Second Time’s a Charm

November 23, 2010 Leave a comment

Everybody deserves a second chance. Life may not offer many second chances, but when you get them, carpe diem!

Sports may be the best avenue to re-prove yourself to your team, your fans, and yourself. It seems like everyday there is a new athlete involved in a scandal. This has become so out of control when I turn on SportsCenter, I feel like I’m watching an episode of TMZ. No, I don’t care what Brett Favre had for breakfast Wednesday morning, nor do I care who divorced whom and married whom. That isn’t why I watch sports. I’m not one to judge an athlete based on his off-field activity, but rather on his on-the-field performance. But sadly, I think I am the minority.

Nowadays, some fans are forming their opinions of athletes based on what they do in their off time. I have no problem with this, but these fans are the ones that rarely even watch sports. This is a problem. Living in the great country of America, a second chance is practically written in the constitution. “Fool me once, shame on you! Fool me twice, shame on me!” After all, the American public are very forgiving. In this “What-have-you-done-for-me-lately” society, sports fan are always looking for a reason to forgive. If you win, people forget. It’s that simple. Look at Kobe, look at Jordan, heck even A-Rod! But if you fail to win, LOOK OUT! (See Wade Phillips, Brad Childress, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, or Brett Favre).

Take Michael Vick for example. Yes, he may have done some terrible things, but he served his time and is back and better than ever. Let me be the first to tell you, I have always been a fan of Mike Vick; the guy’s talents are simply amazing. Ever since his breakout season in 2003, Michael Vick has always been one of the most electrifying players in the National Football League. Vick’s talents were still raw in Atlanta, and he was never mature enough to understand all the intangibles that are needed to play quarterback in the NFL. Sure, there are many athletes out there with Vick’s arm or Vick’s speed, but through experience and maturity, Vick is finally able to harness his power. This is pretty scary considering a raw Michael Vick took a weak Falcons team to the 2003 NFC Championship game. Vick’s uncanny ability to scramble better than any quarterback EVER, is a huge disadvantage for the opposing defense. Instead of accounting for all 11 players on offense, they must account for 12 (Vick’s speed). It’s not everyday you see two defensive players strictly guarding the quarterback. With the endless talents of Michael Vick, he is primed to be something special. After a brief quarterback conflict at the beginning of the season, Michael Vick is in the driver’s seat for NFL MVP and may have Philadelphia in a collision course to the Super Bowl. And credit the Eagles for giving Michael Vick his second chance… not many teams were willing to do the same.

Speaking of second chance MVPs, Josh Hamilton was awarded the AL MVP for the first time this afternoon. For those who aren’t aware of Hamilton’s comeback story, let me give you a brief refresher course. Touted as the most talented high school baseball player in recent memory, Hamilton was selected first overall in 1999 by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. A few years later, Hamilton was involved in a car accident, which inevitably sent him into drug rehab. After more and more failed drug tests, Hamilton embarked on a three-year hiatus from baseball (2003-2006) to get his life together. Four years later, he becomes the American League MVP. And the rest is history.

A quick tangent on Josh Hamilton’s historic season. As you may have already known, I am a Texas Rangers fan and this news brought joy to me as much as anybody else. Not since the days of Pudge Rodriguez and Juan Gonzalez had the Rangers had a power hitter of Hamilton’s caliber. In fact, Josh Hamilton may be the best Rangers hitter of all time. Hitting an outstanding .359 with 32 homers and 100 RBI’s, it’s hard to believe Hamilton only played in 133 games. To go even further, Hamilton led the MLB in slugging percentage and in OPS (on-base plus slugging). Who knows what would have happened if his injury hadn’t kept him out of games. But I do know one thing for sure; there is no way the Texas Rangers would have made it into the World Series without Hamilton’s power bat in the lineup.

A second chance always serves for a great “feel-good” story. In fact, just the other day I watched the Marcus Dupree 30 for 30 documentary, “The Best There Never Was”, (highly recommended by the way). Widely regarded as the best high school running back of all time, his career came to a halt when a knee injury ended his rookie USFL season. With hard work and determination, Marcus Dupree was able to do the impossible… play in the NFL. While he wasn’t performing to the best of his ability, he was able to overcome all odds and fulfill his dream…quite a Hollywood story in fact. Who knows? Maybe sooner or later there will be a Josh Hamilton or Michael Vick biopic.

Michael Vick and Josh Hamilton’s hiatus from professional sports may have been just the outlet they needed to get their head on straight. To come back after a multi-year hiatus from professional sports and be even half as good as before takes character. But to come back and contend for MVPs, World Series titles, and Super Bowls takes something special.

We are all grateful to witness the great talents of these superstars a second time around. Josh Hamilton and Michael Vick are just a few superstars that prove that second chances do pay off.


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After 39 Years, It’s Time!

October 23, 2010 4 Comments

That. Just. Happened. In April, if you told me the Rangers would be playing into November and eliminating the Yankees, I would have said you’re crazy. Even as big of a “homer” as I am, I’m still pinching myself to make sure this isn’t a dream. I just arrived back in Austin minutes ago, and wanted to share my experiences.

Those who read my MLB Playoff Picks (here), you’re welcome. We all know I pick the Dallas team to win it every year, and it never happens. As for the World Series, I don’t want to jinx the Rangers but you can guess which way I’m leaning. I was fortunate enough to attend the biggest game in Rangers franchise history, and like my great mentor Bill Simmons, I wanted to share my Game 6 photo diary.

It all began after Game 3 on the ALCS. Cliff Lee proved again that he is as much of a sure thing as the sun setting. After watching this historic 13-strikeout performance, the Yankees had little hope left. I was positive if somehow, Texas can bring it back to Arlington up three games to two, it was over.

I arrived to the game about 90 minutes before the first pitch, just in time to see the Yankees batting practice. My seats were down the 3rd base line pretty close to the field (for a hefty price).

The first thing I see as I get to my seats is the Great Yankees Captain, Derek Jeter. I don’t care who you are, but Jeter deserves respect. Yes, he is the captain of the Yankees’ “Evil Empire”, but he is also the best shortstop of all time (not up for debate). Anyway, unlike most star players Jeter is a very nice guy. His happy go-lucky attitude makes him a fan favorite wherever he goes. He smiles at the crowd during warm-ups, and will even respond to the chants of “JETER!” (Trust me I know)

As for his counterpart A-Rod, I can’t say the same. Watching the game on TV, it is easy to hear the loud boo’s of A-Rod. At the game, it is a whole different beast. I have never seen so much hatred for one player at any stadium in my life. This would be as good a time as any to mention I was wearing my A-Rod Rangers jersey to the game (given it is the only Texas jersey I have that isn’t a youth large). By some amazement, I somehow avoided being heckled. Either the fans behind me thought I was wearing a Pudge Rodriguez jersey, or were just too drunk to put two and two together.

Then all of a sudden, rain began pouring down in Arlington. I kept thinking to myself, “Please, please don’t be a delay!” When are they going to tarp the field? I wasn’t worried. Nobody knows the weather better than a major league grounds crew. Having interned with the Astros grounds crew team last summer, no one knows what the weather is going to do better than the crew. About mid-way through the National Anthem, a quick thunderstorm stopped by, and the field was tarped. For some strange reason, this lasted all but 5 minutes and it never came back again. The baseball gods wanted to see some baseball.

On to the game… never have I seen the Ballpark this full or this loud. I had a feeling it was going to be one of those games where you really didn’t even need a seat as everyone around me was standing throughout the whole game. The game wasn’t a huge marquee pitching matchup (Hughes vs. Lewis) at the start but Colby Lewis pitched the game of his life.

Beginning in the first inning, the Rangers started their journey. Here’s an interesting tidbit: the Rangers have scored in the first inning in three of the five games this series thus far. That didn’t change Friday night. After hits by Elvis and Hamilton, things were looking good. Little did I know this was the only at-bat Hamilton was going to get. After a Guerrero RBI on a fielder’s choice, the Rangers were on the board.

Then began the pitching duel. For the next four innings, both bats were silenced until the Yankees got their first hit by A-rod into the gap. Then the baseball gods showed up. On a fluke wild pitch that grazed Nick Swisher’s shin, A-Rod scored on the “passed ball.” I remember seeing Bengie Molina furious. Quite a rare sight, I must say. If you upset our 37-year old catcher, then something must be wrong. As usual, the Ballpark replay officials were on break only for that play so I had to make a few texts to see what truly happened. Unfortunately, the umpires were unable to solve wild-pitchgate, and the game was tied going into the bottom of the fifth.

At this point. I called my shot. That is, after a few innings of knocking on the door, I had that gut feeling that the Ranger’s bats would break through. Was I wrong? Of course not. Starting off with a tough grounder in the hole overthrown by Cano, Mitch Moreland was on base to start the Rangers rally. Very similar to the eighth inning of Game 1 when Bret Gardner beat CJ Wilson to first base prompting a Yankees comeback for the ages. After a well executed hit-and-run by Elvis Andrus, the Rangers were once again in scoring position. A quick out by Young and up came MVP Josh Hamilton. Throughout this series, Girardi has made it quite clear that he wants no part of Hamilton and issued him his second free base of the game (somewhere Barry Bonds is laughing).

The stadium was deafening with Boo’s as we could only hope Vlad finally comes through. All of a sudden Vlad blasts a lined shot into deep center and BOOM!! The stadium erupted. Chants of “Vladdy,Vladdy, Vladdy swept Arlington. (I can’t feel my legs). The Rangers were up 3-1 and bye bye Phil Hughes. Up comes David Robertson (on the record, I questioned this move immediately but I’ll go ahead and continue) to face the powerful Nelson Cruz. With a 1-2 count, Nelson hits a moonshot into deep left center: it’s going, going, GONE! Cue the home run music!

O My, THIS is why you go the game. Texas didn’t stop there, scoring Cruz on a double by Kinsler down the line. And before you knew it, the Rangers were up 6-1 on THE YANKEES. This marked the first time I realized, WOW, Could we actually win the Pennant? Up by five runs, I saw what happened in Game 1, and wasn’t calling it yet. 12 outs left.

All that cheering and yelling sure does make you hungry. After a quick consumption of Nachos, two hot dogs, and chips I was ready to go.

Fast forward to the eighth. A quick glance over at the Rangers scoreboard to see Colby Lewis with only 86 pitches. Can he finish the game? Literally seconds later, Lewis strikes out the side in dominant fashion, and THREE OUTS LEFT. Cliff who? No, but seriously. Many people wondered why Ron Washington wouldn’t throw Lee on short rest. Answer: Colby Lewis. Plus, it is going to be very handy having Cliff Lee at our disposal in games 1 and 5 of the World Series.

Disclaimer to Nolan Ryan, Chuck Greenberg, and Jon Daniels: get that checkbook ready because Cliff Lee isn’t going to be cheap (around 4 yrs/ $100 million).

In came Mariano Rivera and for some strange reason, the crowd of 51,000+ was silenced. Forget about the five run lead, this was the best closer of all time (aka the “Hammer of God”). I never understood why it became so silent, but you have to respect Mo. Even the stadium stopped playing music… it was uncomfortably quiet compared to the craziness moments before.

On to the Ninth. My video camera was ready and prepared to see what nobody has seen… a Rangers pennant. The young fireballer Neftali Feliz came in to shut the door.

Granderson out, Cano out, ONE MORE OUT! And who was it going to be? None other than Alex Rodriguez. You can’t script this any better. To this day, I still don’t understand the utter hatred Texas fans have for A-Rod but who knows. Is it A: his move to New York, B: his failure to deliver on a $250 million contract, C: his steroid era in Texas, D: his talent, or E: All of the above.

A perfect ending to a perfect ALCS. In order to get to your first World Series, you must beat your arch-nemesis (sounds like a Star Wars movie). Thoughts immediately began swarming through my head: Do I rush the field? This idea was quickly shut down when the PA announcer said, “All unauthorized persons who enter the playing surface are subject for arrest.” Aw, shucks. Then it began: Strike one, Strike two… Get your popcorn ready. Then time froze as Feliz delivered a slider on the black outside edge of the plate. STRIKE THREE!

RANGERS WIN THE PENNANT! RANGERS WIN THE PENNANT!

From the verge of bankruptcy to American League Champions! It can’t get any better than this!

I will conclude with this video I took at the end:

And folks, it’s not over yet!

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Tis the Season: Stick’s MLB Playoff Picks

October 5, 2010 3 Comments

The Rangers playoff success rests on the arm of Cliff Lee

Well, it’s been awhile but maybe just maybe, baseball is back in the spotlight. The initial surge of the start of football has slowly faded away, and now it is time for America’s true pastime to shine. As seen in my mid-season baseball picks (here), I shied away from making playoff predictions (too soon to call). But in fact, my picks haven’t changed so, without further adieu, my 2010 MLB playoff picks:

Division Series
Cincinnati vs. Philadelphia- Ok, I was right about the Phillies winning the division, but I will admit the Reds surprised me. The Reds are a team on the rise with Joey Votto entering his prime, former Longhorn Drew Stubbs holding down Center field, and a young pitching staff with a pool of prospects (most notably Cuban phenom Aroldis Chapman). To Dusty Baker and the entire Reds organization, pat yourselves on the back. This is a team that will be playing into October for the next few years. Unfortunately, they have been matched up with the National League Juggernaut… the Philadelphia Phillies. Without even barking on the fact that the Phillies are two-time defending National League Champions, this team is one of the most talented teams in the past decade…on paper. Not many teams can say their playoff starters include World Series MVP Cole Hamels, Cy Young winner and seven-time All-Star Roy Halladay, and three-time All-Star Roy Oswalt. The best teams are the ones who make the best moves, and acquiring Astros legend Roy Oswalt  is what makes World Series Champions. For you statistics junkies out there, here are some numbers to throw around:
Cole Hamels (career) vs. Reds 6-0, 1.07 ERA
Roy Oswalt (career) vs. Reds 23-3, 2.81 ERA
Roy Halladay (career) vs. Reds 1-1 2.84 ERA
So with that in mind: Do I need to say any more?

Sticks Pick: Phillies in 3

Atlanta vs. San Francisco: Does anyone really care about this series? Philadelphia will dismantle both of these teams, but I’ll go ahead and continue anyway. Sure, it is a feel good story to see Hall of Fame coach Bobby Cox go out on top, but the Braves days of National League dominance have been long over. Fortunately, they were rewarded with the offensively challenged San Francisco Giants in the first-round. Despite the Giants strong rotation, something tells me Atlanta will squeak by in the end. And that something is… experience. Chipper Jones, Tim Hudson, Troy Glaus, and Derek Lowe just to name a few. When in doubt, experience trumps talent. The Giants have the least runs scored by any current playoff team, but also the fewest runs allowed. What do I do? After months of research, I have made a scientific breakthrough: you MUST score runs to win games. The last playoff team to fall short of 700 runs scored for the season was the 2005 San Diego Padres (arguably the worst division winner ever). Led by ace pitcher Jake Peavy, they were quickly swept by the more experienced St Louis Cardinals. See a theme here? In a year where Tim Lincecum has shown signs of weakness, my gut is telling me to take the more playoff-experienced Atlanta Braves.

Stick’s Pick: Atlanta in 4

New York vs. Minnesota- Both of these teams have been flying under my radar. The Yankees backed their way into a wild-card spot, and the Twins have had their division clinched since the World Cup. Hard to believe the Yankees have been flying under my radar, but in only a best of five series, there really is nothing to look at except the pitching matchups. The Yankees have CC, Hughes, and Petitte vs. the Twins Liriano, Pavano, and Duensing (seriously, who is this guy?) I can’t say the Twins can beat CC and we all know what postseason wins leader Andy Petitte can do. So that leaves Hughes vs. Pavano. Hughes has come into his own this season but something tells me Pavano is going to bring it game two to get revenge on the team that got rid of him. I would say Yankees in three, but every now and then the Yankees take games off. The Twins don’t win but they break that awful run of 9 consecutive playoff games lost.

Stick’s Pick: Yankees in 4

Texas vs. Tampa Bay- Wow, as I’m writing this I still don’t know how this series will turn out, but I do know one thing… this is going five games. What many may not know, the Tampa Bay Rays’ only weakness, if any, is their inability to hit good left-handed pitching. The one thing Texas has plenty of… good left-handed pitching. Well, there you go I just might have made my decision. We all saw how Cliff Lee carried the Phillies within two games of consecutive World Series wins last postseason and nearly beat the Yankees by himself. The emergence of closer-turned-starter C.J. Wilson may be the X-factor in this playoff series. We all know Cliff Lee will bring his A game, but can CJ continue his dominance? Numbers don’t lie. We also know Cliff Lee will most likely pitch on a days rest if needed (trust me if Nolan Ryan tells him to, he will). Lee has started 13 games vs. the Rays in his career with an easy 2.87 ERA. Hold on, I’m not finished. The so-called Rays ace, David Price, doesn’t like playing the Rangers. Why you ask? It may have something to do with his 7.44 career ERA in four games started but who knows? My only worry about the Rays making a postseason run is the “Major League” factor. Recently, Rays owner Stuart Sternberg said they can’t afford to keep a majority of their players for next season simply because “they can’t turn a profit next year.” Makes sense when WNBA teams have more attendance than your team (Ok, too far). If you have seen one of the best sports movies of all time “Major League” you might understand where I’m coming from. In the movie, the team is told this is their last season to play together, and as a result they….wait I can’t spoil it but you get the picture. Fortunately, I don’t see a Pedro Cerrano or Rick Vaughn on this Rays team. Like the Twins, the Rangers snap their 9 game consecutive playoff losing streak and take the series.

Stick’s Pick: Rangers in 5

Championship Series
Atlanta vs. Philadelphia- As I said earlier, the Phillies will continue their postseason run straight to a third consecutive World Series. You know about the Phillies three-headed monster (Halladay, Hamels, Oswalt) in their starting rotation, but let me take the time to tell you about the other side. Starting off with the core three: Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins. Ryan Howard is the best second-half hitter I have seen in I’m not sure how long, Chase Utley is the true captain of this team, and we all know you can’t win games without a great leadoff man who can get on base (Rollins). Throw in Victorino, Jay Werth, and Placido Polanco and you got yourself a pretty potent lineup. I would easily go with Philadelphia in four here but we all know Lidge will probably blow a save, plus maybe Charlie Manuel will give Roy Halladay the day off if up three games to zero. As for the Braves, sorry Bobby (Cox) it’s been a good run, but the train stops here.

Stick’s Pick: Phillies in 5

Texas vs. New York: Ok, I knew this matchup was coming. Lets take a history lesson, shall we? What happened the last time the Rangers made the postseason in 1999? How about the time before that in 1998? What about 1996? If you have yet to come up with the answer, I’ll give you a hint, the Rangers won a combined one game these three playoff series. They were swept in 1998 and 1999, but managed to win their one and only franchise playoff win in 1996. Who did Texas play in all three series? The dreaded 27-time World Champion New York Yankees. The Yankees still have the core four (Posada, Jeter, Petitte, Posada) from those 90’s dynasty teams, plus maybe even better talent. In a best of seven series, you may even see Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia each pitch three times. During last year’s World Series, Lee developed the nickname: the Yankee killer. Game 1: W, 7 IP, 0 ER, 10 K, and 0 BB; Game 5: (on three days rest): W, 7 IP, 3 K, 5 ER, 3 BB. Ok, so maybe he should get some more rest before going out there again, but with this potent Rangers offense, five earned runs may be good enough. CC Sabathia may even cancel Cliff Lee out this series. That leaves the series tied at 2-2. So what it really comes down to is the play of Petitte and Hughes vs. Wilson and Lewis. As much as I would love to see the Rangers win this series, I am skeptical. Maybe it is because I am a Dallas sports fans. Every year, I expect the Mavs and Cowboys to over perform but am only left disappointed at the end. My gut feeling once again tells me the Yankees postseason “grit” will be just too much for the Rangers again. But lets applaud Texas for a second. If this prediction is even half true, the Rangers have come a long way, and depending on whether they can sign Cliff Lee next season will determine just how far they can keep going.

Stick’s Pick: Yankees in 7

World Series
New York vs. Philadelphia- Wait, what was that? This is the same World Series matchup from last year? You gotta be kidding me! After some statistical research and a few gut picks, I am back down to the same two teams that finished out the 2009 season. I will say I called this repeat World Series matchup back in April. Ok, so you have heard all my analyses about pitching matchups and playoff experience, but when it comes down to it, these teams are about as closely matched as you can get. The Yankees trimmed the fat by cutting Burnett out of the rotation for a better Phil Hughes; the Phillies swapped aces for one of the best pitchers this decade (Halladay) plus another ace in Roy Oswalt. The Yankees finished the season rather mediocre, opposed to the Phillies who won nearly 80% of their second half games. So, instinct would be to take the hot team right? Not in this case. Much like the 2010 Boston Celtics (a team of experienced veterans), they knew they could mail in the regular season and then turn it on in the playoffs. With that in mind, somehow I have gone these entire predictions without mentioning Alex “A-Rod” Rodriguez. As I said in my earlier article (here), A-Rod received a letter from the late George Steinbrenner saying, “WE ARE COUNTING ON YOU.” Well, here it is. A-Rod can further cement his Hall of Fame resume with back-to-back World Series titles and another Yankees dynasty. Come on A-Rod, do it for the Boss! With the “core four” nearly in their forties, and Mariano Rivera entering his last few seasons, the window may be closing on these New York Yankees soon, but I believe it remains open this year.

Stick’s Pick: Yankees win their 28th World Series in 7 Games

On an unrelated note, how did TBS get the MLB playoffs again? I am not sure what I will see more, “Meet the Browns” or “House of Payne” promos.

Go Rangers!

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Midnight Madness

August 4, 2010 2 Comments

On a day when A-Rod hits his 600th homer, Favre unretired for the 100th time, it is the Texas Rangers that win most bizarre story of the day. As some of you may know, the Texas Rangers’ auction took place today (actually it is still ongoing). A quick rundown, the Texas Rangers are bankrupt and were bought by the courts. Just like anything else seized by the government, they have been put up for auction to the highest bidder.

In this case, the two bidders are very well known. Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and current Rangers president and Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. To be clear, they are not buying the team on their own but are part of different groups. The Cuban/Crane group are said to be the frontrunners in the auction, outdueling the Ryan/Greenberg group. On the 17-year anniversary of the infamous Nolan Ryan/Robin Ventura brawl, it looks like Cuban may have Nolan in a headlock this time.

Lets just start off by saying Nolan Ryan’s group is extremely bitter about this whole situation. They initially were to purchase the team in mid-July shortly after the Rangers declared bankruptcy. However, Major League Baseball weren’t impressed with their initial offer (due to the Rangers $500 Million debt), and decided to leave it to the courts to proceed with the auction.

Ryan isn’t the only one bitter about this situation. Recently, Mark Cuban had made it quite clear that he was interested in purchasing the Chicago Cubs but was later denied by Major League Baseball. I even heard Cuban outbid the highest bidder by nearly $100 million. Is Major League Baseball really that afraid of Mark Cuban? In light of George Steinbrenner’s recent passing, the MLB has made it known they do not want anyone following in his footsteps. Being the only sport without a salary cap, a MLB owner truly has full reign to make his team as good as he pleases. And, what a better opportunity for Mark Cuban to do both himself and baseball a favor and bail out the team in his own backyard.

I know there are those people out there on Team Ryan and on Team Cuban, but honestly are either a bad choice? If Nolan Ryan’s group wins the bid, the Rangers continue what they have been doing… pitching (and winning of course). And if Cuban’s group wins, look out baseball. This is the same Cuban who brought the Dallas Mavericks out of the gutter on a fixed budget… imagine what he could do without a salary cap. What I don’t get is the stubbornness of Nolan Ryan. Would he really quit the Rangers just because he wasn’t able to become part owner? News flash Nolan, you can’t have your cake and eat it too.

The auction began early this morning with the Judge proclaiming, “This is going to be awhile.” Well, he was right on that one. I am currently writing this article at about 11 pm Wednesday night, and both parties are still arguing in the courtroom. I would also like to take a minute to thank Anthony Andro for his in-depth coverage of this whole bizarre process. And quite frankly, I can’t get enough.

On to the auction. The first major unfolding of this courtroom drama began with opening bids. The Ryan/Greenberg group opened with $520 million, immediately to be followed by Cuban’s bid of $545 million. This quick outbid seemed to stir the Ryan camp. In fact, after about a two hour recess, the Ryan group came back by raising their cash bid from $318 to $320 million. Needing only five minutes, Cuban then raised that up to $335 million. This was the first warning sign for the Ryan/Greenberg group that Cuban wasn’t going away. Shortly after this sudden raise, Cuban’s camp ordered pizzas into the courtroom (the second warning sign). After lots of arguing between each side and FOUR hours later, Cuban then raises his own bid to $355 million cash. For those who are familiar with poker, this is like raising the big blind to all-in. There was a point in the auction process where Cuban’s lawyer, Jessup, proclaimed that Cuban will outbid the Ryan/Greenberg group by $10 million every time. If that isn’t intimidation, I don’t know what is.

At this point, the Ryan/Greenberg camp must be flustered. Their lawyer, Lauria, immediately goes on a rant about how Major League Baseball might not even approve Cuban as an owner. This obviously doesn’t sit well with the Cuban camp. Lauria continues his desperate attempt to keep the auction going by saying that Greenberg’s money is better than Cuban’s because you can access it now. This brought a smile to Cuban’s face. Not sure where he was going with this, but if the court needed to be paid $350 million on the spot, I would have my doubts of the legitimacy of this transaction.

For those Nolan supporters. Nolan would make a great owner, but last I checked Chuck Greenberg would be the one signing the checks. Greenberg was approved by Tom Hicks, which is enough to doubt his qualifications. As displayed in the all-day auction, he seems like one of those guys who will pay exactly what is necessary but not a penny more. I’m sure he would make a great owner, but at least you know what you’re getting with Cuban. Greenberg has had great success in the minor league ranks, but they call it the pros for a reason. And to most Rangers fans, Nolan is the hometown favorite. But remember, Nolan was as much of a Ranger as A-Rod. Having played only five seasons of his 26-year career, he isn’t necessarily the Rangers franchise player.

My case for Cuban: he is rich/invests in his teams and has had previous success in owning a professional sports franchise. Plus, you have to admit he is more entertaining to watch then most sports owners. In 2000, when Cuban bought the Mavericks, they were coming off some of the worst seasons in NBA history. Ten years later, they have failed to miss the postseason and have a NBA Finals appearance. Giving Mark Cuban free reign to spend his money in baseball is exactly why Bud Selig and the MLB didn’t approve his bid of the Cubs. I can tell you one thing, if I was a player I would love to play for Cuban. Facilities, team travel, and the overall quality of life would be significantly improved.

As the auction nears a close, it has been widely speculated that if Cuban wins, the Ryan/Greenberg group would immediately appeal. This, to me, seems kind of childish. If somebody pays more money than you for something, they should get the prize. As the famous Latin phrase goes, “Ad victorem spolias (To the victor goes the spoils).” And, Ryan and Greenberg aren’t helping themselves by thinking they are entitled to own the Rangers. Sometimes you need to accept your losses and move on. My main criticism of Nolan in this whole situation is the notion that he will quit the Rangers if he and Greenberg don’t get their way. This is very unprofessional, and kind of alters the reputation and credibility of the Hall of Fame pitcher. But don’t get me wrong, Nolan Ryan is the best Rangers president of all time: it would just be a shame to see him take his marbles and go home. Did Mark Cuban fire Don Nelson when he became Mavericks owner? No. So chances are he wouldn’t have fired Nolan either (especially with their recent success). It’s a shame to watch. Worst case scenario, Ryan and Greenberg can always buy the Houston Astros. After losing Oswalt and Berkman and getting enough money for a Happy Meal, they might be on the market pretty soon too.

Update: in a turn of events, Nolan Ryan and Chuck Greenberg are the new owners of the Texas Rangers for an approximate $593 million. This came down to Nolan Ryan’s passion. He wasn’t giving up easily.

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Sticks Second Half Picks

July 21, 2010 2 Comments

Entering the second half stretch of the marathon baseball season, I thought it would be fun for me to give my picks for the eight-playoff teams. So with that in mind, enjoy.

AL East- this is probably the toughest division to predict in baseball. With three playoff-caliber teams, at least one team is going home unhappy. I find it extremely difficult to argue against the Yankees winning this division. Aside from being the reigning World Series Champs, their rotation and lineup has made vast improvements from last season. Phil Hughes has emerged as a solid option in the staff, in addition to Cano having a breakout year. Hard to think, Teixeira and A-Rod have yet to fully hit their stride. As for the others, I like Tampa Bay. Two years from their unlikely World Series run, this team may be even better. Despite last year’s hiccup, the Rays are a team on the rise and they are rising quickly. The Rays lead the league with 115 stolen bases (19 more than the second place team), and are in the top six in both team earned run average and on-base percentage. You don’t have to be Billy Beane to realize that is good money ball. The Red Sox haven’t shown me much lately, but fans still have 2004 and 2007 to enjoy because I don’t see them playing deep into October.
Division Winner: New York Yankees

AL Wild Card: Tampa Bay Rays.

AL Central- Okay, so I want to pick the Tigers here, but I won’t. Every season, the Tigers have one of the best teams on paper, but fail to sniff the postseason. Don’t get me wrong; Miguel Cabrera is who we thought he was… one of the best hitters in the league. But that doesn’t change that fact that they are in the bottom third of the league in earned run average, and they only really have one “good” starting pitcher. At this point, I find it very tough choosing between the Twins and White Sox. The Twins have better hitting, but the White Sox have better pitching. Using the complex formula of “good pitching=championships”, I have to give a slight edge to the White Sox. The Twins are a fun team to watch, they just don’t have that ace pitcher. The White Sox, however, have homegrown Texan John Danks, in the midst of a career season. Not to mention, Alex Rios is quietly having one of the best fantasy baseball seasons in awhile hitting .310 with 16 homers and 23 stolen bases (had to plug my fantasy team here). Looking forward to watching Ozzie work his magic in October.

Division Winner: Chicago White Sox

AL West- Ah yes, the AL West. If this were any other year but this year, I would have easily given this division to the Angels. After all, they have won the division five times in the past six years (not too shabby). But, this is 2010, and the year of the Rangers. The Rangers have one thing they have never had during my lifetime… pitching. With a lineup as deadly as the Rangers, it doesn’t take the best pitcher to win a few games here and there. In this case, it doesn’t hurt either to add one of the games best pitchers in Cliff Lee. The Rangers were tied with the Yankees with the most All Stars (7), not bad for a team that finished dead last in the division three years ago. The Rangers need these playoffs to end their 14-year drought. And this isn’t the 1996 team who did it with their bats and steroids, this is 2010 and we do it with pitching. Plus it would be nice for the Rangers to get some playoff revenue, given the whole bankrupt issue and all.

Division Winner: Texas Rangers

As I finish up my American league projections, I noticed all my picks are the teams currently in first place (not very exciting). Don’ worry, I have a few tricks up my sleeve for the National league.

NL East- I’ll start out by saying that the Atlanta Braves will not win the division. When your home run and RBI leader is Troy Glaus, there is a problem. Glaus is a great hitter; I just can’t see him anchoring an offense into the playoffs. I can’t pick against the Phillies. They can be ten games out for all I care; their roster is too good. With one of the best hitters in the game (Ryan Howard) and one of the best pitchers in the game (Roy Halladay) it is hard to see them left out come October. Did I mention they were National League Champions the past two years? I believe the Phillies will figure it out by the time Utley returns and make a late push to capture the division crown. On a divisional related note, I’d also like to say Stephen Strasburg is really good. He may play on the Nationals but come 2013/2014, he just may be playing into October.

Division Winner: Philadelphia Phillies

NL Central- Like the Angels in the AL West, the Cardinals are the model of consistency. It helps to have a great pitching duo and a great hitting duo. The Cardinals happen to be one of the few teams in the league that does. Carpenter and Wainwright anchor a solid rotation while Pujols and Holliday are two of the best hitters in the National League. It is also helpful beating up on the Pirates and Astros a few times each month. Another interesting story this season have been Dusty Baker’s Cincinnati Reds. This Reds team reminds me of the ’09 Rangers, great lineup with occasional good pitching. Unfortunately for the Rangers, they spiraled downward come September. I see the Reds doing something similar. The Reds may not make the playoffs this year, but look out for this team for many years to come.

Division Winner: St Louis Cardinals

NL West- Quite possibly, the most surprising division in baseball. Going into the season, the Padres were long shots to win the World Series. Now they have the best ERA in baseball. However, if the Padres hope to extend their stay at the top, they are going to have to hit. They rank in the bottom third of the league in nearly every hitting statistic. Besides Adrian Gonzalez, their best hitter is Chase Headley who has only managed 7 homers and 33 RBI on the season. On that note, I really like the Rockies in this division. This team can hit. They do have a solid lineup from top to bottom. And Ubaldo Jimenez’s career year can’t go wasted. While the rest of the rotation is unaccounted for, look for Jimenez to pull a Sabathia and push his team into the playoffs. A very similar Rockies team got hot at the right time, and rolled into the 2007 World Series. I also like the Dodgers for the NL Wildcard. They may be four games out at the moment, but they have one of the easiest second half schedules in the major leagues (or so I think). The Dodgers have done one thing right this season… beat up on their own division. They currently sit 23-8 vs. the NL West with 41 of the remainder 67 games against divisional foes. Plus, Torre and the Dodgers have been in this position before so don’t panic Dodger fans.

Division Winner: Colorado Rockies

NL Wildcard: Los Angeles Dodgers

There you have it, my picks for the eight MLB playoff teams. Come October, I will get into exactly how far each team can advance in the 2010 Playoffs.

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The Boss

July 15, 2010 3 Comments

At a time when baseball was in the All-Star spotlight, a baseball legend passed away. Nobody loved the spotlight more than the boss. He cared about one thing more than anything…winning. If he had to sell his soul for a championship, he would. There was never a season where he didn’t believe the Yankees could win the championship. He truly was the boss of all bosses.

As I was in Dallas this weekend for my Aunt’s funeral, I walked by the grave of the great Yankee legend Mickey Mantle. It is quite a spectacle to see the Yankee shrine with hats and pictures laid out, all praising Mickey. Not even an hour after the service, I hear the Steinbrenner news. Coincidence or not?

I grew up during the Yankees dynasty in the 90′s, and there wasn’t an organization I respected more. I visited the great Yankee stadium (the old, not the new) for a divisional series playoff game vs. the Rangers. It was the ultimate experience, not only was I able to see the Yankees play in the stadium, but I saw them against my home team. Having bought the Yankees for $8.57 million in 1973, Steinbrenner has gained much value over the years (but seriously, MUCH value). The Yankees are worth $1.5 billion now. It is also reported that Steinbrenner only put up $168K of his own money as well. It doesn’t take a math expert to know that’s a good investment. He took one of the most storied franchises in sports, and brought it to immortality. In fact, there are nine players on the current Yankees roster who make more than what George paid for the entire organization.

George Steinbrenner revolutionized baseball, and set the gold standard for owners of all sports. Any current player in the major leagues, or even sports for that matter, can thank Mr. Steinbrenner. If it wasn’t for him, there wouldn’t be these crazy salaries. George started the trend of paying his players more than their worth. As said best by the boss himself, “I want you to play up to your salary, not your skill level.” He used all his resources in effort to win. So if you were a Yankees fan, how could you not respect the boss? Even Red Sox fans I’ve talked to, were envious of Steinbrenner’s tactics. It is always nice to have an owner who loves winning and will do whatever necessary to make it happen.

Although the Yankees were already a historic franchise, Steinbrenner made them THE model franchise in sports. Everyday he expected to win, and was going to come at you hard if he didn’t. As Derek Jeter pointed out, he was like a football coach. He looked at the 162-game season and viewed it as a 12-game football season. He expected to win every game. When Alex Rodriguez was signed by the Yankees in 2004, he received a handwritten note from George with capitalize letters saying. “WE ARE COUNTING ON YOU.” To this day, A-Rod still holds onto this note. Steinbrenner always wanted 110% from his players, and he always made it his goal to get that extra 10%.

He might not have been the easiest guy to talk to, but he was well respected by all his players and coaches. For any who saw the ESPN mini-series “The Bronx is Burning”, you are aware of his feud with Reggie Jackson and Billy Martin. In fact, George hired and fired Billy Martin five times. And you thought his beef with Joe Torre was bad? Steinbrenner made 23 Yankees coaching changes during his 37-year reign as Yankees owner. Lets just say he wasn’t the easiest to get along with. Some may criticize this win or go home method, but 11 pennants later… whose laughing now?

Steinbrenner, like everyone, had his rough patch in the late 80’s to early 90’s capping with his three-year suspension from baseball. During this time, Steinbrenner realized he needed to loosen the reigns a bit and let others do his dirty work (Jerry Jones could take a lesson from this). Shortly thereafter, the Yankees cranked out four World Series Championships in five years. Maybe you can trust others?

For those who didn’t know George, he was more than just the Yankees owner; he was the owner of all sports. He expected to win, paid whatever it took to win, and fired you if you failed to win. When the Yankees sign a new free agent, the first thing the player realizes is he must win (this goes for new coaches as well). For the casual baseball fan, you might know George Steinbrenner from the hit show “Seinfeld.” As George Costanza’s boss, you could see Steinbrenner’s corky personality without him even appearing on the show. Just like his players, if something was good he had to have it (whether it be Alex Rodriguez or a calzone pizza).

Love or hate the Yankees, they set the path for sports teams to come. While it is easy to criticize Steinbrenner for his must-win capitalistic approach, it’s tough to argue with his seven World Series rings. An interesting stat I heard on the radio a few days ago involved a specific date. On January 3, 1920 the Yankees purchased Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox; on January 3, 1973 George Steinbrenner purchased the Yankees. Both of these events have had a significant impact on the Yankee organization. Whether it is the best player of all time or the best owner of all time, it seemed to work out just fine for the guys in pinstripes.

So with this article I give my tribute to the Boss; you brought competition and capitalism to American’s pastime better than anyone before you. And I salute you, Mr. Steinbrenner.

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2010: The Year of the Pitcher

June 15, 2010 4 Comments

Pitcher's today are showing hitters no sympathy

In a year of three perfect games (Galarraga’s included) one thing can be said: pitchers are back. Coming off an era where 40 HR’s were considered an off year, there have been three perfect games and a no hitter within the first two months of the season. And two of the major league home run leaders are Jose Batista and Corey Hart. Enough said.

I’m not going to sit here and tell you how great Dallas Braden and Armando Galarraga are because they aren’t that overpowering. But they do have one thing in common: they know how to pitch. They might not have a 100 mph fastball with a knee-buckling curve but they know what to throw, when to throw it, and where to throw it. Even recently, Ted Lily almost threw a no-hitter. Last I checked, Ted Lily’s fastball still sat mid 80s, it’s not rocket science. Actually to top it off, Gavin Floyd was only a few innings away himself in the SAME GAME. Next thing I’m going to see is Jamie Moyer becoming the oldest pitcher ever to throw a no-hitter (heck, he has 20 more seasons to keep trying). Ok, not really but you get the picture.

As for the other class of pitchers: the Great ones. First of all, it should come to nobody’s surprise that Roy Halladay threw a perfect game. Let’s just say coming from the best hitting division in baseball to the worst might be a little bit of the reason. Not to mention, Roy Halladay is in the 1% group that know how to pitch AND have filthy stuff. Someone who is approaching this category is Ubaldo Jimenez. For those fantasy gurus out there, this name shouldn’t be new to you (I know, as I’m fortunate enough to have him on my team). Jimenez has THE best stuff in the league. When your fastball moves up to 6 inches at 99 MPH, good luck hitting it. As we approach the halfway point, Jimenez is on pace for one of the best pitching seasons of all time (flirting with Bob Gibson’s season best ERA 1.12). There have been many doubters on the Jimenez bandwagon, but with stuff like that: I’m a believer. Who would have thought, a pitcher could post a sub four ERA at Coors field, let alone a sub one.

To further prove my point, many of you are familiar with Stephen Strasburg. Arguably, the most hyped pitcher ever. Heck, ESPN had a pregame 9 hours before his first start, and it wasn’t even on ESPN. But Strasburg didn’t disappoint: striking out 14 in seven without issuing a walk. Even Roy Halladay would say that’s a damn good start. And if it weren’t for some fluke pitchers mound, he would be well on his way to duplicating this performance. Instead he would have to settle for five innings with eight strikeouts in his second outing (Poor Stephen). The hype for Strasburg has hit such extremes that he has influenced fan attendance, ON THE ROAD. This Strasburg Effect caused the Cleveland Indians to sell 33,000 tickets last Sunday when they have been averaging 15,000 for the season. Strasburg has failed to disappoint thus far, and with the stuff he has (100+ fastball for example), I don’t see this ending any time soon. To quote Curt Schilling, “When Stephen Strasburg comes into the league, he will be the best pitcher in the league.” The hype is real, folks.

In an era of pitch counts, you aren’t going to see any 300 win pitchers any time soon but at this rate you might not even see any 300 HR hitters any time soon. With this in mind, Where are the bats? Usual greats such as A-Rod, Pujols, and Howard are on pace for some of their career worst home run numbers. A-Rod is on pace for 22 homers, Pujols on pace for 36 homers, and Howard on pace for a mere 27 home runs. These numbers have to mean something is up. A soon to release 30 for 30 documentary mentions Griffey’s pace in 1994 as he hit is 30th home run on June 17th. He was on the fastest pace since Ruth. Even Bonds had 39 at the All-Star break during his record (tainted) season. Here is another mind blowing stat for you, the Toronto Blue Jays have more homers than the Twins and Dodgers combined. Who knows, hitting might be so prevalent that there aren’t any standouts this years. It might be the lack of performance enhancers, the aging hitters, or the fact that the pitchers are just that good, but 2010 has definitely been the year of the pitcher.

I have heard many theories on why hitting has died, from the dead ball theory to stricter drug policies to even stronger wind currents. Come to think of it, it has been unusually windy. So when you cast your vote for your All-Star team in the next coming weeks, don’t forget to write-in your pitcher votes. After all, they are the real All-Stars. In Baseball’s 164-year history, there have been 20 perfect games, five in the past six years. At this rate, expect at least two more perfect games for the rest of the season. Bye Bye Steroid Era, hello Pitcher’s Era.

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Show The Kid Some Love

June 3, 2010 6 Comments

As I was preparing my World Cup article for next week, a sports tragedy occurred. No, it wasn’t the blown perfect game call by Jim Joyce (more on that later) but it was the retirement of one of the game’s all-time greats. This article has been years in the making and unfortunately I have been forced to write it prematurely. Make no mistake, you can’t find a bigger Griffey fan than me, so this retirement meant more to me than almost anyone. With that in mind, here is my tribute to one of the greatest outfielders to ever play the game.

Ken Griffey, Jr. never made himself out to be the flashy player in the media but in fact, went about his business quietly and efficiently. So it was no surprise that his retirement was overshadowed by one of the biggest blown calls in sports history. Griffey never wanted to be the center of attention. To add to this, when younger sports fans look back on baseball in the 1990’s, all that will come to mind is the Steroid Era. In an era where nearly every known great was somehow linked to steroids or HGH, Griffey’s name was never mentioned. Rick Reilly put it best,”With every PED confession, Ken Griffey, Jr. shines.” With such greats as Clemens, Bonds, A-Rod, Manny, McGwire, and Sosa linked to steroids, Griffey remains the best clean player of the era. Griffey was also one of the most beloved players to ever play the game. Perhaps it was his youthful smile, his great passion for the game, or simply because he played for a mediocre team. When some members of the media criticized Seattle for signing an aging Griffey, Seattle knew one thing, chemistry. Every player on Griffey’s team would tell you that he was the ultimate clubhouse guy. His coaches, teammates, fans, and the majority of the media respected him. Never did Griffey say the wrong thing, or call out his teammates for not performing.

Coming from baseball royalty (Ken Griffey, Sr.), Junior grew up in the dugout of the infamous Big Red Machine and had high expectations from day one. Drafted first overall out of Moeller High school, scouts were praising his name 10 times more than rookie phenom Jason Heyward (And that’s saying something). I have heard the case that what makes a great ballplayer is a great family. An example I’ve been meaning to share for some time involved the Houston Astros. In 1992, when the Astros had first overall pick, they chose Phil Nevin. At the time, a senior Astros scout truly believed that great players came from great families. He wasn’t convinced of Nevin’s potential, but instead was pushing for a player who many people know as Derek Jeter. Jeter came from a great, supportive family of athletes and had high praise from all the scouts. So when the time came, the Astros drafted Phil Nevin and this scout, having lost his influence in the organization, resigned. Astros fans: imagine having Derek Jeter instead of Phil Nevin during the Bagwell, Biggio era. Further examples of great sporting families were Bobby and Barry Bonds, Cecil and Prince Fielder and even Jellybean and Kobe Bryant. So when the son of Ken Griffey entered the league, he was expected to be one of the greatest.

When it comes to Griffey’s playing career, there are many “what-ifs.” In his 22 year Hall of Fame career, he only played 10 xs in seasons with 130 games or more. Griffey had 20 surgeries in the later stages of his career and was never able to regain full strength. In 2000, Griffey was on pace to shatter Hank Aaron’s home run record but instead, had to settle for only 630 home runs. For those who don’t fully realize how great an accomplishment this is, imagine hitting 40 home runs a year for 16 straight seasons (Pujols could only dream of this).

To list a few of Griffey’s remarkable accomplishments (and trust me there are many), he was a 13 time All Star (11 consecutively), 5th all time in home runs, 10 time consecutive Gold Glove winner, three time Home Run Derby winner, 2nd all time in outfield assists, 2 time All star MVP, and the title as “The Best Baseball Player of the 1990s.” With all these accomplishments, it is a shame he only has one MVP trophy (1997), but then again a player’s true worth can’t be judged by the number of MVPs (See Kobe Bryant). There is no doubt that if Griffey played in a more prominent media market, like New York or Boston, his legacy would have been exponentially greater (not to mention a few extra rings). Heck, I’ll go as far as to say if Griffey was center fielder for the Yankees in the late 1990s, he would have surpassed Mickey Mantle as the greatest Yankee center fielder (check both players stats if you doubt this). Also in 1999, Ken Griffey, Jr. and Roger Clemens were the only active players to be named to the MLB All Century Team (Griffey receiving the third most votes for a center fielder, only behind Mays and Mantle).

At my age of 22, I am deeply saddened to see Ken Griffey, Jr. retire after 22 seasons. All my life, I have grown up admiring Griffey, and I just can’t look at baseball the same without him. I was fortunate enough to attend Griffey’s Baseball Camp in Orlando, Florida at the age of 10 and was significantly influenced by the Kid himself. I was also fortunate enough to have dinner with Ken Griffey, Sr. and the family.  I tried every way possible to imitate Griffey’s perfect swing, but his swing will never be matched. There was not a single hitter in baseball history that looked as good hitting home runs as Griffey. Growing up, I owned everything that had Griffey’s name. Whether it was his four Nintendo video games, shoes, cleats, jerseys, baseball cards, memorabilia, I owned them all. To this day, I have still managed to hold on to a life-size cutout of Ken Griffey, Jr. that remains in my room. And you can’t tell me you were actually disappointed by the ending of “Little Big League” (For those who have not seen this movie, I highly recommend it). To further illustrate how big a fan I am of Griffey, I drafted him on my fantasy team this year and despite his absentee season, have still yet to drop him (I know). To top it off, I visited Seattle of all places on vacation. I’m sorry to Seattle fans when I say Seattle isn’t the most attractive place for vacation travel. The purpose of my trip to Seattle was solely to attend two Mariners-Rangers game at the old Kingdome. Recently, I attended the Rangers- Mariners series in early April of this year in Arlington, with the sole purpose of seeing Griffey. Little did I know this truly would be the last time I saw him play. I was adamant about being there two hours early to watch Griffey take batting practice and obtain a John Hancock on my jersey. Let me tell you one thing, Ken Griffey doesn’t easily hand out autographs. If it wasn’t for the three signed baseballs, rookie card and signed hat I already have of Griffey (from his baseball camp); I would have been severely disappointed with the results. I, however, did manage to snag a signed bat by Mike Sweeney but would easily trade this in even for a picture or acknowledgement from Griffey.

Normally I don’t endorse Bud Selig, but he put it best when it came to the retirement of Junior:

“Ken Griffey, Jr. will always be remembered for his picture perfect swing, for the grace in which he fielded his position, and for the youthful enthusiasm with which he played the game. He was one of the game’s greatest players and is surely deserving of a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown.”

It is only fitting that the Great Ken Griffey, Jr. retired 75 years from the date (June 2nd) as the Great Bambino himself. I have heard a lot of commentary about how Griffey’s exit from the game wasn’t what he hoped for, but at least he knew when to hang it up (Unfortunately, I can’t say this for most players). A few years from now, Griffey will not be remembered for his injury-plagued last few years, but for his utter dominance in the 90′s. The only other athlete I could think who was as dominant as Griffey during this time was Michael Jordan. And lets just say, when you look back on Jordan’s career, you’re not even going to remember his last few seasons on the Wizards.

Now that I am finishing up my last few semesters of college, Griffey’s retirement seems a little more acceptable. Ken Griffey, Jr. was a big part of my childhood and as I prepare to enter the real world, I can properly say goodbye to Junior. There is no other athlete who has been a greater role model for me growing up and no other athlete with the class and youthful enthusiasm that Junior possessed. Junior was the ultimate selfless athlete. When Michael Wilbon asked Griffey about his great defense, Griffey commented that saving a run for his team in the outfield was just as great, if not greater, than hitting a home run. For those true baseball fans out there, you realize the great things Griffey did for the game of baseball and despite his downward spiral; he still went out on top. It is safe to say, I will be making a return trip to Cooperstown in 2015 for the induction of the one of the game’s all-time greats. Thank you Ken Griffey, Jr.

At age 10, Me and Griffey at Griffey's Baseball Camp.

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