Post-season awards were handed out by the Baseball Writers Association of America (a group I would steal a loaf of marble rye from an old lady to be a part of!), and there weren't any real surprises. For Rookie of the Year, voters unanimously chose Aaron Judge of the Yankees and Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers. This award was a no-brainer, because both guys had great seasons (even though Judge got a bit "cold" after the all-star break). I would have voted for both of them; no surprise there.
For the Cy Young award, the AL winner was the Indians' Corey Kluber (who won his second Cy Young award) and the Nationals' Max Scherzer for the NL. Yes, THAT Max Scherzer - my current baseball crush! It's Scherzer's third Cy Young, and I'm just glad that someone other than Clayton Kershaw won it this year. It was a tough decision, because all of these guys had spent a bit of time on the Disabled List this year, so it wasn't a runaway vote like Rookie of the Year was; but hey, my man beat out Kershaw and fellow teammate Stephen Strasburg, so I'm happy about that.
For MVP, I was a bit nervous. There was speculation that Aaron Judge would get the award for the American League, beating out the Astros' José Altuve. I personally think it's rude to win more than one of these awards in the same year (Fred Lynn and Ichiro Suzuki have been the only ones who have done that), but as the player, you have no control over who these baseball writers are going to vote for (and I love Ichiro, but I would have voted for Roberto Alomar for MVP in 2001 so Ichiro could get one award and Alomar could get the other one). Plus isn't Rookie of the Year a more special award because you can only win it once? I was relieved when Altuve was named as MVP for the American League, because I had told my husband that if Altuve wasn't the winner, I would run around the neighborhood naked. Luckily my neighbors were spared. In the National League, the Miami Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton was the MVP, and I'm OK with that. He hit 59 home runs (I was really rooting for him to reach 60), and he's pretty bad ass. Congratulations to all of this year's winners.
Speaking of Giancarlo Stanton, the Miami Marlins are interested in trading him during the off season. This is a pretty big deal, because not only does it mean that the Marlins realize they're going to suck next year and Stanton is better off playing somewhere else, but it could potentially make Stanton a very very VERY rich man. And with Derek Jeter being part owner of the Marlins, us baseball nerds have seen a lot of video of him lately talking about how, yes, trading Stanton is a definite possibility. The main thing I've gotten out of these videos is the fact that Jeter looks way better in a baseball uniform than he does in "real people" clothes.
Also newsworthy so far this off season are both a death and a retirement. At 40 years old, former Blue Jays and Phillies pitcher and Cy Young award winner, Roy Halladay, died while flying his single-engine plane that crashed off the Gulf of Mexico on November 7. I always liked Halladay when he was with Toronto, but as soon as he joined the Phillies, I automatically disliked him. The eulogy that his wife gave at his memorial service was heart-wrenching and emotional, especially since they were just starting their new lives after Halladay's retirement in 2013. So sad!
And after 20 years in professional baseball, Puerto Rican Carlos Beltrán announced his retirement. Beltrán is one of those classy old-school guys you just can't help but love - he always played hard, was constantly smiling, and was always known as an excellent leader and faithful teammate. I have a soft spot for Carlos because he threw me a baseball during batting practice when he played for the Mets and I acted like a crazy Puerto Rican to get his attention (some would say I wasn't acting). My husband was always bothered with Beltrán being a "mouth breather," but I like him anyway (at least Beltrán probably doesn't snore, because he breathes through his mouth, which is more than I can say about my dear husband who keeps me up at night!). Let's see if Jayson Werth and Ichiro Suzuki follow in Beltrán's footsteps and announce their retirements too - while some of us would like to think that Ichiro could play forever, he's 44 and not as marketable as he once was. He will definitely be missed. And Werth? Yeah - it's time to call it quits, old man!
What else is there to look forward to during this off-season? Let's see... Which team will sign Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani? Apparently this kid can pitch, hit, run, and solve complex mathematical equations while mastering all levels of Candy Crush. He's being touted as the most perfect free agent ever (which automatically means he's over-hyped) and is being compared to Babe Ruth (!!!), but he won't require a ton of money, so he'll be easy to sign once all the bureaucratic red tape has been taken care of (apparently he's still technically under the ownership of his Japanese team, so there are some "t"s to cross and "I"s to dot before he can be signed by a Major League team. Stay tuned. What else? There are other free agents out there, like Yu Darvish, Wellington Castillo, Jonathan Lucroy, and yes, CC Sabathia (he's still got it at 37 years old).
This off-season promises to be interesting, with the signing of free agents and trading of players like Stanton (and will the Nationals please trade Tanner Roark so he can actually get some playing time and some respect?). I'll be paying attention so you don't have to (unless you really want to), and I'll keep you all updated as events warrant. In the meantime, have a wonderful Thanksgiving, support your local businesses during your holiday shopping, and enjoy your time with family and friends.
Friday, November 17, 2017
Sunday, October 22, 2017
The Tall and Short of It
At the age of 45, I am 5 feet, 1 inch tall. I'm aware of my height challenges - having to climb on top of my kitchen counter to reach for something in an upper cabinet shelf (because I'm too lazy to get a stool) is a reminder. Having to shop in the petites section of clothing stores is a reminder. Not being able to find a nice pair of over-the-knee boots because my legs are so darn short has been the most recent reminder (fashion blogs say that us shorties shouldn't even be wearing tall boots, because they make us look even shorter. Thanks a lot!). I don't need anyone pointing out the fact that I'm short - I'm well aware of it. It's not like someone comes up to me and says "Oh my gosh, you're so short!" and I'm like "Really? I had no idea!"
From Dolly Parton to Prince to Yasser Arafat, the world has been full of "vertically challenged" people who have made a difference in one way or another for as long as the world has been around. No one seems to care that Lady Gaga is short, Voltaire was still a successful writer despite being short, and Beethoven wasn't too bad of a composer despite only being 5'3. So why is the media making such a big deal of José Altuve's height? He's short... so what? Are all athletes supposed to be at least 6 feet tall in order to be successful? Ask Muggsy Bogues, Diego Maradona, or Lionel Messi - they're all under 5'7. If being tall makes you a good athlete, then Altuve is proving everyone wrong.
José Altuve, the all-star second baseman for the Houston Astros, finished this year's regular season as the Major League batting champ with a sick .346 batting average (that's right up there with Pete Rose and Ted Williams - you may have heard of them). And his 204 hits, 24 home runs, and 32 stolen bases this past season were nothing to jest at. Oh, and in the first game of the American League Division Series against the Red Sox, Altuve hit THREE home runs (two of them off ace Chris Sale). Not too shabby for a short guy! How did 6'7 Aaron Judge do on HIS first ALDS game? He struck out at all 4 plate appearances. In your face, tall dude!
Speaking of Aaron Judge, the media was all aflutter during the All-Star Game this past summer when Altuve and Judge were standing next to each other, filling social media outlets and newspapers with pictures of the two side by side. Don't you think Altuve was well aware of the height disparity? He didn't need to be turned into a circus act just because he's a whole foot shorter than the tallest guy currently in baseball. Just like Judge doesn't want to be known primarily for being so tall, I'm sure Altuve would rather be known as dedicated, consistent, and badass than being called "little man" or "unlikely hero" or "diminutive." This native of Venezuela is the top contender for the American League MVP award, and if he doesn't get it, I will wear white after Labor Day, which for someone as fashionable as me, will be quite a travesty.
Is José Altuve going to be a big factor in the upcoming World Series against the Dodgers? You betcha! So WHAT if Clayton Kershaw is six-foot-four? Who cares that Yu Darvish is six-foot-five (the tallest Japanese person I've ever heard of)? I predict that Altuve is not going to let these "big guys" intimidate him. I apologize to my uncle Junior, my cousins, and my pal Tim who are all die-hard Dodgers fans, but I'm picking the Astros to win the World Series. I rarely side with an American League team, but with Altuve, Puerto Rican phenom Carlos Correa, and pitchers like Justin Verlander and Dallas Keuchel (nasty-looking beard and all), I'm thinking the Astros can take the Series in seven games. My only issue with that is that they would end up clinching the pennant in LA, and I always hate when teams win when they're not at home, but I'm rooting for the Astros all the way. It's time for the rest of America to notice José Altuve and realize that big things do come in small packages, and us short people can kick ass just as much as the tall "giants" of the game.
From Dolly Parton to Prince to Yasser Arafat, the world has been full of "vertically challenged" people who have made a difference in one way or another for as long as the world has been around. No one seems to care that Lady Gaga is short, Voltaire was still a successful writer despite being short, and Beethoven wasn't too bad of a composer despite only being 5'3. So why is the media making such a big deal of José Altuve's height? He's short... so what? Are all athletes supposed to be at least 6 feet tall in order to be successful? Ask Muggsy Bogues, Diego Maradona, or Lionel Messi - they're all under 5'7. If being tall makes you a good athlete, then Altuve is proving everyone wrong.
José Altuve, the all-star second baseman for the Houston Astros, finished this year's regular season as the Major League batting champ with a sick .346 batting average (that's right up there with Pete Rose and Ted Williams - you may have heard of them). And his 204 hits, 24 home runs, and 32 stolen bases this past season were nothing to jest at. Oh, and in the first game of the American League Division Series against the Red Sox, Altuve hit THREE home runs (two of them off ace Chris Sale). Not too shabby for a short guy! How did 6'7 Aaron Judge do on HIS first ALDS game? He struck out at all 4 plate appearances. In your face, tall dude!
Speaking of Aaron Judge, the media was all aflutter during the All-Star Game this past summer when Altuve and Judge were standing next to each other, filling social media outlets and newspapers with pictures of the two side by side. Don't you think Altuve was well aware of the height disparity? He didn't need to be turned into a circus act just because he's a whole foot shorter than the tallest guy currently in baseball. Just like Judge doesn't want to be known primarily for being so tall, I'm sure Altuve would rather be known as dedicated, consistent, and badass than being called "little man" or "unlikely hero" or "diminutive." This native of Venezuela is the top contender for the American League MVP award, and if he doesn't get it, I will wear white after Labor Day, which for someone as fashionable as me, will be quite a travesty.
Is José Altuve going to be a big factor in the upcoming World Series against the Dodgers? You betcha! So WHAT if Clayton Kershaw is six-foot-four? Who cares that Yu Darvish is six-foot-five (the tallest Japanese person I've ever heard of)? I predict that Altuve is not going to let these "big guys" intimidate him. I apologize to my uncle Junior, my cousins, and my pal Tim who are all die-hard Dodgers fans, but I'm picking the Astros to win the World Series. I rarely side with an American League team, but with Altuve, Puerto Rican phenom Carlos Correa, and pitchers like Justin Verlander and Dallas Keuchel (nasty-looking beard and all), I'm thinking the Astros can take the Series in seven games. My only issue with that is that they would end up clinching the pennant in LA, and I always hate when teams win when they're not at home, but I'm rooting for the Astros all the way. It's time for the rest of America to notice José Altuve and realize that big things do come in small packages, and us short people can kick ass just as much as the tall "giants" of the game.
Sunday, September 24, 2017
To Kneel, or not to Kneel?
The "Star-Spangled Banner" is as much a part of sports in America as tailgating, "Fenway Franks," and overpriced ballpark beer. It has consistently been played or sung before sporting events since the days of Babe Ruth and World War I. When sung correctly (Whitney Houston), it can bring people to tears of joy and national pride. When sung in mockery (Roseanne), everyone is horrified and Francis Scott Key rolls in his grave (which is just a few blocks from where I'm typing this). Sports sociologists (yes - that's a thing!) defend this practice by saying that our National Anthem is a battle song (there's that line about rockets glaring and bombs bursting and what-not), and it should motivate athletes to perform their best while in "battle." It's supposed to get them pumped up and basically ready to kick some ass, and since sports are a microcosm of society and all we want to do in life is kick ass, then it's OK. But not everyone agrees.
From Colin Kaepernick and Jeremy Lane in the NFL to several members of the Virginia Tech women's volleyball team and even some football players from nearby Watkins Mill High School, many athletes at all levels have decided to "take a knee," give their backs to the American flag, or not stand up at all while the National Anthem is being played. The first Major League Baseball player to express public opposition to the National Anthem was Oakland A's Bruce Maxwell, who this past weekend decided to kneel while holding his ball cap to his chest while the song was being sung. As a result of this, Maxwell's team posted the following statement on their scoreboard immediately after, which I thought was appropriate and diplomatic and very cool and California-ish: "The Oakland A's pride ourselves in being inclusive. We respect and support all of our players' constitutional rights and freedom of expression." Why are athletes protesting the National Anthem? Some of them feel like not all their liberties are being protected in this country, while others protest as a way to promote positive changes for the betterment of the country. Whatever their reason is, they have the constitutional right to express their beliefs, and I'm totally ok with that (especially since I myself always stand for the Anthem but choose not to put my hand over my heart. I personally think that's silly but I stand up out of respect, kind of like "when in Rome...").
Without getting political (Barack Obama referred to Kaepernick as “exercising his constitutional right to make a statement" while Donald Trump said "maybe [Kaepernick] should find a country that works better for him," but no - I'm not going to get political here!), I'm wondering if the solution to this controversy is to get rid of the National Anthem at sporting events altogether. I personally don't think it's necessary to play the National Anthem before EVERY sporting event in America. Do I have to wait for the National Anthem to play in order to run a local 5K race? Can a Little League baseball game begin without a pitchy ten-year-old singing the Anthem while unable to hit the high notes? Before you start saying that I'm not patriotic and that I need to go back to my country (which is actually a territory of the US), just hear me out. Singing the "Star-Spangled Banner" at Yankee Stadium on September 17, 2001 on the first baseball game being played since the 9/11 attacks, with President Bush throwing out the first pitch? Totally appropriate. Playing the National Anthem when an Olympic athlete is receiving his/her gold medal? Super cool and emotional. Having the "Star-Spangled Banner" played or sung 162 times during the baseball season? Completely unnecessary. Why not save this song for special occasions, like a presidential inauguration, a championship game between the US and another country, or some sort of important military thing (whatever those may be)? Don't complain that baseball games take too long when you're spending five minutes having the colors presented, having giant flags being unfurled, and listening to an "American Idol" reject trying to belt out a song that was meant to be an ode to Fort McHenry.
So if the athletes want to keep protesting, I say let them (because they have the constitutional right to do so). But they should do it nicely and respectfully (removing your cap and "taking a knee" is way more appropriate, in my opinion, than not standing up at all), and they should be prepared to get some flack for it (especially if they sound like ignorant illiterates when they Tweet their reasons for their protest; that's another thing - athletes who Tweet! A blog topic for another day!). Keep "God Bless America" during the seventh-inning stretch - it's a nicer and more positive song anyway. And we can appreciate "the land of the free and the home of the brave" without having to sing about it every day before the start of a baseball game, marathon, or local baton-twirling competition. Those of us who live here truly appreciate our rights and freedoms - we don't need a tedious and outdated song to remind us of it.
That, my friends, is just my opinion. :-)
From Colin Kaepernick and Jeremy Lane in the NFL to several members of the Virginia Tech women's volleyball team and even some football players from nearby Watkins Mill High School, many athletes at all levels have decided to "take a knee," give their backs to the American flag, or not stand up at all while the National Anthem is being played. The first Major League Baseball player to express public opposition to the National Anthem was Oakland A's Bruce Maxwell, who this past weekend decided to kneel while holding his ball cap to his chest while the song was being sung. As a result of this, Maxwell's team posted the following statement on their scoreboard immediately after, which I thought was appropriate and diplomatic and very cool and California-ish: "The Oakland A's pride ourselves in being inclusive. We respect and support all of our players' constitutional rights and freedom of expression." Why are athletes protesting the National Anthem? Some of them feel like not all their liberties are being protected in this country, while others protest as a way to promote positive changes for the betterment of the country. Whatever their reason is, they have the constitutional right to express their beliefs, and I'm totally ok with that (especially since I myself always stand for the Anthem but choose not to put my hand over my heart. I personally think that's silly but I stand up out of respect, kind of like "when in Rome...").
Without getting political (Barack Obama referred to Kaepernick as “exercising his constitutional right to make a statement" while Donald Trump said "maybe [Kaepernick] should find a country that works better for him," but no - I'm not going to get political here!), I'm wondering if the solution to this controversy is to get rid of the National Anthem at sporting events altogether. I personally don't think it's necessary to play the National Anthem before EVERY sporting event in America. Do I have to wait for the National Anthem to play in order to run a local 5K race? Can a Little League baseball game begin without a pitchy ten-year-old singing the Anthem while unable to hit the high notes? Before you start saying that I'm not patriotic and that I need to go back to my country (which is actually a territory of the US), just hear me out. Singing the "Star-Spangled Banner" at Yankee Stadium on September 17, 2001 on the first baseball game being played since the 9/11 attacks, with President Bush throwing out the first pitch? Totally appropriate. Playing the National Anthem when an Olympic athlete is receiving his/her gold medal? Super cool and emotional. Having the "Star-Spangled Banner" played or sung 162 times during the baseball season? Completely unnecessary. Why not save this song for special occasions, like a presidential inauguration, a championship game between the US and another country, or some sort of important military thing (whatever those may be)? Don't complain that baseball games take too long when you're spending five minutes having the colors presented, having giant flags being unfurled, and listening to an "American Idol" reject trying to belt out a song that was meant to be an ode to Fort McHenry.
So if the athletes want to keep protesting, I say let them (because they have the constitutional right to do so). But they should do it nicely and respectfully (removing your cap and "taking a knee" is way more appropriate, in my opinion, than not standing up at all), and they should be prepared to get some flack for it (especially if they sound like ignorant illiterates when they Tweet their reasons for their protest; that's another thing - athletes who Tweet! A blog topic for another day!). Keep "God Bless America" during the seventh-inning stretch - it's a nicer and more positive song anyway. And we can appreciate "the land of the free and the home of the brave" without having to sing about it every day before the start of a baseball game, marathon, or local baton-twirling competition. Those of us who live here truly appreciate our rights and freedoms - we don't need a tedious and outdated song to remind us of it.
That, my friends, is just my opinion. :-)
Friday, September 8, 2017
Mother and Son at the Ballpark (My Husband was There Too!)
My seventeen-year-old daughter has just begun her Senior year in high school, so for the past three years, our lives have been consumed by countless track meets (and corresponding pasta parties), college visits all over the Mid-Atlantic, and numerous meetings, appointments, and activities related to my daughter's academics, athletics, or extracurricular activities. All along the way, my thirteen-year-old son has tagged along (many times begrudgingly) and served as photographer, stopwatch operator, bag carrier, or whatever "other tasks as assigned" have been thrown at him. But he's been a pretty good sport (especially since each college visit came with either dinner at Panera, a visit to the college ice cream shop, or a stay in a hotel with a pool). Constantly in his sister's shadow, he still manages to maintain a sense of humor while my husband and I try to accommodate his concert band schedule around everything else going on in our busy lives.
One thing that has helped our bond is baseball. He has been watching baseball with his mother since he was in utero, and despite "retiring" from Little League over a year ago, he still enjoys watching and following the sport with his overenthusiastic and highly competitive mother. He went trick or treating dressed as Jayson Werth one year (complete with full bearded mask), has a respectable baseball card collection, and owns a wide assortment of Washington Nationals apparel. He doesn't just watch baseball because it's what's on TV; he actually sits down, asks questions, and follows certain players' statistics (and admittedly, he's learning how to heckle. Who could be teaching him that?).
One recent Sunday, my son, husband, and I traveled to Washington, DC to catch a game at Nationals Park. The Nats were playing the Mets, the weather was perfect for an evening game, and we scored great seats for a decent price (just a few rows behind the Nats' dugout). It was game two of a day/night doubleheader - a make-up of a previously rained-out game from July. Tanner Roark was on the mound, and despite many of their big players being on the Disabled List (Bryce Harper, Jayson Werth, Trea Turner...), it was refreshing to see a lot of the younger guys playing so well. The Nationals won the game 5-4, but that's not why we had such an unforgettable time.
There was the walk from the parking lot to the park. The area around Nationals Park has really undergone a tremendous development, and there were new outdoor dining venues, numerous street vendors, and many sights that were not there since my husband and I were last there a year ago. My son was all over the fact that you could buy a bag of peanuts right outside the park for less than half of what they charge you inside (yes - we bought one to share). He has always enjoyed people-watching, so standing in line waiting for the gates to open was entertaining for him (he's not one of those teenagers who is constantly on his phone - he actually keeps himself occupied looking at his surroundings and making good observations and occasional snarky comments. He is my son, after all).
Once inside the ballpark, we perused the gift shop, where of course my son wanted one of everything (actually, so did I!) but was horrified at the prices. Now he knows that we're not willing to pay $113 for a jersey; time to revise your Christmas list, kid! We walked around a bit, showing him things he had never noticed before (his last two visits to Nationals Park earlier this summer were with "boring people," according to him) and then found our seats. My son was AMAZED at how good our seats were - his other visits came with outfield seats located in a section where you couldn't see the big scoreboard. So he marveled at the wealth of information shown on the big screen - lineups, statistics, highlight videos...
When the game began, he put on his "focused" face. This kid can get so focused sometimes that I swear he could perform microsurgery on a human brain while wearing headsets so he could direct "Sully" Sullenberger to safely land his airplane on the Hudson River. He intently watched every pitch, every swing, every catch, only getting up once to get some ice cream. We laughed at the drunk people behind us, at the frat boys in front of us who kept buying beer after beer (despite my son insisting that they did not look twenty-one), and at the Racing Presidents in the middle of the fourth inning. One drunk guy had us laughing so hard, I don't think I had ever heard my son laugh so non-stop.
When I asked him on our way home what his favorite part of the evening was, he said he liked feeling like a real fan; not just a spectator. Aw! I don't know if he'll remember this moment as fondly as me, but spending those few hours on a beautiful Sunday evening with my not-so-little-anymore boy taking in a game of baseball was a definite highlight for his mother.
Friday, August 18, 2017
Bucket List Moment in the City of Brotherly "Eh"
On a recent Monday (my only day off from work), my husband and I drove to Philadelphia to visit Citizens Bank Park - our eighth ball park in our quest to visit all 30 Major League baseball parks. It was a picture-perfect day for a game between the Phillies and the visiting Atlanta Braves, and because the Phillies have sucked for the past couple of years, we were able to get excellent seats (in the second row behind the Phillies' dugout). Because I wasn't going to be rooting for neither the Phillies nor the Braves, I decided to use this particular day to check an item off my "Bucket List:" scoring a live baseball game for all nine innings.
Now, many of you might be surprised to know that I, as a downright and legitimate baseball nerd, have never scored a game in my life. One reason is because when I'm watching a baseball game on TV from the comfort of my sofa (I've been told not to call it a couch), I'm usually multitasking (working on a Sudoku, browsing catalogs for inventory orders for my shop, or checking Facebook). When I have attended games in the past, I have been too focused on the game itself to take the time to stare at a piece of paper and write things down (how can I check out the players' butts if my head is down the whole time?). Plus, being legally blind, it's enough of a challenge for me to watch a game let alone try to keep score on an actual paper grid. But on this day, since I wasn't rooting for either team, I decided to keep myself entertained by keeping score.
First of all, if you're looking for my in-depth review of Citizens Bank Park itself, you're not going to get it, because I honestly have nothing to say. It was about as unremarkable as Miller Park in Milwaukee, which we visited last year and I didn't blog about because it was the most plain and vanilla-looking park ever. Or so I thought until I got to Philly. Citizens Bank Park, like Miller Park, was built in the outskirts of a bustling city, with ample parking and acres of nothingness surrounding it. Now, I know I've been critical of "shoe-horned" parks in the past (like Camden Yards in Baltimore and Progressive Field in Cleveland) because they make me feel claustrophobic, but at least they provide a better ambiance in and around the ballpark. You can spot several street vendors, many outdoor dining venues full of fans, and experience an overall exciting and fan-friendly experience before you even set foot inside the park. Not in Philly. You drive there, the nice parking attendant takes your money and tells you to park in one of the thousands of available spots in the blazing sun (the only nice person we met the entire time we were there), and you go into the ballpark because other than checking out the Steve Carlton and Mike Schmidt statues, there's not much to do outside the park. Yawn!
Once inside, we got some lunch (we were told to actually stay away from the Philly cheese steak sandwiches in the park because they were mediocre, so we settled for mediocre quesadillas instead). After finding our really good seats, I filled out my lineup sheet. I had printed out a blank score-keeping grid ahead of time, so I was ready. I didn't know what I was doing, but I was ready! Luckily, I was sitting next to the most patient and wonderful human being ever (my husband, Tom), who happened to know how to score a game from his days playing Little League. Yes, that was a long time ago, but slashes, backwards Ks, and numbers haven't changed throughout the decades. So armed with my scoresheet, a good pen, and a trusty companion, I was ready.
The only thing I knew about scoring a game was that there was a difference between a regular K and a backwards K. I wasn't sure what that difference was - one was a strikeout swinging and the other was a strikeout looking - but I didn't know which was which. A quick Google search helped me realize that a regular K is when a batter strikes out swinging. OK; got that. I then had to label all the positions - Pitcher- 1, Catcher- 2, First Base- 3, Second base- 4, Third base- 5, Shortstop- 6, Left field- 7, Center field- 8, Right field- 9. OK; got that too. And because I'm a true nerd, I had to write down the weather, temperature, and umpires. Now it's time to play ball!
The first batter was Ender Inciarte, the Braves' center fielder. He hit a fly ball to center field, so I just had to write an "8" on my scorecard. Piece of cake.
The second batter, second baseman Brandon Phillips, hit to the pitcher, who threw to first base for the out. That was a 1-3 on my sheet. No problem.
The third batter, First baseman Freddie Freeman (who was playing third base that day), hit a grounder to second base, so that was a 4-3. I got this.
In the bottom of the first inning, it got a bit tricky. When Aaron Altherr, the Phillies' right fielder and third player to bat, got on base because of a base hit, I had to shade in a section of my diamond grid. Then Tommy Joseph got a base hit, so I had to shade in his section plus add to Altherr's grid. Not a problem though; hubby was right there, telling me what to do.
In the top of the second inning, I got to do all sorts of shading of the grids, because the Braves' Matt Adams, Nick Markakis, and Danny Santana all got base hits. The problem was that I shaded the first-inning grids instead of the second-inning ones. I should have bought a pencil instead of a pen! But I corrected my errors and kept going. I was determined to see this through to the end of the game (Note to self: Bring a highlighter next time to better keep track of what inning we're in ).
This game turned out to be the best game for a first-time scorer. There were walks, strikeouts (both regular K and backwards K), an error by Freddie Freeman that was later removed (again - should have brought a pencil!) but an error by Ian Krol that was legit, home runs by Suzuki, Herrera, and Franco, and even a hit-by-pitch (two of them, in fact). It made the time go by pretty fast, and it forced hubby and me to pay attention and keep track of what was going on.
So what did I learn from this experience? Well, first of all, you have to appreciate your spouse and the expertise they can bring to a certain situation. I can tell hubby that there are 26 bones in each foot and recite the entire lineup of the 2008 Phillies (and the 1989 Mets), but he can tell me how to score an Infield Fly Rule on a scorecard. Without my husband there to help me along, I would have given up after the first inning.
I was also reminded of the importance of writing things down. As an Athletic Trainer in college, I was taught that "If you didn't write it down, it didn't happen." (Thanks, Charlie and Wayne!) So yeah - if I didn't keep score, I would not have remembered a few weeks later that Pivetta got the win for the Phillies that day and Foltynewicz got the loss (the Phillies won 7-6).
I also realized that you can't take cool ballparks (like Fenway and PNC Park) for granted, because of the 30 Major League ballparks, only a handful of them are going to remain fresh in your mind because they're cool or nostalgic or have pretty outfield views. As long as you have good company, eat decent food (and get a cheap-enough beer, in hubby's case), don't get too lost on your way home from the ballpark, and know the difference between a strikeout swinging versus a strikeout looking, you can have an unforgettable day enjoying America's pastime. Here's to baseball, husbands, and those who keep score day in and day out. :-)
Now, many of you might be surprised to know that I, as a downright and legitimate baseball nerd, have never scored a game in my life. One reason is because when I'm watching a baseball game on TV from the comfort of my sofa (I've been told not to call it a couch), I'm usually multitasking (working on a Sudoku, browsing catalogs for inventory orders for my shop, or checking Facebook). When I have attended games in the past, I have been too focused on the game itself to take the time to stare at a piece of paper and write things down (how can I check out the players' butts if my head is down the whole time?). Plus, being legally blind, it's enough of a challenge for me to watch a game let alone try to keep score on an actual paper grid. But on this day, since I wasn't rooting for either team, I decided to keep myself entertained by keeping score.
First of all, if you're looking for my in-depth review of Citizens Bank Park itself, you're not going to get it, because I honestly have nothing to say. It was about as unremarkable as Miller Park in Milwaukee, which we visited last year and I didn't blog about because it was the most plain and vanilla-looking park ever. Or so I thought until I got to Philly. Citizens Bank Park, like Miller Park, was built in the outskirts of a bustling city, with ample parking and acres of nothingness surrounding it. Now, I know I've been critical of "shoe-horned" parks in the past (like Camden Yards in Baltimore and Progressive Field in Cleveland) because they make me feel claustrophobic, but at least they provide a better ambiance in and around the ballpark. You can spot several street vendors, many outdoor dining venues full of fans, and experience an overall exciting and fan-friendly experience before you even set foot inside the park. Not in Philly. You drive there, the nice parking attendant takes your money and tells you to park in one of the thousands of available spots in the blazing sun (the only nice person we met the entire time we were there), and you go into the ballpark because other than checking out the Steve Carlton and Mike Schmidt statues, there's not much to do outside the park. Yawn!
Once inside, we got some lunch (we were told to actually stay away from the Philly cheese steak sandwiches in the park because they were mediocre, so we settled for mediocre quesadillas instead). After finding our really good seats, I filled out my lineup sheet. I had printed out a blank score-keeping grid ahead of time, so I was ready. I didn't know what I was doing, but I was ready! Luckily, I was sitting next to the most patient and wonderful human being ever (my husband, Tom), who happened to know how to score a game from his days playing Little League. Yes, that was a long time ago, but slashes, backwards Ks, and numbers haven't changed throughout the decades. So armed with my scoresheet, a good pen, and a trusty companion, I was ready.
The only thing I knew about scoring a game was that there was a difference between a regular K and a backwards K. I wasn't sure what that difference was - one was a strikeout swinging and the other was a strikeout looking - but I didn't know which was which. A quick Google search helped me realize that a regular K is when a batter strikes out swinging. OK; got that. I then had to label all the positions - Pitcher- 1, Catcher- 2, First Base- 3, Second base- 4, Third base- 5, Shortstop- 6, Left field- 7, Center field- 8, Right field- 9. OK; got that too. And because I'm a true nerd, I had to write down the weather, temperature, and umpires. Now it's time to play ball!
The first batter was Ender Inciarte, the Braves' center fielder. He hit a fly ball to center field, so I just had to write an "8" on my scorecard. Piece of cake.
The second batter, second baseman Brandon Phillips, hit to the pitcher, who threw to first base for the out. That was a 1-3 on my sheet. No problem.
The third batter, First baseman Freddie Freeman (who was playing third base that day), hit a grounder to second base, so that was a 4-3. I got this.
In the bottom of the first inning, it got a bit tricky. When Aaron Altherr, the Phillies' right fielder and third player to bat, got on base because of a base hit, I had to shade in a section of my diamond grid. Then Tommy Joseph got a base hit, so I had to shade in his section plus add to Altherr's grid. Not a problem though; hubby was right there, telling me what to do.
In the top of the second inning, I got to do all sorts of shading of the grids, because the Braves' Matt Adams, Nick Markakis, and Danny Santana all got base hits. The problem was that I shaded the first-inning grids instead of the second-inning ones. I should have bought a pencil instead of a pen! But I corrected my errors and kept going. I was determined to see this through to the end of the game (Note to self: Bring a highlighter next time to better keep track of what inning we're in ).
This game turned out to be the best game for a first-time scorer. There were walks, strikeouts (both regular K and backwards K), an error by Freddie Freeman that was later removed (again - should have brought a pencil!) but an error by Ian Krol that was legit, home runs by Suzuki, Herrera, and Franco, and even a hit-by-pitch (two of them, in fact). It made the time go by pretty fast, and it forced hubby and me to pay attention and keep track of what was going on.
So what did I learn from this experience? Well, first of all, you have to appreciate your spouse and the expertise they can bring to a certain situation. I can tell hubby that there are 26 bones in each foot and recite the entire lineup of the 2008 Phillies (and the 1989 Mets), but he can tell me how to score an Infield Fly Rule on a scorecard. Without my husband there to help me along, I would have given up after the first inning.
I was also reminded of the importance of writing things down. As an Athletic Trainer in college, I was taught that "If you didn't write it down, it didn't happen." (Thanks, Charlie and Wayne!) So yeah - if I didn't keep score, I would not have remembered a few weeks later that Pivetta got the win for the Phillies that day and Foltynewicz got the loss (the Phillies won 7-6).
I also realized that you can't take cool ballparks (like Fenway and PNC Park) for granted, because of the 30 Major League ballparks, only a handful of them are going to remain fresh in your mind because they're cool or nostalgic or have pretty outfield views. As long as you have good company, eat decent food (and get a cheap-enough beer, in hubby's case), don't get too lost on your way home from the ballpark, and know the difference between a strikeout swinging versus a strikeout looking, you can have an unforgettable day enjoying America's pastime. Here's to baseball, husbands, and those who keep score day in and day out. :-)
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
"It's Just Emotion That's Taken Me Over"
One of the benefits of being a female baseball fan is that because of the estrogen that our ovaries produce, it's OK to get emotional over just about anything. Bryce Harper hits a walk-off home run in the ninth inning and we start crying? That's OK. Buster Posey throws out a runner trying to steal second base and we do a happy dance? Totally fine. Eric Hosmer does ANYTHING and our hearts skip a beat? Completely acceptable. But man, last Sunday was an emotional high for me, and now that you've started reading this, you're committed to reading until the end, so sit back and follow along as I re-live my reasons for my many emotions on a beautiful and picture-perfect day.
First and foremost, my long-time baseball crush, Iván "Pudge" Rodriguez was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. You all know how I have endlessly written about Iván and how I threw myself a pity party because I wasn't able to attend the ceremonies in Cooperstown, New York. But watching him from the comfort of my living room, sitting way up close to the TV and clinging to his every word, I could not have been more proud (and yes - I cried!). I was very impatient at first, because Jeff Bagwell, one of the other inductees, took FOREVER with his speech. It was touching, but extremely anecdotal and took way too long. It seems like he thanked everyone from his Little League coaches to the Astros custodians. Bud Selig's speech wasn't much shorter - yes, Bud, we all know how much you did for baseball as Commissioner, but you didn't have to go through year by year re-living everything like a "State of the Union" speech. Milwaukee baseball... labor disputes... the development of the Wild Card...blah blah blah - we could have gotten all this information ourselves from Wikipedia. Plus I never liked you anyway! Finally, over two hours later, it was Ivan's turn.
"Pudge" began his speech by thanking the Lord Jesus Christ for his many blessings. Classy. (That elicited an "Aw!" from me.) Then he thanked a few people, made a joke, and then addressed the crowd in Spanish. He thanked all the fans who were present for their loyalty and support, and asked everyone to raise their Puerto Rican flags way high. Yes, I cried. Reverting back to English, he thanked more teammates, coaches, and managers, throwing in little anecdotes along the way (For example, Nolan Ryan didn't care that Ivan's English wasn't very good at first; as long as he "put down the right fingers," they could communicate just fine). Then, in both English and Spanish, he told young people watching to never let anyone tell them they can't fulfill their dreams. He said to work hard, be dedicated, and always do your best. It was touching. But what got me the most emotional was when Iván thanked his parents. Speaking to them in Spanish so they would understand, he thanked his father for endless hours of batting practice and for convincing him to switch from pitching to catching. He thanked his mother for always emphasizing hard work and making her sons focus on academics as much as on athletics. He called both his parents "hall of famers," and that's when I lost it.
In addition to Ivan's Hall of Fame induction, there was Adrián Beltré reaching an important baseball milestone on the same day. You say you've never heard of Adrián Beltré? Well it's probably because he's not white (he's Dominican), he plays for a team that doesn't wear pinstripes (the Texas Rangers), and he hasn't been accused of using performance-enhancing drugs or beating up his wife. Beltré is a workhorse with a career batting average of .286, has appeared in 4 All-Star Games, and led the National League with 48 home runs in 2004 when he played for the Dodgers. Why is reaching 3000 hits such a big deal in baseball? Because only 30 other players in history are on the list, and if Beltré's name doesn't ring a bell, how about some of the other guys on the list: Pete Rose, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Cal Ripken Jr., and Roberto Clemente? The only other current player on that list is Ichiro Suzuki, who is 22nd on the list with 3,060. For Puerto Ricans, anyone who reaches this important milestone is a special person, because he joins our beloved Clemente. So yes - I cried when Beltré hit number 3,000 - a double against the Orioles in his home park with his wife and kids running onto the field when he reached second base. Who wouldn't get teared up after a moment like that? Now I need for either him or Ichiro to pass the 19th guy on the list, who retired with 3,115 hits. He shall remain nameless, but you all know who it is I can't stand... it's time for a drug-free guy to pass him on the list!
So the season is more than halfway over, the Nationals are 45 games away from clinching the NL East, and Clayton Kershaw is on the Disabled List. But Kershaw will be back (since he's bionic), the Dodgers just acquired Yu Darvish from the Rangers, and October could potentially feature the Nationals and Dodgers in the NLCS. This means a lot of cheering, a lot of late nights staying up to watch games, and yes - a lot of tearing up and crying. Hopefully they will be happy tears!
First and foremost, my long-time baseball crush, Iván "Pudge" Rodriguez was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. You all know how I have endlessly written about Iván and how I threw myself a pity party because I wasn't able to attend the ceremonies in Cooperstown, New York. But watching him from the comfort of my living room, sitting way up close to the TV and clinging to his every word, I could not have been more proud (and yes - I cried!). I was very impatient at first, because Jeff Bagwell, one of the other inductees, took FOREVER with his speech. It was touching, but extremely anecdotal and took way too long. It seems like he thanked everyone from his Little League coaches to the Astros custodians. Bud Selig's speech wasn't much shorter - yes, Bud, we all know how much you did for baseball as Commissioner, but you didn't have to go through year by year re-living everything like a "State of the Union" speech. Milwaukee baseball... labor disputes... the development of the Wild Card...blah blah blah - we could have gotten all this information ourselves from Wikipedia. Plus I never liked you anyway! Finally, over two hours later, it was Ivan's turn.
"Pudge" began his speech by thanking the Lord Jesus Christ for his many blessings. Classy. (That elicited an "Aw!" from me.) Then he thanked a few people, made a joke, and then addressed the crowd in Spanish. He thanked all the fans who were present for their loyalty and support, and asked everyone to raise their Puerto Rican flags way high. Yes, I cried. Reverting back to English, he thanked more teammates, coaches, and managers, throwing in little anecdotes along the way (For example, Nolan Ryan didn't care that Ivan's English wasn't very good at first; as long as he "put down the right fingers," they could communicate just fine). Then, in both English and Spanish, he told young people watching to never let anyone tell them they can't fulfill their dreams. He said to work hard, be dedicated, and always do your best. It was touching. But what got me the most emotional was when Iván thanked his parents. Speaking to them in Spanish so they would understand, he thanked his father for endless hours of batting practice and for convincing him to switch from pitching to catching. He thanked his mother for always emphasizing hard work and making her sons focus on academics as much as on athletics. He called both his parents "hall of famers," and that's when I lost it.
In addition to Ivan's Hall of Fame induction, there was Adrián Beltré reaching an important baseball milestone on the same day. You say you've never heard of Adrián Beltré? Well it's probably because he's not white (he's Dominican), he plays for a team that doesn't wear pinstripes (the Texas Rangers), and he hasn't been accused of using performance-enhancing drugs or beating up his wife. Beltré is a workhorse with a career batting average of .286, has appeared in 4 All-Star Games, and led the National League with 48 home runs in 2004 when he played for the Dodgers. Why is reaching 3000 hits such a big deal in baseball? Because only 30 other players in history are on the list, and if Beltré's name doesn't ring a bell, how about some of the other guys on the list: Pete Rose, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Cal Ripken Jr., and Roberto Clemente? The only other current player on that list is Ichiro Suzuki, who is 22nd on the list with 3,060. For Puerto Ricans, anyone who reaches this important milestone is a special person, because he joins our beloved Clemente. So yes - I cried when Beltré hit number 3,000 - a double against the Orioles in his home park with his wife and kids running onto the field when he reached second base. Who wouldn't get teared up after a moment like that? Now I need for either him or Ichiro to pass the 19th guy on the list, who retired with 3,115 hits. He shall remain nameless, but you all know who it is I can't stand... it's time for a drug-free guy to pass him on the list!
So the season is more than halfway over, the Nationals are 45 games away from clinching the NL East, and Clayton Kershaw is on the Disabled List. But Kershaw will be back (since he's bionic), the Dodgers just acquired Yu Darvish from the Rangers, and October could potentially feature the Nationals and Dodgers in the NLCS. This means a lot of cheering, a lot of late nights staying up to watch games, and yes - a lot of tearing up and crying. Hopefully they will be happy tears!
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Playing "Catch-Up"
The Major League Baseball season is halfway over, and my life has been so crazy busy that I haven't been able to blog very much. But that doesn't mean that I don't have a lot to say (shocker!), so here I go trying to catch up on the latest baseball topics:
1, Aaron Judge. If you don't know who this kid is, you clearly haven't been paying attention. Friends have been asking me when I'm going to write about Judge, and I've been putting it off (mainly because he's a Yankee), but there's no ignoring this amazing kid any longer.
First, in true Mudville Mom fashion, I have to give my shallow opinion on what this kid looks like. He is 6'7, resembles "Lurch" from "The Addams Family," and has teeth that qualify him to be a member of the British royal family. Not cute at all, but he's humble, seems friendly enough, and appears to have been raised well by good parents. He has great poise for being subjected to the ruthless New York media, but even the harshest of critics is in love with this guy. He is leading the Majors with 30 home runs, is third in the American League in batting average, and will likely be named the AL Rookie of the Year (as well as possibly the MVP). Despite being a Yankee, I have no problems with this kid - he seems legitimately talented, doesn't come across as a self-absorbed ass, and hey, he won the Home Run Derby this past week. so there's something to be said for that. And with a last name like "Judge," the puns have already started ("All rise for Judge!," Yankee Stadium is "the Judge's chambers," and "the jury is still out on Judge.") Stay healthy, Aaron - you may actually get me to become a fan of yours!
2. The All-Star Game. This year's All-Star game had five Nationals players in it (Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, Ryan Zimmerman, Stephen Strasburg, and Max Scherzer), so I was looking forward to it. The game did not disappoint, especially since my guy Scherzer pitched a scoreless first inning and showed the entire world what a badass he is (there were so many microphones around that you could actually hear Max grunting with every pitch). Bryce Harper made a very good catch in right field, so everyone in the world was able to see how good his hair looks even when his ball cap falls off his head trying to make a good play (according to the T-Mobile commercial, Bryce is always "perfectly coiffed!"). And Daniel Murphy got a base hit, so Nats-wise, I was happy to see my guys do well on the national stage.
The moment that had me all choked up and in an emotional mess was the tribute to Hispanic players in the Hall of Fame. Legends like Orlando Cepeda, Rod Carew, Tony Perez, Pedro Martinez, Roberto Alomar, and of course Iván Rodriguez simultaneously threw out the first pitch(es) of the game, and they each threw their baseball to a current Hispanic player. Pretty cool moment, especially when Roberto Clemente's widow and children were introduced. Nothing makes a Hispanic person more proud than seeing your nation's flag representing greatness. And we have no shame in saying we get teary - we don't blame it on allergies, Hillary Clinton!
3. The current standings. As of right now, the Dodgers and Astros look like the teams to beat. The Dodgers were the first team to reach 60 wins this season, and the Astros weren't so far behind. Can I tell you how sick and tired I am of the Dodgers? I know Clayton Kershaw is a beast, but I am so tired of hearing about how great he is and how wonderful Cody Bellinger is and how Justin Turner is all that. As hideous as the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks' uniforms are this season (think 1970s bell-bottom pants), I would much rather see them in the playoffs than the Dodgers. But knowing the Dodgers, they will make it to the playoffs (again!) and be totally wonderful. Whatever.
The Astros are another story. That team is chock full of raw talent, dedicated fans, and one of the best infields in the Majors. I want the Astros to not only make the playoffs, but make it to the World Series. Will they be facing the Nationals in October? Highly unlikely, since the Nats have terrible relief pitching that won't take them past the first round of the playoffs. Astros and Dodgers in the World Series? I guess. :-(
4. A-Rod. For the All-Star game, Fox Sports thought it would be a brilliant idea to send Alex Rodriguez onto the playing field to interview the players while they were getting into their positions. It was bad enough that A-Rod had already insulted Hall of Famer and fellow commentator Frank Thomas by saying he was getting fat and "growing sideways;" having A-Rod go onto the field just turned the whole thing into an A-Rod Fest. He said things like "I'm here in Miami, in my hometown;" (who cares?) "I remember my first All-Star game...;" (back when you were on steroids) "This is starting to remind me of my career a little bit." (which some of us would rather forget!) Shut up, Alex - no one cares about you anymore! Not even JLo, since you cheated on her (granted, she should have known that a guy who cheats in baseball is likely to cheat in a relationship!).
Well, I feel better now that I got all that out! Phew! What do we have to look forward to in the second half of the season? Let's see... Adrián Beltre reaching 3000 hits, the upcoming trade deadline (where contending teams try to strengthen their rosters for the post-season, usually with players who will become free agents at the end of the season, so they will only be with their new teams for a few months), and the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies at the end of this month (I'll be watching on TV; not in person, but I whined about that in a previous blog post, so I'll be quiet about that). There is still so much to look forward to - Wild Card races, new young talent coming up from the Minors, and our trip to yet another ballpark this year. Stay tuned, my friends; Mudville Mom will still have plenty to say for the next few months!
1, Aaron Judge. If you don't know who this kid is, you clearly haven't been paying attention. Friends have been asking me when I'm going to write about Judge, and I've been putting it off (mainly because he's a Yankee), but there's no ignoring this amazing kid any longer.
First, in true Mudville Mom fashion, I have to give my shallow opinion on what this kid looks like. He is 6'7, resembles "Lurch" from "The Addams Family," and has teeth that qualify him to be a member of the British royal family. Not cute at all, but he's humble, seems friendly enough, and appears to have been raised well by good parents. He has great poise for being subjected to the ruthless New York media, but even the harshest of critics is in love with this guy. He is leading the Majors with 30 home runs, is third in the American League in batting average, and will likely be named the AL Rookie of the Year (as well as possibly the MVP). Despite being a Yankee, I have no problems with this kid - he seems legitimately talented, doesn't come across as a self-absorbed ass, and hey, he won the Home Run Derby this past week. so there's something to be said for that. And with a last name like "Judge," the puns have already started ("All rise for Judge!," Yankee Stadium is "the Judge's chambers," and "the jury is still out on Judge.") Stay healthy, Aaron - you may actually get me to become a fan of yours!
2. The All-Star Game. This year's All-Star game had five Nationals players in it (Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, Ryan Zimmerman, Stephen Strasburg, and Max Scherzer), so I was looking forward to it. The game did not disappoint, especially since my guy Scherzer pitched a scoreless first inning and showed the entire world what a badass he is (there were so many microphones around that you could actually hear Max grunting with every pitch). Bryce Harper made a very good catch in right field, so everyone in the world was able to see how good his hair looks even when his ball cap falls off his head trying to make a good play (according to the T-Mobile commercial, Bryce is always "perfectly coiffed!"). And Daniel Murphy got a base hit, so Nats-wise, I was happy to see my guys do well on the national stage.
The moment that had me all choked up and in an emotional mess was the tribute to Hispanic players in the Hall of Fame. Legends like Orlando Cepeda, Rod Carew, Tony Perez, Pedro Martinez, Roberto Alomar, and of course Iván Rodriguez simultaneously threw out the first pitch(es) of the game, and they each threw their baseball to a current Hispanic player. Pretty cool moment, especially when Roberto Clemente's widow and children were introduced. Nothing makes a Hispanic person more proud than seeing your nation's flag representing greatness. And we have no shame in saying we get teary - we don't blame it on allergies, Hillary Clinton!
3. The current standings. As of right now, the Dodgers and Astros look like the teams to beat. The Dodgers were the first team to reach 60 wins this season, and the Astros weren't so far behind. Can I tell you how sick and tired I am of the Dodgers? I know Clayton Kershaw is a beast, but I am so tired of hearing about how great he is and how wonderful Cody Bellinger is and how Justin Turner is all that. As hideous as the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks' uniforms are this season (think 1970s bell-bottom pants), I would much rather see them in the playoffs than the Dodgers. But knowing the Dodgers, they will make it to the playoffs (again!) and be totally wonderful. Whatever.
The Astros are another story. That team is chock full of raw talent, dedicated fans, and one of the best infields in the Majors. I want the Astros to not only make the playoffs, but make it to the World Series. Will they be facing the Nationals in October? Highly unlikely, since the Nats have terrible relief pitching that won't take them past the first round of the playoffs. Astros and Dodgers in the World Series? I guess. :-(
4. A-Rod. For the All-Star game, Fox Sports thought it would be a brilliant idea to send Alex Rodriguez onto the playing field to interview the players while they were getting into their positions. It was bad enough that A-Rod had already insulted Hall of Famer and fellow commentator Frank Thomas by saying he was getting fat and "growing sideways;" having A-Rod go onto the field just turned the whole thing into an A-Rod Fest. He said things like "I'm here in Miami, in my hometown;" (who cares?) "I remember my first All-Star game...;" (back when you were on steroids) "This is starting to remind me of my career a little bit." (which some of us would rather forget!) Shut up, Alex - no one cares about you anymore! Not even JLo, since you cheated on her (granted, she should have known that a guy who cheats in baseball is likely to cheat in a relationship!).
Well, I feel better now that I got all that out! Phew! What do we have to look forward to in the second half of the season? Let's see... Adrián Beltre reaching 3000 hits, the upcoming trade deadline (where contending teams try to strengthen their rosters for the post-season, usually with players who will become free agents at the end of the season, so they will only be with their new teams for a few months), and the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies at the end of this month (I'll be watching on TV; not in person, but I whined about that in a previous blog post, so I'll be quiet about that). There is still so much to look forward to - Wild Card races, new young talent coming up from the Minors, and our trip to yet another ballpark this year. Stay tuned, my friends; Mudville Mom will still have plenty to say for the next few months!
Sunday, June 18, 2017
My Current Baseball Crush ("An Ode to Max")
No matter how many baseball games you have watched in your lifetime or how die-hard of a fan you are, occasionally a baseball player comes around who amazes even us extreme baseball nerds. We know Mike Trout is awesome (especially since he's coming back earlier than expected from thumb surgery), we appreciate Yankees rookie Aaron Judge and all the home runs he's hitting, and we acknowledge that the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw is part alien because there's no way someone could be that consistently good. We become accustomed to elite players being exceptional, and we expect perfection every time we watch a game (especially when we remind ourselves of the millions of dollars that these guys make). But once in a while, a player comes around who takes our breath away, gives us goosebumps, and reminds us why we like the game of baseball so much.
Such is the case for me currently with Washington Nationals' rightie pitcher Max Scherzer. Now, back in 2015, when Scherzer joined the Nats, I blogged about how the Nationals had some nerve starting Scherzer on Opening Day, especially after Jordan Zimmermann had finished the 2014 season with a no-hitter. Who were the Nationals to think that a guy who had just joined the team deserved such a prestigious honor? Well I went to that Opening Day game, and I remember realizing that Scherzer had a no-hitter going into the sixth inning, and my dislike for the guy went away instantly, because really, how many times do you get to witness a no-hitter? (his no-hitter ended shortly after I realized I might actually be present for one, but Scherzer has gone on to pitch two no-nos since.)
For the past two-and-a-half seasons, I have come to really love this guy. So much so that he is now officially my baseball crush (not because he's cute, like Iván Rodriguez was, but because he's the most badass pitcher I have ever seen). Let me share some impressive facts about Max with you so you can appreciate how cool this guy is. A two-time Cy Young Award winner, Scherzer became just the sixth pitcher in Major League history to throw two no-hitters in a single season in 2015. He has been to the All-Star Game, is the third-fastest pitcher to reach 2.000 strikeouts, and speaking of strikeouts, he punched out 20 batters in one game.
But it's not just Scherzer's numbers that make him fun to watch. It's his presence on the mound - he is the most visibly competitive athlete I've ever seen, And the longer he stays in a game, the more fierce he gets. He stomps the pitcher's mound like he's preying for his next meal; he grunts with every pitch; he stares down batters like he's going to annihilate them. He is fierce, intimidating, and one of his eyes is blue and the other is brown (he has that condition where your irises are two different colors; didn't David Bowie have that too?). According to Max, "strikeouts are sexy," so People magazine needs to have him on their next "Sexiest Man Alive" cover, because he's always in the top two or three for strikeouts every season (so far he's leading the National League in this category).
Just recently, Scherzer had one of the most memorable outings for me - it was more intense than watching his two no-hitters and just as stressful. It was not his best pitching performance at first, since he hit two batters due to lack of control of his inside pitches. But as the game got going, Max starter getting loose and becoming more dominant. The Mets' Yoenis Céspedes was up to bat with two outs in the eighth inning, and Scherzer was already at 107 pitches. He was looking tired, like he had just emptied his tank and was just running on fumes. But he was determined to get Céspedes out, and it was one of the most epic at-bats in recent memory. After ten pitches to the Mets' slugger, each looking labored and followed by a grunt of desperation (like Scherzer was thinking that if he grunted, the ball would actually reach the plate), Céspedes struck out swinging. My husband and I celebrated that strikeout like if it was the seventh game of the World Series, and Scherzer himself gave a fist pump of relief.
I have not been this excited about a pitcher since Nolan Ryan in the 80s and 90s. And Scherzer doesn't just show up every five days to do his job - in his off days, he has a rigorous workout routine that includes distance running (to improve his endurance and help him make it through the later innings of a game) and sprinting (to help him with his fielding and split-second defensive plays). He is a workhorse, but luckily his pitching style (throwing sliders to righties and curveballs to lefties) makes him less dependent on the fastball (which hopefully means he can avoid the dreaded "Tommy John" surgery). Nolan Ryan pitched a boatload of innings in his career and never needed elbow surgery either, so all those haters who say that Max is the next big pitcher to go under the knife can just shut up and enjoy watching him pitch.
So as we approach the halfway point of the regular season (I know; can you believe it?), check out the Nationals games on MASN or MLBTV, because every fifth day, you are sure to get a treat watching badass Max Scherzer putting on a pitching show. And don't forget to cast your ballot for the All-Star team - if we could vote for pitchers, you know Max Scherzer would be at the top of my ballot.
Such is the case for me currently with Washington Nationals' rightie pitcher Max Scherzer. Now, back in 2015, when Scherzer joined the Nats, I blogged about how the Nationals had some nerve starting Scherzer on Opening Day, especially after Jordan Zimmermann had finished the 2014 season with a no-hitter. Who were the Nationals to think that a guy who had just joined the team deserved such a prestigious honor? Well I went to that Opening Day game, and I remember realizing that Scherzer had a no-hitter going into the sixth inning, and my dislike for the guy went away instantly, because really, how many times do you get to witness a no-hitter? (his no-hitter ended shortly after I realized I might actually be present for one, but Scherzer has gone on to pitch two no-nos since.)
For the past two-and-a-half seasons, I have come to really love this guy. So much so that he is now officially my baseball crush (not because he's cute, like Iván Rodriguez was, but because he's the most badass pitcher I have ever seen). Let me share some impressive facts about Max with you so you can appreciate how cool this guy is. A two-time Cy Young Award winner, Scherzer became just the sixth pitcher in Major League history to throw two no-hitters in a single season in 2015. He has been to the All-Star Game, is the third-fastest pitcher to reach 2.000 strikeouts, and speaking of strikeouts, he punched out 20 batters in one game.
But it's not just Scherzer's numbers that make him fun to watch. It's his presence on the mound - he is the most visibly competitive athlete I've ever seen, And the longer he stays in a game, the more fierce he gets. He stomps the pitcher's mound like he's preying for his next meal; he grunts with every pitch; he stares down batters like he's going to annihilate them. He is fierce, intimidating, and one of his eyes is blue and the other is brown (he has that condition where your irises are two different colors; didn't David Bowie have that too?). According to Max, "strikeouts are sexy," so People magazine needs to have him on their next "Sexiest Man Alive" cover, because he's always in the top two or three for strikeouts every season (so far he's leading the National League in this category).
Just recently, Scherzer had one of the most memorable outings for me - it was more intense than watching his two no-hitters and just as stressful. It was not his best pitching performance at first, since he hit two batters due to lack of control of his inside pitches. But as the game got going, Max starter getting loose and becoming more dominant. The Mets' Yoenis Céspedes was up to bat with two outs in the eighth inning, and Scherzer was already at 107 pitches. He was looking tired, like he had just emptied his tank and was just running on fumes. But he was determined to get Céspedes out, and it was one of the most epic at-bats in recent memory. After ten pitches to the Mets' slugger, each looking labored and followed by a grunt of desperation (like Scherzer was thinking that if he grunted, the ball would actually reach the plate), Céspedes struck out swinging. My husband and I celebrated that strikeout like if it was the seventh game of the World Series, and Scherzer himself gave a fist pump of relief.
I have not been this excited about a pitcher since Nolan Ryan in the 80s and 90s. And Scherzer doesn't just show up every five days to do his job - in his off days, he has a rigorous workout routine that includes distance running (to improve his endurance and help him make it through the later innings of a game) and sprinting (to help him with his fielding and split-second defensive plays). He is a workhorse, but luckily his pitching style (throwing sliders to righties and curveballs to lefties) makes him less dependent on the fastball (which hopefully means he can avoid the dreaded "Tommy John" surgery). Nolan Ryan pitched a boatload of innings in his career and never needed elbow surgery either, so all those haters who say that Max is the next big pitcher to go under the knife can just shut up and enjoy watching him pitch.
So as we approach the halfway point of the regular season (I know; can you believe it?), check out the Nationals games on MASN or MLBTV, because every fifth day, you are sure to get a treat watching badass Max Scherzer putting on a pitching show. And don't forget to cast your ballot for the All-Star team - if we could vote for pitchers, you know Max Scherzer would be at the top of my ballot.
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
Submitting My Vote... Again and Again
It's that time of the year again, when I feel obligated, as a bona fide baseball fan, to fill out my All-Star Game ballot. I always feel conflicted, because it's not like it used to be, where you got an actual paper card and you had to punch out your selections and hand it in at your local ballpark. Now you can go online and vote five times in a 24-hour period, and you can go back tomorrow and do it five more times. It doesn't make it as exciting and decisive, but I do it anyway, because if I didn't, I would not have the right to complain if my chosen players did not make the All-Star team.
So here I am on mlb.com, where they're nice enough to give you each player's vital statistics to help make it easier for you to decide for whom to vote. My personal conflict every year is - do I go strictly based on statistics, or do I go with my sentimental favorites? This year I decided to do a little bit of both. Here are the players I chose, with my very good reasons why.
First of all, let me preface this by saying that never in my entire blogging life have I picked an entire infield belonging to the same team. I am not one to vote along "party lines," so I don't vote for guys just because they belong to a particular team. I study the statistics and scrutinize every number carefully before I make my picks, but this year I'm afraid I went with an all-Nationals infield for the National League. I can justify it though; just read on and see for yourself.
FIRST BASE: NL - Ryan Zimmerman, AL - Chris Davis. I voted for Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals because he's leading the Majors with a .365 batting average and is just one of those guys you just want to hug when you meet him. He's quiet, nerdy, and started the Zim Foundation to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis (a disease that his mother has), so how can you not like this guy? He was plagued with injuries last year, but this year he's kicking ass. He also seems to have kicked his nail-biting habit, so there's that. So Zim all the way! As far as the American League, I voted for Chris Davis of the Orioles because my friend Tina from high school is married to a Chris Davis, and Tina and I were both new students in seventh grade, so I always liked her. Plus Davis is doing pretty well this year after having a so-so 2016, so heck, Davis gets my vote.
SECOND BASE: NL - Daniel Murphy, AL - José Altuve. I voted for the Nationals' Murphy because he's having a good year and he's one of the most decent guys out there. He is very well spoken, never swears, and looks like the type of guy who files his taxes himself and always drives the speed limit. Love him so much that he won my vote over Puerto Rican Javier Baez. Lo siento, Javi! As far as Altuve, I chose him over Jonathan Schoop of the Orioles because the Astros are having a really good year and Altuve is having a better season. Plus he has stolen 11 bases, and I like the speedy guys.
SHORTSTOP: NL - Trea Turner, AL - Francisco Lindor. The Nationals' Trea Turner got my vote because he is super-cute, doesn't look old enough to drive or buy a six-pack of beer, and has 16 stolen bases so far. Lindor of the Cleveland Indians got my vote because he's Puerto Rican, had a good time at the World Baseball Classic, and is having a decent year. I won't automatically vote for you if you're from Puerto Rico, but if you're doing well and you're "Boricua," you get my vote. Liindor won over Jean Segura, who just signed a nice extension contract with the Mariners.
THIRD BASE: NL - Anthony Rendón, AL: José Ramirez. This was the toughest position for me, because I really wanted to pick Nolan Arenado and Manny Machado. But the Nationals' Rendón is having a better season, and Machado is just not as consistent as Ramirez has been this season for the Indians. One Dominican trumps the other; sorry, Manny.
CATCHER: NL - Buster Posey, AL - Salvador Perez. This one was also a bit difficult, because I could either go for the nostalgic favorite (Yadier Molina) or the player who is actually having a better season. Posey is just the cutest thing, and he prefers to not get involved in bench-clearing brawls. And Perez is having the best season of all American League catchers, so why not pick him? You all know how much I love catchers - this decision was not made lightly!
OUTFIELD: NL - Charlie Blackmon, Bryce Harper, Ender Inciarte, AL - Adam Jones, Aaron Judge, Carlos Beltrán. Luckily we're allowed to pick three outfielders, because this was a tough one. I picked the Nationals' Harper because he has hustle, plays hard, has great hair, and is having a better season than last year (and I like his T-Mobile commercial). Charlie Blackmon of the Colorado Rockies is a quirky guy with an ugly beard, but he's a darn good baseball player. And Inciarte plays for the Braves, who are a far cry from the Maddux/Glavine/Smoltz era, but he's still a good player and deserves to be in the All-Star team. Amercan League-wise, I chose Adam Jones because he's super-cool and I want to be like him when I grow up; Aaron Judge because he's hitting more home runs than Babe Ruth and dealing with the pressures of being a Yankee quite nicely (despite having really bad teeth), and Carlos Beltrán, well, because he's Carlos Beltrán. The "experts" thought he was washed out years ago, but he keeps on ticking. So Carlos, who happens to be Puerto Rican, gets my vote.
Then we had to vote for a Designated Hitter, but for the American League only. This year's All-Star Game is in Miami (a National League ballpark), so I'm not sure why a DH is necessary (you all know how much I disagree with the whole DH thing!). Nevertheless, I chose the Mariners' Nelson Cruz because he's badass and is a former Oriole. That was an easy one.
So once my ballot was complete, I was faced with one of those "captcha" verification thingies where you have to type in the warped-looking numbers on the screen to make sure you're not a robot. Once I typed them in (it took me a couple of tries, because visually-impaired people don't handle those things very well), my vote was cast and another "captcha" showed up. I typed that one in, and my second vote was cast. I initially only wanted to vote once, but since they made it so easy to vote multiple times, I cast my five allotted ballots and called it a day. I apparently can do this five more times tomorrow, but I won't, because I'm old-fashioned and I don't believe in stuffing ballot boxes. But at least now I officially have the right to complain if some of my guys don't make the All-Star team. Gone are the days of hanging chads and illegible ballots; casting your vote on mlb.com is pretty much a piece of cake.
So here I am on mlb.com, where they're nice enough to give you each player's vital statistics to help make it easier for you to decide for whom to vote. My personal conflict every year is - do I go strictly based on statistics, or do I go with my sentimental favorites? This year I decided to do a little bit of both. Here are the players I chose, with my very good reasons why.
First of all, let me preface this by saying that never in my entire blogging life have I picked an entire infield belonging to the same team. I am not one to vote along "party lines," so I don't vote for guys just because they belong to a particular team. I study the statistics and scrutinize every number carefully before I make my picks, but this year I'm afraid I went with an all-Nationals infield for the National League. I can justify it though; just read on and see for yourself.
FIRST BASE: NL - Ryan Zimmerman, AL - Chris Davis. I voted for Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals because he's leading the Majors with a .365 batting average and is just one of those guys you just want to hug when you meet him. He's quiet, nerdy, and started the Zim Foundation to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis (a disease that his mother has), so how can you not like this guy? He was plagued with injuries last year, but this year he's kicking ass. He also seems to have kicked his nail-biting habit, so there's that. So Zim all the way! As far as the American League, I voted for Chris Davis of the Orioles because my friend Tina from high school is married to a Chris Davis, and Tina and I were both new students in seventh grade, so I always liked her. Plus Davis is doing pretty well this year after having a so-so 2016, so heck, Davis gets my vote.
SECOND BASE: NL - Daniel Murphy, AL - José Altuve. I voted for the Nationals' Murphy because he's having a good year and he's one of the most decent guys out there. He is very well spoken, never swears, and looks like the type of guy who files his taxes himself and always drives the speed limit. Love him so much that he won my vote over Puerto Rican Javier Baez. Lo siento, Javi! As far as Altuve, I chose him over Jonathan Schoop of the Orioles because the Astros are having a really good year and Altuve is having a better season. Plus he has stolen 11 bases, and I like the speedy guys.
SHORTSTOP: NL - Trea Turner, AL - Francisco Lindor. The Nationals' Trea Turner got my vote because he is super-cute, doesn't look old enough to drive or buy a six-pack of beer, and has 16 stolen bases so far. Lindor of the Cleveland Indians got my vote because he's Puerto Rican, had a good time at the World Baseball Classic, and is having a decent year. I won't automatically vote for you if you're from Puerto Rico, but if you're doing well and you're "Boricua," you get my vote. Liindor won over Jean Segura, who just signed a nice extension contract with the Mariners.
THIRD BASE: NL - Anthony Rendón, AL: José Ramirez. This was the toughest position for me, because I really wanted to pick Nolan Arenado and Manny Machado. But the Nationals' Rendón is having a better season, and Machado is just not as consistent as Ramirez has been this season for the Indians. One Dominican trumps the other; sorry, Manny.
CATCHER: NL - Buster Posey, AL - Salvador Perez. This one was also a bit difficult, because I could either go for the nostalgic favorite (Yadier Molina) or the player who is actually having a better season. Posey is just the cutest thing, and he prefers to not get involved in bench-clearing brawls. And Perez is having the best season of all American League catchers, so why not pick him? You all know how much I love catchers - this decision was not made lightly!
OUTFIELD: NL - Charlie Blackmon, Bryce Harper, Ender Inciarte, AL - Adam Jones, Aaron Judge, Carlos Beltrán. Luckily we're allowed to pick three outfielders, because this was a tough one. I picked the Nationals' Harper because he has hustle, plays hard, has great hair, and is having a better season than last year (and I like his T-Mobile commercial). Charlie Blackmon of the Colorado Rockies is a quirky guy with an ugly beard, but he's a darn good baseball player. And Inciarte plays for the Braves, who are a far cry from the Maddux/Glavine/Smoltz era, but he's still a good player and deserves to be in the All-Star team. Amercan League-wise, I chose Adam Jones because he's super-cool and I want to be like him when I grow up; Aaron Judge because he's hitting more home runs than Babe Ruth and dealing with the pressures of being a Yankee quite nicely (despite having really bad teeth), and Carlos Beltrán, well, because he's Carlos Beltrán. The "experts" thought he was washed out years ago, but he keeps on ticking. So Carlos, who happens to be Puerto Rican, gets my vote.
Then we had to vote for a Designated Hitter, but for the American League only. This year's All-Star Game is in Miami (a National League ballpark), so I'm not sure why a DH is necessary (you all know how much I disagree with the whole DH thing!). Nevertheless, I chose the Mariners' Nelson Cruz because he's badass and is a former Oriole. That was an easy one.
So once my ballot was complete, I was faced with one of those "captcha" verification thingies where you have to type in the warped-looking numbers on the screen to make sure you're not a robot. Once I typed them in (it took me a couple of tries, because visually-impaired people don't handle those things very well), my vote was cast and another "captcha" showed up. I typed that one in, and my second vote was cast. I initially only wanted to vote once, but since they made it so easy to vote multiple times, I cast my five allotted ballots and called it a day. I apparently can do this five more times tomorrow, but I won't, because I'm old-fashioned and I don't believe in stuffing ballot boxes. But at least now I officially have the right to complain if some of my guys don't make the All-Star team. Gone are the days of hanging chads and illegible ballots; casting your vote on mlb.com is pretty much a piece of cake.
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Millionaire Babies, or Regular Guys?
One thing I pride myself in is being able to be such a huge baseball nerd while still making an attempt at being a feminine woman who wears dresses and matching jewelry. But being female seems to put me at a disadvantage when it comes to trying to figure out a male baseball player's psyche and how his childish mind works. Case in point is when a player charges the pitcher's mound after being hit by a pitch. Is such violence necessary? According to most men, yes - it is.
Bench-clearing brawls have been a regular part of baseball for as long as the game has been played, and despite not being as popular as they were in the PED-days of the 1990s, they are still part of "America's Pastime." Several intense ones come to mind - Orioles reliever Armando Benitez hitting Yankee Tino Martinez in 1998; Manny Ramirez trying to go after Roger Clemens in 2003 (Clemens was a punk during his career and was involved in many brawls); and of course, who can forget Robin Ventura and Nolan Ryan going at it in 1993? That's personally my most memorable one, because I used to think Ryan was a god who could do no wrong, and then I learned that he was one to intentionally hit batters all the time. Who DOES that?
So I guess there are two separate issues here. First is the intentional hitting of a batter by a pitcher who seems to have a particular issue with a certain batter or just his team in general. Then there's the issue of whether said hit batter should charge the mound to go after the pitcher who hit him or not. According to my husband, who is the nicest, sweetest, and most non-violent person in the universe, intentionally hitting a batter is ok if you have a good reason to do so. Cole Hamels hitting Bryce Harper on purpose as a "welcome to the big leagues, kid!" in 2012 is not cool (Harper ended up stealing home plate after that). But if a batter is successful against you and seems to have an attitude about it, it's perfectly OK to plunk that batter whenever he comes up to bat. But in my husband's defense, he says he would never do that - pitchers do it because they're jerks. OK then!
This was the case this past Memorial Day, when the Nationals' Bryce Harper went after the Giants' Hunter Strickland after Harper got hit on the buttocks by a 98mph fastball. Now, if you read my previous blog post, you saw how I said nice things about Harper and how he's all grown up now and has a better temper. Yeah. Harper didn't just charge the mound and push Strickland around; he took a few legitimate swings with a right hook akin to the kind Billy Blanks used to teach in Tae Bo classes. Now, there's history between these two players - in the 2014 NLDS, Harper hit two home runs against Strickland, and after the second one, he glared at Strickland like "In your FACE, dude!" Now, that was the childish and immature Harper of 2014; I would have assumed that almost three years later, he would have been over it. But apparently Strickland wasn't over it either, which is what most of Harper's teammates seem to have issue with. Daniel Murphy, who seems almost as nice and sweet an non-violent as my husband (rumor is he doesn't ever swear, which cannot be said about my former-sailor husband!) and Jayson Werth were both surprised that Strickland had not gotten over what happened almost three years ago, and most Giants players (including manager Bruce Bochy) said that Strickland did what he had to do. This is where I shake my head in confusion.
What I can't understand is how grown men who make millions of dollars can act like such babies. My husband agrees that Harper was right in charging the mound - if someone intentionally hits you, what are you supposed to do? However, he thinks the pitcher was a jerk and should have gotten over what happened almost three years ago. Hubby also brings up the point that as a teammate, you HAVE to join the melee and at least pretend to shove somebody from the other team, otherwise you're not a team player and you're unofficially black-balled. I don't get this either - the benches clear, the bullpens empty, and everyone is pushing and shoving. Oh my gosh, grow up, guys! And to make it worse, my 13-year-old son thinks this is the coolest thing ever! Oy! Violence has consequences, son; wait until Major League Baseball issues fines and suspensions - it won't be cool then!
So yeah - according to my wonderful husband, I just don't get it. And apparently I never will. But as long as there's baseball, there will be pitchers intentionally hitting batters and hitters charging at the pitcher without any rhyme or reason. And since when do Mormons act violently? As a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints, Harper should have just shown up at Strickland's house and given him a copy of the Book of Mormon while wearing a white shirt and skinny black tie. I'm sure things will get interesting in August when the Giants visit DC for a series against the Nationals; in the meantime, let's hope everyone can play nicely in the sandbox and no one runs with scissors.
Bench-clearing brawls have been a regular part of baseball for as long as the game has been played, and despite not being as popular as they were in the PED-days of the 1990s, they are still part of "America's Pastime." Several intense ones come to mind - Orioles reliever Armando Benitez hitting Yankee Tino Martinez in 1998; Manny Ramirez trying to go after Roger Clemens in 2003 (Clemens was a punk during his career and was involved in many brawls); and of course, who can forget Robin Ventura and Nolan Ryan going at it in 1993? That's personally my most memorable one, because I used to think Ryan was a god who could do no wrong, and then I learned that he was one to intentionally hit batters all the time. Who DOES that?
So I guess there are two separate issues here. First is the intentional hitting of a batter by a pitcher who seems to have a particular issue with a certain batter or just his team in general. Then there's the issue of whether said hit batter should charge the mound to go after the pitcher who hit him or not. According to my husband, who is the nicest, sweetest, and most non-violent person in the universe, intentionally hitting a batter is ok if you have a good reason to do so. Cole Hamels hitting Bryce Harper on purpose as a "welcome to the big leagues, kid!" in 2012 is not cool (Harper ended up stealing home plate after that). But if a batter is successful against you and seems to have an attitude about it, it's perfectly OK to plunk that batter whenever he comes up to bat. But in my husband's defense, he says he would never do that - pitchers do it because they're jerks. OK then!
This was the case this past Memorial Day, when the Nationals' Bryce Harper went after the Giants' Hunter Strickland after Harper got hit on the buttocks by a 98mph fastball. Now, if you read my previous blog post, you saw how I said nice things about Harper and how he's all grown up now and has a better temper. Yeah. Harper didn't just charge the mound and push Strickland around; he took a few legitimate swings with a right hook akin to the kind Billy Blanks used to teach in Tae Bo classes. Now, there's history between these two players - in the 2014 NLDS, Harper hit two home runs against Strickland, and after the second one, he glared at Strickland like "In your FACE, dude!" Now, that was the childish and immature Harper of 2014; I would have assumed that almost three years later, he would have been over it. But apparently Strickland wasn't over it either, which is what most of Harper's teammates seem to have issue with. Daniel Murphy, who seems almost as nice and sweet an non-violent as my husband (rumor is he doesn't ever swear, which cannot be said about my former-sailor husband!) and Jayson Werth were both surprised that Strickland had not gotten over what happened almost three years ago, and most Giants players (including manager Bruce Bochy) said that Strickland did what he had to do. This is where I shake my head in confusion.
What I can't understand is how grown men who make millions of dollars can act like such babies. My husband agrees that Harper was right in charging the mound - if someone intentionally hits you, what are you supposed to do? However, he thinks the pitcher was a jerk and should have gotten over what happened almost three years ago. Hubby also brings up the point that as a teammate, you HAVE to join the melee and at least pretend to shove somebody from the other team, otherwise you're not a team player and you're unofficially black-balled. I don't get this either - the benches clear, the bullpens empty, and everyone is pushing and shoving. Oh my gosh, grow up, guys! And to make it worse, my 13-year-old son thinks this is the coolest thing ever! Oy! Violence has consequences, son; wait until Major League Baseball issues fines and suspensions - it won't be cool then!
So yeah - according to my wonderful husband, I just don't get it. And apparently I never will. But as long as there's baseball, there will be pitchers intentionally hitting batters and hitters charging at the pitcher without any rhyme or reason. And since when do Mormons act violently? As a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints, Harper should have just shown up at Strickland's house and given him a copy of the Book of Mormon while wearing a white shirt and skinny black tie. I'm sure things will get interesting in August when the Giants visit DC for a series against the Nationals; in the meantime, let's hope everyone can play nicely in the sandbox and no one runs with scissors.
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Bryce Harper, Money, and Loving Your Mom
It's been about a month since my last blog post, and there have been a lot of things to write about during that time. I started a post about Manny Machado sliding into Dustin Pedroia (not on purpose, if you ask me!), but I wasn't able to finish it because I had to go to my daughter's track meet (those kids always get in the way of my writing, I tell ya!). Then I was going to write about Adam Jones having racial slurs yelled at him by Red Sox fans at Fenway Park, but I have such strong feelings about racism and ignorant people saying ignorant things that I wasn't able to put together a good post in true Mudville Mom style (and I would have mentioned the standing ovation that Jones got from Red Sox fans the day after that incident happened). Then yesterday, the Washington Nationals announced that they avoided arbitration with Bryce Harper by offering him a $21.6-million contract for 2018 (with a bonus if he is chosen as the MVP that year). When I heard the news, I knew I couldn't keep my mouth shut.
I have been pretty tough on Bryce over the years - he started out as a nineteen-year-old man-child with a bad temper and no regard for the toll his body would take if he ran full-speed into outfield walls or slid into a base hands-first. He played hard, but was a bit reckless. He reminded me of the "Bam Bam" character from "The Flintstones" - a muscular kid who knew nothing but how to hit a baseball really hard.
Fast-forward five years, and little Bryce has grown up. He can now formulate full and coherent sentences when interviewed, he has gotten married, and he has realized that injuries suck and it's better to take care of your body than play way too hard ALL the time (but he still hustles to first base faster than Pete Rose, and I appreciate that). Bryce has made a pretty good name for himself, and here are just a few of his accomplishments so far in his short career:
So is Bryce Harper worth $21-million for one year? Absolutely not - nobody is. I don't care if Roberto Clemente is reincarnated or Nolan Ryan suddenly drops 20 years (and 20 pounds) and comes back to pitch seven more no-hitters - no one is worth that kind of money. How much IS $21-million, anyway? I know it's a 21 with six zeroes after it, but I, being a reasonably intelligent person, have no concept of how much money that actually is. I can't even tell you how many pairs of shoes I could buy with that much money! And what's this extra million for being named as the Most Valuable Player? If I could vote for that award, I purposefully would not vote for Bryce just so he wouldn't make even more money! But Bryce thinks he's deserving of that much - so much so that right after he signed the deal, he hit a walk-off home run to lead the Nationals to a come-from-behind victory against the Phillies. The kid makes it hard for me to resent him. And have you seen his T-Mobile commercial? He looks so cute (and "perfectly coiffed!")! And he always flashes the universal "I love you" sign to his mother when he crosses the plate after hitting a home run, so how can you hate this guy? Yes, he has a terrible beard, but he truly loves baseball, really appreciates his fans, and genuinely plays hard and wants to win every day.
Still need some convincing that Bryce Harper is a decent guy? Check out this video where he's reading a letter he wrote to his mom (you may have to cut and paste into your browser):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzFNT5at8Qk
Isn't that the cutest thing? He even threw in a few big fancy words to prove that he's all grown up! So on this Mother's Day, let me wish a happy Mother's Day to Bryce Harper's mom, and to my mother as well, who proudly shares my blog with all her Facebook friends, emails me the list of Puerto Rican players in the Majors every spring, and mailed me my own Puerto Rican flag when I was going to meet Iván Rodriguez so he could sign it for me. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there who drove their kids to Little League practice, cheered for them at track meets or dance recitals, and drove their kids to countless medical appointments, sleepovers, and dances. And thanks to my kids for making me love being a mom - without them, I would just be "Mudville," and since it's the name of a fictitious town, that would just be boring.
I have been pretty tough on Bryce over the years - he started out as a nineteen-year-old man-child with a bad temper and no regard for the toll his body would take if he ran full-speed into outfield walls or slid into a base hands-first. He played hard, but was a bit reckless. He reminded me of the "Bam Bam" character from "The Flintstones" - a muscular kid who knew nothing but how to hit a baseball really hard.
Fast-forward five years, and little Bryce has grown up. He can now formulate full and coherent sentences when interviewed, he has gotten married, and he has realized that injuries suck and it's better to take care of your body than play way too hard ALL the time (but he still hustles to first base faster than Pete Rose, and I appreciate that). Bryce has made a pretty good name for himself, and here are just a few of his accomplishments so far in his short career:
| Four-time National League All-Star | ||
2012 Rookie of the Year
2015 NL Most Valuable Player
2015 ESPN MLB Player of the Year
| ||
Still need some convincing that Bryce Harper is a decent guy? Check out this video where he's reading a letter he wrote to his mom (you may have to cut and paste into your browser):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzFNT5at8Qk
Isn't that the cutest thing? He even threw in a few big fancy words to prove that he's all grown up! So on this Mother's Day, let me wish a happy Mother's Day to Bryce Harper's mom, and to my mother as well, who proudly shares my blog with all her Facebook friends, emails me the list of Puerto Rican players in the Majors every spring, and mailed me my own Puerto Rican flag when I was going to meet Iván Rodriguez so he could sign it for me. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there who drove their kids to Little League practice, cheered for them at track meets or dance recitals, and drove their kids to countless medical appointments, sleepovers, and dances. And thanks to my kids for making me love being a mom - without them, I would just be "Mudville," and since it's the name of a fictitious town, that would just be boring.
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
"See. You. Tater!"
There are certain moments that really
resonate in a baseball fan’s life – those “Someday I’m going to tell my
grandchildren about this” type of moments.
We don’t just remember being there or seeing it on TV; we remember these
moments so vividly that they felt like they were a part of our own lives.
One of the things that makes these moments
so vivid in our minds is the call that was made by the broadcaster at the
time. The play-by-play, the color
commentary, and the analysis of broadcasters and former players alike. Ask any die-hard baseball fan who won the
1951 World Series, and we won’t just say it was the Giants – we will yell “The
Giants win the pennant! The Giants win
the pennant!” We are quoting Russ
Hodges, who called Bobby Thomson’s “shot heard ‘round the world.” More than seventy years later, Hodges' call
is still one of the most memorable moments in baseball history and certainly
one of the most recognizable moments in sports broadcast history.
Whether it was Bobby Thomson’s home run,
Roberto Clemente’s 3000th hit, or Cal Ripken’s 2131st
consecutive game record in 1995, baseball fans have the video and audio of the
event ingrained in our minds forever. So
many historic moments – Hank Aaron passing Babe Ruth on the all-time home run
list in 1974; Kirk Gibson’s improbable “limp-off” home run; Kirby Puckett’s
World Series homer – these are all moments made unforgettable by the people who
called the games and gave us our own front-row seat to the action. Phil Rizzuto (“Holy cow!”), Vin Scully (“Losing
feels worse than winning feels good”), Harry Caray (“It could be, it might be…
it is! A home run!”), and Al Michaels (“I
tell you what – we’re having an earthquake!”) – their voices are as familiar to us as
those of close friends and relatives.
Locally, I couldn’t ask for better radio
and TV commentators. Dave Jageler and
Charlie Slowes, who do the Nationals’ games on the radio, are very
entertaining. They love giving us the
spelling of uncommon last names, and every time they spell one, someone in the
broadcast booth dings a bell. Corny, but
entertaining (plus how else will you know how to spell Adeiny Hechavarría?). On TV, Bob Carpernter and
his man-child sidekick, F.P. Santangelo, love to comment not only on the game,
but on which fan at the ballpark is eating what, which fan is having trouble
putting on a rain poncho, and who made a major-league catch for a foul ball in
the stands. Bob’s “See…you…LATER!” home
run call and F.P.’s “There goes the no-hitter!” calls are daily occurrences
that Nationals fans are used to and expect.
In fact, the most recent concession stand to open at Nationals Park, a
tater tot and chicken wing bar, is called “See. You. Tater!” inspired by
Carpenter’s home run call and Santangelo always referring to home runs as “taters.”
Then there are the times when you don’t
realize how good your local broadcast crew is until you’re watching or listening
to another game and that team’s crew is terrible. My least favorite broadcast crew has to be the
Gary Thorne/Jim Palmer combination (sorry, Orioles fans!). Thorne’s voice makes me want to vomit – it always
sounds like he has something stuck in his throat and it just won’t come out or
go down. And Palmer, despite being an
excellent pitcher (so good that he’s in the Hall of Fame), is just boring and
way too anecdotal. Jim, we know you
pitched in the 1966 World Series; you don’t have to bring it up during every
game. He’s one of those classic “Back
when I was pitching…” kind of guys.
Super-nice, but should not be behind a microphone. Just because you looked good in underwear
back in the day doesn’t mean you can do good color commentary.
So whether it’s Jack Buck (not his
son Joe – I don’t like him), Chris Berman (“Backbackbackbackback!”) or “Mister
Baseball” himself, Bob Uecker (wait – I don’t like him either!), it is the men
and women behind the microphones (ESPN’s Jessica Mendoza is pretty cool and really knows her baseball,
though I secretly hate her because she has a job I would love) who bring us memorable moments that become indelible and
unforgettable in our baseball-loving minds.
Sunday, March 26, 2017
"The Perfect Ballplayer"
I started this blog six years ago out of impulse. Major League Baseball was seeking volunteers who wanted to spend the entire 2011 baseball season living in a "fan cave" in New York City watching baseball games and blogging about them. The occasional baseball player would stop by and hang out at "the cave" with the residents and you and your "cave-mates" would be on TV and the Internet talking baseball. What red-blooded die-hard baseball fan wouldn't love that opportunity? All you had to do was apply online and submit a writing sample. Knowing full well that I could not conceivably (and in good conscience) leave my husband, kids, and job for six months, I applied anyway. But a writing sample? I hadn't written anything since my graduate thesis on the history of baseball litigation, and even I thought that was too much of a snoozer to submit. So I created this blog so I would have some baseball stuff to submit, and of course I wasn't chosen (surely not because of the caliber of my writing - probably because it wouldn't look cool for a forty-something-year-old female to live with some twenty-something-year-old men).
I started out writing almost daily, reporting scores from the previous day's games and piping in my opinions on certain occurrences here and there. Then life got busy, my job got more demanding, and I blogged less frequently, focusing on baseball in general - the rules, the players, and of course, my opinions on just about anything baseball-related. Now that I own my own business (a kitchen store in Frederick, Maryland called "The Kitchenette" - stop by and say hello if you're in the area!), I barely have time to cook a decent meal, let alone write a well-thought-out blog post. But just because I write less frequently doesn't mean my passion for baseball has faded - I still scour the sports pages daily, check the MLB app on my phone constantly, and count the days until the start of the regular season (just seven more to go!). But if something majorly important, super-exciting, or rather controversial is happening in the Majors, I will certainly find some time to write about it and give you my take.
The most recent blog-worthy event in baseball was the World Baseball Classic, which ended last week with Team USA beating Puerto Rico 8-0 in the final of what was an exciting and much-talked-about series that started out with 12 teams from all over the world - a true "World Series." Unfortunately, long nights spent watching WBC games and busy days tending to my business and family did not allow me the opportunity to share my excitement with you (good thing, because I was downright obnoxious rooting for "Team PR"), and many news outlets have already reported on the WBC's playoff-like atmosphere, the national pride, and the fact that blond hair color was sold out all over Puerto Rico because all the PR players (and most of the residents of the island) chose to color their hair blond as a sign of team and island unity). Even The Baltimore Sun's Peter Schmuck, whom I have criticized here in the past, wrote a nice piece about how the WBC games brought so much enthusiasm to fans and players from all over the world. In media standards, the WBC is old news - why keep talking about it when Gonzaga is going to the NCAA Final Four and the Washington Wizards and Capitals will both be in their respective playoffs?
But today's blog post is not about the WBC - I want to talk a bit about baseball history (please don't yawn!) and what makes "the perfect ballplayer." When you ask a non-baseball fan to name a famous baseball player from the past, they may come up with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, or Joe DiMaggio (around these parts, people may mention Cal Ripken, Frank Robinson, or Earl Weaver). Ask someone who follows the game and they might name Pete Rose, Reggie Jackson, Roger Clemens, or Derek Jeter. Then of course there's Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier and is deservedly one of the most respected athletes of all time. Ask any Puerto Rican, whether or not they currently live on the island, and he/she will inevitably mention Roberto Clemente.
Now, I've mentioned Roberto Clemente many a time in my blog - in seventeen different posts, to be exact. But like current Houston Astros outfielder Carlos Beltrán mentioned in a 2016 article he wrote for "The Players Tribune," Roberto Clemente's legacy is something that is taught as part of the history curriculum in all schools in Puerto Rico. Unfortunately, as baseball continues to evolve and the years pass, more and more people (including baseball players) go through their entire lives without knowing the impact that Clemente had both on and off the baseball field. As more players reach the 3,000 career hits milestone, Clemente gets pushed lower and lower down the list of all-time hiters, now sitting at 30th with Adrián Beltre surely pushing Clemente to 31st sometime this season.
So why is a guy who has 29 other guys ahead of him on the all-time hits list considered to be "the perfect ballplayer?" This is not a quote from a regular Puerto Rican person - it was actually said by a former player, an African-American Hall-of-Famer by the name of Willie Mays. I know Willie is super-old and may not currently have all his faculties, but he said this a while ago, and the fact that he picked Clemente instead of his godson (Barry Bonds) says something. Sportscaster Bob Costas likes Clemente too, but I don't like Bob Costas, so he's not worth mentioning further. And if you ever visit Pittsburgh, those fans know their baseball history, and they know the former Pirate like he was one of their own.
Need some numbers to convince yourself that Roberto Clemente was the best baseball player ever? Here are a few numbers to note: 1966 Most Valuable Player for the National League, NL batting champ (1961, 1964, 1965, 1967), World Series MVP in 1971, eleven-time Gold Glove winner, 12-time All Star, and National League leader in triples in 1969. Oh, and he has an award named for him - the Roberto Clemente Award, which is given every year to a player with outstanding baseball playing skills who is personally involved in community work.
Oh, this Clemente guy did stuff for charity? Don't many baseball players do that? Yes, they do (and they should). But Clemente went above and beyond to help those in need throughout his career, providing sports equipment to the needy, offering free batting clinics in his native Puerto Rico, and taking relief supplies to Nicaragua after a devastating earthquake on New Year's Eve, 1972. Well, actually, he and the supplies never made it to Nicaragua, because the plane carrying Clemente was overloaded with too many supplies, had an incompetent flight crew, and crashed into the Atlantic ocean off the coast of Puerto Rico. So yeah, poor Clemente died without finishing his baseball career - had he played for another year or two, he would probably be between Tony Gwynn and Alex Rodriguez at 19th of all time.
So was this guy better than Ruth, Rose, or Rodriguez (Iván, not Alex - you all know I truly dislike A-Rod!)? Yes. Not only did Clemente have impressive career numbers and was a great humanitarian, but he demanded respect, let his bat and glove do the talking, and made a permanent impact on the game and how to play with intensity, discipline, and dedication. He's the type of guy who, when mentioned to baseball experts, elicits an instant sigh of admiration not given to current stars. They use words like "hero," "legend," and "class act" to describe him. They don't argue that he was the best right fielder ever. And his legacy needs to be explained to all current baseball players - this is how you play, this is how you behave, this is how you help others (except for the plane crash part).
Alright, friends; thank you for letting me rant about "the perfect ballplayer." Some people think I'm too "rah rah Puerto Rico," but this is my blog and I can write about whatever I choose. But seriously, the 2017 season is getting ready to start, and I'm looking forward to writing about great baseball players - whatever country they're from and whatever team they represent. Watch out for the Houston Astros, the Boston Red Sox, and yes, the Chicago Cubs (again!). This promises to be a season of milestones, magic, and lots of home runs (Trout, Stanton, Machado...). So keep checking in - I will do my best to keep you updated on all things 2017 - including Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in July (gee, did I mention who is being inducted?), Adrián Beltre's chase for 3000 hits, and maybe the coming of a new "Perfect Ballplayer."
I started out writing almost daily, reporting scores from the previous day's games and piping in my opinions on certain occurrences here and there. Then life got busy, my job got more demanding, and I blogged less frequently, focusing on baseball in general - the rules, the players, and of course, my opinions on just about anything baseball-related. Now that I own my own business (a kitchen store in Frederick, Maryland called "The Kitchenette" - stop by and say hello if you're in the area!), I barely have time to cook a decent meal, let alone write a well-thought-out blog post. But just because I write less frequently doesn't mean my passion for baseball has faded - I still scour the sports pages daily, check the MLB app on my phone constantly, and count the days until the start of the regular season (just seven more to go!). But if something majorly important, super-exciting, or rather controversial is happening in the Majors, I will certainly find some time to write about it and give you my take.
The most recent blog-worthy event in baseball was the World Baseball Classic, which ended last week with Team USA beating Puerto Rico 8-0 in the final of what was an exciting and much-talked-about series that started out with 12 teams from all over the world - a true "World Series." Unfortunately, long nights spent watching WBC games and busy days tending to my business and family did not allow me the opportunity to share my excitement with you (good thing, because I was downright obnoxious rooting for "Team PR"), and many news outlets have already reported on the WBC's playoff-like atmosphere, the national pride, and the fact that blond hair color was sold out all over Puerto Rico because all the PR players (and most of the residents of the island) chose to color their hair blond as a sign of team and island unity). Even The Baltimore Sun's Peter Schmuck, whom I have criticized here in the past, wrote a nice piece about how the WBC games brought so much enthusiasm to fans and players from all over the world. In media standards, the WBC is old news - why keep talking about it when Gonzaga is going to the NCAA Final Four and the Washington Wizards and Capitals will both be in their respective playoffs?
But today's blog post is not about the WBC - I want to talk a bit about baseball history (please don't yawn!) and what makes "the perfect ballplayer." When you ask a non-baseball fan to name a famous baseball player from the past, they may come up with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, or Joe DiMaggio (around these parts, people may mention Cal Ripken, Frank Robinson, or Earl Weaver). Ask someone who follows the game and they might name Pete Rose, Reggie Jackson, Roger Clemens, or Derek Jeter. Then of course there's Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier and is deservedly one of the most respected athletes of all time. Ask any Puerto Rican, whether or not they currently live on the island, and he/she will inevitably mention Roberto Clemente.
Now, I've mentioned Roberto Clemente many a time in my blog - in seventeen different posts, to be exact. But like current Houston Astros outfielder Carlos Beltrán mentioned in a 2016 article he wrote for "The Players Tribune," Roberto Clemente's legacy is something that is taught as part of the history curriculum in all schools in Puerto Rico. Unfortunately, as baseball continues to evolve and the years pass, more and more people (including baseball players) go through their entire lives without knowing the impact that Clemente had both on and off the baseball field. As more players reach the 3,000 career hits milestone, Clemente gets pushed lower and lower down the list of all-time hiters, now sitting at 30th with Adrián Beltre surely pushing Clemente to 31st sometime this season.
So why is a guy who has 29 other guys ahead of him on the all-time hits list considered to be "the perfect ballplayer?" This is not a quote from a regular Puerto Rican person - it was actually said by a former player, an African-American Hall-of-Famer by the name of Willie Mays. I know Willie is super-old and may not currently have all his faculties, but he said this a while ago, and the fact that he picked Clemente instead of his godson (Barry Bonds) says something. Sportscaster Bob Costas likes Clemente too, but I don't like Bob Costas, so he's not worth mentioning further. And if you ever visit Pittsburgh, those fans know their baseball history, and they know the former Pirate like he was one of their own.
Need some numbers to convince yourself that Roberto Clemente was the best baseball player ever? Here are a few numbers to note: 1966 Most Valuable Player for the National League, NL batting champ (1961, 1964, 1965, 1967), World Series MVP in 1971, eleven-time Gold Glove winner, 12-time All Star, and National League leader in triples in 1969. Oh, and he has an award named for him - the Roberto Clemente Award, which is given every year to a player with outstanding baseball playing skills who is personally involved in community work.
Oh, this Clemente guy did stuff for charity? Don't many baseball players do that? Yes, they do (and they should). But Clemente went above and beyond to help those in need throughout his career, providing sports equipment to the needy, offering free batting clinics in his native Puerto Rico, and taking relief supplies to Nicaragua after a devastating earthquake on New Year's Eve, 1972. Well, actually, he and the supplies never made it to Nicaragua, because the plane carrying Clemente was overloaded with too many supplies, had an incompetent flight crew, and crashed into the Atlantic ocean off the coast of Puerto Rico. So yeah, poor Clemente died without finishing his baseball career - had he played for another year or two, he would probably be between Tony Gwynn and Alex Rodriguez at 19th of all time.
So was this guy better than Ruth, Rose, or Rodriguez (Iván, not Alex - you all know I truly dislike A-Rod!)? Yes. Not only did Clemente have impressive career numbers and was a great humanitarian, but he demanded respect, let his bat and glove do the talking, and made a permanent impact on the game and how to play with intensity, discipline, and dedication. He's the type of guy who, when mentioned to baseball experts, elicits an instant sigh of admiration not given to current stars. They use words like "hero," "legend," and "class act" to describe him. They don't argue that he was the best right fielder ever. And his legacy needs to be explained to all current baseball players - this is how you play, this is how you behave, this is how you help others (except for the plane crash part).
Alright, friends; thank you for letting me rant about "the perfect ballplayer." Some people think I'm too "rah rah Puerto Rico," but this is my blog and I can write about whatever I choose. But seriously, the 2017 season is getting ready to start, and I'm looking forward to writing about great baseball players - whatever country they're from and whatever team they represent. Watch out for the Houston Astros, the Boston Red Sox, and yes, the Chicago Cubs (again!). This promises to be a season of milestones, magic, and lots of home runs (Trout, Stanton, Machado...). So keep checking in - I will do my best to keep you updated on all things 2017 - including Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in July (gee, did I mention who is being inducted?), Adrián Beltre's chase for 3000 hits, and maybe the coming of a new "Perfect Ballplayer."
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
"Slow down! You move too fast!"
Over the past 35 years, the length of a regular-season
baseball game has increased by 30 minutes.
This is mainly because batters spend way too much time “adjusting things”
when in the batter’s box, managers make way too many pitching changes (one of my
pet-peeves), and pitchers sometimes make way too many throws to first base
whether the baserunner has ever stolen a base in his life or not. Major League Baseball is aware of fans’ short
attention spans and is proposing all sorts of wacky ways to shorten the game,
and you know me, I just have to put my two cents into this discussion.
One thing MLB is proposing is to start the tenth inning of a
game with a runner already on second base.
Seriously? I have sat through
many an extra-inning game, and while they can be frustrating because you have
no idea how many total innings it will go, starting extra innings with a guy on
second is idiotic. Do you put the guy
who was supposed to bat next? What if he
was going to hit a home run? You just
ruined it by putting him on base instead of giving him a chance to hit. It’s like starting an overtime in football by
automatically putting the ball on the 20-yard line. Plus don’t you have to play the bottom of the
inning anyway? Just dumb!
Another suggestion was to make the game only 7 innings
instead of nine. Really??? Aren’t these guys making MILLIONS of dollars
to play a full game? Do they have to
stop selling beer after the fifth inning?
And w ill a beer at Nationals Park cost $15 because there will be less beers sold due to games ending faster? Are they going to have the “Fifth Inning Stretch?” This one has definitely not been thought out
very well.
Here’s one that is actually being implemented this year,
since it was approved by the Players Union:
Instead of throwing four pitches way off the strike zone to a batter who
is being intentionally walked, managers can now tell the home plate umpire that he
wishes to intentionally walk the batter, and the batter can just walk to first
base without facing any pitches. Now you
all know how much I DESPISE the intentional walk – I may have mentioned that a
time or two before – but I have seen many occasions where a pitcher is trying
to intentionally walk a batter, the pitch gets away from the catcher, and a baserunner
is able to advance. Just letting the
runner go to first base without seeing a single pitch affects pitch counts and
really only speeds up the game by a few seconds. Last year there was one intentional walk
every two-and-a-half games. So if you’re
expecting this new rule to make a big difference. Don’t hold your breath.
So what can be done to make the game a little shorter (the
current length doesn’t bother me, but most people aren’t as “baseball nerdy” as
me)? I thought you'd never ask! Here are some bullet points to
consider:
·
Stop letting players step out of the batter’s
box after every pitch. You had time to
stretch while on the on-deck circle – once you step up to bat, quit
dilly-dallying. Hank Aaron agrees with
me – he says players spend way too much time adjusting their batting gloves
and helmets and making all sorts of unnecessary movements.
And if Hank says it’s unnecessary, I believe it. He's like John McCain talking about waterboarding - the guy knows his stuff!
·
Don’t let catchers have meetings on the
mound. If a pitcher is stressed out, he
needs to learn how to calm himself down; he doesn’t need a catcher to say “There,
there, my friend – it’s going to be OK!”
Again, these guys are millionaires – they don’t need to be babied. And if you have your signals mixed up because
there’s a runner on second base and you forgot what the signs were in that situation, then you’re
an idiot.
·
Get rid of instant replay, or at least have an
extra umpire in each park who can check the replay way faster than the dudes
who sit in an air-conditioned office in New York. And
don’t allow managers to stall while his coaches are viewing the replay to see
if the manager should challenge or not.
Pitchers are being instructed to stall so the managers can have time to
decide whether to challenge a call or not, and this is just silly. Baseball players and managers are terrible
actors.
·
Stop putting in a pitcher to pitch to one
guy. The whole “lefty lefty matchup” or “righty
throwing to lefty” thing is something I have never understood. Yes, you’re now getting into the strategy of
the game, but if the starting pitcher was able to pitch to both righties and
lefties, why all of a sudden does a reliever have to be put in to face one
particular batter? It infuriates me when
a pitcher is credited with a win when he only pitched to one guy. It’s one thing if a reliever is struggling;
but using seven “specialist” pitchers in one game just so they can pitch to one
or two guys at a time is ridiculous.
So there you go, Commissioner
Manfred – this is one of the reasons I wanted your job before you took it from
me. Let’s see how this “intentional walk”
thing goes this season – surely I will have some insightful opinions about the
matter. In the meantime, we have a
couple of things to look forward to before Opening Day: Former Red Sox/Cubs catcher David Ross
participating in “Dancing With the Stars,” and the World Baseball Classic, where
I turn into a lunatic fan rooting for my Puerto Rico team. We have Javier Baez, Carlos Correa, Carlos
Beltrán, and Francisco Lindor – watch out Dominican Republic; we’re going after
you!
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
"Felicidades, Iván!"
Despite having a population of over 3 million people, Puerto Rico can sometimes seem like the small island that it is. When someone from Puerto Rico is famous, you inevitably know someone who was that person's neighbor, Little League coach, or hairdresser. I alone can say that my mother taught a former Miss Universe, my former doctor also treated the wife of Carlos Baerga, and a relative of mine lived next door to a former member of Menudo. It's also safe to say that every Puerto Rican has run into a famous person at one time or another - I remember seeing a local actress in the pharmacy once, a TV personality was a former client of my father's, and let's not even get into my many run-ins with Ricky Martin! Needless to say, most Puerto Ricans are just a few degrees of separation from someone famous.
One such encounter I had back in the day (the summer of 1990, to be exact), was with Iván Rodriguez. He was in the Minor Leagues at the time - a virtual no-name visiting the sports facility where I worked that summer as a camp counselor. I remember impressing Iván with my baseball knowledge, and a teammate of his saying to me "Remember this guy; he will be famous someday!" Well little Iván turned out to have a pretty good career - 14-time all-star, 13-time Gold Glove winner, 1999 MVP, and as of today, member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Today's nod comes as no surprise - despite having been accused of using performance-enhancing drugs by former teammate and obvious "juicer" José Canseco, Iván never failed a drug test and vehemently denied ever using PEDs. His career numbers as a catcher are unparalleled, and his knowledge of the game and control of his battery mates earned him the respect of coaches, reporters, and players alike.
But something else that sets us Puerto Ricans apart is our sense of family. We all feel like "Pudge" is that distant cousin that despite only seeing rarely at weddings and funerals, you beam with pride at his every accomplishment and triumph. We followed his career closely for twenty years, memorizing his statistics and talking about him like if he was Norm and you were Cliff and you had just recently shared a drink at a local bar. When my father saw Iván walk by him a couple of years ago in Old San Juan, they greeted each other and waved like if they had gone to school together. Wave your Puerto Rican flag or yell the word "Boricua!" in a baseball stadium, and Carlos Beltrán will give you a baseball, Alex Cora will sign it, and Sandy Alomar will wave at you (speaking from personal experience in all three situations!). That one-starred flag can be spotted by Puerto Rican athletes and other celebrities no matter where they are, and I bet you there will be hundreds of those flags being proudly waved this coming July in Cooperstown, New York, when Iván Rodriguez is formally inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Having blogged about baseball for so many years and being such an ardent "Pudge" fan, you'd think it was pretty obvious that I would be one of those attending the Hall of Fame festivities this summer. Unfortunately, it is not the prudent thing to do at this time, since my husband and I started our own retail business last year and just can't justify spending so much money on one weekend (especially since we would have to bring the 12-year-old - YOU try telling him that he can't come along!). Part of me was secretly hoping that Iván would not be selected into the class of 2017, so I wouldn't feel bad about not going to enshrinement weekend. But I'm over that, and at this point, my Puerto Rican pride has grown tenfold, and I look forward to watching Iván, Jeff Bagwell, and Tim Raines become Hall of Famers from the comfort of my own couch. Besides, it's usually dreadfully hot on that day; you always see Willie Mays wiping his brow and Dennis Eckersley taking swigs from a water bottle. My poor fair-skinned husband would surely get a sunburn! And what if it rains? I don't want to be in a Woodstock-like setting being trampled by sweaty, muddy, smelly people! Really - why spend all that money when there are so many variables you can't control and you have to pee in a porta-potty? No thank you! (See how hard I'm trying to make myself feel better?)
So whether you'll have a front-row seat at Cooperstown (Iván's Little League coach might!) or you'll be like me watching from home (waving the flag that Iván signed for me a few years ago), the pride that will be displayed for "Pudge" Rodriguez will be like nothing seen before. Cooperstown will be rocking with boisterous Puerto Ricans and other fans alike, and the Hall of Fame will have a new inductee: A guy who caught two no-hitters, a player who got called up to the Majors on his wedding day, and a distant "cousin" who has made every Puerto Rican proud. Felicidades, Iván!
One such encounter I had back in the day (the summer of 1990, to be exact), was with Iván Rodriguez. He was in the Minor Leagues at the time - a virtual no-name visiting the sports facility where I worked that summer as a camp counselor. I remember impressing Iván with my baseball knowledge, and a teammate of his saying to me "Remember this guy; he will be famous someday!" Well little Iván turned out to have a pretty good career - 14-time all-star, 13-time Gold Glove winner, 1999 MVP, and as of today, member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Today's nod comes as no surprise - despite having been accused of using performance-enhancing drugs by former teammate and obvious "juicer" José Canseco, Iván never failed a drug test and vehemently denied ever using PEDs. His career numbers as a catcher are unparalleled, and his knowledge of the game and control of his battery mates earned him the respect of coaches, reporters, and players alike.
But something else that sets us Puerto Ricans apart is our sense of family. We all feel like "Pudge" is that distant cousin that despite only seeing rarely at weddings and funerals, you beam with pride at his every accomplishment and triumph. We followed his career closely for twenty years, memorizing his statistics and talking about him like if he was Norm and you were Cliff and you had just recently shared a drink at a local bar. When my father saw Iván walk by him a couple of years ago in Old San Juan, they greeted each other and waved like if they had gone to school together. Wave your Puerto Rican flag or yell the word "Boricua!" in a baseball stadium, and Carlos Beltrán will give you a baseball, Alex Cora will sign it, and Sandy Alomar will wave at you (speaking from personal experience in all three situations!). That one-starred flag can be spotted by Puerto Rican athletes and other celebrities no matter where they are, and I bet you there will be hundreds of those flags being proudly waved this coming July in Cooperstown, New York, when Iván Rodriguez is formally inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Having blogged about baseball for so many years and being such an ardent "Pudge" fan, you'd think it was pretty obvious that I would be one of those attending the Hall of Fame festivities this summer. Unfortunately, it is not the prudent thing to do at this time, since my husband and I started our own retail business last year and just can't justify spending so much money on one weekend (especially since we would have to bring the 12-year-old - YOU try telling him that he can't come along!). Part of me was secretly hoping that Iván would not be selected into the class of 2017, so I wouldn't feel bad about not going to enshrinement weekend. But I'm over that, and at this point, my Puerto Rican pride has grown tenfold, and I look forward to watching Iván, Jeff Bagwell, and Tim Raines become Hall of Famers from the comfort of my own couch. Besides, it's usually dreadfully hot on that day; you always see Willie Mays wiping his brow and Dennis Eckersley taking swigs from a water bottle. My poor fair-skinned husband would surely get a sunburn! And what if it rains? I don't want to be in a Woodstock-like setting being trampled by sweaty, muddy, smelly people! Really - why spend all that money when there are so many variables you can't control and you have to pee in a porta-potty? No thank you! (See how hard I'm trying to make myself feel better?)
So whether you'll have a front-row seat at Cooperstown (Iván's Little League coach might!) or you'll be like me watching from home (waving the flag that Iván signed for me a few years ago), the pride that will be displayed for "Pudge" Rodriguez will be like nothing seen before. Cooperstown will be rocking with boisterous Puerto Ricans and other fans alike, and the Hall of Fame will have a new inductee: A guy who caught two no-hitters, a player who got called up to the Majors on his wedding day, and a distant "cousin" who has made every Puerto Rican proud. Felicidades, Iván!
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