Opening Weekend Features Intriguing Match Ups To Start The 2017 MLB Season

The beginning of a new baseball season is needed each anticipation is added after the controversial presidential elections and a month-long winter months, Major League Baseball schedule maker has provided fans with some interesting match-ups in the series opener slate. This game including a battle between two old rivals to be broadcast on national television.

Although they will have an important game and not one of the match-up will be the first history as the series opener last year. For the first time the two clubs met in the World Series previously faced Opening Day in 2016, when the New York Mets play the Kansas City Royals at Kaufman Stadium.

The team that won the World Series last October, Chicago Cubs, did not have to open the 2017 season against the American League champion Cleveland Indians. North Siders, however, began to play their bitter rivals, the Cardinals.

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St. Louis Cubs battle on the first Sunday of the season, night games broadcast on ESPN. The game between the two top teams in the NL Central division will become more interesting in that the free agent outfielder Dexter Fowler left Chicago during the winter to be the leadoff hitter for the Cardinals.

Another exciting season opener has two teams of the National League West division, the Giants and Diamondbacks. The first game of the series hole Cy Young Award winner, as the left-hander Madison Bumgarner took the mound for San Francisco while right-hander Zack gets the start for Arizona Greineke.

Over in the American League, the most interesting appetizer is Baltimore. Orioles face the Blue Jays, who got rid of them in the eleventh inning Wild Card match ended without Baltimore manager Buck Schowalter take advantage of the All-Star closer Zach Britton.

Toronto then proceed to the next round only to be eliminated in five games in the championship series by the Indians, which itself has an interesting series to open the 2017 Pennant winners Cleveland contrary to the Rangers, a team that boasted the best record in the junior circuit last year.

One series between the league is on the slate for the first weekend in April, as the Pirates host last season's AL East champion Boston. It marked the second time in history that the Red Sox made a visit to Pittsburgh, unique stat if we assume the existence of a second long storied organization.

Jon Jardine - National Co-President

I was introduced to the game of FastballBSF by Mike Lewis, son of founder Val Lewis, while living in Denver, Colorado.

To me, the game of FastballBSF is a natural progression for all baseball players, even x-professionals.  There comes a time in every player's life that he/she can no longer give the time and money to the game that they have grown to love, but giving it up completely was never an option for me.

In 2006, I decided to get married and start a family.  Ever since then, 6 hours of ball on Saturdays has not been a option for me.  But, my wonderful wife has no issues with 70 minutes once a week and I still get my baseball fix!

To wrap this up; FastballBSF is the BEST Father-son game to ever be invented.  I had the opportunity to play on the same team as my father for the 1st time in my life and there is nothing better!

Come play!

Val Lewis: Co-Founder of FastballBSF

Have you ever dreamed of playing a seven inning baseball game in an hour and fifteen minutes, on a softball sized field that will also enhance your baseball skills?  Well, stop dreaming…now you can!   It’s called FastballBSF…Baseball on a Softball Field, and will be coming to your town soon.

FastballBSF is the brainchild of long-time baseball entrepreneurs Steve Sigler and Val Lewis. Both had independently thought of the idea of playing a baseball game on a softball field for years, and one day while discussing ideas of how to attract more young men and adults to continue playing baseball, the idea was born. Steve named the game Fastball and arranged for Rawlings to develop the ball, and Val began developing and testing the concept of utilizing the more plentiful softball fields that would draw participants back to their childhood roots. They decided the game had to be fast, safe, challenging, play like baseball, but not be pitcher-dominated. The United States Fastball Association, a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt corporation was then formed to be the national governing body of FastballBSF. After a number of iterations that at one time utilized a sophisticated radar unit (which was ultimately abandoned) the game has been tested in league and tournament settings, and is now ready for national competition.

The game has attracted the attention of the Amateur Softball Association (ASA). They have included FastballBSF under their banner as the perfect alternative to slow-pitch softball for those who want a more challenging game, and not pitcher-dominated typical with fast-pitch softball. With ASA, the game has an immediate national infrastructure.  The ASA umpires association is in place all over the country and will be handling all officiating duties. There is an annual FastballBSF/ASA joint registration/insurance fee of $20/player that provides general liability and up to $250,000 second tier accident medical insurance during each calendar year.  This membership/insurance policy is provided through ASA’s premier insurance provider, Bollinger Insurance.

The game features wood bats (Haag Bat Company - national sponsor: www.haagbatco.com) ; a special reduced- injury-Factor (RIF) 9.5” ball; batters start with a 1 and 1 count; adult pitchers pitch from 60 feet; 10 seconds between pitches; 1 minute between innings; two youth and multiple adult age divisions; Father/Son Division; 3 ability divisions (Recreation, Competitive, Elite); no breaking pitches (curves, etc.) are allowed in the Recreation and Competitive levels, but are allowed in the Elite Division.

Check out more features and watch a video presentation at www.usfastball.com.  People interested in learning more and being involved can email jdills@usfastball.com or call Jim Dills at 530-676-3791.  ASA/FastballBSF is searching for local League Presidents in most areas.

Mike Lewis - President of FastballBSF

Where to begin...

My whole life I have loved my Dad's ideas.  From Sport-A-Rific to Dunka-Dude I always knew life at home was going to be exciting!  And then one day in 2003 I remember talking to him about his latest invention, a game he called "Fastball".  I thought, "what a simple concept, this idea can't be new" and listened to how it blended the best aspects of both Baseball and Softball into a new game.  Well, I decided to give the game a try and helped organize a local league in Castle Rock, CO with Scott Smeeton's help, the Recreation Supervisor for the town.  I remember the local news coming out to our demonstration game and the local newspaper.  I remember how much fun I had playing baseball again while still raising our 4 beautiful daughters with my wife, and still juggling a full-time career and church responsibilities.

At the end of the 2008 season I remember Jonathan Jardine telling me he wanted to work together to make Fastball a national amateur sport.  I called my Dad and he immediately agreed I should be the new President and Jonathan the Co-President.  We spent the rest of that year trying to get organized.  2009 was spent restructing the game so it could become a national sport, and then 2010 was spent partnering with ASA and MSBL to help bring the game to a national audience!  One of the changes we made was to call the game FastballBSF, which simply is abbreviated for "Baseball on a Softball Field", so we could trademark the name of the game and copyright the rules.  I am so excited because we now have the foundation built of a really great game, and can't wait to build it across the country with an annual World Series in 2012!

But I'll be honest; the biggest reason I am involved in FastballBSF is to work with my Dad on one of his ideas!  The last few years has been a dream come true for me.  And that's what I want FastballBSF to be all about - helping people fulfill their dreams playing and being around this game!