Hawaiian Angels shirt with baseball buttons? YES.
Megan Brown, that girl on deck editor-in-chief
Despite the argument over when opening day/night/etc really was, the important thing is that BASEBALL IS BACK!
And, although spring training was so incredibly epic that I still am hungover, we are back at it too!
There is so much to watch for this season, with important contracts running out and big ones signed in the hot stove season, five new managers, rivalries brewing, and injuries already affecting lineups of more than a few teams.
Here just a quick overview of a few of the things I'm looking forward to this season- and what I'm already sick of hearing about!
Things to get excited about....
Pujols, Fielder, Darvish - Any way you look at it, these guys are game changers.
The Angels were in a spending mood in the hot stove season, and now it's time to see what they're made of. I don't care who you cheer for, you have to be excited to see The Machine do what he does best in his new territory. Albert Pujols hit .407 in spring training (...yes, I hate spring training stats, too), and it seems like he's only just warming up. Pujols has given a makeover and major boost to the entire Angels organization. I want to see if the entire team can live up to the hype. Prince Fielder is much the same- although he will add a lot of power to the Tigers, he was coming on to a much better team than Pujols did. Also, Fielder left what could be considered a bigger hole in the team he left- my beloved Milwaukee Brewers- so it will be interesting to watch the impact he makes by both coming and going. These two sluggers are always exciting to watch and will be even more so this season.
And, then there's Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish. Apparently considered a "rock star" in Japan, he's now one of the biggest things in Texas. Although the Rangers lost CJ Wilson to the Angels, they weren't disappointed for long due to signing Darvish. Apparently he has seven pitches at his disposal- and he's set to become the ace in the Rangers lineup. Reports from the team and even those attending spring training games say that he pitches on a "different level" than other pitchers. Darvish will be starting in MLB at the number four spot in Ron Washington's rotation, but once he gains footing, there's no doubt that he will move up.
Deep fried hot dogs - There are plenty of ballparks who sell non-traditional game day fare, but this one tops them all!! What is more American than deep frying...well... anything! The Angels are selling them, so if you make it out that way this season, be sure to try one! I'm hoping I'll get a chance to- but if not, my very own Milwaukee Brewers can solve any fried meat cravings (I did cringe a little at that phrase) with their new offering of deep fried bacon. Oh, you read that right. I've said a million times in close games that the Brewers are giving me heart attacks, but I never thought they'd actually try to do so literally!
Wild cards - FOUR. WILD. CARDS. Wining divisions just became that much more meaningful to teams. Five of the last 15 World Series champs have been wild cards, including last season's St. Louis Cardinals. Will this improve the game & make it that much more exciting, now that there's still hope for more teams in September? I'm hoping the answer is a resounding YES. At the very least, it will involve more fan bases in the postseason, which is always a good thing for both the sport as well as MLB as an organization.
Ryan Braun - Love me, love my Ryan Braun obsession. But this year, it's so much more than that. Despite being Mr. Consistency every year he's been in the Majors, this season Braun has something to prove. Although, sadly, his reputation is tarnished forever despite being cleared by MLB, it would be nice to shut up some of the Braun haters with his usual impressive stats. Let's be honest: Even if you still think he's guilty, you probably still drafted him for your fantasy team. So, bring it on, my Hammering Hebrew!
Over-hyped already...
Marlins Park - Yes, it was sold out opening night. But: it's still ugly, that home run sculpture is horrendous, the fish in the tank behind home plate are apparently under more stress than Marlins investors, and all throughout Baseball Tonight last night the crowd was chanting "Let's go Heat!" Miami is just not a baseball market. And, come on. We can all agree: One bobblehead is cute, but a museum is absolutely TERRIFYING.
Yankees/Red Sox - Honestly, some days I am convinced that ESPN thinks that these are the only two baseball teams in the world. All right, enough about that.
Spring training stats - While I understand the importance of spring training (and had an AMAZING time attending the Cactus League spring training, photos of some of my adventure here), we all know that the stats themselves are pretty much meaningless - especially once regular season starts. Yes, I quote them. You quote them. Jayson Stark even quotes them. Let's all promise each other that we will just forget them in the next few weeks and focus on the stats from the games that actually count.
Jose Canseco's tweets - Sometimes they're entertaining, sometimes they're off-the-wall, and sometimes they are offering hugs. But, enough with the spectacle already! I saw he tweeted he wanted his own talk show... This is one train wreck I refuse to watch- despite people re-tweeting him in my timeline ALL THE TIME.
However, I am looking forward to more tweets from Nyjer Morgan! So it's only natural that I sign off for now with excitement, Tony Plush style...
AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! IT'S OPENING DAY!!!!!!!!!
Despite the argument over when opening day/night/etc really was, the important thing is that BASEBALL IS BACK!
And, although spring training was so incredibly epic that I still am hungover, we are back at it too!
There is so much to watch for this season, with important contracts running out and big ones signed in the hot stove season, five new managers, rivalries brewing, and injuries already affecting lineups of more than a few teams.
Here just a quick overview of a few of the things I'm looking forward to this season- and what I'm already sick of hearing about!
Things to get excited about....
Pujols, Fielder, Darvish - Any way you look at it, these guys are game changers.
The Angels were in a spending mood in the hot stove season, and now it's time to see what they're made of. I don't care who you cheer for, you have to be excited to see The Machine do what he does best in his new territory. Albert Pujols hit .407 in spring training (...yes, I hate spring training stats, too), and it seems like he's only just warming up. Pujols has given a makeover and major boost to the entire Angels organization. I want to see if the entire team can live up to the hype. Prince Fielder is much the same- although he will add a lot of power to the Tigers, he was coming on to a much better team than Pujols did. Also, Fielder left what could be considered a bigger hole in the team he left- my beloved Milwaukee Brewers- so it will be interesting to watch the impact he makes by both coming and going. These two sluggers are always exciting to watch and will be even more so this season.
And, then there's Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish. Apparently considered a "rock star" in Japan, he's now one of the biggest things in Texas. Although the Rangers lost CJ Wilson to the Angels, they weren't disappointed for long due to signing Darvish. Apparently he has seven pitches at his disposal- and he's set to become the ace in the Rangers lineup. Reports from the team and even those attending spring training games say that he pitches on a "different level" than other pitchers. Darvish will be starting in MLB at the number four spot in Ron Washington's rotation, but once he gains footing, there's no doubt that he will move up.
Deep fried hot dogs - There are plenty of ballparks who sell non-traditional game day fare, but this one tops them all!! What is more American than deep frying...well... anything! The Angels are selling them, so if you make it out that way this season, be sure to try one! I'm hoping I'll get a chance to- but if not, my very own Milwaukee Brewers can solve any fried meat cravings (I did cringe a little at that phrase) with their new offering of deep fried bacon. Oh, you read that right. I've said a million times in close games that the Brewers are giving me heart attacks, but I never thought they'd actually try to do so literally!
Wild cards - FOUR. WILD. CARDS. Wining divisions just became that much more meaningful to teams. Five of the last 15 World Series champs have been wild cards, including last season's St. Louis Cardinals. Will this improve the game & make it that much more exciting, now that there's still hope for more teams in September? I'm hoping the answer is a resounding YES. At the very least, it will involve more fan bases in the postseason, which is always a good thing for both the sport as well as MLB as an organization.
Ryan Braun - Love me, love my Ryan Braun obsession. But this year, it's so much more than that. Despite being Mr. Consistency every year he's been in the Majors, this season Braun has something to prove. Although, sadly, his reputation is tarnished forever despite being cleared by MLB, it would be nice to shut up some of the Braun haters with his usual impressive stats. Let's be honest: Even if you still think he's guilty, you probably still drafted him for your fantasy team. So, bring it on, my Hammering Hebrew!
Over-hyped already...
Marlins Park - Yes, it was sold out opening night. But: it's still ugly, that home run sculpture is horrendous, the fish in the tank behind home plate are apparently under more stress than Marlins investors, and all throughout Baseball Tonight last night the crowd was chanting "Let's go Heat!" Miami is just not a baseball market. And, come on. We can all agree: One bobblehead is cute, but a museum is absolutely TERRIFYING.
Yankees/Red Sox - Honestly, some days I am convinced that ESPN thinks that these are the only two baseball teams in the world. All right, enough about that.
Spring training stats - While I understand the importance of spring training (and had an AMAZING time attending the Cactus League spring training, photos of some of my adventure here), we all know that the stats themselves are pretty much meaningless - especially once regular season starts. Yes, I quote them. You quote them. Jayson Stark even quotes them. Let's all promise each other that we will just forget them in the next few weeks and focus on the stats from the games that actually count.
Jose Canseco's tweets - Sometimes they're entertaining, sometimes they're off-the-wall, and sometimes they are offering hugs. But, enough with the spectacle already! I saw he tweeted he wanted his own talk show... This is one train wreck I refuse to watch- despite people re-tweeting him in my timeline ALL THE TIME.
However, I am looking forward to more tweets from Nyjer Morgan! So it's only natural that I sign off for now with excitement, Tony Plush style...
AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! IT'S OPENING DAY!!!!!!!!!
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