Playing "Catch-Up"

The Major League Baseball season is halfway over, and my life has been so crazy busy that I haven't been able to blog very much.  But that doesn't mean that I don't have a lot to say (shocker!), so here I go trying to catch up on the latest baseball topics:

1,  Aaron Judge.  If you don't know who this kid is, you clearly haven't been paying attention.  Friends have been asking me when I'm going to write about Judge, and I've been putting it off (mainly because he's a Yankee), but there's no ignoring this amazing kid any longer.

First, in true Mudville Mom fashion, I have to give my shallow opinion on what this kid looks like.  He is 6'7, resembles "Lurch" from "The Addams Family," and has teeth that qualify him to be a member of the British royal family.  Not cute at all, but he's humble, seems friendly enough, and appears to have been raised well by good parents.  He has great poise for being subjected to the ruthless New York media, but even the harshest of critics is in love with this guy.  He is leading the Majors with 30 home runs, is third in the American League in batting average, and will likely be named the AL Rookie of the Year (as well as possibly the MVP).  Despite being a Yankee, I have no problems with this kid - he seems legitimately talented, doesn't come across as a self-absorbed ass, and hey, he won the Home Run Derby this past week. so there's something to be said for that.  And with a last name like "Judge," the puns have already started ("All rise for Judge!," Yankee Stadium is "the Judge's chambers," and "the jury is still out on Judge.")  Stay healthy, Aaron - you may actually get me to become a fan of yours!

2.  The All-Star Game.  This year's All-Star game had five Nationals players in it (Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, Ryan Zimmerman, Stephen Strasburg, and Max Scherzer), so I was looking forward to it.  The game did not disappoint, especially since my guy Scherzer pitched a scoreless first inning and showed the entire world what a badass he is (there were so many microphones around that you could actually hear Max grunting with every pitch).  Bryce Harper made a very good catch in right field, so everyone in the world was able to see how good his hair looks even when his ball cap falls off his head trying to make a good play (according to the T-Mobile commercial, Bryce is always "perfectly coiffed!").  And Daniel Murphy got a base hit, so Nats-wise, I was happy to see my guys do well on the national stage.

The moment that had me all choked up and in an emotional mess was the tribute to Hispanic players in the Hall of Fame.  Legends like Orlando Cepeda, Rod Carew, Tony Perez, Pedro Martinez, Roberto Alomar, and of course Iván Rodriguez simultaneously threw out the first pitch(es) of the game, and they each threw their baseball to a current Hispanic player.  Pretty cool moment, especially when Roberto Clemente's widow and children were introduced.  Nothing makes a Hispanic person more proud than seeing your nation's flag representing greatness.  And we have no shame in saying we get teary - we don't blame it on allergies, Hillary Clinton!

3.  The current standings.  As of right now, the Dodgers and Astros look like the teams to beat.  The Dodgers were the first team to reach 60 wins this season, and the Astros weren't so far behind.  Can I tell you how sick and tired I am of the Dodgers?  I know Clayton Kershaw is a beast, but I am so tired of hearing about how great he is and how wonderful Cody Bellinger is and how Justin Turner is all that.  As hideous as the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks' uniforms are this season (think 1970s bell-bottom pants), I would much rather see them in the playoffs than the Dodgers.  But knowing the Dodgers, they will make it to the playoffs (again!) and be totally wonderful.  Whatever.

The Astros are another story.  That team is chock full of raw talent, dedicated fans, and one of the best infields in the Majors.  I want the Astros to not only make the playoffs, but make it to the World Series.  Will they be facing the Nationals in October?  Highly unlikely, since the Nats have terrible relief pitching that won't take them past the first round of the playoffs.  Astros and Dodgers in the World Series?  I guess.  :-(

4.  A-Rod.  For the All-Star game, Fox Sports thought it would be a brilliant idea to send Alex Rodriguez onto the playing field to interview the players while they were getting into their positions.  It was bad enough that A-Rod had already insulted Hall of Famer and fellow commentator Frank Thomas by saying he was getting fat and "growing sideways;" having A-Rod go onto the field just turned the whole thing into an A-Rod Fest.  He said things like "I'm here in Miami, in my hometown;" (who cares?) "I remember my first All-Star game...;" (back when you were on steroids) "This is starting to remind me of my career a little bit." (which some of us would rather forget!)  Shut up, Alex - no one cares about you anymore!  Not even JLo, since you cheated on her (granted, she should have known that a guy who cheats in baseball is likely to cheat in a relationship!).

Well, I feel better now that I got all that out!  Phew!  What do we have to look forward to in the second half of the season?  Let's see... Adrián Beltre reaching 3000 hits, the upcoming trade deadline (where contending teams try to strengthen their rosters for the post-season, usually with players who will become free agents at the end of the season, so they will only be with their new teams for a few months), and the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies at the end of this month (I'll be watching on TV; not in person, but I whined about that in a previous blog post, so I'll be quiet about that).  There is still so much to look forward to - Wild Card races,  new young talent coming up from the Minors, and our trip to yet another ballpark this year.  Stay tuned, my friends; Mudville Mom will still have plenty to say for the next few months!

Goodbye to #2

In case you've been living under a rock and didn't know that Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees is retiring at the end of this season, let me be the first to tell you (of course, if you've been living under a rock for over 20 years, you may not even know who Derek Jeter is, so stop reading this now and go take a shower!).  Jeter has had a storybook career full of personal and team accomplishments and free from scandal, gossip, or inappropriate tweets.  Look up "All-American boy" in the dictionary, and there is a picture of Derek Jeter.




Much has been hyped about Derek Jeter's retirement; not only because he announced it about six months ago and has had a whole season to milk it wherever he goes (he has received numerous retirement gifts at each city the Yankees have visited), but because Derek Jeter is pretty great.  Yankees fans idolize him, and even us Yankees dis-likers who have followed his career ("hate" is too strong a word, reserved for liver and onions, dental work, and my first marriage) have to admit that he's a pretty cool dude.
 


Born in New Jersey and raised in Michigan by a substance-abuse counselor father and accountant mother, Derek was drafted by the Yankees in 1992 and has exclusively worn pinstripes ever since.  Among his accomplishments (I can't include all seven hundred of them) are 14 All-Star game appearances, five World Series championships, the AL Rookie of the Year award in 1996, and over 3,460 career hits (sixth in the all-time hits list).  He has had many "storybook" moments, like when he hit his 3000th hit for a home run and had a walk-off single in his last game at Yankee Stadium.  He is also very philanthropic, starting the Turn 2 Foundation to help teens with substance abuse.  His jersey number, 2, will most likely be retired by the Yankees in the near future, leaving no more single-digit numbers for future Yankees players to use.



Off the field, this "golden boy" had cameo appearances in a handful of TV shows and movies (my favorite was in the movie "The Other Guys"), and he endorsed many different products from the typical ones like Gatorade and Nike to more interesting ones like his own "Driven"cologne by AVON.  And I'm sure he's not done - we will surely be seeing Derek Jeter's pretty face on TV for decades to come.  I'm OK with that, as long as he has a self-deprecating sense of humor and doesn't come across as having no personality.



How "great" is Jeter's legacy?  It depends on whom you ask.  Some say he's better than Babe Ruth, while others say he was just an OK shortstop who happened to play for a long time.  While Omar Vizquel will always be my favorite defensive shortstop, I will always admire Derek Jeter for his offensive talent, his leadership as the Yankees' captain, and for his ability to keep his nose clean and scandal-free in New York, which can be a tough city to live and work in if you're a celebrity.



So now that Derek Jeter has played his final game at Yankee Stadium ("the house that Derek built"), let's get excited about playoff baseball - WITHOUT the Yankees! :-)

The "Designated" Topic for Today

Oh my goodness!  The baseball season is over three weeks old and I haven't blogged ANYTHING on here since Opening Day!  What is WRONG with me?  Nothing really; other than the fact that I've been busy with my day job, Tupperware business, weekly blog posts for my local paper, spring break (which included a trip to Nationals Park), kids' activities, and life in general.  Oh, and the fact that my Nationals have lost 8 of their last 11 games has been a bit of a downer.  Buy I'm a pretty optimistic person, so I won't let their current .500 record get me down.

So what have been some of the surprises so far this year (aside from the Nationals leading the Major Leagues in errors)?  First I have to mention the Toronto Blue Jays.  They're in last place in the AL East with a record of 8-13 despite having star players like Melky Cabrera (who still hasn't hit a home run), José Reyes (currently on the Disabled List), and last year's Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey (who is 2-3 so far with a 4.86 ERA).  As much hype as the Blue Jays got during the off-season, you'd think they'd be solidly in first place (kind of like the hype the Nats got... yeah.)  Then there's the Yankees, who are 11-8 despite not having Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, or Alex Rodriguez in their lineup.  And how about that Justin Upton?  He's leading the Majors with 11 home runs and is helping the Atlanta Braves maintain first place in the NL East.  It's annoying how good he is!

One thing I do want to focus on in today's post is the Designated Hitter.  Now if you're a regular reader of this blog, you probably know that I am not a fan of the DH.  In fact, I believe I have said before that if I were ever to become Commissioner of baseball, the DH is something I would eliminate.  Well in last Sunday's Baltimore Sun, columnist Kevin Cowherd (What is it with that newspaper having columnists with funny last names?  First it was Schmuck and now Cowherd?) said that the Designated Hitter needs to be made universal.  Is Mr. Cowherd on crack?  Does he not like when a pitcher happens to hit an unexpected extra-base hit?  Does he not appreciate the double-switch?  Does he just want managers to sit there and not manage?  I had a hard time digesting Mr. Cowherd's justifications.

First of all, Mr. Cowherd can't tolerate when a pitcher stands there looking at a few fastballs just to end up striking out.  Clearly he missed Stephen Strasburg's double a couple of weeks ago or the home run hit by Gio Gonzalez in his first start of the season.  Has he seen switch-hitting Carlos Zambrano lately?  How about the Rockies' Micah Owings, who in only two seasons has 5 home runs, a .316 batting average, and is often used as a pinch hitter?  Clearly not. And what's wrong with the sacrifice bunt?  Some pitchers like current free agent Liván Hernandez are masterful bunters.  I'm no braniac, but the name Babe Ruth seems to come to mind right about now when thinking about pitchers who could hit... I don't know why.

I do agree with Mr. Cowherd in that having the DH does extend the career of some players (like that of David "Big Papi" Ortiz).  But if Ortiz was in the National League, he could still pinch hit; it's not like pitchers always bat for themselves and the guys on the bench never play. Au contraire - this is when the double switch comes in and the game becomes more strategic (which Mr. Cowherd does not appreciate).  He just wants to see big-muscled guys hitting home runs instead of having to "watch a pitcher flail away like a blindfolded kid hacking at a piñata.  Problem is, being an Orioles fan, he has not seen a lot of National League pitchers who can actually bat.  Check out Dontrell Willis, Jason Marquis, and even CC Sabathia - they can all hit.  And now that there are interleague games being played almost daily, it's time for pitchers in both leagues to take batting practice and help their teams offensively.  Even if it's with a sacrifice fly, a bunt, or a surprising extra-base hit.