Pakistan's share of the American soccer-ball market by volume dropped from 65% to 45% between 1996 and 1998.
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Meticulously calculated alternatives offered hope and optimism to ball clubs who could never financially compete with the likes of the Yankees, Red Sox and other large market ball clubs.
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The in-fighting between large market and small market ball clubs is quite palpable and too many schisms have formed over issues pertaining to revenues and competitive balance.
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But after eating a big chunk of Hampton's contract to get him off the books, the reality set in that the middle-market ball club would need to win with younger, cheaper players.
Besides opening your eyes to the world of sabermetrics, Michael Lewis lifted the proverbial curtain and allowed the reader to finally see the inner workings of a small market ball club as they struggle to assemble a competitive roster.
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Sports memorabilia collectors aren't exactly looking ahead with rabid enthusiasm to Barry Bonds' record 756th home run ball hitting the auction market.
However, despite these long-term aspirations, younger adults see a very different near-term housing market in their crystal ball.
It would be nice to own a crystal ball that tells us when a market will move, for how long and by how much.
"If you had a crystal ball and could know when the market is at its low, that would be the perfect time to buy and get the profits, " Ball said.
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They are only prepared for investment opportunities in a narrow area of the market where the market only occasionally hits the ball.
In the past they have tended to treat these as part of its odd-ball culture and its ability to ride market reaction to what appear to be diversions from the core business.
However, he also knows that the revenue engine of a major league ball club is driven by the local market and the Brewers need to consistently create an affordable and unforgettable experience for the fans.
Restaurants like R Bistro with its ever-changing seasonal menu, craft cocktail bar Ball and Biscuit, and the innovative Black Market, which serves beef tongue and burgers, are interspersed with boutiques and art galleries, offering an urban experience that rivals more tourist-heavy metropolitan areas like Los Angeles and Boston.
Ball said investors who have time to let the market turn around should just sit tight and wait it out.
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As such, it is probably best to avoid any further use of the crystal ball and to continue to try to identify the market drivers on a daily basis.
No one has a crystal ball and can predict if and when the job market will open up but there are some factors to consider on whether or not to take Social Security early or to wait if you are looking for a job.
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The deputy research director at Hecsu, Charlie Ball, says that in a "difficult jobs market" and a struggling economy "over 166, 000 of last year's graduates were known to be working in the UK six months after leaving university - nearly 8, 000 more than the previous year".
In the case of the Yankees, there are three ball players whose value to the franchise and the open market could be adversely affected if their disappointing postseason performances to date continue.
If you, or your advisor, or the portfolio managers your advisors select for their client, can keep your eye on that ball, it will inform your decision about the stock market and your portfolio at large.
Yet, there are few companies that operate under more confusing conditions than Alcoa, certainly raising the question of whether it is of any importance at all as a crystal ball for the economy or the rest of the stock market.
Paul Singh, a partner at the seed stage firm 500-Startups, effectively articulates the market forces driving this investment strategy in his Money Ball presentation.
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Knowing which market segments are doing well will get you in the ball park, but it may not score you any home runs.
The scary part was supposed to be tablet and smartphone market, where European conumer demand trouble is creating a curve ball for investors.
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Ngmoco has been successful in free-to-play games like Eliminate Pro and Touch Pet Dogs, while Freeverse has done well in the paid apps market with its low-cost games, like Skee-Ball and Flick Fishing, often priced at 99 cents.
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For 1998 IBM and Allstate, selling at below-market valuations, are my low- center-of-gravity ball carriers.
But parents and coaches of advanced players fear the new mandate will broaden the market at the expense of skilled children who want to play with a regular ball sooner.
Finally, a reorganisation late last year, which created separate units for mass-market, business and multimedia phones, caused Nokia to take its eye off the ball.
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