Is This Goodbye, or Just a Hiatus?

Baseball has been around for almost 200 years.  It's supposed to be a fun sport to watch - a distraction to all of life's troubles.  You should be able to sit down with a mojito and a bowl of Goldfish and watch a bunch of grown men playing a kids' game and it's supposed to make you feel good (What?  You don't have a mojito or Goldfish while watching sports?  How about a beer and Pringles?  Live a little, for heaven's sake!).  The competitiveness, the strategy, the discovery of new talent, a perfectly-turned double-play, a walk-off homer - all of those things are supposed to make you love the game and want to watch more or even motivate you to go to a ballpark and catch a game with your family.  Baseball has transcended racial barriers, has united our country (President Bush throwing out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium after the 911 attacks was pretty cool, regardless of what your political affiliations are - he used to own a baseball team and has always been a true fan, so nothing could have been more fitting then), and baseball has taught Americans how to pronounce names like San Pedro de Macorís and Hyun-Jin Ryu.

For me, baseball has given me an outlet for both my nerdiness and my competitive nature.  Ask my parents what they remember about me watching baseball on the weekends as a kid and they'll probably tell you that it was me yelling "YES!  YES!" when someone hit a home run or me studying the statistics on the back of baseball cards (the kind that came with stale chewing gum in each pack).  Trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up involved baseball - whether as an Athletic Trainer or some sort of fitness consultant.  Deciding what to do with my graduate work involved baseball - I was going to get my Masters in Sports Management and then go to law school to become an agent (I got the Masters, but decided to buy a house instead of going to law school).  Deciding where to go on our honeymoon involved baseball - Cooperstown, New York is a lovely town to explore as a newlywed couple.  My son likes watching baseball, and my daughter somewhat tolerates it; baseball has always been part of my life.

But now there is one man who just might single-handedly mar my love for the game, if I let him (and it gets harder and harder to resist).  We've never met (which is good, because if I did I might kick him in the balls), yet his actions and behavior are not only affecting me, but will surely leave a bad taste in the mouths of many other fans.  Scott Boras, a greedy and selfish sports agent who started his career defending pharmaceutical companies (that says a lot about a person!), represents many top-notch baseball players, including free agent Bryce Harper.  The Washington Nationals (the team that drafted him as the number one pick in 2010 and for which Harper has played his entire career so far) offered him a 10-year contract worth $300 million, and Harper turned it down because Boras said they could find a team willing to pay $400 million for the same length of time.  Now, it's not clear how much of the decision was Harper's and how much was Boras trying to sway a legitimately talented athlete who (in my opinion) is not very emotionally or intellectually mature; but in the last interview that Harper did before the end of the current season, he said he would love to stay in DC because it's "the only thing" he knows.  Don't you think he'd be happy, then, with a $300 million contract for the next ten years so he could stay in DC?

I also don't know enough about the ins and outs of sports contracts; do athletes sign a thing saying they will let their agent make all decisions on their behalf, or do they have any say in what goes on?  Do their contracts stipulate that their agents will contact a set number of teams or entertain a certain number of offers?  Do the players put their utmost trust in these agents and just let them handle everything?  I'm not sure what the relationship is between a player and his agent (hopefully it's not a Mike Tyson-Don King type of thing), but I do know that Scott Boras comes across as an arrogant weasel and someone I could never trust.  

So why is Harper's free agency and potential for signing the biggest contract in sports history bothering me so much?  Because I've ignored the greediness long enough, and I'm tired of constantly being disappointed (and the fact that I have followed Harper's career since he was drafted and follow him on Instagram kind of hit home a little bit).  Just when you think these guys are satisfied getting paid to play a kids' game, they end up signing ridiculous contracts (Giancarlo Stanton!) and you don't know if the player, their agent, or both are to blame.  Why do beers at Nationals Park cost $12?  So the team can afford to pay Max Scherzer's salary and pay the luxury tax.  Why do post-season games start so late and show so many commercials between innings?  Because it's more important for TV networks to make money than it is for fans to actually watch an entire game and still get enough sleep (thank goodness the last game of the World Series was a quick one, otherwise I would not have seen the Red Sox clinch the championship).  I am tired of sweeping the ugly side of baseball under the rug, and it's really wearing on me.

Why am I letting it bother me so much?  Because I love baseball.  And when you love something, you try to protect it for as long as you can until you no longer have the strength to do so.  You exhaust all your power and emotion and just have to give up in order to find happiness (yes, this sounds remarkably like my first marriage!).  Now, those of you who know me know that I am not a giver-upper - but at the same time, I have to be true to myself and stop denying the fact that baseball is getting ugly.  It has been ugly for a long time, actually - between PED use in the nineties, the rise of analytics that has made the game un-fun to watch, and the fact that you can no longer afford to take a family of four to a ballgame without having to take out a home equity loan - baseball is just not fun for me to follow as deeply and closely anymore.  How does this make me feel?  Sad, to be honest; no one likes to find out that Santa Claus is not real, have your best friend move away, or find out that there really wasn't an actual "Jesse's Girl."  And if baseball is indeed a microcosm of society (like I have written about in the past), then I would rather not associate myself with an industry that is full of greed, insensitivity, and ignorance.  Gone are the days of giving a kid a foul ball (because you can sell it on eBay), players joining Winter League teams in Latin America (because your team doesn't want you to hurt yourself), and getting a player's autograph (because they can charge several hundred dollars for one at a memorabilia show).  America is getting less "great," and unfortunately, so is baseball.

I will keep watching (and rooting for the Nationals and every player from Puerto Rico), I will continue to have the MLB app on my phone (because I HAVE to find out who ends up being the foolish team that signs Harper for an ungodly amount of money), and I may come back and blog in the future.  But for now, let me first of all thank the many of you who have been faithfully reading this blog since I started it in 2011; many of you couldn't care less about baseball but read my musings just to be nice, and I have truly appreciated your love and support.  I want to thank Mrs. Nochera, who taught me everything I know about grammar, Professor Shea for bringing out my sense of humor, my parents, for making questionable transactions just so I could have a certain Iván Rodriguez baseball card, and of course my husband, who has read every single blog, has taken me to dozens of games, and has put up with me ogling over the good-looking players (and if I ever do become Commissioner, I promise my brother that he can taste-test every beer in all 30 ballparks).  Thank you, my friends, from the bottom of my heart; I'm hoping this is not a permanent good-bye - just a "see you soon." 

With all my love and appreciation,
Marién
AKA "Mudville Mom"

Opening Day(ish) Thoughts

After months of waiting, it's finally Opening Day for Major League Baseball!  Yeay!  You'd think that I would be over-the-top happy - after all, I would much rather watch baseball on TV than the "Roseanne" revival or the current season of "American Idol."  But admittedly, I'm just feeling "eh" about Opening Day, and here are the reasons why.

First of all, my Nationals aren't playing today because it's raining in Cincinnati.  So their Opening Day will be tomorrow, and their Nationals Park Opening Day isn't until next week.  I know - it can't always be 70 degrees and sunny without a cloud in the sky and Max Scherzer pitching at home with my husband and me sitting in the fifth row behind the Nationals' dugout, but the yucky March weather is giving me Seasonal Affective Disorder, it's cold in New York, it's raining in Detroit, and it's not fair that the Orioles get to open at home but the Nationals don't.   Oh, and I just found out yesterday that MASN won't be carrying any Nationals or Orioles games on local CBS stations like they have in the past, so I won't be able to catch any games on TV when I'm at work (because I'm too cheap to have cable in my shop).

"But wait, Mudville Mom," you tell yourself.  "Aren't you usually a 'glass half full' optimist?"  Why yes I am, my friend; (thanks for noticing!) so here's what I'm actually looking forward to this season (and it's going to be a very good season, I might add).  First of all, I'm looking forward to this year's All-Star Game being in my beloved Nationals Park.  I'm not dwelling on the fact that I gave up the perfect opportunity to volunteer at this year's "midsummer classic" because of work obligations; instead I'm looking forward to all sorts of tourists contributing to the local economy (and some even coming as far north as Frederick and potentially visiting my shop), a historic Home Run Derby (can anyone hit the parking deck behind left field?), and people around the world finally paying attention to that National League team that is consistently in first place in the NL East but constantly takes a back seat to the Redskins and that fool who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  So yeah - that will definitely be a fun few days in July.

Also worthy of noting this season is the duo of Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge playing together for the Yankees.  Now, I don't mind rolling my eyes about those who predict that the Yankees and Nationals will be in the World Series (there are 162 games to play before the post-season, and a LOT can happen before then), but I have to admit that having Stanton and Judge on the same team (especially one where the media is so vocal and has opinions about everything!) is pretty cool.  And staying in New York, I'm looking forward to Yoenis Céspedes having a good season for the Mets.  I'm a sucker for a man with a nice smile, and anyone who lets a clubhouse attendant drive his Lamborghini to go run an errand is just a nice guy.  Plus he has his annual "Céspedes Family BBQ" that has become a legendary tradition (feel free to google it); maybe I'll be invited someday.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Puerto Ricans Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa as two guys to watch this season.  Lindor is just so freakin' charming and charismatic, and Correa - well, come on, he proposed to his girlfriend on national TV after winning the World Series last year - he's just super cool.  When I grow up, I want to be just like him (though I can't help but wonder - if the Astros didn't win the World Series last year, would Correa have still proposed?).

And what's the position to pay attention to this year?  Definitely third base (sorry, Manny Machado - you should have stayed there!).  Anthony Rendón, Nolan Arenado, and Kris Bryant are badass (or is it "badasses?"), and if they can stay healthy, will be the game-makers who will (hopefully) take their teams to the post-season.  Schmidt and Chipper would be very proud of these guys (and they probably are - I'm talking like they're dead!).

So those are some of the players I'm looking forward to seeing this season (as well as a possible visit to a Mets game in New York?  This is the first my husband is hearing of this!).  Notice I made no mention of Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper, or José Altuve - these are guys who don't need me to keep an eye on them because they're just awesome without me telling you they are.  I also said nothing about Alex Rodriguez joining the ESPN Sunday night crew, because I want to end this post on a positive note.  So try to catch a game or two this weekend - whether on your local station, MLB-TV, or ESPN (as a last resort) - and keep checking in with me regularly, because surely I'll have plenty to say throughout the season.

LET'S PLAY BALL! :-)

New Year, New Trades, and New Opinions

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! :-)

Not Everyone Gets a Trophy

Post-season awards were handed out by the Baseball Writers Association of America (a group I would steal a loaf of marble rye from an old lady to be a part of!), and there weren't any real surprises.  For Rookie of the Year, voters unanimously chose Aaron Judge of the Yankees and Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers.  This award was a no-brainer, because both guys had great seasons (even though Judge got a bit "cold" after the all-star break).  I would have voted for both of them; no surprise there.

For the Cy Young award, the AL winner was the Indians' Corey Kluber (who won his second Cy Young award) and the Nationals' Max Scherzer for the NL.  Yes, THAT Max Scherzer - my current baseball crush!  It's Scherzer's third Cy Young, and I'm just glad that someone other than Clayton Kershaw won it this year.  It was a tough decision, because all of these guys had spent a bit of time on the Disabled List this year, so it wasn't a runaway vote like Rookie of the Year was; but hey, my man beat out Kershaw and fellow teammate Stephen Strasburg, so I'm happy about that.

For MVP, I was a bit nervous.  There was speculation that Aaron Judge would get the award for the American League, beating out the Astros' José Altuve.  I personally think it's rude to win more than one of these awards in the same year (Fred Lynn and Ichiro Suzuki have been the only ones who have done that), but as the player, you have no control over who these baseball writers are going to vote for (and I love Ichiro, but I would have voted for Roberto Alomar for MVP in 2001 so Ichiro could get one award and Alomar could get the other one).  Plus isn't Rookie of the Year a more special award because you can only win it once?  I was relieved when Altuve was named as MVP for the American League, because I had told my husband that if Altuve wasn't the winner, I would run around the neighborhood naked.  Luckily my neighbors were spared.  In the National League, the Miami Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton was the MVP, and I'm OK with that.  He hit 59 home runs (I was really rooting for him to reach 60), and he's pretty bad ass.  Congratulations to all of this year's winners.

Speaking of Giancarlo Stanton, the Miami Marlins are interested in trading him during the off season.  This is a pretty big deal, because not only does it mean that the Marlins realize they're going to suck next year and Stanton is better off playing somewhere else, but it could potentially make Stanton a very very VERY rich man.  And with Derek Jeter being part owner of the Marlins, us baseball nerds have seen a lot of video of him lately talking about how, yes, trading Stanton is a definite possibility.  The main thing I've gotten out of these videos is the fact that Jeter looks way better in a baseball uniform than he does in "real people" clothes.

Also newsworthy so far this off season are both a death and a retirement.  At 40 years old, former Blue Jays and Phillies pitcher and Cy Young award winner, Roy Halladay, died while flying his single-engine plane that crashed off the Gulf of Mexico on November 7.  I always liked Halladay when he was with Toronto, but as soon as he joined the Phillies, I automatically disliked him.  The eulogy that his wife gave at his memorial service was heart-wrenching and emotional, especially since they were just starting their new lives after Halladay's retirement in 2013.  So sad!

And after 20 years in professional baseball, Puerto Rican Carlos Beltrán announced his retirement.  Beltrán is one of those classy old-school guys you just can't help but love - he always played hard, was constantly smiling, and was always known as an excellent leader and faithful teammate.  I have a soft spot for Carlos because he threw me a baseball during batting practice when he played for the Mets and I acted like a crazy Puerto Rican to get his attention (some would say I wasn't acting).  My husband was always bothered with Beltrán being a "mouth breather," but I like him anyway (at least Beltrán probably doesn't snore, because he breathes through his mouth, which is more than I can say about my dear husband who keeps me up at night!).  Let's see if Jayson Werth and Ichiro Suzuki follow in Beltrán's footsteps and announce their retirements too - while some of us would like to think that Ichiro could play forever, he's 44 and not as marketable as he once was.  He will definitely be missed.  And Werth?  Yeah - it's time to call it quits, old man!

What else is there to look forward to during this off-season?  Let's see... Which team will sign Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani?  Apparently this kid can pitch, hit, run, and solve complex mathematical equations while mastering all levels of Candy Crush.  He's being touted as the most perfect free agent ever (which automatically means he's over-hyped) and is being compared to Babe Ruth (!!!), but he won't require a ton of money, so he'll be easy to sign once all the bureaucratic red tape has been taken care of (apparently he's still technically under the ownership of his Japanese team, so there are some "t"s to cross and "I"s to dot before he can be signed by a Major League team.  Stay tuned.  What else?  There are other free agents out there, like Yu Darvish, Wellington Castillo, Jonathan Lucroy, and yes, CC Sabathia (he's still got it at 37 years old).

This off-season promises to be interesting, with the signing of free agents and trading of players like Stanton (and will the Nationals please trade Tanner Roark so he can actually get some playing time and some respect?).  I'll be paying attention so you don't have to (unless you really want to), and I'll keep you all updated as events warrant.  In the meantime, have a wonderful Thanksgiving, support your local businesses during your holiday shopping, and enjoy your time with family and friends.

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).

Then there are the questions surrounding the upcoming season:

• 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!

So there you have it - plenty to look forward to this baseball season, which means I'll have a lot to blog about throughout the upcoming months.  Stay tuned, and for the love of Pete, get rid of all this snow!

Halfway Over Already???

Happy All-Star break, my friends!  As we look back on the first half of the 2014 baseball season, we Washington Nationals fans should be pretty pleased with our team.  Not only are the Nationals in first place in the NL East (percentage points above the Atlanta Braves); the Nats have won 10 of their last 14 games, their bats have come alive, and their pitching continues to be solid.  And I have to mention the Baltimore Orioles too - just because Chris Davis isn't hitting doesn't mean the team doesn't deserve to be in first place in the AL East - go Os!

While some ESPN critics claim that the Nationals have “under-performed” during the first half of the season, I have to say that these people are idiots and are only looking at statistics on paper.   The Nationals are tenth in the National League in batting with a team average of .246, and their best average is held by cutie Anthony Rendón, who is batting .287 (number 22 on the NL list).  But that doesn’t tell the whole story.  The Nationals lead the NL in pitching, with a 3.08 team ERA, starter Stephen Strasburg leads the league with 149 strikeouts, and closer Rafael Soriano has 22 saves with a 0.97 ERA.

And how about all those guys on the Disabled List?  Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, and Wilson Ramos all spent most of the first half of the season on the DL, and as far as pitchers, Doug Fister and Gio Gonzalez also had short stints on the List.  So chill out, critics; the Nationals are right where they need to be at the halfway point of the season.

But what do the Nationals need to do to remain on top?  First, Bryce Harper needs to do some hitting.  Since his return from the DL, Harper has gone 6-40 with one home run.  Bryce is a talented kid – I know he can hit!  Hopefully he can analyze his swing during the break (isn't that what they all do - "review the tapes?"), take some pitches from his dad, and come back ready to do some damage.  Just think about your parents, Bryce; you're embarrassing them!

The Nationals also need to get rid of Danny Espinosa.  Don’t send him down to the Minors – trade him for some prospects or some cash or for a nice hand-made Amish quilt.  He calls himself a switch hitter but can’t hit from either side, and just being a good fielder is not enough if you can’t hit.  Danny has to go - he plain old sucks.

Finally, the Nationals HAVE to beat the Braves.  They have nine games left to play against the Braves this season, and they need to win at least 5 of them.  The Braves aren’t all that – their hitting has been up and down and their pitchers aren’t as dominant (except for that Craig Kimbrel guy with his weird pitching stance) – so there’s really no reason why the Nationals can’t win most of their remaining games against the Braves.  If anything, they need to win the games in Atlanta so I don’t have to hear that annoying “Tomahawk Chop” that their fans do when their team is winning. 

How about the rest of the teams in the Majors - any surprises during the first half?  Well I'm glad you asked!  I'm surprised to see the World Champion Red Sox on the bottom of the AL East; I'm a little surprised that the Oakland A's have the best record in baseball; and I'm saddened that the Cardinals' Yadier Molina is going to be out for a while with a torn thumb ligament.  Ouch!  I was even sad to see a Yankee go down (and that's rare for me!) when rookie pitcher Masahiro Tanaka suffered a partial tear of the ulnar ligament in his pitching arm.  He had my vote for Rookie of the Year, but now he has to undergo all sorts of aggressive rehab which will sideline him for a while.  Luckily, he may be able to avoid Tommy John surgery because he had platelet-rich plasma injected into his elbow, and that's supposed to make the tear heal itself.  Let's hope it works, but not if the Yankees make it to the post-season. :-)

So, my friends, the second half of the season should be a good one.  Enjoy tonight's Home Run Derby (I'm rooting for Giancarlo Stanton) and tomorrow's All-Star Game (National League fan, obviously!), and may the second half bring good health and many home runs to the Nationals and Orioles.  I, for one, would love to see a "Battle of the Beltways" World Series-style!