Monthly Archives: June 2012

finance / News — No Comments
26
Jun 12

PPI Compensation Claims on the Rise

The recent ruling that customers can claim back payment protection insurance (PPI) charges has led to a steep rise in the numbers of consumers putting claims to the courts. Furthermore, it has also led to many bogus claims, with the Financial Ombudsman reporting almost 6,000 such examples in the past twelve months.

Such news is likely to cast a shadow on the fact that PPI compensation claims remain a basic right for all those who have been mis-sold such policies, but the public should not shy away from making a claim.

With almost 160,000 claims put to the Ombudsman in the year – an increase of over 50% on the previous twelve months – the figure for bogus claims is a very small percentage of the total, yet it has still raised concerns. Part of the problem is that many consumers are unable to remember if they had taken out PPI on former loans, and have simply put the claim to the Ombudsman in the hope they did.

The total amount that is likely to be paid out by the banks to genuine claimants is expected to be in excess of £9bn, a colossal amount of money that will certainly exert an effect on the banking industry. Meanwhile, the Financial Ombudsman has had to take on 500 new staff to help process the ever-rising number of claims. In addition, it has been revealed that 64% of claims have been successful in the past twelve months, an increase over the previous year’s figure of 51%.

Claims for mis-sold PPI will continue to rise as more people realise they have been paying into a worthless policy, and the number of claimants is expected to increase in the next year.

Baseball Basics — No Comments
26
Jun 12

Different Kinds of Pitches

In playing baseball, you’ll need a few tricks to outwit your batter on the mound. The game circles around the capability of the players to run, catch, bat and throw the ball to win the game. Team coordination is also very important, but the individual contribution of every player also counts. Knowing the different kinds of pitches in baseball is very important. Here are the different pitches in baseball described in detail.

1. Four Seam Fastball

The bet of many baseball players, this pitch is the grandfather of every fastball in the game. The ball should accelerate fast enough for the batter even to react properly. A pitcher is to throw the ball straight towards the umpire catching the ball at the mound. Only a formidable batter can react properly to a four seam fastball.

2. Sinkers

A variation of the four-seam fastball. Its force slowly curves downwards, forcing the batter to change their batting position at any given time. A formidable batter must hit the ball before it becomes a ground ball as it reaches the umpire.

3. Cut- Fastball

This throw goes off center, running at a slower speed. However, it allows the pitcher to have an advantage over the batter by changing its angle midway to the umpire.

4. Split Finger Fastball

While very difficult to execute, this easily becomes a ground ball mid-way to the batter. This can easily confuse batters as the reaction time for the change might be quite demanding.

5. CurveBall

A well-known but very difficult pitch, it can easily strike out a batter midway. A pitcher must aim not at the home plate, but the curve should hit the home plate from the pitch. Can be slower than a fastball, but the reaction required from a batter is very demanding as well.

6. KnuckleBall

The most difficult pitch to throw, it is very difficult to control and catch. Formidable pitchers who can predict its behavior can use to strike out batters at any given time.

Recent Posts:

Healthy Benefits of Playing Baseball
How to Choose a Baseball Glove
Increasing Your Endurance in a Baseball Game

News — No Comments
19
Jun 12

“The Rocket” Not Guilty on All Drug Charges

Baseball legend Roger “The Rocket” Clemens was ‘not guilty’ on all the charges of the use of performance-enhancing drugs to gain and maintain his long time career in baseball. The Rocket is considered one of the best and one of the most decorated pitchers in the whole of the sport.

Roger Clemens, well-known as “The Rocket”, got his moniker during his heydays as a pitcher. Known for his fastballs, this pitching skill was retained even when he was in his late 40′s. He had won many awards for his baseball performance including seven Cy Young Awards.

The trial of Clemens lasted for 10 weeks. Jurors were brief and returned the verdict after a few hours. Clemens was first accused of using drugs to enhance his sports performance. Then, when he denied such accusations, he was accused of lying, which made the entire legal case longer. He was charged with two counts of perjury, three counts of making false statements and one count of obstructing Congress. The entire court case centered more on his denial about using such enhancement drugs

Clemens and his family shared their victory with their legal representatives. Clemens expresses that he put a lot of effort into his career.

The case of drug use began when Clemens’ strength coach, Brian McNamee, stated that he injected Clemens with enhancement drugs in 1998, 2000, and 2001. He also produced evidences, such as syringes, needles and other materials to prove that he did such to Clemens before a game. Eventually, prosecutors conceded that McNamee was a flawed man who might have manipulated evidences to shove guilt into Clemens.

Source: ABC News

Diet and Nutrition — No Comments
08
Jun 12

Healthy Benefits of Playing Baseball

Everyone knows that baseball is an athletic sport that involves running, throwing and batting for the whole duration of the game. It is a game packed with adrenaline rush especially during the last parts of the game. Like every other sport, baseball has many benefits for the body. Aside from having a healthy diet and staying in shape, in game, your body develops the following:

1. Upper Body Strength

Your body develops an immunity against back, neck, shoulder and chest pain as you play baseball. The entire game is concentrated mostly on the upper body and the legs. The upper body is important because as a batter or a pitcher, you will need your body to have the strength to throw the ball or bat the ball out of the field to respectively take out the batter or score against your opponent the best way possible.

2. Stamina

With the development of upper body strength, your stamina also increases. Baseball involves many bouts of running and catching, and you will need stamina to survive against fatigue in-field. You are practically ‘jogging’ around the field for hours until the game is up and a winner is declared. Imagine how many hours is that compared to an hour of jogging.

3. Leg Muscles

When jogging, you practically tone your leg muscles. But the continuous cycle of movement your legs do make it ‘warm-up’ to the routine, therefore making the development of leg muscles slower. In baseball, you run continuously at one point, jog at one point, run very fast at one point in the game and you even slide. The short spurts of acceleration affect the way your leg muscles react. While it may induce violent cramps (especially if you do not do stretching before games), it improves your leg muscles better than jogging.

4. Arm Muscles

Batting, catching, pitching. These are all the tasks of two hands in-game. The strength of your arms are very well improved in baseball games. For hours you’ll be relying on your hands to accomplish tasks and win the game.

5. Flexibility

Catching scenarios definitely help your body become more flexible and have quick responses to certain events during the game. The flexibility you have also develops your concentration, which helps you avoid being distracted in the outside world as in game, your concentration will take hours to win the game.

Baseball Basics — No Comments
01
Jun 12

How to Choose a Baseball Glove

One thing you need to enjoy a game is to make sure that you have the right equipment. Playing tennis, now that you know how to choose a baseball bat, you also need to know how to choose your baseball glove. Not everyone is always a batter; players change positions as runners, batters, catchers and pitchers. Throughout a single game, a player may have played all such playing positions. Being comfortable with your glove can change the turnout of a game. Here are ways you can get started.

1. Position

You must initially consider your position in the game. Pitcher’s gloves and infield gloves are usually smaller than the outfield glove. A first baseman’s gloves and catcher’s mitts are also different from one another. If you determine that you’re going to play many positions throughout a single game, or you’re batting and you change positions as an infielder and outfielder, a utility glove which is larger than an infielder’s glove is the most useful to have.

2. Budget

Baseball gloves can vary in prices. Basic models usually come around $15 while more professional gloves can go around $200. Usually, high-priced items are those which are industry standard gloves. Nokona and Rawlings are two of the most-revered baseball equipment because of their quality, durability and reliability. If you’re a seasoned player and you know your glove is in for it this season, it is a wise investment to bet on a more expensive glove than having a cheap one. You need to account for wear and tear as well.

3. Feel

Like clothes, the gloves should enhance your performance and make sure your hands are comfortable inside of one. However, having the perfect feel for gloves is unlike a Cinderella story; you won’t get it upon wearing it. Sometimes, the first glove you choose is the first glove you become comfortable with. Once you get comfortable with one glove, try other variations then see for yourself. Your hand’s comfort can mean the entire game.