Nerdier Than Thou?

First and foremost, I want to congratulate every Baltimore Ravens fan out there on their team's amazing Super Bowl victory.  I am very happy (and envious) that you were all able to celebrate the perfect culmination to such a good season, instead of dealing with the crushing defeat that 49ers fans are now feeling.  As a baseball fan whose team suffered a heartbreaking, playoff-ending loss last fall, believe me - the off-season will be much more pleasant to deal with when you're floating on cloud nine as opposed to spending your time holding your head in your hands counting the days until the season starts again.

Speaking of being a big fan, as you all know, I pride myself in being a very knowledgeable baseball fan.  I know that Nolan Ryan shares a birthday with Jackie Robinson; I know what "pepper," "can of corn," and "tater" mean in baseball; and I know that the Houston Astros' Craig Biggio hit 51 doubles and stole 50 bases in 1998.  It is because I love baseball so much that I joined the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) last year, and the reason I decided to attend the meeting for the DC/Maryland chapter last week.  I thought, "Hey, I can learn more about the game, spread the word about my blog, and maybe even win a raffle item or two!"

So last Saturday, my wonderful and supportive husband and I set out to the Holiday Inn in Rosslyn, Virginia for the annual SABR Dsy event.  I expected about 100-or-so people to be there - mostly men with calculators and poor social skills.  You see, SABR is the governing body of all things "stats."  If you want to know what Josh Hamilton's batting average is on Tuesdays when there is a full moon out, SABR will tell you.  If you want a list of all players who have hit an extra-inning home run during game 5 of any World Series, SABR will give you that information.  And if you want the starting lineups for the game that was played on May 8, 1931 in Chicago, someone in SABR will let you know.  So of course, I had this preconceived idea that the room was going to be full of nerdy guys with goofy grins and asthma inhalers.  Boy, was I wrong!

Yes, SABR members know a LOT about baseball, and yes, some of them were a bit odd, but most of the 177 people who were at last week's conference were chatty, friendly, and welcoming.  The guest speakers were very engaging, there was never a line to use the ladies' room, and the raffle prizes were great!  I ended up winning a framed picture of Roberto Clemente, an Iván Rodriguez bobblehead, two books, and a pack of baseball cards!

So what did I take away from this conference?  Here are the highlights:

• According to Paul Dixon, author of over 50 books including The Dixon Baseball Dictionary, there is a 131-page FBI file on Jackie Robinson, who was suspected of being a communist.
• There didn't seem to be ANY minorities at the event, except for me and my Puerto Rican self.
• Most of the SABR members present at the conference were AARP-eligible.
• ESPN's Tim Kurkjian believes that the Nationals' Bryce Harper is "breathtaking" to watch, but I lost my respect for him when he said he voted for both Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens in his Hall of Fame ballot this year.
• Former Phillies' outfielder and current analyst for ESPN's "Baseball Tonight," John Kruk, once shot a deer while relaxing in his hot tub.
• Buck Showalter does not like players with blue eyes because he says they can't see the ball as well, and he doesn't like drafting high school players with facial hair because they are done developing and don't have any more growing to do.

So as you can see, it was a very enlightening event.  And even though I can't rattle off Sandy Koufax's career ERA, I don't know the dimensions of old Ebbets Field, nor can I name all the teams in the Negro Leagues, I enjoy learning about baseball, I like impressing people with the facts that I do know, and I am proud of being a SABR member.

Now if only I could wait another week or so for Spring Training to start...

What I do During the Off-Season

Hello, MM followers!  You figured I couldn't stay away for the entire off-season, and you were right!  This time of year is actually a pretty busy one for the General Managers and front office staff of all Major League baseball teams.  Players have to be traded, free agents have to be signed, and season tickets have to be sold.  Josh Hamilton still needs to pick a team, the Washington Nationals still need to work out a deal with Gold-Glove winner Adam LaRoche, and Kevin Youkilis still needs to decide if he wants to wear Yankee pinstripes for a year since third base will be open for at least the first half of next season while A-Rod recovers from hip surgery (I wonder if A-Rod received the flowers I sent him - NOT!).

Speaking of Gold Glove, all the post-season awards were handed out shortly after the World Series ended.  You can go to this link to see a complete list of who won which award:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/awards/y2012/index.jsp

I was happy to see several players from my Washington Nationals on the list - Rookie of the Year Bryce Harper (I was skeptical when they called him up from the minors back in May, but he really did have a great rookie season); Adam LaRoche (who won a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, and Defensive Player of the Year for first base); Ian Desmond and Stephen Strasburg (who earned Silver Slugger awards for their positions); and NL Manager of the Year, Davey Johnson.  Orioles players were a-plenty as well (except for Buck Showalter, who should have gotten the AL Manager of the Year award), and the Giants' Buster Posey walked away with about 50 different awards (and he deserved every one of them!).

So the awards were handed out, the General Managers have been meeting, and "Dancing With the Stars" is over.  So how have I kept myself busy during the past month without live baseball on TV?  Here is a sampling of what I've been up to:

• I watched "The History of the World Series" on the MLB Network (channel 738 for local Comcast viewers - I bet you didn't even know you had that channel!).
• I watched "A History of the Major League Ballpark" on the MLB Network.
• I organized my baseball card binders and sent some cards to Beckett for encasing and grading (and many of them came back with not-so-good grades - a "4" for the Clemente my brother gave me for Christmas back in 1989?  Really???).
• I watched "Baseball by the Numbers" on the MLB Network
• I raked the leaves in the front yard.
• I decorated the house for Christmas.
• I watched "MLB Tonight" on the MLB Network.
• I went on WalMart's website and checked out their extensive array of Washington Nationals merchandise (and decided that Curly "W" curtains would not look good in my living room).
• I convinced my husband to run the St. Louis marathon with me next October.
• I contemplated going back to school and pursuing a Doctorate in Sport Management and Sport Theory but realized I couldn't do it for free.
• I watched "Baseball's Seasons" on the MLB Network
• I convinced my father to take us to a winter-league baseball game while we are visiting him and my mother in Puerto Rico.

So as you can see, I've kept myself plenty busy since the last out of the World Series was made.  And since pitchers and catchers can start reporting to their Spring Training locations starting on February 12 and the World Baseball Classic is less than 85 days away, I think I'll be fine for the next couple of months.  Stay tuned though, because the 2013 inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame will be announced in early January, and I'm sure I'll have plenty to say about that!

Felíz Navidad, everyone!