Rip Van-Me Finally Woke Up!

So much has happened in baseball since I last posted on my blog!  The Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw notched his Major League-leading nineteenth win on his way to yet another Cy Young award (remember my previous post about being "bad-ass?"  Kershaw is definitely one of those!); the Houston Astros fired second-year manager Bo Porter; team owners elected a new Commissioner who will take over after Bud Selig retires in January (and they didn't pick me!); the Kansas City Royals inched their way closer to a playoff spot; and did you hear that Derek Jeter is retiring?  I know; I had no idea either!


Let's take a peek at the division standings and how things look playoff-wise now that I'm back to the grind (by the way, my husband and I went to two games at Nationals Park during my hiatus, so I was definitely paying attention!).  In the AL West, the Los Angeles Angels (which in Spanish means "the angels angels") became the first team to clinch a playoff spot and have the best record in the Majors.  People will watch them because of Albert Pujols and Mike Trout, but they should also pay attention to Matt Shoemaker, Howie Kendrick, and Erick Aybar.  They're surely going to have the AL West clinched by the end of the week, and people better start paying attention to these guys.


In the AL Central, things aren't so cut-and-dry.  The Detroit Tigers are only a game and-a-half above the Royals, who refuse to give up and are hungry for a playoff birth.  Some people are tired of the Cabrera-Verlander-Scherzer Tigers and want to see the Royals have a go at a pennant (they haven't amounted to much since the days of George Brett.  Pine tar, anyone?).  I would be happy with either team.  The Tigers are always fun to watch since they have such collective talent, but the underdog Royals would be a breath of fresh air.  And they have some cute guys on the team too!


As far as the AL East, it's Baltimore all the way.  They hope to clinch their playoff spot tonight (or may already have, depending on when you read this), and they've played some really good baseball despite injuries to key players.  Last year's home run leader, Chris Davis, has to serve a 25-game suspension for not submitting the appropriate paperwork to allow him to take his ADHD medication, but it's not like he was hitting anywhere close to last year, so the Orioles will be fine without him. 


On to the National League, where my mighty Nationals are also hoping to clinch a playoff spot tonight (if they can beat those annoying Braves).  Their lineup is solid, their starting rotation is strong (with Geo Gonzalez as the weakest link - who would've thought that would be the case this season?), and their bullpen is decent.  They fired Rafael Soriano as their closer and replaced him with Drew Storen, who was the closer when the Nationals lost to the Cardinals in the 2012 playoffs, but Storen has matured a lot and is better able to handle stressful situations.  Now if only I could afford to attend a playoff game...


In the NL Central, those darn Cardinals are in first place AGAIN.  Aren't we all sick of the Cards?  Really; give those Pirates a chance, will ya?  The Bucs are only 3 1/2 games out, and are technically still "in it."  Plus they have Andrew McCutchen, whom everyone loves, and a nicer ballpark and better fans.  Plus the "pirate" was my high school mascot, so there's that.  A lot depends on how the San Francisco Giants do (that whole Wild Card thing is a whole other story).


Lastly, the NL West belongs to the Dodgers, who have excellent pitching, a great manager in Don Mattingly, and an enigma named Yasiel Puig.  While an all-LA World Series would be boring to most casual fans, I would find it interesting and would actually root for one if the Nationals and Orioles are eliminated in the playoffs.  I could easily live vicariously through the LA fans but would have a hard time picking a favorite team (while I usually root for the National League team in the World Series, I like the Angels a little more than the Dodgers, so I would definitely be torn).  Yes, a "Beltway Series" would be super-exciting for those of us here in the mid-Atlantic, but a west-coast series would suffice.


So as you can see, there is still a LOT of baseball to be played and most playoff teams to be decided.  As for me, I promise to blog more, because I really missed writing while my life was busily filling up with family obligations, kids' activities, and the demands of my "real" (paying) job.  I'll be back soon with more predictions and more shallow commentary (sorry!), but in the meantime, keep rooting for those Nationals, Orioles, and Pirates! 

Who's Bad(ass)?

After watching tennis player Serena Williams win her 17th Grand Slam tournament this weekend, I commented on my personal Facebook page that I thought Serena was a "badass."  My friends at Merriam-Webster define "badass" as "1. ready to cause or get into trouble : <pretending to be a badass gunslinger — L. L. King>2 of formidable strength or skill <such a badass guitar player — N'Gai Croal>"  I was referring to Serena with the second meaning of the word - she is an extraordinary tennis player who can out-play and out-last anyone; someone you just couldn't imagine yourself beating no matter how good you were (like Hussein Bolt on the running track or Lebron James on the basketball court - sheer dominance). 

So that got me thinking...  Which baseball players, past and present, qualify as "badasses?"  Here is my list, divided into three parts:  The past, the present, and the wanna-bees (my top five in no particular order).

BADASSES OF THE PAST:

Roberto Clemente - Hello!  Who showed "formidable strength or skill" more than this guy?  No one dared to try and score from second or third base knowing Clemente was in right field.  He was about as formidable as they get.

Pete Rose - Yes, he made stupid decisions in his personal life, but at the plate, on the bases, and on the field he was quite the man.  They didn't nickname him "Charlie Hustle" for nothing!

Randy Johnson - At 6'10, "The Big Unit" just had to stand on the mound to look intimidating.  His 100-mile-an-hour fastball and hard slider were ridiculous, and he didn't win five Cy Young Awards for being sweet and charming.

Jackie Robinson - Who said badasses had to be flamboyant and arrogant (insert picture of Rickey Henderson here)?  #42 got the job done quietly and professionally, and was the classiest badass ever.

Nolan Ryan - He just exuded "badass-ness."  He had no problem hitting batters on purpose, throwing no-hitters (7 of them) or striking out bazillions (5,714 in his career, with no one even close to that record).  He may look old and haggard now, but he was pretty fearless in his day.

BADASSES OF TODAY:

Ichiro Suzuki - Ichiro is the most badass current player, hands-down (despite being a Yankee).  He can still hit, throw, and run with the best of them, and recently hit his 4.000th hit as a professional (counting his years playing in Japan).  Derek Jeter can't even say that (yet).

David Ortiz - He may seem more like a big teddy bear, but "Big Papi" is definitely badass.  He knows how to get his teammates and fans worked up and excited, and his passion for the game and charitable work off the field make him one cool dude.

José Fernandez - Who?  This guy has such an interesting story that he definitely makes my list.  He unsuccessfully tried defecting from Cuba three separate times and spent time in jail after each attempt.  On the fourth try, his mother fell overboard in turbulent waters and he jumped in to rescue her.  He is my pick for Rookie of the Year, especially since he one-hit the Nationals recently. 

Mike Trout - Last year's Rookie of the Year in the American League, Trout has not suffered from the "Sophomore Slump."  He's currently batting .338 with 23 home runs and 32 stolen bases, and can make a leaping catch in the outfield to steal a home run off anyone.  Seeing him make one of those amazing catches was the highlight of my trip to Camden Yards this season.

Yasiel Puig - Another Cuban defector (though his story isn't nearly as heartwarming as Fernandez's), Puig became the first player in major league history to record at least 34 hits and seven home runs in his first 20 games and set Dodger records for most hits through 20 games.  Some people say he's not very friendly, but since this is not a list of guys I'd like to see become the next Pope, I have to include him.

WANNA-BE BADASSES:

Bryce Harper - Bryce has the potential of being one badass baseball player, but his season has been plagued with injuries, so he didn't make the cut.

Prince Fielder - Yes, he's one big dude, but he just doesn't do it for me.  He also doesn't look very smart.

Derek Jeter - Sorry, Derek; you're too goody-two-shoes to be considered a badass.  I still like you though!

Jayson Werth - Looking like a member of the Duck Dynasty doesn't automatically get you on my list.  He's having a great second-half of the season, but has been to inconsistent in the past couple of years to make the list.

Then there are the guys I had to leave out.  They're pretty awesome but just not badass enough for me:  Justin Verlander (too quiet), Chris Davis (he needs to be this good for a few more seasons), Andrew McCutchen (my favorite current Pirate), and Mariano Rivera (one classy, superhuman guy) - all players I respect and would love to meet, but I had to draw the line somewhere. 

Notice I left out Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, Roger Clemens, and Lenny Dykstra - all of them linked to steroids or performance-enhancing drugs.  That, in my mind, does not make you a badass.  And Ryan Braun?  Even when we didn't suspect him of taking PEDs, he wasn't all that in my opinion.

So there you have it - my just-for-fun list of badass baseball players.  Feel free to comment (you know who you are!); I would love to see if you agree with me or not.

Time for me to Vote!

It's that time of year again, when www.mlb.com gives baseball fans the opportunity to vote online for their All-Star Game picks (do they even HAVE paper ballots anymore?).  As always, I take my right to vote very seriously, doing my research and trying not to vote for someone just because he's cute or nice or has a good-sounding name (like Coco Crisp or Rod Barajas). I also try to pick players from different teams, though by looking at my ballot you would think I was a die-hard Tigers or Cardinals fan. Oh, and no Phillies players - imagine that!  So here are my choices this year - hopefully you will agree with most of them (and please comment if you do or don't!):

AMERICAN LEAGUE
First base - Paul Konerko of the Chicago White Sox.  I could have voted for Fielder or Pujols, but why not vote for the guy with the .356 batting average?  He also has more home runs than Fielder and Pujols (7). so he gets my vote.
Second base - Robinson Canó (the only Yankee who ever gets my vote).  I voted for Robinson last year, and once again he deserves it, since he's currently batting a respectable .302.  Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox is batting .310, but I like Canó better.  Sometimes it's not just about the batting average!
Shortstop - This was a toss-up between Elvis Andrus and Asdrubal Cabrera.  I voted for the Indians' Cabrera like I did last year, because he's batting .325 and I have a history of voting for guys whose last name is Cabrera.  No Jeters; just Cabreras.
Third base - another Cabrera - Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers.  Like HELL was I going to vote for A-Rod; "Miggy" got my vote because he's awesome.  Last year I voted for him at first base, and this year he's just as deserving at third.  His .311 average doesn't hurt either!
Designated hitter - I wanted to vote for David Ortiz, because everyone likes "Big Papi."  But instead, I voted for Andy Dirks of the Tigers.  Who?  Yes, he's a real person, and he's batting .370.  Better than Ortiz, better than Raúl Ibañez of the Yankees, but not likely to get picked because no one knows who he is.
Catcher - Joe Mauer of the Twins easily got my vote.  Not only is he batting an OK .275, but he has 2 stolen bases so far this season, which is admirable for a catcher.
Outfield (pick 3) - The Rangers' Josh Hamilton (duh!), Austin Jackson (my third Tiger), and Adam Jones of the Orioles.  Hamilton is having a crazy-great season, Jackson is batting .331, and Jones is my token Oriole (and deservedly so).

NATIONAL LEAGUE
First base - Adam LaRoche is the only Nationals player who got my vote.  He probably won't get to start (Joey Votto will), but with his .339 batting average, 7 home runs, and 1000 career hits, he deserves a start (even with his lack of personality)
Second base - The Marlins' Omar Infante gets my vote, since he's batting .336 with 6 home runs and has to put up with Ozzie Guillen every day. 
Shortstop - Rafael Furcal of the Cardinals is batting .370 - how could I NOT vote for him?  He's one of 3 Cardinals I chose.
Third base - I did NOT pick the Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman - just because you've been an All-Star before doesn't mean you automatically get my vote.  I had to pick the Mets' David Wright (sorry, Chipper!), because he's batting .402.  I'm pretty certain he will get the start.
Catcher - I had to go with the Puerto Rican, the Cardinals' Yadier Molina.  Despite looking like a thug with those ugly neck tattoos, Molina is a great catcher who is currently batting .301 with 4 home runs.
Outfield (pick 3) - Carlos Beltrán (another Puerto Rican Cardinal), Andrew McCutchen of the Pirates, and Matt Kemp of the Dodgers.  Beltrán is kicking ass this year with 13 home runs, McCutchen got my vote because he's so good against the Nationals, and Kemp - well, he's batting .359 with 12 home runs.

So there you have it, friends!  I hope you don't disagree with me too much - let me know what you think, and I will let you know how I did once the starting lineups are announced in late June.  In the meantime, make sure to check out some of the games between the Orioles and Nationals this weekend - they like to call it "The Beltway Series," and with both teams in first place in their divisions, they should prove to be exciting!