While I never thought I would use the lyrics of a Taylor Swift song as a title for a blog post, I thought it was appropriate for a post about cheating in sports. Whether it's "deflate-gate" in the NFL, Lance Armstrong getting blood transfusions during the Tour de France,or Barry Bonds having "no idea" what he was being injected with during his home run tear in Major League Baseball - cheating happens in every sport at every level. And with sports being a microcosm of society, it basically means that the world is full of selfish, insecure, win-at-any-cost people. Oh that is so discouraging!
Why am I writing about cheating in sports when Major League Baseball is heating up with teams vying for playoff spots? Shouldn't I be crying about the Orioles' recent nosedive and the Mets' consistent success? Well a friend asked for my opinion on the Tom Brady situation, so I figured I would present my opinion along with the baseball perspective.
So totally hot and sexy Tom Brady, quarterback for the New England Patriots, was suspended by the NFL for the first 4 games of the season, because according to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Brady had a part in a conspiracy to deflate footballs below the allowable limit at last season's AFC championship game, a 45-7 whoopin' of the Indianapolis Colts. Well a judge decided that Brady was treated unfairly and not given due process, so he dropped Brady's suspension, which the NFL quickly appealed. Brady INSISTS that he had NOTHING to do with the deflation of the balls, despite ordering that his cell phone be destroyed right before being interviewed by the NFL. Right - Tom Brady had no prior knowledge of "deflate-gate" and I'm the Queen of England (though I'd rather look like Jennifer Lopez than the Queen - no disrespect to "your Highness.").
Why am I so sure that Tom Brady had everything to do with the deflated balls? Because I'm tired of being duped. In the 1990s, I was a huge fan of Minnesota Twins center fielder, Kirby Puckett. I read his book, collected his cards, and followed his career religiously. I knew all about him on the field, marveling at his gravity-defying leaps in the outfield and celebrating his World Series home runs. When I found out that Puckett was a wife beater and groper of women in restaurants, I was completely deflated (as opposed to Brady's footballs, which were only PARTIALLY deflated). I felt betrayed and so disappointed knowing that a person I admired was not totally the hero I made him out to be. Kirby Puckett didn't cheat (that we know of), but finding out he was a real jerk was just as devastating as if I had found out that he took performance-enhancing drugs. It just sucked.
Then there's cheater extraordinaire Lance Armstrong. I also read his books, prayed for him during his cancer diagnosis, and even had one of those yellow LIVE STRONG rubber bracelets that he made famous. Lance could do no wrong, and because of him I learned about cycling as well as the beautiful scenery of the Alps and the grueling event that is the Tour de France. All those accusations that Lance had cheated were always countered with please of innocence - he could look straight into a camera and adamantly deny that he did not take performance-enhancing drugs or blood transfusions or anything like that. And then the truth came out, and he looked like a real ass. That was a real heartbreaker for me - I had told my kids all about him and how great he was and then I had to explain to them how he was a total phony.
This is why I think Tom Brady is guilty of knowing about the deflated footballs. I don't want to defend the guy and then find out he's a liar and a cheat. No, there's no clear evidence that he was involved. No, there is no key witness to testify that Brady was involved. Yes, Brady might retire without the real truth ever coming out. But I'm tired of sticking by these conceited, I-can-do-no-wrong-because-I'm-famous guys with over-inflated egos, so I'm just going to assume Brady is guilty unless proven otherwise.
What gets me is that someone as talented as Tom Brady does not need deflated footballs to excel at his sport. Ask the Milwaukee Brewers' Ryan Braun and Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees. Both of them served suspensions for having used performance-enhancing drugs, yet both are back to playing well despite being off the drugs. Not that I'm defending A-Rod (please!), but he's always been a fine player without the drugs. Some say it's the pressure of having to perform well at such a high level that leads already-good players to start the drugs; I say it's just insecurity and low self-esteem. I've read that despite looking confident and cocky on the outside, A-Rod is privately an insecure guy who often throughout his career has doubted his talents.
So whether Tom Brady played a part in the "deflate-gate" scandal or not, he will be able to play this season while the NFL's appeal is heard, and I'm neither here nor there about that (since I'm not an ardent football fan). I'm still focusing my attention on the last month of baseball's regular season, where a lot of games still have to be played for playoff spots to be determined. May the Mets falter, the Pirates and Nationals rise to greatness, and may all current athletes contemplating cheating at their sport think twice, because in these days of social media, lack of privacy, and increased screening and scrutiny, someone will eventually find you out. And you wouldn't like some little kid to idolize you and then find out you're a fraud - that's just heartbreaking.
Showing posts with label ryan braun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ryan braun. Show all posts
Friday, September 4, 2015
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
To Err is Human; to Lie is Stupid
As you may have heard by now, Milwaukee Brewers left-fielder Ryan Braun has admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs and has accepted an immediate suspension from baseball for the rest of the season without pay. While this seemed a little sudden for fans like myself, it wasn't totally surprising, since Braun's name kept popping up in Major League Baseball's ongoing investigation of players linked to the Biogenesis lab in Florida, which allegedly provided PED's to dozens of players.
A five-time All-Star who won the 2007 National League Rookie of the Year Award and the 2011 NL MVP Award, Braun is in the middle of a club-record contract that runs through 2020. He is earning $8.5 million this season and will forfeit nearly $3.5 million during his suspension (which won't exactly put him in the poor house).
What annoys me the most is that for the past year-and-a-half, Braun has denied any wrongdoing and even had a previous suspension overturned because his drug test supposedly wasn't done correctly. Basically, some poor urine collection guy was fired last year because of Braun, who claimed that the guy didn't handle Braun's pee the right way. Well apparently Braun's pee WAS tainted back then, but his legal team was able to get him off on a technicality. In the meantime, poor urine collection guy can never go back to work collecting pee.
So what's better - to have an athlete come clean on his own and admit wrongdoing (like Braun and Lance Armstrong) or to have him caught with his hands in the cookie jar and then be forced to read a lawyer-written statement admitting his guilt? For me, that's a tough one. I remember being devastated when former track star Marion Jones admitted to using PEDs after the 2000 Olympics. It was like a slap across the face; not only had I (and many other fans) been betrayed, but she lied in front of a grand jury, and I just couldn't imagine doing something so legally and morally wrong. The longer us fans are strung along in an athlete's denial, the worse we feel when he or she comes clean. In other words, if we had found out about Armstrong's PED use after only his first or second Tour de France victory, we wouldn't hate him as much now and we wouldn't have spent thousands of dollars on little yellow rubber bracelets.
Then there are the athletes who still won't come clean - the Barry Bondses of the world - and deny it for so long that when they do eventually come clean (Bonds hasn't), it's like "Duh! It's about TIME you admitted it, you idiot!" These are the ones who say they never "knowingly" took anything and end up blaming it on a trainer or coach or other previously-trusted person who did them wrong. They make themselves out to be the poor victim and place the blame on someone else. Really? Shouldn't you be aware of everything that goes into your body? Wouldn't you wonder how you went from weighing 185 pounds in the beginning of your career to 230? How can you stare directly into a camera and tell everyone that you undeniably didn't do anything wrong? Or go before a grand jury like Mark McGuire did and say you "mis-remember" everything? Is it because you've been so awesome your whole life that things have always gone your way and you see no reason for that to change? Well guess what, Roger Clemens - your poop DOES stink, and the fact that you won a million Cy Young Awards does not put you above the law.
Some people think we need to ease up on athletes who do wrong because it's our fault that we idolize them and see them as perfect. We do tend to see them as super-human, but the decision to take PEDs is not a simple mistake like forgetting to turn off the iron or lying to your kids about the playground being closed because you don't feel like taking them. Their decision directly affects their performance, which impacts the amount of money they make (until they come clean or get caught) and turns them into fan-favorite superstars with endorsement deals and lucrative contracts. Other bad decisions, like when Mike Tyson decided it would be a good idea to bite off part of Evander Holyfield's ear, don't affect an athlete's performance in such a direct manner. Changing your name from Ronald Artest to Metta World Peace was a stupid decision, but it didn't affect the way one basketball player performed on the court. But taking PEDs does directly impact being able to hit 60 home runs in a season.
So what now? As far as Ryan Braun is concerned, he can go back home to enjoy some time off and prepare for next season, if he's man enough to return and play despite the boos he's surely going to get. And as far as MLB, they're still investigating the Biogenesis case, with players like Alex Rodriguez and Jhonny Peralta in the mix. Will they really suspend about 20 players, like they say they might? Maybe. Will this impact the game of baseball? Probably, in the short-term. But despite labor disputes, player strikes, and drug scandals, baseball always makes a comeback, because fans (me included) just want to watch baseball. Just don't lie to us about why you play the way you do - keep your nose clean, work hard, and don't always swing at the first pitch. I don't think that's too much to ask.
A five-time All-Star who won the 2007 National League Rookie of the Year Award and the 2011 NL MVP Award, Braun is in the middle of a club-record contract that runs through 2020. He is earning $8.5 million this season and will forfeit nearly $3.5 million during his suspension (which won't exactly put him in the poor house).
What annoys me the most is that for the past year-and-a-half, Braun has denied any wrongdoing and even had a previous suspension overturned because his drug test supposedly wasn't done correctly. Basically, some poor urine collection guy was fired last year because of Braun, who claimed that the guy didn't handle Braun's pee the right way. Well apparently Braun's pee WAS tainted back then, but his legal team was able to get him off on a technicality. In the meantime, poor urine collection guy can never go back to work collecting pee.
So what's better - to have an athlete come clean on his own and admit wrongdoing (like Braun and Lance Armstrong) or to have him caught with his hands in the cookie jar and then be forced to read a lawyer-written statement admitting his guilt? For me, that's a tough one. I remember being devastated when former track star Marion Jones admitted to using PEDs after the 2000 Olympics. It was like a slap across the face; not only had I (and many other fans) been betrayed, but she lied in front of a grand jury, and I just couldn't imagine doing something so legally and morally wrong. The longer us fans are strung along in an athlete's denial, the worse we feel when he or she comes clean. In other words, if we had found out about Armstrong's PED use after only his first or second Tour de France victory, we wouldn't hate him as much now and we wouldn't have spent thousands of dollars on little yellow rubber bracelets.
Then there are the athletes who still won't come clean - the Barry Bondses of the world - and deny it for so long that when they do eventually come clean (Bonds hasn't), it's like "Duh! It's about TIME you admitted it, you idiot!" These are the ones who say they never "knowingly" took anything and end up blaming it on a trainer or coach or other previously-trusted person who did them wrong. They make themselves out to be the poor victim and place the blame on someone else. Really? Shouldn't you be aware of everything that goes into your body? Wouldn't you wonder how you went from weighing 185 pounds in the beginning of your career to 230? How can you stare directly into a camera and tell everyone that you undeniably didn't do anything wrong? Or go before a grand jury like Mark McGuire did and say you "mis-remember" everything? Is it because you've been so awesome your whole life that things have always gone your way and you see no reason for that to change? Well guess what, Roger Clemens - your poop DOES stink, and the fact that you won a million Cy Young Awards does not put you above the law.
Some people think we need to ease up on athletes who do wrong because it's our fault that we idolize them and see them as perfect. We do tend to see them as super-human, but the decision to take PEDs is not a simple mistake like forgetting to turn off the iron or lying to your kids about the playground being closed because you don't feel like taking them. Their decision directly affects their performance, which impacts the amount of money they make (until they come clean or get caught) and turns them into fan-favorite superstars with endorsement deals and lucrative contracts. Other bad decisions, like when Mike Tyson decided it would be a good idea to bite off part of Evander Holyfield's ear, don't affect an athlete's performance in such a direct manner. Changing your name from Ronald Artest to Metta World Peace was a stupid decision, but it didn't affect the way one basketball player performed on the court. But taking PEDs does directly impact being able to hit 60 home runs in a season.
So what now? As far as Ryan Braun is concerned, he can go back home to enjoy some time off and prepare for next season, if he's man enough to return and play despite the boos he's surely going to get. And as far as MLB, they're still investigating the Biogenesis case, with players like Alex Rodriguez and Jhonny Peralta in the mix. Will they really suspend about 20 players, like they say they might? Maybe. Will this impact the game of baseball? Probably, in the short-term. But despite labor disputes, player strikes, and drug scandals, baseball always makes a comeback, because fans (me included) just want to watch baseball. Just don't lie to us about why you play the way you do - keep your nose clean, work hard, and don't always swing at the first pitch. I don't think that's too much to ask.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
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 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.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Anyone??? Anyone???
The NBA players may have ended their lockout and the NFL may be in full swing, but there has been plenty going on behind the scenes in Major League Baseball, with the winter meetings wrapping up, players being traded and free agents being signed. Albert Pujols signed with the Angels, Mark Buehrle went to the Marlins, and the Red Sox strengthened their bullpen by adding Mark Melancon to their pitching staff. But there's one player out there who remains a free agent, one veteran who still has a few years of ball left in him. No, I'm not referring to Prince Fielder (though I still don't know where he's going to end up). It should come as no surprise to those of you who read this blog on a regular basis that I am referring to future Hall-of-Famer Iván "Pudge" Rodriguez.
"There she goes again!" you're thinking to yourself. "Does she have to mention this old guy in every one of her posts?" Well, I'm sorry, but it's my blog, so I can mention him every time if I want to! :-) Seriously; Iván is currently playing winter ball in Puerto Rico, but after that season is done, he may not have a job. The Nationals are not going to re-sign him, because they currently have four catchers vying for spots on the opening day roster. That has been a stark reality that I've had to accept; I need to cherish the memories of the many times I watched Iván play live at Nationals Park and the time he signed my Puerto Rican flag. I need to put away my Nationals #7 Rodriguez jersey and print out all those pictures I've taken before my old computer decides to die and I lose those pictures forever. I need to move on and find another player for whom to root.
But really, doesn't anyone out there need a veteran catcher who still has a cannon for an arm and can work pitchers better than anyone? He's caught no-hitters, won an MVP and a World Series title, and is so close to reaching the 3000-hit milestone that it would be a crime if he wasn't given the opportunity to do so. How about a player/coach? Isn't there a team out there who could use a part-time catcher who can also serve as a very good bench coach? And while I'm asking, can that team be a National League one so I can go see him play when they come to DC? Don't sign with an AL team; I don't want to go back to Baltimore! There were rumors that the Marlins were interested in signing "Pudge," but those rumors have recently subsided. Iván has a home in Miami, he's a favorite of new manager Ozzie Guillen, and he would be a big draw for Marlins fans, who still remember him from his stint with their team back in 2003 when he helped the Marlins win the World Series. Come on; won't someone sign this highly valuable free agent? Anyone? Please???
So if Iván is forced to retire (gulp!), who can be my next baseball player to stalk - I mean, follow? When I first became interested in baseball back in the 80s, I was a big Ron Darling fan. I admit, not because he was an OK pitcher, but because he was good-looking. Then I followed Jim Abbott, the one-handed pitcher for the Angels. After Abbott fizzled, I became an ardent Kirby Puckett fan. His death at such a young age was very tragic for me, and I sought comfort in #7, the handsome and clean-cut catcher from Puerto Rico who could do no wrong. But now no one really stands out for me. I can't possibly follow Derek Jeter - that's way too "bandwagon." And Pujols is just - I don't know - he doesn't do it for me. Then there's Ryan Braun, but now that he may be suspended for the first 50 games of the season because of allegedly failing a drug test, he's off my list. I'm thinking of Ryan Zimmerman or Michael Morse, both of the Nationals and both really really good players. Zimmerman is too serious though; Morse is a jokester and has a carefree way about him. Hmmm... something to think about.
So while I ponder the thought of who my next baseball hottie will be, I will continue to count the days until the first game of Spring Training. 80 days and counting, my friends, and I can't wait! In the meantime, may you all have a wonderful holiday season this year, and may 2012 fill you and your families with good health and much happiness!
"There she goes again!" you're thinking to yourself. "Does she have to mention this old guy in every one of her posts?" Well, I'm sorry, but it's my blog, so I can mention him every time if I want to! :-) Seriously; Iván is currently playing winter ball in Puerto Rico, but after that season is done, he may not have a job. The Nationals are not going to re-sign him, because they currently have four catchers vying for spots on the opening day roster. That has been a stark reality that I've had to accept; I need to cherish the memories of the many times I watched Iván play live at Nationals Park and the time he signed my Puerto Rican flag. I need to put away my Nationals #7 Rodriguez jersey and print out all those pictures I've taken before my old computer decides to die and I lose those pictures forever. I need to move on and find another player for whom to root.
But really, doesn't anyone out there need a veteran catcher who still has a cannon for an arm and can work pitchers better than anyone? He's caught no-hitters, won an MVP and a World Series title, and is so close to reaching the 3000-hit milestone that it would be a crime if he wasn't given the opportunity to do so. How about a player/coach? Isn't there a team out there who could use a part-time catcher who can also serve as a very good bench coach? And while I'm asking, can that team be a National League one so I can go see him play when they come to DC? Don't sign with an AL team; I don't want to go back to Baltimore! There were rumors that the Marlins were interested in signing "Pudge," but those rumors have recently subsided. Iván has a home in Miami, he's a favorite of new manager Ozzie Guillen, and he would be a big draw for Marlins fans, who still remember him from his stint with their team back in 2003 when he helped the Marlins win the World Series. Come on; won't someone sign this highly valuable free agent? Anyone? Please???
So if Iván is forced to retire (gulp!), who can be my next baseball player to stalk - I mean, follow? When I first became interested in baseball back in the 80s, I was a big Ron Darling fan. I admit, not because he was an OK pitcher, but because he was good-looking. Then I followed Jim Abbott, the one-handed pitcher for the Angels. After Abbott fizzled, I became an ardent Kirby Puckett fan. His death at such a young age was very tragic for me, and I sought comfort in #7, the handsome and clean-cut catcher from Puerto Rico who could do no wrong. But now no one really stands out for me. I can't possibly follow Derek Jeter - that's way too "bandwagon." And Pujols is just - I don't know - he doesn't do it for me. Then there's Ryan Braun, but now that he may be suspended for the first 50 games of the season because of allegedly failing a drug test, he's off my list. I'm thinking of Ryan Zimmerman or Michael Morse, both of the Nationals and both really really good players. Zimmerman is too serious though; Morse is a jokester and has a carefree way about him. Hmmm... something to think about.
So while I ponder the thought of who my next baseball hottie will be, I will continue to count the days until the first game of Spring Training. 80 days and counting, my friends, and I can't wait! In the meantime, may you all have a wonderful holiday season this year, and may 2012 fill you and your families with good health and much happiness!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)