tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77410972603255254422024-03-13T09:05:52.123-07:00Mudville MomMudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.comBlogger181125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-1719345688165386982018-11-15T12:27:00.000-08:002018-11-16T07:28:26.609-08:00Is This Goodbye, or Just a Hiatus?<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Baseball has been around for almost 200 years. It's supposed to be a fun sport to watch - a distraction to all of life's troubles. You should be able to sit down with a mojito and a bowl of Goldfish and watch a bunch of grown men playing a kids' game and it's supposed to make you feel good (What? You don't have a mojito or Goldfish while watching sports? How about a beer and Pringles? Live a little, for heaven's sake!). The competitiveness, the strategy, the discovery of new talent, a perfectly-turned double-play, a walk-off homer - all of those things are supposed to make you love the game and want to watch more or even motivate you to go to a ballpark and catch a game with your family. Baseball has transcended racial barriers, has united our country (President Bush throwing out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium after the 911 attacks was pretty cool, regardless of what your political affiliations are - he used to own a baseball team and has always been a true fan, so nothing could have been more fitting then), and baseball has taught Americans how to pronounce names like San Pedro de Macorís and Hyun-Jin Ryu.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For me, baseball has given me an outlet for both my nerdiness and my competitive nature. Ask my parents what they remember about me watching baseball on the weekends as a kid and they'll probably tell you that it was me yelling "YES! YES!" when someone hit a home run or me studying the statistics on the back of baseball cards (the kind that came with stale chewing gum in each pack). Trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up involved baseball - whether as an Athletic Trainer or some sort of fitness consultant. Deciding what to do with my graduate work involved baseball - I was going to get my Masters in Sports Management and then go to law school to become an agent (I got the Masters, but decided to buy a house instead of going to law school). Deciding where to go on our honeymoon involved baseball - Cooperstown, New York is a lovely town to explore as a newlywed couple. My son likes watching baseball, and my daughter somewhat tolerates it; baseball has always been part of my life.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But now there is one man who just might single-handedly mar my love for the game, if I let him (and it gets harder and harder to resist). We've never met (which is good, because if I did I might kick him in the balls), yet his actions and behavior are not only affecting me, but will surely leave a bad taste in the mouths of many other fans. Scott Boras, a greedy and selfish sports agent who started his career defending pharmaceutical companies (that says a lot about a person!), represents many top-notch baseball players, including free agent Bryce Harper. The Washington Nationals (the team that drafted him as the number one pick in 2010 and for which Harper has played his entire career so far) offered him a 10-year contract worth $300 million, and Harper turned it down because Boras said they could find a team willing to pay $400 million for the same length of time. Now, it's not clear how much of the decision was Harper's and how much was Boras trying to sway a legitimately talented athlete who (in my opinion) is not very emotionally or intellectually mature; but in the last interview that Harper did before the end of the current season, he said he would love to stay in DC because it's "the only thing" he knows. Don't you think he'd be happy, then, with a $300 million contract for the next ten years so he could stay in DC?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I also don't know enough</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> about the ins and outs of sports contracts; </span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">do athletes sign a thing saying they will let their agent make all decisions on their behalf, or do they have any say in what goes on? Do their contracts stipulate that their agents will contact a set number of teams or entertain a certain number of offers? Do the players put their utmost trust in these agents and just let them handle everything? I'm not sure what the relationship is between a player and his agent (hopefully it's not a Mike Tyson-Don King type of thing), but I do know that Scott Boras comes across as an arrogant weasel and someone I could never trust. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So why is Harper's free agency and potential for signing the biggest contract in sports history bothering me so much? Because I've ignored the greediness long enough, and I'm tired of constantly being disappointed (and the fact that I have followed Harper's career since he was drafted and follow him on Instagram kind of hit home a little bit). Just when you think these guys are satisfied getting paid to play a kids' game, they end up signing ridiculous contracts (Giancarlo Stanton!) and you don't know if the player, their agent, or both are to blame. Why do beers at Nationals Park cost $12? So the team can afford to pay Max Scherzer's salary and pay the luxury tax. Why do post-season games start so late and show so many commercials between innings? Because it's more important for TV networks to make money than it is for fans to actually watch an entire game and still get enough sleep (thank goodness the last game of the World Series was a quick one, otherwise I would not have seen the Red Sox clinch the championship). I am tired of sweeping the ugly side of baseball under the rug, and it's really wearing on me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Why am I letting it bother me so much? Because I love baseball. And when you love something, you try to protect it for as long as you can until you no longer have the strength to do so. You exhaust all your power and emotion and just have to give up in order to find happiness (yes, this sounds remarkably like my first marriage!). Now, those of you who know me know that I am not a giver-upper - but at the same time, I have to be true to myself and stop denying the fact that baseball is getting ugly. It has been ugly for a long time, actually - between PED use in the nineties, the rise of analytics that has made the game un-fun to watch, and the fact that you can no longer afford to take a family of four to a ballgame without having to take out a home equity loan - baseball is just not fun for me to follow as deeply and closely anymore. How does this make me feel? Sad, to be honest; no one likes to find out that Santa Claus is not real, have your best friend move away, or find out that there really wasn't an actual "Jesse's Girl." And if baseball is indeed a microcosm of society (like I have written about in the past), then I would rather not associate myself with an industry that is full of greed, insensitivity, and ignorance. Gone are the days of giving a kid a foul ball (because you can sell it on eBay), players joining Winter League teams in Latin America (because your team doesn't want you to hurt yourself), and getting a player's autograph (because they can charge several hundred dollars for one at a memorabilia show). America is getting less "great," and unfortunately, so is baseball.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I will keep watching (and rooting for the Nationals and every player from Puerto Rico), I will continue to have the MLB app on my phone (because I HAVE to find out who ends up being the foolish team that signs Harper for an ungodly amount of money), and I may come back and blog in the future. But for now, let me first of all thank the many of you who have been faithfully reading this blog since I started it in 2011; many of you couldn't care less about baseball but read my musings just to be nice, and I have truly appreciated your love and support. I want to thank Mrs. Nochera, who taught me everything I know about grammar, Professor Shea for bringing out my sense of humor, my parents, for making questionable transactions just so I could have a certain Iván Rodriguez baseball card, and of course my husband, who has read every single blog, has taken me to dozens of games, and has put up with me ogling over the good-looking players (and if I ever do become Commissioner, I promise my brother that he can taste-test every beer in all 30 ballparks). Thank you, my friends, from the bottom of my heart; I'm hoping this is not a permanent good-bye - just a "see you soon." </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With all my love and appreciation,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Marién</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">AKA "Mudville Mom"</span></div>
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Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-13281477823641566012018-10-03T13:58:00.000-07:002018-10-04T09:08:06.450-07:00Finding That Silver LiningThe 2018 baseball season has been a bit disappointing for some fans (and not just Orioles fans, whose team had the worst season in the history of the game). Those who started following Sohei Ohtani's career are sad and disappointed that the pitcher-batter needed Tommy John surgery; Robinson Canó was suspended for 80 games for failing a drug test (and came back to play first base?); and the trades that sent Manny Machado to the Dodgers, Daniel Murphy to the Cubs, and Gio Gonzalez to the Brewers left many fans disheartened (and who didn't see Buck Showalter's firing coming? Poor guy - I've always liked him).<br />
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For us Nationals fans, not only did we lose some players at the trade deadline, but the team ended the season in second place in their division, not making the playoffs despite being favored to win the NL East by most baseball "experts" in the beginning of the season. We were frustrated with all the injuries (especially Sean Doolittle's), upset with the underperformance of the bullpen (without Doolittle), and downright pissed off at the loss of some veteran players with seemingly nothing in return (at least Doolittle wasn't one of them).<br />
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But with all the doom and gloom, it is easy to find a silver lining in this past season. Take, for example, the friendly rivalry between rookies Ronald Acuña and Juan Soto. Acuña, a Venezuelan who plays for the Atlanta Braves, is flashy and confidently blows chewing gum bubbles as he trots around the bases after a home run - a true fan favorite who really got everyone excited. Soto, a Dominican outfielder for the Nationals, has a good knowledge of the strike zone and an infectious smile (and earned the nickname of "Magic Juan"). Both players are vying for the Rookie of the Year award, and my bet is that Acuña will get it (even though Soto deserves it more) because he has more home runs, and home runs are sexier than hits, RBIs, and batting average (categories that Soto leads over Acuña). Plus the Braves are in the playoffs, and the Nationals are not. Not that it should make a difference, in my opinion, but to some it does. Whatever.<br />
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Similarly "neck and neck" for a pretty trophy are my boy, Max Scherzer, and the Mets' Jacob DeGrom, who both apparently deserve this year's Cy Young award. The Marlins' manager, Don Mattingly, had the nerve to say that he was voting for DeGrom simply because Scherzer already has three Cy Youngs and someone else should have a turn. Really? Sorry, Mattingly - you're an idiot (and I never liked you anyway, because, well, you were a Yankee). While I'm not a fan of teams that repeat consecutive championships (the reason I'm not picking the Astros to win the World Series this year - more on that later), if you're the best and most badass pitcher year after year, then you should be rewarded year after year. It's not Max's fault that he's so great! Scherzer finished the season with 300 strikeouts, 18 wins, and more innings pitched than DeGrom, who only led in ERA. Again, the Nationals player probably won't get the award - it will go to DeGrom because he plays for a New York team. It's just a lousy trophy anyway, and yes, Max has three of them already. Pshaw!<br />
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And then there's Bryce Harper. Sigh! The 25-year-old Nationals outfielder is now a free agent, and no one has a clue as to where he will go at this point. Harper has been very nostalgic lately, letting us know that he has been playing for the same team since he was 19 - he has grown up in DC, gotten married, and established the "Harper's Heroes" foundation. And I know I have been critical of Harper in the past (he still shows some immaturity at times), but he has commented on how he would like to stay in DC because it's the only thing he's ever known and he truly appreciates the city's fans. Aw, Bryce! <3 So where Harper goes next season is any one's guess - my gut tells me he won't be staying in DC (since they will have a capable outfield of Soto, Adam Eaton, and Victor Robles), but there have been so many crazy rumors (Dodgers, Yankees, Angels, Phillies...) that it's a true mystery at this point. Stay tuned.<br />
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And regarding the playoffs? Well they will definitely be interesting, because the Red Sox have MVP-to-be Mookie Betts and the awesome J.D. Martinez, the Yankees have Luis Severino, Giancarlo Stanton, and the charming Didi Gregorius, and the Dodgers have everyone they could trade for but probably won't keep after the playoffs are over. But don't discount the Rockies, A's, and Brewers, and of course the two teams I'm tired of seeing in the postseason (the Astros and Indians). What two teams do I want to see in the World Series? Admittedly the Indians (just because they've made it many times before doesn't mean they've won) and Rockies, but unfortunately without the Yankees or Red Sox in it, most of America won't watch any of the games. So what the heck - for the sake of the game and TV ratings, it might as well be the Dodgers and (dare I say it?) the Yankees. Sigh! Really? Did I just say that? If that's the case, perhaps I will be the only one who will NOT watch! OK, then the Dodgers and Red Sox. Phew!<br />
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Regardless of what two teams take the field in late October, there is still a lot of baseball to be played. So check out a game or two no matter what two teams are playing - you might catch a glimpse of some greatness (Francisco Lindor), an amazing catch in the outfield (Aaron Judge stealing a home run), or a hot guy in tight pants (Matt Kemp! Who cares if you dated Rihanna - you're still not bad to look at!). Check out MLB.com to see what channel is showing what game (they tend to be all over the place in the early playoff rounds), sit back with a mojito (surely I'm not the only one who does that!), and enjoy some good baseball, because before you know it, this up-and-down season will be over.Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-5378880211925634502018-08-23T10:26:00.000-07:002018-08-23T10:26:51.572-07:00Still a Crazy Fan After All These YearsIf you ask the average person if they think the game of baseball has changed drastically in the past twenty years, they will probably tell you it hasn't. There are still nine innings, a pitcher and a catcher, and overpriced concessions. But in reality, the game has evolved in many ways, and experts say that it's changing for the worse. Exhaustive analytics, implementing "the shift," and the ability to challenge some plays have eliminated the "small ball" mentality and has players (even pitchers) trying to hit the ball out of the park at every at-bat. Now, I won't get into the nitty gritty of it, because I know that many of you read my blog just to be nice and truly don't care about launch angles and travel velocity (and frankly I don't really either), but in a nutshell, watching a baseball game isn't as "exciting" and strategic as it used to be (some would argue that it is in fact more strategic than ever thanks to analytics, but it's the wrong type of strategy that is currently being used. OPS, WHIP, SBPCT... yeah - no one cares!).<div>
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And then there are the trades. Right before the July 31st trade deadline, I was all for trading players because of my "do whatever it takes (within reason) to win" mentality. Machado to the Dodgers? Sure - that was a good trade. Familia to the A's? Absolutely - I never liked him, so why not send him far away from the NL East? These players are going to be free agents at the end of the season anyway; they're just being "rented" to help their teams win a World Series and will find more permanent (or "less-temporary") homes during the off-season. But when the Washington Nationals quietly traded Daniel Murphy to the Cubs and Matt Adams to the Cardinals earlier this week, it felt like a kick in the gut (not that I know what that feels like!). Murphy is one of those wholesome guys you would want your daughter to date - he's hard-working, personable, and just oozes wholesomeness. He says things like "gosh darn it" and "dag nabbit" when he's upset (which is rare), and he likes to chat with umpires before stepping into the batters box or with first basemen when he hits a single. Having him leave DC was heartbreaking, and many of us took it personally (like when you go back to the hair salon and your favorite stylist is gone and they can't tell you where she went so you know you'll never see her again). And even though Adams wasn't a National for very long, it was nice having him around, especially when Ryan Zimmerman was injured and Adams covered first base. These trades reminded us that baseball is a business more than it is a game. Sigh!</div>
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So what keeps me loyal to the game I have been following since I was a kid? Yes, many of the players aren't bad to look at, but at this point, I'm old enough to be the mother of some of these guys (Juan Soto is only 19 and Ronald Acuña is only 20!). Yes, there is an increasing number of women who are involved with Major League Baseball and are being taken seriously (ESPN's Jessica Mendoza and The Washington Post's Chelsea Janes come to mind), and that makes me happy. But it was actually a recent trip to the ballpark that reminded me why I still love this game despite the politics, the greed, and inter league play. </div>
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The Washington Nationals have had a disappointing season. mainly because everyone picked them to win the NL East and instead they have had a season full of injuries, lackluster performances, and a new manager that no one likes (OK, I don't like him; perhaps others, like his mother, think he's perfectly competent). So it has been tough watching Bryce Harper struggle (though he has improved since winning the Home Run Derby last month). It was hard seeing Stephen Strasburg wince in pain on the mound with what turned out to be some sort of nerve impingement thing in his shoulder. It has been heartbreaking seeing your team falling in the standings as the Braves and Phillies surged ahead (but at least I'm not an Orioles fan - I don't know how those people haven't all jumped off the Chesapeake Bay bridge yet). But as an optimist, I have relished every win that Max Scherzer has had this year (another Cy Young award will surely be his at the end of this season). And what about Juan Soto? Yes, he strikes out on 3-2 counts a lot, but it has been refreshing watching a 19-year-old show so much poise and promise. And he has 14 home runs as a teenager, which puts him fifth past Mickey Mantle on the "all-time home runs by a teenager" list, and any time someone passes a Yankee on any list, I'm happy.</div>
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So I brought my optimism with me to Nationals Park earlier this week, where my husband, 14-year-old son and I endured DC traffic and joined thousands of fans on a glorious evening to halfheartedly root for our team. We had spent a lot of money on the tickets (we had really good seats), so why not go and try to have a good time? Armed with our Nationals gear and tater-tot bowls (which are delicious, but I didn't think it was necessary for hubby to tell me that they were 2000 calories each!), we were hoping for a win. At 7.5 games out of first place and nowhere close to being a Wild Card team, we just didn't want the team to embarrass themselves. The score was 3-1 Phillies after the first inning, but we were still having a decent time. Tied at 5 after the fourth inning, all was still good. We were still full, it wasn't hot out, and the fans behind us weren't too obnoxious. After the top of the ninth, it was 7-6 Phillies. The Nationals had three more outs, and the fans started leaving the park, because they flashed a message on the scoreboard alerting everyone that the last Metro train was leaving the nearby Navy Yard station in just a few minutes. Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendón recorded the first two outs off Phillies' closer Seranthony Dominguez (yes, his name is pronounced "Sir Anthony!"), so we were getting ready to leave after Juan Soto presumably struck out again. But instead Soto hit a double, and the nail wasn't quite nailed into the coffin at that point. Veteran Ryan Zimmerman was up, and I knew that he was known as "Mr. Walk-off," having ended games with bottom-of-the-ninth home runs in ten previous games in his career. What were the chances that "Zim" would hit one tonight? I have been to dozens of baseball games in my life, and have never seen a no-hitter, a triple play, or a walk-off homer, so why would that happen in this case? Well, it did. Zimmerman hit what was barely a home run (but hey, if it goes over the fence it counts!) and the Nationals ended up winning 8-7. The random lady sitting next to my husband who had been completely silent while she scored the entire game in her scorebook gave us all high-fives. Everyone who was left in the park was cheering, clapping, and jumping up and down. My son and I hugged each other. Zimmerman had the proverbial Gatorade cooler of water dumped on him as soon as he crossed home plate. These are men playing a kids game, I realized; you hit the ball, it goes over the fence, and you run around the bases. You celebrate the victories, learn from the defeats, and come back the next day to do it all over again, trying your best and not letting ignorant people bother you.</div>
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Now if only life could be that simple!</div>
Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-3409423990139618772018-07-19T09:10:00.000-07:002018-07-19T09:10:40.406-07:00Home Runs, All-Stars, and Trades - Bring Them On!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh what a week it has been for Major League Baseball! First was the Home Run Derby at Nationals Park, where hometown-favorite Bryce Harper had a fairytale of a day. His "Pops" was pitching to him, his bat had the stars and stripes painted on it, and instead of wearing a ballcap, he chose to accessorize his "perfectly coiffed" hair with a headband that had the flag of Washington, DC on it (and is currently flying off store shelves). While I was happy to see a Nationals player win the Home Run Derby, it was a little bittersweet, because all of us who have watched Bryce grow up in front of our eyes know that he will not be a Nat next year, since he'll be a free agent at the end of this season. And really - does hitting 45 home runs in one night negate Harper's current .214 batting average? In the grand scheme of things, he's still in the biggest slump of his career. And I'm not being a "Negative Nellie" because I'm bitter about not having gone to the Derby or the All-Star Game; I'm just telling it like it is - Harper better improve his hitting, or no one will want him next year (especially for the salary that his agent, Scott Boras, will be asking).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then there was the All-Star Game. I didn't dwell too much on the fact that it was being played just an hour's drive away from my comfortable sofa, because I had resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't going way over a year ago. So I was happy to sit in front of the TV and watch a game in the familiar ballpark that now everyone across the country was going to be able to enjoy. And my boy, Max Scherzer, was going to be the starting pitcher for the National League for the second year in a row, so of course I was excited. The player introductions were enjoyable to watch as always (especially since former Nationals players Blake Treinen, now with the A's, and Wilson Ramos, now with the Rays, received such enthusiastic applause), the National Anthem didn't bore me (it was an excellent rendition both vocally and visually), and Scherzer struck out four players in the two innings that he pitched (we'll ignore the home run he gave up to Aaron Judge). The American League ended up winning the game 8-6 in 10 innings, and it didn't end up raining like they had predicted. So overall, the All-Star Game was a success and all the players seemed legitimately excited to be there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then came the post-ASG trades, the most notable one being the Orioles sending shortstop Manny Machado to the Dodgers for five prospects. Now, I know I had predicted that Manny would go to the Diamondbacks, but then Corey Seager ended up needing Tommy John surgery (it's not just pitchers who get that done!) and the Dodgers were really in need of a reliable shortstop. Now, I also wondered if the Dodgers would try to get an outfielder since Yasiel Puig suffered a rib injury (I joked with my husband that the Dodgers should try to get Bryce Harper from the Nationals), but I guess the need for a shortstop was more urgent (because outfielders are a dime a dozen). So for the next three months, Manny Machado will have Magic Johnson as his boss, will help get the Dodgers to the playoffs, and then will end up with another team as a free agent. Does this bother me because it makes baseball players seem like cattle being taken to the auction block? It used to, but then I realized that teams really have to do whatever they can to make it to the playoffs (especially if they're paying a hefty luxury tax, like the Red Sox and Nationals are predicted to this year), and mid-season trades that involve free-agents-to-be only displace a player for a couple of months. Once the off-season comes and they sign with a new team, they can then move their families and get settled in a new city. I'm not trying to be heartless; it's just one of those "gazillionnaire problems" athletes have to deal with. I don't pity them (just their families).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And what about the Orioles? Who do they get in return for giving up Machado? They get outfielder Yusniel Díaz<span style="background-color: white; color: #232323;"> (Dodgers No. 4 prospect coming into this season), third baseman Rylan Bannon (Dodgers No. 27 prospect), right-hander Dean Kremer (Dodgers No. 28 prospect), right-hander Zach Pop, and infielder Breyvic Valera. I don't know anything about these guys other than what's on paper, but when you suck as badly as the Orioles have this year, anything short of a Cal Ripken, Jr. comeback would definitely be an improvement over the current situation. And if these prospects are as good as they seem to be, the Orioles should be really really good in the next few years (unless their inept owners screw that up, which wouldn't surprise me).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So now what? Well the Cleveland Indians, who are currently leading the American League Central, just acquired pitchers Brad Hand and Adam Cimber from the San Diego Padres for catcher Francisco Mejía. And of course there's talk of Mets pitcher Jacob DeGrom being traded as well (maybe he can go to the Dodgers too, since Clayton Kershaw is having an "off" year). So there is still a lot of wheeling and dealing to be done before the July 31st trade deadline; it will be interesting to see what happens between now and then. My Nationals may be somewhat out of it at this point (we'll see how the weekend series against the Atlanta Braves goes), but I am still excited about the next few months - lots of trades, expanded rosters, and tons of exciting playoff baseball. Stay tuned!</span>Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-13155069928407769752018-06-20T09:07:00.001-07:002018-06-20T09:07:53.666-07:00Where in the Majors Will Manny Go?Hello, baseball friends! It's been a while since I've posted, because the month of May was crazy with birthdays, graduations, track meets, band concerts, a prom, Mother's Day, out-of-town visitors, family events, parties, and all sorts of things that filled every single space in my old-fashioned paper calendar. Now that everyone has settled into their summer routines, I can finally take a few minutes to jot down some baseball-related thoughts.<br />
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Most importantly, where is Manny going to go? Yes, the Orioles' Manny Machado is on the trading block, and before the July 31st trade deadline, he's no longer going to be wearing orange and black. This makes us locals a bit sad, because we watched Manny start out with our single-A Frederick Keys and blossom into an all-star. At only 25 years old (I know, can you believe he's that young?), he's currently batting .305 with 18 home runs and transitioned nicely from third base to shortstop this season (despite my hesitation early on. Good thing no one listens to me!). So why get rid of him? Well mainly because the Orioles suck big-time this season, so they might as well get a few guys in exchange for Machado, who will be a free agent at the end of this season anyway. Where would he go? The Arizona Diamondbacks, who currently lead the NL West, have shown some interest, mainly because their shortstop and third basement have been a bit disappointing this year. The Dodgers, who are in second place in the NL West, have also shown interest. I predict Manny will be a Diamondback by the end of this week, because I don't like the other rumors that the Os will trade Adam Jones instead (Adam just bought Cal Ripken's old house; don't make the poor guy relocate!). <br />
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And what's up with the Yankees? They're 48-22 (the second-best record in the Majors after the Houston Astros), despite none of their players batting above .290. But relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman has 21 saves (and one of those contagious smiles that makes you think he's a nice guy), so I guess it's partly his fault that the Yankees are one game in front of the Red Sox. Ugh. That's all I'm going to say about that.<br />
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Then there's Mike Trout. This season, he's being called "outrageously consistent," "best player ever," and "ridiculously great," yet many complain that he's not getting the attention he deserves. Last year, every human being knew about Aaron Judge, because he's 7 feet tall, a very humble guy, and a member of a NY team (a city where the media has a conniption any time a player in pinstripes opens his mouth, swings a bat, or farts). Mike Trout, the 2012 AL Rookie of the Year and six-time All-Star, has a career batting average of .307 and is leading the Majors this season in almost every category (home runs and on-base-percentage are just a couple). He is the picture of consistency, finishing every season with a batting average of .287 or higher. He always hits home runs. He always gets on base. He visits sick children and has a charitable foundation. He has been the AL MVP twice, has won five Silver Slugger awards, and has been the Overall Defensive Player of the Year. So why don't more people know about him? Because the Angels haven't been in the World Series? Because his contract goes until 2020 so there's no talk of him going anywhere? Because he always seems to have a dumb look on his face? Because the LA media focuses on the Dodgers and Kardashians too much? I don't know, but people better start paying attention, because this kid is on his way to being the GOAT; the Serena Williams or Michael Jordan (or LeBron James, for you young people) of baseball. He will continue to produce, he will be great for a long time to come, and I can say I saw him make a catch in the outfield at Oriole Park several years ago that seriously left me speechless (yes, me, speechless!). Pay attention to Mike Trout, people!<br />
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Finally, we have to talk about my Nationals, because they're not in first place like everyone predicted they would be. No need to panic, because the surprisingly good Braves aren't all that (except for Freddie Freeman, who is awesome). So what if Bryce Harper isn't hitting (his average is .213) and Stephen Strasburg is on the Disabled List (again!)? The Nationals can still hit (Trea Turner and Anthony Rendón), Max Scherzer is still the best pitcher this season (he already passed 150 strikeouts this season), and their rookie manager, Dave Martinez, hasn't royally screwed anything up yet (and hopefully won't). He's doing a fine job putting together a roster despite all the injuries to key players, and he's not as quick as Dusty Baker was to take a pitcher out of a game when his defense fails. So I'm not going to worry for now; I just hope the Nats can make it to the playoffs without having to play a Wild Card game, and that no one else ends up on the Disabled List this season.<br />
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So there you go - these are some of the baseball-related things that have been on my mind this past month (I didn't even mention Robinson Canó's PED-induced suspension, Yadier Molina needing emergency surgery after getting hit in the "privates," or how Jacob deGrom is rumored to be traded by the Mets), but I'm thoroughly enjoying this baseball season. Take some time to watch a game or two, don't forget to vote for your favorite all-star (I have yet to do that, but I'll get to it soon), and keep an eye on that Trout kid - I hear he's going to be pretty good! :-)Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-91508655757677093862018-04-20T11:25:00.002-07:002018-04-20T12:53:56.733-07:00How 'Bout Them Red Sox?The baseball season is in full swing (despite some games being postponed due to snowy conditions - yes, the weather has sucked this month!), and there's no denying that the Boston Red Sox are red-hot. While it's nice to see the Pittsburgh Pirates getting off to such a good start (every Puerto Rican has a little bit of Pirate in them), it's nice to see the American League East be led by someone other than the Yankees (oh my gosh, what's up with those Orioles? Sigh!). So what's the deal with the boys from Beantown? Let's take a closer look.<br />
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First of all, as of today (Friday), the Red Sox have won seven games in a row, including a sweep of the Los Angeles Angels (I guess that Ohtani guy isn't all that now, is he?). They're off to their best start in franchise history (16-2), and we all know that this is one of the oldest franchises in baseball. And this is despite the fact that they lost on Opening Day! Since then, the Red Sox have won 16 of 17 games, which is way more than my fourth-place Nationals can say! And when was the last time the Red Sox went 16-1? That would be in 2004, when the "Curse of the Bambino" was finally broken and they won their first World Series since 1918 (that was what I like to call the "Bloody Sock Series." My son was 5 months old at the time).<br />
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Why else is this team hot? Because they score a ton of runs, plain and simple. They lead MLB with 116 runs, with the next-best team at 106 (the Toronto Blue Jays - eh?). Not only that, but they have only allowed 50 runs in their first 18 games. I'm no math expert, but that's pretty low (less than 3 runs per game, I guess?). That means they're not only hitting well, but their pitching is pretty solid as well. Their starting pitchers have the lowest ERA in the Majors at 1.98, and their relievers have not allowed a run in their last 14 innings pitched. And you know what they say - good pitching stops good hitting - so they're doing all the right things.<br />
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What else? Their rookie manager is awesome. Alex Cora (fellow Puerto Rican) is only one of two managers who has won at least 16 of his first 18 games. The other one was Joe Morgan (also for the Red Sox), and since we all know that Joe Morgan is super-cool, then that makes Cora pretty special as well. And hey - I had a nice conversation with him when he played for the Nationals, and back then people were saying how he would make a good manager someday because he knows the game so well, so I guess everyone was right. There goes my theory about catchers making the best managers. Go Alex!<br />
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But are the Red Sox hitting? Hell yes! As a team, the Sox lead the Majors in batting average (.292), on-base percentage (.362), and slugging percentage (.496). They also lead in all sorts of other obscure statistics that I don't even understand, so yeah - they're doing very well offensively. Mookie Betts (who leads the Majors in batting average) hit three home runs in the opener against the Angels (the Sox hit six in that game), and they hit a total of 11 homers in that three-game series. Pretty impressive, if you ask me. So will the Red Sox stay hot? Probably. It may be a long season, and the Yankees might have their touted Judge/Stanton combination, but I think the Red Sox will take the AL East (the Yankees, by the way, are in THIRD place after the Blue Jays. In your face, Yankees fans!).<br />
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Will the Sox be even better once their veteran second baseman, Dustin Pedroia, returns from post-knee surgery rehab? Probably not. While the Washington Nationals are desperately missing their second baseman, Daniel Murphy, while HE is rehabbing after knee surgery, the Sox have not skipped a beat in Pedroia's absence. Eduardo Nuñez is doing just fine at second base. Not great, but fine, and he's probably playing better than Pedroia would if he were there now.<br />
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I will continue to root for my 9-10 Nationals (because I'm not a bandwagon fan, and Max Scherzer is still badass), but I will definitely be rooting for the Red Sox as well (despite me being a National League fan), especially since the Orioles don't seem to be going anywhere but downhill. And I spent 12 years in Massachusetts, so I can root for the Sox if I want to (notice I didn't mention Papi, Varitek, or Buckner, for that matter, in this post, because I'm trying to stay upbeat). So keep it up, Mookie and friends - you're definitely making this season exciting and fun to watch.<br />
<br />Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-43266712478952044112018-03-29T09:43:00.000-07:002018-03-29T13:09:03.951-07:00Opening Day(ish) ThoughtsAfter months of waiting, it's finally Opening Day for Major League Baseball! Yeay! You'd think that I would be over-the-top happy - after all, I would much rather watch baseball on TV than the "Roseanne" revival or the current season of "American Idol." But admittedly, I'm just feeling "eh" about Opening Day, and here are the reasons why.<br />
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First of all, my Nationals aren't playing today because it's raining in Cincinnati. So their Opening Day will be tomorrow, and their Nationals Park Opening Day isn't until next week. I know - it can't always be 70 degrees and sunny without a cloud in the sky and Max Scherzer pitching at home with my husband and me sitting in the fifth row behind the Nationals' dugout, but the yucky March weather is giving me Seasonal Affective Disorder, it's cold in New York, it's raining in Detroit, and it's not fair that the Orioles get to open at home but the Nationals don't. Oh, and I just found out yesterday that MASN won't be carrying any Nationals or Orioles games on local CBS stations like they have in the past, so I won't be able to catch any games on TV when I'm at work (because I'm too cheap to have cable in my shop).<br />
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"But wait, Mudville Mom," you tell yourself. "Aren't you usually a 'glass half full' optimist?" Why yes I am, my friend; (thanks for noticing!) so here's what I'm actually looking forward to this season (and it's going to be a very good season, I might add). First of all, I'm looking forward to this year's All-Star Game being in my beloved Nationals Park. I'm not dwelling on the fact that I gave up the perfect opportunity to volunteer at this year's "midsummer classic" because of work obligations; instead I'm looking forward to all sorts of tourists contributing to the local economy (and some even coming as far north as Frederick and potentially visiting my shop), a historic Home Run Derby (can anyone hit the parking deck behind left field?), and people around the world finally paying attention to that National League team that is consistently in first place in the NL East but constantly takes a back seat to the Redskins and that fool who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. So yeah - that will definitely be a fun few days in July.<br />
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Also worthy of noting this season is the duo of Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge playing together for the Yankees. Now, I don't mind rolling my eyes about those who predict that the Yankees and Nationals will be in the World Series (there are 162 games to play before the post-season, and a LOT can happen before then), but I have to admit that having Stanton and Judge on the same team (especially one where the media is so vocal and has opinions about everything!) is pretty cool. And staying in New York, I'm looking forward to Yoenis Céspedes having a good season for the Mets. I'm a sucker for a man with a nice smile, and anyone who lets a clubhouse attendant drive his Lamborghini to go run an errand is just a nice guy. Plus he has his annual "Céspedes Family BBQ" that has become a legendary tradition (feel free to google it); maybe I'll be invited someday.<br />
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I would be remiss if I didn't mention Puerto Ricans Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa as two guys to watch this season. Lindor is just so freakin' charming and charismatic, and Correa - well, come on, he proposed to his girlfriend on national TV after winning the World Series last year - he's just super cool. When I grow up, I want to be just like him (though I can't help but wonder - if the Astros didn't win the World Series last year, would Correa have still proposed?).<br />
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And what's the position to pay attention to this year? Definitely third base (sorry, Manny Machado - you should have stayed there!). Anthony Rendón, Nolan Arenado, and Kris Bryant are badass (or is it "badasses?"), and if they can stay healthy, will be the game-makers who will (hopefully) take their teams to the post-season. Schmidt and Chipper would be very proud of these guys (and they probably are - I'm talking like they're dead!).<br />
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So those are some of the players I'm looking forward to seeing this season (as well as a possible visit to a Mets game in New York? This is the first my husband is hearing of this!). Notice I made no mention of Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper, or José Altuve - these are guys who don't need me to keep an eye on them because they're just awesome without me telling you they are. I also said nothing about Alex Rodriguez joining the ESPN Sunday night crew, because I want to end this post on a positive note. So try to catch a game or two this weekend - whether on your local station, MLB-TV, or ESPN (as a last resort) - and keep checking in with me regularly, because surely I'll have plenty to say throughout the season.<br />
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LET'S PLAY BALL! :-)Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-9347588804807829662018-03-08T09:38:00.001-08:002018-03-08T09:38:51.262-08:00Three Cheers for Ichiro!<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know, I know; it's been a while since I've blogged, but let's face it - February was just a crappy month. But Spring Training has started, the days are getting longer, and I've almost come to terms with my hatred of Scott Boras (more on that a bit later). Despite my snarky comments and harsh criticisms, I do try to be a positive person, so I've been waiting for something fun and exciting to happen in baseball in order to share the news with all of you. My wish came true yesterday, when the Seattle Mariners signed Ichiro Suzuki for one year at $750,000. Yeay!</span></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, if you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that I love Ichiro; not like I love Max Scherzer and DEFINITELY not like I love Iván Rodriguez - it's more like a "this guy is super-cool and has charisma and is just so darn likeable!" When Ichiro became a free agent at the end of last season, I told my husband that the Mariners should sign him so that he's able to finish his career with the team that originally signed him over twenty years ago out of Japan. Well I'm glad someone finally listened to me, because having Ichiro in Seattle is absolutely storybook perfect (I know most people think of Derek Jeter's career as "storybook," but I've always liked Ichiro better!). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Last season, Ichiro appeared in 136 games with the Miami Marlins, hitting .255 (with an On-Base Percentage of .318 and Slugging Percentage of .332) across 215 plate appearances - more than half of them coming as a pinch hitter. Over the past five seasons, split between the Marlins and New York Yankees, </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">he hasn't been able to replicate the success he enjoyed in Seattle, hitting .263 in 725 games. Still, the Mariners are very happy to have Ichiro on board (time to sell more jerseys!), and they insist (as does Ichiro himself) that this is not just a "swan song" thing - he's going to play regularly, and he's going to make a difference for his team (which I believe to be true, because the guy can still hit). Ichiro is not planning a retirement tour this season akin to those of Jeter and David "Big Papi" Ortiz - he just wants to play, and if you ask him, he'll tell you that he wants to do so until he's at least 50 years old (you GO, Ichiro!). The only downside of having Ichiro in Seattle is that he won't get much TV coverage unless the Mariners make it to the playoffs, but hey - it's just nice knowing that a decent guy like Ichiro will be around for at least one more year.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sigh! Now about Scott Boras... For those of you who don't know him, Boras is a greedy, selfish, money-hungry and arrogant sports agent with clients such as Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg, Max Scherzer, and yes - Iván Rodriguez. He's a "player's agent" - the guy who will get you the lucrative contract and will "show you the money". But the downside to that is when you put a price tag on a player and that price is too high (especially when the player is a pitcher). This is the case with Jake Arrieta, a free agent who is currently unemployed. This former Oriole and Cub has a Cy Young award, a championship ring, and All-Star game appearances. At the age of 32, his fastball has slowed down just a tad, but not enough for him to be unemployed at this point in the off-season. Yu Darvish (also 32 years old) was able to sign as a free agent (even after Tommy John surgery and a not-so-stellar job in the playoffs with the Dodgers). Why was Yu able to get a job and Jake is still sitting around waiting for Boras to do something? I just think that Boras is asking for way too much money. Teams don't want to spend a lot on a pitcher when they know that players like Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, and Clayton Kershaw will become free agents at the end of the upcoming season (and no team wants to pay the luxury tax). So why not lower the price on Arrieta? Because Boras is an idiot! The Nationals, Phillies, and Brewers have all shown interest in signing Arrieta for less than what Boras is asking, so why not lower the price on the poor guy a little? This is what annoys me about professional sports - when they're treated like cattle!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, and one more thing about Boras: He has a Doctorate in Pharmacy and a law degree. There's nothing wrong with that (says the woman who has a Masters in Sports Management but owns a kitchen shop!), unless you use both degrees to work defending pharmaceutical companies against class-action lawsuits. I won't even GO there or tell you about the many cases he defended and millions of dollars he made for pharmaceutical companies - let's just say I have very strong opinions regarding pharmaceutical companies, and now that I know that Boras was involved, I'm not surprised.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what do us die-hard baseball fans do to not get disheartened by the ugliness of the business side of baseball? Well I, for one, have been listening to Spring Training games during the workday, and that has me excited for the upcoming season. We have a lot to look forward to - the All-Star game being played at Nationals Park, Manny Machado trying his hand at shortstop, Shohei Ohtani making his US debut with the Los Angeles Angels, and the Miami Marlins trying to put together a team now that most of last year's players are gone (I'm guessing J.T. Realmuto will play all nine positions at once!), Adam Wainwright just being his hot and sexy self... Whether it's Ichiro making $750,000 or Darvish making $21 million, we just want to watch these guys play. Just a few more weeks to go until we hear "Play ball!" </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Segoe UI;"></span><span style="color: #001000;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="color: black;"></span><br />Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-43243974203249771452018-01-26T09:53:00.000-08:002018-01-26T13:01:25.924-08:00Chipper and the Gang The Baseball Writers' Association of America (you know - that elite group of writers and journalists who know as much about baseball as I do but whose columns aren't nearly as entertaining as my blog) just announced its newest class of inductees into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The class of 2018 includes Vladimir Guerrero, Chipper Jones, Trevor Hoffman, and Jim Thome. I would have voted for three of these four guys, choosing Edgar Martinez instead of Hoffman. But hey - three out of four is pretty good, and I'm confident that Martinez will make it in the next year or two (especially since they seem to be including a lot more statistics and analytics into the selection). So what do I think of these four guys? Well I'm glad you asked!<br />
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Chipper Jones was a shoo-in. Whoever thought Jones wasn't going to get in on his first year of eligibility is an ignorant idiot. With a career batting average of .303, 468 home runs, and 1.623 RBI, this eight-time All-Star has the most career RBI for a third baseman. Chipper was part of those Atlanta Braves that I loved to hate that won 14 straight division titles and joins teammates Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, and Tom Glavine (and manager Bobby Cox) in the Hall. Chipper is one of those guys who still looks like he's in his twenties, and I can actually tell my kids that I watched him play in person several times. An interesting fact about Chipper is that he hit his first major league home run against the Mets at the old Shea stadium, and it's probably the reason why his oldest child is named Shea.<br />
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Vladimir Guerrero, a former outfielder who played many of his years with the Montreal Expos, could hit just about any pitch that was thrown at him. He had the biggest hitting zone I've ever seen - he would get these wild and crazy pitches that only he could hit for a single or double, and I remember laughing several times and saying to myself "Did he seriously just hit that?" With a career batting average of .318 with 449 home runs and 1,496 RBI, this latest pride of the Dominican Republic definitely deserves to be in the Hall. Interesting to note, Guerrero's son, Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., is an up-and-coming third baseman in the Toronto Blue Jays organization.<br />
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Then there's Jim Thome, an infielder who was always on my "badass" list. He is currently eighth on the all-time home runs list with 612, and he was one of those guys who always stood straight up and pointed his bat at the pitcher right before getting in his stance. I used to mention him a lot when I first started blogging, because I loved watching him play. Thome will go into the Hall as a Cleveland Indian, so if they're not going to win a World Series, they might as well have a Hall of Fame member to cheer about.<br />
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Finally there's Trevor Hoffman, who was chosen in his third year of eligibility (I would have voted him in next year, but nobody asked me). This reliever who entered each game to AC/DC's "Hells Bells" when he was with the San Diego Padres, had a nasty change-up that helped him earn 601 saves (which is only second to Mariano Rivera's 652). Hoffman becomes only the sixth pitcher who was mostly a reliever to be inducted into the Hall. Can you name the other five? I was only able to come up with four before having to look the other guy up: Dennis Eckersley, Goose Gossage, Rollie Fingers, and Bruce Sutter. The other guy is some dude named Hoyt Wilhelm, who played for a bunch of different teams and was inducted into the Hall in 1985. I feel dumb now for not knowing who he was!<br />
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So other than Edgar Martinez, who else was snubbed this year? Why Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, of course! And Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, and Manny Ramirez too. Sorry dudes - you juice, you lose! There are many who believe that these guys would have produced Hall-of-Fame-worthy numbers despite their use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), but to me that's not the point. They cheated, so they don't deserve enshrinement. One former baseball official even went as far as to say that these guys should be in the Hall because Babe Ruth is in the Hall, and Babe Ruth would not have been such a great player if he had faced some of the pitchers from the Negro Leagues. What??? What does one thing have to do with the other? That's like me saying that the meatloaf that I made for dinner wasn't tasty because it was raining outside. Reading that got me so worked up! But I took some deep breaths and am fine now; you just can't fix ignorant.<br />
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On a lighter note, pitchers and catchers will report to Spring Training in less than three weeks! Yeay - can you believe it?! But there are still some pretty good players (like Yu Darvish, Eric Hosmer, and Jake Arrieta) who haven't been signed yet - yikes! Let's hope these guys find jobs in the next couple of weeks, because they're all players who still have some good years left in them. If anything earth-shattering happens, you know I'll fill you in (despite not being a member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America).<br />
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<span style="color: #004000; font-family: "arial";"></span><br />Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-87117032420902998792018-01-06T08:28:00.000-08:002018-01-06T10:55:42.057-08:00New Year, New Trades, and New OpinionsHappy New Year, baseball fans! I took it upon myself to write a blog post today because it's a gazillion degrees below zero and I needed to think warm thoughts. Realizing that Spring Training starts in less than 40 days instantly warmed me right up with thoughts of pitchers casually tossing to catchers, rookies seeking advice from veteran players, and Adam Wainwright in a Speedo - I mean, in a uniform. So what has happened baseball-wise during the off-season? It hasn't been as exciting as in years past, but it has definitely been productive. Here's a run-down of who has been traded, who has been signed, and who is still unemployed.<br />
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The biggest news of the off-season was the signing of Japanese "phenom" Sohei Ohtani. This kid can both hit and pitch, so he was annoyingly being called "the next Babe Ruth." Don't do that, people - there's only ever going to be one overweight, difficult-to-get-along-with, womanizing alcoholic who was amazing on the field but an absolute mess in his personal life. I didn't fall for the Ohtani craze, because I think the kid has a lot of "proving himself" to do; not that Japanese baseball is inferior to Major League Baseball talent-wise (their players are just as good), but just because you kick ass in one league doesn't necessarily mean you're going to be the best in another one. The rumors of which team would sign Ohtani were all over the place - the Mariners need someone exciting, the Cardinals and Giants could use him as a pitcher who could actually hit, the Tigers could use him as a Designated Hitter... The kid ended up surprising everyone and signed with the Los Angeles Angels, so now he will team up with Mike Trout and Albert Pujols to provide some excitement to the American League fans in LA (by the way, do any of you still refer to this team as the California Angels or Anaheim Angels? I know - I'm old!). I'm OK with Ohtani being out west and I'm probably not going to see much of him because of it; I just hope he stays healthy, easily adjusts to life in the US, and if he really is as wonderful as they say he is, I hope it gives the sport of baseball a positive and uplifting boost.<br />
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Let's see... what else? Oh, Derek Jeter decided to become CEO and part owner of the Miami Marlins, and he's not being well received by the Miami media, the fans, or the players themselves. Those Marlins are going to be really really good... twenty years from now. To say that this will be a "rebuilding year" for the Marlins is quite the understatement - they got rid of MVP Giancarlo Stanton (welcome to the Yankees, Giancarlo!), second baseman Dee Gordon is now a center fielder for the Mariners, and Marcell Ozuna was sent to the Cardinals. Next on the trading block? Rumors point to Christian Yelich and J.T. Realmuto, and many Marlins players (current and former) have let their disapproval of these trades be known (gotta love when athletes tweet!). So who will make up the Marlins' roster this season? Let's hope they have a lot of young talent coming up for Spring Training, otherwise they'll have to ask one of the hot dog vendors at Marlins Park to grab a glove and play the outfield for a game or two. I personally think that Jeter secretly wants to come out of retirement as a Marlin and is getting rid of all his players in order to make room for himself. I say bring back Ozzie Guillen as manager, but I think I'm the only human being who wants that. Hey, Ozzie was a passionate guy - there's no denying that!<br />
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Then there's the soap opera of Manny Machado. The Orioles' best third baseman since Brooks Robinson is rumored to be either a Yankee or a Red Sox - both "Public Enemy Number One" teams of the Orioles. The Yankees claim that Machado wants to to be on a contending team, and the Red Sox just want him because the Yankees do. Machado reportedly wants to move to shortstop, but will Orioles fans allow him to achieve greatness at the position that will always belong to Cal Ripken? Here's another issue: Machado will become a free agent at the end of the 2018 season. What does that mean? Well, if I was the Orioles' GM, I would keep Machado at third base, trade him before the July 31st deadline to a contending team (since the Orioles have no pitching to contend and their closer, Zack Britton, ruptured his Achilles tendon last month), and get a bunch of prospects for him (so that us Frederick Keys fans have some up-and-coming players to watch in the Minors). I'm not bashing the O's season before it's even started; I'm just trying to be realistic. And Machado can be like Yu Darvish was this past season with the Dodgers - go to a contending team for a couple of months, play in the World Series, and then use your free agency to get yourself a hefty contract with another team right after that.<br />
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Oh wait! Yu Darvish is one of those free agents who hasn't been signed yet! He joins pitchers Jake Arrieta, Lance Lynn, and Alex Cobb, as well as J.D. Martinez, Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer, and Mike Moustakis in the list of top free agents who have yet to be signed by anyone. And for those of you who think that free agents never re-sign with the last team they played for, pitchers CC Sabathia and Brandon Kintzler signed to continue with the Yankees and Nationals, respectively. And rumor has it that the Nationals want to keep Bryce Harper even after he's eligible for free agency at the end of the 2018 season. So there you go - "franchise" players are still a thing!<br />
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Still unsigned and therefore unemployed are old men Jayson Werth and Ichiro Suzuki. Now, as much as I like Werth (my son dressed as him for Halloween one year, bearded mask and all), it's time for him to go and enjoy retirement (but don't drive too fast, Jayson; remember how that landed you in jail for a couple of days several years ago!). But Ichiro? Really? No one wants a 44-year-old right fielder who batted .255 with 3 home runs in 196 at-bats for the Marlins last year? Hey, the Marlins don't have ANYONE in the outfield - they may want to take this guy into consideration! If the Marlins don't want him, then someone should sign him just so he can retire with dignity and every team he visits can give him a proper farewell. Come on, Seattle Mariners - show some love to the guy who brought fans to your ballpark for many years and is likely to wear your cap in Cooperstown! <br />
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So there you have it, my friends - a recap of what has happened and what is to come for the 2018 baseball season. If Manny Machado ends up with the Yankees, make sure to check back with me because I will surely have plenty to say about that. In the meantime, stay warm, and please continue to pray for the people of Puerto Rico, who still suffer from plenty of power outages almost 4 months after hurricane María ripped through the island. Gracias, amigos! :-)Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-22519253270360024382017-11-17T09:51:00.000-08:002017-11-17T12:59:31.504-08:00Not Everyone Gets a TrophyPost-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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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. <br />
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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!<br />
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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!<br />
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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). <br />
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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.Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-80169089982313969672017-10-22T12:29:00.000-07:002017-10-22T12:29:54.689-07:00The Tall and Short of ItAt 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!"<br />
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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.<br />
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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!<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<br />Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-10617940970265062802017-09-24T11:31:00.004-07:002017-09-24T11:31:58.159-07:00To 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.<br />
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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...").<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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That, my friends, is just my opinion. :-)<br />
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<br />Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-3916466351122771162017-09-08T13:26:00.001-07:002017-09-08T13:26:30.881-07:00Mother and Son at the Ballpark (My Husband was There Too!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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. </div>
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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?).<br />
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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. <br />
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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).<br />
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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...<br />
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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.<br />
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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. <br />
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<br />Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-3606856909299415142017-08-18T12:04:00.000-07:002017-08-18T12:04:42.837-07:00Bucket 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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!<br />
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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.<br />
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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!<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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 ).<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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). <br />
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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. :-)Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-2080806814782659442017-08-01T07:32:00.000-07:002017-08-01T13:53:48.087-07:00"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.<br />
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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.<br />
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"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.<br />
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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!<br />
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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!Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-71724735094619769002017-07-12T11:17:00.000-07:002017-07-12T11:17:25.351-07:00Playing "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:<br />
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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.<br />
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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!<br />
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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.<br />
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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!<br />
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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.<br />
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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. :-(<br />
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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!). <br />
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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!Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-84002172940586915962017-06-18T09:43:00.001-07:002017-06-18T15:29:01.407-07:00My 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.<br />
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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.)<br />
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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. <br />
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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). <br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-10626863815891783402017-06-07T13:05:00.001-07:002017-06-07T13:05:17.489-07:00Submitting My Vote... Again and AgainIt'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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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. <br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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!<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-21292248252082653812017-05-30T11:06:00.000-07:002017-05-30T11:06:20.280-07:00Millionaire 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.<br />
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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?<br />
<br />
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!<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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!<br />
<br />
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. Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-22801449609422803952017-05-14T10:24:00.000-07:002017-05-14T10:36:34.264-07:00Bryce Harper, Money, and Loving Your MomIt'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.<br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
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:<br />
<br />
<table class="wikitable sortable jquery-tablesorter" style="width: 75%;"><tbody>
<tr><td>Four-time National League All-Star</td><td><div>
<br /></div>
</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td><div>
2012 Rookie of the Year</div>
<div>
2015 NL Most Valuable Player</div>
<div>
2015 ESPN MLB Player of the Year</div>
</td><td><br /></td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td><br /></td><td><br /></td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td><br /></td><td><br /></td><td><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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.<br />
<br />
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):<br />
<br />
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzFNT5at8Qk<br />
<br />
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. Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-46363511550597017872017-04-12T12:05:00.000-07:002017-04-12T12:56:27.168-07:00"See. You. Tater!"<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">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.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>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.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">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.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The play-by-play, the color
commentary, and the analysis of broadcasters and former players alike.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>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!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The Giants win
the pennant!”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We are quoting Russ
Hodges, who called Bobby Thomson’s “shot heard ‘round the world.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>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.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">Whether it was Bobby Thomson’s home run,
Roberto Clemente’s 3000<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> hit, or Cal Ripken’s 2131<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup>
consecutive game record in 1995, baseball fans have the video and audio of the
event ingrained in our minds forever.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>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.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Phil Rizzuto (“Holy cow!”), Vin Scully (“Losing
feels worse than winning feels good”), Harry Caray (“It could be, it might be…
it is!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>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.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">Locally, I couldn’t ask for better radio
and TV commentators.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Dave Jageler and
Charlie Slowes, who do the Nationals’ games on the radio, are very
entertaining.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They love giving us the
spelling of uncommon last names, and every time they spell one, someone in the
broadcast booth dings a bell.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Corny, but
entertaining (plus how else will you know how to spell Adeiny Hechavarría?).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>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.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>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.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>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.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "open sans"; margin: 0px;">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. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>My least favorite broadcast crew has to be the
Gary Thorne/Jim Palmer combination (sorry, Orioles fans!).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>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.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And Palmer, despite being an
excellent pitcher (so good that he’s in the Hall of Fame), is just boring and
way too anecdotal.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Jim, we know you
pitched in the 1966 World Series; you don’t have to bring it up during every
game.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He’s one of those classic “Back
when I was pitching…” kind of guys.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Super-nice, but should not be behind a microphone.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Just because you looked good in underwear
back in the day doesn’t mean you can do good color commentary.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "open sans"; margin: 0px;">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.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-5603991196374089092017-03-26T15:59:00.000-07:002017-03-26T15:59:26.345-07:00"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). <br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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 <i>The Baltimore Sun</i>'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?<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
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). <br />
<br />
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."Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-40385394551306420242017-03-01T10:21:00.000-08:002017-03-01T10:21:40.389-08:00"Slow down! You move too fast!"
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Over the past 35 years, the length of a regular-season
baseball game has increased by 30 minutes.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One thing MLB is proposing is to start the tenth inning of a
game with a runner already on second base.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Seriously?</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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. </span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do you put the guy
who was supposed to bat next?</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What if he
was going to hit a home run?</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You just
ruined it by putting him on base instead of giving him a chance to hit.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s like starting an overtime in football by
automatically putting the ball on the 20-yard line.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Plus don’t you have to play the bottom of the
inning anyway?</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Just dumb!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another suggestion was to make the game only 7 innings
instead of nine.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Really???</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Aren’t these guys making MILLIONS of dollars
to play a full game?</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do they have to
stop selling beer after the fifth inning?</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
And w <span style="font-family: Calibri;">ill a beer at Nationals Park cost $15 because there will be less beers sold due to games ending faster?</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Are they going to have the “Fifth Inning Stretch?”</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This one has definitely not been thought out
very well.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here’s one that is actually being implemented this year,
since it was approved by the Players Union:</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last year there was one intentional walk
every two-and-a-half games.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So if you’re
expecting this new rule to make a big difference. Don’t hold your breath.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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)?</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> I thought you'd never ask! </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here are some bullet points to
consider:</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 55px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Stop letting players step out of the batter’s
box after every pitch.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You had time to
stretch while on the on-deck circle – once you step up to bat, quit
dilly-dallying.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And if Hank says it’s unnecessary, I believe it. He's like John McCain talking about waterboarding - the guy knows his stuff!</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 55px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t let catchers have meetings on the
mound.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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!”</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Again, these guys are millionaires – they don’t need to be babied.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 55px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And
don’t allow managers to stall while his coaches are viewing the replay to see
if the manager should challenge or not.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Baseball players and managers are terrible
actors.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px 55px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Stop putting in a pitcher to pitch to one
guy.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The whole “lefty lefty matchup” or “righty
throwing to lefty” thing is something I have never understood.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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?</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It infuriates me when
a pitcher is credited with a win when he only pitched to one guy.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px 7px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So there you go, Commissioner
Manfred – this is one of the reasons I wanted your job before you took it from
me.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let’s see how this “intentional walk”
thing goes this season – surely I will have some insightful opinions about the
matter.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the meantime, we have a
couple of things to look forward to before Opening Day:</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We have Javier Baez, Carlos Correa, Carlos
Beltrán, and Francisco Lindor – watch out Dominican Republic; we’re going after
you!</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741097260325525442.post-26763609386830164802017-01-18T15:05:00.000-08:002017-01-18T15:05:07.220-08:00"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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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?)<br />
<br />
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!Mudville Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08910717841434004275noreply@blogger.com0