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 (395)
Filter by community
Story #250: My Experience at The Ballpark in Arlington
250 stories on Vocal! I've come a long since I first started writing stories on this platform back in 2018. For my 250th story, I'll be sharing of how I became a fan of a Major League Baseball team. But first, a bit of history.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 12 months ago in Unbalanced
This Is the Moment You've Been Waiting For...
Greetings, baseball nerds! The most exciting moment has finally arrived: the announcement of the 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame Class. After much anticipation, the players who will be inducted this summer are the following players:
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 12 months ago in Unbalanced
2025 Texas Rangers Predictions
I know that y'all miss baseball so much. Believe me, I know the feeling. It won't be long until Spring Training arrives, also known as the unofficial start of baseball. The Texas Rangers may not have repeated as World Series Champions last year, but it's a new year and we're wiping the state clean. The Rangers have been busy during the offseason by signing several players. I won't go through every single one, but the most notable ones. In case you missed it, here are the new additions:
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 12 months ago in Unbalanced
Ways To Prepare for Your Ceremonial First Pitch
Opening Day in Major League Baseball is not until late March, but if you happen to be chosen to throw the first pitch at a baseball game, whether it's at a Major League or Minor League Baseball game, I have some helpful tips to make sure your experience goes successfully smoothly. In the summer of 2023, I got a chance to throw the ceremonial first pitch at a Northwest Arkansas Naturals game. It was an opportunity that I was excited and also looking forward to. So, the night of taking part of this wonderful experience, one of my coworkers tagged along with me, as well as others from a local non-profit organization, which they asked me to take part in this.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 12 months ago in Unbalanced
My Thoughts About the Los Angeles Dodgers
It's still the offseason, but Spring Training is just around the corner. Teams have been busy with signing players to improve their rosters. No team has been more busier than the Los Angeles Dodgers. In case you haven't heard, the defending World Series Champions have signed Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki. I've been following the signing of several players since the offseason began, with one being Blake Snell, which was the only move I agreed with. To refresh your memory, Snell threw his first career no-hitter last season while he was with the San Francisco Giants. As you can tell from the title of this story, I have more to say about the Dodgers and the reasons why I have such a huge dislike of them. You must be wondering why I've been so harsh towards them in previous stories. My criticism of them will never ease up and won't anytime soon. Once you see the following reasons, you'll have a better idea of why I'll never look at them the same, nor respect them again.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 12 months ago in Unbalanced
'No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls' Review
If you were around in the early 2000s or a 2000s kid, bands such as Blink-182 and Linkin Park were most likely the ones you might have grown up listening to. One band in particular that hardly gets enough attention these days is Simple Plan. They're a Canadian rock band that was part of my childhood, dating back to middle school. As of 2025, they have released six studio albums, with the most recent one being 2022's Harder Than It Looks, which was their final album featuring bassist David Desrosiers. In this story, I'll be reviewing their debut album and reveal some of my favorite songs.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 12 months ago in Beat
Say His Name: George Floyd
During the Covid-19 pandemic, everyone was in quarantine, daily life was interrupted, and everyone was staying safe from the deadly virus. However, one event that received national attention was the death of George Floyd. On May 25, 2020, the then 46-year-old was suspected of using fake money and was stopped by police and then, they held him to the ground. What happened next was shocking. Now former Minneapolis police officer and convicted murderer, Derek Chauvin, was seen on video pressing his knee on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes. Despite Floyd’s constant pleas that he couldn't breathe to Chauvin and from bystanders to let him breathe, Chauvin ignored their pleas and the other officers at the scene refused to intervene. Floyd’s death sparked worldwide outrage and protests from around the world. One of the things that continues to irk me is when anytime a black person has been killed by the police, most people would say the following: “If he/she would’ve followed the officer’s orders, then they wouldn’t have been shot.” This is such a tone deaf way of saying that a black person who lost their life deserved it. To me, it's a form of victim blaming. Even if they obeyed a police officer's orders, no one deserves to have their lives taken in a tragic manner. Also, opponents of racial injustice protests would also describe black people as thugs, drug dealers, and everything under the sun. As a person of color, I ask everyone to not paint all black people with one brush. You're missing the entire point of why we still hold Black Lives Matter protests. The point of these protests is to call for accountability of any police officer who takes the life of black individuals. In other words, arresting police officers as opposed to putting them on administrative leave (paid or unpaid) or on bond. Also, seeing them being convicted and sentenced to time in prison, making sure that the families of the slain receive justice.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 12 months ago in The Swamp
My Thoughts About the 'Brave New World' Trailer
A new year brings new movies. This year, a total of 50 films are scheduled to be released in theaters. Among the slate of movies is Captain America: Brave New World. A fitting Valentine's Day release is a perfect time for you and your significant other to see this superhero film. Or if you're single like myself, this is also the movie that you should go and see. The 35th film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU, stars Anthony Mackie, Giancarlo Esposito, and legendary actor Harrison Ford. However, I dislike Valentine's Day for a number of reasons. First, I feel like it makes single people like me feel miserable. Second, it's too commercialized and forced onto those who don't have a romantic partner to spend this day with. Third, it puts too much emphasis on highlighting couples expressing their love for one another in commercials and other forms of media. It's not to say those are bad things to promote. I've been single for a little over five years. In 2019, I was engaged to be married in March 2020. However, complications made it impossible for me and the man I was with at the time to make our wedding happen. I won't go into details, but we mutually decided to part ways, even though we loved each other very much. I'm nearing 40 and haven't given up on finding love again.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard about a year ago in Geeks
A Message to Clayton Kershaw
Many of my readers know that I love baseball, especially the Texas Rangers. In case you didn't know that, you do now. Spring Training is right around the corner and the MLB regular season is in our sights. However, in this story, I want to send a strong message to a player who needs a lesson in both humanity and compassion. The player I'm talking about is Clayton Kershaw. To all of you non-baseball fans who aren't familiar with who he is, he's a World Series champion and Cy Young Award winner. Back in 2023, he made disparaging and bigoted remarks regarding the Dodgers were having a promotion inviting The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to Dodger Stadium during Pride Month. Because of this, I can no longer look at Clayton Kershaw the same way again. It's time that I read this man for the filth, because I have a lot of things to say to him. I could call him every name in the book, but it would make the points that I'm about to share absolutely meaningless. I'm not going to apologize for standing up for what I believe in or being honest. If I see someone being disrespectful towards a certain group of people, I'm not afraid to call them out on it. If I'm wrong for speaking up, then so be it. I'm not afraid to expose people for who they are.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard about a year ago in Pride
Life As an Autistic Man
I've been a creator on Vocal since 2018 and I love writing about the things that I'm passionate about. This platform is an outlet for me to write stories that might be relatable to most people. In this story, I'll be sharing my own personal experiences as someone who's on the Autism spectrum. If it's your first time on Vocal and don't know anything about me, by the time you've finished reading this story, you'll have a better idea of the kind of person I am.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard about a year ago in Longevity
Wesley's National League Wild Card Picks
Greetings, baseball nerds! I'll be sharing my National League Wild Card predictions for the 2025 MLB season. If you would like to see my 2025 American League Wild Card predictions, the link will be found at the end of this story. Without further ado, let's go!
By Mark Wesley Pritchard about a year ago in Unbalanced
My Thoughts About Sammy Sosa's "Apology"
Before 2024 came to a close, a former Chicago Cubs player had something important that he wanted to share with everyone. That someone happened to be Sammy Sosa. So what was the statement he wanted to divulge, you ask? Recently, he finally admitted to using performance enhancement drugs (PEDs). The now 56 year old has apologized for doing the unthinkable. Sosa said the following:
By Mark Wesley Pritchard about a year ago in Unbalanced
