“Statistics are to baseball, what flaky crust is to Mom’s apple pie.” Harry Reasoner

What is more American than apple pie? In sports the answer would be baseball, so it is only relevant that the two items are mentioned together. Everybody’s mother has a special recipe to cook the masterful, delicious apple pie, but there is always that, “special ingredient” that is a secret and makes each and every pie, unique. In the sport of baseball, there are numerous occurrences and feats that have happened unusually through out the history of major league baseball, to make each and every accomplishment unique. There have been players that hit more than one grand slam in the same inning, pitchers have been taken out without recording an out, giving them an ERA of ballooned proportions, and other pitchers that are credited with a win without ever throwing a pitch.

Throughout the history of baseball, America’s game, there are seven significant feats that can separate themselves from others as being great individual efforts that involve pitching, hitting, defense and base running.

--Stealing home: Stealing home plate has the potential to be one of the most exciting baserunning plays in baseball. It all happens, when a pesky, daring base runner will break towards the plate when the pitcher starts his hurling effort towards the plate. Do you happen to know who holds the record for career steals of home, and how many times he has stolen home plate?

--Inside-the-park Homerun: In the days of going deep, hitting tape measure shots over the fence, the inside-the-park homerun have gone to the way side. It takes several ducks to all be in a row, for it to happen. The batter must have great speed, have great placement of the hit to make it happen. Currently about one out of every 160 homeruns is an inside-the park homerun. MLB hall of famer, Roberto Clemente is the only person ever, to hit a walkoff inside-the-park grand slam.

--The Ultimate Grand Slam: In our dreams, in our backyard, anybody that even likes baseball has acted out the scene. There are two outs, bases are loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, trailing by three runs and if you the batter, hit a grand slam homer, the game is over and you are the hero. Did you know, that in the history of the major leagues, the feat has only been achieved 22 times, and only one of the twenty-two occurred with a full count. Chris Hoiles of the Baltimore Orioles was the hero.

--Golden Sombrero: To achieve the golden sombrero, a single player would strikeout four times in one game. The term is derived from the sport of hockey’s ‘hat-trick’. If a hat-trick is three goals, why not add one, which then means a bigger hat, thus the sombrero. Phillies hall of fame infielder, Mike Schmidt, arguably has the most significant ‘golden sombrero’, striking out four times on a total of just 12 pitches.

--The Natural Cycle: A player that shows his versatility with a combination of speed and power, by hitting a single, followed by a double, triple and homerun; all in order, in a single game has achieved the feat of hitting for a ‘natural cycle’. In the history of major league baseball, only 14 men have completed the feat.

--A Perfect Game: It has been labeled the pinnacle of any pitchers career, when a pitcher retires all 27 batters that were faced. Prior to this season of MLB baseball, there had only been 18 men, who had thrown a perfect game. This 2010 season alone there has been a pair of pitchers, Roy Halladay and Dallas Braden that had added their name to the elite list.

--A No-Hitter: Is a game where a pitching staff or individual pitcher keeps the opposing team hitless, which allows walks, hit-by-pitches and errors. It is still possible for a pitcher to throw a no-hitter and lose, it has happened only once ever. There have been over 260 non-hitters thrown in the history of the game, every MLB has had a no-hitter thrown against them.

It doesn’t matter what level of play of baseball/softball that is being enjoyed by youngsters or adults this summer, all of the above mentioned occurrences can be set as goals. There are numerous chances for athletes to have fun playing backyard stick and ball games, all the way to a competitive leagues in baseball/softball. All it takes is a sniff of baseball/or softball and you just might, ‘Catch the Fever’.

Don't forget to vote in the latest poll, in guessing: How many years before the Cornhuskers Football team wins a Big 10 Championship?

“Baseball is like church, many attend but few understand.” Wes Westrum

I have been to my fair share of baseball and softball games and have thoroughly enjoyed the diamond action, even when I wasn’t participating. I have taken in college, professional and even novice baseball and softball action, and give my utmost respect to the athletes that are staying active and participating.

The participants on the diamond, all dream of playing in front of thousands of people, but that isn’t always the case, I think there are more followers and fans at Legion baseball games, than there were in the final years of the Montreal Expos, but then again the Expos didn’t play in a stick-and-ball hotbed either. It doesn’t matter if a fan is attending a baseball game at Fenway Park, the new Yankee Stadium or any of the local high school baseball and softball fields; the people in attendance, that respect the game, aren’t bigger than the game and support the game, I totally whole-heartedly respect. There is always a spoiler in attendance though, some times more than one ignorant fan. With the assistance of a few onlookers at diamond matchups, I have compiled a checklist of potential spoilers, that could be coming to a stadium or ballfield near you. (This list could apply to any sporting event.)

If you are in the presence of more than one of the below mentioned ‘superfans’, consider yourself privledged, to now feel just a little more intelligent, that you aren’t that superfan.

--Text addict: The person who spends more time involved with his phone and social life, than actually watching the game. What is wrong with a small lapse from the soap opera life; and enjoying the feel and excitement of watching athletic competition live, in full-color?

--Jersey fan: It is awesome to support your team by wearing the team colors in replica or authenic threads, but to put your own name on the jersey? I am not sure that I am believing that the Frazier that wore number 15 for the Huskers, is now a white guy that is bald and Five-foot nothing, 100 pounds, and his jersey is small enough, it wouldn’t have fit the kicker. In baseball, and in fact any sport, if you have the name johnson or smith on the back of your jersey, you could be a sports superstar and look the part, but that is usually not the case with the individuals spotted wearing the professional threads.

--Know it all, Ex-Jock: This fan is usually the person that knows the least, but knows it the loudest. In fact, in most situations the insertion of a couple big, awkward words into his speech, is a dead giveaway in the lack of knowledge of the individual. The person might only be a high school or college kid, but they remember exactly like it was yesterday, the last time the beloved Chicago Cubs won the World Series, and that is virtually impossible. The person was probably in attendance at the game, or maybe they are recalling that time in Little League, when they threw the no-hitter, and lets everybody know of his life changing accomplishments of youth athletics.

--Ball-Strike fan: It doesn’t matter what level of competition, there will always be the fan in the stands or voice in the crowd that doesn’t approve of the umpires calls. Its never the guy, right behind the plate in the front row, its the fan that is so far from the action, whether it be in the nosebleed section, or the person sitting in their car watching the action outside the fence, but they can clearly see the pitch through their binoculars, better than the umpire, supposedly.

--Shirtless guy or Bikini girl: There are always going to be people that enjoy to flaunt their muscles, or attention grabbing physiques, but lets keep it away from the games. The excuses of, “I just left the gym or Its just to hot to wear a shirt,” isn’t a viable excuse in my book. If you want to wear swimming attire, go to a swimming pool. You aren’t going to see me shirtless, I would very soon look like a lobster, and I don’t quite have the physique to be struting around in public.

--Glove fan: It doesn't matter what level of play, there is always a fan in the stands with a glove; maybe hoping to be put into the game to play defense; or be subbed into the diamond action a person has to always be prepared. For some fans, that attend professional games, they may bring a glove in hopes of catching a foul ball or a homerun ball; and don't want to embarrass themselves by dropping the ball. I have caught a homerun ball, without a glove, and caught it one handed, as if I had a glove on. Leave your glove at home and go to enjoy the game.

Throughout the summer months, you can use this checklist to see how right or wrong I am about the fans in the stands.

SPORTS THINKING OUTLOUD TRIVIA: What number was Mickey Mantle wearing when he hit his first major league homerun? Who was the individual that was currently wearing the #7 that forced Mantle to don a different number, where was he from?