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.
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!).
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.
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!
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.
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! :-)
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