Shut Up, Pete Rose!

Earlier this week, the Miami Marlins' Ichiro Suzuki raised his career hits total to 4,257, passing Pete Rose's record Major League Baseball total.  The issue here is that 1,278 of those hits came while Ichiro was playing professional baseball in Japan; therefore, "only" 2,979 of those hits were while playing Major League Baseball here in the US.  No one really seems to care where his hits came from, because we all love Ichiro and we know that professional baseball in Japan is serious business with top-caliber talent - except for Pete Rose.

For those of you unfamiliar with Pete Rose, he was a very very very good baseball player.  He was known for his hustle, his competitiveness, and for betting on baseball.  Now, I actually read Pete Rose's autobiography, where he admits to betting on his team while he managed the Cincinnati Reds (and he also went into great detail over his time spent in prison, including how his wife snuck in a Whopper for him during a visitation), so I consider myself an unofficial authority on Pete Rose and his betting habits (which allegedly still continue, mainly with horse betting).  It was because of this betting on baseball that Rose has been banned from being inducted into the Hall of Fame, even though his name is there several times due to his impressive hitting career (and deservedly so, statistics-wise).  Rose is also kind of an ass, lacking basic decorum and always sounding like a brash redneck (though his comments are sometimes quite humorous).  So it came as no surprise to me when I read an Associated Press article in which Rose was quoted as saying "I'm not trying to take anything away from Ichiro, he's had a Hall of Fame career, but the next thing you know, they'll be counting his high-school hits."  Just shut up, Pete!

So what would have been a better thing for Rose to say?  Gee, let's see, how about something gracious like "I'm not sure if I would count the hits that Ichiro got while playing in Japan, but hey, he's a great baseball player and I'm so glad that he has had such a long and illustrious career," or "Good for Ichiro - I've never met the guy because I was banned from baseball for so long, and I envy the fact that he will someday be in the Hall of Fame, but it's a great accomplishment that I am happy to share with him."  Rose could have even declined to comment on the matter and that still wouldn't have sounded as whiny and sore-loser-ish as what he said.   Let's face it - Pete Rose is an idiot.  

So what's so great about Ichiro that makes him such a likable guy?  The Washington Nationals' first baseman, Ryan Zimmerman, has said that Ichiro has been his favorite player to meet at first base, because he's always friendly and chatty and has nice things to say.  At All-Star games, Ichiro is the player whom other all-stars flock to and want to meet.  For Ichiro, it's always been about his teammates and about his fans.  He is known throughout the world as a model athlete who has transcended demographics and race.  And he's a damn good baseball player.  So don't listen to Pete Rose complaining about Ichiro's Japanese hits counting towards his professional career total.  Personally, instead of worrying about what a washed-out has-been who uses way too much Grecian Formula thinks, I'm going to focus on Ichiro's next 21 hits - the amount he needs in order to tie Roberto Clemente in the all-time Major League Baseball hits list with 3,000.

It's Not Over Yet!

There may only be one week left in baseball’s regular season, but things are just starting to heat up.  Wild Card slots have to be determined, batting races are wrapping up, and teams with losing records are already looking forward to next season (like the poor Houston Astros, with their 51-105 record).

So if you read this blog just to be nice and you’re not sure what’s going on, let me fill you in on which teams are moving on to the post-season so you have a clue as to what the people on the Metro or at the water cooler are talking about when they reference players like Puig, Miggy, and Yadier.  Here is your quick tutorial to the post-season.  

First of all, as of today (Monday, September 23), not all playoff spots have been filled.  There are still Wild Card slots up for grabs, and the AL Central champion hasn’t been determined yet.  But that’s what makes this last week so exciting, so please pay attention.

In the American League East, the Boston Red Sox have clinched their division.  Many of the players have scraggly beards, which must be what makes them play well (since they won the World Series in 2004 with scraggly guys like Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon, and Pedro Martinez).  They were in last place early in the season but can possibly end the season with 100 wins.

In the American League Central, the Detroit Tigers are 5 games in front of the Cleveland Indians, but unless they lose every game and the Indians win the next five, they pretty much have the division title to themselves.  As much as I would like to see Cleveland win it, the Tigers would certainly make the playoffs more exciting with players like Miguel Cabrera (this is where the “Miggy” reference comes in), Justin Verlander, and Matt Scherzer.  Plus that poor city needs some excitement.

In the American League West, the Oakland A’s have clinched their division.  I hope they get eliminated early in the playoffs so they don’t have to play any games in the west coast time zone and I can get my regular amount of sleep.  Yes, Oakland is a very good team, but they need to understand that I need my sleep!

Regarding the AL Wild Card, there are four teams in the running for the two available spots - Tampa Bay, Cleveland, Texas, and Kansas City.  The Orioles aren’t far behind, but I’m afraid that mathematically they’re probably not going to make it.  The two Wild Card teams will face each other in a one-game elimination, so that will leave four teams in the American League to play the American League Divisional Series (ALDS).  That will then leave two teams that will face each other to crown the American League Champion that goes on to the World Series.  (Did you notice I didn't mention the Yankees?  They're not going to the playoff this year - ha ha!)

Now for the National League… The Atlanta Braves have clinched the NL East after pretty much dominating for the entire season.  The team that led the league in Disabled List transactions hopes to overcome their opponents and make it to the World Series.  I hope they don’t make it, because that “tomahawk chop” that their fans do during games is downright obnoxious.  I'm banning it when I become Commissioner.

In the National League Central, things aren’t so clear.  The St. Louis Cardinals have clinched a playoff spot, but not necessarily as the Division champs.  This is because both the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates are 2 games out of first place, and they still have 3 games to play against each other this coming weekend.  This division is going to come down to the wire at the last possible minute, and that's the excitement I love.

In the National League West, the Dodgers clinched their division what seems like months ago, and they’re not letting that stop them from wanting to win the last few games of the season.  I like the Dodgers, but again, they’re in the wrong time zone, and that Yasiel Puig guy is kind of an enigma.  I’m curious to see how he will handle the pressures of the post-season.

Regarding the Wild Card slots in the National League, the two will probably go to the Reds or Pirates, unless one of them ends up clinching the division and then the remaining spot will go to the Cardinals.  The Washington Nationals are not mathematically out of it yet, but they would have to win their last 7 games and the Reds and Pirates would have to collapse.  I’m afraid my Nats will not be going to the post-season this year.  L

So what are my predictions?  I think it will be a Dodgers-Red Sox World Series, though I hope the Pirates make it to the post-season somehow.  There is still a LOT of baseball to be played before then though, so stay tuned for updates.  All I know is that If the World Series ends up being between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Oakland A’s and they play in the evenings so the players don’t have to contend with shadows on the field, I definitely won’t be getting much sleep!

Opening Day is Finally Here!

Yesterday was Opening Day at Nationals Park, where the Washington Nationals hosted the Cincinnati Reds.  As you’ve probably heard by now, the Nats won that game 3-2 in 10 innings, thanks to a wild pitch thrown by Reds’ reliever Alfredo Simón, allowing Nationals’ third-baseman Ryan Zimmerman to sprint home.  While it was a dramatic end to what started out as a pretty ho-hum game, it was still exciting to be there.  There’s nothing like being at a ball park during Opening Day, where the atmosphere is electric, the fans are enthusiastic, and the weather can be unpredictable.

Yesterday was a bit chilly (in the mid-50s), with a steady wind that made matters even chillier.  But the festive atmosphere was wonderful ,  from the 12-member drum corps that welcomed fans right outside the center field main entrance, to the moment of silence paid to Gary Carter, to the enormous American flag that was unfurled by dozens of soldiers in the outfield during the pregame ceremonies, to the military plane flyover immediately following the US Marine band’s beautiful rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner.”  It was a great day for baseball, and even for someone like myself who is not very patriotic, it was a great day to be an American.

The best performance of the game was put on by Nationals’ starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez.  In his Nationals Park debut, Gonzalez struck out seven, didn’t walk a single batter, and allowed only two hits in seven innings.  I felt so bad for him when the Reds tied the game in the ninth inning – poor Gio pitched so well and had nothing to show for it!  But those two runs in the top of the ninth were not entirely the fault of closer Brad Lidge; Ryan Zimmerman uncharacteristically bobbled a ball hit by Scott Rolen, which allowed him to reach second base and then be driven home, along with Joey Votto, by left fielder Ryan Ludwick (who was previously 1-10 against Lidge).  Ludwick rolled a single down the line, which also went through Zimmerman, to score Votto and Rolen. 

I was so stressed out at that point, along with the other 40,000 fans in attendance.  The bottom of the ninth and top of the tenth were unproductive, and then in the bottom of the tenth with runners on second and third and two outs, with Roger Bernadina at the plate, Simon threw a wild pitch, scoring  Zimmerman, who is no stranger to the walk-off win.  Phew!  The Nationals had won, they are now 5-2, and half a game ahead of the New York Mets in sole possession of first place! 

Two other noteworthy happenings occurred at the game yesterday:  Gio Gonzalez got his first big-league hit, since he was with the American League Oakland A’s previously.  He hit a blooper off Reds’ starter Matt Latos in the fifth inning, and ended up being tagged out at home plate on a fielder’s choice.  He was so excited when he got to first base!  I bet if you ask him, he’ll say that getting his first hit was more exciting than pitching a two-hitter and striking out seven!

What else could have been more noteworthy than that yesterday?  Well, something set us fans off, and we booed louder than I’ve ever heard a crowd boo anyone.  No, it wasn’t because Jayson Werth continued to struggle (he actually went 2 for 5); it wasn’t because the Nationals store was closed for renovations (it is expected to reopen on May 1st); the booing was because “Teddy,” one of the four “Racing Presidents” mascots and fan favorite, lost the presidents’ race again.  If you’re not familiar with this middle-of-the-fourth-inning ritual, there are four big-headed mascots of our Founding Fathers – Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt – who race from a center field gate to a designated spot along the first- or third-base foul line.  This has been going on since the opening of Nationals Park in 2008, and poor Teddy has never won.  There are t-shirts, websites, and Facebook fan groups dedicated to “let Teddy win,” but that has never happened.  Teddy even tied the shoelaces of the other three Presidents together while they were sleeping before the fourth inning, but Teddy still lost (yesterday’s race was won by “Shoeless Tom”).  Fans were not happy – many believe that once Teddy wins, it will be an omen that will lead to a World Championship (or at least a playoff berth); but we still have to wait for that to happen, since poor Teddy can’t get a break!

But the game ended on a good note, so Nationals fans are happy.  We love our ballpark (it is so easy to get to on the Metro!), we have a much-improved team, and we hope to have a lot less booing and a lot more cheering to do during the 2012 season!