Mark Wesley Pritchard
Bio
You can call me Wesley. Former cosplayer, retro gaming fanatic, die-hard Texas Rangers fan, and nostalgic freak. Need I say more?
Threads: @misterwesleysworld
Instagram: @misterwesleysworld
Stories (394)
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The Worst MLB City Connect Jerseys
Greetings, baseball nerds! Spring Training will be here before you know it. In my previous story, I've selected some of my favorite City Connect jerseys that stood out to me. I'll have a link to that story down below. With the good comes the bad, so I'll be highlighting six of the worst City Connect jerseys that didn't vibe well with me. We can all agree to disagree with the following selections, but if you didn't see a jersey that made the list, please comment down below. Just like my previous story, I'm only going to focus on the jerseys themselves, not the hats. A list of the best and worst City Connect hats will be featured on here in a later story.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard about 2 hours ago in Unbalanced
The Best MLB City Connect Jerseys
In 2021, Major League Baseball released their City Connect series. A jersey's design of a team represents their respective cities cultures. Some people like them, while others loathe it. Whether it's the colors, designs, or whatever it may be, a jersey's aesthetics are meant to stand out. The Texas Rangers have since discontinued their City Connect jerseys last season, but a new design is expected to be released for the 2026 MLB regular season. The following entries are my favorite City Connect jerseys in no particular order. If you didn't see your favorite on this list, comment down below. I'll only be focusing on the jerseys themselves, not the ball caps. A list for that will be featured in a future story. For the City Connect jerseys, I'll be critiquing them based on color scheme, font, and overall appearance.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard a day ago in Styled
Tipping My Hat, or Rather, Hats to You
Baseball hats---let's talk about them. You probably have at least one in your home and wear it. I have seven Texas Rangers hats in total, and the last one is the most recent one from August 2025. Technically, I have eight, but I'll explain that one near the end of this story. New Era has been the official baseball cap supplier since 1993. The company was founded in 1920 by Ehrhardt Koch. 59Fifty Day is celebrated annually on May 9 to honor the iconic fitted baseball cap. Many people collect baseball caps as a hobby and as a devoted hathead myself, this has been a new hobby of mine after retiring from cosplay in 2024. I do plan on buying more and have no plans on stopping anytime soon. I'll be highlighting some of my favorite Rangers caps and they're not in any particular order.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 2 days ago in Unbalanced
2006 Rose Bowl: 20th Anniversary
2006 was filled with exciting moments in sports: Kobe Bryant's 81-point game, the Pittsburg Steelers winning Super Bowl XL, and the St. Louis Cardinals winning the World Series. However, there was one sporting event people were occupied to and that was the 2006 Rose Bowl, which took place in Pasadena, California. On the evening of January 4, 2006, two unbeaten teams battled it out for the coveted National Championship: Number 1 USC Trojans vs Number 2 Texas Longhorns. The Trojans were seven-point favorites prior to this matchup. Also, this game featured two of the best quarterbacks and Heisman Trophy winners: Matt Leinart and Vince Young. Finally, this game featured two legendary coaches: Pete Carroll and Mack Brown. It was and still is the greatest college football game of all time.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 5 days ago in Unbalanced
25 Years as a Texas Rangers Fan
Happy New Year, Vocal readers and subscribers! 2026 has finally arrived. 2026 is also me celebrating a quarter century of me being a Texas Rangers fan. I need to correct everyone on a few details when it came to me attending my very first Rangers game in person at 13 years old. I've stated in my numerous stories on Vocal that I attended the aforementioned game soon after the tragic events of September 11. Recently, I was looking at the 2001 Texas Rangers schedule, via the Baseball Almanac's website. I was surprised that they kept records of old MLB regular season schedules and rosters going back that far. Speaking of that roster, players such as Michael Young, Kenny Rogers (not to be confused with the late, great country singer), Pudge Rodríguez, and Gabe Kapler stood out for the team. Also, Alex Rodríguez was on this team before he ended up finishing his career with the New York Yankees. As far as the exact date of when I attended my first Rangers game, it was August 22, 2001, and on a warm Wednesday evening. Yes, it was on a school night, but it would be a memory that I would cherish forever. The Rangers played the Yankees at home as part of a four-game series. When I arrived at The Ballpark in Arlington, which was their old ballpark and the name of it at the time, I was so amazed of the exterior of it. I attended the game with my now estranged father, younger brother, and one of my friends from school at the time. It was a guy's night out, but I had a great time. By the way, the Rangers won that game 8-1. The four-game series ended in a split decision between both teams. After arriving home from the game, that was the night I became a Texas Rangers fan.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 8 days ago in Unbalanced
2025 Vocal Year in Review
Greetings, Vocal readers! Before 2025 comes to a close and we welcome 2026 into our lives, I'll be going over some of my accomplishments and most impactful stories I've written from this year on Vocal. This will be the final story of 2025. Before I proceed any further, I want to say thanks to my loyal subscribers and supporters for taking the time to read my stories. You're the reason why I continue to write and publish these stories. Also, thanks to those who have sent me one-off tips. Those help out greatly, because you're supporting writers like me on Vocal. Please keep them coming, because I'll be writing and publishing new stories in the new year. If you would like for me to talk about a certain topic and offer my thoughts, please comment down below and I'll take them into consideration. The following stories are not in any particular order. Alright, let's go over some of my most impactful stories first from 2025.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 24 days ago in Writers
He's Back! A Kyle Schwarber Story
The MLB offseason has been filled with drama, mainly surrounding the New York Mets letting three of their best players sign to other teams, resulting in their fans expressing their anger towards David Stearns. However, there is some good news that will make everyone smile, especially for Philadelphia Phillies fans. The ever-talented Kyle Schwarber will be sticking around in Philly for a few more years. The three-time All-Star signed a five-year, $150 million deal and the news was music to the ears of baseball fans. Many thought he would return to the Chicago Cubs, where he won his first World Series title and was one of the main factors in snapping the team's 108-year-old championship drought. I knew he wasn't going anywhere, because he's too important of a player to just walk away. In other news, manager Rob Thomson will also be with the Phillies for a while longer. After the deal with Schwarber was made official, Thomson signed an extension through the 2027 season.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 27 days ago in Unbalanced
50 Shades of Orange
The 2025 Winter Meetings in Orlando has come to a close, but there is still a plethora of free agents who are waiting to see if any teams would claim them. However, the MLB offseason has been filled with drama. If you're a New York Mets fan, I feel your pain. I'll fill everyone else in on what has occurred for the last three weeks. The Mets traded Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for three-time All-Star and World Series champion Marcus Semien. Then, their closer Edwin Díaz signed a three-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But wait, there's more. The two-year-old question on whether or not Pete Alonso would return the team for the 2026 season had finally been answered. The 31-year-old, known as the Polar Bear, signed a five-year, $155 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles. Once the news of him heading to Baltimore spread across the baseball world, Mets fans were absolutely furious. Furious might be an understatement but pissed off was an even better term to describe the outrage Mets fans have felt. Alonso was seeking a five-year deal with the Mets, but the ball club wasn't willing to offer him a deal that was more than three years. If you're keeping count, that's three players that the Mets let go of.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 28 days ago in Unbalanced
The Good and the Downright Ugly
If you're having the case of the offseason blues, I know the feeling. With the Winter Meetings set to conclude on Wednesday and Spring Training starting in February, baseball will return before you know it. If you're new to the baseball community and unsure of what the point of the Winter Meetings, they are held the first full week of December, and teams aim to sign players to their respective teams. In case you haven't been up to speed on the happenings of the MLB offseason, here are a list of players who will be wearing different uniforms for the 2026 MLB regular season.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard about a month ago in Unbalanced
The Hall of Shame: Baseball's Most Despised Players
The National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum in Cooperstown, New York, which is known as the Birthplace of Baseball, celebrates and recognizes the contributions of baseball players and other figures. Nearly 400 individuals are inducted in the Hall and almost 300 of them are players. Speaking of the Hall of Fame, there will be a new member to the 2026 Class: Jeff Kent. The reaction to the news was mixed. While some were pleased that Kent will be inducted next year, others expressed their frustrations with the Baseball Hall of Fame for not selecting Barry Bonds. Other players who have missed out on being part of the 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame Class were Gary Sheffield, the late Fernando Valenzuela, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Carlos Delgado, and Roger Clemens. This story will primarily be focused on Bonds and the latter player. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens will not be eligible again for the committee ballot until 2031. My brutally honest opinions about both of these men aren't going be sugar-coated.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard about a month ago in Unbalanced
Loving Yourself is the Best Gift This Holiday Season
Greetings, Vocal readers! The holiday season is a joyous occasion where people spend time with their loved ones. However, that is not always the case for LGBTQ+ people. Family, especially parents, are supposed to love and accept their children as they are. Unfortunately, we've seen too many stories over the years about parents kicking their own children out of the house or deny their own existence because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. That is an emotional gut punch that they have experienced or are experiencing now. We have a president and his administration who are slowly trying to strip protections of people like us. They're spreading hateful rhetoric that puts our lives at risk daily.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard about a month ago in Pride
The Annoying Bro Epidemic
I have a huge bone to pick with this younger generation and some millenials. I've noticed in the last several years there's a word that these people constantly use. That word is bro. Growing up in the 90s, there was a plethora of slang that people would use for a period of time, then it would eventually die down. Fast forward to now, the use of the word bro is seen everywhere, especially on YouTube. Many individuals would excessively use this word and honestly, it makes me want to puke. It's not just younger people saying it so much. Older adults are guilty of this, too. I'm a millennial who's in his late thirties and the last time I ever called my youngest brother bro was several years ago. I would never use that annoying term on social media or in any stories I write and publish on Vocal. I have a theory of why Gen-Zer's have difficulties finding jobs. Their communication skills are terrible. Imagine referring to their future managers or bosses as bro. They wouldn't last very long at their places of employment. I'm a believer of using proper grammar towards authority figures, people that I work with, and the elderly. Whenever I go to the comments section of a video on YouTube, the overuse of the word bro is present among others. It's a lack of communication skills, as if they don't have anything else to say. It's always bro this and bro that. I believe the excessive use of the word bro is the biggest cancer of this society. Also, it's one of my biggest pet peeves. I remembered back in the day when slang words were used for a period time, then they would be buried for good. I can't take anyone seriously, regardless of age, who uses the word bro in conversations. It's the equivalent of girls and women using the word like. Speaking of which, girls and grown women are also using the word bro, especially towards each other. I've always found that weird and cringey.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard about a month ago in Education
