Where in the Majors Will Manny Go?

Hello, baseball friends!  It's been a while since I've posted, because the month of May was crazy with birthdays, graduations, track meets, band concerts, a prom, Mother's Day, out-of-town visitors, family events, parties, and all sorts of things that filled every single space in my old-fashioned paper calendar.  Now that everyone has settled into their summer routines, I can finally take a few minutes to jot down some baseball-related thoughts.

Most importantly, where is Manny going to go?  Yes, the Orioles' Manny Machado is on the trading block, and before the July 31st trade deadline, he's no longer going to be wearing orange and black.  This makes us locals a bit sad, because we watched Manny start out with our single-A Frederick Keys and blossom into an all-star.  At only 25 years old (I know, can you believe he's that young?), he's currently batting .305 with 18 home runs and transitioned nicely from third base to shortstop this season (despite my hesitation early on.  Good thing no one listens to me!).  So why get rid of him?  Well mainly because the Orioles suck big-time this season, so they might as well get a few guys in exchange for Machado, who will be a free agent at the end of this season anyway.  Where would he go?  The Arizona Diamondbacks, who currently lead the NL West, have shown some interest, mainly because their shortstop and third basement have been a bit disappointing this year.  The Dodgers, who are in second place in the NL West, have also shown interest.  I predict Manny will be a Diamondback by the end of this week, because I don't like the other rumors that the Os will trade Adam Jones instead (Adam just bought Cal Ripken's old house; don't make the poor guy relocate!). 

And what's up with the Yankees?  They're 48-22 (the second-best record in the Majors after the Houston Astros), despite none of their players batting above .290.  But relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman has 21 saves (and one of those contagious smiles that makes you think he's a nice guy), so I guess it's partly his fault that the Yankees are one game in front of the Red Sox.  Ugh.  That's all I'm going to say about that.

Then there's Mike Trout.  This season, he's being called "outrageously consistent," "best player ever," and "ridiculously great," yet many complain that he's not getting the attention he deserves.  Last year, every human being knew about Aaron Judge, because he's 7 feet tall, a very humble guy, and a member of a NY team (a city where the media has a conniption any time a player in pinstripes opens his mouth, swings a bat, or farts).  Mike Trout, the 2012 AL Rookie of the Year and six-time All-Star, has a career batting average of .307 and is leading the Majors this season in almost every category (home runs and on-base-percentage are just a couple).  He is the picture of consistency, finishing every season with a batting average of .287 or higher.  He always hits home runs.  He always gets on base.  He visits sick children and has a charitable foundation.  He has been the AL MVP twice, has won five Silver Slugger awards, and has been the Overall Defensive Player of the Year.  So why don't more people know about him?  Because the Angels haven't been in the World Series?  Because his contract goes until 2020 so there's no talk of him going anywhere?  Because he always seems to have a dumb look on his face?  Because the LA media focuses on the Dodgers and Kardashians too much?  I don't know, but people better start paying attention, because this kid is on his way to being the GOAT; the Serena Williams or Michael Jordan (or LeBron James, for you young people) of baseball.  He will continue to produce, he will be great for a long time to come, and I can say I saw him make a catch in the outfield at Oriole Park several years ago that seriously left me speechless (yes, me, speechless!).  Pay attention to Mike Trout, people!

Finally, we have to talk about my Nationals, because they're not in first place like everyone predicted they would be.  No need to panic, because the surprisingly good Braves aren't all that (except for Freddie Freeman, who is awesome).  So what if Bryce Harper isn't hitting (his average is .213) and Stephen Strasburg is on the Disabled List (again!)?  The Nationals can still hit (Trea Turner and Anthony Rendón), Max Scherzer is still the best pitcher this season (he already passed 150 strikeouts this season), and their rookie manager, Dave Martinez, hasn't royally screwed anything up yet (and hopefully won't).  He's doing a fine job putting together a roster despite all the injuries to key players, and he's not as quick as Dusty Baker was to take a pitcher out of a game when his defense fails.  So I'm not going to worry for now; I just hope the Nats can make it to the playoffs without having to  play a Wild Card game, and that no one else ends up on the Disabled List this season.

So there you go - these are some of the baseball-related things that have been on my mind this past month (I didn't even mention Robinson Canó's PED-induced suspension, Yadier Molina needing emergency surgery after getting hit in the "privates," or how Jacob deGrom is rumored to be traded by the Mets), but I'm thoroughly enjoying this baseball season.  Take some time to watch a game or two, don't forget to vote for your favorite all-star (I have yet to do that, but I'll get to it soon), and keep an eye on that Trout kid - I hear he's going to be pretty good! :-)

Mother and Son at the Ballpark (My Husband was There Too!)

My seventeen-year-old daughter has just begun her Senior year in high school, so for the past three years, our lives have been consumed by countless track meets (and corresponding pasta parties), college visits all over the Mid-Atlantic, and numerous meetings, appointments, and activities related to my daughter's academics, athletics, or extracurricular activities.  All along the way, my thirteen-year-old son has tagged along (many times begrudgingly) and served as photographer, stopwatch operator, bag carrier, or whatever "other tasks as assigned" have been thrown at him.  But he's been a pretty good sport (especially since each college visit came with either dinner at Panera, a visit to the college ice cream shop, or a stay in a hotel with a pool).  Constantly in his sister's shadow, he still manages to maintain a sense of humor while my husband and I try to accommodate his concert band schedule around everything else going on in our busy lives.  

One thing that has helped our bond is baseball.  He has been watching baseball with his mother since he was in utero, and despite "retiring" from Little League over a year ago, he still enjoys watching and following the sport with his overenthusiastic and highly competitive mother.  He went trick or treating dressed as Jayson Werth one year (complete with full bearded mask), has a respectable baseball card collection, and owns a wide assortment of Washington Nationals apparel.  He doesn't just watch baseball because it's what's on TV; he actually sits down, asks questions, and follows certain players' statistics (and admittedly, he's learning how to heckle.  Who could be teaching him that?).

One recent Sunday, my son, husband, and I traveled to Washington, DC to catch a game at Nationals Park.  The Nats were playing the Mets, the weather was perfect for an evening game, and we scored great seats for a decent price (just a few rows behind the Nats' dugout).  It was game two of a day/night doubleheader - a make-up of a previously rained-out game from July.  Tanner Roark was on the mound, and despite many of their big players being on the Disabled List (Bryce Harper, Jayson Werth, Trea Turner...), it was refreshing to see a lot of the younger guys playing so well.  The Nationals won the game 5-4, but that's not why we had such an unforgettable time.

There was the walk from the parking lot to the park.  The area around Nationals Park has really undergone a tremendous development, and there were new outdoor dining venues, numerous street vendors, and many sights that were not there since my husband and I were last there a year ago.  My son was all over the fact that you could buy a bag of peanuts right outside the park for less than half of what they charge you inside (yes - we bought one to share).  He has always enjoyed people-watching, so standing in line waiting for the gates to open was entertaining for him (he's not one of those teenagers who is constantly on his phone - he actually keeps himself occupied looking at his surroundings and making good observations and occasional snarky comments.  He is my son, after all).

Once inside the ballpark, we perused the gift shop, where of course my son wanted one of everything (actually, so did I!) but was horrified at the prices.  Now he knows that we're not willing to pay $113 for a jersey; time to revise your Christmas list, kid!  We walked around a bit, showing him things he had never noticed before (his last two visits to Nationals Park earlier this summer were with "boring people," according to him) and then found our seats.  My son was AMAZED at how good our seats were - his other visits came with outfield seats located in a section where you couldn't see the big scoreboard.  So he marveled at the wealth of information shown on the big screen - lineups, statistics, highlight videos...

When the game began, he put on his "focused" face.  This kid can get so focused sometimes that I swear he could perform microsurgery on a human brain while wearing headsets so he could direct "Sully" Sullenberger to safely land his airplane on the Hudson River.  He intently watched every pitch, every swing, every catch, only getting up once to get some ice cream.  We laughed at the drunk people behind us, at the frat boys in front of us who kept buying beer after beer (despite my son insisting that they did not look twenty-one), and at the Racing Presidents in the middle of the fourth inning.  One drunk guy had us laughing so hard, I don't think I had ever heard my son laugh so non-stop.

When I asked him on our way home what his favorite part of the evening was, he said he liked feeling like a real fan; not just a spectator.  Aw! I don't know if he'll remember this moment as fondly as me, but spending those few hours on a beautiful Sunday evening with my not-so-little-anymore boy taking in a game of baseball was a definite highlight for his mother.

Submitting My Vote... Again and Again

It's that time of the year again, when I feel obligated, as a bona fide baseball fan, to fill out my All-Star Game ballot.  I always feel conflicted, because it's not like it used to be, where you got an actual paper card and you had to punch out your selections and hand it in at your local ballpark.  Now you can go online and vote five times in a 24-hour period, and you can go back tomorrow and do it five more times.  It doesn't make it as exciting and decisive, but I do it anyway, because if I didn't, I would not have the right to complain if my chosen players did not make the All-Star team.

So here I am on mlb.com, where they're nice enough to give you each player's vital statistics to help make it easier for you to decide for whom to vote.  My personal conflict every year is - do I go strictly based on statistics, or do I go with my sentimental favorites?  This year I decided to do a little bit of both.  Here are the players I chose, with my very good reasons why.

First of all, let me preface this by saying that never in my entire blogging life have I picked an entire infield belonging to the same team.  I am not one to vote along "party lines," so I don't vote for guys just because they belong to a particular team.  I study the statistics and scrutinize every number carefully before I make my picks, but this year I'm afraid I went with an all-Nationals infield for the National League.  I can justify it though; just read on and see for yourself.

FIRST BASE:  NL - Ryan Zimmerman, AL - Chris Davis.  I voted for Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals because he's leading the Majors with a .365 batting average and is just one of those guys you just want to hug when you meet him.  He's quiet, nerdy, and started the Zim Foundation to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis (a disease that his mother has), so how can you not like this guy?  He was plagued with injuries last year, but this year he's kicking ass.  He also seems to have kicked his nail-biting habit, so there's that.  So Zim all the way!  As far as the American League, I voted for Chris Davis of the Orioles because my friend Tina from high school is married to a Chris Davis, and Tina and I were both new students in seventh grade, so I always liked her.  Plus Davis is doing pretty well this year after having a so-so 2016, so heck, Davis gets my vote.

SECOND BASE:  NL - Daniel Murphy, AL - José Altuve.  I voted for the Nationals' Murphy because he's having a good year and he's one of the most decent guys out there.  He is very well spoken, never swears, and looks like the type of guy who files his taxes himself and always drives the speed limit.  Love him so much that he won my vote over Puerto Rican Javier Baez.  Lo siento, Javi!  As far as Altuve, I chose him over Jonathan Schoop of the Orioles because the Astros are having a really good year and Altuve is having a better season.  Plus he has stolen 11 bases, and I like the speedy guys.

SHORTSTOP:  NL - Trea Turner, AL -  Francisco Lindor.  The Nationals' Trea Turner got my vote because he is super-cute, doesn't look old enough to drive or buy a six-pack of beer, and has 16 stolen bases so far.  Lindor of the Cleveland Indians got my vote because he's Puerto Rican, had a good time at the World Baseball Classic, and is having a decent year.  I won't automatically vote for you if you're from Puerto Rico, but if you're doing well and you're "Boricua," you get my vote.  Liindor won over Jean Segura, who just signed a nice extension contract with the Mariners.

THIRD BASE:  NL - Anthony Rendón, AL: José Ramirez.  This was the toughest position for me, because I really wanted to pick Nolan Arenado and Manny Machado.  But the Nationals' Rendón is having a better season, and Machado is just not as consistent as Ramirez has been this season for the Indians.  One Dominican trumps the other; sorry, Manny.

CATCHER:  NL - Buster Posey, AL - Salvador Perez.  This one was also a bit difficult, because I could either go for the nostalgic favorite (Yadier Molina) or the player who is actually having a better season.  Posey is just the cutest thing, and he prefers to not get involved in bench-clearing brawls.  And Perez is having the best season of all American League catchers, so why not pick him?  You all know how much I love catchers - this decision was not made lightly!

OUTFIELD:  NL - Charlie Blackmon, Bryce Harper, Ender Inciarte, AL - Adam Jones, Aaron Judge, Carlos Beltrán.  Luckily we're allowed to pick three outfielders, because this was a tough one.  I picked the Nationals' Harper because he has hustle, plays hard, has great hair, and is having a better season than last year (and I like his T-Mobile commercial).  Charlie Blackmon of the Colorado Rockies is a quirky guy with an ugly beard, but he's a darn good baseball player.  And Inciarte plays for the Braves, who are a far cry from the Maddux/Glavine/Smoltz era, but he's still a good player and deserves to be in the All-Star team.  Amercan League-wise, I chose Adam Jones because he's super-cool and I want to be like him when I grow up; Aaron Judge because he's hitting more home runs than Babe Ruth and dealing with the pressures of being a Yankee quite nicely (despite having really bad teeth), and Carlos Beltrán, well, because he's Carlos Beltrán.  The "experts" thought he was washed out years ago, but he keeps on ticking.  So Carlos, who happens to be Puerto Rican, gets my vote.

Then we had to vote for a Designated Hitter, but for the American League only.  This year's All-Star Game is in Miami (a National League ballpark), so I'm not sure why a DH is necessary (you all know how much I disagree with the whole DH thing!).  Nevertheless, I chose the Mariners' Nelson Cruz because he's badass and is a former Oriole.  That was an easy one.

So once my ballot was complete, I was faced with one of those "captcha" verification thingies where you have to type in the warped-looking numbers on the screen to make sure you're not a robot.  Once I typed them in (it took me a couple of tries, because visually-impaired people don't handle those things very well), my vote was cast and another "captcha" showed up.  I typed that one in, and my second vote was cast.  I initially only wanted to vote once, but since they made it so easy to vote multiple times, I cast my five allotted ballots and called it a day.  I apparently can do this five more times tomorrow, but I won't, because I'm old-fashioned and I don't believe in stuffing ballot boxes.  But at least now I officially have the right to complain if some of my guys don't make the All-Star team.  Gone are the days of hanging chads and illegible ballots; casting your vote on mlb.com is pretty much a piece of cake.