To Err is Human; to Lie is Stupid

As you may have heard by now, Milwaukee Brewers left-fielder Ryan Braun has admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs and has accepted an immediate suspension from baseball for the rest of the season without pay.  While this seemed a little sudden for fans like myself, it wasn't totally surprising, since Braun's name kept popping up in Major League Baseball's ongoing investigation of players linked to the Biogenesis lab in Florida, which allegedly provided PED's to dozens of players. 

A five-time All-Star who won the 2007 National League Rookie of the Year Award and the 2011 NL MVP Award, Braun is in the middle of a club-record contract that runs through 2020.  He is earning $8.5 million this season and will forfeit nearly $3.5 million during his suspension (which won't exactly put him in the poor house).

What annoys me the most is that for the past year-and-a-half, Braun has denied any wrongdoing and even had a previous suspension overturned because his drug test supposedly wasn't done correctly.  Basically, some poor urine collection guy was fired last year because of Braun, who claimed that the guy didn't handle Braun's pee the right way.  Well apparently Braun's pee WAS tainted back then, but his legal team was able to get him off on a technicality.  In the meantime, poor urine collection guy can never go back to work collecting pee.

So what's better - to have an athlete come clean on his own and admit wrongdoing (like Braun and Lance Armstrong) or to have him caught with his hands in the cookie jar and then be forced to read a lawyer-written statement admitting his guilt?  For me, that's a tough one.  I remember being devastated when former track star Marion Jones admitted to using PEDs after the 2000 Olympics.  It was like a slap across the face; not only had I (and many other fans) been betrayed, but she lied in front of a grand jury, and I just couldn't imagine doing something so legally and morally wrong.  The longer us fans are strung along in an athlete's denial, the worse we feel when he or she comes clean.  In other words, if we had found out about Armstrong's PED use after only his first or second Tour de France victory, we wouldn't hate him as much now and we wouldn't have spent thousands of dollars on little yellow rubber bracelets.

Then there are the athletes who still won't come clean - the Barry Bondses of the world - and deny it for so long that when they do eventually come clean (Bonds hasn't), it's like "Duh!  It's about TIME you admitted it, you idiot!"  These are the ones who say they never "knowingly" took anything and end up blaming it on a trainer or coach or other previously-trusted person who did them wrong.  They make themselves out to be the poor victim and place the blame on someone else.  Really?  Shouldn't you be aware of everything that goes into your body?  Wouldn't you wonder how you went from weighing 185 pounds in the beginning of your career to 230?  How can you stare directly into a camera and tell everyone that you undeniably didn't do anything wrong?  Or go before a grand jury like Mark McGuire did and say you "mis-remember" everything?  Is it because you've been so awesome your whole life that things have always gone your way and you see no reason for that to change?  Well guess what, Roger Clemens - your poop DOES stink, and the fact that you won a million Cy Young Awards does not put you above the law.

Some people think we need to ease up on athletes who do wrong because it's our fault that we idolize them and see them as perfect.  We do tend to see them as super-human, but the decision to take PEDs is not a simple mistake like forgetting to turn off the iron or lying to your kids about the playground being closed because you don't feel like taking them.  Their decision directly affects their performance, which impacts the amount of money they make (until they come clean or get caught) and turns them into fan-favorite superstars with endorsement deals and lucrative contracts.  Other bad decisions, like when Mike Tyson decided it would be a good idea to bite off part of Evander Holyfield's ear, don't affect an athlete's performance in such a direct manner.  Changing your name from Ronald Artest to Metta World Peace was a stupid decision, but it didn't affect the way one basketball player performed on the court.  But taking PEDs does directly impact being able to hit 60 home runs in a season.

So what now?  As far as Ryan Braun is concerned, he can go back home to enjoy some time off and prepare for next season, if he's man enough to return and play despite the boos he's surely going to get.  And as far as MLB, they're still investigating the Biogenesis case, with players like Alex Rodriguez and Jhonny Peralta in the mix.  Will they really suspend about 20 players, like they say they might?  Maybe.  Will this impact the game of baseball?  Probably, in the short-term.  But despite labor disputes, player strikes, and drug scandals, baseball always makes a comeback, because fans (me included) just want to watch baseball.  Just don't lie to us about why you play the way you do - keep your nose clean, work hard, and don't always swing at the first pitch.  I don't think that's too much to ask.

My Husband and Me at the PNC

Since my husband and I have decided (actually, I have decided - I'm not sure how he feels about it) to try and catch a baseball game in each Major League city, it was time to venture outside of the Nationals Park/Camden Yards radius and visit another ball park (we have been to two games so far this season - one at Nationals Park during opening week and one at Oriole Park in early June).  We decided to go to Pittsburgh for a couple of reasons.  First, it's only 3 hours away and we wouldn't have to kennel the dog for very long.  Also, it is the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who not only are in first place in the NL Central, but it is the team where Roberto Clemente played during his illustrious career.  So why not go to Pittsburgh?  We bought some game tickets, booked a hotel, and were on our way.

Pittsburgh is a very interesting city.  It is divided by the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers (which turn into the Ohio River), so you can either go to the North Shore or the South Shore.  We picked a hotel in the North Shore within walking distance to PNC Park, which was VERY convenient.  The park was built in 2001, and for being only 12 years old, it had pretty crappy bathrooms (no pun intended).  I didn't really mean to make that my first observation, but really, a modern-day park should have more than four stalls in each bathroom.  So anyway, the park isn't the most beautiful park I've ever seen, but its façade blends in nicely with the surrounding 70s-style buildings in the area (Heinz Field is about a block away, so Steelers fans take note).  PNC Park has statues of Honus Wagner, Bill Mazeroski and Roberto Clemente on the outside, and is super-easy to get to since it's right next to the Roberto Clemente bridge, one of the many bridges that can get drivers, pedestrians, and bike riders from one shore to the other.

OK, so my husband and I donned our Pirates garb (they were playing the Phillies, so there was no way I was wearing their colors) and walked around a bit before finding our seats.  The park reminded me a bit of Camden Yards - a ball park that was shoehorned into an already-existing spot, so everything is very... let's call it "intimate" or "cozy" so as not to call it cramped or crowded.  I'm so used to Nationals Park, where everything is spread out and there isn't much going on around the park itself, that when I go to well-established ballparks, I can't help but feel a little claustrophobic.  But on a positive note, these parks (and PNC is one of them) have bars and restaurants and plenty of ambiance right outside the park, which is something you won't find in DC (unless you're fascinated by the Department of Transportation building or the Navy Yard).

So we get to our seats, and there is a VERY large man taking up two seats - his and half of mine.  Now, I don't mean to offend any of you readers who may be of large girth, but if you weigh over 300 pounds, you either need to buy the seats on either side of you, or you need to buy a seat at the end of a row so only one person is sitting with your excess spare tire on his or her lap.  Not only did I have "Tubby" spilling onto my seat and taking up my arm rest, but he was helping himself to an entire bucket of chicken wings, which he polished off in no time and then proceeded to lick his fingers loudly and disgustingly.  He was not my favorite person at that point (I won't even tell you how nasty sweaty he was when he got up to refill his 32-ounce soda in the sixth inning - that would be insensitive of me).
 
Also annoying were the people sitting behind us.  Why is it that every time we go to a game, there are three couples sitting behind us who spend way too much time talking and catching up on gossip instead of paying attention to the game?  The one dude's daughter got to march in a parade, the other dude talked about how he likes to scare away the boys that his daughter dates, and the third dude kept talking about his deer hunting adventures.  The last deer he shot at didn't even bleed when the arrow penetrated his side!  Shut up and watch the game, people!  You already said that you were all going to have dinner at the Hofbrauhaus after the game, so do your chit-chatting then - some of us actually want to watch a ball game!

Anyway, the game itself was a good one.  The Pirates allowed too many hits and lost 6-4, but it was nice to see All-Star Andrew McCutchen driving in 2 runs (did you know he hasn't cut his hair in the past 6 years?  I found that fact fascinating!).  The Phillies sent veteran (and Bryce Harper hater) Cole Hamels to the mound, and despite getting the win, he still has a lousy 4-11 record.  The fans were loud and were engaged throughout the whole game, and it was nice to see a team with such a rich history and such loyal fans.  Nationals fans are relatively new, since the team came over from Montreal in 2005, and they are generally polite, well-dressed and reserved government employees (except for the occasional loud Puerto Rican female).  It was neat to see fans - both Phillies and Pirates fans - with swagger and attitude and sheer dedication to their team.

Something else I liked about the fans at PNC Park was the amount of Clemente jerseys and shirts worn by Pittsburgh fans.  While I did see a lot of people sporting McCutchen shirts, the Clemente ones by far outnumbered those of current players.  Not only are Pirates fans passionate about their current team, but they seem to know their team's rich history and seem to embrace those past players who made such a positive impact on baseball.  Clemente's number, 21, was everywhere - on jerseys, around the outfield, and throughout the park.

The view of the Pittsburgh skyline that I got from my seat was also very nice.  It definitely beat the view of the tall parking garage at Nationals Park (you have to sit in the nosebleed seats to get a view of the Capitol) and it's way better than the old factory in the outfield of Oriole Park, which makes me claustrophobic.  It was nice to see some sky, some tall buildings, the Allegheny River, and of course the bright yellow Roberto Clemente bridge. 

Two things that were pretty lame were the racing pierogies and the song choice of Clint Barmes.  Regarding the racing pierogies, they were four people dressed as oversized pierogies who raced around the outfield before the top of the 6th inning.  They just ran around, and it was honestly a little bit boring.  You see, I'm used to the Racing Presidents, who push, shove, trip and do whatever it takes to win.  Abraham Lincoln has been known to push Mr. Taft out of the way, Teddy Roosevelt has tied all the shoelaces of his presidential mates together to make them trip, and George Washington has sent the other presidents running in the other direction so he could cross the finish line first.  At Nats Park it's a contact sport; at PNC Park it's just boring.

Now regarding Clint Barmes... he's the Pirates' shortstop, and the song that they play after he's introduced at every at-bat is "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey.  Now, I enjoy Journey as much as the next child of the 80s, and yes, "don't stop believing" might be an inspirational message, but it's just a lame song to use before an at-bat.  "The smell of wine and cheap perfume?"  Really?  How about some AC/DC or some Ozzie Osbourne or a little bit of Daddy Yankee?  Barmes' song choice is almost as bad as relief pitcher Ryan Matthieus, whose song of choice is "Firework" by Katie Perry.  Not too manly of a song, I must say.

All in all, it was a good experience at PNC Park.  Our next game will be at Nationals Park in a couple of weeks, but in August we get to experience Progressive Field in Cleveland, where I am excited to see the Tribe hosting the Detroit Tigers and hope to check out yet another Major League park for the first time.  But before that, stay tuned for the All-Star Game selections, which will be announced in the next couple of days.  The season may be halfway over, but there's still a lot of baseball to be played, and I'm enjoying every bit of it!

"Shining Star, No Matter Who You are"

It’s that time of the year again – time to start considering which players to include in my All-Star Game ballot.  Honestly, this is not a good time for me to ponder such things, as I am currently a very disgruntled Nationals fan.  But since I only planned to include one Nationals player in my ballot anyway, now is as good a time as any.

This baseball season has showcased a lot of talent, especially from veteran players who continue to be consistent.  It’s definitely the year of the hitter, with many players still batting way above .300.  So who did I choose on my ballot?  Well I’m glad you asked!

AMERICAN LEAGUE

First base:  Chris Davis of the Baltimore Orioles is batting .312 with 13 home runs, so I chose him over Prince Fielder.  I’m tired of Prince; he’s not exciting to watch anymore.

Second base:  The Detroit Tigers’ Omar Infante can play a mean second base.  I struggled with this one, because I’ve voted for Robinson Canó in the past and Canó is one of the reasons the Yankees are in first place despite having about 35 players on the Disabled List, but I chose Infante.  He probably won’t get the fan vote, but he’ll likely be asked to play as an alternate.

Shortstop:  Jhonny Peralta, another Tiger, got my vote because Omar Vizquel was not on the ballot.  I could have voted for J.J. Hardy, but I didn’t. 

Third base:  Oh, this was the toughest one of all!  I love Miguel Cabrera and have voted for him for many years in a row.  He will get the starting job at third – after all, he won the Triple Crown last year and is still on a tear, batting .384 with 12 home runs and 42 RBIs.  But there’s this young guy in Baltimore who plays with such drive and has clutch hits in crucial situations – I just couldn’t pass up voting for the Orioles’ Manny Machado!  Not only did he play for a short time here for the Frederick Keys (high A), but my husband and I watched him play once for the Delmarva Shorebirds (low A), so I can’t help but feel like I need to vote for the “hometown hero.”

Catcher:  Carlos Santana is the only Cleveland Indian who was worthy of my vote (sorry, Asdrubal Cabrera!).  He’s batting .290, which, when comparing the stats of all the AL catchers, made me realize that most of them are not batting well this year. 

Designated Hitter:  This (in my opinion) bogus position goes to David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox.  I almost voted for the Texas Rangers’ Lance Berkman, but “Big Papi” is still playing well despite being 37 years old.  Ortiz is the “poster old-man” for those who believe that having a Designated Hitter can prolong a player’s career.  I can’t argue with that one when it comes to Ortiz.  He has 408 career home runs (with 7 so far this season) and does an awful lot of charity work in his native Dominican Republic.

Outfielders:  In the outfield, I picked the Orioles’ Adam Jones (a “tell it like it is” kind of player who always plays intensely; Alex Gordon of the Kansas City Royals (who is originally from Lincoln, Nebraska just like my ex-husband but I voted for him anyway); and Coco Crisp of the Oakland A’s.  Crisp is only 33 – it seems like he’s been around forever and this season has an impressive nine stolen bases so far.

 That’s three Orioles on my AL ballot and no Yankees.  I’m happy with that!

NATIONAL LEAGUE

First base:  I couldn’t find a first baseman that I truly liked and thought was deserving, so I went straight for the guy with the best stats so far.  Paul Goldschmidt of the Arizona Diamondbacks is batting .323 with 12 homers and 36 RBIs, so he got my vote even though I haven’t seen him play yet this season (the D-backs don’t play the Nationals until late June, so I’ll get a glimpse of him then).

Second base:  I chose Marco Scutaro of the San Francisco Giants because I enjoyed watching him play during last year’s World Series.  I really wanted to vote for the Pirates’ Neil Walker, but he has had some injuries and is not playing much this year.  Scutaro is currently batting .337, and he can field his position pretty well.

Shortstop:  I couldn’t convince myself to vote for the Nationals’ Ian Desmond, so I chose Troy Tulowitzki of the Colorado Rockies.  I know I bad-mouthed him in a previous blog because he’s a Jeter lover, but “Tulo” can hit, run, and play shortstop pretty well.  Just keep your mouth shut, Troy!

Third base:  Since the Nationals’ Ryan Zimmerman has committed nine errors so far at third base, he was out of the running for me despite seeming like a totally nice guy.  I had to opt for “Kung Fu Panda,” the Giants’ Pablo Sandoval.  He’s batting .308 with 8 home runs and 34 RBIs, and like David Ortiz, he’s one of those guys whose smile just lights up a ball park.

Catcher:  Posey or Molina?  Definitely Yadier Molina!  Yes, he has ugly neck tattoos.  Yes, he plays for the St. Louis Cardinals (who eliminated the Nationals in last year’s playoffs).  And yes, he’s just flat out unattractive.  But “Yadi” has a career success rate of 44% getting runners out trying to steal a base, and that’s pretty darn good (my pal, Iván Rodriguez, ended his career with a 46%).  Posey is good and all, but Yadier having a better season so far.

Outfield:  This was the easiest one.  Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals), Andrew McCutchen (Pittsburgh Pirates), and Carlos Beltrán (St. Louis Cardinals).  I almost didn’t vote for Harper for fear that he’d hurt himself during the All-Star Game, but he deserves to be there.  All three players are having good seasons (even the 36-year-old Beltrán, who many thought was “washed out” is hitting consistently and fielding very well.

No Phillies players on my NL ballot – no shocker there!

So there you have it – my All-Star Game ballot, which I like to think was well thought-out.  I don’t just vote for the cute ones (have you SEEN McCutchen?) or the skinny ones (hello, Sandoval!); I like to think that I vote for those who play well, play consistently, and play hard.  Let’s see if the rest of America agrees with me. 

Play Hard, Play Smart

Before I get into my topic du jour, I want to give a shout-out to the Cleveland Indians.  The team that should be managed by Sandy Alomar, Jr. (but is not!) is only half a game out of first place in the AL Central behind the Detroit Tigers, and have a record of 7-3 in their last 10 games.  No, this is not the team of years past, with stars like Kenny Lofton, Carlos Baerga, and Jim Thome, but they have Asdrubal Cabrera at shortstop and rightie Justin Masterson (6-2, 3.14 ERA) on the mound, and they mean business.  Now, please don’t get TOO good, because we’re going to a game at Jacob’s Field in August, and I don’t want tickets to be too hard to get!

OK, so now that I got that out of the way, let’s talk about this Bryce Harper kid who keeps bashing himself into outfield walls.  I know I’ve said this before, but Harper has to be one of the most intense baseball players I’ve ever seen.  He looks and acts like he should be playing rugby or ice hockey or participating in one of those “Strong Man” competitions.  Not that Bryce could pull a bus with his teeth, but he is all-in, all the time.  This kid sprints to first base after every at-bat, even if he just hits a dribbler to the pitcher.  He will try to stretch a single into a double if the ball is hit deep enough.  He will dive headfirst into home plate even when it’s not a close play.  In one year in the Majors, Harper has stolen home off the Phillies’ Cole Hamels, hit 32 doubles, and 10 triples.  He is so competitive, he doesn’t know when to ease up.

So here’s where the big debate is:  If your team is leading 6-0 in the fifth inning and your pitcher is throwing heat, do you risk your body to try to catch a fly ball?  This was the scenario in Monday night’s game between the Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers, where Bryce Harper slammed into the outfield wall and ended up leaving the game and requiring 11 stitches to his chin.  Some seem to think that Harper should have taken the ball after it bounced off the wall – he could have dislocated his collarbone, gotten a concussion, or sprained his shoulder and would have to be out for at least four to six weeks (and they don’t call that strip of dirt out there the “warning track” for no reason!).  Others believe that Harper is Harper, and he would have done the same thing whether the Nationals were losing by five runs or leading by twenty.  This is the way Bryce has always played, and he’s not about to bring his intensity down a notch.

What do I think?  I love Harper and the way he hustles (the fact that he’s not cute and gets bad haircuts does not affect how I feel about his playing ability).  I love his drive, his determination, and his work ethic.  He’s part Rose, part Clemente, part Dykstra (without the potty mouth and jail time) and part Griffey (junior).  If more guys played baseball like Bryce does, it would be a more interesting game to watch.  But then again, he’s only 20.  His body is not always going to be so forgiving when he slams into a wall ten or fifteen years from now (wait until he plays at Wrigley Field, where the outfield wall is solid brick!).  Harper grew up as a catcher, and the Nationals switched him to the outfield so he wouldn’t suffer so much wear and tear and get so beat up.  If they really want to keep him bubble-wrapped, then perhaps they can move him to the bullpen and have him pitch one or two innings every couple of days.  J 

For now, I don’t think you can tell Bryce Harper to ease up and hold back a little.  After all, the kid makes over $1 million a year, so he’s going to earn his paycheck and give fans their money’s-worth.  Let’s just hope the Nationals’ athletic training staff has enough bandages and Steri Strips to keep Bryce Harper put together for years to come. 

I Guess the Rules Don't Apply if You're a Yankee!

Ask a non-baseball fan to come up with the name of a current New York Yankees player and you will likely get Derek Jeter as an answer.  Jeter has to be one of the most recognizable athletes in recent history - he is known as the "Captain" of the Yankees, his 3,304 career hits rank tenth on the all-time list, and he's Cal Ripken's favorite current player.  But guess what?  Derek Jeter has not played a single game this season due to a nagging ankle injury that just isn't getting better.  

Despite Jeter's absence from the baseball diamond this season, there are some idiots out there (who apparently smoke way too much crack) who believe that despite being on the Disabled List all season, Jeter deserves to be in this season's All-Star Game.  Are you SERIOUS?  That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard (next to Ted Williams claiming he was Hispanic, but I already ranted about that on a previous post). Tracy Ringolsby, a cowboy-hat-wearing blogger for MLB.com, says that Jeter is worthy because "He's been an All-Star 13 times, the same as Ken Griffey Jr., Joe DiMaggio and George Brett, and he has hit .440 in the midsummer event, tied with Griffey for the eighth-highest average in All-Star history."  So?  Is he playing right now?  NO!  Can he field a ball or run around the bases?  NO!  Hey, you know what?  I haven't been able to play Major League Baseball this season either - can the fans vote for ME?  Oh, that's right; I'm not a Yankee.  And Yankees are entitled to everything wonderful in life.  I was telling a co-worker that when I get to Heaven, I'm going to have to wait in line and wait for all the Yankees to go in ahead of me.  He reassured me by saying that Yankees don't go to Heaven, so I have no reason to worry.

Here is what Colorado Rockies' shortstop Troy Tulowitski said about the matter:"He has meant a lot to the game, and at the end of the day, [the All-Star Game] is a fans' game and they should recognize the players they want. If there is one guy who didn't have to play to be elected, it would be him."  Sorry, my man; if we break the rules for Jeter, we have to break the rules for someone else.  Yes, they broke the rules and elected Roberto Clemente into the National Baseball Hall of Fame right away instead of waiting for Clemente to become eligible after 5 years of retirement - but Clemente was DEAD!  If, God forbid, Derek Jeter happens to die, then they can break the rules and make him a shortstop emeritus or something like that.  But if you have a pulse but aren't able to play because of an injury, then your name should not even be on the ballot.  How about the Yankees' current shortstop, Eduardo Nuñez?  I bet he feels like chopped liver right now, having played 24 games this season and not even having his name on the ballot!

Don't get me wrong; I actually like Derek Jeter.  I think he is the face of baseball today, and his generosity and philanthropy are to be admired.  I especially liked him in the movie "The Other Guys" and in the "Seinfeld" episode where George Constanza is giving batting advice to Jeter and teammate Bernie Williams.  He will deservedly be in the Hall of Fame and will have his number 2 retired (currently the only single-digit number not previously retired by the Yankees).  But how about the Detroit Tigers' Jhonny Peralta?  He's batting .295 with a bunch of RBIs.  Or Alexei Ramirez of the Chicago White Sox, who is batting .292?  Even the Orioles' J.J. Hardy, whose batting average sucks but at least he plays every day!  Really, people - let's find someone else to vote for who can actually show up on that day and play!

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.

Twice as Nice for Bryce (even though I wasn't there to see it)

Opening Day of the 2013 Major League Baseball season brought a lot of fanfare (and fans!) to Nationals Park today, where the Washington Nationals shut out the visiting Miami Marlins by a score of 2-0.  And while it was my first time in several years not attending an Opening Day game at Nats Park (don’t cry for me, Nats fans – I will be there this Thursday afternoon with my family), I was able to catch all the action from the warmth and comfort of my living room.

The day started with the unveiling of the “2012 National League East Division Champions” pennant.  This particular sign is not pennant-shaped but rather rectangular and large, welcoming fans into the main center field gate of Nationals Park.  After the unveiling, players were presented, the National Anthem was sung by an Army quartet (sans the traditional fly-over, probably due to sequestration), and the 2012 awards were doled out.  Adam LaRoche received the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards, Ian Desmomd and Stephen Strasburg received Silver Sluggers as well, Davey Johnson was given the 2012 Manager of the Year award, General Manager Mike Rizzo was awarded the Executive of the Year award, and Bryce Harper was given the National League Rookie of the Year award.  It was a ceremony that seemed to take forever – we were all definitely ready for some baseball to be played.  (As a side note, I wanted to indicate how they gave away baseball caps at the ball park today.  What are they going to be giving away when we go on Thursday?  Nothing!  But that's not why I go to the ball park, is it?  I guess not!)  Once again, I digress...

OK, back to Bryce Harper (I WAS talking about him, wasn't I?)  Well the kid ended up hitting two home runs during today’s game.  The first one was cool, but the second one was just unbelievable.  I found myself thinking “Are you freakin’ kidding me?  What does this mean?  Is this some sort of omen?”  It was kind of surreal, even though I wasn’t there to experience it.  We Nationals fans spent so many years watching mediocre baseball that it’s still hard for all this good baseball to sink in.  But we’ll take it!

And speaking of good baseball, the Nationals’ starter, Stephen Strasburg, pitched seven stellar innings, allowing only three hits while striking out three.  Strasburg threw only 80 pitches and did not walk a single batter - are they ever going to let him pitch more than seven innings?  Probably not.  He could have a no-hitter going and Davey would take him out of the game just because that's the way he's always done it.  Anyway, today Strasburg was replaced in the seventh inning (shocker!) by Tyler Clippard, who did not disappoint by giving us one of his usual stressful outings.  In typical Clippard fashion, he walked a guy and then took forever to get the next three batters out.  New Nats’ closer, Rafael Soriano, closed it out in the top of the ninth by striking out two out of the three batters he faced.  I found it odd that Soriano un-tucked his shirt as soon as he recorded the final out – I wonder if that’s his “thing” at the end of a game.  I’ll have to notice to see if that’s something he does when he earns a save – I honestly didn’t pay that much attention to him during his days as a Yankees closer.

Now the Nationals have earned their first win of the season and did not disappoint the 45,000-plus fans in attendance.  It was a very quick game – only 2 hours and 10 minutes, but they still found time for the traditional Presidents’ Race (with new member William H. Taft in the mix, though he fell over in the beginning of the race and was unable to finish).  They also played a little bit of “Take On Me” during the seventh-inning stretch as a little tribute to former Nationals’ outfielder, Michael Morse.  It was an “awww!” moment for me, especially when all the fans joined in the singing.

So what does today’s victory and Harper’s two home runs mean?  Nothing really, other than the fact that the Nationals are picking up where they left off last year, playing solid baseball (though it would have been nice if they’d had a few more hits), showing excellent team work (that double play in the seventh inning was anything but routine), and giving it their all at every at-bat.  I’m not putting all my eggs into the Nationals’ basket just yet (as much as I’d like to!); this was just one game of 162 – a lot can happen between now and then, but for now it’s nice to root for the team that is solidly in first place!