The Groundhog Days of Winter

In just a few days, Major League pitchers and catchers will be starting to report to their team's spring training camps in Arizona and Florida, despite the minus-zero wind chills here in Maryland and the seven feet of snow in New England.  The first spring training game is just two weeks away, which is beyond exciting for baseball nerds like myself.  I did keep my baseball feet wet during the off-season though, going with my husband and son to NatsFest in December and attending the annual meeting of our local SABR chapter just 2 weeks ago.

NatsFest, which was held in the DC convention center, was full of Nationals players available for photo ops.  We met manager Matt Williams and relief pitcher Drew Storen, as well as TV and radio personalities.  The rich people were able to get autographs from several players while the rest of us watched a Q&A with some of the players.  It was a nice event, though I would have liked more free stuff (don't give us a big plastic bag when we get there and not give us free stuff to put in it!  Haven't you ever been to a fitness expo where the Bic pens and the lanyards are free for the taking?).

The SABR conference was a completely different experience.  Members of the Society for American Baseball Research are (believe it or not!) nerdier than I am.  These people can rattle off statistics that the normal person would never consider to be a statistic.  Did you know that Tony LaRussa managed a total of 647 players?  No, I didn't either.  How about the fact that on two occasions, a team scored 13 runs with all RBIs coming from home runs (the Yankees and the Reds)?  Nope, I didn't know that either.  Also interesting to note was that at a game in April of last year, every Orioles starter scored a run.  Yep, that's what these people do all day - try to out-do each other with interesting but unusual statistics.  If these people used their nerdiness for good, we would have a cure for cancer, vision loss in humans could be restored, and colonoscopy preparation wouldn't be such a nightmare.  But hey, I got Jayson Werth and Manny Machado bobble heads in one of their drawings, and a very good lunch was included with the price of our registration. 

So now what?  Now we wait for the players to start trickling in and for the predictors to do their predicting for the upcoming season.  As I read all the projections, the one thing that makes me happy is that neither the Yankees nor the Braves appear on any of the "Top 10 teams" lists.  Most experts put the Nationals on top, with the Dodgers and Cardinals close behind.  I would actually like to see the Seattle Mariners do well this season.  They have Robinson Canó and Nelson Cruz offensively, and one of the best arms in Felix Hernandez.  And the Royals did so well last year that it would be nice to see them do well this season too, especially with their good run production. 

As far as my Nationals are concerned, they have six good arms in their starting rotation.  That's right - most teams have five starters and the Nationals have six since they signed Max Scherzer.  Rumor has it that Tanner Roark will be moved to the bullpen, :-( and some are even saying that Stephen Strasburg could be traded (!).  All I know is that Bryce Harper needs to grow up and step up, Jayson Werth served his 5 days in jail for driving too fast (though he probably won't start the season because he is recovering from off-season shoulder surgery), and Ryan Zimmerman is being moved from third base to first base.  And by gosh, Wilson Ramos, can you stay healthy for one full season?  So let's wait and see if the predictors and experts and SABR analysts are right about the Nationals - only six weeks left until Opening Day!

In the meantime, you should know that Gary Sheffield played in 51 different ballparks.  Yep!  Now you can go back to shoveling snow...

Phew! I'm Back!

Mercy me!  It's hard to believe that I hadn't blogged in over a month!  May was utterly crazy with 3 family birthdays, my daughter's 8th-grade graduation, my son's hectic and unpredictable baseball schedule, and house guests.  Now that life has settled down a little and my husband and I have returned from our vacation in Italy (sans kids - it was just terrible!), I can finally take a breath and focus on my blog.


A lot happened in Major League Baseball during my hiatus - the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw no-hit the Rockies, Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn passed away, and my husband and I went to Nationals Park to watch the Nats gets their butts kicked by Yu Darvish and the Texas Rangers.  But hey, my Nationals are in first place in the NL East, so there's that.


One thing I've neglected to do this season, which I usually do in May, is to submit my All-Star ballot.  Since it's better to do it late than not do it at all, I went ahead and voted earlier today (it's Primary Day here in Frederick, so why not vote?).  Some of my usual players are there (Miggy, Canó, Yadier) and some are new (Blackmon, Prado, Perez).  Here are the players who got my vote and the reasoning behind my selections:


AMERICAN LEAGUE
First base:  Sorry, Orioles fans; the Tigers' Miguel Cabrera always gets my vote.  Until he decides to have a crappy year or switch to DH, he will always get my vote over Chris Davis.


Second base:  I could have voted for José Altuve, but just like with first base, Robinson Canó always gets my vote.  He is just bad-ass, especially since he's no longer a Yankee.


Shortstop:  Alexei Ramirez of the Chicago White Sox gets my vote this year.  Not voting for Derek Jeter should come as no surprise to you if you've read my blog in the past.


Third base:  I really wanted to vote for Manny Machado, but since he was out for the beginning of the season, I had to go with the Rangers' Adrian Beltre.  He's batting .309 so far this season, so there.


Designated Hitter:  As much as I hate the DH, I forced myself to vote so I would have a full ballot.  No, I did not vote for "Big Papi" or for the Tigers' Victor Martinez - the Orioles' Nelson Cruz got my vote, because he has proven that you can come back from a drug suspension and still kick butt.  Not that I think he should have taken PEDs in the first place, but if MLB is going to give him a second chance, he has certainly made good lemonade out of his lemons.  Plus I had to vote for an Oriole.


Outfield:  This is the hardest category by far.  I wanted to vote for six players, but I had to cut it down to Alex Gordon of the Royals and the Blue Jays' Melky Cabrera and José Bautista.  That left out Nick Markakis and Adam Jones of the O's and Mike Trout of the Angels.   Sorry guys; I can't vote for EVERYONE!


NATIONAL LEAGUE
First base:  I voted for Adam LaRoche because he can play a mean first base and he's leading the Nationals in batting.  He'll probably be named as a reserve player, but at least I can say I voted for a Nationals player.


Second base:  I had to vote for the Pirates' Neil Walker even though I love Anthony Rendón of the Nationals, because Walker is just having a better year and Rendón has been playing at third base lately.  Chase Utley is having a good season too, but I don't vote for Phillies players, so he's out.


Shortstop:  Troy Tulowitzki of the Colorado Rockies, hands down!


Third base:  I chose Martín Prado of the Arizona Diamondbacks because Chipper Jones and Mike Schmidt are retired.


Catcher:  Sigh!  Jonathan Lucroy of the Milwaukee Brewers is having a great season, but I had to go with my Puerto Rican heart and vote for the Cardinals' Yadier Molina.  He's kind of trashy, but he's the best catcher in the game today.


Outfield:  I left out the three "P"s who are playing well - Angel Pagán, Yasiel Puig, and Hunter Pence - and voted for three players who are playing better:  Andrew McCutchen of the Pirates, Charlie Blackmon of the Rockies, and Carlos Gomez of the Brewers. 


So there you have it - now I have to wait and see how many of the players I voted for end up making the All-Star team.  So much of it is a popularity contest, but I like to think that I actually put some thought into my voting.  Enjoy the last 3 weeks of the first half of the season, and don't forget to watch some World Cup soccer too!

"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! :-)

The Off-Season in Review (with my comments, of course!)

Football season is over and the Olympics only go for two weeks – what comes next?  Why baseball season is just around the corner, of course, and for those of us who are tired of these record-cold temperatures, we’re hoping that the start of a new baseball season brings with it some warmer weather.

So once you’re done rooting for Lolo Jones, Bode Miller and Shaun White, it’s time to get geared up for the 2014 baseball season.  Before you don your Orioles shirt, Nationals cap, or Yankee pinstripes (ugh!), you may want to catch up on what went on during the off-season, after the Boston Red Sox won the World Series.  Well here’s a recap of what transpired since November in a nutshell (start your stopwatch – this should only take two minutes to read):

·        Detroit's Miguel Cabrera earned his second consecutive Most Valuable Player Award in the American League, took Players' Choice top honors and added a Silver Slugger as well. 

·        The Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw won his second National League Cy Young Award in three years, and José Fernandez of the Marlins received the well-deserved reward of NL Rookie of the Year award.  (Remember him?  He’s that Cuban kid who spent time in immigration jail before successfully defecting by coming over on a makeshift boat that hit rough waters and a bunch of people fell overboard including his family.  And he can really pitch!)

·        Free agents:  Robinson Canó went to the Mariners, Jacoby Ellsbury is now a Yankee, Shin-Soo Choo signed with the Rangers, and Japanese pitching star Masahiro Tanaka went to the Yankees.  Who didn’t see that one coming?  Oh, the Yankees also signed outfielder Carlos Beltrán and catcher Brian McCann; they’re clearly trying to buy their way to another World Series.  Whatever!

·        Trades: The Rangers acquired slugging first baseman Prince Fielder from the Tigers for second baseman Ian Kinsler, a doozy of a deal featuring All-Star talent and big bucks. The Cardinals followed by sending third baseman David Freese to the Angels for Peter Bourjos.

·        New managers:  Bryan Price in Cincinnati, Matt Williams in Washington (it should have been Sandy Alomar, Jr.), Brad Ausmus in Detroit, Lloyd McClendon in Seattle, and Rick Rentería with the Cubs -- and don't forget Ryne Sandberg in Philadelphia, a late-season addition.

·        Oh, and in case you didn’t realize this, the Orioles lost their closer, Jim Johnson, to the Oakland A’s.  I felt really bad about that one – despite Johnson’s blown saves last season, he was a good pitcher and will be hard to replace.

·        What about my Nationals?  They acquired starting pitcher Doug Fister from the Tigers and were able to avoid arbitration with pretty much every player who was eligible for it.  They also announced “Jayson Werth Garden Gnome Day,” which is pretty exciting.

·        Notable quote:  Curtis Granderson went across town from the Yankees to the Mets, saying “True New Yorkers are Mets fans.”  That one made me smile, since I started out as a Mets fan back in the 80s.  Too bad the Mets will suck again this season.

·        Three of the all-time great managers were honored with their election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame -- Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa and Joe Torre, all heading to Cooperstown in July.

·        In an election that again was preceded by considerable debate, the BBWAA elected three first-timers on the Hall of Fame ballot: pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, and hitting star Frank Thomas.

·        Lucrative deals:  Lefty Clayton Kershaw agreed to the richest deal ever for a pitcher, signing a seven-year, $215 million contract through 2020.  The Tigers then signed AL Cy Young winner Max Scherzer to a one-year, $15.5 million deal, and the Rays signed David Price  to a one-year pact worth $14 million.

So there you have it – now you know what went on during the “Hot Stove” season and you can pretend like you know what you’re talking about when necessary.  Stay warm, enjoy the Olympics, and remember that Opening Day is only about seven weeks away!  

"Shining Star, No Matter Who You are"

It’s that time of the year again – time to start considering which players to include in my All-Star Game ballot.  Honestly, this is not a good time for me to ponder such things, as I am currently a very disgruntled Nationals fan.  But since I only planned to include one Nationals player in my ballot anyway, now is as good a time as any.

This baseball season has showcased a lot of talent, especially from veteran players who continue to be consistent.  It’s definitely the year of the hitter, with many players still batting way above .300.  So who did I choose on my ballot?  Well I’m glad you asked!

AMERICAN LEAGUE

First base:  Chris Davis of the Baltimore Orioles is batting .312 with 13 home runs, so I chose him over Prince Fielder.  I’m tired of Prince; he’s not exciting to watch anymore.

Second base:  The Detroit Tigers’ Omar Infante can play a mean second base.  I struggled with this one, because I’ve voted for Robinson Canó in the past and Canó is one of the reasons the Yankees are in first place despite having about 35 players on the Disabled List, but I chose Infante.  He probably won’t get the fan vote, but he’ll likely be asked to play as an alternate.

Shortstop:  Jhonny Peralta, another Tiger, got my vote because Omar Vizquel was not on the ballot.  I could have voted for J.J. Hardy, but I didn’t. 

Third base:  Oh, this was the toughest one of all!  I love Miguel Cabrera and have voted for him for many years in a row.  He will get the starting job at third – after all, he won the Triple Crown last year and is still on a tear, batting .384 with 12 home runs and 42 RBIs.  But there’s this young guy in Baltimore who plays with such drive and has clutch hits in crucial situations – I just couldn’t pass up voting for the Orioles’ Manny Machado!  Not only did he play for a short time here for the Frederick Keys (high A), but my husband and I watched him play once for the Delmarva Shorebirds (low A), so I can’t help but feel like I need to vote for the “hometown hero.”

Catcher:  Carlos Santana is the only Cleveland Indian who was worthy of my vote (sorry, Asdrubal Cabrera!).  He’s batting .290, which, when comparing the stats of all the AL catchers, made me realize that most of them are not batting well this year. 

Designated Hitter:  This (in my opinion) bogus position goes to David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox.  I almost voted for the Texas Rangers’ Lance Berkman, but “Big Papi” is still playing well despite being 37 years old.  Ortiz is the “poster old-man” for those who believe that having a Designated Hitter can prolong a player’s career.  I can’t argue with that one when it comes to Ortiz.  He has 408 career home runs (with 7 so far this season) and does an awful lot of charity work in his native Dominican Republic.

Outfielders:  In the outfield, I picked the Orioles’ Adam Jones (a “tell it like it is” kind of player who always plays intensely; Alex Gordon of the Kansas City Royals (who is originally from Lincoln, Nebraska just like my ex-husband but I voted for him anyway); and Coco Crisp of the Oakland A’s.  Crisp is only 33 – it seems like he’s been around forever and this season has an impressive nine stolen bases so far.

 That’s three Orioles on my AL ballot and no Yankees.  I’m happy with that!

NATIONAL LEAGUE

First base:  I couldn’t find a first baseman that I truly liked and thought was deserving, so I went straight for the guy with the best stats so far.  Paul Goldschmidt of the Arizona Diamondbacks is batting .323 with 12 homers and 36 RBIs, so he got my vote even though I haven’t seen him play yet this season (the D-backs don’t play the Nationals until late June, so I’ll get a glimpse of him then).

Second base:  I chose Marco Scutaro of the San Francisco Giants because I enjoyed watching him play during last year’s World Series.  I really wanted to vote for the Pirates’ Neil Walker, but he has had some injuries and is not playing much this year.  Scutaro is currently batting .337, and he can field his position pretty well.

Shortstop:  I couldn’t convince myself to vote for the Nationals’ Ian Desmond, so I chose Troy Tulowitzki of the Colorado Rockies.  I know I bad-mouthed him in a previous blog because he’s a Jeter lover, but “Tulo” can hit, run, and play shortstop pretty well.  Just keep your mouth shut, Troy!

Third base:  Since the Nationals’ Ryan Zimmerman has committed nine errors so far at third base, he was out of the running for me despite seeming like a totally nice guy.  I had to opt for “Kung Fu Panda,” the Giants’ Pablo Sandoval.  He’s batting .308 with 8 home runs and 34 RBIs, and like David Ortiz, he’s one of those guys whose smile just lights up a ball park.

Catcher:  Posey or Molina?  Definitely Yadier Molina!  Yes, he has ugly neck tattoos.  Yes, he plays for the St. Louis Cardinals (who eliminated the Nationals in last year’s playoffs).  And yes, he’s just flat out unattractive.  But “Yadi” has a career success rate of 44% getting runners out trying to steal a base, and that’s pretty darn good (my pal, Iván Rodriguez, ended his career with a 46%).  Posey is good and all, but Yadier having a better season so far.

Outfield:  This was the easiest one.  Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals), Andrew McCutchen (Pittsburgh Pirates), and Carlos Beltrán (St. Louis Cardinals).  I almost didn’t vote for Harper for fear that he’d hurt himself during the All-Star Game, but he deserves to be there.  All three players are having good seasons (even the 36-year-old Beltrán, who many thought was “washed out” is hitting consistently and fielding very well.

No Phillies players on my NL ballot – no shocker there!

So there you have it – my All-Star Game ballot, which I like to think was well thought-out.  I don’t just vote for the cute ones (have you SEEN McCutchen?) or the skinny ones (hello, Sandoval!); I like to think that I vote for those who play well, play consistently, and play hard.  Let’s see if the rest of America agrees with me. 

You Show-Off!

This year's World Baseball Classic has consumed me more than I expected it to.  I have never watched so many baseball games in the month of March, and I am sleep-deprived and exhausted.  Two Saturdays ago, I watched part of all 5 games that were televised - from the Cuba game at 6 in the morning to a USA game that started at 9:00 at night with 3 other games in between (mind you, I only watched PARTS of these games - I did go about my regular routine of grocery shopping and errand-running in between).  The championship game is tomorrow night, and while I will probably watch the whole thing (since Puerto Rico is in the finals), I will be happy to get a good night's sleep once it's all done.

Before I begin sharing my observations of the WBC with you, let me preface my thoughts by reassuring you that I love living in this country.  I like where I live, I enjoy where I work, and I'm glad I'm raising my kids in the United States.  But first and foremost, I am Puerto Rican, and I will always root for a Puerto Rican sports team (or athlete) before cheering for an American one (and this is one reason I don't think Puerto Rico should become a state in the Union, but that's a whole other topic, and I won't get into politics on my blog).

OK, now that I have told you that I like "the land of the free and the home of the Braves" and all the freedoms and rights that come with being an American, let me share with you my issue with this year's Team USA.  When USA played against the Dominican Republic (and lost), they came up with all kinds of excuses.  First, the pitchers were not in mid-season form (neither were the Dominican ones).  Then, the players had only practiced together for a couple of weeks (that's what happens when you put together a team of all-stars instead of using a team that has been practicing together for several months, like the other countries).  Then they said the crowd was distracting (excuse us for blowing horns and waving flags and showing our team pride - American fans can't even wave a flag right.  I saw a guy in the stands during one of the games in Miami trying to wave his flag but instead it looked like he was trying to get rid of something on a piece of fabric, like when you can't seem to get rid of that stray piece of toilet paper that sticks to the bottom of your shoe when you use a public restroom).  But their biggest complaint was that the Dominicans were show-offs - that they acted like they were the best players in the world and were just too cocky and obnoxious.  Well you know what?  I'm OK with that.

This is what I like to call "the Usain Bolt attitude."  Jamaica's Usain Bolt is the fastest man in the world, and he will not let you forget it.  He is flashy and arrogant, but he is also pretty damn fast.  During last summer's Olympics, I saw nothing wrong with his showiness because he never bullied another athlete, he never said "I'm better than so-and-so," and he was passionate about his sport.  If anything, he bullied and controlled the media, but how many of us don't wish we could do that ourselves?  Don't we wish we had his confidence and self-esteem? Who am I to tell Usain Bolt not to be so flashy?  Can I run as fast as him?  Never.

So I see nothing wrong with Hanley Ramirez clapping when he has a good hit (even though I don't particularly care for Hanley).  If Robinson Canó wants to skip around the bases after hitting a home run, by all means, go right ahead (can you play better second base than Canó?  Probably not!).  If the entire Dominican bench wants to gather at home plate after a pivotal run is scored, I see nothing wrong with that.  These are men playing a boy's game.  They get excited just like little boys do.  They play with passion, hunger, and drive.  They're not in their opponents' faces - they're in the cameraman's face showing their country and the world that they're great baseball players and they want to win.

On the other side of the spectrum, the Japanese team did something last night (actually it was VERY early this morning!) that I had never seen before and I'm glad I stayed up to witness it.  After having won the first two WBCs in 2006 and 2009, the Japanese lost to the underdog Puerto Ricans in a game that surprised everyone.  But while the Puerto Ricans were celebrating their victory with almost as much excitement as the Dominicans do, the Japanese players were all lining up along the third-base line, they removed their caps, and bowed to the fans.  Then they turned around and did the same thing in the other direction, facing the Puerto Rican team.  Yes, they let down their country by being eliminated, and I'm sure they will come up with some excuses of their own as to why they lost, but they showed grace and dignity and taught us a lesson on losing with pride.  Their fans may be weird, but the players were classy and made me smile at 12:40 in the morning.

The winner of tonight's Dominican Republic/Netherlands game will face Puerto Rico tomorrow night in the final in San Francisco.  And if Puerto Rico loses, I won't come up with lame excuses as to why they lost.  Either the pitchers didn't pitch well or the hitters didn't hit - that's usually the reason a team loses a game.  Heck, Puerto Rico wasn't predicted to make it this far, so we'll be OK regardless of the outcome.  The championship game will feature two teams with attitude, confidence, and outward displays of passion and emotion.  And I will be perfectly fine with that.

The Real "World Series"

Spring Training baseball is in full swing, with all 30 major-league teams starting to trim down their rosters and  last-minute free agents being signed.  But while the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues have been bustling with activity, a lot of baseball is being played on the other side of the world.

The 2013 World Baseball Classic began last week with games in Japan and China, and today is adding games in the US and Puerto Rico.  The WBC is in its third season, having been played in 2006 and 2009 (and both won by Japan).  This year, sixteen countries are represented and divided into four pools - pools A and B have already narrowed down their 8 teams to 4 and pools C and D start their action today.  In pool A, Cuba and Japan have advanced, with Brazil and China going home.  In pool B, the Netherlands and Chinese Tai Pei have moved on, with Australia and Korea being eliminated.  Pool C includes the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Spain, and Venezuela, and pool D has the US, Canada, Italy, and Mexico.

So what have I seen of the WBC so far?  Well, many of the games were either really late at night or very early in the morning, but thanks to a recent snow day, I was able to watch most of the game between Cuba and Japan.  I also watched bits of a game between the Netherlands and Korea, and I also caught some action between China and the Netherlands on another occasion.  The one thing that caught my attention the most is the enthusiasm of the Asian fans.  In all the games in which Asian teams played (granted, the games were either in Japan or China), spectators blew whistles, beat on their thunder sticks, and even had a whole brass section during one of the games.  They have very organized and synchronized cheers, especially when their guys are batting.  And even when the Cuban team was winning 6-0 in the ninth inning, the Japanese fans were still in the game, waving their handheld flags and carrying on.  Something tells me that if I try to bring a trumpet to a Nationals game, my husband would have to pick me up in the holding cell after the game was over.

But as excited as some fans are about the World Baseball Classic (trust me - I'm going to be glued to the TV when Puerto Rico debuts in this year's WBC in their game against Spain tomorrow), the Classic has received a lot of criticism.  Tim Dahlberg of the Associated Press says that the schedule is manipulated to favor the US.  I tend to agree with him on that one - the US has to beat teams from Canada, Italy, and Mexico in order to advance, while powerhouses like the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico are all in the same bracket.  The US team did not make it to the finals in either of the first two WBC tournaments - proof that Lebron James can win an Olympic gold medal but Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter can't beat the Japanese.

Another criticism of the WBC is that it is played smack in the middle of Spring Training, when pitchers are not yet ready to pitch in true game form (hence the pitch count limit - 60 in the first round, 80 in the second, and 95 in the semis and finals) and hitters would rather bask in the Florida and Arizona sun earning their millions while slowly getting into baseball shape.  I don't think there is an ideal time to have the WBC - no matter when you hold it, someone is going to complain about the players not being ready, being too tired or run down, etc.  I recently heard someone suggest they hold the WBC during the All-Star break - that person must not have realized that the break is only 4 days long and the WBC takes two weeks to play.

Dahlberg also whines about the lack of big-league talent in Team USA:  "No Clayton Kershaw, no Bryce Harper.  Mike Trout and Josh Hamilton are busy elsewhere.  Justin Verlander had other plans."  Well guess what?  David Wright will be there, as will Ryan Braun, Adam Jones, Giancarlo Stanton, and pitchers Gio Gonzalez, and RA Dickey.  Not too shabby, people - stop whining because Robinson Canó will be playing for the Dominican Republic and Joey Votto is representing Team Canada (did you know he was CANADIAN?  I had NO IDEA!).  Why is it that any time a US team is touted as an underdog, people have to whine and make up excuses?  I come from Puerto Rico, where we are very nationalistic about our sports teams, but we're also used to not always winning.  Hey, we're happy to be there and we'll hoot and holler like the Asians, but if we don't make it very far, life will go on.

Speaking of Team Puerto Rico, the squad is full of young talent with a sprinkling of big-leaguers like Carlos Beltrán, Yadier Molina, and Angel Pagán.  It doesn't look like the team is as strong as in years past, when they made it to the semifinals, but like I said, I'd be happy regardless of how they did, as long as I can wear my Team Puerto Rico t-shirt and wave my flag.  And if Team Puerto Rico gets eliminated, I will still watch the rest of the Classic.

Where can you watch every single WBC game?  In the MLB Network, which for those of you with Comcast in the Frederick area, it's channel 738.  Some people think it's too remote a channel for casual fans to catch, but it's college basketball playoffs time, and you're not going to get ESPN to give that up.  I'm just happy I didn't have to do what I did in 2009, when I had to buy the premium "latino" bundle for a month so I could watch more WBC games.    And if people still don't think the WBC is a good idea, then perhaps the International Olympic Committee can bring baseball back to the summer Olympics, which is really where international baseball belongs.

"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!"

It's official:  Spring Training 2013 has begun!  All pitchers and catchers have reported to their respective camps, and regular players are starting to trickle in as well.  The off-season wasn't so bad - we had Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Ravens won the Super Bowl, my husband remodeled one of our bathrooms, and Tim Lincecum got a haircut.  But it's time, my friends - time for the smell of fresh-cut grass and leather baseball gloves.  Tine for "Take me out to the Ballgame" and the seventh-inning stretch.  Time for overpriced beer and chili dogs.  I know; it may be freezing here in Maryland, but in Florida and Arizona, the players of the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues are ready to play some ball.

So what do we have to look forward to in the 2013 season?  Here's a rundown of what's not to be missed:

• Before the regular season even starts, the World Baseball Classic will take place in Japan, Puerto Rico, and the US.  Baseball teams from sixteen different countries will be competing for the ultimate World Championship.  First-round games begin on March 2, with finals being held two weeks later at AT&T Park in San Francisco.  These teams feature veterans like Adam Jones and Joe Mauer (playing for Team USA), Yadier Molina and Carlos Beltrán (representing Puerto Rico), and Robinson Canó and Melky Cabrera (for the Dominican Republic), but also include young players who will be getting their first taste of international competition.  Stay tuned to my blog, because I will surely have a lot to comment on during the WBC.
• The Yankees' Mariano Rivera looks to be ready for his comeback after last year's season-ending knee injury in May.  He is all rehabbed and ready to go, and at 43 years young, he will hopefully be back in pitching shape by the end of Spring Training.  He did say that he will decide before Opening Day if this will be his last season as a Major League baseball player, but since his contract with the Yankees is only for one year and he has always been in pinstripes, I'm sure this will be Mo's last season.
• Seventy-year-old Davey Johnson, the manager of the Washington Nationals, has said that this will be his last season managing a Major League baseball team.  And with his "World Series or Bust!" attitude, we can hope to see a lot of special moments from our nation's capital this season.
• Speaking of the Nationals, they have added a new mascot to their Presidents Race.  For those of you unfamiliar with this DC tradition, the four Mount Rushmore Presidents would race around the field at Nationals Park between the two halves of the fourth inning.  Since the Presidents Race began, Teddy Roosevelt would always lose.  Well last year, during the last homestand of the season, Teddy finally won, so the Nationals had to come up with a new gimmick.  After asking fans to vote for their favorite addition to the Presidents Race, William Howard Taft was chosen.  Why?  Probably because he was fat, had a cool mustache, and was the first President to throw out a ceremonial first pitch at a baseball game.  Let's see how the mascot version of Taft does this season.
• The revamped Toronto Blue Jays are ready to kick some baseball ass.  With new acquisitions to their pitching staff (Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle, and Josh Johnson) and offense (José Reyes and Emilio Bonifacio, to name a few), they look very good on paper.  Let's hope they can stay healthy this year - injuries have plagued the Jays for the past few seasons - so they can contend like in the days of John Olerud, Roberto Alomar, and Roger Clemens.

Another thing that is different from last season is that my husband and I opted out of the 5-game "Flex Plan" that we bought last year.  Not only did prices go up (we liked it better when our team sucked and tickets were cheaper!), but the seating choices were lousy.  I'm not going to watch 5 games while sitting in the scorching sun in the middle of the outfield seats nor am I going to be able to see anything from the mezzanine level.  So we're going the Stub Hub route this year, and hopefully we'll go to three or four games at Nationals Park (including a playoff game, hopefully!).  We do have a trip planned to PNC Park in Pittsburgh to watch the Pirates play the dreaded Phillies - can you guess for which team I will be rooting as I wear my Roberto Clemente t-shirt?

And don't forget your local minor-league baseball teams!  We will surely catch a handful of games at Harry Grove Stadium, where our Orioles' affiliate Frederick Keys play.  They may have gotten rid of their Puerto Rican manager, but the games are still fun to watch and still affordable for our family of four.

Now if the weather would only warm up here...

Roberts and Strasburg and A-Rod - Oh my!

If the only baseball news you get come from my blog (because you only read my blog to be nice, not because you're a true baseball fan), there are a lot of newsworthy items that you may have missed.  First of all, the Baltimore Orioles' second baseman, Brian Roberts, returned to his team last night after being on the Disabled List for over a year due to recurring concussion symptoms.  Not only did Roberts get a standing ovation from the fans at Camden Yards, but he went 3 for 4 with one RBI.  Welcome back, Brian!
Another noteworthy event is that the Washington Nationals' Stephen Strasburg became the first pitcher in the Majors to reach 100 strikeouts this season.  He did so in 76 1/3 innings pitched and now has a record of 8-1.  If Strasburg is not selected to be a starting pitcher for this year's All-Star Game, I swear I will run my next marathon in my bare feet with my hands tied behind my back.  The Nationals, by the way, just finished a six-game road trip where they swept the Red Sox and Blue Jays, and are now headed home to face the Yankees this weekend with a franchise-best 38-23 record. 

Also of note (though I wish I could skip this item, but it would be irresponsible of me to do so) is that the New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez tied Lou Gehrig with the 23rd grand slam of his career.  Now, I don't see this as a particularly great individual feat, because it is out of your control as a batter whether the bases are loaded or not when you hit a home run.  Now, if the bases are loaded, no pitcher in his right mind would intentionally walk a batter to walk in a run, so of course they're going to pitch to A-Rod.  On other occasions, pitchers either intentionally walk him or pitch around him ("unintentionally" intentionally walking him), so when they're forced to pitch to him, yes, he's likely to hit a home run.  Not because there are 3 guys on base, but because they don't want to walk him in this case.  So because I'm an A-Rod hater, I'm going to pooh-pooh this otherwise-wonderful feat and hope that someone with the grace and dignity of Lou Gehrig passes A-Rod on this list someday.

Let's see... what else? Oh, sorry Scott, but I have to mention how the Phillies are in LAST place by 10 games in the NL East.  Their 29-24 record is a far cry from that of victorious years past, - maybe their fans will stop being so obnoxious when they visit other ballparks.  And how about those Pirates?  They're only one game back of the Reds in the NL Central, and as much as I like the Cardinals (for having Beltrán and Molina), it's nice to see someone else in the top two spots for a change. 

So yeah, this has been an interesting week so far, and it will only get better on Saturday, when my husband and will I go down to Nationals Park for our second game of the season.  Yankees and Nationals - Jordan Zimmermann against previously-retired Andy Pettite; Harper versus A-Rod; Jeter versus Desmond; the "Curly W" versus pinstriped uniforms that haven't changed since the 1800s.  I'm looking forward to seeing Robinson Canó in person, though I hope he goes 0-4 that day.  I can't wait to tell you all about it!

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!  :-)