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."
Showing posts with label willie mays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label willie mays. Show all posts
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
"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!
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!
Monday, October 29, 2012
The Top Ten Things I Learned From the 2012 Baseball Season
Another baseball season has come and gone, and as the San Francisco Giants celebrate their sweep of the Detroit Tigers to win the World Series, it is time for me to look back and reflect on what, if anything, I have learned over the past seven months.
1. One player does not a team make. The Washington Nationals made it to the playoffs without Stephen Strasburg being available to pitch in the last month of the season. The Giants won the World Series despite Tim Lincecum's lousy year. The Los Angeles Angels did NOT make it to the playoffs this year despite having Albert Pujols on their team. This is why baseball is a team sport - it takes a nine-man lineup and a strong pitching staff (bullpen included) to win (or lose) a baseball game.
2. David Freese and Marco Scutaro are both very good baseball players. This past season, Freese hit .293 with 20 homers, 79 RBIs, 70 runs scored, and three stolen bases. Meanwhile, Scutaro his .300 for the season, with 7 home runs, 70 RBIs, 87 runs scored, and 53 stolen bases. These two guys are true athletes and also performed very well during the playoffs.
3. They sell very yummy quesadillas at Nationals Park. While many people go to baseball games and indulge in the traditional hot dogs or Cracker Jacks, I like trying out new things, and the chicken quesadillas at the "Taste of the Majors" concession stand were delicious!
4. Baseball umpires really do a good job, and the playoffs were no exception. While they are human and do make mistakes, there weren't any real major controversial calls this year. Some may call that boring; I call it effective.
5. The double play is still my favorite play in baseball. Never mind the grand slam; never mind a player stealing home (that IS exciting, but it just doesn't happen very often). Watching a well-executed double play just doesn't get old. Speaking of double plays...
6. The "infield fly rule" is dumb. For those of you unfamiliar with it, the infield fly rule is intended to prevent infielders from intentionally dropping pop-ups in order to turn double or triple plays. Without this rule, a defense could easily turn a pop fly into a double play when there are runners at first and second base. If the runners stay near their bases to tag up, the defense could let the ball drop, throw to third base and then to second, for a force-out at each base. If any of the runners stray too far from their bases, the defense could catch the pop-up, and double-off any runner who failed to tag up. What's wrong with that? It's called strategy, man! If you are the runner, you need to pay attention; if you get doubled-up, that's your own darn fault!
7. It is possible to get so consumed and caught up in a team's successes during the season that it affects your moods, your appetite, and your sleep pattern. Then when that team is done for the season because of a heartbreaking loss during the playoffs, it also affects your moods, your appetite, and your sleep pattern. Luckily there are four months left until Spring Training, so you have plenty of time to get your moods, appetite, and sleep pattern back to where they should be.
8. Tim McCarver needs to retire from doing color commentary for the FOX network during the playoffs. He may be a former catcher, but he's old, crotchety, and he jinxed Ryan Vogelsong's no-hitter in game 6 of the NLCS. I'm not the only one who thinks so either; Don Cherry of the Huffington Post (www.huffingtonpost.com) said that Tim McCarver "has lost his feel for baseball." Now, I know that the Huffingon Post is not the top authority in all things baseball, but I had to find someone out there who agreed with me. Hang 'em up, Tim; your glory days are long-gone!
9. On the flip side, MASN Sports' Bob Carpenter and FP Santangelo really grew on me this past season (not just because I got to meet them!). They are funny, lighthearted, knowledgeable, and Santangelo (the former player) doesn't get all anecdotal nor does he bore us with stories of "back in the day when I used to play" (which has been my problem with Jim Palmer and the main reason I have to watch Orioles games on "mute" when he's announcing). Since the days of Joe Morgan and John Miller doing the ESPN game of the week are gone, Bob and FP are now my favorite broadcast team.
And finally...
10. Stan Musial (91) and Bobby Doerr (94) are not dead. Other old basebll players I was surprised to learn are still alive include Ralph Kiner (90), Red Schoendienst (89), and Sandy Koufax (only 76). Who knew? Willie Mays is still around too - he's 81 and still saying "hey!"
I hope you enjoyed my blog posts during this past season - I am definitely grateful for you all reading them and therefore putting me above 2,000 views in only two seasons. I will probably post a few times during the off-season as trades and free-agent signings start happening (and hopefully after Bryce Harper gets the Rookie of the Year award or Gio Gonzalez gets the Cy Young), and I will fill you in on the World Baseball Classic, which is played every 4 years and will be expanded for the 2013 season. In the meantime, watch some football and enjoy the upcoming holidays with your family. Signing off for now,
Mudville Mom :-)
1. One player does not a team make. The Washington Nationals made it to the playoffs without Stephen Strasburg being available to pitch in the last month of the season. The Giants won the World Series despite Tim Lincecum's lousy year. The Los Angeles Angels did NOT make it to the playoffs this year despite having Albert Pujols on their team. This is why baseball is a team sport - it takes a nine-man lineup and a strong pitching staff (bullpen included) to win (or lose) a baseball game.
2. David Freese and Marco Scutaro are both very good baseball players. This past season, Freese hit .293 with 20 homers, 79 RBIs, 70 runs scored, and three stolen bases. Meanwhile, Scutaro his .300 for the season, with 7 home runs, 70 RBIs, 87 runs scored, and 53 stolen bases. These two guys are true athletes and also performed very well during the playoffs.
3. They sell very yummy quesadillas at Nationals Park. While many people go to baseball games and indulge in the traditional hot dogs or Cracker Jacks, I like trying out new things, and the chicken quesadillas at the "Taste of the Majors" concession stand were delicious!
4. Baseball umpires really do a good job, and the playoffs were no exception. While they are human and do make mistakes, there weren't any real major controversial calls this year. Some may call that boring; I call it effective.
5. The double play is still my favorite play in baseball. Never mind the grand slam; never mind a player stealing home (that IS exciting, but it just doesn't happen very often). Watching a well-executed double play just doesn't get old. Speaking of double plays...
6. The "infield fly rule" is dumb. For those of you unfamiliar with it, the infield fly rule is intended to prevent infielders from intentionally dropping pop-ups in order to turn double or triple plays. Without this rule, a defense could easily turn a pop fly into a double play when there are runners at first and second base. If the runners stay near their bases to tag up, the defense could let the ball drop, throw to third base and then to second, for a force-out at each base. If any of the runners stray too far from their bases, the defense could catch the pop-up, and double-off any runner who failed to tag up. What's wrong with that? It's called strategy, man! If you are the runner, you need to pay attention; if you get doubled-up, that's your own darn fault!
7. It is possible to get so consumed and caught up in a team's successes during the season that it affects your moods, your appetite, and your sleep pattern. Then when that team is done for the season because of a heartbreaking loss during the playoffs, it also affects your moods, your appetite, and your sleep pattern. Luckily there are four months left until Spring Training, so you have plenty of time to get your moods, appetite, and sleep pattern back to where they should be.
8. Tim McCarver needs to retire from doing color commentary for the FOX network during the playoffs. He may be a former catcher, but he's old, crotchety, and he jinxed Ryan Vogelsong's no-hitter in game 6 of the NLCS. I'm not the only one who thinks so either; Don Cherry of the Huffington Post (www.huffingtonpost.com) said that Tim McCarver "has lost his feel for baseball." Now, I know that the Huffingon Post is not the top authority in all things baseball, but I had to find someone out there who agreed with me. Hang 'em up, Tim; your glory days are long-gone!
9. On the flip side, MASN Sports' Bob Carpenter and FP Santangelo really grew on me this past season (not just because I got to meet them!). They are funny, lighthearted, knowledgeable, and Santangelo (the former player) doesn't get all anecdotal nor does he bore us with stories of "back in the day when I used to play" (which has been my problem with Jim Palmer and the main reason I have to watch Orioles games on "mute" when he's announcing). Since the days of Joe Morgan and John Miller doing the ESPN game of the week are gone, Bob and FP are now my favorite broadcast team.
And finally...
10. Stan Musial (91) and Bobby Doerr (94) are not dead. Other old basebll players I was surprised to learn are still alive include Ralph Kiner (90), Red Schoendienst (89), and Sandy Koufax (only 76). Who knew? Willie Mays is still around too - he's 81 and still saying "hey!"
I hope you enjoyed my blog posts during this past season - I am definitely grateful for you all reading them and therefore putting me above 2,000 views in only two seasons. I will probably post a few times during the off-season as trades and free-agent signings start happening (and hopefully after Bryce Harper gets the Rookie of the Year award or Gio Gonzalez gets the Cy Young), and I will fill you in on the World Baseball Classic, which is played every 4 years and will be expanded for the 2013 season. In the meantime, watch some football and enjoy the upcoming holidays with your family. Signing off for now,
Mudville Mom :-)
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