Opening Day and Bad Times at Shortstop!

If you haven't heard yet, the United States won the World Baseball Classic (WBC). The WBC is an international tournament that has teams from all across the globe, like Israel, U.S., Mexico, Netherlands, and teams from Asia like Japan and China, just to name a few. In total, there are 16 teams and include four rounds. For many years there has been controversy on when the World Baseball Classic should be held, because in the MLB it is the beginning of spring training, and many of these young players aren't even warmed up to be playing in a tournament. This past WBC, Yankees' star shortstop Didi Gregorious suffered a shoulder injury, putting him on the disabled list until mid-May. And now, the Yankees are in need of a shortstop, especially since it's just the beginning of the season. They have a lot of young and promising prospects, but many of them are almost too young. This opening day, they decided to bring up Ronald Torreyes. Last season, he played just 72 games at second and sometimes third base. He hit just one homerun and batted in only twelve runs. Last game, he went 0 for 2. although he isn't much of a promising hitter, he is very fast and is outstanding in the field. And with yesterday's game, the Yankees beat a franchise record of their own today, which is number of consecutive opening day losses (6). Pretty embarrassing if you ask me. So back to the timing of the WBC, personally, I don’t think the timing is great. However, you have to take into consideration the seasons in other countries, like Japan. This has caused many controversies over the past two decades or so.

New Extra Inning Rules? 

This offseason has been pretty quiet for some teams, but with a possibility of a new rule, it has a lot of people talking.  

  This past season has been pretty hectic. Especially with the deaths of two young and uprising pitching stars, like Jose Fernandez and Yordano Ventura. And with talk of a new rule for extra innings might make the 2017 season even crazier! So, what is this new rule? Well, it started in high school softball. At the start of every extra inning, a runner is placed on second base. This is not only to speed up the game, but to save pitchers arm. Last season, the Toronto Blue Jays played a game against the Cleveland Indians for 19 innings! That’s more than two games! Games like those ruin a teams pitching staff for days, weeks, and even months. And this can especially hurt a team when its those late summer games with the playoffs coming up, and every win counting. So anyway, the MLB brought an idea to do the same, and is already testing it out in the minor leagues. "This is a disaster, honestly," says  Ron Darling of MLB Tonight. So who knows? In the next few years, we might be looking at a new baseball, a new brand, so to say. Maybe everything could change! We will have to find out. 

  Also, test out your MLB logo knowledge by checking out my quiz at http://www.playbuzz.com/bmbulldogs1310 !

  This year wasn’t too bad for the worn out Yankees. Last offseason they improved their team with a few crucial trades getting Aaron Hicks and Starlin Castro. These players were key to the yankees success, althought they did not make it to the playoffs. Read on to find out just how this old team did this last season!

  Gardner did pretty well this year with an average above .250. He was able to get on and steal bases. He could improve in getting on more and have less strikeouts. Ellsbury also had a great year with an above.250 average. When him and Gardner were able to get on, they were able to produce runs.  Ellsbury can improve on swinging at less pitches out of the zone and striking out. Gary Sanchez was probably the best rookie player this season. He was able to throw out runners, and produce on offense. He should work on going the opposite way more often. A-Rod just had himself a very bad season. He wasn’t able to produce or get on base. He can probably work on hitting the ball out of the infield and pulling the ball. Teixeira didn’t have himself a good season either. He didn’t have too many homers like he usually does and he didn’t produce that much either. He could have done better by hitting a few more balls out of the park. However, he wont be able to improve because he retired at the age of 36. He had too many injuries to keep playing, and I feel that if he could, he would definitely be playing this season. Another Yankee great who retired  last season was Alex Rodriguez. He and Texeira were both amazing at what they did, when they were able to play. However, this season, they were just not themselves. A-Rod had himself a very bad season. He wasn’t able to produce or get on base. He can probably work on hitting the ball out of the infield and pulling the ball. Castro had himself a really good season. He was able to produce and he did well out in second base. He should also work on not chasing pitches out of the zone. Gregorius had himself a heck of a season. He beat his own personal records and had very little errors this seasons. Gregorius should work on being a little less aggressive hitting and on the base path. I think when he does, he will be the next big thing for the Yankees. Chase Headley had an OK season. He could’ve done much better but he greatly reduced the amount of errors for last season to this season. He could still work on not committing so many errors. Hicks, acquired from a trade with the Twins, also had an OK season. He needs to work on producing for the Yankees, getting more hits and getting on base.

  Although the Bronx Bombers weren't able to play to their fullest, they have a few excellent ball players, who happen to be very young as well. Didi Gregorius is just 26 years of age, and they have some great rookies, like Aaron Judge, and the brick-wall catcher, Gary Sanchez, the Yanks are sure to be a team to be reckoned with, come the 2017 season.

CURSE BROKEN??

Can the Chicago Cubs become World Series Champs, or will 1945 repeat itself?

   The Chicago Cubs have made it to the World Series for the first time in over 60 years. The last time they won? Well you'd have to ask your great-great-grand parents, because their last ring was in 1908! Yeah, I'm scratching my head, too. Back then, there were less than 15 teams in the MLB, the NFL wasn’t even established yet, and Teddy Roosevelt was president. Now, you might find it weird, but they had mascots back then, too. Even crazier, it was a billy goat! The owner of the goat was William Sianis. Once the Cubs won that World Series, they let go of their beloved mascot, and Sianis was mad. “You are going to lose this World Series and you are never going to win another World Series again,” Sianis proclaimed. And guess what. He was right, until now. I'm not saying the Cubs have a definite win, but I'm sure more than half the nation wants Chicago to get their second franchise ring. You can watch the games between Chicago and Cleveland starting on Tuesday and Wednesday, on Fox.

What is trending on Youtube this week?

By: Vincent Giannantonio 

Hello there! Today I am going to talk about the video that is trending on youtube for the week of 11/7/16. Let's get into it!! The trending video for this week is the Wonder woman offical trailer Hd. It's so popular that it is #1 on trending! Crazy stuff here right? This video was uploaded by Warner Bros Productions. It has WAY more likes than dislikes. THIS IS INSANE!!! Another movie in the DC comic movie family!! But sadly it is coming out on the 2nd of June of next year. What I expect from the movie is that there will be a conflict in the city and wonder woman has to save the city. I am SO looking foward to this movie!!! I really don't know if there is a villian but I do know that she is fighting alongside soilders in World War 1. WOW! Time really goes by like an airplane all right!! Check back next week for another trending youtube video. Until then, See'yall later.

UNICORNS!!

            This week we want to talk about our favorite creature (the unicorn). A unicorn is a horse with a pointy horn. Unicorns can be any color, from jet-black and brown to dazzling gold, brilliant red or pure white. Legend says that when Noah took two animals of each kind he rejected unicorns. So they were basically left on land to drown.

JOSHUA'S OPINION: If you see one DON'T stand near it. Well, I would not. If you see one, just back up SLOWLY. I will back up and then call animal control. I don't want to get struck by it's mighty horn.

RUQAYYAH'S OPINION: I love unicorns. No wait, it's more like I have an affection for unicorns. No, I was right the first time. I LOVE unicorns!!! They are my favorite animals. I wished they were real (Or are they...). If they were I would want to own one.  I would like to fly it and do some other stuff with it. I have so many things to say about unicorns (Mostly  why it's amazing) but there is no more time.

HALIE'S OPINION: My opinion is the same as what Ruqayyah said. Unicorns are plain amazing. They are beautiful creatures and are awesome.

Mythical creatures  

             Have you ever wondered if mythical creatures are real??  Hailie and I searched up some mythical creatures that people think are real and we will tell you guys some facts about them. The first mythical creature is an Alicorn. An Alicorn is a unicorn-like creature. A unicorn is like a horse with a horn. 2nd mythical creature is the boogeyman. A boogeyman is a semi-corporeal creature who's purpose is to scare children. 3rd mythical creature is ''brownie''. Brownie is a creature who goes Into houses at night and their chores.We find that really weird because what creature on earth likes to do chores!?!? Speaking about brownies I want brownies! The 4th creature is a bray road beast. A bray road beast is a werewolf like mythical creature that is given different nicknames by different people. This creature was seen multiple times in Wisconsin. If you have seen the bray road beast call 911 immediately.The last creature I am going to talk about is Minotaur. A  Minotaur is a creature that has a head and legs of a bull and the torso of a man. Isn't that very odd?? If you are interested in about mythical creatures you can check out our blog every Friday. #Mythical Life  

By: Hailie and Ruqayyah (Edited by Joshua Jacob)

Marvel Movies

What's up my Marvel fans. Today I am going to talk about Iron Man 2. This movie was made in 2011. This movie is about a man named Ivan(Whiplash) try's to destroy Tony Stark because of what happened between Tony's family and Ivan's family. So in the begin Ivan creates his first arc-reactor. Then 6 months later tony reopens his dad's old Expo in Flushing, New York. After the Stark Expo Mr.Stark goes to Washington D.C. to convince the government not to take all his suit's. When Tony gets back home he realizes that his arc-reactor that keeping him alive is also killing him to. Then Tony goes to Monaco for a race there. So Ivan track's down Tony at the race. Next after lap 1 Ivan steps on the road to kill everyone even Tony with his whiplash so Tony tells Pepper to give him his suit case , but you might think this is a lame suit case but is his mark 5 suit and then put it on then the crowd say's yaaa, because now the are save. So then the real fun begins then Tony takes out his arc-reactor and crush's it and then security takes Ivan away. Then later in the movie Tony has a birthday party and gets out of hands. The next day Nick Furry shows up at Tony's house. Nick Furry brings all his dad's old stuff from S.H.E.L.D. Later that day Tony look's at his dad's old stuff and watch's that tape that Howard Stark made for Tony. So then Tony creates a new element for his chest. Then Tony makes his new mark 6. Then Tony shows up a Hammer Expo. And plus he made Military bots, Ivan is controlling the bots. Next all the bots start attacking everyone even Tony's friend's suit. Next when there done killing all the bots they have to fight Ivan's big suit but when Ivan gets Tony and his friend they use they blasters and blow him up. The next day Tony finds a file on the Avengers, but then Nick Furry says I don't think you should be looking at this file. Next week I am going to talk about Avengers. Peace out boy scout.

Marvel Movies

Welcome back Marvel movies. So todays movie is called Iron man. This movie was made in 2008. This movie is about when Tony Stark gets kidnapped by a big group of terrorist that are using his weapons for evil. So then Tony wakes up in this cave he meets a man named Ho Yinsen. He also finds out that in the middle of Tony's chest there is a hole and it is hooked up to a car battery. But then the leader of the terrorist demand Mr. Stark to build them a missile for evil. So Tony and Ho Yinsen are building a suit so they can escape this place. When they escape unfortunately, Ho Yinsen does not make it out alive. When Tony get gets back home he makes himself a arc-reactor for his chest so it can keep him alive for ever. Next he makes his mark 1 suit into a mark 2 suit and plus he adds better features to his mark 2 suit. Then he paints the suit which makes it a mark 3 suit. When his friend Mr. Stain (Iron Monger) here's about this news he turns on Tony and try's to kill him with his bigger copy of Tony's suit , but then Tony destroys him. This is what happened in Iron Man. Next week I am going to talk about Iron Man 2.  Bye!!

Marvel Movies

Hello, my name is Jack and for the whole school year I am going to talk about great Marvel movies. Today I am going to talk about Avengers age of Ultron. This movie come out in 2015. This movie is about when Tony Stark and Bruce Banner try to make a program called Ultron. Ultron try's to get a body, but then Jarvis gets a body and then birth of vision begins. This is what happened in Age of Ultron. Next week I am going to talk about Iron man 3. Peace out.