger inside of you, you slam a forehand ball straight at Jeon Jungkook’s crotch.

Without enough time to react, Jungkook fails to block the fast ball and crumples to the ground. “Oh fuck!”

Yerim gasps, running to him and hollering for a time out. Jungkook, in all of his beautiful and wincing glory, lays in a fetal position in the middle of the court.

You turn your body away from them so they don’t see, but more importantly so Seokjin can see you. “For you, Jin,” you wink at him with a smug smile on your face.

Seokjin, who had mild concern for the poor boy, stares at you in bewilderment. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” Then, he bursts into a chuckle and offers you a low fist bump. “That's my girl.”

If you had known any better, you would think that his eyes were twinkling in the slightest bit. Your heart, in addition to the adrenaline, flip flops excitedly at the endearment.

In the end, you both still lost.

It wasn’t too surprising, but you both still had hope that by hurting Jungkook to his friend downstairs, you would have an advantage by winning only two more games. But, no. It appears that it just fueled the rage monster that unleashed within Jeon Jungkook and you lost three games in a row. Nonetheless, you and Seokjin took it in stride, already accepting upon walking onto the court that a loss wouldn’t be too bad as long as both of you did your best. Seokjin seemed just fine when you both walked off the court after the match to report to your coach.

However, now, Seokjin is a brat to you.

It’s a regular practice day, and instead of doing warm up laps around the courts with you like he normally does, he elects to chat next to Irene instead.

Ok, sure. Whatever. Not like you were obligated to warm up together, you suppose. You slow the pace of your lunges until Sooyoung catches up with you, falling into pace with her.

Sooyoung, despite heaving from trying to pick up the pace with the rest of the team, cocks her head in your direction. “Oh? Why aren’t you with Seokjin?”

You shrug, sparing a glance in his direction before sighing. “I don’t know, maybe he had something to talk about with Irene.”

Sooyoung frowns, nudging you on the shoulder with her elbow. “Then don’t pout, it’s probably nothing.”

You’re about to respond when your coach blows his whistle, indicating to everyone to warm up with a partner for half court rallies. You turn and begin to walk towards Seokjin, but you pause once you see him completely ignore you and beeline straight for your team captain, Jung Hoseok.

Hoseok’s eyes widen in surprise when Seokjin approaches him, nodding carefully while briefly holding eye contact with you as Seokjin speaks with him.

“Uh,” You turn back around, grabbing Sooyoung by the wrist, “can you practice with me today?”

Sooyoung furrows her eyebrows, frowning further upon seeing your doubles partner head towards a court with Hoseok to practice. “Sure.”

As if that wasn’t weird enough, he was in a mood during the practice games as well. He didn’t even acknowledge you when you sought him out, only following you on the court as you played against your teammates. You tsk when he brushes past you to place his water bottle on the benches.

If he wasn’t going to talk to you, you’re just going to act like nothing is happening.

But that was becoming increasingly difficult. He wouldn’t talk strategy with you, much less offer you a high five between points, and it was messing up your flow in the game. You missed more of your serves than usual, even your second serves. Seokjin would look increasingly annoyed whenever you miss a ball, and you’re already hanging on a tight leash.

Seokjin is getting ready to serve for the next game, and he calls your name before passing you an extra ball to hold. You try to decline, but he’s already thrown it your way.

“Jin, can you just roll this ball to the corner?”

“Just keep it in your pockets like earlier?”

“In my pock- I don’t have pockets, Jin!” You yell back, throwing the ball back at him. “Female uniforms don’t have pockets.”

Seokjin squinted. “If you don’t have pockets, how are you holding the extra ball?”

You scoff, “We are not as blessed to have long pockets like you guys, so we stick it in our underwear!” You gleam upon seeing his face go from irritable to mortified. “That’s right, the tennis balls you’re touching? Probably has female sweat from being lodged between our hip and our underwear all the time. But guess what!” You don’t even give him time to respond. “I forgot to wear decent underwear, and unfortunately, a g-string does not hold the ball in place, so I’m having a bit of a hard time running around with a ball sliding down my shorts!”

Your teammate across the court clears his throat. “Uh… can we continue the game?”

You hold a finger in the air, “Yeah, one sec.” You turn back to Seokjin, feeling more angry as you look at him. “And if we did have pockets, they wouldn’t even hold the ball properly. So don’t you dare complain to me about not wanting to hold the extra ball for you while you serve, you privileged asshole! I don’t know why you’re cranky today, but either talk to me about it or don’t take it out on me!”

You huff, turning back around and standing in position at the net, swallowing in awkwardness at your argument with your doubles partner. Regardless, your other teammates also slowly get back into position and the game continues with a tense atmosphere.

You catch Hoseok at the end of practice trying to lock the courts while juggling the box of tennis balls in his other arm. “Hey, Cap! Let me help.” You jog up to him, grabbing the box from him as he finishes locking up.

He scratches the back of his neck sheepishly, “Thanks. I could’ve set it down but for some reason I was making it harder on myself.”

“All good, see you tomorrow at practice!” You hand him back the box and prepare to head for the girls’ locker room when you feel a tug on your shoulder.

“Actually,” Hoseok starts, “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about Seokjin.”

You bristle, “And what about him?”

Hoseok looks at you pointedly, “don’t give me that look. You know as my duty as team captain I have to keep you all in check, but I’ve been getting a couple of comments from some teammates that you’ve both been fighting a lot lately.” You want to interrupt but Hoseok stops you with a glare. “I know it’s none of my business to enter into people’s affairs, but this is making some of the members uncomfortable, hell, I’m uncomfortable because I don’t like practicing with Jin. That lobbying bastard.”

You chuckle, knowing how much people aren’t used to rallying with him like you’ve been for the past few years.

Hoseok smiles, “Just talk it out with him. Please. You can probably catch him since he’s just gone to the locker room. I don’t want to have to seek you out again, but I will if I have to.”

You jokingly salute at him, making your way to the locker room again. This time in a bit of a hurry. “Aye aye, captain.”

You pace quickly up the stairs to the locker room, hoping that Seokjin hadn’t gone home already. Just as you reach the top, you catch him leaving the boys’ locker room at the end of the hall. “Jin! Wait up!” You perk up once he stops in his tracks, jogging faster towards him. “Hey,” you pant slightly, “can we talk?”

Seokjin quirks his mouth to the side, thinking pensively for a moment before nodding.

You fall into step with Seokjin, trailing beside him as the both of you walk towards the exit. It was silent for the first few minutes, but those minutes were killing you. “Okay, I’m not gonna beat around the bush, why were you ignoring me today?”

Seokjin scoffs, unsurprised by your frankness. “I’m not ignoring you.”

“You’re not-oh don’t be a fucking liar now,” you hiss. “You didn’t do the warm-ups with me and you were being especially crabby during practice.”

“If anything, you’re the one that’s being crabby.”

You gasp, “you have the nerve. You know what I’m talking about.”

Seokjin groans, readjusting the tennis bag strap on his shoulder. “Look, I can make buddies with other people on the team, too, y’know?”

“This was different,” you whine. “What did I do wrong?”

Seokjin stops in place, forcing you to halt and stare at him. “Do you consider me as a friend?”

“Of course,” you reply immediately.

“But… only as a friend?”

Your heartbeat stops briefly. “Wh… what do you mean?”

Seokjin stands there, un-answering but intensely holding your gaze. You want to avert your eyes elsewhere, feeling too overwhelmed by his stare and the possible meanings behind his words. You nearly combust on the spot when he slowly raises his hand to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear.

You sputter, “D-Do you…?”

Seokjin smiles sadly, placing his hand back in his pocket. “I guess you could say I was jealous earlier.” Upon seeing you frown in confusion, he continues, “Before the other school left the other day, I saw Taehyung exchange numbers with you. And you… you seemed pretty into him. It was a bit frustrating to see.”

Your mouth was left gaping, opening and closing like a fish. He was jealous? So that meant, he likes you? Or does he not like your fraternizing with the enemy?

Seokjin sighs at your silence, turning to begin walking again.

You’re stuck in place, trying to absorb this new information. But wait, he’s gone out the door. You haul ass to chase after him.

“Wait!” You holler at him, even though he didn’t gain that much distance from him. “Stop!”

Seokjin groans loudly, “What do you want from me?”

You catch up to him once again, tugging on the sleeve of his shirt. “You like me?”

Seokjin shakes his head, and you think you might cry on the spot for somehow misunderstanding him. “I can’t believe I have to confirm with you when it is so obvious.” He leans forward to flick you on the forehead. You whine, clasping sadly at your unnoticeable wound. “Yes, dummy. I like you, and I was so sure you felt the same way, but I guess I’m wrong.”

“EH??” You’re feeling a lot of emotions all over again, but on the bright side, you’re glad that the main one is happiness.

Seokjin scratches the back of his head, unsure if your reaction to this new revelation is good or bad. “Well, Hoseok told me that maybe you just exchanged numbers as friends, so I chilled out.” He starts to fiddle with the zipper on his shirt. “But then I overheard you talking to Irene about him outside the locker rooms. I asked her earlier if you were like, serious with him or something. And she just laughed in my face.” He pouts at that.

You almost laugh, almost. “I do, though. Like you, I mean. I exchanged numbers just to do it, but I didn’t have any real feelings towards Taehyung. At least not like the ones I have for you…” It feels weird to say out loud, and you feel like your heart is pounding way too hard in your chest. You aren’t even looking at Seokjin at this point, but aimlessly staring at trees.

You yelp as you’re harshly tugged forward, darting your eyes to the hands that grasped yours and then to the owner, who has a beaming smile on his face.

“Come on,” Seokjin chuckles, pulling you to the direction of his car in the parking lot.

“Where are we going?”

“Our first date. I know you have nothing better to do.”

You almost kick him in the shin for that. Almost means you attempted, but his long legs maneuver too fast for you to keep up. Seokjin laughs boisterously, dodging your attacks.

Although fake-upset at him, you smile along with him, intertwining your fingers together.

#btsboulangerie #btsbookclub #bts fanfic #bts fluff #seokjin fluff #seokjin fanfic #seokjin scenarios #bts x reader #jin x reader #bts scenarios #seokjin fanfiction #bts fanfiction #bts

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anne5386tho · 4 years ago

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Pitching Machines

For the baseball and softball players, you will require a throwing machine for the preparation. There are various pitching machines that you will discover suitable for preparing however not all are suggested. Because of this, it is fundamental to check for the ideal machine that will upgrade your preparation abilities. The pitching machines are suggested for the two amateurs and expert players as they help in upgrading the player's skills.For the best pitching machine, there are contemplations to watch out. For instance, you need to check for the worked of the machine, weight, feeder, and plan. You additionally need to look at for the speed and simplicity of control in addition to cost among others.

1. Franklin Sports MLB Electronic Baseball Pitching Machine

An ideal pitching machine should be proper for all clients. With this tallness flexible machine, it very well may be utilized by all degrees of players, which makes it phenomenal for the two children and grown-up players. The 7-second pitches machine is incredible for youngsters as it urges them to improve their batting abilities. The machine likewise achieves improved exactness and accuracy on the pitch. It accompanies six air strike white balls. Moreover, it includes a glimmering marker to demonstrate when the ball pitches.It can hold up to nine balls without a moment's delay to wipe out the requirement for taking care of balls without fail. The tough worked of the machine makes it extraordinary for long haul use. It is likewise ideal for improving batting execution.

2. Containers Lite-Flite Pitching Machine

Do you need the ideal pitching machine that can toss balls every which way? This adaptable machine has been intended to toss the two balls and softballs every which way. It can toss fastballs in left and right-gave in addition to sliders and curves. Furthermore, the machine is appropriate for the two children and grown-ups from the age of 8 or more. With a mimicked speed of 85 MPH at 25 feet, it conveys superb speed expected by all players.Moreover, the machine includes a 1.3 speaker engine for upgraded execution. The heaviness of 35 lbs makes it extraordinary for utilize anyplace required. It can deal with 11-inches or 12-inches light flite baseballs, light flite softballs, and JUGS bulldog poly-balls. Because of the lightweight plan, it is suitable for sharpening swings of the exceptional hitters.

3. BSN Bulldog Baseball/Softball Pitching Machine

The development of a pitching machine is a need to look at when purchasing the machines. This is an exceptionally sturdy machine because of the rock solid and tough development. It, thusly, offers long haul administration comparably anticipated. With the rock solid legs, you can undoubtedly change the machine from softball over to baseball pitcher. It additionally has sturdy urethane wheels that guide in wiping out pneumatic force issues.The lightweight plan of the machine makes it incredible for pitching anyplace without any difficulty. It runs on 110 Volt AC to guarantee that it conveys superb speed required. Furthermore, the machine tosses 12-inches softballs and 11-inches balls. It can toss at a speed of 30-60 MPH, which suits it for all clients.

4. Franklin Sports MLB Super Star Baseball Pitching Machine

With this extraordinary pitching machine, you will fabricate certainty and abilities in the youthful players. The machine is incredible for use for youngsters of various ages. It very well may be utilized in the lawn or for the movement group because of the lightweight. Highlighting an adjustable ball feeder that can grow to hold up nine balls, which makes it an astounding pick for the youthful players. The machine additionally accompanies six air strike plastic baseballs. To hold the machine protected back from tipping, it includes a steady ground stake and stand style base for added stability.The quality machine is profoundly strong since it is built from solid steel material. You can undoubtedly set the machine to an assigned point to offer better hitting and handling experience. It is likewise ideal for the delicate pitch, quick pitch, pop flies, and ground balls.

5. Containers Jr. EX Baseball Pitching Machine

For extraordinary speed, this is an amazing machine that conveys variable speed on account of the ¼ HP engine. The machine works on a standard 110V AC, which guarantees that it conveys first rate execution. Other than this, it highlights fixed orientation, which needn't bother with oil; consequently serves for more. The machine includes a hard core computerized control, which makes it simple for dialing in best pitch with rates of 15 to 60 MPH. All the more strangely, the machine likewise includes a turn base that makes it fantastic for both protective and hostile drills. The adaptable is suggested for use in the lawn, travel or youth ball group. It very well may be utilized by children of 8-15 years. It is the ideal machine that tosses from a reasonable delivery point.

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titan-mom · 8 years ago

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Destiny Musings: Sunsingers

I have some very lovely feelings on flavor for Sunsingers. In game you get, what, a self revive, endless grenades, a little bit of a shield. Cool cool, but your buddies have bows and hammers and explosions and sure you’ve got grenades but in the sense of style, a Guardian’s most important feature, it’s somewhat the least flashy. All you need is a good arm. It’s not really showing off unless you get a nice little flare in on that rez.

So let’s dress it up a bit. Self-rez aside, my personal headcanon for fic and RP is that Sunsinging is a bit more like firebending. There are motions and stances that while not always necessary, certainly make things easier and much more impressive to behold. Have some imagery to chew on.

The Solar Storm:

Someone wrote a sequence once of Eriana at Mare Imbrium and the mental image has stuck with me and followed me for years. She is strong and striding, a ring of fire surrounding her. She gestures and a fistful goes hurtling in that direction, each motion is fluid and poised and presides only burning. She moves like a forest fire, wades through enemies, scorching the ground and their bones alike. Most effective against waves of enemies, thrall and dregs.

The Dancer:

Sure it’s called Sunsinging but dancing goes hand in hand with that. Much like the previous, it’s motion that guides the direction of their fire. But rather than an unstoppable force, they are a breeze, a current. It’s about flow and following the Light and it’s power. Good strategy for handling larger enemies, they are able to dodge and retaliate with ease.

The Fastball Special:

Fireball in each hand, moving with an agility that puts some of their Hunter friends to shame. They hurl their light like baseballs and have impressive aim and even better reflexes when they’re in the zone. Tosses are punctuated with dodges and spins. They shine against small teams of elite enemies or in the Crucible. Some prefer to fire off smaller bursts of flame that lock onto surfaces (fusion grenades), others like to drop their stars at their feet as they run, leaving a trail of explosive plasma in their wake.

If anyone else has headcanons of their OCs or other ideas please tell me about them! Would love to hear what other people come up with!

#lets talk about your destiny #destiny headcanons #sunsingers #holy shit u guys content #im gettin on a roll

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pocket-monsters-precure · 8 years ago

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Chapter 5: Intuition is Key! Watch Our Bond Grow!

Naomi let out a satisfied sigh, sitting on the beach before classes began for the day. The sun was just barely up, and the surf was quiet.

“It’s a lot like home,” she thought aloud, “Wonder how mom and dad are doing..?”

The footsteps in the sand behind her sounded familiar. She looked over her shoulder with a smile at the absol that approached.

“Sure doesn’t beat home, but it’s darn close, isn’t it, girl?”

“Sol.” Absol strode up beside her and sat down, nuzzling her briefly. Naomi giggled and scratched behind her head-blade.

“Alright, we better go. Next weekend we’ll get started on building a raft, okay?”

“Come on, you two, let’s settle this like adults…” Kailani said carefully as Rotomi and Rotom, who was inhabiting his Rotom Dex, were squaring off.

“I’m telling you—bzzt!—there’s not enough room in here!” Rotom hissed.

“I can’t just stay out in the open!” Rotomi argued, “And I need to stay close to the Precure! Kailani has too much stuff in her bag…”

“Um…” Fae began to speak up.

“The Rotom Dex was—bzzt—made just for me!” Rotom snapped.

“Wait a moment!” Fae raised her voice, prompting the others to look at her. “Um…maybe..she can live in my pokedex?”

“Really?” Rotomi’s eyes lit up as Fae unplugged her pokedex from its charger and held it out. “Here goes!”

Rotomi zapped herself into the pokedex, which suddenly gave off a bright glow. When the light dimmed, the pokedex had changed its appearance—it had gone from red to a pale pink, and had a noticeable heart shape to it. It opened up to reveal Rotomi’s face on the screen.

“Wow, it’s perfect! Thank you, Fae!” Rotomi’s face darted to different corners of the screen. “I’m now a Cure Dex!”

“A Cure…Dex…?” Kailani leaned in.

“Now that I have access to technology, I can better sense darkness, and maybe even track where it’s coming from! Maybe…if I keep absorbing the leftover negative energy, we can power this baby up! I mean, it’s just a theory, but…”

“It’s worth a shot,” Fae nodded. “I wonder if…” She accessed the pokedex menu, going to where she would normally see a list of pokemon she had catalogued. Instead, there were the two nega-evolutions that the Cures had fought so far. “Wow! It goes through Rotomi’s memory to see what nega-evolutions we’ve fought!”

“For real?” Kailani beamed. “This’ll be great for helping us with the nega-evolutions, then!”

“You can swap between the Cure Dex and your regular pokedex at any time,” Rotomi explained, “Can’t forget what it was made for, after all!”

“This’ll be super useful!” Kailani cheered, when she heard the town’s clock tower in the distance. “…ah! We gotta go to class!”

“It’s supposed to be really hot today,” Fae said as she went to get her bag, “Maybe we should go to the beach after class.”

“Oh, that’s a great idea! We can see if Naomi wants to go, too!”

“I’m sure she will,” Fae replied, “Naomi’s from Slateport City in Hoenn—there’s a lot of sailors and fishermen there.”

“I noticed her pictures—she looks like she’s quite the sailor!”

“She is! And a great swimmer, too! Come on, we better hurry…”

“Blasted Precure…”

Ataxia irritably filed her nails, gritting her teeth as she sat on a chaise lounge in the Realm of Dysphoria—the room was styled similar to an old-fashioned parlor, and the bay window showed nothing but darkness and swirling auras outside.

“Who do they think they are?” Entropy grunted, biting into a sandwich, “Suddenly gettin’ in our way…”

“I can’t believe they’re for real…in my world, they’re stuff of legend.”

“Oh yeah, I keep forgettin’ you’re not from my world. But how’d they start poppin’ up on my home turf, huh?”

“Obviously in response to Lord Tumult breaching the dimensions,” Ataxia replied, “But there’s only two of them, and our forces are spreading across your world, so it should be nothing to worry about…”

“You say that,” a new voice muttered, “But you were up in arms about ‘em when you came back…”

Ataxia growled and turned to face a sofa, where an athletic-built man was lounging. “You should talk, Bedlam! You haven’t even faced them yet!”

Bedlam opened one eye, lazily looking over. “Hmph. Well, since you two have already met ‘em, I figure it’s about time I go.” He sat up and stretched, before rising to his feet. “Lemme see just how tough these little girls are…”

“Pokemon medicine has drastically improved within the last two decades, and it’s even beginning to show in human medicine.”

Dr. Alice Pierce was giving a presentation in Mr. Barton’s class, in place of the normal science class. Penumbra was quietly sitting nearby, eyeing up the class, an ear twitching on occasion.

“Studies have shown that the bonds between human and pokemon have shown a remarkable improvement in both physical and mental health for both parties. There are even many charities and services available to provide therapy pokemon to those with mental disorders and physical disabilities. For example…”

Naomi stared out the window, tapping her pencil against her notebook page eraser-first.

“…does anyone have their own examples, small or otherwise, of how they believe a pokemon improved their health in some way?”

“Hm?” Naomi immediately snapped to attention, then raised her hand. Among the students with hands raised, Dr. Pierce’s eyes settled on her.

“Yes?”

“Well…” Naomi stood up in her seat. “…I’ve always been kind of a risk-taker, and my family would warn me that it would get me hurt one day. A few years ago, I went canoeing and didn’t think to take my pokemon with me…while I was out there, I noticed this absol standing by the water’s edge, barking at me, like it was trying to get my attention.”

Fae smiled—she knew this story.

“Eventually it got more and more frantic, and I decided to paddle over to check on it. As soon as I got out of the canoe…this huge gush of water came rushing over the waterfall and took my canoe with it...it turned out a dam had burst, and the absol was trying to get me out of the water.”

Naomi beamed, then finished, “Since then, Absol has been one of my most treasured pokemon. If she seems uneasy about something I’m doing, I second-guess.”

Dr. Pierce nodded. “It’s said that absols can predict disasters—long ago, it was believed that they were the cause of disasters, when it turned out they were just trying to warn humans. Thank you for sharing—seems Absol improved your health before she even became your pokemon.”

As Naomi sat back down, Kailani looked at her in wonder. “Wow…”

As Dr. Pierce went to ask other students for their stories, Penumbra’s right ear twitched, and she cocked her head to the side, toward the distant beach.

“What a great day…” Kailani stretched and gazed out at the water. “A class without tests and a sunny day!” She looked over at Naomi, who released Absol from her ball. “I had no idea your absol saved your life!”

“Ah, geez…” Naomi laughed sheepishly. “She’s been really overprotective since then, but I know it’s for my own good…”

“Who should I let out today…?” Fae examined her bag, before pulling out a pokeball and giving it a toss. “Let’s go, Seel!”

“Seel, seel!” Seel clapped its flippers. Kailani released Brionne to give Seel some company.

“Absol, can you watch our stuff?” Naomi asked. The pokemon responded by laying atop the trio’s bags. “…well, I guess that’s one way to do it.”

As the girls settled in and took to the water, Kailani looked to Naomi as she emerged from beneath the waves. “I saw your pictures in the dorm. You’re from a sailing family?”

“That I am!” Naomi beamed. “I was in the swim club at my middle school, too. Guess that’s what happens when you live in a port town like I do.”

“Does Absol sail with you?”

“Absol’s not a big fan of water; she likes to sleep on the beach while I take a different pokemon. Usually it’s Treecko.”

“No way! I’m imagining such a small pokemon clinging to the sail…”

“You’re not far off.”

Fae had emerged from the water, focusing on making a sand castle while Seel splashed around in the surf. She looked up at the two talking, smiling softly, when she heard a growl. Turning, she saw Absol beginning to grow agitated by something. “Absol…?”

Absol began to bark angrily. “Sol! Sol!”

“Huh?” Naomi looked up as she heard her. “Something’s up. Come on.” She beckoned to Kailani, as the two reached the shore. Absol had risen to her feet, pacing around and snapping her eyes in different directions. Rotomi peeked out of Fae’s bag worriedly.

“I’m starting to feel something, too…”

“Absol? What’s the matter, girl?” Naomi crouched down, when Absol tried to use her head-blade’s dull side to hook Naomi’s arm and pull her. “Hey!”

“Hey…” a voice drawled, “Would you shut your pokemon up? I’m trying to rest.”

The owner of the voice rose to his full height, slightly obscured by the shade of a beach umbrella. Tall, athletic, with fair skin and sandy blonde-grey hair. The dark colors and sharp angles of his attire were a calling card.

“It’s another member of Team Dysphoria!” Rotomi cried as she emerged from the bag.

“Name’s Bedlam,” he grumbled as he scratched his head. “You know, I was gonna take a nice, long nap before I got to spreading despair and unease.”

“What are you talking about?” Naomi raised a suspicious eyebrow. Absol stepped in front of her, growling. Bedlam lazily eyed the pair up and down, before digging into his pocket.

“You don’t gotta understand it…just obey it. Let’s see how much the nega-balls mutate a human.”

With a grunt, Bedlam hurled a fastball straight at Naomi. She had no time to react—but Absol did. She jumped backward, knocking Naomi away and being encapsulated by the ball.

“Absol!?” Naomi cried as she hit the sand, scrambling back to her feet to run toward the ball containing her companion—when it burst open again.

“NEGAAAAA!” Nega-Absol emerged from the ball—towering over the group at nine feet tall, its claws and head-blade razor sharp, its fur jagged and sinister. Batlike wings emerged from its back, as if a sinister subversion of the species’ mega-evolution, and its tail had extended to a whiplike length.

“Heh, that’ll do.” Bedlam snapped his fingers. “Nega-evolution, do your stuff!” Nega-Absol responded in kind, rearing up before charging toward the other beachgoers. People and pokemon began to flee the scene, as the monster kicked up sand, umbrellas and beach chairs. Nega-Absol reared her head back and let out a roar, a shockwave stopping and collapsing several pokemon, who now seemed frightened and weary, giving off a dim aura.

“Absol! Stop!” Naomi cried, before turning to Kailani and Fae. “You two go! I’m gonna stop her!”

“We’re not leaving you alone!” Kailani declared, while Fae anxiously watched the mayhem. After a pause, both of them took out their cure compacts; in that time, Naomi had already started running toward Absol, throwing a pokeball and releasing Sceptile to attempt to subdue the rampaging beast.

“Precure! I! Choose! You!”

As Cure Sunrise and Cure Wish transformed, Naomi had already attempted to battle Nega-Absol.

“Sceptile! Use Leaf Blade!”

Sceptile leapt into the air, converting the leaves on its body into swords as it attempted to slash at the monster. Nega-Absol responded in kind by swinging her head-blade and smacking Sceptile back down. Naomi ran to check on it, as it suddenly jumped to its feet and pulled her back as Nega-Absol tried to stomp on them.

“Sceptile, let go of me!” Naomi ordered, “I have to stop her!”

Sceptile ignored her, only for her to squirm out of its grasp and run back toward Nega-Absol. “Absol! Come back to your senses! This isn’t like you!”

Nega-Absol reared up to stomp again, only for Cure Sunrise and Cure Wish to slam into her with powerful kicks. As the Cures landed, Sunrise turned to face Naomi.

“It’s not safe for you here! That man did something to change your pokemon…we’ll do whatever it takes to turn it back!”

“I’m not leaving!” Naomi argued. “Absol’s been there for me through thick and thin!” She clenched her fists, tears streaming out, “I don’t know who you two are, but I won’t abandon her! I’d never abandon any of my pokemon!”

At that declaration, she took off at a sprint, and as she drew closer, Nega-Absol began swinging her head-blade down. Before she could make contact, there was a brilliant light…

Naomi looked around as she found herself standing in a starry void. “What…?” She looked around. She grit her teeth, then began to sprint in the endless cosmos. “Absol! Sceptile! Where are you guys!?”

“Ji-ra-chiiii~!”

Naomi skid to a stop, stumbled and fell over (somehow, despite there not being any definitive ‘ground’ to speak of), before grumbling and rising to her feet. She gasped, as a face she had only seen in picture books had appeared before her.

The legendary pokemon Jirachi floated before her, a warm smile on its face as it held in its hands a round object.

“J-J-J-J-Jirachi!?” Naomi stammered, as it spun once and held out the object…a compact with the image of a star.

“Jira!” Jirachi gave it a shake for emphasis as it extended its arms.

“I-Is that…for me?”

“Jirachi!”

Naomi took the compact in her right hand, feeling a warmth in her left and looking down to see a blue, opalescent stone forming.

“Will this…help Absol?”

Jirachi merely tilted its head, as a new energy began to rush through her.

“Precure! I! Choose! You!”

Moments later, a seemingly-new person stood in her place, and with immense strength, clapped her palms together and caught Nega-Absol’s head-blade. Clad in deep blue and pale yellow, short hair meeting back like a paintbrush, but all-too-familiar eyes glared up at Nega-Absol, before kicking the blade back and flipping away. She struck a fighting pose.

“Courage as vast as the night sky! Cure Starlight!”

#pocket monsters precure #pocket monsters pretty cure #pokemon #precure #pretty cure #fanseries #story

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ecoorganic · 5 years ago

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MLB Power Rankings: Who's Already Surprising Us?

What's gotten into the Rockies? Has David Ross already revived the Cubs? The ... Marlins?

The 2020 MLB campaign is only two weeks old, and unfortunately that has already been ample time to become skeptical of the season’s viability. COVID-19 outbreaks have caused the league to quarantine entire teams and make drastic alterations to an already wonky schedule, while the commissioner

lays blame on the players and deflects accountability.

With so much opportunity for dismay, we're using Week 3 of Power Rankings to highlight one pleasant surprise from each club. Because what are the early days of a baseball season for if not a little positivity?

30. Pittsburgh Pirates (Last Week: 29)

It wasn’t enough to prevent falling into the basement of our rankings, but the Pirates secured a walk-off win on Thursday against the Twins, who entered with MLB’s best record. Kevin Newman had the game-winning single after racking up four walk-off hits last year as a rookie.

29. Kansas City Royals (Last Week: 26)

At long last, Trevor Rosenthal appears to have rediscovered his form (and, more importantly, his health). He missed all of 2018 recovering from Tommy John surgery, then posted a 13.50 ERA with 26 walks in 15 1/3 innings for the Nationals and Tigers last season. So far in 2020, he has a 1.93 ERA with five strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings, and has yet to walk a batter. His fastball is as firm as ever, averaging 98 mph.

28. Seattle Mariners (Last Week: 28)

The emergence of J.P. Crawford’s bat has to be music to the ears of Mariners fans. Crawford, a former top prospect whose defense has always been strong, hit .222/.320/.367 in 165 games before this season. He’s batting .280/.410/.380 through 14 games, and has cut down his strikeout rate from 21% in 2019 to just 11.5% in 2020.

27. Detroit Tigers (Last Week: 24)

Tyler Alexander’s record-setting 10-strikeout performance in relief on Sunday is among the most surprising feats of the young season. Alexander has never had overpowering stuff, with a fastball sitting around 90 mph. He’s faced 26 batters on the season and struck out half of them, providing support for a Tigers bullpen that ranks 18th in the Majors with a 4.30 ERA.

26. Baltimore Orioles (Last Week: 30)

Does moving out of the cellar of SI’s power rankings qualify as a pleasant surprise? Last weekend’s sweep of the Rays certainly counts, as does Hanser Alberto’s hot start. The 27-year-old still rarely walks (1.9% walk rate in 53 plate appearances), but he’s improved his plate discipline, swinging less often at pitches out of the zone and more often at strikes than he did a season ago.

25. Texas Rangers (Last Week: 23)

It’s been a tough start to the season collectively for Rangers hitters, who are batting a combined .208/.290/.362 through 11 games. One positive note has been 34-year-old Todd Frazier, who’s hitting .289/.372/.553 after signing with Texas on a one-year, $5 million deal this offseason.

24. Boston Red Sox (Last Week: 21)

The Red Sox have had the worst starting rotation in the American League, so finding a bright spot requires a bit of squinting. Left-hander Martin Perez has been just that through his first three starts, going 2-1 with a 3.45 ERA and no home runs allowed while inducing weak contact—his average exit velocity is 82.5 mph, among the lowest in baseball.

23. Arizona Diamondbacks (Last Week: 22)

While Madison Bumgarner and Robbie Ray have both taken a nosedive this season and brought along Arizona’s playoff odds with them, rotation mates Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen have tried to pick up the slack by recording ERAs under 3.00 in five combined starts so far.

22. San Francisco Giants (Last Week: 27)

Mike Yastrzemski has been doing his best impression of Mike Trout at the plate, slashing .304/.458/.630 to lead the Majors in fWAR (1.1) entering Thursday. Like Trout, he’s also playing center field, but in spacious Oracle Park after manning the corners last season, increasing his value for the Giants even more.

21. Miami Marlins (Last Week: 25)

The Marlins are somehow leading the NL East despite playing with a skeleton crew after over half their team tested positive for COVID-19. Their ragtag group of green youngsters and journeymen swept a four-game set from the surprisingly frisky Orioles to help Don Mattingly, who admitted he didn’t know some of his newly signed players, become the franchise’s all-time winningest manager.

APSTEIN: Marlins' Eddy Alvarez Becomes First Winter Olympic Medalist to Play MLB

20. Los Angeles Angels (Last Week: 20)

The Angels traded four minor leaguers for Dylan Bundy this offseason to help improve a starting rotation that ranked last in combined fWAR last season, and the early results have been spectacular. Bundy tossed his third career complete game on Thursday, and is 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA in three starts with 25 strikeouts and just two walks in 21 2/3 innings.

19. Toronto Blue Jays (Last Week: 18)

This young Toronto lineup has yet to find its rhythm, but 27-year-old Teoscar Hernandez has been a steady force. Six of Hernandez’s 11 hits have gone for extra bases (four homers and two doubles).

18. New York Mets (Last Week: 13)

Robbie Cano is slapping singles like it’s going out of style—which, it sort of is. He's batting .412 on the back of 11 singles in 39 plate appearances, the highest single rate (which sounds like an unfortunate romantic stat) among players with at least seven singles entering Thursday’s games.

• Verducci: What Happened to MLB's Elite First Basemen?

17. Milwaukee Brewers (Last Week: 16)

The Brewers are yet another team whose schedule has been interrupted by COVID-19. None of Milwaukee’s hitters have really found a groove yet, but Adrian Houser’s seven innings of shutout ball against the White Sox on Wednesday lowered his ERA to 0.75, vaulting him to third on the MLB leaderboard.

16. Philadelphia Phillies (Last Week: 17)

The Phillies have played just seven games in 14 days, or as many as they’ll play in a five-day span against Miami in September. The most pleasant surprise of their season so far is that no players were infected with the coronavirus when they played the COVID-stricken Marlins on opening weekend.

15. Cincinnati Reds (Last Week: 12)

Nick Castellanos had a tale of two seasons while split between the Tigers and Cubs last year. Reds fans are happy he’s carrying over what he showed in Chicago, ranking among the top five league-wide in home runs (six), RBI (13) and OPS (1.212) and carrying a 12-game hitting streak to begin the season until it was snapped Thursday.

14. St. Louis Cardinals (Last Week: 14)

The Cardinals have just five games under their belt and haven’t taken the field since last Wednesday, so it’s hard to draw any conclusions here. Longtime heralded prospect Tyler O’Neill has two home runs in 15 at-bats, so that’s … something.

13. San Diego Padres (Last Week: 11)

A renewed emphasis on plate discipline has translated to the best Padres offense since the steroid era, as San Diego leads the NL with 5.5 runs per game. Just as it seemed like Wil Myers had worn out his chances to start in San Diego, he’s finally hit his stride in his sixth season in SoCal and leads the Padres in OPS (1.109).

12. Chicago White Sox (Last Week: 19)

White Sox starting pitchers have scuffled so far with a collective 5.46 ERA. The bullpen, though, has been stellar. Alex Colome, Evan Marshall, Ross Detwiler and Matt Foster have pitched a combined 23 1/3 innings of relief without allowing a run.

11. Tampa Bay Rays (Last Week: 4)

Dropping from fourth to 11th may seem harsh, but that’s where getting swept by the Orioles will get you. The Rays have dropped six of their last seven, but a silver lining has been the improvements made by second baseman Brandon Lowe. Lowe was an All-Star last year and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting, and now he’s improved his slash line to .302/.375/.605. He’s particularly doing damage on fastballs, hitting .389 against heaters in 2020 after batting .291 on fastballs last year.

10. Cleveland Indians (Last Week: 6)

One of the few consistent contributors in Cleveland's lineup has been Cesar Hernandez, who’s batting .319/.429/.383 after two years of below-average performance in Philadelphia. The bullpen must be mentioned here as well—Cleveland relievers have a combined 1.34 ERA with no home runs allowed in 33 2/3 innings.

9. Washington Nationals (Last Week: 7)

Washington’s bullpen has the third-best ERA (1.53) in the Majors among teams who haven’t had COVID-related postponements after the unit recorded an NL-worst 5.68 ERA in 2019.

MLB Blog: Nationals's Early-Season Woes Strike Again in 2020

8. Colorado Rockies (Last Week: 15)

Colorado’s core four starters (Kyle Freeland, German Marquez, Jon Gray, Antonio Senzatela) have combined for a 2.49 ERA in 11 starts, providing a nice collective rebound after all except Gray struggled to repeat their 2018 form last season. All three of Colorado’s losses have been by one run. Rocktober will likely be upon us soon enough.

7. Atlanta Braves (Last Week: 8)

Mike Soroka may be out for the season, but Max Fried looks ready to assume the ace role in Atlanta after allowing a total of four runs in three starts against the Mets, Rays and Blue Jays.

6. Houston Astros (Last Week: 5)

The Astros’ rotation would be in dire straits were it not for two youngsters: Cristian Javier and Framber Valdez. The pair has combined for a 1.93 ERA in 23 1/3 innings pitched, with 21 strikeouts and just one home run allowed. With Justin Verlander injured and Lance McCullers still struggling, Javier and Valdez will be relied upon to keep Houston in contention.

5. Oakland Athletics (Last Week: 10)

The A’s have risen to the top of the AL West thanks to their sensational pitching. Oakland pitchers ranked eighth in the Majors last year in total WAR, but rank second through 13 games so far. That jump is thanks to the team’s bullpen, which sports a 1.80 ERA in 55 innings.

4. Chicago Cubs (Last Week: 9)

Before the Cubbies were inexplicably whipped by the Royals on Thursday to snap a six-game winning streak, their rotation held a MLB-best 1.95 ERA. Every starter has carried his weight, from steady veterans Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester to the resurgent pair of Yu Darvish and Tyler Chatwood (Thursday’s debacle aside) and even the soft-contact dependent Alec Mills.

3. Minnesota Twins (Last Week: 3)

Everyone expected the Twins’ lineup to rake this year, but few likely expected Minnesota’s rotation to pitch this well. Twins starters had a 4.19 ERA last season, ranking 11th in the majors. The group’s 2.71 ERA through 13 games ranks third-best in 2020—led by ground-ball machine Randy Dobnak, who’s posted a 0.60 ERA through three starts.

2. New York Yankees (Last Week: 2)

Yankees fans who watched him thrive last year might not consider this a surprise, but Gio Urshela has picked up where he left off last season and taken his game to an even higher level. Urshela is batting .324/.405/.649 through the team’s first 12 games, posting a ludicrous 57.7% hard-hit rate. Any doubts about the legitimacy of Urshela’s breakout 2019 campaign are quickly being put to bed.

BACCELLIERI: What's the Craziest Feat We Could See in 60 Games?

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (Last Week: 1)

Accidental Opening Day starter Dustin May has upped his velocity another notch this season and throws the fastest sinker in the league (97.8 mph), per Fangraphs. He also made Manny Machado look like a Little Leaguer with one of the nastiest pitches of the season on Tuesday, when he picked up his first win of the season while pitching a career-high six innings.

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jonathantwatson · 6 years ago

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Great Article With Plenty Of Insights About Baseball

The great thing about baseball is that its appeal really does span all socioeconomic backgrounds and cultures. With hard work and the right information, baseball is a sport that is accessible to all. Keep on reading to discover how to get the most out of playing baseball each and every time out.

Whenever you hit the ball in fair territory, run at full steam. Even if it appears like an easy out, you've got to give it your all. It may be that the opposing team misplays the ball, or it may take a tricky bounce giving you just enough time to reach base.

Always hustle to first base, even if you think you have made an out. You never know what could happen with fielder; he could drop the ball or throw it away. By running as fast as you can, you may be able to get a base hit you did not expect.

Always wear protective equipment when playing baseball. Just like any sport, injuries happen in baseball. Especially when batting, you need to protect your head. That means you need to wear a helmet whenever you enter the batter's box. One poor pitch can mean a fastball hitting you in the noggin. That's at minimum a ringing headache with the potential for a concussion or worse. Be safe.

When coaching baseball, there are a few things you will need to have close at hand. Be certain you keep a good first aid kit, properly stocked and at the ready. Bring along plenty of water and electrolyte drinks to help players avoid dehydration. Have your practice plan ready for each day with detailed drills and broken into manageable time segments. Naturally, you must be certain of having all the right equipment.

Make sure you stay aware of where every player is located on the field. If you know where everyone is, it is easier to avoid collisions. Head injuries are possible in player collisions. The best way to prevent such accidents is to alert others anytime you go for a ball.

To improve arm strength and gain a steadier swing, purchase some bat weights and practice with them regularly. By working out with a heavier bat than you will use when at the plate, you will able to boost accuracy, refine your batting abilities and become a key contributor to your team's fortunes.

To be a better player in the outfield, you have to be moving. If you stand in the same position too long, your legs can get tight and you will not be able to run when a ball is headed your way. The best way to stay moving is to take a few steps between pitches.

Keep an eye on the signs from your coaches as you are running bases. You should focus on the bases and the base coaches because they can see the entire field. When running bases, concentrate on the base, not the ball. Your coaches can help you see. When your base coach gives you the signal to stop, stay on the base. If they tell you go to, sprint.

Don't be afraid to get your uniform dirty. Baseball is a game played in grass and dirt. You aren't playing to 100% if you come out of any game with your uniform as pristine as it was when you first put it on. Make it a goal to get as dirty as possible.

If you are playing an outfield position, you need to choose the correct pair of sunglasses. These glasses should not distort your peripheral vision. The best styles are those that are frameless. The sunglass lens should wrap all the way to your temples to help keep the maximum amount of sunlight from your eyes.

To keep your fingers from getting hurt while bunting, make sure to keep them on your side of the bat. If you wrap them around the bat, the pitch can hit them. You end up with a painful bunt, with no control over where the ball goes, instead of a nifty sacrifice.

To prepare yourself to throw out a runner, when you are catching, hold your throwing hand behind your back. As the pitch approaches, move it up behind the glove, so that you snatch it out of the glove and throw it as quickly as possible, while you jump up to a standing position.

Practice bunting, even if you are a power hitter. Bunting is a bit of a lost art in baseball. The idea is to simply tap the ball into play, taking the infield, pitcher and catcher off-guard. This is a smart tactic to move a teammate over from first to second or to even score an infield hit. A power hitter bunting is so unexpected that it really can be effective.

When pitching, you cannot forget that after the ball is released it's in play. It will often go into the catcher's mitt and then back to your glove without a play being made. However, you have to be at the defensive at all times as soon as you touch the ball, and you need the ability to react quickly.

Help your kid become a better pitcher or baseball player by helping them better their arm strength. They can do some light tossing and light dumbbells. Tube exercises are also very beneficial for this purpose. Long tosses are very important, but you need to make sure they are under control.

Baseball gloves are not cheap, so it's important to take care of your glove. Routine maintenance includes keeping your glove clean and dry and storing it in a cool, dry area. Occasionally, you should condition your glove. If your glove accidentally gets wet, allow it to air dry and apply leather conditioner to soften it.

Baseball is beloved in all corners of the globe and has fans of all descriptions. Given the relatively small amount of equipment required to play, it is open to nearly everyone. Keep the above tips handy, and it will be possible for every aspiring ballplayer to learn the skills necessary to play successfully.

To learn more about Baseball Chalk; visit: https://liquidgripcanada.com/hand-chalk/baseball/

Great Article With Plenty Of Insights About Baseball See more on: Liquid Grip Service

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andrewdrobins · 6 years ago

Text

Great Article With Plenty Of Insights About Baseball

Whenever you hit the ball in fair territory, run at full steam. Even if it appears like an easy out, you’ve got to give it your all. It may be that the opposing team misplays the ball, or it may take a tricky bounce giving you just enough time to reach base.

Always wear protective equipment when playing baseball. Just like any sport, injuries happen in baseball. Especially when batting, you need to protect your head. That means you need to wear a helmet whenever you enter the batter’s box. One poor pitch can mean a fastball hitting you in the noggin. That’s at minimum a ringing headache with the potential for a concussion or worse. Be safe.

Don’t be afraid to get your uniform dirty. Baseball is a game played in grass and dirt. You aren’t playing to 100% if you come out of any game with your uniform as pristine as it was when you first put it on. Make it a goal to get as dirty as possible.

When pitching, you cannot forget that after the ball is released it’s in play. It will often go into the catcher’s mitt and then back to your glove without a play being made. However, you have to be at the defensive at all times as soon as you touch the ball, and you need the ability to react quickly.

Baseball gloves are not cheap, so it’s important to take care of your glove. Routine maintenance includes keeping your glove clean and dry and storing it in a cool, dry area. Occasionally, you should condition your glove. If your glove accidentally gets wet, allow it to air dry and apply leather conditioner to soften it.

To learn more about Baseball Chalk; visit: https://liquidgripcanada.com/hand-chalk/baseball/

Great Article With Plenty Of Insights About Baseball was first seen on https://liquidgripcanada.com

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liquidgripcanada · 6 years ago

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Great Article With Plenty Of Insights About Baseball

To learn more about Baseball Chalk; visit: https://liquidgripcanada.com/hand-chalk/baseball/

Great Article With Plenty Of Insights About Baseball was first seen on https://liquidgripcanada.com

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twoguystrybbq-blog · 6 years ago

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Smokehouse Barbecue

Ben:

We’re starting to branch out a little, and I don’t hate it one bit. To be certain, we still have some barbecue in KCMO left to try and a handful of places in KCK we’ll visit, but we’re beginning to exhaust all of our very local barbecue options. And for me, this will be one of the best aspects of this project moving forward: getting into new parts of the KC Metro area, visiting suburbs I didn’t know existed, all while sampling the best barbecue in the world.

With that said, we visited Smokehouse Barbecue in Gladstone on a Sunday. If I recall correctly, we had tentatively planned to grab barbecue on Saturday, but we unexpectedly over-served ourselves on Friday night, which spiraled into a full day of needed recovery. It seems the reality that my hangovers are never getting any better is finally sinking in. I can’t prepare for these bad boys any more. It doesn’t matter how much water I drink on Friday night, or even how little alcohol I drink on Friday night (seriously, just three drinks does the trick for me), I’m donezo on Saturday.

So, knowing that barbecue deserves our full, not hungover attention, we postponed the feast on Saturday and re-scheduled for Sunday. After combing through our comprehensive list of all barbecue in Kansas City, I settled on Smokehouse, which has three locations in the metro area. The location in Gladstone was about a twenty minute drive, but still the closest of all three. We met at Smokehouse in that sweet spot of barbecue feasting: mid afternoon. After the lunch rush, but before they’ve run out of any important items (tell a man “we’re out of burnt ends” and I’ll show you a man in despair).

I first drove right past Smokehouse, but when I circled back, I’m not entirely sure how I ever missed it. It’s a huge restaurant with -- as you may guess -- beautiful barbecuing smoke billowing out the roof.

I met Leo inside; he had already been seated and ordered an appetizer of burnt ends. I’m totally fine with burnt ends as an appetizer. Or an entree. Or, hell, toss some extra charred burnt ends on some vanilla ice cream and have them for dessert. We don’t discriminate.

As we caught up on how brutal our hangovers were, I took note of Smokehouse’s huge interior. This place is no hole-in-the wall, it’s a big restaurant made to accommodate large groups. I imagine graduation parties, company lunches, and family reunions eat here all the time. Indeed, if you’re visiting Kansas City with a large group of people and want to check out some quality barbecue, I’d probably send you to Smokehouse.

Our burnt end appetizer arrived and we ordered our main courses; I went with more burnt ends (don’t judge), sausage, baked beans, and cheesy corn.

The burnt ends at Smokehouse are fantastic -- certainly more on the meaty side than the fatty side, and still with plenty of char in each and every bite. These aren’t the type of burnt ends that just fall apart in your mouth because they’re all fat; these are the burnt ends that deliver all the flavor you need between the char and the sauce, but come in a hearty chunk of meat. The burnt ends here are substantial.

Our appetizer, as well as our entrees, came pre-sauced -- something both Leo and I have decided we don’t have a problem with. For starters, pre-sauced meat almost always come with hot (temperature, not flavor) sauce. Rather than drizzling some room temperature sauce on your ‘cue, the sauce goes straight from a warmer in the kitchen to melting into your meat. It feels… fancy? Maybe. And what’s more, pre-sauced meat allows us, as eaters, to just sit back and trust the choices of the cooks and pit master. Instead of guessing which sauce mixes best with which meat, we’re letting the professionals handle that business.

In short order, our main courses arrived. The burnt ends, I should note, were still fantastic. Smokehouse also offers pork burnt ends -- something I’ve never tried -- but I was more than happy with the traditional beef/brisket burnt ends.

The sausage was a traditional dinner-style sausage, with finely ground filling and a smooth exterior. Smokehouse’s sausage is on the mild side in terms how strength of flavor, but for me that really means I can pair it with other items and sauce without the sausage over-powering anything.

The sides at Smokehouse are what I would confidently describe as… strong. The cheesy corn was a first for me, and did not disappoint. It’s rich and creamy -- like mac and cheese. But instead of pasta, you have packets of sweetness with the corn. And while it may look a bit like that creamed corn they fed you in elementary school, this is a quality side dish that’s been prepared fresh and with care. The same can be said of the beans, which were thick, smokey, and tasted like they had been prepared low and slow for the past few days.

Even though I came into Smokehouse hungry as ever, I found myself slowing down at the end of this meal. Was I losing my fastball? Was I struggling to put away truly disturbing amounts of barbecue in one sitting? We’ll find out, I suppose. In any event, it’s safe to say that Smokehouse delivered in the portions department; I’m not easily stuffed on barbecue.

If you live in the city, make the short trip to Smokehouse Barbecue, particularly if you don’t feel like waiting in line and you’re jonesing to be waited on. The barbecue -- as you should expect -- delivers.

Leo:

A big plate of delicious food!

This experience starts on Friday night. A legal organization that I am in had an anniversary party from 4pm to 7pm. There was a buffet and an open bar, both of which I visited. Around 7pm I called Ben who was just about to go to a movie on the Plaza. “Well, don’t do that,” I said. “Well, what should we do instead?” Ben asked. “Let’s meet up at O’Dowd’s on the Plaza, have a drink or two, and decide.”

So, about thirty minutes later, we were at the bar at O’Dowd’s. After a couple of tasty beers, we headed upstairs to the balcony because it was a semi-nice night. Oh, and throughout all this, I’m still in my lawyer get-up: nice pants, nice jacket, and suspenders. We are sitting up on the patio and Ben and I get to talking about other cool spots in Kansas City that we had not been to. I mean, we’ve frequented Westport a lot, but we’d never been to the Crossroads. So, let’s go to the Crossroads, we decided! There’s no time like the present, right?

We Ubered to a bar called “Ruins Pub” and what is awesome about this pub is that it has a serve your own beer station. You get a card from the bartender that keeps track of how much you spend and then you can sample from over different beers. Ben and I ran into a group of friends celebrating a birthday and shared a Lunchbox shot, which may be responsible for how we felt the next day! In celebrating, I remembered seeing on Facebook that one of my friends had a birthday, so I texted her. Turns out that she was out and about at Dave’s Stagecoach Inn in Westport. So, to Westport we went!

This all ended with me explaining to a group of my friend’s friends all about this blog and handing out our business cards (yes, we have business cards, have I mentioned that before?). I figured I would give them a shout out in case they read this article. So, if you see Ben and me out and about and as us, you too could be featured in our blog!! After having some amazing street tacos, Ben got me an Uber home.

We had planned to get barbeque on Saturday, but we were both…recovering. We would not have been in a good position to have a barbeque experience, so we postponed going to get bbq until Sunday.

Getting barbeque on a Sunday is difficult because many barbeque restaurants are closed on Sunday. One that was open was Smokehouse Barbeque, another Kansas City barbeque restaurant that I had not yet heard of. It is a bit of a drive for Ben and me, but hopefully we have or will have some readers in Gladstone who will appreciate our going to a restaurant outside of the city. So, still feeling it a little from Friday night, I headed up to Smokehouse BBQ in Gladstone.

I was the first to arrive. When I entered, I was a bit confused (imagine that). On my right was an ordering station and in front of me was a counter that looked a lot like other barbeque joints’ ordering counter. “Was there not dine-in seating?” I thought. I was apparently next in line and I had no idea what I wanted to order! The pressure was really mounting up! I think the hostess noticed my “distress” and asked me if I’d like to be seated. “That would be great,” I said. She led me around a corner into the dine-in area that was quite expansive, you just can’t see it immediately from the door. I did notice as she sat me at a booth that a group was celebrating a birthday (must have been the theme of the weekend) and we sang happy birthday to an older gentleman.

Our waiter told me that Smokehouse served sweet tea and I knew that this was going to be a great experience! I don’t know many places that offer sweet tea, but I am always elated when I go to a restaurant that does. The waiter came back with my sweet tea and I ordered a burnt ends appetizer. As Ben arrived, the appetizer came out and we dug in. The burnt ends were “fresh-out-of-the smoker” hot and steaming. The sauce was unique in a great way: I’d say it was more vinegary/tangy, but still thick and definitely with a little bit of a kick (oh, and just an fyi, Smokehouse does not have sauce on the table, so if you are a big sauce lover, be sure to ask for extra!). And the burnt ends were terrific little chunks of goodness.

As we finished up the burnt ends, our waiter came back to take our orders. I got the Chef’s Special: pork spare ribs, baby back ribs, bone-in chicken and burnt ends with French fries and potato salad. For some reason, this did not register as a lot of food, but when it came out, I was overwhelmed by the amount of food that I had gotten. Again, you could tell that all of the meat was fresh out of the cooker and it was all slathered with a generous helping of sauce.

I dug into the pork spare ribs first. They were huge! And they were so delicious. These ribs had a perfect coating of char/burntness from the smoker that gave way to some of the most tender meat that I’ve yet to experience. And the meat had a distinctive sweetness from the smoker that complimented the tang of the sauce very well.

Next I turned to the chicken and I remarked to Ben my realization that I had not yet gotten bone-in barbeque chicken from a barbeque restaurant! It was great! The skin was a perfect firmness to hold the tenderized chicken together. Again, the meat had that sweet, sweet flavor from the smoker; not overwhelming, but just a hint, to leave you wanting more.

It was at this point that the realization that I’d gotten too much food hit me. For the first time in a long time (I’m a big guy), I had to get a takeout box. But the ribs and burnt ends I saved were a splendid dinner!

So, if you are in Gladstone, or anywhere in Kansas City for that matter, I highly recommend Smokehouse BBQ. I hope you’re hungry and I hope that you go try some new barbeque today!!!

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helloironwombatbouquetme-blog · 7 years ago

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The Electrical power of Economic Arranging

VGBL "Someone's sitting down in the shade nowadays since an individual planted a tree a long time back." (Warren Buffet) As a fiscal life planner, my fundamental assumption is that arranging is a "very good" thing. Organizing is widely acknowledged to be a pre-requisite for enterprise accomplishment. Nevertheless, Benjamin Franklin's guidance that "by failing to get ready, you are preparing to fall short" often falls on deaf ears in the personalized atmosphere. This is usually, in my encounter, since folks truly feel they have neither the time nor the abilities for individual economic organizing nor do they want to spend money on choosing a expert monetary planner. And a few men and women I have satisfied have this kind of self-assurance in their ability to make and retain important fortunes that private economic preparing is considered unneeded, even spineless. So this write-up is about why fiscal daily life preparing is crucial. I will share with you some of the current methods to preparing, present you how to plan in practice and spotlight the results. To strategy, or not to prepare? I am passionate about organizing because it prospects to good results. I remember my 1st product sales job in monetary providers, chilly contacting to make appointments to offer insurance coverage. I had an exceptional manager who created me plan my focus on market, pitch, get in touch with technique, almost everything. The first contact I manufactured was location on, major to an appointment in minutes. I knew it was likely to operate, my manager knew, my colleagues knew. And it did. So why should we prepare our life and income? In my see, for 4 causes: one. To produce a functional framework for operating house finances 2. To accomplish profound targets as quick as achievable 3. To ensure extended time period financial protection four. To offer with life's setbacks Lets seem at each and every of these in switch. one. Monetary framework A lot of folks right now deficiency a fiscal framework or program. When it arrives to expenses, the main of fiscal planning, we frequently enter a fantasy entire world. Even if households can give a fairly accurate set of present financial statements (belongings, liabilities, income, expenditure and estate), they are not often capable to undertaking what individuals statements will appear like 10 years, or even five years into the foreseeable future. Monetary planners will typically explain to you that consumers come to them for these reasons: 'We are not fully in management of our finances' 'I do not realize money all I truly feel close to income is fear and anxiety' 'We do not know where we are now or where we will be in the future' 'We look not able to dwell the life-style we aspire to' When families do achieve clarity it generally provides wonderful reduction, even if the picture does not appear excellent. They at minimum know in which they stand and can get proper motion. 2. Goals Sadly, we live in an period the place wealth is regularly created for its very own sake, fairly than as the implies to reside a fulfilled existence. Money is utilized to make much more money - it turns into a proxy for the ego, and monetary selections are typically manufactured to protect or massage our egos, not to assistance the accomplishment of our deepest existence goals. Lifestyle and money are deeply intertwined. Identification of obvious lifestyle objectives is important to supply path, and permits seem fiscal selections to be made. So when requested to comment on an expense somebody is contemplating, I usually pose an additional concern: "Will investing in this item allow you to accomplish your ambitions more speedily and effectively?" Extremely often the response is that it won't. 3. Long-time period protection The affect of growing longevity on household funds is profoundly essential. The keys to addressing this are the 3 Motorists of Fiscal Liberty: cost savings, compound fascination and asset allocation. Even though preserving implies a reduction in shelling out, and probably the hijacking of these important and fast lifestyle objectives, economic lifestyle preparing can support to resolve these hard conflicts amongst the short and prolonged term. 4. Dealing with the sudden Lifestyle will have kicked you in the tooth in the earlier and it will do so once more in the foreseeable future. Take it, and strategy for it. Lifestyle can toss a large assortment of fastballs at us, from the annoying but not way too severe vehicle breakdown to the demise of a close family member. Place in place contingency ideas centred close to a Safety Fund and insurance. No 1 likes insurance (even though I have nevertheless to meet a widow who complained her spouse was in excess of insured). Independence What you are truly heading to obtain from nicely-formulated targets and a structured, deemed life and monetary strategy to achieve these objectives can be obviously expressed in 1 term - freedom. Liberty is a central theme of my perform, so what just is it? Correct independence will come from defining and environment boundaries and residing a daily life dedicated to obtaining your goals in those boundaries. Higher liberty arrives from personal growth, the means by which we can grow our boundaries. Lianne's tale illustrates this completely. A mom of two on a modest wage, Lianne had absent via a difficult divorce and when she 1st came to me for support, she was consoling herself with a compulsive paying habit. However, her targets have been to really like, assist and teach her children and to be a truly good mother to them to compensate for the breakdown of the relationship. I worked with her to program her boundaries. We established her life objectives, tackled her spending and created an annual shelling out strategy. One Monday morning she called me to speak about her weekend. She experienced taken the ladies to London to see a concert and experienced completed so with out any thoughts of guilt or stress above funds. It had been in her program. She had attained her purpose of bringing contentment and fun to her youngsters. In her boundaries she experienced achieved real liberty, to be there in the second with her kids, basically to be. It really is the procedure that matters Strategies seldom survive contact with actuality, to misquote Moltke. Fact for several of us can result in a adjust of course. Nonetheless, the approach of preparing is as significantly a advantage as the program by itself, often much more so. There are a amount of preparing procedures around, frequently created by skilled bodies this kind of as the Fiscal Organizing Affiliation or the Kinder Institute in the US or the Institute of Economic Preparing in the Uk. My own process is a six-phase process for referred to as Long term: Basis: a total inventory and investigation of your lifestyle, which includes assumptions and an investigation of your chance profile Utopia: establishing what you want to have, to do, to be Transformation: identifying and dealing with the obstructions on the highway to utopia Utilisation of assets: establishing the best choice for your current assets Roadmap: creating the prepare to get you from where you are now to the place you want to be Execution: employing and living the strategy Possessing developed a prepare it is crucial that you continue to keep track of and renew the strategy each calendar year. Arranging is dynamic, a behavior, not just a few of sheets of paper to be drawn up then relegated to the base attract and overlooked. The fruits of the method We all in the economic community have confidence in our processes, because we know they provide outcomes, outcomes that are a lot more than just a written strategy. Initially you will create a personalized inventory of your daily life. This will incorporate a detailed set of exact monetary statements comprising a routine of property, liabilities, revenue and expenditure, as properly as information about yourself and the environments you inhabit. Self-knowing builds on this base and by the time you are well into the method you ought to be in a position to articulate your deepest and most profound ambitions. In performing so, you will find oneself energised, focused and considerably sighted. Lastly, you will understand about income. If you are doing work with a coach or adviser you will have a raft of fiscal principles and merchandise described to you. If you are by yourself on this journey you will need to educate your self, and there are loads of assets out there to assist. What is the substitute to planning? Well, you can wing it with a very good offer of chutzpah, a hefty dose of self-assurance, a wing and a prayer and a bit of carpe diem you may well nicely accomplish wonderful items, and get a genuine thrill and sense of accomplishment when you do. Even so, I do feel in the significance of dwelling in the moment. The existing is exactly where we can truly 'be'. Crucially, monetary lifestyle preparing will in fact help you to obtain this condition by getting rid of regrets for the past and fears of the potential.

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