Happy 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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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!
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! :-)
Showing posts with label Albert Pujols. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Albert Pujols. Show all posts
Saturday, January 6, 2018
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
It's Almost Time! It's Almost Time!!!
Oh my goodness - are you all as tired of the cold weather as I am? Well Spring Training for Major League Baseball is just around the corner (pitchers and catchers report to camp starting February 17!), so warmer temperatures should soon follow (I hope!). What do we have to look forward to in the 2016 baseball season? Plenty!
- For starters, David Wright only needs 18 more home runs to pass Darryl Strawberry as the New York Mets' all-time home run leader. I followed the Mets back in Strawberry's day, but I'm OK with Wright passing him - Wright is a quiet yet consistent player - let's just hope none of those home runs come against the Nationals.
- Also worthy of note this season is Ichiro Suzuki, who is only 65 hits away from reaching 3000 MLB hits (he already reached that milestone if you count the hits he got while playing professionally in Japan). Everyone loves Ichiro (including me), so hey - go for it.
- Speaking of old guys, Albert Pujols and David Ortiz are very close to reaching the 500 home run/600 doubles club (joining Barry Bonds and Hank Aaron). Pujols needs 17 more doubles (doable), and poor "Papi" needs 16 (not so doable). But it's Ortiz's last season, so he'll enjoy all the attention and gifts he'll receive when he visits each city one last time even if he's too slow to steal any bases.
- And as much as I don't like Alex Rodriguez, I have to mention that he only needs 13 more home runs to reach 700. Whatever. On a brighter note, my man Miguel Cabrera only needs 8 doubles to reach 500. There's that.
- And what about the switch hitters? Well Carlos Beltrán (392) and Mike Teixeira (394) are looking to become only the fourth and fifth switch hitters to reach 400 home runs. Any idea who the other 3 are? Some guy named Mickey Mantle, a former Oriole by the name of Eddie Murray, and cutie-patootie Chipper Jones - not too shabby of a list, huh?
- What is WRONG with me - I still haven't mentioned any catchers! Well Yadier Molina (if he can stay healthy) will break the record for most games caught by a Cardinal. But "Yadi" is still recovering from thumb surgery, so we'll have to see how many times he can get behind the plate. Getting old, Yadi!
- And of course there's this year's Hall of Fame inductees - Mike Piazza and Ken Griffey, Jr - who will have their jersey numbers retired by the Mets and Mariners respectively. I was never a big Piazza fan, but you just couldn't help but love Griffey - his smile, his dedication, his commitment to the fans and the game. Cooperstown will be lucky to have him.
- As far as the young guys, last year's AL Rookie of the Year, Carlos Correa, needs 36 more home runs to pass A-Rod as the hitter with the most home runs at short stop at the age of 21 or younger. Yes, it's an obscure statistic, but since Correa is Puerto Rican, I had to mention it.
- Finally, it's important to note that the Dodgers' veteran broadcaster Vin Scully will be retiring for real at the end of this season. Scully has significantly cut back on the games that he does (home games only), but he is truly a broadcasting legend who will be deeply missed by Dodger fans (I'm not going to miss him, because I don't get Dodger home games in my neck of the woods).
- Will the Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton have his first 40-home run season ever? (I hope not!)
- Will the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw have his third career sub-2.00 ERA season? The last pitcher to do that was Sandy Koufax, and that was a LONG time ago!
- Will Nolan Arenado win his fourth Gold Glove award? If so, he would be the first player since Ichiro to do so in his first 4 years in the Majors.
- Will the Chicago Cubs have their first 100-win season since 1935? I hope so!
- Will the National's Bryce Harper (last season's NL MVP) win the Triple Crown? I highly doubt it, because RBIs have been hard to come by for the Nationals, but it will be fun to watch him try. Let's hope he stays healthy and continues to grow up (he matured nicely this past season, so hopefully the tantrum days are long past).
- Will my husband and I visit more ballparks this season? Well we're at least going to Philadelphia, so there's that. My quest to visit all 30 ballparks is taking way longer than expected!
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Hello there, fellow baseball fans! What's happenin'? Well I'll tell you what's happening - Chris Heston, a 27-year-old rookie pitcher making just his 13th start for the San Francisco Giants, threw a no-hitter last night against the New York Mets at Citi Field. I tuned in during the ninth innings with two outs, so I was able to enjoy the thrill of the no-hitter without the stress of sitting through a whole game wondering if the no-hitter was going to be broken. Watching a no-hitter never gets old, and what made it interesting is that Heston actually hit three batters during the game! Another interesting fact is that the Giants' catcher, Buster Posey, has now caught three no-hitters, which puts him in second place after the Red Sox's Jason Varitek, who caught four in his career. You know me - I have to take a story and turn it so that the catcher looks good! (And if you read this blog regularly, you already knew that Iván Rodriguez caught 2 no-hitters in his career)
That was the "good." The "bad" is that the Washington Nationals have lost 9 of their last 11 games. They're still only half a game out of first place (because no one else in the NL East seems to want to win), but they're playing some terrible baseball. Bryce Harper and Yunel Escobar seem to be the only ones hitting, 2 of their starting pitchers (Stephen Strasburg and Doug Fister) are on the Disabled List, and their bullpen just plain old sucks (except for their closer, Drew Storen, who hasn't seen much action lately). It's very disappointing, though the season isn't even half over yet, and us "glass-half-full" people are trying to stay positive. Luckily the Nationals don't play against the Mets until July, so they have some time to get their stuff together.
And now for the "ugly." Staying with the Nationals for a minute... Shortstop Ian Desmond has committed FOURTEEN errors this season. Who DOES that? Do you think I would still have my job if I made 14 errors in 9 weeks? And Desmond makes WAY more money than I do! The thing is, they keep putting him in the lineup every day, and I think he just needs to sit out a game or two - a "mental health day" of sorts. They have several guys (Escobar, Espinosa, Rendón) who can play shortstop while Desmond clears his head - and they probably wouldn't commit any errors! It is so frustrating, because he's missing some pretty basic little-league-type plays; maybe he needs to get his eyes checked? Seriously - how often do baseball players get eye exams? I hope that's part of a routine physical at the beginning of each season; in Desmond's case, I would send him to an eye doctor right away.
Now in order to not end this blog post on a negative note, let me also mention that the Angels' Albert Pujols tied Mickey Mantle for 16th on the all-time home runs list with number 536. That's pretty cool - anyone who has the potential to cleanly pass Barry Bonds on the list is a cool dude in my book. Also hitting a home run on the same day was the Houston Astros' Carlos Correa. This was his first homer (a long way from Pujol's 536) - but any time a kid makes his Major League debut and hit his first homer in the same week, that's pretty special. And Correa is Puerto Rican (not a catcher), so there's that coolness factor as well.
So there you have it - highlights (and lowlights) from this week's baseball action so far. See how I write more often when there's actually stuff about which to write? Let's hope the next few weeks bring more excitement - I need to have things to write about once school is out and I'm done with work for the summer!
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Happy Homers and Happy Birthday!
When the Anaheim Angels arrived in Washington, DC earlier this week to take on the Washington Nationals, all the talk was about phenoms Mike Trout and Bryce Harper playing against each other. Both young outfielders won the Rookie of the Year award for their respective leagues in 2012, and both are hard-working, hustling guys who play the game hard (except Trout is having a better season than Harper so far, plus he does commercials for Subway and Bryce does not). Another reason that this series was under the radar of baseball fans was that José Alberto Pujols (known to everyone in the world except his family as "Albert"), was coming to DC with 498 career home runs under his belt. After having the worst season of his career in 2013, most people (including me) thought that he may hit number 499 during the series, but 500 didn't seem likely for a few more days.
Well, at Tuesday night's game with the Nationals' Taylor Jordan on the mound, Albert Pujols became the only player to hit home runs 499 and 500 in the same game. He is one of only 26 players to reach the 500 home run milestone, and is only 5 homers away from passing Hall of Famer Eddie Murray. Pujols is only the fourth player in the 500 Home Run Club to be born outside of the US, with Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, and Manny Ramirez being the other 3 (with Pujols being the only one who has never been implicated in any kind of steroid scandal). He's one of those Derek Jeter-type of likable guys who gives money to charity and loves playing the game. Pujols is a true family man, having created a foundation with his wife to increase awareness of Down's Syndrome (a condition that one of his children has). Oh, and I can say I saw him play twice - as a St. Louis Cardinal against the Nationals in 2012 and as an Angel against the Orioles in 2013.
Instead of filling my post with all sorts of statistics and listing all the accolades that Pujols has earned during his Major League tenure both with the Angels and the Cardinals, I surfed the Internet looking for the most interesting fact that I could find on Albert and here's what I found in Wikipedia (you can choose to believe it or discard it): Albert Pujols scored a perfect 100 on his citizenship exam when he became a U.S. citizen in 2007. Have you SEEN some of the questions on that exam? Pretty impressive, if you ask me.
Also worth noting is that Chicago's Wrigley Field, home of the sorry Cubs, is celebrating its 100th birthday. "The Friendly Confines," with its ivy-covered outfield and manual scoreboard, is an icon of baseball history, having housed players like Ernie Banks (who I was surprised is still alive!), Ferguson Jenkins, Ryne Sandberg, and Andre Dawson. Like Busch Stadium in St. Louis, I've only been to the outside of this historic ballpark, but I'm hoping to visit in the next couple of years. I'm sure the bathrooms smell like 100 years of pee and the concession stands and concourse area are cramped, but it's a piece of Americana that all baseball fans must visit. Happy centennial, Wrigley Field, and "felicidades" to José Alberto Pujols!
Monday, March 31, 2014
"Gettin' Jiggy" with Miggy :-)
Opening Day is finally here, my friends! Actually, the season began last night with the San Diego Padres hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers in a game that was blown by Brian Wilson (you know, the hairy guy who has been struggling for the past couple of years). The Padres scored 3 runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to beat the Dodgers 3-1.
Before the season gets too far underway, I want to address two topics that I've been asked to write about and express my opinion (yes, someone out there is actually reading this blog regularly and wants my expert opinion on a few things!). First is the $292 million contract that Miguel Cabrera signed with the Detroit Tigers through 2023, and second is my predictions for the 2014 season.
As many of you know, I am a big fan of Miguel Cabrera, and seeing him play in Cleveland last summer was a highlight for me. The 2012 Triple Crown winner and 2013 MVP is one of those players that only come around once in a lifetime - that kind of player that you tell your grandkids about and whose baseball cards will be worth a lot of money someday. But Miggy is also getting bigger (now reportedly up to 260 pounds), slower, and more prone to injury (last season he missed several games with back issues). Ten years is a LONG time for anyone to commit to a player, especially one who is already over 30 years old. It makes me think of the long-term contract that Alex Rodriguez signed with the Yankees a while back - I forget how that one turned out! Then there's Albert Pujols - how did he do last year again? The amount of money the Tigers want to pay Miggy doesn't bother me since baseball players are overpaid anyway; it's the number of years in the contract that I think is excessive. Yes, he can prolong his career as a designated hitter, but 10 more years? Really? A little much, if you ask me.
Now as far as my predictions for this season, this may come as a shock to you, but I don't think I'm going to make any. I know, it's kind of a cop-out, but with 162 games in a season, anything can happen. Yes, I would love to say that the Nationals will win the NL East and the Pirates will reach the playoffs again, but so much can happen between now and September. Look at the Atlanta Braves, who played so well last year and are now starting their season with half of their players on the Disabled List. And how about the Toronto Blue Jays, who were supposed to be the be-all end-all last season - will they fare any batter than last year? And without Mariano Rivera, will the Yankees suck this season? Well they got 4 key players during the offseason - Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltrán, Brian McCann, and Masahiro Tanaka; but they only look good on paper at this point. I could pull out all sorts of rankings and statistics and SABR-metrics numbers to support my predictions, but all I can do is tell you which team I would LIKE to see in the playoffs - not necessarily the teams that the bettors in Vegas are picking. And really, after seeing our NCAA basketball brackets ruined after the first round of March Madness, can statistics really tell us everything? So here are the teams I like and my un-scientific reasons for liking them.
AL EAST: I'm going to root for the Baltimore Orioles. They were a mess in the off-season and didn't get their act together until early March, when they signed a bunch of last-minute players and made some impromptu trades. Yes, Manny Machado is starting the season on the DL, but we all know that one guy does not a team make, so why not root for the team that played so well during Spring Training?
AL CENTRAL: I want to see the Kansas City Royals play in the postseason. Really, I do. They went 86-76 last year, and if it hadn't been for the 12-game losing streak they had, they would have contended. I'm picking the Royals and I'm not changing my mind. Sorry, Tigers and Indians!
AL WEST: This is one division about which I never really cared. I guess I'll pick the low-budget Oakland A's even though the Mariners now have Robinson Canó and the Angels have hottie Mike Trout. They have great pitchers and very good defensive players, so they should do well.
NL EAST: I don't know if this is jinxing my team, but I'm going to go ahead and pick the Nationals. The Braves annoy me, the Mets are a mess, the Marlins have no one except for José Fernandez, and the Phillies might as well turn their clubhouse into a nursing home. The Nationals have a solid pitching rotation (even with Doug Fister starting the season on the DL), guys who can hit, and a feisty new manager. And we're going to 5 games this season, so they better play well!
NL CENTRAL: How can you not root for the Pittsburgh Pirates? Those of us who are sick of the Cardinals have embraced the Pirates and their never-give-up attitude. Plus they're opening the season against the Cubs at home, so what more of a confidence boost does a team need?
NL WEST: I am determined to not pick the Dodgers (since everyone else is), so I'm going to go with the San Diego Padres. I don't think they will win their division outright, but I believe they can get a wild-card spot and make the playoffs with their decent pitching. Now if they could only get rid of those ugly camo uniforms that they wear on Sundays during home games!
As you can see, my picks are purely based on my shallow opinions and do not carry any statistical weight whatsoever. It took me exactly 20 minutes to come up with my selections - this way if I totally blow it, I won't feel like a total failure who spent way too much time analyzing data.
All I know is that it's finally time to play ball. Time for seventh-inning stretches, racing presidents (and sausages), and injury reports (short ones, hopefully). Enjoy the season, and keep checking in for my thoughts, insights, and of course, my unfiltered opinions. Let's go Nats! :-)
Before the season gets too far underway, I want to address two topics that I've been asked to write about and express my opinion (yes, someone out there is actually reading this blog regularly and wants my expert opinion on a few things!). First is the $292 million contract that Miguel Cabrera signed with the Detroit Tigers through 2023, and second is my predictions for the 2014 season.
As many of you know, I am a big fan of Miguel Cabrera, and seeing him play in Cleveland last summer was a highlight for me. The 2012 Triple Crown winner and 2013 MVP is one of those players that only come around once in a lifetime - that kind of player that you tell your grandkids about and whose baseball cards will be worth a lot of money someday. But Miggy is also getting bigger (now reportedly up to 260 pounds), slower, and more prone to injury (last season he missed several games with back issues). Ten years is a LONG time for anyone to commit to a player, especially one who is already over 30 years old. It makes me think of the long-term contract that Alex Rodriguez signed with the Yankees a while back - I forget how that one turned out! Then there's Albert Pujols - how did he do last year again? The amount of money the Tigers want to pay Miggy doesn't bother me since baseball players are overpaid anyway; it's the number of years in the contract that I think is excessive. Yes, he can prolong his career as a designated hitter, but 10 more years? Really? A little much, if you ask me.
Now as far as my predictions for this season, this may come as a shock to you, but I don't think I'm going to make any. I know, it's kind of a cop-out, but with 162 games in a season, anything can happen. Yes, I would love to say that the Nationals will win the NL East and the Pirates will reach the playoffs again, but so much can happen between now and September. Look at the Atlanta Braves, who played so well last year and are now starting their season with half of their players on the Disabled List. And how about the Toronto Blue Jays, who were supposed to be the be-all end-all last season - will they fare any batter than last year? And without Mariano Rivera, will the Yankees suck this season? Well they got 4 key players during the offseason - Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltrán, Brian McCann, and Masahiro Tanaka; but they only look good on paper at this point. I could pull out all sorts of rankings and statistics and SABR-metrics numbers to support my predictions, but all I can do is tell you which team I would LIKE to see in the playoffs - not necessarily the teams that the bettors in Vegas are picking. And really, after seeing our NCAA basketball brackets ruined after the first round of March Madness, can statistics really tell us everything? So here are the teams I like and my un-scientific reasons for liking them.
AL EAST: I'm going to root for the Baltimore Orioles. They were a mess in the off-season and didn't get their act together until early March, when they signed a bunch of last-minute players and made some impromptu trades. Yes, Manny Machado is starting the season on the DL, but we all know that one guy does not a team make, so why not root for the team that played so well during Spring Training?
AL CENTRAL: I want to see the Kansas City Royals play in the postseason. Really, I do. They went 86-76 last year, and if it hadn't been for the 12-game losing streak they had, they would have contended. I'm picking the Royals and I'm not changing my mind. Sorry, Tigers and Indians!
AL WEST: This is one division about which I never really cared. I guess I'll pick the low-budget Oakland A's even though the Mariners now have Robinson Canó and the Angels have hottie Mike Trout. They have great pitchers and very good defensive players, so they should do well.
NL EAST: I don't know if this is jinxing my team, but I'm going to go ahead and pick the Nationals. The Braves annoy me, the Mets are a mess, the Marlins have no one except for José Fernandez, and the Phillies might as well turn their clubhouse into a nursing home. The Nationals have a solid pitching rotation (even with Doug Fister starting the season on the DL), guys who can hit, and a feisty new manager. And we're going to 5 games this season, so they better play well!
NL CENTRAL: How can you not root for the Pittsburgh Pirates? Those of us who are sick of the Cardinals have embraced the Pirates and their never-give-up attitude. Plus they're opening the season against the Cubs at home, so what more of a confidence boost does a team need?
NL WEST: I am determined to not pick the Dodgers (since everyone else is), so I'm going to go with the San Diego Padres. I don't think they will win their division outright, but I believe they can get a wild-card spot and make the playoffs with their decent pitching. Now if they could only get rid of those ugly camo uniforms that they wear on Sundays during home games!
As you can see, my picks are purely based on my shallow opinions and do not carry any statistical weight whatsoever. It took me exactly 20 minutes to come up with my selections - this way if I totally blow it, I won't feel like a total failure who spent way too much time analyzing data.
All I know is that it's finally time to play ball. Time for seventh-inning stretches, racing presidents (and sausages), and injury reports (short ones, hopefully). Enjoy the season, and keep checking in for my thoughts, insights, and of course, my unfiltered opinions. Let's go Nats! :-)
Thursday, September 27, 2012
"You Don't LOOK Hispanic!"
One of the many great things about sports is that people of different races, religions, and ethnic backgrounds can play together regardless of their differences. Gone are the days when Jackie Robinson was spit on by racist fans. Blacks and whites, Hispanics and Canadians, Christians and Jews - they can all play together in unified harmony. Rivalries exist between cities and their teams - not races and their skin colors.
But despite integration, some ethnic groups still like to single themselves out, and they do so with plenty of pride. For example, each February during Black History Month, the media floods us with movies, biographies, and stories of great African-American people in history. In September, which is Hispanic Heritage Month, different cities around the country have "Latino Festivals," baseball teams have "Hispanic Heritage Day" at their ball parks, and newspapers feature stories of Hispanic activists who have made a difference in their communities. We like blending in with the masses, but we also take pride in who we are and from where we came.
In commemoration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Major League Baseball polled a "series of experts" to put together the "All-Time Latino Team." Being a proud Puerto Rican, I was very interested to see how many of my fellow islanders had made the list and if I agreed with everyone who was selected. As I read down the list, I pretty much agreed with the "experts" on the different legendary players chosen. It wasn't until I got towards the end that my face got red, my eyes bulged out of my head, and I got downright angry. I was so taken aback by two of the selections that I had to go down to the basement so my kids didn't see how upset and wound up I was (I know; it's only a list, but you know me - I'm pretty passionate about all things baseball). Here is the All-Time Latino Team - see if you can guess what set me off:
Manager - 1994 Manager of the Year Felipe Alou. It was probably between him and Ozzie Guillen, so I was OK with Alou.
Right-handed pitcher - Juan Marichal. With his career ERA of 2.29, he deserves to be there over Pedro Martinez.
Left-handed pitcher - Fernando Valenzuela. Yeah, I can see that, even though "Lefty" Gomez and Johan Santana could have made it too.
Relief pitcher - Mariano Rivera hands-down. That guy is some sort of alien or superhuman or something. I wouldn't be surprised if he came back after his knee injury and pitched game 7 of the World Series this year.
Designated hitter - Edgar Martinez, whose .312 career batting average and .418 on-base percentage make him worthy of being on the list (though some would argue that "Big Papi" David Ortiz is also qualified).
Catcher - 12-time All-Star Iván Rodriguez. Hello! No-brainer! If "Pudge" hadn't been selected, I would have exploded. Javy Lopez, Yadier Molina, Jorge Posada and Manny Sanguillen would have also been good choices, but Iván deserves it, hands-down (actually, one hand behind your back and the other framing the next pitch!)..
First base - Three-time National League MVP, Albert Pujols. I'm OK with this one. It would have been nice to see Orlando Cepeda or Vic Power, but Albert is a true talent, so he deserves to be there.
Second base - 2011 Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar. Another no-brainer, though Robinson Canó is turning out to be just as good.
Third base - Alex Rodriguez. Sigh! Whatever. I was still feeling OK at this point despite not being a fan of A-Rod. Plus, A-Rod is not worth my time, so I refused to stress out about that one.
Shortstop - Nine-time Gold Glover Luis Aparicio. That's fine, though Omar Vizquel is the best shortstop of my generation. Still feeling OK with the list so far.
Right field - Roberto Clemente. Duh! Again, if he had not been chosen, I would have had such a fit that I would have requited a massive dose of sedation.
OK, now here's where I have a problem with the list. The other two outfielders selected were Ted Williams and Reggie Jackson! Who??? What the heck?!? Since when are THEY considered "Latinos?" Apparently Ted Williams' mother was "of Mexican descent," and Reggie Jackson's father was half Puerto Rican. What about current players like José Bautista and Carlos Beltrán? Or past players like Minnie Miñoso, Vladimir Guerrero, Rubén Sierra, Bernie Williams or José Cruuuuuuz? Ted and Reggie... really??? Ted Williams admitted that he didn't speak Spanish or seek to embrace the Hispanic culture in order to prevent prejudice or tension (a valid point back in the day, if you're a coward!). Reggie Jackson speaks some Spanish and his first wife was Hispanic, but at no point during his time playing winter baseball in Puerto Rico was it publicly acknowledged that he was a Latino. I thought "If they're considered Hispanic, then I'm the 'reina de Inglaterra' (Queen of England, for those of you who don't "habla español)." So I went to bed in a tizzy, promising myself to write about it the next day.
So it's now the next day, and I've had some time to ponder. What makes one person more "Hispanic" than another? Is it the quantity of "hispanicness" in your genetic makeup, or the quality of your life and the way you were raised? I am 100% Puerto Rican, with parents whose ancestors date back to the native Taíno Indians who lived on the island before Christopher Columbus arrived or back to the Spanish "conquistadores" who brought African slaves with them and settled on the island. But it's not so cut-and-dry for other Hispanics. My kids, for example, have a Puerto Rican mother and a white-as-can-be father. Are they any less Hispanic than me? How about the people I knew when I lived in Massachusetts, whose parents were both Puerto Rican but they themselves were born on the mainland and had never been to Puerto Rico - are they less Puerto Rican than Roberto Clemente, who was of African lineage? They speak the language, eat the food, and listen to the music of their fellow Puerto Ricans, but are they less "boricua" because they've never been to Puerto Rico? Don't try to tell them that they are - they will run you out of town while furiously waving their one-starred flags!
I guess what bothers me the most is that, while Williams and Jackson were great players in their time, did they embrace their Hispanic heritage? Were they Latinos first and foremost? Do they know the National Anthem of their country and proudly fly its flag? They don't have to be fully bilingual nor do they have to eat re fried beans (which I don't eat myself); they just need (or needed, in Williams' case) to embrace their culture, take pride in their heritage, and represent their ethnicity with dignity. While some would argue that ethnicity should not matter, It does matter to those of us who take pride in ours, and if you don't want us to single ourselves out, then don't be putting together an all-time greats list that singles out a certain ethnicity.
Stay tuned for my analysis and opinion after Major League Baseball releases its "All-Time Jehovah's Witness Team" and "All-Time Vegetarian List."
But despite integration, some ethnic groups still like to single themselves out, and they do so with plenty of pride. For example, each February during Black History Month, the media floods us with movies, biographies, and stories of great African-American people in history. In September, which is Hispanic Heritage Month, different cities around the country have "Latino Festivals," baseball teams have "Hispanic Heritage Day" at their ball parks, and newspapers feature stories of Hispanic activists who have made a difference in their communities. We like blending in with the masses, but we also take pride in who we are and from where we came.
In commemoration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Major League Baseball polled a "series of experts" to put together the "All-Time Latino Team." Being a proud Puerto Rican, I was very interested to see how many of my fellow islanders had made the list and if I agreed with everyone who was selected. As I read down the list, I pretty much agreed with the "experts" on the different legendary players chosen. It wasn't until I got towards the end that my face got red, my eyes bulged out of my head, and I got downright angry. I was so taken aback by two of the selections that I had to go down to the basement so my kids didn't see how upset and wound up I was (I know; it's only a list, but you know me - I'm pretty passionate about all things baseball). Here is the All-Time Latino Team - see if you can guess what set me off:
Manager - 1994 Manager of the Year Felipe Alou. It was probably between him and Ozzie Guillen, so I was OK with Alou.
Right-handed pitcher - Juan Marichal. With his career ERA of 2.29, he deserves to be there over Pedro Martinez.
Left-handed pitcher - Fernando Valenzuela. Yeah, I can see that, even though "Lefty" Gomez and Johan Santana could have made it too.
Relief pitcher - Mariano Rivera hands-down. That guy is some sort of alien or superhuman or something. I wouldn't be surprised if he came back after his knee injury and pitched game 7 of the World Series this year.
Designated hitter - Edgar Martinez, whose .312 career batting average and .418 on-base percentage make him worthy of being on the list (though some would argue that "Big Papi" David Ortiz is also qualified).
Catcher - 12-time All-Star Iván Rodriguez. Hello! No-brainer! If "Pudge" hadn't been selected, I would have exploded. Javy Lopez, Yadier Molina, Jorge Posada and Manny Sanguillen would have also been good choices, but Iván deserves it, hands-down (actually, one hand behind your back and the other framing the next pitch!)..
First base - Three-time National League MVP, Albert Pujols. I'm OK with this one. It would have been nice to see Orlando Cepeda or Vic Power, but Albert is a true talent, so he deserves to be there.
Second base - 2011 Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar. Another no-brainer, though Robinson Canó is turning out to be just as good.
Third base - Alex Rodriguez. Sigh! Whatever. I was still feeling OK at this point despite not being a fan of A-Rod. Plus, A-Rod is not worth my time, so I refused to stress out about that one.
Shortstop - Nine-time Gold Glover Luis Aparicio. That's fine, though Omar Vizquel is the best shortstop of my generation. Still feeling OK with the list so far.
Right field - Roberto Clemente. Duh! Again, if he had not been chosen, I would have had such a fit that I would have requited a massive dose of sedation.
OK, now here's where I have a problem with the list. The other two outfielders selected were Ted Williams and Reggie Jackson! Who??? What the heck?!? Since when are THEY considered "Latinos?" Apparently Ted Williams' mother was "of Mexican descent," and Reggie Jackson's father was half Puerto Rican. What about current players like José Bautista and Carlos Beltrán? Or past players like Minnie Miñoso, Vladimir Guerrero, Rubén Sierra, Bernie Williams or José Cruuuuuuz? Ted and Reggie... really??? Ted Williams admitted that he didn't speak Spanish or seek to embrace the Hispanic culture in order to prevent prejudice or tension (a valid point back in the day, if you're a coward!). Reggie Jackson speaks some Spanish and his first wife was Hispanic, but at no point during his time playing winter baseball in Puerto Rico was it publicly acknowledged that he was a Latino. I thought "If they're considered Hispanic, then I'm the 'reina de Inglaterra' (Queen of England, for those of you who don't "habla español)." So I went to bed in a tizzy, promising myself to write about it the next day.
So it's now the next day, and I've had some time to ponder. What makes one person more "Hispanic" than another? Is it the quantity of "hispanicness" in your genetic makeup, or the quality of your life and the way you were raised? I am 100% Puerto Rican, with parents whose ancestors date back to the native Taíno Indians who lived on the island before Christopher Columbus arrived or back to the Spanish "conquistadores" who brought African slaves with them and settled on the island. But it's not so cut-and-dry for other Hispanics. My kids, for example, have a Puerto Rican mother and a white-as-can-be father. Are they any less Hispanic than me? How about the people I knew when I lived in Massachusetts, whose parents were both Puerto Rican but they themselves were born on the mainland and had never been to Puerto Rico - are they less Puerto Rican than Roberto Clemente, who was of African lineage? They speak the language, eat the food, and listen to the music of their fellow Puerto Ricans, but are they less "boricua" because they've never been to Puerto Rico? Don't try to tell them that they are - they will run you out of town while furiously waving their one-starred flags!
I guess what bothers me the most is that, while Williams and Jackson were great players in their time, did they embrace their Hispanic heritage? Were they Latinos first and foremost? Do they know the National Anthem of their country and proudly fly its flag? They don't have to be fully bilingual nor do they have to eat re fried beans (which I don't eat myself); they just need (or needed, in Williams' case) to embrace their culture, take pride in their heritage, and represent their ethnicity with dignity. While some would argue that ethnicity should not matter, It does matter to those of us who take pride in ours, and if you don't want us to single ourselves out, then don't be putting together an all-time greats list that singles out a certain ethnicity.
Stay tuned for my analysis and opinion after Major League Baseball releases its "All-Time Jehovah's Witness Team" and "All-Time Vegetarian List."
Friday, March 23, 2012
What a Long, Strange Month it's Been!
Hello, my friends! It's been quite a while since I've blogged to you all - it's been a crazy month of March trying to juggle my jobs, my family responsibilities, and my other blogs. I'm still blogging for http://www.prosportsblogging.com/, but I have also picked up a gig with our local paper, http://www.fredericknewspost.com/ (click on BLOGS and mine is the "Nationals Inquirier"). I am strictly a Washington Nationals blogger for both sites, so I'm glad I still have this space to myself, where I can bash, I mean, write, about anything baseball, not just Nationals-related topics.
So what's been going on in baseball land? Spring Training is winding down, and some teams are giddy with excitement over their new acquisitions. The Detroit Tigers are tearing up the Grapefruit League with a 13-3 record, and they like to brag about now having Prince Fielder on their team. The Los Angeles Angels are happy with their acquisition of Albert Pujols, and the New York Yankees have welcomed pitcher Andy Pettite out of retirement.
And how about players who return to last year's teams? Matt Holliday has been tearing it up this year, batting .484 with a nice little 10-game hitting streak to his name. Us Cardinals dis-likers hope that he's peaking too soon.
And what's a Mudville Mom post without a comment about the Phillies? They're struggling so far this year with injuries and they lost some players during the off-season - it seems like Roy Halliday is the only guy who wants to play this season. Let's hope they stink this year - I need a reason to trash-talk with Phillies fans!
In all seriousness, the headline that caught my eye this week was Atlanta Braves' third baseman Chipper Jones announcing his retirement at the end of the 2012 season. I have always liked Larry Wayne Jones - he is the quintessential franchise player who gave his all every day, and when people thought he was done after his 2010 and 2011 injuries, he insisted on not ending his career because of an injury. He will be in the Hall of Fame someday, along with all those other Braves greats like Dale Murphy, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Greg Maddux.
And in case you're wondering what's up with my dear Iván Rodriguez (what's a blog post without my mention of "Pudge!"), he's still technically a free agent, but no one seems to be interested in signing a 40-year-old catcher. The Kansas City Royals had shown some interest, but the last thing I read was that he was contemplating retirement. Poor guy - he just wanted the opportunity to try for 3000 hits, so he could share the honor with fellow Puerto Rican Roberto Clemente, but it doesn't look like it's going to be. If he doesn't get signed and does end up retiring, I guess we can make our reservations for his 2017 enshrinement in Cooperstown.
So the start of the 2012 season is less than two weeks away, and I'm getting excited. We have tickets for 4 Nationals games this year, including the home opener against Cincinnati and an inter-league game against the Yankees - I know, I've said before that I don't like inter-league play during the regular season, but who can turn down the opportunity to see Robinson Canó? Stay tuned for my insight as the season begins, and thank you as always for your support of my blog! :-)
So what's been going on in baseball land? Spring Training is winding down, and some teams are giddy with excitement over their new acquisitions. The Detroit Tigers are tearing up the Grapefruit League with a 13-3 record, and they like to brag about now having Prince Fielder on their team. The Los Angeles Angels are happy with their acquisition of Albert Pujols, and the New York Yankees have welcomed pitcher Andy Pettite out of retirement.
And how about players who return to last year's teams? Matt Holliday has been tearing it up this year, batting .484 with a nice little 10-game hitting streak to his name. Us Cardinals dis-likers hope that he's peaking too soon.
And what's a Mudville Mom post without a comment about the Phillies? They're struggling so far this year with injuries and they lost some players during the off-season - it seems like Roy Halliday is the only guy who wants to play this season. Let's hope they stink this year - I need a reason to trash-talk with Phillies fans!
In all seriousness, the headline that caught my eye this week was Atlanta Braves' third baseman Chipper Jones announcing his retirement at the end of the 2012 season. I have always liked Larry Wayne Jones - he is the quintessential franchise player who gave his all every day, and when people thought he was done after his 2010 and 2011 injuries, he insisted on not ending his career because of an injury. He will be in the Hall of Fame someday, along with all those other Braves greats like Dale Murphy, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Greg Maddux.
And in case you're wondering what's up with my dear Iván Rodriguez (what's a blog post without my mention of "Pudge!"), he's still technically a free agent, but no one seems to be interested in signing a 40-year-old catcher. The Kansas City Royals had shown some interest, but the last thing I read was that he was contemplating retirement. Poor guy - he just wanted the opportunity to try for 3000 hits, so he could share the honor with fellow Puerto Rican Roberto Clemente, but it doesn't look like it's going to be. If he doesn't get signed and does end up retiring, I guess we can make our reservations for his 2017 enshrinement in Cooperstown.
So the start of the 2012 season is less than two weeks away, and I'm getting excited. We have tickets for 4 Nationals games this year, including the home opener against Cincinnati and an inter-league game against the Yankees - I know, I've said before that I don't like inter-league play during the regular season, but who can turn down the opportunity to see Robinson Canó? Stay tuned for my insight as the season begins, and thank you as always for your support of my blog! :-)
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Show me the Money!
The main reason that I chose to get my Master's degree in Sport Management was so I could become a baseball agent. Jerry Maguire was going to have nothin' on me - I was going to be scouting and signing players, going to all kinds of baseball games for free, and meeting all sorts of famous people while traveling all over the country. Life ended up taking me in a different direction, and I'm actually glad that my sports-agent dreams did not come to fruition. The money-side of baseball is very complex, and baseball players make way more money than they need to while sometimes being treated like cattle.
While current events in baseball's off-season are headlined by player trades and team acquisitions, record-breaking contract signings have been the talk of the "Hot Stove Season" (Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder come to mind, with Fielder just committing yesterday to a 9-year, $214-million deal with the Detroit Tigers, where his father, Cecil Fielder played back in the 80s). But did you know that baseball executives also have to renew their contracts during the off-season? Major League Baseball Commissioner, Bud Selig, was not spared the joy of signing a new contract recently, with a hefty new pay raise attached to it.
When I heard that Mr. Selig signed a new contract, first I was disappointed (it should come as no surprise to my blog readers that I am not a fan of Mr. Selig). Then when I found out how much money he was and will be making, I almost fell over in disbelief. Each baseball team had been paying Bud $600,000, which multiplied by 30 teams means that he was making $18 million a year! Who knew? I thought maybe he made a million or so, but eighteen??? Well now that he has a new contract, that 18 million has gone up, and now Mr. Selig will be making $22 million a year! That is just unheard of! The only good thing about that is that maybe now he can buy himself a personality!
There have only been nine Commissioners in Major League Baseball so far (though it seems like Bud has had the job forever!), and I guess they've all been paid a hefty salary (Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, MLB's first Commissioner, was paid $42,500 back in the 1920s). But you just don't typically think of these guys making a lot of money - they don't wear a uniform, they don't appear on cereal boxes, and they don't hit home runs. But they do help keep the game of baseball going, and they have implemented policies and procedures that have preserved the integrity of the game (like Selig's harsh ban on performance-enhancing drugs - you get caught with some of those in your system and you're out for 50 games). Don't get me wrong; Commissioners have come up with some pretty dumb ideas too, like inter-league play and the lifetime ban of Pete Rose (he shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame, but he would make a pretty good hitting coach!). But overall, Commissioners have brought us baseball fans a lot of pretty good things, like the Wild Card playoffs, the home-field advantage for the World Series to the League that wins the All-Star Game, and the realignment that brought the Atlanta Braves back to the National League East. Of course, I could do a way better job than Mr. Selig for way less money, but I don't think the opportunity will ever come up.
Oh, and speaking of money and contracts, did you see that pitcher Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants agreed to a two-year, $40.5 million deal? Perhaps Tim can now afford to cut his hair!
While current events in baseball's off-season are headlined by player trades and team acquisitions, record-breaking contract signings have been the talk of the "Hot Stove Season" (Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder come to mind, with Fielder just committing yesterday to a 9-year, $214-million deal with the Detroit Tigers, where his father, Cecil Fielder played back in the 80s). But did you know that baseball executives also have to renew their contracts during the off-season? Major League Baseball Commissioner, Bud Selig, was not spared the joy of signing a new contract recently, with a hefty new pay raise attached to it.
When I heard that Mr. Selig signed a new contract, first I was disappointed (it should come as no surprise to my blog readers that I am not a fan of Mr. Selig). Then when I found out how much money he was and will be making, I almost fell over in disbelief. Each baseball team had been paying Bud $600,000, which multiplied by 30 teams means that he was making $18 million a year! Who knew? I thought maybe he made a million or so, but eighteen??? Well now that he has a new contract, that 18 million has gone up, and now Mr. Selig will be making $22 million a year! That is just unheard of! The only good thing about that is that maybe now he can buy himself a personality!
There have only been nine Commissioners in Major League Baseball so far (though it seems like Bud has had the job forever!), and I guess they've all been paid a hefty salary (Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, MLB's first Commissioner, was paid $42,500 back in the 1920s). But you just don't typically think of these guys making a lot of money - they don't wear a uniform, they don't appear on cereal boxes, and they don't hit home runs. But they do help keep the game of baseball going, and they have implemented policies and procedures that have preserved the integrity of the game (like Selig's harsh ban on performance-enhancing drugs - you get caught with some of those in your system and you're out for 50 games). Don't get me wrong; Commissioners have come up with some pretty dumb ideas too, like inter-league play and the lifetime ban of Pete Rose (he shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame, but he would make a pretty good hitting coach!). But overall, Commissioners have brought us baseball fans a lot of pretty good things, like the Wild Card playoffs, the home-field advantage for the World Series to the League that wins the All-Star Game, and the realignment that brought the Atlanta Braves back to the National League East. Of course, I could do a way better job than Mr. Selig for way less money, but I don't think the opportunity will ever come up.
Oh, and speaking of money and contracts, did you see that pitcher Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants agreed to a two-year, $40.5 million deal? Perhaps Tim can now afford to cut his hair!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Anyone??? Anyone???
The NBA players may have ended their lockout and the NFL may be in full swing, but there has been plenty going on behind the scenes in Major League Baseball, with the winter meetings wrapping up, players being traded and free agents being signed. Albert Pujols signed with the Angels, Mark Buehrle went to the Marlins, and the Red Sox strengthened their bullpen by adding Mark Melancon to their pitching staff. But there's one player out there who remains a free agent, one veteran who still has a few years of ball left in him. No, I'm not referring to Prince Fielder (though I still don't know where he's going to end up). It should come as no surprise to those of you who read this blog on a regular basis that I am referring to future Hall-of-Famer Iván "Pudge" Rodriguez.
"There she goes again!" you're thinking to yourself. "Does she have to mention this old guy in every one of her posts?" Well, I'm sorry, but it's my blog, so I can mention him every time if I want to! :-) Seriously; Iván is currently playing winter ball in Puerto Rico, but after that season is done, he may not have a job. The Nationals are not going to re-sign him, because they currently have four catchers vying for spots on the opening day roster. That has been a stark reality that I've had to accept; I need to cherish the memories of the many times I watched Iván play live at Nationals Park and the time he signed my Puerto Rican flag. I need to put away my Nationals #7 Rodriguez jersey and print out all those pictures I've taken before my old computer decides to die and I lose those pictures forever. I need to move on and find another player for whom to root.
But really, doesn't anyone out there need a veteran catcher who still has a cannon for an arm and can work pitchers better than anyone? He's caught no-hitters, won an MVP and a World Series title, and is so close to reaching the 3000-hit milestone that it would be a crime if he wasn't given the opportunity to do so. How about a player/coach? Isn't there a team out there who could use a part-time catcher who can also serve as a very good bench coach? And while I'm asking, can that team be a National League one so I can go see him play when they come to DC? Don't sign with an AL team; I don't want to go back to Baltimore! There were rumors that the Marlins were interested in signing "Pudge," but those rumors have recently subsided. Iván has a home in Miami, he's a favorite of new manager Ozzie Guillen, and he would be a big draw for Marlins fans, who still remember him from his stint with their team back in 2003 when he helped the Marlins win the World Series. Come on; won't someone sign this highly valuable free agent? Anyone? Please???
So if Iván is forced to retire (gulp!), who can be my next baseball player to stalk - I mean, follow? When I first became interested in baseball back in the 80s, I was a big Ron Darling fan. I admit, not because he was an OK pitcher, but because he was good-looking. Then I followed Jim Abbott, the one-handed pitcher for the Angels. After Abbott fizzled, I became an ardent Kirby Puckett fan. His death at such a young age was very tragic for me, and I sought comfort in #7, the handsome and clean-cut catcher from Puerto Rico who could do no wrong. But now no one really stands out for me. I can't possibly follow Derek Jeter - that's way too "bandwagon." And Pujols is just - I don't know - he doesn't do it for me. Then there's Ryan Braun, but now that he may be suspended for the first 50 games of the season because of allegedly failing a drug test, he's off my list. I'm thinking of Ryan Zimmerman or Michael Morse, both of the Nationals and both really really good players. Zimmerman is too serious though; Morse is a jokester and has a carefree way about him. Hmmm... something to think about.
So while I ponder the thought of who my next baseball hottie will be, I will continue to count the days until the first game of Spring Training. 80 days and counting, my friends, and I can't wait! In the meantime, may you all have a wonderful holiday season this year, and may 2012 fill you and your families with good health and much happiness!
"There she goes again!" you're thinking to yourself. "Does she have to mention this old guy in every one of her posts?" Well, I'm sorry, but it's my blog, so I can mention him every time if I want to! :-) Seriously; Iván is currently playing winter ball in Puerto Rico, but after that season is done, he may not have a job. The Nationals are not going to re-sign him, because they currently have four catchers vying for spots on the opening day roster. That has been a stark reality that I've had to accept; I need to cherish the memories of the many times I watched Iván play live at Nationals Park and the time he signed my Puerto Rican flag. I need to put away my Nationals #7 Rodriguez jersey and print out all those pictures I've taken before my old computer decides to die and I lose those pictures forever. I need to move on and find another player for whom to root.
But really, doesn't anyone out there need a veteran catcher who still has a cannon for an arm and can work pitchers better than anyone? He's caught no-hitters, won an MVP and a World Series title, and is so close to reaching the 3000-hit milestone that it would be a crime if he wasn't given the opportunity to do so. How about a player/coach? Isn't there a team out there who could use a part-time catcher who can also serve as a very good bench coach? And while I'm asking, can that team be a National League one so I can go see him play when they come to DC? Don't sign with an AL team; I don't want to go back to Baltimore! There were rumors that the Marlins were interested in signing "Pudge," but those rumors have recently subsided. Iván has a home in Miami, he's a favorite of new manager Ozzie Guillen, and he would be a big draw for Marlins fans, who still remember him from his stint with their team back in 2003 when he helped the Marlins win the World Series. Come on; won't someone sign this highly valuable free agent? Anyone? Please???
So if Iván is forced to retire (gulp!), who can be my next baseball player to stalk - I mean, follow? When I first became interested in baseball back in the 80s, I was a big Ron Darling fan. I admit, not because he was an OK pitcher, but because he was good-looking. Then I followed Jim Abbott, the one-handed pitcher for the Angels. After Abbott fizzled, I became an ardent Kirby Puckett fan. His death at such a young age was very tragic for me, and I sought comfort in #7, the handsome and clean-cut catcher from Puerto Rico who could do no wrong. But now no one really stands out for me. I can't possibly follow Derek Jeter - that's way too "bandwagon." And Pujols is just - I don't know - he doesn't do it for me. Then there's Ryan Braun, but now that he may be suspended for the first 50 games of the season because of allegedly failing a drug test, he's off my list. I'm thinking of Ryan Zimmerman or Michael Morse, both of the Nationals and both really really good players. Zimmerman is too serious though; Morse is a jokester and has a carefree way about him. Hmmm... something to think about.
So while I ponder the thought of who my next baseball hottie will be, I will continue to count the days until the first game of Spring Training. 80 days and counting, my friends, and I can't wait! In the meantime, may you all have a wonderful holiday season this year, and may 2012 fill you and your families with good health and much happiness!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Why Can't we Just Leave Well Enough Alone?
One difference between baseball and football (and there are many, just ask George Carlin. Oh wait, he's dead, never mind!) is that football has one game to determine the team that will be the champion for a particular season - the Super Bowl. Baseball has the World Series, which is a best-of-seven series as opposed to just one game. If the World Series was reduced to one game only, not only would it make the Series more exciting (actually it wouldn't be a "series" anymore so you'd have to change the name), but more people would watch, more advertisements would be sold at ridiculous prices, and more chips and beer would be sold all over the country. But I don't generally like change (and it would bring up the dilemma of who would be your starting pitcher for that one game), so Wild Card games (best of 5) and two League Championship Series (best of 7) are OK with me. Well, apparently Major League Baseball owners don't agree with me, because they have decided to expand the playoffs starting possibly next year (because no one sees anything wrong with baseball being played until Thanksgiving). Wait, actually it's only one game, which seemed easier to fit into the schedule than a best-of-three first-round series, so there WON'T be baseball played until Thanksgiving. OK, I get it.
This long-talked-about expansion of Major League Baseball's playoffs could be incorporated as soon as this coming season. The new format will expand the Wild Card to a pair of additional teams, one each in the American and National Leagues. The two Wild Card teams will meet in a one-game playoff prior to the three-tiered postseason, which will remain the same. Are you following me? Good! The only good thing about this is that the Washington Nationals have a better chance of making it to the playoffs now, but it also means that 10 of the 30 teams will be in the playoffs. It kind of makes it not-so-special anymore if 1/3 of the teams can make it to the postseason.
The expanded playoffs are linked to the sale of the Houston Astros to some rich guy named Jim Crane and their move from the NL to the AL, effective for the 2013 season. The Commissioner's Office and the MLB Players Association collaborated on those developments during some collective bargaining negotiations, and I must say, I don't really care in which league Houston plays. If Texas fans want both their teams in the scaredy-cat league where the pitchers are too sensitive to bat for themselves, then that's their problem. This does mean that the Astros' shift from the NL Central to the AL West will give each league 15 teams, with five clubs in all six divisions. That actually makes sense now that I think about it, because in the past few years, the AL West only had four teams and the NL Central had 6, while the other divisions each had five. So now every division will have 5 teams and it will look much nicer and more even in the newspaper and on the Internet when we look at the standings.
Adding another Wild Card addresses a common point that baseball players like to bring up, which is that teams dominating over 162 games should be rewarded more and teams clinching a berth at season's end should have a greater obstacle. Sorry, I'm not buying that. If your team wins 100 games in a season but is not first in its division, then too bad. I bet you it was the owners of the Red Sox who came up with that idea, since they would have been in the playoffs this year if they had instituted this expanded Wild Card thing. Those Red Sox fans just can't settle for 2 World Series championships in the past 7 years, can they?
So there you have it (if I haven't lost you already). 15 teams in each league, 5 teams in each division, one 1-game Wild Card for the loser teams, best-of-five Wild Card games for the good teams, one League Championship Series per league and one World Series. If you're still lost and just can't wrap your head around it, just keep reading my blog and come October I will tell you for which team to root. In the meantime, keep reading the newspapers along with me while we play "Where in the world is Albert Pujols going to end up?".
This long-talked-about expansion of Major League Baseball's playoffs could be incorporated as soon as this coming season. The new format will expand the Wild Card to a pair of additional teams, one each in the American and National Leagues. The two Wild Card teams will meet in a one-game playoff prior to the three-tiered postseason, which will remain the same. Are you following me? Good! The only good thing about this is that the Washington Nationals have a better chance of making it to the playoffs now, but it also means that 10 of the 30 teams will be in the playoffs. It kind of makes it not-so-special anymore if 1/3 of the teams can make it to the postseason.
Adding another Wild Card addresses a common point that baseball players like to bring up, which is that teams dominating over 162 games should be rewarded more and teams clinching a berth at season's end should have a greater obstacle. Sorry, I'm not buying that. If your team wins 100 games in a season but is not first in its division, then too bad. I bet you it was the owners of the Red Sox who came up with that idea, since they would have been in the playoffs this year if they had instituted this expanded Wild Card thing. Those Red Sox fans just can't settle for 2 World Series championships in the past 7 years, can they?
So there you have it (if I haven't lost you already). 15 teams in each league, 5 teams in each division, one 1-game Wild Card for the loser teams, best-of-five Wild Card games for the good teams, one League Championship Series per league and one World Series. If you're still lost and just can't wrap your head around it, just keep reading my blog and come October I will tell you for which team to root. In the meantime, keep reading the newspapers along with me while we play "Where in the world is Albert Pujols going to end up?".
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Don't Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out, Koby!
Whoever said there wasn't much going on in baseball during the off-season certainly hasn't been reading the newspapers lately - the Gold Glove awards were handed out, some teams have already made some trades (the Atlanta Braves traded drinkin' and cheatin' Derek Lowe to the Cleveland Indians for a minor-leaguer), and some teams have started courting high-priced free agents. I will address some of these things in a minute, but first let me fill you in on what had me at the edge of my seat for two days last week - the kidnapping and successful rescue of Nationals' catcher Wilson Ramos.
Wilson Ramos had a very good rookie season with the Nats, learning the ropes from veteran Iván Rodriguez (sorry, I just had to mention "Pudge"!). Ramos ended the season with a batting average of .267, which included 22 doubles and 15 home runs. Ramos was playing winter ball in his home country of Venezuela and was kidnapped last Wednesday in his parents' home. Luckily Ramos was rescued only two days later, and he seems to be physically fine though he says the psychological wounds will take a long time to heal. (Thanks to my pal John for breaking the good news about the rescue to me via Facebook!). Now if I were Ramos, I would go play winter baseball somewhere else far from my hometown, like, say, Puerto Rico!
Speaking of winter ball in Puerto Rico, Koby Clemens (son or Roger) was playing for the Mayaguez Indians, a baseball team with a long history of star players, championship seasons, and consistent development of up-and-coming talent. Well because Wilson Ramos was kidnapped in another country that has NOTHING to do with Puerto Rico, Koby's daddy demanded that his son leave the island right away for fear of Koby's safety. He said nothing to his teammates or to anyone else; just got on a plane and left for fear that he too would be kidnapped. Now, I lived in Puerto Rico for over 17 years and never heard of a famous person being kidnapped for ransom, let alone a twenty-five-year-old who has spent 6 years in the minor leagues and is no Prince Fielder at first base. So you know what, Roger? Take your precious little boy and continue to raise him in a bubble - and if he's even half as much of an idiot as you are, I can guarantee you that I will dislike him as much as I dislike you!
(Big sigh!) On another note... How about those Miami Marlins? Yes, they officially changed their name yesterday from the Florida Marlins. They will be opening a brand-new ballpark in the spring, they have a new manager in Ozzie Guillen, and they are woo-ing Albert Pujols like he's the Queen of England. I have also heard that Guillen wants his team to sign the now-unemployed Iván Rodriguez, so the Marlins just might be an interesting team to watch next year. Plus Guillen is one of those passionate managers who actually gets excited and worked up, which I always enjoy. Just what Nationals' fans need - another team in the NL East to rain on their parade! No one has signed anything yet though, so we'll just have to see what happens with Pujols, Fielder, and the other free agents who are floating around out there in baseball limbo.
Wilson Ramos had a very good rookie season with the Nats, learning the ropes from veteran Iván Rodriguez (sorry, I just had to mention "Pudge"!). Ramos ended the season with a batting average of .267, which included 22 doubles and 15 home runs. Ramos was playing winter ball in his home country of Venezuela and was kidnapped last Wednesday in his parents' home. Luckily Ramos was rescued only two days later, and he seems to be physically fine though he says the psychological wounds will take a long time to heal. (Thanks to my pal John for breaking the good news about the rescue to me via Facebook!). Now if I were Ramos, I would go play winter baseball somewhere else far from my hometown, like, say, Puerto Rico!
Speaking of winter ball in Puerto Rico, Koby Clemens (son or Roger) was playing for the Mayaguez Indians, a baseball team with a long history of star players, championship seasons, and consistent development of up-and-coming talent. Well because Wilson Ramos was kidnapped in another country that has NOTHING to do with Puerto Rico, Koby's daddy demanded that his son leave the island right away for fear of Koby's safety. He said nothing to his teammates or to anyone else; just got on a plane and left for fear that he too would be kidnapped. Now, I lived in Puerto Rico for over 17 years and never heard of a famous person being kidnapped for ransom, let alone a twenty-five-year-old who has spent 6 years in the minor leagues and is no Prince Fielder at first base. So you know what, Roger? Take your precious little boy and continue to raise him in a bubble - and if he's even half as much of an idiot as you are, I can guarantee you that I will dislike him as much as I dislike you!
(Big sigh!) On another note... How about those Miami Marlins? Yes, they officially changed their name yesterday from the Florida Marlins. They will be opening a brand-new ballpark in the spring, they have a new manager in Ozzie Guillen, and they are woo-ing Albert Pujols like he's the Queen of England. I have also heard that Guillen wants his team to sign the now-unemployed Iván Rodriguez, so the Marlins just might be an interesting team to watch next year. Plus Guillen is one of those passionate managers who actually gets excited and worked up, which I always enjoy. Just what Nationals' fans need - another team in the NL East to rain on their parade! No one has signed anything yet though, so we'll just have to see what happens with Pujols, Fielder, and the other free agents who are floating around out there in baseball limbo.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)