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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!