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.
Showing posts with label gio gonzalez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gio gonzalez. Show all posts
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Monday, September 24, 2012
Our Last Trip to the Ballpark (maybe!)
This past Saturday, my husband and I went to our fifth and
final Nationals game of the regular season.
It was a warm afternoon, and Nationals Park was packed with over 40,000
fans hoping to watch Nationals’ pitcher Gio Gonzalez earn his 20th
win of the season, this time against the Milwaukee Brewers. Yes, the “Brew Crew” was in town, the team leading
the Majors with 150 stolen bases and an impressive 188 home runs (despite
losing Prince Fielder in the off-season).
The team with Ryan Braun, Rickie Weeks, and Jonathan Lucroy. This was a great day to be at the ball park.
Gonzalez and the Nationals did not disappoint. Not only did Gio pitch 7 great innings with
no earned runs and 5 strikeouts, but the Nationals’ bats were on fire, with
Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond both hitting 3-run homers in the same inning
against former Nats’ pitcher Liván Hernandez.
Poor Livo’s fastball doesn’t go over 85mph and his curveball travels
slower than a car on the interstate at 63mph.
Time for Liván to retire, perhaps?
The Nationals beat the Brewers by a score of 10-4 and have a
“magic number” of six in order to clinch the National League East
division. Gio Gonzalez has undoubtedly
been one of the reasons the Nationals have spent most of the season in first
place in their division, and is a top contender for this year’s Cy Young
award. I did recently hear former Red
Sox player Nomar Garciaparra comment on TV that Gio doesn’t deserve the Cy
Young award because he pitches for a winning team. He believes that the Mets’ R.A. Dickey, a “one-trick
pony” with a knuckleball that hitters have started to decipher, should get the
award because he’s pitched well despite playing for a losing team. Sorry, Nomar – you don’t know what you’re
talking about, you fool! It’s going to
be a toss-up between Gio and the Reds’ Johnny Cueto – who both pitch for
winning teams (the Reds just clinched the NL Central).
So anyway, back to Saturday’s game… yes, it was our last one
of the regular season, and we opted to not buy tickets for the postseason just
yet, since they’re only selling tickets for the division series and we’d rather
spend our money on tickets for the NLCS (one of those unfortunate decisions that
responsible adults have to make). We are
very happy that we bought a five-game flex plan for the first time this year,
and that we were able to watch baseball greats like Stephen Strasburg, Derek
Jeter, Joey Votto, and Ryan Braun. We
always had very good seats, and getting in and out of the park (whether we took
Metro or parked in a nearby lot) was never an issue. Despite Saturday’s sellout crowd, Nationals
Park is roomy enough where we did not feel cramped or too crowded (something I
don’t suspect happens at Fenway, Wrigley, or Camden Yards) and the lines at the
concession stands moved quickly (unless the lady behind you takes your food
before you can grab it – that witch!) If
you get a chance to catch a playoff game at Nationals Park, go for it. You’ll get to watch racing presidents, the
atmosphere will be electric, and hopefully, like the Nats’ radio announcer Dave
Jageler would say, you will witness the Nationals putting “another curly ‘W’ in
the books.”
Friday, September 7, 2012
A Tale of Two Teams
Baseball fans in the Baltimore/Washington, DC area have not had much to cheer about in the past few years. In Baltimore, once Cal Ripken retired, sports fans shifted their attention to football and the Baltimore Ravens. In DC, the team that came over from Montreal had some pretty lousy seasons, and the hopes of glory faded in 2010 when pitching ace Stephen Strasburg required season-ending Tommy John surgery.
But wait! Who is that team currently tied for first place in the AL East? It's the Baltimore Orioles, under the leadership of former Yankees manager, Buck Showalter. With the never-give-up attitude and 28 home runs by Adam Jones and the recent power surge from the previously-slumping Mark Reynolds, the Orioles are playing meaningful baseball for the first time in about 15 years. The "birds" are filling their cozy ballpark with excited fans and unveiling statues of past Orioles greats like Frank Robinson, Eddie Murray, and their most recent addition, "Iron Man" Cal Ripken. Orioles fans, born and bred in the suburbs of Baltimore or in the Charm City itself, grew up cheering for these legends, and their storied past (forget the 1969 World Series!) has had many loyal fans who love to tell "I remember when..." stories about their team.
Then there's the other baseball team just as far from my house - the First-place-in-the-NL-East Washington Nationals. They have led the National League in ERA all season long, and the team features superstars like Gio Gonzalez (my pick for this year's Cy Young award - forget the Reds' Johnny Cueto), teen phenom Bryce Harper who has hit 17 home runs in his short time in the Majors, and of course that Strasburg guy who has recovered very nicely from that elbow surgery he had 2 years ago. But the Nationals don't have a storied past - most people like to forget that the team came here from Montreal, so they have no memories of nail-biting games, pennant races, crazy uniforms in the 1970s (those blue things the Expos wore back then don't count), or slug fests in the early 1990s. While the Nationals do have die-hard fans, we did not grow up following the hometown hero or the long-time franchise player. Our only "I remember when" moments refer to the few years the Nationals played at RFK Stadium, which are years we'd rather forget.
Another problem that the Nationals have attracting fans is that many residents of the DC area are transplants from somewhere else. Many government employees end up here because of work - military personnel from Ohio (who follow the Indians or Reds); NIH doctors who were brought up as Yankees or Red Sox fans; Pentagon employees who can't tell you what team they root for or they'd have to kill you; and IRS employees who don't follow any teams (because they don't have any fun doing anything but auditing us baseball fans).
While the Orioles have no trouble selling out their park, the Nationals have had very few sellouts this season. Go to Philadelphia on a Tuesday night and the park will be full. Do the same thing at Nationals Park and you're lucky if you have 22,000 people there (and the expensive seats are full of uptight government workers who won't take off their ties and spend the entire time texting during the game). DC is still lukewarm about the Nationals, which is a terrible shame for a team that has been so consistent and is so talented. When the Orioles play at Nationals Park, half the stadium is wearing red while the other half is in orange and black. But when the Nats go to Camden Yards, there is only a handful of Nationals fans who choose to make the quick drive into Baltimore.
Yankees and Red Sox fans are known for being passionate and outspoken. Orioles fans are notoriously excited any time their team wins anything. Phillies fans - they're just obnoxious. But Nationals fans seem to be just "there" - we need to get more excited, more united, more animated. Why? Because this team is going to the playoffs, and we need to fill the seats with red shirts and loud cheers. In this case, quantity is more important than quality - I don't care if you're a bandwagon fan who only wants to root for the Nats when they win (us die-hards will still be here in 20 years). The team's slogan for this season has been "Ignite your Nattitude," and that's something we need to do more of as the playoffs get closer.
But wait! Who is that team currently tied for first place in the AL East? It's the Baltimore Orioles, under the leadership of former Yankees manager, Buck Showalter. With the never-give-up attitude and 28 home runs by Adam Jones and the recent power surge from the previously-slumping Mark Reynolds, the Orioles are playing meaningful baseball for the first time in about 15 years. The "birds" are filling their cozy ballpark with excited fans and unveiling statues of past Orioles greats like Frank Robinson, Eddie Murray, and their most recent addition, "Iron Man" Cal Ripken. Orioles fans, born and bred in the suburbs of Baltimore or in the Charm City itself, grew up cheering for these legends, and their storied past (forget the 1969 World Series!) has had many loyal fans who love to tell "I remember when..." stories about their team.
Then there's the other baseball team just as far from my house - the First-place-in-the-NL-East Washington Nationals. They have led the National League in ERA all season long, and the team features superstars like Gio Gonzalez (my pick for this year's Cy Young award - forget the Reds' Johnny Cueto), teen phenom Bryce Harper who has hit 17 home runs in his short time in the Majors, and of course that Strasburg guy who has recovered very nicely from that elbow surgery he had 2 years ago. But the Nationals don't have a storied past - most people like to forget that the team came here from Montreal, so they have no memories of nail-biting games, pennant races, crazy uniforms in the 1970s (those blue things the Expos wore back then don't count), or slug fests in the early 1990s. While the Nationals do have die-hard fans, we did not grow up following the hometown hero or the long-time franchise player. Our only "I remember when" moments refer to the few years the Nationals played at RFK Stadium, which are years we'd rather forget.
Another problem that the Nationals have attracting fans is that many residents of the DC area are transplants from somewhere else. Many government employees end up here because of work - military personnel from Ohio (who follow the Indians or Reds); NIH doctors who were brought up as Yankees or Red Sox fans; Pentagon employees who can't tell you what team they root for or they'd have to kill you; and IRS employees who don't follow any teams (because they don't have any fun doing anything but auditing us baseball fans).
While the Orioles have no trouble selling out their park, the Nationals have had very few sellouts this season. Go to Philadelphia on a Tuesday night and the park will be full. Do the same thing at Nationals Park and you're lucky if you have 22,000 people there (and the expensive seats are full of uptight government workers who won't take off their ties and spend the entire time texting during the game). DC is still lukewarm about the Nationals, which is a terrible shame for a team that has been so consistent and is so talented. When the Orioles play at Nationals Park, half the stadium is wearing red while the other half is in orange and black. But when the Nats go to Camden Yards, there is only a handful of Nationals fans who choose to make the quick drive into Baltimore.
Yankees and Red Sox fans are known for being passionate and outspoken. Orioles fans are notoriously excited any time their team wins anything. Phillies fans - they're just obnoxious. But Nationals fans seem to be just "there" - we need to get more excited, more united, more animated. Why? Because this team is going to the playoffs, and we need to fill the seats with red shirts and loud cheers. In this case, quantity is more important than quality - I don't care if you're a bandwagon fan who only wants to root for the Nats when they win (us die-hards will still be here in 20 years). The team's slogan for this season has been "Ignite your Nattitude," and that's something we need to do more of as the playoffs get closer.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Not Just on the Fence, but WAAAY on the Fence!
I'm the type of person who can't always make up her mind about certain things. At times, when my husband asks me where I want to go out to eat, I give him the dreaded "I don't care." When he asks me where I want to go for a leisurely run, I'll say "I don't know; wherever." That's not to say that I'm always indecisive - when I crave a certain food, that may dictate the restaurant I would like to visit. Or if I can't decide between which two pairs of shoes to buy, I can usually make up my mind pretty easily (buy both pairs; duh!). But this situation with Nationals' pitcher Stephen Strasburg has me in a real quandary.
For those of you unfamiliar with "Stras" and his current situation, here's a little bit of background: The Washington Nationals drafted Stephen in the first round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft out of San Diego State University. Stras had two years of collegiate pitching experience and was part of the 2008 US Olympic team that lost to Cuba in the Beijing Olympics. He was the most closely-watched pitcher in draft history, and when the Nationals signed him ($15 million for 4 years), great things were expected of Strasburg.
So the kid gets to make his Major League debut in June of 2010 and is an instant sensation. He struck out 14 batters in his debut on June 9 and 32 batters in his first 3 Major League starts. The guy was practically unhittable! Well, in August of that year, Stephen ends up tearing a ligament in his throwing elbow, which required Tommy John surgery (a procedure where they take a ligament from somewhere else in your body or from a cadaver and attach it to your elbow). This surgery requires a lot of rehab - usually a year or so.
So in August of 2011, Strasburg made his comeback by starting a rehab assignment with the single-A Hagerstown Suns (a game that my husband and I attended). Stras made 5 other minor-league starts and moved up to the majors in September, where he pitched 24 innings in 5 starts. Strasburg was doing OK; his elbow had healed nicely and big things were expected from him for the 2012 season.
So how has Strasburg done this year? Pretty well, thanks. The rightie is 15-5 so far, with a 2.85 ERA and 183 strikeouts in 145.1 innings pitched (leading the National League in Ks). Stras was named to this year's All-Star team, and he has even had one home run as a batter. Now here's the big dilemma: Because of his recovery from Tommy John surgery, Nationals' General Manager, Mike Rizzo, has said since the beginning of the season that he is going to pull Strasburg after reaching a limit of 160 or so innings. This is what they did to Nationals' pitcher Jordan Zimmermann last year after having had the same surgery in 2009. Zimmermann was pulled last August and no one seemed to notice. However, because the Nationals are in first place in the NL East and are more than likely going to the playoffs, this is, by far, the most heated debate going on in the DC area today (despite being an election year).
So is Mike Rizzo right in pulling Strasburg before the season is done? (The way it looks now, Strasburg probably only has 2 or 3 more starts left). This is where many ardent Nationals fans have their definite opinions. I, however, ardent a fan as I am, am very indecisive as to what the right thing to do is. Those who agree with Rizzo think that Strasburg is an investment that needs to be managed carefully (like that stock you may have bought in Facebook - don't you feel stupid now?). If he pitches too much too soon after surgery, he could injure his shoulder or suffer from fatigue next year (Jordan Zimmermann, in this his first full season since his surgery, is starting to exhibit signs of exhaustion, and they will definitely need him during the playoffs). The Nationals have plenty of pitching depth in the minor leagues, and with other excellent starters like Gio Gonzalez (who is having a Cy Young-type of season), they should be fine in the playoffs.
On the other side of the debate are those (like my husband and my friend Bernie) who think it's preposterous to sit the guy out during the playoffs, an event that DC fans have been waiting for since the team moved here from Montreal in 2005. If Strasburg is shut down and the Nationals don't make it too far in the playoffs, the 2013 season will be a long one, and it will be full of high expectations. The Nationals will be under the type of pressure under which they've never been, and if they don't make it to the playoffs in 2013, a lot of the bandwagon and casual fans will lose interest. It's a "now or never" attitude that many Nats fans have - pitch him now or we'll never ever be in the playoffs again!
Some people have even opined that because the world is going to end on December 12 according to the Mayan calendar, he should be allowed to pitch because he's not going to be back next season anyway. I had to laugh at that one! Others have said that Strasburg should be shut down now and then brought back in October. That may work for a veteran pitcher, but remember, this guy is only 24 years old and is still learning how to pitch in the Majors. You don't just sit there for a month and then be expected to perform at your best right away.
So what do I think? As a former Athletic Trainer, I understand Mike Rizzo's argument. He has been crystal clear about Strasburg's pitch count since Spring Training, and he has not backed down from his decision. He also gets credit for being up-front with the media and with fans, which is something that GMs are not normally known for doing. But then again, I am a very competitive person (ask my husband, who knows how cranky I get when I lose in "Seinfeld Scene-It"), and I of all people really really want the Nationals to go on to the World Series. Does one guy make a difference in a 25- or 40-man roster? I'd like to think not. Plus the Nationals have a very strong bullpen, so even if the starters can't get it done, the bullpen can save the day. It's not like I'm neither here nor there about it - that would mean I didn't care. I'm just weighing the pros and cons and just can't come up with a definite opinion. I bet Stephen Strasburg will be shut down, and us fans are just going to have to accept it. Here's to the last six weeks of the regular season, and to the Nationals hanging in there (with or without Strasburg) and making it to the playoffs. The best of the season is yet to come!
For those of you unfamiliar with "Stras" and his current situation, here's a little bit of background: The Washington Nationals drafted Stephen in the first round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft out of San Diego State University. Stras had two years of collegiate pitching experience and was part of the 2008 US Olympic team that lost to Cuba in the Beijing Olympics. He was the most closely-watched pitcher in draft history, and when the Nationals signed him ($15 million for 4 years), great things were expected of Strasburg.
So the kid gets to make his Major League debut in June of 2010 and is an instant sensation. He struck out 14 batters in his debut on June 9 and 32 batters in his first 3 Major League starts. The guy was practically unhittable! Well, in August of that year, Stephen ends up tearing a ligament in his throwing elbow, which required Tommy John surgery (a procedure where they take a ligament from somewhere else in your body or from a cadaver and attach it to your elbow). This surgery requires a lot of rehab - usually a year or so.
So in August of 2011, Strasburg made his comeback by starting a rehab assignment with the single-A Hagerstown Suns (a game that my husband and I attended). Stras made 5 other minor-league starts and moved up to the majors in September, where he pitched 24 innings in 5 starts. Strasburg was doing OK; his elbow had healed nicely and big things were expected from him for the 2012 season.
So how has Strasburg done this year? Pretty well, thanks. The rightie is 15-5 so far, with a 2.85 ERA and 183 strikeouts in 145.1 innings pitched (leading the National League in Ks). Stras was named to this year's All-Star team, and he has even had one home run as a batter. Now here's the big dilemma: Because of his recovery from Tommy John surgery, Nationals' General Manager, Mike Rizzo, has said since the beginning of the season that he is going to pull Strasburg after reaching a limit of 160 or so innings. This is what they did to Nationals' pitcher Jordan Zimmermann last year after having had the same surgery in 2009. Zimmermann was pulled last August and no one seemed to notice. However, because the Nationals are in first place in the NL East and are more than likely going to the playoffs, this is, by far, the most heated debate going on in the DC area today (despite being an election year).
So is Mike Rizzo right in pulling Strasburg before the season is done? (The way it looks now, Strasburg probably only has 2 or 3 more starts left). This is where many ardent Nationals fans have their definite opinions. I, however, ardent a fan as I am, am very indecisive as to what the right thing to do is. Those who agree with Rizzo think that Strasburg is an investment that needs to be managed carefully (like that stock you may have bought in Facebook - don't you feel stupid now?). If he pitches too much too soon after surgery, he could injure his shoulder or suffer from fatigue next year (Jordan Zimmermann, in this his first full season since his surgery, is starting to exhibit signs of exhaustion, and they will definitely need him during the playoffs). The Nationals have plenty of pitching depth in the minor leagues, and with other excellent starters like Gio Gonzalez (who is having a Cy Young-type of season), they should be fine in the playoffs.
On the other side of the debate are those (like my husband and my friend Bernie) who think it's preposterous to sit the guy out during the playoffs, an event that DC fans have been waiting for since the team moved here from Montreal in 2005. If Strasburg is shut down and the Nationals don't make it too far in the playoffs, the 2013 season will be a long one, and it will be full of high expectations. The Nationals will be under the type of pressure under which they've never been, and if they don't make it to the playoffs in 2013, a lot of the bandwagon and casual fans will lose interest. It's a "now or never" attitude that many Nats fans have - pitch him now or we'll never ever be in the playoffs again!
Some people have even opined that because the world is going to end on December 12 according to the Mayan calendar, he should be allowed to pitch because he's not going to be back next season anyway. I had to laugh at that one! Others have said that Strasburg should be shut down now and then brought back in October. That may work for a veteran pitcher, but remember, this guy is only 24 years old and is still learning how to pitch in the Majors. You don't just sit there for a month and then be expected to perform at your best right away.
So what do I think? As a former Athletic Trainer, I understand Mike Rizzo's argument. He has been crystal clear about Strasburg's pitch count since Spring Training, and he has not backed down from his decision. He also gets credit for being up-front with the media and with fans, which is something that GMs are not normally known for doing. But then again, I am a very competitive person (ask my husband, who knows how cranky I get when I lose in "Seinfeld Scene-It"), and I of all people really really want the Nationals to go on to the World Series. Does one guy make a difference in a 25- or 40-man roster? I'd like to think not. Plus the Nationals have a very strong bullpen, so even if the starters can't get it done, the bullpen can save the day. It's not like I'm neither here nor there about it - that would mean I didn't care. I'm just weighing the pros and cons and just can't come up with a definite opinion. I bet Stephen Strasburg will be shut down, and us fans are just going to have to accept it. Here's to the last six weeks of the regular season, and to the Nationals hanging in there (with or without Strasburg) and making it to the playoffs. The best of the season is yet to come!
Monday, August 20, 2012
Delay? What Rain Delay?
But the rain delay wasn’t so
bad, because it wasn’t raining too hard, so we were able to go to our seats in
section 133 and take cover under our huge umbrella. The Nationals people were nice enough to show the
Braves-Dodgers game on the scoreboard screen, so we kept ourselves entertained
watching that (at least I did, while my husband took a nap). When Luis Cruz of the Dodgers hit a home run,
everyone cheered. I bet the Dodgers had
no idea that they had thousands of instant fans cheering them on in DC!
And who doesn't find entertainment in watching the dozen or so groundskeepers rolling up the giant tarp? They do it with such skill and precision it makes me want to have that job for just one day. No more than that though; just one day. I would trust those guys to fold up a camping tent, a giant road map, or even my fitted bed sheets when they come out of the dryer.
The funniest part of the day was in the eighth inning, when
Mets’ right fielder, Scott Hairston, decided to throw his glove down on top of
something that was moving right next to him in the outfield. We didn’t
know what it was – a bird? A mouse? A snake? The
way he threw the glove down on that thing you would have thought it was a large
creature with large fang-like teeth. Then he removed
the glove that was covering the creature and he tried to kick it. Then he reluctantly picked it up with his
glove, making sure the vicious creature did not inject him with a venomous and lethal bite. When a Nationals official came to
retrieve the creature with a big towel, we realized it was a praying
mantis. Yes, Scott Hairston delayed an
already-delayed baseball game because of a praying mantis! I bet you he’s not the one who empties the
mouse traps in his house!
(Espinosa after his home run)
So our fourth visit to
Nationals Park this year was a long one, but it had a positive result (You think THAT was a long day? The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals yesterday in a 19-inning game that lasted 6 hours and 7 minutes! With "last call" being after the seventh inning, that was probably a very long game for the fans at that ballpark!). We will be back to Nationals Park for our fifth and final visit
of the regular season in a few weeks, when the Nationals entertain the
Milwaukee Brewers. In the meantime, stay
tuned for this week’s 3-game series against the Braves – it promises to be a
very good one!
(Bryce Harper after his home run)
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Pitchers, or Wusses?
Whether you're a casual observer or a die-hard baseball addict like me, surely you've noticed that pitchers today seldom play for an entire 9-inning game. Gone are the days of Bob Feller throwing 36 complete games in one season (he did that in 1946); Juan Marichal pitching 30 complete games in 1968; and Warren Spahn completing 26 games in 1951 (www.baseball-almanac.com). Since the year 2000, James Shields of the Tampa Bay Rays has been the only pitcher who has thrown more than 10 complete games (he pitched 11 of them in 2011) in one season. Why is that?
I pondered this question after last night's Nationals/Mets game, where Nats' starter Gio Gonzalez pitched seven innings of two-hit ball and was replaced for the eighth inning after throwing only 87 pitchers. Granted, Gio was supposed to bat third in the bottom of the seventh, but why not let him bat with a 5-1 lead and let him continue pitching? Nationals' manager, Davey Johnson, did not really have a good reason for taking Gio out of the game, especially since he's always saying how he wants to rest his bullpen (plus Davey is so old that he can put anyone to sleep during press conferences with his droning "my voice sounds like this because I no longer have a prostate" tone). The day before that, Johnson pulled starter Jordan Zimmermann after only six innings, despite Zim's six strikeouts and four hits allowed. Time for me to ponder...
One of the reasons that the complete-game pitcher is becoming extinct (Justin Verlander of the Tigers is the exception this year, with 5 complete games so far) is the fact that managers are getting hung up on pitch counts and assuming that high pitch counts lead to injuries. As soon as a pitcher reaches around 100 pitches in a game, regardless of whether he's winning or not, the bullpen becomes active and the starter is soon removed (especially if a batter gets a hit because of a defensive error that is not the fault of the pitcher - I hate when they do that!). Well let me tell you, a guy named Nolan Ryan (perhaps you've heard of him) pitched 807 games in his 24-year career, and 222 of them were complete games. Ryan seldom missed a start due to injury, he never had Tommy John surgery, his shoulder never acted up (though his back did, according to his Advil commercials), and his fastball was sharp until his retirement. Pitching injuries are due more to mechanics than pitch count; overuse injuries are a reality, but these can be minimized with proper conditioning and technique, not by pulling pitchers after they've thrown only 100 pitches (especially if they're pitching well; I agree when a pitcher is pulled early due to a bad outing).
Then there's the role of the bullpen specialists, the middle reliever and the closer. One theory in baseball is that pitchers lose their effectiveness the second and third times through the lineup. This is when they turn to the bullpen and put in a reliever for the eighth inning and a closer for the ninth (especially during a save situation). Sometimes they even put in a guy to pitch to only one batter - the lefty-lefty matchup, for instance, and you can have two or three pitchers throw to two or three batters in one inning. This brings a baseball game to a grinding halt, and it makes me very impatient.
Some people argue that pitchers are not allowed to pitch complete games because the season is longer than it used to be. Yes, but starting rotations used to only have 4 pitchers and now they have 5, so I think they're getting adequate rest. And don't tell me that Liván Hernandez used to pitch so many complete games in the 90s because his fastball was only about 80mph - Verlander's fastball is in the upper 90s and Roy Halladay (who completed many games for the Blue Jays and Phillies) has a 95mph fastball (OK, Halladay stinks this year, but he has had a great career full of complete games).
I have no sympathy for pitchers. They make a ton of money, and they should be able to pitch a complete game in 120 pitches or so. When I become Commissioner, I'm going to pay pitchers for each inning pitched, and if they go less than six innings in one game, I'm going to fine them. They will also have money deducted from their pay for earned runs and intentional walks, but be given bonuses for strikeouts (sorry for you, ground-out pitchers!) as well as for complete games. What do you think? Is that a good idea? Perhaps I should stick to blogging! :-)
I pondered this question after last night's Nationals/Mets game, where Nats' starter Gio Gonzalez pitched seven innings of two-hit ball and was replaced for the eighth inning after throwing only 87 pitchers. Granted, Gio was supposed to bat third in the bottom of the seventh, but why not let him bat with a 5-1 lead and let him continue pitching? Nationals' manager, Davey Johnson, did not really have a good reason for taking Gio out of the game, especially since he's always saying how he wants to rest his bullpen (plus Davey is so old that he can put anyone to sleep during press conferences with his droning "my voice sounds like this because I no longer have a prostate" tone). The day before that, Johnson pulled starter Jordan Zimmermann after only six innings, despite Zim's six strikeouts and four hits allowed. Time for me to ponder...
One of the reasons that the complete-game pitcher is becoming extinct (Justin Verlander of the Tigers is the exception this year, with 5 complete games so far) is the fact that managers are getting hung up on pitch counts and assuming that high pitch counts lead to injuries. As soon as a pitcher reaches around 100 pitches in a game, regardless of whether he's winning or not, the bullpen becomes active and the starter is soon removed (especially if a batter gets a hit because of a defensive error that is not the fault of the pitcher - I hate when they do that!). Well let me tell you, a guy named Nolan Ryan (perhaps you've heard of him) pitched 807 games in his 24-year career, and 222 of them were complete games. Ryan seldom missed a start due to injury, he never had Tommy John surgery, his shoulder never acted up (though his back did, according to his Advil commercials), and his fastball was sharp until his retirement. Pitching injuries are due more to mechanics than pitch count; overuse injuries are a reality, but these can be minimized with proper conditioning and technique, not by pulling pitchers after they've thrown only 100 pitches (especially if they're pitching well; I agree when a pitcher is pulled early due to a bad outing).
Then there's the role of the bullpen specialists, the middle reliever and the closer. One theory in baseball is that pitchers lose their effectiveness the second and third times through the lineup. This is when they turn to the bullpen and put in a reliever for the eighth inning and a closer for the ninth (especially during a save situation). Sometimes they even put in a guy to pitch to only one batter - the lefty-lefty matchup, for instance, and you can have two or three pitchers throw to two or three batters in one inning. This brings a baseball game to a grinding halt, and it makes me very impatient.
Some people argue that pitchers are not allowed to pitch complete games because the season is longer than it used to be. Yes, but starting rotations used to only have 4 pitchers and now they have 5, so I think they're getting adequate rest. And don't tell me that Liván Hernandez used to pitch so many complete games in the 90s because his fastball was only about 80mph - Verlander's fastball is in the upper 90s and Roy Halladay (who completed many games for the Blue Jays and Phillies) has a 95mph fastball (OK, Halladay stinks this year, but he has had a great career full of complete games).
I have no sympathy for pitchers. They make a ton of money, and they should be able to pitch a complete game in 120 pitches or so. When I become Commissioner, I'm going to pay pitchers for each inning pitched, and if they go less than six innings in one game, I'm going to fine them. They will also have money deducted from their pay for earned runs and intentional walks, but be given bonuses for strikeouts (sorry for you, ground-out pitchers!) as well as for complete games. What do you think? Is that a good idea? Perhaps I should stick to blogging! :-)
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Halfway Done... :-(
Believe it or not, my friends, the Major League Baseball season is already halfway over. The trade deadline is fast approaching, and before you know it, rosters will be expanded and the playoffs will soon follow. But what marks the halfway point of the baseball season? Well the All-Star Game and all its festivities, of course!
This year's "Midsummer Classic" was held in Kansas City. Don't know why; other than the fact that it was an American League team's turn to host the game (and the fact that the Royals could use more fans in the stands). Before the game was even played, there were a lot of exciting events going on - from the FanFest exhibits to the Home Run Derby (won by Prince Fielder) to the Legends and Celebrities Softball Game (Where else can you rub elbows with Rickey Henderson, Ozzie Smith, Rollie Fingers, and American Idol's David Cook?). If the All-Star Game comes to DC in 2015 like the rumors are saying, I would definitely like to attend the softball game (especially if Iván Rodriguez is invited). That just looks like a fun time.
So the game itself started after a 45-minute Fox-like pregame show, and no, I don't really like Fox Sports because I can't stand Joe Buck and his big forehead (which looks more like a five-head). And poor Tim McCarver is getting way too old to be doing color commentary. John Miller and Joe Morgan have always been my favorites - at least they have personalities and don't talk like they know everything (Joe Buck is second on my list of arrogant announcers I don't like - Bob Costas is number one).
So anyway, the pregame show included a nice segment about the Negro League, which was started in Kansas City back in the 1920s. Greats like Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays started out playing in the Negro League before Major League Baseball was integrated, and it was a very informative little piece (I will definitely visit the Negro League Museum if I'm ever in Kansas City for some unknown reason). Also during the pregame show, the National Anthem was sung by some Luke Bryan country singer guy, who stayed on pitch (a hard thing to do with that song) but he sang it WAY too slow. I was like "Snap it up, dude; we want to watch the game!" And today he admitted to having the lyrics written on his hand! My husband suspected it, and I was like "Nah ah; who doesn't remember the words to the "Star-Spangled Banner?" forgetting about Cristina Aguilera in that one Super Bowl a couple of years ago!
After the player introductions (this year there were 26 first-time All-Stars), George Brett threw out the first pitch (Surprise! Who didn't see that coming?) and the game finally began. Poor Justin Verlander got roughed up right away, with the National League scoring 5 runs in the first inning. The Washington Nationals were well represented in the bottom of the third, when Gio Gonzalez faced the minimum 3 batters (including the Yankees' Curtis Granderson, who whore high socks in honor of the Negro League). Stephen Strasburg also had a scoreless inning, pitching in the bottom of the fifth. And of course there was the game's MVP, the Giants' Melky Cabrera (one of the 3 Cabreras for whom I voted) who went 2-3 with 2 RBIs.
If you went to bed after the fifth inning (like I did), you didn't miss a thing, because it was 8-0 at that point and that ended up being the final score. I am sad that I missed Chipper Jones's base hit, since this is his last All-Star Game due to his pending retirement at the end of the season. I have always liked Larry Wayne Jones, and it was nice seeing him giving the other NL guys a pep talk in the clubhouse before the game.
So what else was noteworthy about the game? Oh, there was the Royals' Billy Butler, who got a huge standing ovation when he was introduced during the pregame show. Royals' fans were upset that Butler was not included in the Home Run Derby the night before, so they showed their appreciation for Butler (who went 0-2 last night).
So that's my recap of the All-Star game - now there is no baseball until Friday. I will actually have to find something else to watch on TV tonight (good luck with that one!) and hope that the second half of the season is as exciting and surprising as the first half (the Pirates in first place? Who knew that was going to happen?). So stay tuned; there are still two-and-a-half months of regular-season baseball to be played!
This year's "Midsummer Classic" was held in Kansas City. Don't know why; other than the fact that it was an American League team's turn to host the game (and the fact that the Royals could use more fans in the stands). Before the game was even played, there were a lot of exciting events going on - from the FanFest exhibits to the Home Run Derby (won by Prince Fielder) to the Legends and Celebrities Softball Game (Where else can you rub elbows with Rickey Henderson, Ozzie Smith, Rollie Fingers, and American Idol's David Cook?). If the All-Star Game comes to DC in 2015 like the rumors are saying, I would definitely like to attend the softball game (especially if Iván Rodriguez is invited). That just looks like a fun time.
So the game itself started after a 45-minute Fox-like pregame show, and no, I don't really like Fox Sports because I can't stand Joe Buck and his big forehead (which looks more like a five-head). And poor Tim McCarver is getting way too old to be doing color commentary. John Miller and Joe Morgan have always been my favorites - at least they have personalities and don't talk like they know everything (Joe Buck is second on my list of arrogant announcers I don't like - Bob Costas is number one).
So anyway, the pregame show included a nice segment about the Negro League, which was started in Kansas City back in the 1920s. Greats like Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays started out playing in the Negro League before Major League Baseball was integrated, and it was a very informative little piece (I will definitely visit the Negro League Museum if I'm ever in Kansas City for some unknown reason). Also during the pregame show, the National Anthem was sung by some Luke Bryan country singer guy, who stayed on pitch (a hard thing to do with that song) but he sang it WAY too slow. I was like "Snap it up, dude; we want to watch the game!" And today he admitted to having the lyrics written on his hand! My husband suspected it, and I was like "Nah ah; who doesn't remember the words to the "Star-Spangled Banner?" forgetting about Cristina Aguilera in that one Super Bowl a couple of years ago!
After the player introductions (this year there were 26 first-time All-Stars), George Brett threw out the first pitch (Surprise! Who didn't see that coming?) and the game finally began. Poor Justin Verlander got roughed up right away, with the National League scoring 5 runs in the first inning. The Washington Nationals were well represented in the bottom of the third, when Gio Gonzalez faced the minimum 3 batters (including the Yankees' Curtis Granderson, who whore high socks in honor of the Negro League). Stephen Strasburg also had a scoreless inning, pitching in the bottom of the fifth. And of course there was the game's MVP, the Giants' Melky Cabrera (one of the 3 Cabreras for whom I voted) who went 2-3 with 2 RBIs.
If you went to bed after the fifth inning (like I did), you didn't miss a thing, because it was 8-0 at that point and that ended up being the final score. I am sad that I missed Chipper Jones's base hit, since this is his last All-Star Game due to his pending retirement at the end of the season. I have always liked Larry Wayne Jones, and it was nice seeing him giving the other NL guys a pep talk in the clubhouse before the game.
So what else was noteworthy about the game? Oh, there was the Royals' Billy Butler, who got a huge standing ovation when he was introduced during the pregame show. Royals' fans were upset that Butler was not included in the Home Run Derby the night before, so they showed their appreciation for Butler (who went 0-2 last night).
So that's my recap of the All-Star game - now there is no baseball until Friday. I will actually have to find something else to watch on TV tonight (good luck with that one!) and hope that the second half of the season is as exciting and surprising as the first half (the Pirates in first place? Who knew that was going to happen?). So stay tuned; there are still two-and-a-half months of regular-season baseball to be played!
Monday, June 18, 2012
Oh, Those Darn Yankees!
So, what can I as a Nationals fan say about this past weekend's series between the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals? In one word: Frustrating.
As a baseball fan, I loved going to the game at Nationals Park last Saturday. The weather was perfect, parking was a breeze, the sellout crowd was pumped up, and despite some issues at the Ben's Chili Bowl stand, we ate well and had fun (and we stayed for all 14 innings!). Oh, and my wonderful husband arranged for us to meet Bob Carpenter and F.P. Santangelo (the MASN Sports broadcasters), which was a great experience! But as a Nationals fan, the series was not fun to watch - neither in person nor on TV.
The Yankees did what they normally do - the batters worked their counts and made Nationals pitchers throw a lot of pitches, they played a solid defense, and they had clutch hits when they mattered most. Even when A-Rod and Jeter didn't produce, you had Granderson, Teixeira and Canó contributing (Teixeira got the 2RBIs in the top of the 14th at Saturday's game). The Yankees undoubtedly have the best lineup in Major League baseball, and they sure proved it this past weekend.
Despite losing all 3 games though, the Nationals hung in there and did not allow themselves to be completely humiliated. In Friday's game, Gio Gonzalez had a decent outing, Saturday's game went 14 innings, and on Sunday the Nationals lost 4-1. No 10-2 games, no major embarrassments (other than Bryce Harper striking out five times in Saturday's game - Andy Pettite, old enough to be his father, completely dominated Bryce), and no loss in the standings (the Nationals are still 4 games above the Braves in first place, thanks to the Orioles taking their series with the Braves this past weekend).
So what was the major problem in the Yankees series? I would like to place the blame on 3 guys - the ones who bat 3-5 in the batting order. In the 3-game series against the Yankees, the 3, 4, and 5 hitters went 7/39, which is completely unacceptable. Former All-Star, Gold-Glover and Silver Slugger third baseman Ryan Zimmerman (the #3 batter) is batting a lousy .229 with only 3 home runs. Outfielder Michael Morse, who has only played in the last 14 games after spending the beginning of the season on the Disabled List, has gone 12 for 57 with no home runs, despite having hit 31 homers for the Nationals last year. And Adam LaRoche, who was hot at the beginning of the season, has been sliding down the leader boards, currently batting .264. If these guys in the middle of the order don't start producing soon, the other teams in the NL East may catch up pretty quickly.
What will hopefully save the Nationals from continuing to lose is the upcoming series against the very injured Tampa Bay Rays. While this is normally a very solid baseball team, they are currently being Band-Aided together and have 9 players on the Disabled List (including Evan Longoria and Luke Scott). The Nationals need to take at least 2 of 3 from the Rays before going to visit the red-hot Orioles, which means that Zimmerman, Morse, and LaRoche need to step up their game.
So I believe our next trip to Nationals Park will be in early August to watch the Nationals host the Miami Marlins. I'm looking forward to seeing Ozzie Guillen for the first time (hopefully he won't get ejected from the game!) and hopefully the Nationals will still be in first place.
The Yankees did what they normally do - the batters worked their counts and made Nationals pitchers throw a lot of pitches, they played a solid defense, and they had clutch hits when they mattered most. Even when A-Rod and Jeter didn't produce, you had Granderson, Teixeira and Canó contributing (Teixeira got the 2RBIs in the top of the 14th at Saturday's game). The Yankees undoubtedly have the best lineup in Major League baseball, and they sure proved it this past weekend.
Despite losing all 3 games though, the Nationals hung in there and did not allow themselves to be completely humiliated. In Friday's game, Gio Gonzalez had a decent outing, Saturday's game went 14 innings, and on Sunday the Nationals lost 4-1. No 10-2 games, no major embarrassments (other than Bryce Harper striking out five times in Saturday's game - Andy Pettite, old enough to be his father, completely dominated Bryce), and no loss in the standings (the Nationals are still 4 games above the Braves in first place, thanks to the Orioles taking their series with the Braves this past weekend).
So what was the major problem in the Yankees series? I would like to place the blame on 3 guys - the ones who bat 3-5 in the batting order. In the 3-game series against the Yankees, the 3, 4, and 5 hitters went 7/39, which is completely unacceptable. Former All-Star, Gold-Glover and Silver Slugger third baseman Ryan Zimmerman (the #3 batter) is batting a lousy .229 with only 3 home runs. Outfielder Michael Morse, who has only played in the last 14 games after spending the beginning of the season on the Disabled List, has gone 12 for 57 with no home runs, despite having hit 31 homers for the Nationals last year. And Adam LaRoche, who was hot at the beginning of the season, has been sliding down the leader boards, currently batting .264. If these guys in the middle of the order don't start producing soon, the other teams in the NL East may catch up pretty quickly.
What will hopefully save the Nationals from continuing to lose is the upcoming series against the very injured Tampa Bay Rays. While this is normally a very solid baseball team, they are currently being Band-Aided together and have 9 players on the Disabled List (including Evan Longoria and Luke Scott). The Nationals need to take at least 2 of 3 from the Rays before going to visit the red-hot Orioles, which means that Zimmerman, Morse, and LaRoche need to step up their game.
So I believe our next trip to Nationals Park will be in early August to watch the Nationals host the Miami Marlins. I'm looking forward to seeing Ozzie Guillen for the first time (hopefully he won't get ejected from the game!) and hopefully the Nationals will still be in first place.
Friday, April 13, 2012
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!
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