Pennsylvania baseball

If any of you have thoughts about moving to Pennsylvania to play baseball, here are a couple photos taken at a local high school practice over the weekend (3-16-2013). 

With weather like this, it would stand to reason that baseball players would not be bred in Pennsylvania to the extent that places like Texas, Florida, or Georgia breed them.  However, if you thought that, you’d happen to be wrong.  Check out the following chart from Baseball-Almanac.

 

Pennsylvania ranks second only to California in producing future major leaguers.

It’s easy to see why California ranks #1.  Great weather, 10% of the US population, great fields, year-round on the field training, and great coaching are all typical in the Golden State.  Knowing that, why then would Pennsylvania be #2?  I’m sure there are many reasons but the photos above offer great clues in my mind.

You have to have a certain degree of toughness to play in that kind of weather.  Baseball is tough enough.  Try playing it in sleet, snow, wind, and 40 degree temperatures until April.  And April is when the rain starts!  As a result, kids that are not too fond of the game get weeded out pretty early.  Those that are left have the toughness and passion to play in the conditions common to this area of the country.  Those two things can go a long way in overcoming the lack of good fields and the ability to play on them year-round.

I’ve had the pleasure of playing with guys from all over the world, many of them from the warmer states and countries.  I think it’s likely that none of them have ever dropped and enjoyed a “snow angel” after practice.