You Don't Look a Day Over 99!

Today is a nostalgic and milestone day for baseball fans, as we celebrate the 100th birthday of Boston's Fenway Park.  On April 20, 1912 (just a few days after this one very big ship sank after hitting some sort of large iceberg thing), Fenway Park opened its gates to Boston Red Sox players and fans.  With its manually-operated scoreboard and "Green Monster" wall in left field, Fenway Park has been home to many memorable and historic moments in baseball lore.  Here is my list of the best Fenway moments, in chronological order:

• On September 28, 1960, Ted Williams hit a home run in his last career at-bat.  I wasn't around then, but it must have been very cool to watch.  Ted Williams was just awesome.
• On October 22, 1975, Carlton Fisk hit a walk-off home run in the 12th inning of the sixth game of the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds, forcing a game seven (which the Reds won).  If you can't picture this in your head, it's that home run where Fisk is shown moving his arms to the side, like he's saying "Come on ball, get out of the park!  Come on, move, ball!" while shuffling along the first-base line.  You know what I'm talking about - it's one of the most memorable home runs in baseball history.  If you still don't know what I'm talking about, Google "Carlton Fisk home run" and you can see it on youtube.
• On April 24, 1986, Roger Clemens struck out a record-high 20 batters.  Now, I don't know if this was before, during, or after the steroids, but striking out 20 batters in a nine-inning game is just insane.  I was a Mets fan back then, so I certainly remember Clemens and the Red Sox of '86!
• On October 17, 2004, David Ortiz hit a walk-off home run in the 12th inning to help the Red Sox win game 4 of the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees.  (This was also the same Series where Curt Schilling ended up with the famous "bloody sock," but that happened when they were playing in New York, so that game did not make my Fenway list)
• On July 13, 1999, Fenway Park played host to the mid-summer classic, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.  On this night, many of baseball's past greats gathered in the infield to celebrate the game, but the pre-game ceremonies were capped with the appearance of Ted Williams.  This turned out to be one of Williams's last public appearances due to his failing health, and despite having to come out on a cart, it was still a very exciting moment.  I remember getting goose bumps as they showed Williams shaking hands with Derek Jeter and Ichiro Suzuki - and regretting not getting tickets for that game, since I only lived 90 miles from Fenway Park.  Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez was the starting pitcher for the American League that evening (and Iván Rodriguez was his starting catcher!), and Pedro ended up striking out the first two batters he faced.  That was a very memorable evening for me, right up there with watching Cal Ripken break Lou Gehrigh's consecutive-game record.

Personally, I have a few good memories of my visits to Fenway Park, back when I lived in Massachusetts.  There was the time when I went with some college friends to see the Red Sox play the Minnesota Twins, and since I was a huge Kirby Puckett fan, I was booed every time I wildly cheered for him (Red Sox fans do not allow you to cheer for any player who is not on their team).  Then there was the time I went with some graduate school friends and my roommate ate her first-ever funner cake.  There was also the time when I took a bunch of kids from the Boys and Girls Club where I used to work; that was fun and we had really good seats.

So as you can see, Fenway Park is full of memories, whether you've been there yourself or are just another baseball fan recalling good times past.  If you're ever in Boston, stop by Yawkey Way and wave to the Green Monster.  Some people may call it a "dump," but I call it a piece of Americana, a baseball shrine, and a place where history was made.

My Sincerest Apologies, Mr. Werth!

For the past year, I have been very vocal in my displeasure with Washington Nationals’ right fielder, Jayson Werth.  In my other blog, I have referred to him as “Werth-less,” “lousy,” and “just plain awful.”  (You can check out my other blog on http://www.prosportsblogging.com/)  Well, I’m happy to say that Mr. Werth is finally hitting, and in doing so has given himself a batting average of .362 (tenth in the Majors) with a .444 on-base percentage (OBP).

So what has Werth done recently to break out of last year’s funk?  Some say it’s the fact that first baseman Adam LaRoche has been effectively getting on base before Werth (LaRoche has hit in 8 of his last 10 games and has a current .333 batting average); others say Werth is “seeing the ball better” (something that this legally-blind blogger doesn’t quite understand!).  Whatever the reason, Nationals fans are happy that he is hitting and no longer has to be booed by Nats fans.

Jayson Werth is currently third in the Majors with 17 hits, and so far he has had 6 multi-hit games.  He looks pretty solid in right field, and manager Davey Johnson has said that right field is where Werth will stay (there were rumors during the off-season that Werth was going to be moved to center field).  The $126-million-dollar “Boras Boy” will be with the Nationals until 2017, and hopefully will continue producing consistently.

So on another note… Did you notice that the Nationals are 1 ½ games in front of the Mets in first place in the National League East?  Despite their .348 combined slugging percentage, the Nats are on top of their division, due largely in part to their stellar pitching.  The Nationals' starting rotation has combined to post a 1.69 ERA this season, which is by far the best in the league.  Nats starters have also held opposing hitters to just a .179 batting average, which makes Nationals’ sluggers breathe a sigh of relief.  Third-baseman and #3 in the lineup, Ryan Zimmerman, is off to a slow start, as is catcher Wilson Ramos.  In an ideal world, the pitchers would continue to be stellar and the offense could continue to relax.  But since this is not Oz or Disney World or some made-up perfect world, Nationals’ batters need to start doing some more hitting – Ian Desmond and Jayson Werth cannot carry this team by themselves!

In non-Nationals news, did you hear about Jamie Moyer?  He's a pitcher for the Colorado Rockies, and last night he became the oldest pitcher in history to earn a win.  Jamie is 49 and still going strong - I remember him playing when I was in college, and that was a LONG time ago!  Nolan Ryan always comes to mind when thinking of old pitchers, but Moyer has Ryan beat.  I know I've mentioned Jamie before, but I had to give him a shout-out after his first victory this season.  Way to go, old man!

Oh, and the Orioles!  I have to mention them, because they too are in first place in their division, with a 7-4 record.  Adam Jones had hit safely in every game this season until last night, and left fielder Nolan Reimold has homered in 4 consecutive games.  I know it's early, but wouldn't a Nationals/Orioles World Series be something totally exciting?  That's not going to happen, but I had to mention it since the two DC-area teams are in first place (for now).  Let's see how long that lasts...

Opening Day is Finally Here!

Yesterday was Opening Day at Nationals Park, where the Washington Nationals hosted the Cincinnati Reds.  As you’ve probably heard by now, the Nats won that game 3-2 in 10 innings, thanks to a wild pitch thrown by Reds’ reliever Alfredo Simón, allowing Nationals’ third-baseman Ryan Zimmerman to sprint home.  While it was a dramatic end to what started out as a pretty ho-hum game, it was still exciting to be there.  There’s nothing like being at a ball park during Opening Day, where the atmosphere is electric, the fans are enthusiastic, and the weather can be unpredictable.

Yesterday was a bit chilly (in the mid-50s), with a steady wind that made matters even chillier.  But the festive atmosphere was wonderful ,  from the 12-member drum corps that welcomed fans right outside the center field main entrance, to the moment of silence paid to Gary Carter, to the enormous American flag that was unfurled by dozens of soldiers in the outfield during the pregame ceremonies, to the military plane flyover immediately following the US Marine band’s beautiful rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner.”  It was a great day for baseball, and even for someone like myself who is not very patriotic, it was a great day to be an American.

The best performance of the game was put on by Nationals’ starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez.  In his Nationals Park debut, Gonzalez struck out seven, didn’t walk a single batter, and allowed only two hits in seven innings.  I felt so bad for him when the Reds tied the game in the ninth inning – poor Gio pitched so well and had nothing to show for it!  But those two runs in the top of the ninth were not entirely the fault of closer Brad Lidge; Ryan Zimmerman uncharacteristically bobbled a ball hit by Scott Rolen, which allowed him to reach second base and then be driven home, along with Joey Votto, by left fielder Ryan Ludwick (who was previously 1-10 against Lidge).  Ludwick rolled a single down the line, which also went through Zimmerman, to score Votto and Rolen. 

I was so stressed out at that point, along with the other 40,000 fans in attendance.  The bottom of the ninth and top of the tenth were unproductive, and then in the bottom of the tenth with runners on second and third and two outs, with Roger Bernadina at the plate, Simon threw a wild pitch, scoring  Zimmerman, who is no stranger to the walk-off win.  Phew!  The Nationals had won, they are now 5-2, and half a game ahead of the New York Mets in sole possession of first place! 

Two other noteworthy happenings occurred at the game yesterday:  Gio Gonzalez got his first big-league hit, since he was with the American League Oakland A’s previously.  He hit a blooper off Reds’ starter Matt Latos in the fifth inning, and ended up being tagged out at home plate on a fielder’s choice.  He was so excited when he got to first base!  I bet if you ask him, he’ll say that getting his first hit was more exciting than pitching a two-hitter and striking out seven!

What else could have been more noteworthy than that yesterday?  Well, something set us fans off, and we booed louder than I’ve ever heard a crowd boo anyone.  No, it wasn’t because Jayson Werth continued to struggle (he actually went 2 for 5); it wasn’t because the Nationals store was closed for renovations (it is expected to reopen on May 1st); the booing was because “Teddy,” one of the four “Racing Presidents” mascots and fan favorite, lost the presidents’ race again.  If you’re not familiar with this middle-of-the-fourth-inning ritual, there are four big-headed mascots of our Founding Fathers – Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt – who race from a center field gate to a designated spot along the first- or third-base foul line.  This has been going on since the opening of Nationals Park in 2008, and poor Teddy has never won.  There are t-shirts, websites, and Facebook fan groups dedicated to “let Teddy win,” but that has never happened.  Teddy even tied the shoelaces of the other three Presidents together while they were sleeping before the fourth inning, but Teddy still lost (yesterday’s race was won by “Shoeless Tom”).  Fans were not happy – many believe that once Teddy wins, it will be an omen that will lead to a World Championship (or at least a playoff berth); but we still have to wait for that to happen, since poor Teddy can’t get a break!

But the game ended on a good note, so Nationals fans are happy.  We love our ballpark (it is so easy to get to on the Metro!), we have a much-improved team, and we hope to have a lot less booing and a lot more cheering to do during the 2012 season!

I Thought I was Going to Watch a Ballgame, not a Circus!

The Miami Marlins opened the 2012 season last night by hosting the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals in their brand-spankin'-new ballpark.  I was very excited, not only because it was the first "real" game of the season, but because I was curious to see what the new ballpark looked like and curious to see the new-look Marlins with their new manager (Ozzie Guillen) and new shortstop (former batting champ and Met José Reyes).  Well, I must say, it was quite a spectacle.

First, when the starting lineups were announced, each Marlins player was escorted onto the field by a Brazilian dancer, complete with feathers and samba music.  I found this a little odd, since baseball is known as a "conservative" sport and not usually associated with partying, dancing, or "carnaval."  The ladies did not look comfortable walking onto the field in their high heels, and the players looked uncomfortable as well.  I know Miami is a cultural melting pot, but the ladies just looked out of place.

Second, the National Anthem was sung by José Feliciano.  I saw nothing wrong with that initially, because, again, Miami is a cultural melting pot and having a Puerto Rican sing the "Star-Spangled Banner" is acceptable (to most people).  It was Feliciano's rendition of the song that made it just plain odd.  He changed the melody so much that the song was unrecognizable.  Now, I know the song is hard to sing and is not exactly a good representation of our country (with rockets red-glaring and "bombs bursting in air"), but those who sing it (especially at a big event such as this one) need to try and keep the song sounding remotely close to how it was supposed to be sung.  I'm normally a fan of José, but I did not like his performance last night.

Thirdly, I had a major issue with the ceremonial first pitch.  When you think of an Opening Day first pitch, especially at a new ballpark in Miami, you think maybe the President would be there, maybe someone representative of Miami like Dan Marino or Gloria Estefan, or maybe even a former player like Steve Carlton or Andre Dawson, both born in Miami .  Heck, I wouldn't have even minded if Marco Rubio had shown up - at least people can associate him with Florida.  But no; the Marlins had to schlep out Muhammad Ali, which I thought was inappropriate and insensitive.  The man looked terrible - a far cry from the unforgettable moment in history when he lit the Olympic torch to open the 1996 games in Atlanta.  His Parkinson's disease has taken over in a big way, and he should be left alone.  The Marlins' owner handed him the baseball while they sat in their little cart, and José Reyes took the ball from him.  So the ball was not thrown from the mound, it was not caught by a player, and it was just an awkward moment.  And since when is Ali associated with Miami?  Yes, Cassius Clay did beat Sonny Liston in a boxing match in Miami way back in 1964; but the poor man is in such rough shape now that I don't think he should be wheeled out in public like that.  It was one of those moments when I was like "Huh?"

Oh, but after all that, they did play a baseball game, and it was a good one.  The Cardinals won it 4-1, with Cards' starter Kyle Lohse throwing a no-hitter that was broken by José Reyes in the seventh inning.  The Cardinals picked up right where they left off last year after winning the World Series - despite losing Albert Pujols, newly-acquired Carlos Beltrán, World Series MVP David Freese, and always-on Lance Berkman provided plenty of excitement for the Cards. 

Here are some interesting "firsts" for the new ballpark, which seats 37,400 and has a retractable roof (they call it "retractable;" I think it's more like "slide-out" because it looks like it moves out on these tracks as opposed to retracting onto itself):

First hit:  Carlos Beltrán
First double:  Lance Berkman
First RBI:  David Freese (2 in the first inning)
First 1,2,3 inning:  bottom of the first
First strikeout:  Josh Johnson struck out Daniel Descalso in the top of the fourth inning
First stolen base:  Rafael Furcal
First walk:  Josh Johnson walked Lance Berkman in the top of the fifth inning
First player hit by a pitch:  Emilio Bonifacio by Kyle Lohse in the fourth inning

So the Opening Day games continue today, and you can bet I'll be watching at least 3 of them (the Nationals at the Chicago Cubs is at 2:00 today).  Next week is the Nationals' home opener against the Cincinnati Reds, and my husband and I will be there.  Until then, watch some baseball, and watch out for the Brazilian dancers!

Respect Your Elders!

Opening Day for Major League Baseball is just a few days away (though the Seattle Mariners and Oakland A's have started their season already with a series of games in Japan earlier this week).  For all the teams, that basically means they have just a few days to make their final cuts to achieve their 25-player rosters; the grounds crews of all the ball parks are scrambling to get their parks looking pretty; and my kids are rolling their eyes at the realization that "American Idol" will be replaced by baseball games on our one-television household.

This is also a time to catch up (if you haven't done so already) on which veteran players are back for another year, and which ones did not succeed at free agency and had to accept retirement.  Yankees catcher Jorge Posada announced his retirement during the off-season - he was not very happy last year being relegated to the designated hitter position and batting in the bottom of the batting order.  He had an excellent career but can now focus on spending time with his family and working on his Foundation, which helps children with special needs.

Also possibly retiring (though it's not official yet) is 38-year-old right fielder for the Detroit Tigers, Magglio Ordoñez.  Magglio is a free agent who has only been made minor-league offers, so he has said that he will more than likely retire if nothing better comes along.  I mean, really - you had a great career in the Majors and they want you to go down to the minors to try out?  No thanks!

In the same boat (and you knew I couldn't blog without mentioning him) is Iván Rodriguez, who still wants to play, still wants to reach 3,000 hits, and still continues to work out and practice rigorously in hopes that his phone will ring.  The Kansas City Royals were supposedly interested at one point, but no offer has been made.  Poor "Pudge" - who wouldn't want a 40-year-old catcher who has been plagued with injuries in the last 2 seasons?  I know, I'm not doing a good job selling him.  It may just be time for Iván to call it quits.  :-(

But hey, there are several old guys returning to the Majors this year, so it's not all bad news.  49-year-old lefty pitcher Jamie Moyer (yes, I said 49!) is expected to make the starting rotation for the Colorado Rockies this year.  He's older than my husband, made his debut with the Chicago Cubs when I was a freshman in high school, and has played for 8 teams in his 24-year career.  I'm rooting for Jamie - I hope he makes it into the starting rotation and has a solid year - as long as the games don't go too late into the evening so he doesn't have to stay up past his bedtime.

Also returning this year will be shortstop Omar Vizquel, who earned himself a spot with the Toronto Blue Jays.  Vizquel will be 45 at the end of April, and he can still field a ball like a hall-of-famer.  Do you want to start up a really good debate with a die-hard baseball fan?  Ask him or her to pick between Vizquel and Ozzie Smith for the title of "Best Shortstop Ever" and you'll get 50 valid reasons to support one over the other.  Personally, I prefer Vizquel mainly because I watched him play more - Ozzie was a little before my baseball-game-watching time.  We'll see if everyone else agrees with me when Vizquel retires and is eligible for Hall of Fame voting.

You know who else is back?  Yankees lefty Andy Pettitte (39) and righty closer Mariano Rivera (42).  Pettitte just came out of retirement and has been pitching quite adequately in Spring Training, and Rivera, well, he just doesn't get old!  They are both two Yankee greats that even Yankee haters respect - let's just hope they're not great enough this year to get into the post-season!

Finally, I can't end a blog about geriatric players without mentioning Jim Thome.  Thome is 41, and thanks to Ryan Howard's torn Achilles tendon, is being given the chance to play first base for the Philadelphia Phillies.  Thome spent most of his career with the Cleveland Indians (where he played along with Vizquel), and is just one of those guys everyone loves.  Again, let's hope he has a good season individually; we don't need the Phillies in the playoffs again this season!

What a Long, Strange Month it's Been!

Hello, my friends!  It's been quite a while since I've blogged to you all - it's been a crazy month of March trying to juggle my jobs, my family responsibilities, and my other blogs.  I'm still blogging for http://www.prosportsblogging.com/, but I have also picked up a gig with our local paper, http://www.fredericknewspost.com/ (click on BLOGS and mine is the "Nationals Inquirier").  I am strictly a Washington Nationals blogger for both sites, so I'm glad I still have this space to myself, where I can bash, I mean, write, about anything baseball, not just Nationals-related topics.

So what's been going on in baseball land?  Spring Training is winding down, and some teams are giddy with excitement over their new acquisitions.  The Detroit Tigers are tearing up the Grapefruit League with a 13-3 record, and they like to brag about now having Prince Fielder on their team.  The Los Angeles Angels are happy with their acquisition of Albert Pujols, and the New York Yankees have welcomed pitcher Andy Pettite out of retirement.
And how about players who return to last year's teams?  Matt Holliday has been tearing it up this year, batting .484 with a nice little 10-game hitting streak to his name.  Us Cardinals dis-likers hope that he's peaking too soon.

And what's a Mudville Mom post without a comment about the Phillies?  They're struggling so far this year with injuries and they lost some players during the off-season - it seems like Roy Halliday is the only guy who wants to play this season.  Let's hope they stink this year - I need a reason to trash-talk with Phillies fans!

In all seriousness, the headline that caught my eye this week was Atlanta Braves' third baseman Chipper Jones announcing his retirement at the end of the 2012 season.  I have always liked Larry Wayne Jones - he is the quintessential franchise player who gave his all every day, and when people thought he was done after his 2010 and 2011 injuries, he insisted on not ending his career because of an injury.  He will be in the Hall of Fame someday, along with all those other Braves greats like Dale Murphy, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Greg Maddux.

And in case you're wondering what's up with my dear Iván Rodriguez (what's a blog post without my mention of "Pudge!"), he's still technically a free agent, but no one seems to be interested in signing a 40-year-old catcher.  The Kansas City Royals had shown some interest, but the last thing I read was that he was contemplating retirement.  Poor guy - he just wanted the opportunity to try for 3000 hits, so he could share the honor with fellow Puerto Rican Roberto Clemente, but it doesn't look like it's going to be.  If he doesn't get signed and does end up retiring, I guess we can make our reservations for his 2017 enshrinement in Cooperstown.

So the start of the 2012 season is less than two weeks away, and I'm getting excited.  We have tickets for 4 Nationals games this year, including the home opener against Cincinnati and an inter-league game against the Yankees - I know, I've said before that I don't like inter-league play during the regular season, but who can turn down the opportunity to see Robinson Canó?  Stay tuned for my insight as the season begins, and thank you as always for your support of my blog!  :-)

Pitchers and Catchers and Hope - OH MY!

Hello, baseball fans!  It's the day that we thought would never get here:  The day when Major League pitchers and catchers report to their respective Spring Training venues, just a week before everyone else shows up.  For my Washington Nationals, their temporary home is in Viera, Florida, where they are part of the Grapefruit League.  Other teams play in Florida as well, and others play in Arizona, but by the end of March, they will all be in their respective cities, getting ready for that first official cry of "Play ball!"

I am so excited I just can't contain myself.  My husband and I bought a four-game ticket plan, which gives us a fifth game for free and allowed us to pick the games we wanted.  So we're going to go to Nationals Park for opening day against the Cincinnati Reds, an inter-league game against the Yankees (yes, I do dislike inter-league play, but I wasn't giving up my chance of seeing Robinson Canó in person!), a game against the Mets, and the last home game of the season, which will be against the Brewers (plus our free game, which we haven't picked yet).  Our seats won't be as good as last year, but since Iván Rodriguez is no longer a National, I have no reason to be up-close wielding my Puerto Rican flag (and embarrassing my husband).

So what are people predicting that this upcoming season will be like?  It's being touted as "The Year of the Pitcher," and many teams including the Orioles, Marlins, Nationals and Red Sox have reinforced their pitching during the off-season to try and prove themselves as having dominant arms.  Personally, I predict that the Phillies will NOT win the NL East, the Yankees will NOT win the AL East, and neither the Brewers nor the Cardinals will win the NL Central (I'm giving that one to Cincinnati).  The Orioles will not be last in their division either - that honor will go to the Blue Jays.  And while I normally don't care about the west, I will go ahead and say that the Angels will not win their division despite now having Albert Pujols in their lineup.

Pitchers who deserve some attention in 2012?  Jordan Zimmermann of the Nationals, who will be overshadowed by the return of Stephen Strasburg; the Tampa Bay Rays' Matt Moore, who has a scary curve ball; Yu Darwish of the Texas Rangers, who has a cool name and I think is the first Japanese/Iranian pitcher to ever play in the Majors; and the Cardinals' Shelby Miller, who was their first-round pick in 2009 and should be pretty good this year, despite having the same name as the weird girl in "Steel Magnolias."

Finally, even though this has nothing to do with pitching, it would be irresponsible of me as a baseball blogger to not mention the untimely passing of Hall-of-Famer Gary Carter.  Carter was one of the first baseball players that I liked back when I was a Mets fan, and his smile, charisma and dedication to the game are characteristics that are now uncommon among professional athletes.  Gary died of brain cancer, and will truly be missed (of course we all know that Iván broke all of Gary's catching records, but now is not the time for me to gloat about that).

In my next post, I will talk about this upcoming season's hitting prospects, because as we all know, good hitting stops good pitching.  Stay tuned, my friends!