Results tagged ‘ Yankees ’
How Much Better Can the New York Yankees Get?
When I made the bold prediction a couple months ago that the New York Yankees would have a great season despite all of the injuries to their lineup, going as far as to say they’ll make the playoffs, I didn’t have many people behind me, agreeing with my opinion. And that’s fine, I’m used to it. But now I get the pleasure of early-season bragging rights, as the Yankees have hung in there, sitting atop the American League East.
Though there’s still a lot of the season left, I think things will only go up from here.
Let me point out that while I predicted a playoff run, I was going more on a wild card spot, rather than a division title, getting them in. I never saw them above second or third place throughout the season. But now, with them sitting in first place, combined with Curtis Granderson expected to return any day, I could see the Yankees extending their lead even further; especially once Mark Teixeira returns next month.
What it’s come down to for the Yankees is the stepping up of every single player in the lineup. Not just the key fixtures, in Robinson Cano, Ichiro Suzuki and even Brett Gardner, but the newcomers in Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay and Travis Hafner. Everyone up and down the lineup has been doing a great job of not worrying about who they’re missing and just going out and playing great baseball–going 16-0 when they score first, so far this season.
The Yankees are certainly being helped out by the other teams in the division, which have been playing fairly poorly as of late–the Red Sox are 4-8 this month–but that’s not to take anything away from them. They’ve been surprisingly good for a surprising long period of time.
But just how good can the Yankees become?
If you ask me, the first month of the season is a sign of things to come. Once the Yankees get back their big bats in Granderson and Teixeira, they’ll get even better, which may seem impossible with the way they’re currently playing. If their pitching rotation can keep on the same pace, though it could always be better, I can fully see the Yankees making the playoffs, as I originally predicted.
David Ortiz Extends Hit Streak: Worth Watching Yet?
David Ortiz didn’t waste any time extending his hit streak to 27 straight games in Tuesday’s game versus the Twins, singling in his first at-bat of the game. Given, only 15 of the games in Ortiz’s streak have come this year, with the remaining 12 carrying over from last season, but it’s still an
impressive streak, nonetheless. Which begs the question: When do you need to start paying attention to a hit streak?
To me, a hit streak doesn’t become worthwhile until a player passes the 30 game mark. Up until then, it’s not all that rare of a feat. But once a player begins to climb up through the thirties, as a baseball fan, you generally begin to pay attention–speculating how far the particular player can take it.
Of course, the all-time hit streak is held by Joe DiMaggio, who hit in an unbelievable stretch of 56 straight games, from May 15, 1941 through July 16, 1941. A record which many believe will never be broken–the ultimate feat for a baseball player.
But while it’s a long-shot that Ortiz will go on to pass Joe DiMaggio–if he does, playing in every game, the record breaking hit will take place on June 8th in Boston–many are disputing over whether it should count as a streak at all; saying that a true hit streak is one that takes place over the course of a single season. I somewhat agree, but at the same time, I’d love to see a guy like David Ortiz be the one to break the record. He’s one of those guys who you can’t help but root for.
David Ortiz sits 12 games shy of the all-time hit streak for a designated hitter, and 29 games back of the all-time hit streak in the history of Major League Baseball.
UPDATE
David Ortiz went hitless in his next game, ending his streak at 27 games.
My First Two MiLB Games of the 2013 Season
Opening Day for Major League Baseball took place on Monday, however, Opening Day for the Carolina Mudcats (A+ affiliates of the Indians), of 
the Carolina League, is taking place later tonight. For the second season in a row, I’m attending tonight’s game, once again versus the Winston Salem Dash (A+ affiliates of the White Sox), and I’m extremely excited. This year’s Opening Day game is packed with top notch talent.
For the Carolina Mudcats, while their pitching staff isn’t too fantastic, their position players include the organization’s number one prospect, Francisco Lindor, 2012 1st round draft pick, Tyler Naquin, along with top prospect, Tony Wolters, who is making the transition this season from short stop to catcher. Wolters played with the Mudcats last season, and I really enjoyed watching him play. I’m looking forward to seeing how the move to behind the plate plays out.
As far as the Dash go, the highlight of the team is undoubtedly Courtney Hawkins, who was drafted 13th overall in last year’s draft; doing a backflip afterwards. Though Hawkins won’t be doing any backflips (as far as I know), I’m looking forward to seeing the White Sox’ number one prospect in action–maybe he’ll even blast a home run. If nothing else, I’m certainly going to try for his autograph, as I’m also planning to do from the Mudcats’ Francisco Lindor and Tyler Naquin.
But when it comes to autograph collecting, no other game throughout the entire rest of the season will have more highly ranked prospects than 
the April 9th Durham Bulls game I’m planning to attend. Having been traded from the Royals’ organization to the Rays, in the 2012 offseason, the number four prospect in all of baseball, Wil Myers, will be there and is sure to draw a huge crowd, so autographs may be hard to come by. I’ll just have wait and see how it goes.
A few other Bulls’ players worth mentioning, that I’m hoping to get autographs from on Tuesday night, include Jake Odorizzi, Chris Archer and Hak-Ju Lee, who are the Rays’ third, fourth and fifth ranked prospects, respectively. In all, the Bulls are beginning the season with 7 of the top 20 prospects in the organization. I can’t think of a team in all of minor league baseball with more talent, which is why I’m going to be blogging about the game. It will likely be posted on Wednesday afternoon.
So that’s the basic plan for my first two minor league games of the year. I’m not sure when, or where, the rest of the year will have me going to games; the only game set in stone is the June 3rd Bulls day game, when they take on the Red Barons (Yankees affiliate). But one of the games during the series when Billy Hamilton comes to Durham with Louisville is almost a sure bet, as well. Other than that, I don’t know.
American League Predictions for 2013
Last year was the first time I ever made actual predictions as to how the MLB standings would look at the end of the regular season. To say I did poorly would be an understatement, but this is a new year, and with it comes a new shot at getting the predictions right. So I’m up for the challenge once again.
Unlike 2012, when I posted both my American League and National League predictions in the same blog entry, this year I’m doing separate posts for each league. As the title states, I’m giving my 2013 American League standings predictions today, starting with the AL East:
EAST
1. Rays
2. Yankees
3. Orioles
4. Blue Jays
5. Red Sox
With the Yankees’ season uncertain, I see this as the year the Rays need to make their move. With the lineup they have, the Rays have the ability to win their division, but it’s going to come down to if their starting pitching begins and ends with David Price, or if their potential superstar pitchers in Matt Moore and Jeremy Hellickson can get things going. That’s the deciding factor, for me.
Although the Yankees’ season is up in the air, I still have them finishing second in the AL East. Why? Because they’re the Yankees; a team that seems to be able to always find a way to win. But it’s going to come down to Derek Jeter, in my opinion. If he misses a large chunk of the season, at any point, it could send my predictions way off course. Right now, I’m not too worried about him missing the first few games; but that could change.
The Orioles surprised everyone last season with the way they were able to put things together, however, I still think it’ll be 2014 before they stand a good chance of winning the division. Their phenom prospects are still far from ready, with top prospect Dylan Bundy beginning the season in AA Bowie, and I just don’t see everything clicking together in their favor this season.
I’m hesitant to place the Blue Jays all the way down in fourth, with so many people seeing them finishing near the top, but it’s the way I foresee their season panning out. Even with the offseason additions of R.A. Dickey, Josh Johnson, Jose Reyes, etc., I don’t see the Jays putting together a season much over .500. You just can’t buy chemistry, and with so many new faces, I don’t see them gelling from the start of the season.
What can I say about the Red Sox? They were once major competitors in the division, but after a couple of horrible seasons, by their standards, I don’t see this year being any better. They didn’t do much to improve their team in the offseason, and it’s going to show once the season starts up. I’m looking down the road, when their key prospects such as Jackie Bradley Jr. and Xander Bogaerts arrive, before I can see them getting things going in the right direction again.
CENTRAL
1. Tigers
2. Indians
3. White Sox
4. Royals
5. Twins
There’s truly no reason the Tigers shouldn’t run away with things in the AL Central division. With one of the best lineups in all of baseball, including sluggers Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, along with newcomer Victor Martinez, their lineup should be there. The only question mark is their pitching. Justin Verlander is going to dominate–that’s a given–but the remainder of the rotation is a bit uncertain. But all in all, I think they’ll be just fine.
Coming in second, I have the Indians, as they did a great job of signing guys in the offseason to fill key spots they were missing last year, and I feel it’s bound to pay off in the coming season. The only concern would be their starting pitching. Without a true Ace, you don’t know who to look to for to carry the team throughout the season. It’s definitely something worth watching, however, they should be able to have enough decent pitching to make things very interesting in the division.
It was really a toss up between me placing the Indians or White Sox in third place (with the other in second) but I decided to have the Sox finishing third in the division. The Sox have a future Cy Young winner, in Chris Sale, but with the remainder of the pitching, as well as the lineup, a question mark, I can’t see them winning too many games over .500 in the 2013 season. They still have too many holes to fill.
I’m still questioning the Royals’ decision to trade away their phenom prospect, Wil Myers, along with a few other prospects, to the Rays, in exchange for a couple of middle of the rotation starting pitchers, on most teams, in James Shields and Wade Davis, but it is what it is. I see the move doing more harm than good. The Royals certainly needed starting pitching, but to trade away your top prospect is a poor choice, in my opinion, which is why I have them finishing next to last in the division.
The Twins are a team that have the potential to be very good a year or two down the road, but for right now, I see them having to endure another last place season, in their division. They just don’t have enough top notch guys, both in their pitching rotation and lineup, to make any sort of a run this season, as far as I can see.
WEST
1. Angels
2. Athletics
3. Rangers
4. Mariners
5. Astros
For the Angels, the AL West division is theirs to lose. With the addition of Josh Hamilton in the offseason, along with their already potent lineup of Albert Pujols and Mike Trout, there is no reason the Angels shouldn’t dominate the division. Although they lost Zack Greinke to the Dodgers, their rotation is still really good, and it should all combine to be enough to lead them to the playoffs for the first time since 2009.
The Athletics were one of the big surprises of last season, but I don’t feel it was a fluke. They’ve put together a really great team out in Oakland, and with the majority of the other teams in the division (with the exception of the Angels) still trying to figure things out in the coming season, the Athletics stand a good shot of making the playoffs for the second straight year.
With the loss of Josh Hamilton during the offseason, I don’t see the Rangers doing much of anything this year. While they have a few big bats in their lineup that can change the outcome of a game with one swing, I don’t see their rotation as being strong enough to overcome the uphill climb they face. It’ll be interesting to watch unfold, but I don’t like their chances in 2013.
The Mariners are one of the most interesting teams to keep track of. While I don’t see them having all that impressive of an upcoming season, with all of the talent they have knocking on the door of the big leagues, I feel they’ll be major contenders as early as next season. They don’t have all of the necessary pieces, just yet, to put together a playoff run, but starting in 2014, keep a lookout for the Mariners to do big things in the AL West division.
Last season was flat out ugly for the Astros, as they finished in dead last, with a league leading 107 losses. Being that they’re making the transition from the National League to the American League this year, I don’t see things being any better for them; but when you lose over 100 games in a season, it can’t really get all that much worse.
Leave a comment below with whether or not you agree with my predictions.
Click HERE to be taken to my National League predictions for 2013.
Jeter & Rivera Make 2013 Debuts; Rivera to Retire
The baseball world spent most of Saturday focused on the New York Yankees; more specifically, on Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. Both played in their first official games since being injured last season–Jeter with a broken ankle, Rivera with a torn ACL–and, not all that shockingly, both had great Spring Training debuts. A good sign for the Yankees. 
But the big news of the day wasn’t the debuts of two veteran Yankees, but rather the announcement by all time saves leader, Mariano Rivera, that the 2013 season would be his last.
“Now is the time”, stated the 43-year-old Rivera, in an early morning press conference. “I have given everything, and the time is almost ending. The thing that I have, the little gas I have left is everything for this year. After that, I’ll empty everything. There’s nothing left. I did everything, and I’m proud of it. That’s why it’s time.”
The time would have come at the end of the 2012 season, had Rivera not have suffered from a torn ACL. An injury which occurred while Rivera was shagging fly balls–his normal pregame routine–during batting practice in Kansas City. But, as expected, Rivera didn’t want to go out like that.
No, not Mariano Rivera. Wanting to go out on his own terms, he has far greater plans.
“The last game, I hope, will be throwing the last pitch in the World Series”, said Rivera. “That’s how I envision to be my last game of my last pitch on the mound. Winning the World Series, that would be my ambition.”
A great ambition indeed, but one that will be somewhat hard to pull off, in my opinion. As although I foresee the Yankees barely making the playoffs this year, with all of the injuries the team currently suffers, I’m not so sure they can make a deep playoff run.
For Mariano Rivera’s sake, I sure hope I’m wrong.
Having already broken a number of MLB records in his 18 seasons, all spent with the Yankees, the 12-time All-Star already has a resume to go out as one of the games’ greats, but a sixth World Series ring would obviously be icing on the cake.
It would truly make for a storybook ending to a storybook career.
No A-Rod, No Playoffs? Not So Fast
The original plan for Alex Rodriguez, after undergoing hip surgery on January 16th, was for him to be fully recovered, and ready to play, by the second half of July; August at the latest. That plan may not pan out, however, as in an interview on Friday, Yankees’ GM Brian
Cashman stated that there’s the possibility Rodriguez could end up missing all of 2013, saying, “I think because [of] the serious nature of the surgery and the condition that he’s trying to recover from, you know, there is that chance.”
While Cashman’s comments are worthy of attention, for Yankees fans across the country, I don’t feel they’re worthy of panic. The Yankees have always seemed to be able to find a way to win, most of the time, even when their chances looked poor. Though the Yankees appear to have their backs against the wall, I feel, with or without Rodriguez in the lineup, the Yankees will once again find a way to make it to the playoffs in the coming season.
How deep they make it into the playoffs is yet to be seen.
Looking at the Yankees’ roster, even without Rodriguez, I see a group of players that have the ability to dominate, but it’s going to come down to whether or not they’re able to perform as well as they’re capable of, throughout the entire season. If they let up, even for a few weeks, it’s likely that either the Orioles, or the newly revamped Blue Jays, will pass them up, and never look back. That’s what I feel the Yankees need to be worried about; not losing A-Rod, but losing momentum.
For me, the key player to the Yankees’ success in 2013, as it has been for the past decade, is Derek Jeter. While the looming loss of Rodriguez is a definite blow to the team, the Yankees have a decent replacement for him, in Kevin Youkilis. Though Youkilis doesn’t have the kind of pop that A-Rod possesses, when healthy, Youkilis is just as good, if not slightly better, of a defender than Rodriguez, at the hot corner. The way I see it, 
right now, the Yankees can survive without Rodriguez, but in the event that Jeter doesn’t return completely healthy, the Yankees, in my mind, are set to have a very disappointing season; for their standards, at least.
As stated, I truly do feel the Yankees have the players they need to make 2013 an outstanding year. While they’ll be without Rodriguez until at least July–with the possibly of losing him for the entire year–the lineup still has enough pop to make the Yankees a great team. Although the offseason, thus far, brought the loss of Nick Swisher to the Indians, and Russell Martin to the Pirates, I don’t feel those two players leaving will hurt the Yankees all that terribly much. Thus, I like the Yankees chances in 2013; especially with a healthy Mariano Rivera.
If, however, the Yankees end up suffering in the coming season, I’m not going to throw all the blame on Alex Rodriguez. Sure, Rodriguez, when healthy, plays a major part in whether or not the Yankees win, but in the end, you have to play with the players you have. And as far as I can see, the Yankees have the players they need to win, and win often.
My Thoughts On the A-rod Situation
Alex Rodriguez is struggling at the moment; there’s no denying that.
Posting a mere batting average of .130 (3-23) so far this postseason, Rodriguez has quickly found himself in an uncomfortable situation. A situation that has subsequently led to an even more trying predicament for Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who for the second straight game regretfully elected to exclude A-rod from the starting lineup. But as many are asking: Is the decision to bench Rodriguez truly the smart one?
That’s the one thing no one can seem to agree on.
“We’re trying to do what’s the best thing to win games”, said Joe Girardi, in response to his decision to bench A-rod. “This is difficult. When I went into the postseason, this is not 
what I imagined having to do. You thought you’d have a set lineup and you might change it against a right-hander or a left-hander a little bit, but the struggles have been tough. We felt we had to make changes.”
But these “changes” aren’t the correct ones in my opinion. Yes, Rodriguez is performing horribly so far this postseason, but you don’t bench the one player on the team that can make a drastic impact with one swing of the bat; even when it seems they’re completely lost at the plate.
You can’t possibly tell me that Eric Chavez in the lineup makes the Yankees better than with A-rod. Chavez is yet to notch a hit (in 14 at-bats) this postseason. Why would you opt to play him over Rodriguez? It truly baffles me.
Rodriguez had this to say in response to his benching:
“I’m obviously not doing somersaults. I’m not happy about it. Obviously you come to the ballpark feeling that you can help the team win, and when you see your name is not in the lineup, you’re obviously disappointed. You’ve got to just shift to being a cheerleader and also make sure that you’re ready when your number is called.
“….for me, it’s tough”, added Rodriguez. “I’m a competitor, I’ve been that way since I was 5 years old, and I love to compete. I really feel in my heart that anytime I’m in that lineup the team’s a better team, without a question. So we’ll disagree there till the end.
“I’ve played this game for a long time and bottom line is, anytime I’m in any lineup, I think that lineup is better. It has a better chance to win. I feel I can bring that type of impact, 
and I’m also at any point ready to break through. I thought my at-bats in some of those games got a little bit better. The last two [in Game 3], I hit two rockets. Anytime I’m in the box, the game can change, and everyone knows that.”
Indeed; everyone does know that. Which leads me to question Girardi’s decision.
All it takes is just one hit–one swing of the bat–for Rodriguez to fall back into the groove of things.
Alex Rodriguez is one of the greatest players the game has ever seen. Admittedly, when he’s struggling like he is, benching him is the easy thing to do; but that doesn’t make it the right thing to do–especially when Rodriguez isn’t the only one having a tough time at the moment. As a team, the Yankees are batting .200 (58-290) so far during the playoffs, and show no signs of improving anytime soon.
All the more reason to give A-rod another shot.
Rodriguez could very well fail, yet again, but he could also surprise the world and get a hit in a big spot. Without him in the lineup, however, no one will ever get the chance to find out.
MLB Players Alternate Jobs
Before I get started with what will be my final Q and A post until after the playoffs have concluded, let me first start out by saying that yesterday’s AL and NL Wild Card games went completely opposite from what I had expected.
With the Braves having won the past 23 times Kris Medlen started the game on the mound, I though it was a sure bet that the Braves would get the win. But as you know, that’s not what happened. The Braves ended up falling to the Cardinals (6-3), thus making it their final game of 2012; and Chipper Jones’ last game of his career.
Furthermore, I fully expected the Rangers to beat the Orioles, and just like the Braves-Cards game, I was completely stunned by the end result. The Orioles pulled out the win, beating the Rangers 5-1, ending the Ranger’s chances of a third straight World Series appearance. Incredible; but that’s baseball for ya. Just because you’re the better team on paper, doesn’t mean you’ll always come out on top.
Now that I’ve given you my two cents on yesterday’s Wild Card games, I’ll now get on with the regularly scheduled blog post:
Have you ever wondered what MLB players would be doing had things not of worked out for them to play baseball? Well I did, which I why I spent last week on twitter asking players just that: “If you weren’t playing baseball what would you be doing?”
Of those who replied, some actually put some thought into it while others replied with a somewhat humorous answer. I’ll let you distinguish between the two:
Chris Gimenez–Tampa Bay Rays
Def a coach. Think it would be fun.
David Huff–Cleveland Indians
Probably either playing golf on the tour or teaching high school history.
David Aardsma–New York Yankees
Prob a model.
Denard Span–Minnesota Twins
I’d be doing something associated with sports.
Daniel McCutchen–Pittsburgh Pirates
Prob be a movie star or maye a rapper. Then again, I could always give politics a shot.
David Hernandez–Arizona Diamondbacks
I’d probably be in my 8th year of college trying to figure out what I wanna do.
Luis Exposito–Baltimore Orioles
I would find an occupation where I can help less fortunate kids and help make the world a better place!
Steve Cishek–Miami Marlins
P.E. teacher and coach.
Ricky Nolasco–Miami Marlins
Police Officer for sure.
Brandon Snyder–Texas Rangers
I always say military but who knows. My wife would say I would be a trainer or something.
Josh Lueke–Tampa Bay Rays
Professional outdoorsman like my buddy @IHuntStrong [and] @BackwoodsLife #outdoors4life
Brian Dozier–Minnesota Twins
Lead guitarist for a rock band.
Paul Maholm–Atlanta Braves
Something in golf.
Daniel Hudson–Arizona Diamondbacks
No idea. Probably coaching somewhere.
Thomas Neal–Cleveland Indians
Coaching somewhere.
Mike Olt–Texas Rangers
I would be a lion.
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My next blog post will come tomorrow evening, and will detail my blogging plans for the next few weeks. So check back for that…
Q and A With Rookie Davis
Rookie Davis was drafted by the New York Yankees
in the 14th round of the 2011 draft. Davis has yet to pitch in a single minor league game, but he won’t have to wait long before he gets his first minor league experience, as he’s set to join the GCL (Gulf Coast League) Yankees on June 18th. (Davis will wear number 53.)
Davis was drafted out of high school, where he put up some pretty impresive numbers: 25-4 with a 1.67 ERA and 422 strikeouts in 209.1 innings. (9-0 with a 1.02 ERA, and 136 strikeouts in 61.1 innings, his Senior year alone.)
While it’s obvious why the Yankees thought so highly of him, it’s also just as obvious why his high school thought highly enough of him to retire his number 24–the first number to be retired in Dixon High School’s history.
If Davis can pitch to his full potential, and subsequently continue to put up the same kind of numbers, it’s only a matter of time before he’s pitching on the mound at Yankee Stadium; which is obviously his ultimate goal.
William “Rookie” Davis–pitcher in the New York Yankees organization–took the time recently to answer some of my questions:
1.) When did you first become interested in baseball? Did you always want to be a pitcher?
I have been interested in baseball for as long as I can remember. I was always a two way player growing up, and through my baseball career, it could have gone either way.
2.) Who was your favorite baseball player growing up? Why?
I had two players that I really looked to in the MLB. One was Cal Ripken Jr. because of the way that he went out every day and did his job. My second player was Roger Clemens and that is because of the way he was a bulldog on the mound. He would attack hitters and never backed down from a hitter no matter the situation.
3.) You were drafted by the New York Yankees in the 14th round of the 2011 draft. What was that process like? Where were you when you first found out? Initial thoughts?
The process went well for me. I was, and still am, very close with my area scout, Scott Lovecamp, and he made the process that much better. Having him over to my family home and sitting around talking about baseball and what the Yankees are all about was great. I was at home with my family when I first heard the news and my initial thoughts were excitement. Wondering what it would be like down here if I signed and getting ready to make the climb to the big leagues.
4.) Was it all the more special that you were drafted by a team with as rich of a history as the New York Yankees? Or would you have been equally excited to of been drafted by another team?
Yes, definitely. The Yankees made it a very good experience. Being drafted by any team is something special for a baseball player, but the Yankees made it that much more memorable.
5.) What’s the plan for this year, in terms of playing baseball?
This year the plan is to get better each and every outing. Be consistent with my delivery and just learn to pitch. Learn as much as I can from the guys down here and from the pitching coaches, coordinators, and trainers. Learning a routine and getting in the work that I will need for the years to come.
6.) What does your daily schedule consist of at the moment? Any daily baseball routines, or does it vary from day to day?
The days are usually routine. Go to the field. Go through the stretching and throwing programs. PFP’s and then shag for batting practice. Some days it may vary, but it’s usually pretty routine.
7.) Bowman produced your 1st Bowman card this year. Have you picked one up yet?
Yes. My family and I have bought a few cards to keep at home.
8.) While we’re on the subject of cards, did you collect them at all as a kid?
I had a very big collection of cards when I was younger. My dad collected cards and passed a few down to me here and there and that got me interested, and I began collecting them shortly after.
9.) Do you have any player that you model your game after? Or do you go out there and just do you?
Right now I’m going out there and working on learning myself and my body. Learning my style of pitching and just taking it from there. I would like to think I model my pitching from Roger Clemens due to his aggressive style of pitching, but we will see what happens down the line as I begin to really develop as a pitcher.
10.) Your High School baseball team made the decision to retire your number 24. What does it mean to you that they thought that highly of you?
It means a lot that the coaching staff and administration retired my number. It has never happened at my high school and for them to think highly enough of me to do that is special. I’d like to thank the fans, coaches, and family that came out because they made the night something I won’t forget.
11.) Of the pitches in your arsenal, which one do you feel is your most effective? Which do you feel needs the most work?
I feel that my fastball is my best pitch right now. I have been able to have success throwing that during spring training and extended spring training. I need to continue being more consistent with my curveball and change up. Being able to throw them behind in the count and get myself a few ground ball outs here and there.
12.) Lastly, what advice would you give to kids who are just starting out that dream of playing professional baseball one day?
I would tell them that there are going to be people that will tell you it’s not going to happen. That you will never be able to do this, or do that. You have to go out and prove it to yourself that can do those things. Growing up in a small town, I had the opportunity of hearing both sides. People will be in your corner and back you up no matter what, and others will try to ruin your dreams. Go out and play hard and have fun doing what you love every day, because one day it may be over, and you don’t want to look back and say “what if…”.
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Big thanks to Rookie Davis for taking the time to answer my questions.
You can follow him on twitter: @rookdavis24
Rangers Fan “Steals” Baseball From Little Kid
I’m sure by now you’ve seen the video and read numerous blogs discussing the incident that took place during last night’s Rangers game. If by some chance you haven’t, CLICK HERE to watch the video.
After watching the video several times my first thought was: “What’s the big deal?” The ball was tossed in the general direction of the kid, but there’s no way to know for sure as to whether or not he was the intended target. The ball was lobbed into the air, and thus was fair game.
The guy who ended up with the ball is getting tons of critisism because he didn’t give the ball to the kid. That doesn’t make sense to me. The guy did nothing wrong. He didn’t knock the kid down. He didn’t snatch it out of his hand/glove. Heck, he didn’t even reach in the kids direction. He picked the ball up off of the ground after it deflected off the hands of the 10 other guys in front of him who went for the ball. Why aren’t we upset at those 
guys too?
I truly don’t understand what makes kids so special that people seem to believe that if a ball lands within 100 feet of one, and an adult gets it, that they should immediately hand it to them. For a lot of people (adults included) they’ve never even come close to catching a ball. You know they have to be extremely excited when their moment of glory finally comes, and they get a ball. Why should they be required to hand over their souvenir?
Remember last season when the kid reached in front of the younger kid and snatched the baseball, only to return it back to the smaller kid moments later? Well, he was rewarded with tons of stuff. I guarantee you that the adult that came up with the ball last night would’ve recieved zip if he had of done the same. Why is that? What makes kids so much better than fully grown men? It baffles me.
I’ve never been lucky enough to get a baseball at a game. I’m sure I could easily get one if I tried hard enough, but for now I’m content with just sitting there observing. However, if that day in which I finally get a baseball comes in June, in Cincinnati, or 15 years down the road, I’m not going to hand the ball over to a kid; unless it’s my own. I don’t see why I should.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to sound like a kid hater. I’m not by any means. (I have 4 cousins between the ages of 6 and 12, and I love them to death.) I’m simply saying that there is something wrong if you’re expected to hand over a baseball, or face being booed by thousands of people. It’s just a baseball.
I’ll admit, I’ve witnessed (in person) people tackle little kids for baseballs and keep them for themselves, but that guy last night did absolutely NOTHING wrong. Had he of tackled the kid, or snatched the ball from him I’d be bashing him like everyone else. But from my point of view, he was just doing what any person would do. He was just a fan, fulfilling the dream of any baseball fan: Catching a ball at a Major League Baseball game.
UPDATE
I’m aware of the more recent incident in Miami, and I still stand with my original thoughts on the matter. While it looked like the grown man took the ball from the girl, it actually appears to me that the ball would’ve been caught by the boy WITH THE GLOVE anyway. Whatever the case, for all we know, it might be the first ball that guy has EVER gotten. He shouldn’t be critisized just because of his age and size.
Please leave a comment with your opinion of the whole situation. Whichever side you’re on, I want to see what you (the reader) has to say.
Matt Huddleston
