Change Can Be a Good Thing

Our "Before" Picture

Every once and a while, we get a little bored of our look. Not looking to do anything drastic, it is good to mix it up a little, so that is why we made a few changes to our Chicks Who Love Baseball blog. Here is a list of the things we did:

• We changed our color scheme - We moved away from the basic white title and blog text and replaced the colors with ones that give a little more contrast and that are not as brash to look at against the baseball background. Keeping with our "chicks" theme, we gave pink a try with our titles and gray with our text.
• We've accented the date stamp with another contrasting color. The lavender seems to really compliment the other colors and it is nice to be able to distinguish the date stamp from the other content.
• Fonts that all browsers love -  When viewing our page on various browsers, we noticed that the artistic creativity was not coming through as we intended, so the fonts were changed to accommodate all browsers.



Our "After" Picture

• Other baseball blogs - When this blog was first created, we looked to follow other blogs that followed us.  In an effort to stay more in tune with our baseball theme, we've decided to follow other baseball and baseball related blogs. We will add more to the list and review the list on a quarterly basis to ensure that the sites we are promoting are relevant and still functioning. 

Like a good haircut and a new color, we really do hope you like the changes we have made. If you see anything that could be improved, please drop us a line or add a comment.

Thank you!

Ways in Which MLB Honors Their Fallen

It is not often that you come across someone who can touch the lives of so many with nothing more than your personality and a smile. On September 25, 2016, a bright light to so many who knew the kind of exuberance and excitement that Jose Fernandez brought to everything he did, was extinguished. According to online reports published by the Miami Herald, Fernandez' and two other occupants on his boat, died when the boat hit a jetty just outside of Miami Beach, FL.

In the days following the accident, teammates and fans gathered in front of the stadium to leave notes of gratitude and thanks, and to comfort one another, all desperately trying to make sense of how someone so full of life and who had a child on the way, could have his taken so suddenly. Within the rank and file in the media corp who closely followed Jose Fernandez and the Miami Marlins, group talk was starting on how MLB could best honor Fernandez, a 2013 National League Rookie of the Year winner and Cy Young Award nominee, and the 2016 Miami Marlins leader in the number of strikeouts in one season. According to Ken Rosenthal, the addition of Jose Fernandez Spirit Award was mentioned among members of the media, but that the actuality of it happening was slim because of interest. As Rosenthal points out, MLB already has difficulty in drumming up support for other awards such as the Hank Aaron and Roberto Clemente awards. How could MLB market this award and drum up interest?

What MLB fails to recognize is that the awards that are handed out are not only for the players but for the fans as well. Right now, the friends, family, and fans in Miami need a shining light to help them heal. A light as bright as the life of Jose Fernandez that filled the clubhouse, the lives of those who knew him, and those who could see the passion he had for baseball. If MLB's answer to this request is "Sorry, we cannot fulfill your request because as it is, there is not enough support for the other awards" then someone in the MLB front office is not doing their job.

What is being proposed is a Spirit Award. This award can be granted to a nominee and presented to them at each All-Star Game, just before the Home Run Derby takes place. Like the honor given to those who are elected to participate in the All-Star Game, nominations can be proposed by the fans and by players and coaches within the league. The award can be presented each year by a member of the Miami Marlins to the winner.

MLB needs to rally around the Marlins, the fans, and the family of Jose Fernandez. In a time where there is so much negativity around every corner, this could be the start of something bright and beautiful, much like the spirit of Jose Fernandez.