About the author of
Baseball Equipment Review
My Background
If you're wondering who the man behind this whole site is, my name is Brandon Bland and I am from a medium sized town in the midwest called Terre Haute, Indiana. We are on the western border of Indiana, smack dab in the middle of Cardinal/Cub/Red territory.
I have been in love with the game of baseball ever since I can remember. In fact, the majority of my childhood and early teen years were spent either playing baseball, practicing baseball, or thinking and dreaming about baseball. I've always loved the game, still do to this day, and always will.
As it is for many young ballplayers, it was my dream to play in the big leagues someday. I grew up a fan of two major league teams. My mother's family is from Michigan, so I was a Tiger fan in the American League. But my father's side of the family is mostly Cardinal fans, so they were my team in the National League. That also still stands to this day.
Some of the best memories I have as a child are sitting in the stands of Tiger Stadium, and the original Busch Stadium. Needless to say, it was heartbraking when they tore Busch down, and now are in the process of tearing Tiger Stadium down. If it were up to me I would have liked to see the teams play their forever. I'm not a fan of the new stadiums, because it seems like almost all of the stadiums I grew up watching games in are now long gone.
 |
 |
| My beloved Tiger Stadium on the left and Busch Stadium on the right. | |
So with my love and dedication to the game from a young age, I've always excelled as a pitcher. I've always been a decent hitter, but pitching is where I was able to shine.
My earliest memories of playing organized baseball are probably of me hitting home runs off a tee on the tiny little tee-ball field that we played on. Then when I finally got to the age where they let us pitch (I think 8 if I remember correctly), I remember the catcher on our team crying because I was throwing so hard. Which at that age was probably about a whopping 45 m.p.h. :)
From Little League on up to my Babe Ruth years, I always played on the "all star" teams, and we made some pretty good runs. These years were also filled with fond memories of winning our district or sectional and then getting to travel to other towns and play in the tournaments.
However,the highlight of my baseball career came when I was 17 years old. Playing on my local American Legion team. I made the last pitch to close out our victory in the Indiana state championship. Then to top it all off, we got to fly, yes FLY, to our Great Lakes Regional Tournament in Michigan. (That opened a whole other can of worms, because I'm a pilot now).
My Reflections on this Game
I could probably write a book just about all the baseball stories and memories alone that I have growing up in the game. Some say baseball is just a game, but I never really bought that. What those people don't understand is everything that this "game" gives you in life.
The bond and friendships you build with your teammates and everyone else associated with baseball (or any sport) is something you'll have for the rest of your life. When you see athletes cry after getting knocked out of a tournament, or after a season is over, they are not crying because they lost a game. It's because the run is over, and all the time spent with your buddies will come to an end. Because teams always change from year to year, and you know that you'll never be on that team with that exact group of guys ever again.
Baseball and sports in general are also an escape from all the stress and hassles of every day life. Whenever you step on that field, for a few hours, all your other cares and concerns become nearly non-existent. That is when it becomes more than a "game." Baseball is a way of life.
This Site
Now that you know a little bit about me, I'll describe why I decided to make this site. Baseball has been one of the things that I've been most passionate about my whole life. While browsing the web in the past, I had noticed that their aren't many websites on the internet that specifically discuss the features and quality of baseball equipment.
I decided to make a website designed so that ballplayers can obtain valuable information and advice about various pieces of equipment before they make their purchase. I only give what I beleive is honest and accurate advice, so that the visitors will benefit. My ultimate goal is to indirectly help all my visitors become better ballplayers.
I research a topic very heavily before I ever write anything on it. For the equipment I've used, I tell about my experiences with it. If I haven't used it, I tell what I know about it and whether I'd recommend it based on what I know.
Thanks for visiting, and good luck to all of you on your baseball career goals, no matter how big or small.
Brandon Bland
Baseball Equipment Review
Return to Baseball Equipment Review Home
