Rawlings Official Major League Baseballs

The Snooker Balls

Before we get into the snooker rules and regulations, we need to understand the kind of snooker balls that are present on the table, and their significance. There is one white ball and this is the cue ball that the snooker player needs to use to hit the other snooker balls on the table. Apart from this there are 15 red colored balls on the table, and there are 6 colored balls (that are known as the Colors). These colors are Green, Brown, Yellow, Blue, Pink and Black.

When the table is being set up, the green, brown and yellow balls need to be placed on the Baulk Line. The green ball comes on the left side where the D meets the Baulk Line, the brown balls comes on the middle point and the yellow ball comes on the right side where the D meets the Baulk Line (this combination can be remembered with the help of the mnemonic God Bless You). Now the blue ball comes at the exact center of the table. The pink ball comes at the mid-point between the blue ball and the Top Cushion, and the 15 red balls are placed close together in a tight triangle (with the help of a frame) just behind the pink ball without touching it. Lastly, the black ball is placed between the red balls and the Top Cushion. Every snooker table has some markings to indicate the exact position at which the various snooker balls need to be placed, so it is not that hard to figure out.

International Snooker Rules and Regulations

When a certain snooker ball is potted, a number of points are gained by the team that does so. The ultimate objective of the game is to gain more points on the board than the other team. One player will start the game by ‘breaking’ the snooker balls on the table, and his cue ball must be placed anywhere inside the D when he does so. It can even be placed on the Baulk Line if he pleases. Each player will play one turn, and his turn will end only if he fails to pot any ball, commits a foul or completes the game. You must remember that on every turn a player can only play those snooker balls which are ‘on’ for him. For instance, a player can only pot a colored ball after he has potted a red ball. Failure to do so will result in a foul.

Now, when a player starts his turn, he has to aim to pot any of the red balls (as long as there are red balls on the table). Only after he has potted a red ball can he attempt to pot a colored ball. Failure to adhere to this will result in a foul. This alternation between red balls and colored balls will continue till there are no red balls left on the table. Potting a red ball gives a player 1 point, potting the yellow ball gives 2 points, the green ball gives 3 points, 4 points for the brown ball, 5 points for the blue ball, the pink ball gives 6 points and the black ball gives 7 points. Once a red ball has been potted, the player must indicate to the referee which of the colored balls he is aiming for and he can only pot that ball. Once it has been potted he will get the equivalent points, but the colored ball will be returned to its original spot. This will continue till all the red balls have been potted. Read the rest of this entry »

Obesity and inactive lifestyle are the primary causes of increasing bad cholesterol. Every adult needs to undergo a thorough medical check-up at least every three years to know your body’s overall immunity to diseases. HDL levels are measured in terms of mg/dL (milligrams/deciliter). For men, normal HDL levels are from 40-60 mg/dL and higher. For women, these levels range from 50-60 mg/dL and higher. ‘Higher’ means this extra HDL will be beneficial to our body. But on the other hand, if these levels drop below 40 mg/dL for men and 50 mg/dL for women, then it is a cause of alarm, and you need to take requisite steps to raise HDL level. Let us see how to raise HDL cholesterol levels.

How to Raise Low HDL Cholesterol

If you find out that your HDL levels are not up to the mark, then here are some of the major steps you need to take to bring them to normal and minimize your risk of heart disease. There are two ways to raise your cholesterol levels – naturally and with food. Whenever we make something happen naturally, it takes minimal efforts and gives maximum results. Of course, it depends on one’s perception whether the efforts are less or more. On the other hand, there are various foods, which if consumed in appropriate amounts, can help raise HDL levels.

How to Raise HDL Naturally
How many times we must have heard that the best way to stay healthy is through exercise? And how many of us have ever given a serious thought to it? But, however clichéd this advice may sound, if you have the problem of low HDL levels, exercising is the way to go. Initially, at least 30 minutes of low to medium intensity of exercise everyday and gradually doing the high-intensity ones can go a long way in ensuring that your body metabolism functions at its optimum levels. Stress-relieving exercises like aerobics or yoga will certainly help. Remember, couch potatoes are most prone to have the ill-ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol. Hence, it is imperative that you have active lifestyle. Also, increasing HDL naturally depends on how you curb your habits of smoking and alcohol consumption. Ill-effects of smoking are widely known, so simply quit smoking to help your chances of increasing the HDL levels. On the other hand, alcohol consumption, if done in moderation, is actually good to increase your low HDL levels, but you need to take care that you don’t overdo it, simply because it can lead to several liver and heart problems.

How to Raise HDL with Food Read the rest of this entry »

Ichiro has been the most pleasant surprise of the 2001 baseball season — bar none. There were plenty of concerns in spring training that perhaps the Seattle Mariners had overestimated what the Japanese star could do for their team, especially as Ichiro spent the first few weeks slapping balls to the opposite field like a glorified Timo Perez.

Two months later, Ichiro appears to be worth every penny. Few have found any way to be critical of him thus far, and those who have seem to use the most tortured of logic to do so.

Rob Dibble, the former Cincinnati Reds reliever, ripped Ichiro on ESPN.com last week, claiming that he doesn’t walk enough and that he’s just a “singles hitter who has 83 hits and under .400 OBP” who needs to learn how to take a walk.

“I personally want my leadoff hitter to walk 100 times and score 100 runs,” Dibble righteously intoned.

Understand something – I come from a Strat-O-Matic baseball background, and fellow Strat players will agree with a lot of what I’m saying. For me, the first thing I want in a player, especially a leadoff hitter, is someone who gets on base — and I don’t care how he chooses to do it.

Ichiro currently has a .397 on-base percentage, good for 13th in the American League as of June 5. However, it’s not as though the guys ahead of him are leadoff hitters as well — virtually all of them are middle-of-the-order guys who lack Ichiro’s speed and batting average.

Yes, he only has 10 walks so far, so guys like Dibble try to say he’s not walking enough. But since when is a single not more valuable than a walk? Should Ichiro, say, try to knock 50 points off his average and bat .315 instead, while waiting out a walk so he can fit the mold of a “true” leadoff hitter? Read the rest of this entry »

Dear baseball enthusiasts:

History is being made. February 2001, women’s baseball will be taken to a new level. Women’s Baseball League, Inc. is hosting the “Leadership & Women’s Baseball” Conference. This unprecedented conference is February 10-11 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Conference will cover four areas of women’s baseball: history, playing, business, and coaching.

Sign-up via www.MsWBL.com, and receive a free T-shirt. This offer is only valid through Nov. 30. At MsWBL.com, you will find:

-A complete Conference Schedule -Information on price, events, etc. -A link to our host hotel: Four Points Sheraton -An opportunity to post on the MsWBL Announce Board for a Conference roommate or a car pool request -Lot’s of baseball information: including the AWBL Women’s World Series schedule

The Leadership & Women’s Baseball Conference is led through its own Board of Directors: Jim Glennie, Rick Morris, Terry Sparks, Leslie Heaphy, Dusty Parker, Justine Siegal-Warren, Kelly Tavernelli, Patrick McCauley, and Lance Lusigan.

I look forward to seeing you in Cleveland at MsWBL.com’s Leadership & Women’s Baseball Conference.

A fellow baseball enthusiast, Read the rest of this entry »

Roger Clemens has long held to his statement that he never used performance enhancing drugs during his long tenure as a professional baseball player. Yesterday, he got the opportunity to testify in front of members of Congress to reiterate that assertion. Rather than being nervous, however, Clemens appeared ahead of time to welcome the opportunity, as well as to get in a little bit of golf while he was around. Appearing in Washington, Clemens plead not guilty to six felony counts, including perjury.

The irony of the situation, of course, is that Clemens could face as much as 30 years in jail for lying to a congressman. The result of a congressman lying to millions of Americans, however, appears to simply be two more years in office. Clemens was, apparently, so unfazed by talking to members of Congress that he had planned to play in a golf tournament in South Carolina with his wife Debbie after testifying. Clemens took a private plane to DC to testify, and was then set to travel via private jet to the links as well.

Of course, if Clemens insists that he is not guilty instead of accepting some sort of plea deal, things are going to get really ugly, really fast. Of particular note is that Any Pettitte will be called to testify against Clemens, his friend and long-time teammate, and will likely be attacked viciously by Clemens’ attorneys. Whether their friendship can survive that remains to be seen, but what is certain is that Major League Baseball would just as soon have Clemens accept a deal and move on from the mess.