First Pitch: Why I’m starting this blog

I remember the first game I ever saw, it’s something I will never forget.

Hello, I am Barni, a 15-year-old catcher for the Yeovil Whirlwinds. I first became interested in baseball after watching a video by an American YouTube channel called Momentum. I had no idea how to play baseball and no real knowledge of the sport, but I wanted to give it a go. I started at the Bournemouth Bears youth team; they taught me what baseball was, and I fell in love.

I had to leave the team when I moved house, to Yeovil, but I was pleased to find there was a team based here, the Yeovil Whirlwinds. Joining an adult team was a big step up and added more pressure, but I love it. After my first training session, I was hooked. There is nothing like meeting new people and becoming friends through playing a game. The team were really supportive of me and I felt so happy to play with them. Through joining an adult team, I have learnt how to better interact with people of all ages. I hope this reassures other young players and encourages you not to be scared, ask around and join a team, even if other players are older than you.

Like many others, I started playing in the outfield. This really helped me to learn the game, track the ball and understand how to back up other positions. I have recently move to play Catcher while also teaching myself some pitching skills. Catching is what I love, it’s the most technical and difficult position on the field, and I enjoy the thrill and pressure of it. My favourite team is the Baltimore Orioles with the best catcher in the world, Adley Rutschman, who is my idol, and I want to catch like him.

I’m starting this blog because I want to introduce baseball in a new way, a more technical and thought-provoking way, to show people what Baseball is with a deeper and more analytical approach. I will be writing weekly about our training sessions and the games we play, from my perspective as a Catcher, analysing each game in detail to explain each decision we make and why we made it.

I hope that through sharing my passion for baseball, people can learn more about the sport and enjoy a weekly commentary of our latest games. Be sure to check back for my first analysis next week!

By Barni Csisco