It’s officially the off-season, AKA the most awful and horrible time of year. But, it is a good time to evaluate the future of your favorite team! This Insider article is a brief overview of all MLB teams and shows us the power rankings to go along with it.
Month: October 2014
A Giant Disappointment
The Giants won the 2014 World Series and I am really disappointed.
I was rooting so hard for the Royals that I almost threw up during the 9th inning. I’m not even kidding. My anxiety came full-force and I could hardly the score the game because I was hoping so hard. But, alas. The Royals did not win. Madison Bumgarner came in steam-rolled the opposing team like he has been doing all Post-Season.
He was good. MadBum is someone I have to congratulate because he preformed better than any pitcher I have ever seen, and I have seen a lot of good pitching performances. He OWNED. I am so happy for him, but I will not be happy for the Giants. Growing up in Arizona, I grew up loathing the Giants, so I am none too pleased about their victory. I get to hear “The Arizona Diamondbacks are facing the defending World Series champions tonight!” every time they play each other, which is going to get really old, really fast.
Don’t get me wrong: they deserved to win. They played one hell of a series. But I just can’t be happy for them! I am trying so hard to be happy for them, I really am! I love the game of baseball and I love to see good teams win. I’m a Yankees fan and I was really happy for Boston when they won last year, but for some reason, I just can’t be happy for San Fran. The players are all really nice! I like their manager! Why can’t I be happy for them? I am disappointed in myself that I can’t be happy they won. There is something wrong with me, I’m sure of it! Maybe it is because I HATE the 49ers…Yeah! Let’s go with that! Osmosis is what makes me loathe the Giants even more than the normal person. Sure. It’s as good an explanation as any.
Ugh.
Congrats, San Francisco. You won. You deserve this. But, I am not happy. Not even a little bit.
The only thing making me happy right now is knowing the Alex Rodriguez is now officially active again. Yay!! So…how many days until Spring Training????
We Will See You Tomorrow Night!
The words of Joe Buck from a World Series past rung out across the internet and my brain as I watched the slaughtering of the San Francisco Giants earlier tonight. With the Royals beating the Giants 10-0, they have done what few baseball clubs have done: they forced a game 7.
Okay, so lots of clubs have forced game 7’s in the past, but this year seems like a gift. It is like a gift wrapped in blue and orange paper, stuffed full of pandas, country breakfasts, a moose, a giraffe, and a neon orange Marlin Man. Game 7’s are the greatest gifts baseball players can give to the fans, but they should also include Xanax or something, too. You know, because we need to calm down. Okay, maybe don’t send Xanax, but could you at least send me a case of Bud Light Lime? Anyway, game 7’s are the best.
Back in 2001, I saw the greatest game 7 of all time. We all know the story: Luis Gonzalez hits the bloop single off Mariano Rivera to drive in the winning run. I cried tears of joy after the game was over. I also cried because the game was so intense. I cry a lot in case you couldn’t tell. But, I do think that is what every game 7 should be about: the tense moments, the joyous moments, and the moments you will remember the rest of your life.
I will remember game 7 of the 2001 World Series for the rest of my life. It was one of the best nights of my life. That’s the power of baseball, baby! I have a feeling that game 7 of the 2014 World Series will be amazing. If the rest of the series has been any indication, we are in for a real treat.
We will see you tomorrow night! Yay!
Bigger Than Baseball
I have never been a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals. Sure, I’d root for them when my teams didn’t make the post-season, but they were never MY team. I would keep a tab on their players, mostly so I could talk about them and not sound stupid. I’ve never been a fan of the Red Birds. But the death of 22 year old Oscar Taveras is hitting me really hard.
Maybe it’s because I am the same age as him. Maybe it is because I just saw him crush a monster homerun two weeks ago in the NLCS, tying the game against the Giants. Maybe it is because I know how talented he was. Maybe it’s hitting me so hard because I just lost my grandfather. Whatever the reason, his death is hitting me hard.
Wins and losses determine if a team is successful. If you win the last game of the season, you go down in history. But what does it matter in the long run? Life is so short to get caught up in wins and losses. Go hug our loved ones, or if you can’t, give them a call. Life is too short to focus on only wins and losses. When tragedies like this happen, we are reminded that there are things bigger and more important than titles.
I hope you’re hitting homeruns with your girlfriend in Heavan, Oscar. Go impress all of the other fallen baseball players! Rest in peace, kid. God bless you.
Here is his last homerun, a mammoth when it counted the most. I am so glad he got to have this moment.
http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/6479266/v36800103/nlcs-gm2-taveras-hits-pinchhit-gametying-home-run/?c_id=mlb
Kansas City Royals (royal)
Since sweeping their respective opponents, the Baltimore Orioles and the Kansas City Royals are slated to meet in the American League Championship Series. Not only is this totally unexpected, but both teams were deemed underdogs in their ALDS series. I picked that the Angels would beat the Royals in a close series and the Tigers would demolish the Orioles, as did everyone who has watched baseball this year. In fact, I wasn’t even convinced the Royals would make it past the Wild Card game against Oakland. Color me shocked.
Now, color me a supporter of the Cinderella-story Royals.
Even though I don’t think it will happen, I REALLY want the Royals to win the ALCS and advance to the World Series. Here are some of my reasons:
1) I am a Yankees fan, so I do not like the Orioles. I respect how awesome they have been this year, but I do not like them.
2) The Royals are terribly likable.
3) I get to yell things like “COUNTRY BREAKFAST” and no one questions it.
4) I get to sing Lorde and people only think I am slightly cray cray.
5) The Kansas fans seem really cool. Like, I would invite them to a barbecue. And not just because they have the best BBQ on planet earth there (or so I am told). Besides, the Orioles fans, as nice as they might be, would probably bring seafood to my BBQ and I really don’t like seafood.
6) Again, as a Yankees fan, I don’t want to hear people say “It’s the New York Yankees verses the reigning World Series champs the Baltimore Orioles!”. That got old this year with Boston, the only difference being Boston sucked balls this year. I don’t think the Orioles will suck next year.
7) I want to see more pictures and footage of an excited George Brett. It’s like he is as surprised as everyone. If you are surprising your franchise’s biggest star, you must be doing right.
8) Kansas is the Cinderella story. That may seem like a stupid reason, but it is a great reason nonetheless.
9) Everyone else seems to be rooting for Kansas. I looked at a poll done by ESPN and the majority of people in the US want them to win. So yeah, I’m with the majority.
10) Their defense is so sparkling, I want to watch it as long as I can. It sparkles like Edward Cullen in a diamond mine, sprinkled in fairy dust.
So there. That is why I want KC to win. Again, I think the O’s will likely take the series in 7 games, but gosh darn it, I will be rooting to Kansas so hard.
RECOMMENDED WEBSITE
Now that Derek Jeter isn’t playing baseball anymore (sobs), he has moved on to new adventures. His latest? A website called The Players’ Tribune. It’s a place where athletes can be a bit more transparent with fans, share stories and whatnot. I perused it this morning and I am rather impressed! It’s not just baseball players, it’s athletes of all sports. Yeah, there are only two posts right now, but I think it is really cool. You should go check it out when you get a chance.
She Steals Second 