Guest Post At Baseball Analysts
I’ve got a guest post today at Rich Lederer and Bryan Smith’s fine Baseball Analysts site. It’s about why I love baseball, and why I keep doing this.
It kind of follows in the footsteps of Dave’s post from a few weeks back where he took a trip down nostalgia lane and wrote: “‘Why do you love baseball?’ is a pretty common question for me. I’m never really sure what to say. I just do.” My post tries to figure out what I should say when asked that question.
Game 158, Rangers at Mariners
Joel Pineiro vs Chris Young.
1. Ichiro, RF
2. Betancourt, SS
3. Ibanez, DH
4. Sexson, 1B
5. Beltre, 3B
6. Dobbs, LF – yuck
7. Lopez, 2B
8. Choo, CF
9. Rivera, C
Half the line-up was in Tacoma in July.
“[Forget] The Veterans”
Passed on with minimal comment: Miguel Cabrera is the latest example of a tumultuous Marlins clubhouse.
Those of you around for the game thread last night may recall that Dave considers Cabrera one of three players he would trade King Felix for. Knowing how Dave feels about Felix, that says a lot. No reasonable person would dispute the young man’s talent, or his future.
His attitude, though, has come under recent scrutiny. First he kept showing up late for things. Then he refused to shag fly balls, relenting only when asked by Tony Perez. When Jeff Conine suggested that one of the team’s veteran players take Cabrera aside, the 22-year-old’s response was measured and well-reasoned. Oh, wait, no it wasn’t:
“[Forget] the veterans,” he told the Post. “They haven’t told me anything and they better not come tell me anything, either … I’m not going to go crazy worrying about these things.”
I’m guessing that the word they swapped out for “forget” begins with the same letter.
This comes after A.J. Burnett’s outburst and subsequent punishment by the organization. Short version: he dissed them, they dismissed him. Manager Jack McKeon is also reportedly gone at season’s end.
First thought: what is going on with the organization here? It’s like an open mutiny, to use a nautical analogy. Next thought: there is no way, save temporary insanity, that the Marlins would trade Miguel Cabrera for anything less than overwhelming value. So don’t get your hopes up.
Yes, I am talking to myself with that last sentence.