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"

Home Runs, All-Stars, and Trades - Bring Them On!

Oh what a week it has been for Major League Baseball!  First was the Home Run Derby at Nationals Park, where hometown-favorite Bryce Harper had a fairytale of a day.  His "Pops" was pitching to him, his bat had the stars and stripes painted on it, and instead of wearing a ballcap, he chose to accessorize his "perfectly coiffed" hair with a headband that had the flag of Washington, DC on it (and is currently flying off store shelves).  While I was happy to see a Nationals player win the Home Run Derby, it was a little bittersweet, because all of us who have watched Bryce grow up in front of our eyes know that he will not be a Nat next year, since he'll be a free agent at the end of this season.  And really - does hitting 45 home runs in one night negate Harper's current .214 batting average?  In the grand scheme of things, he's still in the biggest slump of his career.  And I'm not being a "Negative Nellie" because I'm bitter about not having gone to the Derby or the All-Star Game; I'm just telling it like it is - Harper better improve his hitting, or no one will want him next year (especially for the salary that his agent, Scott Boras, will be asking).

Then there was the All-Star Game.  I didn't dwell too much on the fact that it was being played just an hour's drive away from my comfortable sofa, because I had resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't going way over a year ago.  So I was happy to sit in front of the TV and watch a game in the familiar ballpark that now everyone across the country was going to be able to enjoy.  And my boy, Max Scherzer, was going to be the starting pitcher for the National League for the second year in a row, so of course I was excited.  The player introductions were enjoyable to watch as always (especially since former Nationals players Blake Treinen, now with the A's, and Wilson Ramos, now with the Rays, received such enthusiastic applause), the National Anthem didn't bore me (it was an excellent rendition both vocally and visually), and Scherzer struck out four players in the two innings that he pitched (we'll ignore the home run he gave up to Aaron Judge).  The American League ended up winning the game 8-6 in 10 innings, and it didn't end up raining like they had predicted.  So overall, the All-Star Game was a success and all the players seemed legitimately excited to be there.

Then came the post-ASG trades, the most notable one being the Orioles sending shortstop Manny Machado to the Dodgers for five prospects.  Now, I know I had predicted that Manny would go to the Diamondbacks, but then Corey Seager ended up needing Tommy John surgery (it's not just pitchers who get that done!) and the Dodgers were really in need of a reliable shortstop.  Now, I also wondered if the Dodgers would try to get an outfielder since Yasiel Puig suffered a rib injury (I joked with my husband that the Dodgers should try to get Bryce Harper from the Nationals), but I guess the need for a shortstop was more urgent (because outfielders are a dime a dozen).  So for the next three months, Manny Machado will have Magic Johnson as his boss, will help get the Dodgers to the playoffs, and then will end up with another team as a free agent.  Does this bother me because it makes baseball players seem like cattle being taken to the auction block?  It used to, but then I realized that teams really have to do whatever they can to make it to the playoffs (especially if they're paying a hefty luxury tax, like the Red Sox and Nationals are predicted to this year), and mid-season trades that involve free-agents-to-be only displace a player for a couple of months.  Once the off-season comes and they sign with a new team, they can then move their families and get settled in a new city.  I'm not trying to be heartless; it's just one of those "gazillionnaire problems" athletes have to deal with.  I don't pity them (just their families).

And what about the Orioles?  Who do they get in return for giving up Machado?  They get outfielder Yusniel Díaz (Dodgers No. 4 prospect coming into this season), third baseman Rylan Bannon (Dodgers No. 27 prospect), right-hander Dean Kremer (Dodgers No. 28 prospect), right-hander Zach Pop, and infielder Breyvic Valera.  I don't know anything about these guys other than what's on paper, but when you suck as badly as the Orioles have this year, anything short of a Cal Ripken, Jr. comeback would definitely be an improvement over the current situation.  And if these prospects are as good as they seem to be, the Orioles should be really really good in the next few years (unless their inept owners screw that up, which wouldn't surprise me).

So now what?  Well the Cleveland Indians, who are currently leading the American League Central, just acquired pitchers Brad Hand and Adam Cimber from the San Diego Padres for catcher Francisco Mejía.  And of course there's talk of Mets pitcher Jacob DeGrom being traded as well (maybe he can go to the Dodgers too, since Clayton Kershaw is having an "off" year).  So there is still a lot of wheeling and dealing to be done before the July 31st trade deadline; it will be interesting to see what happens between now and then.  My Nationals may be somewhat out of it at this point (we'll see how the weekend series against the Atlanta Braves goes), but I am still excited about the next few months - lots of trades, expanded rosters, and tons of exciting playoff baseball.  Stay tuned!

Three Cheers for Ichiro!

I know, I know; it's been a while since I've blogged, but let's face it - February was just a crappy month.  But Spring Training has started, the days are getting longer, and I've almost come to terms with my hatred of Scott Boras (more on that a bit later).  Despite my snarky comments and harsh criticisms, I do try to be a positive person, so I've been waiting for something fun and exciting to happen in baseball in order to share the news with all of you.  My wish came true yesterday, when the Seattle Mariners signed Ichiro Suzuki for one year at $750,000.  Yeay!

Now, if you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that I love Ichiro; not like I love Max Scherzer and DEFINITELY not like I love Iván Rodriguez - it's more like a "this guy is super-cool and has charisma and is just so darn likeable!"  When Ichiro became a free agent at the end of last season, I told my husband that the Mariners should sign him so that he's able to finish his career with the team that originally signed him over twenty years ago out of Japan.  Well I'm glad someone finally listened to me, because having Ichiro in Seattle is absolutely storybook perfect (I know most people think of Derek Jeter's career as "storybook," but I've always liked Ichiro better!).  

Last season, Ichiro appeared in 136 games with the Miami Marlins, hitting .255 (with an On-Base Percentage of .318 and Slugging Percentage of .332) across 215 plate appearances - more than half of them coming as a pinch hitter.  Over the past five seasons, split between the Marlins and New York Yankees, he hasn't been able to replicate the success he enjoyed in Seattle, hitting .263 in 725 games.  Still, the Mariners are very happy to have Ichiro on board (time to sell more jerseys!), and they insist (as does Ichiro himself) that this is not just a "swan song" thing - he's going to play regularly, and he's going to make a difference for his team (which I believe to be true, because the guy can still hit).  Ichiro is not planning a retirement tour this season akin to those of Jeter and David "Big Papi" Ortiz - he just wants to play, and if you ask him, he'll tell you that he wants to do so until he's at least 50 years old (you GO, Ichiro!).  The only downside of having Ichiro in Seattle is that he won't get much TV coverage unless the Mariners make it to the playoffs, but hey - it's just nice knowing that a decent guy like Ichiro will be around for at least one more year.

Sigh!  Now about Scott Boras...  For those of you who don't know him, Boras is a greedy, selfish, money-hungry and arrogant sports agent with clients such as Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg, Max Scherzer, and yes - Iván Rodriguez.  He's a "player's agent" - the guy who will get you the lucrative contract and will "show you the money".  But the downside to that is when you put a price tag on a player and that price is too high (especially when the player is a pitcher).  This is the case with Jake Arrieta, a free agent who is currently unemployed.  This former Oriole and Cub has a Cy Young award, a championship ring, and All-Star game appearances.  At the age of 32, his fastball has slowed down just a tad, but not enough for him to be unemployed at this point in the off-season.  Yu Darvish (also 32 years old) was able to sign as a free agent (even after Tommy John surgery and a not-so-stellar job in the playoffs with the Dodgers).  Why was Yu able to get a job and Jake is still sitting around waiting for Boras to do something?  I just think that Boras is asking for way too much money.  Teams don't want to spend a lot on a pitcher when they know that players like Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, and Clayton Kershaw will become free agents at the end of the upcoming season (and no team wants to pay the luxury tax).  So why not lower the price on Arrieta?  Because Boras is an idiot!  The Nationals, Phillies, and Brewers have all shown interest in signing Arrieta for less than what Boras is asking, so why not lower the price on the poor guy a little?  This is what annoys me about professional sports - when they're treated like cattle!

Oh, and one more thing about Boras:  He has a Doctorate in Pharmacy and a law degree.  There's nothing wrong with that (says the woman who has a Masters in Sports Management but owns a kitchen shop!), unless you use both degrees to work defending pharmaceutical companies against class-action lawsuits.  I won't even GO there or tell you about the many cases he defended and millions of dollars he made for pharmaceutical companies - let's just say I have very strong opinions regarding pharmaceutical companies, and now that I know that Boras was involved, I'm not surprised.

So what do us die-hard baseball fans do to not get disheartened by the ugliness of the business side of baseball?  Well I, for one, have been listening to Spring Training games during the workday, and that has me excited for the upcoming season.  We have a lot to look forward to - the All-Star game being played at Nationals Park, Manny Machado trying his hand at shortstop, Shohei Ohtani making his US debut with the Los Angeles Angels, and the Miami Marlins trying to put together a team now that most of last year's players are gone (I'm guessing J.T. Realmuto will play all nine positions at once!), Adam Wainwright just being his hot and sexy self...  Whether it's Ichiro making $750,000 or Darvish making $21 million, we just want to watch these guys play.  Just a few more weeks to go until we hear "Play ball!"