Is This Goodbye, or Just a Hiatus?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"The Perfect Ballplayer"

I started this blog six years ago out of impulse.  Major League Baseball was seeking volunteers who wanted to spend the entire 2011 baseball season living in a "fan cave" in New York City watching baseball games and blogging about them.  The occasional baseball player would stop by and hang out at "the cave" with the residents and you and your "cave-mates" would be on TV and the Internet talking baseball.  What red-blooded die-hard baseball fan wouldn't love that opportunity?  All you had to do was apply online and submit a writing sample.  Knowing full well that I could not conceivably (and in good conscience) leave my husband, kids, and job for six months, I applied anyway.  But a writing sample?  I hadn't written anything since my graduate thesis on the history of baseball litigation, and even I thought that was too much of a snoozer to submit.  So I created this blog so I would have some baseball stuff to submit, and of course I wasn't chosen (surely not because of the caliber of my writing - probably because it wouldn't look cool for a forty-something-year-old female to live with some twenty-something-year-old men). 

I started out writing almost daily, reporting scores from the previous day's games and piping in my opinions on certain occurrences here and there.  Then life got busy, my job got more demanding, and I blogged less frequently, focusing on baseball in general - the rules, the players, and of course, my opinions on just about anything baseball-related.  Now that I own my own business (a kitchen store in Frederick, Maryland called "The Kitchenette" - stop by and say hello if you're in the area!), I barely have time to cook a decent meal, let alone write a well-thought-out blog post.  But just because I write less frequently doesn't mean my passion for baseball has faded - I still scour the sports pages daily, check the MLB app on my phone constantly, and count the days until the start of the regular season (just seven more to go!).  But if something majorly important, super-exciting, or rather controversial is happening in the Majors, I will certainly find some time to write about it and give you my take.

The most recent blog-worthy event in baseball was the World Baseball Classic, which ended last week with Team USA beating Puerto Rico 8-0 in the final of what was an exciting and much-talked-about series that started out with 12 teams from all over the world - a true "World Series."  Unfortunately, long nights spent watching WBC games and busy days tending to my business and family did not allow me the opportunity to share my excitement with you (good thing, because I was downright obnoxious rooting for "Team PR"), and many news outlets have already reported on the WBC's playoff-like atmosphere, the national pride, and the fact that blond hair color was sold out all over Puerto Rico because all the PR players (and most of the residents of the island) chose to color their hair blond as a sign of team and island unity).  Even The Baltimore Sun's Peter Schmuck, whom I have criticized here in the past, wrote a nice piece about how the WBC games brought so much enthusiasm to fans and players from all over the world.  In media standards, the WBC is old news - why keep talking about it when Gonzaga is going to the NCAA Final Four and the Washington Wizards and Capitals will both be in their respective playoffs?

But today's blog post is not about the WBC - I want to talk a bit about baseball history (please don't yawn!) and what makes "the perfect ballplayer."  When you ask a non-baseball fan to name a famous baseball player from the past, they may come up with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, or Joe DiMaggio (around these parts, people may mention Cal Ripken, Frank Robinson, or Earl Weaver).  Ask someone who follows the game and they might name Pete Rose, Reggie Jackson, Roger Clemens, or Derek Jeter.  Then of course there's Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier and is deservedly one of the most respected athletes of all time.  Ask any Puerto Rican, whether or not they currently live on the island, and he/she will inevitably mention Roberto Clemente.

Now, I've mentioned Roberto Clemente many a time in my blog - in seventeen different posts, to be exact.  But like current Houston Astros outfielder Carlos Beltrán mentioned in a 2016 article he wrote for "The Players Tribune," Roberto Clemente's legacy is something that is taught as part of the history curriculum in all schools in Puerto Rico.  Unfortunately, as baseball continues to evolve and the years pass, more and more people (including baseball players) go through their entire lives without knowing the impact that Clemente had both on and off the baseball field.  As more players reach the 3,000 career hits milestone, Clemente gets pushed lower and lower down the list of all-time hiters, now sitting at 30th with Adrián Beltre surely pushing Clemente to 31st sometime this season.

So why is a guy who has 29 other guys ahead of him on the all-time hits list considered to be "the perfect ballplayer?"  This is not a quote from a regular Puerto Rican person - it was actually said by a former player, an African-American Hall-of-Famer by the name of Willie Mays.  I know Willie is super-old and may not currently have all his faculties, but he said this a while ago, and the fact that he picked Clemente instead of his godson (Barry Bonds) says something.  Sportscaster Bob Costas likes Clemente too, but I don't like Bob Costas, so he's not worth mentioning further.  And if you ever visit Pittsburgh, those fans know their baseball history, and they know the former Pirate like he was one of their own.

Need some numbers to convince yourself that Roberto Clemente was the best baseball player ever?  Here are a few numbers to note: 1966 Most Valuable Player for the National League, NL batting champ (1961, 1964, 1965, 1967), World Series MVP in 1971, eleven-time Gold Glove winner, 12-time All Star, and National League leader in triples in 1969.  Oh, and he has an award named for him - the Roberto Clemente Award, which is given every year to a player with outstanding baseball playing skills who is personally involved in community work.

Oh, this Clemente guy did stuff for charity?  Don't many baseball players do that?  Yes, they do (and they should).  But Clemente went above and beyond to help those in need throughout his career, providing sports equipment to the needy, offering free batting clinics in his native Puerto Rico, and taking relief supplies to Nicaragua after a devastating earthquake on New Year's Eve, 1972.  Well, actually, he and the supplies never made it to Nicaragua, because the plane carrying Clemente was overloaded with too many supplies, had an incompetent flight crew, and crashed into the Atlantic ocean off the coast of Puerto Rico.  So yeah, poor Clemente died without finishing his baseball career - had he played for another year or two, he would probably be between Tony Gwynn and Alex Rodriguez at 19th of all time. 

So was this guy better than Ruth, Rose, or Rodriguez (Iván, not Alex - you all know I truly dislike A-Rod!)?  Yes.  Not only did Clemente have impressive career numbers and was a great humanitarian, but he demanded respect, let his bat and glove do the talking, and made a permanent impact on the game and how to play with intensity, discipline, and dedication.  He's the type of guy who, when mentioned to baseball experts, elicits an instant sigh of admiration not given to current stars.  They use words like "hero," "legend," and "class act" to describe him.  They don't argue that he was the best right fielder ever.  And his legacy needs to be explained to all current baseball players - this is how you play, this is how you behave, this is how you help others (except for the plane crash part). 

Alright, friends; thank you for letting me rant about "the perfect ballplayer."  Some people think I'm too "rah rah Puerto Rico," but this is my blog and I can write about whatever I choose.  But seriously, the 2017 season is getting ready to start, and I'm looking forward to writing about great baseball players - whatever country they're from and whatever team they represent.  Watch out for the Houston Astros, the Boston Red Sox, and yes, the Chicago Cubs (again!).  This promises to be a season of milestones, magic, and lots of home runs (Trout, Stanton, Machado...).  So keep checking in - I will do my best to keep you updated on all things 2017 - including Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in July (gee, did I mention who is being inducted?), Adrián Beltre's chase for 3000 hits, and maybe the coming of a new "Perfect Ballplayer."

"Felicidades, Iván!"

Despite having a population of over 3 million people, Puerto Rico can sometimes seem like the small island that it is.  When someone from Puerto Rico is famous, you inevitably know someone who was that person's neighbor, Little League coach, or hairdresser.  I alone can say that my mother taught a former Miss Universe, my former doctor also treated the wife of Carlos Baerga, and a relative of mine lived next door to a former member of Menudo.  It's also safe to say that every Puerto Rican has run into a famous person at one time or another - I remember seeing a local actress in the pharmacy once, a TV personality was a former client of my father's, and let's not even get into my many run-ins with Ricky Martin!  Needless to say, most Puerto Ricans are just a few degrees of separation from someone famous.

One such encounter I had back in the day (the summer of 1990, to be exact), was with Iván Rodriguez.  He was in the Minor Leagues at the time - a virtual no-name visiting the sports facility where I worked that summer as a camp counselor.  I remember impressing Iván with my baseball knowledge, and a teammate of his saying to me "Remember this guy; he will be famous someday!"  Well little Iván turned out to have a pretty good career - 14-time all-star, 13-time Gold Glove winner, 1999 MVP, and as of today, member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Today's nod comes as no surprise - despite having been accused of using performance-enhancing drugs by former teammate and obvious "juicer" José Canseco, Iván never failed a drug test and vehemently denied ever using PEDs.  His career numbers as a catcher are unparalleled, and his knowledge of the game and control of his battery mates earned him the respect of coaches, reporters, and players alike.

 But something else that sets us Puerto Ricans apart is our sense of family.  We all feel like "Pudge" is that distant cousin that despite only seeing rarely at weddings and funerals, you beam with pride at his every accomplishment and triumph.  We followed his career closely for twenty years, memorizing his statistics and talking about him like if he was Norm and you were Cliff and you had just recently shared a drink at a local bar.  When my father saw Iván walk by him a couple of years ago in Old San Juan, they greeted each other and waved like if they had gone to school together.  Wave your Puerto Rican flag or yell the word "Boricua!" in a baseball stadium, and Carlos Beltrán will give you a baseball, Alex Cora will sign it, and Sandy Alomar will wave at you (speaking from personal experience in all three situations!).  That one-starred flag can be spotted by Puerto Rican athletes and other celebrities no matter where they are, and I bet you there will be hundreds of those flags being proudly waved this coming July in Cooperstown, New York, when Iván Rodriguez is formally inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Having blogged about baseball for so many years and being such an ardent "Pudge" fan, you'd think it was pretty obvious that I would be one of those attending the Hall of Fame festivities this summer.  Unfortunately, it is not the prudent thing to do at this time, since my husband and I started our own retail business last year and just can't justify spending so much money on one weekend (especially since we would have to bring the 12-year-old - YOU try telling him that he can't come along!).  Part of me was secretly hoping that Iván would not be selected into the class of 2017, so I wouldn't feel bad about not going to enshrinement weekend.  But I'm over that, and at this point, my Puerto Rican pride has grown tenfold, and I look forward to watching Iván, Jeff Bagwell, and Tim Raines become Hall of Famers from the comfort of my own couch.  Besides, it's usually dreadfully hot on that day; you always see Willie Mays wiping his brow and Dennis Eckersley taking swigs from a water bottle.  My poor fair-skinned husband would surely get a sunburn!  And what if it rains?  I don't want to be in a Woodstock-like setting being trampled by sweaty, muddy, smelly people!  Really - why spend all that money when there are so many variables you can't control and you have to pee in a porta-potty?  No thank you!  (See how hard I'm trying to make myself feel better?)

So whether you'll have a front-row seat at Cooperstown (Iván's Little League coach might!) or you'll be like me watching from home (waving the flag that Iván signed for me a few years ago), the pride that will be displayed for "Pudge" Rodriguez will be like nothing seen before.  Cooperstown will be rocking with boisterous Puerto Ricans and other fans alike, and the Hall of Fame will have a new inductee:  A guy who caught two no-hitters, a player who got called up to the Majors on his wedding day, and a distant "cousin" who has made every Puerto Rican proud.  Felicidades, Iván!

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.

The Great American Race Versus the Great American Pastime

Since Spring Training baseball games aren't regularly televised this early on and I just can't get into NCAA basketball, I decided to sit down yesterday and watch some NASCAR for the first time ever.  After all, Fox Sports wasn't just televising any old race - it was the Daytona 500 - the Super Bowl and World Series of auto racing (which kicks off the NASCAR season, as opposed to other sports where the important game is played at the END of a season).  And with Danica Patrick in the pole position, who could resist watching such an exciting event?  Well, with all due respect to my NASCAR-fan friends, it definitely was my last time sitting down to watch an almost four-hour car race.

First of all, I had no idea there would be an hour-and-a-half of pregame stuff.  With baseball, you tune in at 7:00 for a 7:05 game, and with the Super Bowl, you tune in half an hour before kickoff to see who's going to sing the National Anthem.  But no, I sat there waiting for the drivers to get in their cars, and that didn't happen for a long time.  I did sit through an interesting explanation of why the cars are designed the way they are (these are Generation 6 cars) and how they're going back to the old-school design that makes Fords, Chevys, and Toyotas easier to identify.  But then they had a ZZ Top look-alike band sing a couple of songs, which were just not my style (OK, time to go downstairs and put some clothes in the dryer).  Then they had all forty-some drivers come out one at a time onto this big platform - that took way too long, though it gave me a chance to see how many good-looking ones there were!

When the race finally began, I realized that I can't follow a sport in which so many things are out of the main athlete's control.  If your curveball doesn't curve, it's up to you to correct it.  If you drop a ball in the outfield, it's your fault.  If you strike out or get into a batting slump, you need to figure out what you're doing wrong.  In auto racing, yes, the driver is ultimately responsible for getting his/her car across the finish line, but you have a whole team of people who can screw it up for you.  Your pit crew can be slow, the guy talking in your ear can tell you the wrong thing, or the guy driving behind you can bump into you and send you crashing into a wall (or another car).  Way too many things beyond a driver's control for my comfort.

One thing I did like was that after sitting in a car for almost four hours, not able to scratch an itch or blow your nose or eat a sandwich, the drivers were very gracious with reporters.  Even after a few of them got into bad wrecks and had to leave the race, they were nice when a microphone was shoved in their faces.  I would not have been in the mood to talk to anyone, and if I had been wrecked, I would not have had nice things to say.  Kudos to the drivers for understanding the importance of coming across as civil and decent (which is probably why Jeff Gordon wasn't interviewed immediately after getting out of his car).  Interview a baseball player after losing an important game and he probably wouldn't be as gracious.

So that's it for my NASCAR experience.  Tonight I'm going to watch a Spring Training game on the MLB Network, which is definitely my thing.  And the World Baseball Classic begins this Saturday - any time I can root for Team Puerto Rico... that is DEFINITELY my thing!

What I do During the Off-Season

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Felíz Navidad, everyone!

"You Don't LOOK Hispanic!"

One of the many great things about sports is that people of different races, religions, and ethnic backgrounds can play together regardless of their differences.  Gone are the days when Jackie Robinson was spit on by racist fans. Blacks and whites, Hispanics and Canadians, Christians and Jews - they can all play together in unified harmony.  Rivalries exist between cities and their teams - not races and their skin colors.

But despite integration, some ethnic groups still like to single themselves out, and they do so with plenty of pride.  For example, each February during Black History Month, the media floods us with movies, biographies, and stories of great African-American people in history.  In September, which is Hispanic Heritage Month, different cities around the country have "Latino Festivals," baseball teams have "Hispanic Heritage Day" at their ball parks, and newspapers feature stories of Hispanic activists who have made a difference in their communities.  We like blending in with the masses, but we also take pride in who we are and from where we came.

In commemoration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Major League Baseball polled a "series of experts" to put together the "All-Time Latino Team."  Being a proud Puerto Rican, I was very interested to see how many of my fellow islanders had made the list and if I agreed with everyone who was selected.  As I read down the list, I pretty much agreed with the "experts" on the different legendary players chosen.  It wasn't until I got towards the end that my face got red, my eyes bulged out of my head, and I got downright angry.  I was so taken aback by two of the selections that I had to go down to the basement so my kids didn't see how upset and wound up I was (I know; it's only a list, but you know me - I'm pretty passionate about all things baseball).  Here is the All-Time Latino Team - see if you can guess what set me off:

Manager - 1994 Manager of the Year Felipe Alou.  It was probably between him and Ozzie Guillen, so I was OK with Alou.

Right-handed pitcher - Juan Marichal.  With his career ERA of 2.29, he deserves to be there over Pedro Martinez.

Left-handed pitcher - Fernando Valenzuela.  Yeah, I can see that, even though "Lefty" Gomez and Johan Santana could have made it too.

Relief pitcher - Mariano Rivera hands-down.  That guy is some sort of alien or superhuman or something.  I wouldn't be surprised if he came back after his knee injury and pitched game 7 of the World Series this year.

Designated hitter - Edgar Martinez, whose .312 career batting average and .418 on-base percentage make him worthy of being on the list (though some would argue that "Big Papi" David Ortiz is also qualified).

Catcher - 12-time All-Star Iván Rodriguez.  Hello!  No-brainer!  If "Pudge" hadn't been selected, I would have exploded.  Javy Lopez, Yadier Molina, Jorge Posada and Manny Sanguillen would have also been good choices, but Iván deserves it, hands-down (actually, one hand behind your back and the other  framing the next pitch!)..

First base - Three-time National League MVP, Albert Pujols.  I'm OK with this one.  It would have been nice to see Orlando Cepeda or Vic Power, but Albert is a true talent, so he deserves to be there.

Second base - 2011 Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar.  Another no-brainer, though Robinson Canó is turning out to be just as good.

Third base - Alex Rodriguez.  Sigh!  Whatever.  I was still feeling OK at this point despite not being a fan of A-Rod.  Plus, A-Rod is not worth my time, so I refused to stress out about that one.

Shortstop - Nine-time Gold Glover Luis Aparicio.  That's fine, though Omar Vizquel is the best shortstop of my generation.  Still feeling OK with the list so far.

Right field - Roberto Clemente.  Duh!  Again, if he had not been chosen, I would have had such a fit that I would have requited a massive dose of sedation.

OK, now here's where I have a problem with the list.  The other two outfielders selected were Ted Williams and Reggie Jackson!  Who???  What the heck?!?  Since when are THEY considered "Latinos?"  Apparently Ted Williams' mother was "of Mexican descent," and Reggie Jackson's father was half Puerto Rican.  What about current players like José Bautista and Carlos Beltrán?  Or past players like  Minnie Miñoso, Vladimir Guerrero, Rubén Sierra, Bernie Williams or José Cruuuuuuz?  Ted and Reggie... really???  Ted Williams admitted that he didn't speak Spanish or seek to embrace the Hispanic culture in order to prevent prejudice or tension (a valid point back in the day, if you're a coward!).  Reggie Jackson speaks some Spanish and his first wife was Hispanic, but at no point during his time playing winter baseball in Puerto Rico was it publicly acknowledged that he was a Latino.  I thought "If they're considered Hispanic, then I'm the 'reina de Inglaterra' (Queen of England, for those of you who don't "habla español)."  So I went to bed in a tizzy, promising myself to write about it the next day.

So it's now the next day, and I've had some time to ponder.  What makes one person more "Hispanic" than another?  Is it the quantity of "hispanicness" in your genetic makeup, or the quality of your life and the way you were raised?  I am 100% Puerto Rican, with parents whose ancestors date back to the native Taíno Indians who lived on the island before Christopher Columbus arrived or back to the Spanish "conquistadores" who brought African slaves with them and settled on the island.  But it's not so cut-and-dry for other Hispanics.  My kids, for example, have a Puerto Rican mother and a white-as-can-be father.  Are they any less Hispanic than me?  How about the people I knew when I lived in Massachusetts, whose parents were both Puerto Rican but they themselves were born on the mainland and had never been to Puerto Rico - are they less Puerto Rican than Roberto Clemente, who was of African lineage?  They speak the language, eat the food, and listen to the music of their fellow Puerto Ricans, but are they less "boricua" because they've never been to Puerto Rico?  Don't try to tell them that they are - they will run you out of town while furiously waving their one-starred flags!

I guess what bothers me the most is that, while Williams and Jackson were great players in their time, did they embrace their Hispanic heritage?  Were they Latinos first and foremost?  Do they know the National Anthem of their country and proudly fly its flag?  They don't have to be fully bilingual nor do they have to eat re fried beans (which I don't eat myself); they just need (or needed, in Williams' case) to embrace their culture, take pride in their heritage, and represent their ethnicity with dignity.  While some would argue that ethnicity should not matter, It does matter to those of us who take pride in ours, and if you don't want us to single ourselves out, then don't be putting together an all-time greats list that singles out a certain ethnicity.

Stay tuned for my analysis and opinion after Major League Baseball releases its "All-Time Jehovah's Witness Team" and "All-Time Vegetarian List."