Fan Cave Dream 2.0

It would be pretty cliché as a die hard Yankees fan to say, “the MLB star I most want to meet is Derek Jeter.” Cliché and true; because the honest truth is I would wash Jeter’s car(s) to spend time with the greatest player of my generation. To meet the man who is the symbol of the team and game I love so much, and to have the opportunity to tell him what he means to the game of baseball and to all the fans out there; would be the chance of lifetime. However, I would bet the spring training bat that was given to me by a grounds keeper at Steinbrenner Field, that every Yankees fan will submit any one of the following 500 word video idea. Jeter and said fan taking batting practice, playing catch, or trying to be the second man in the classic 6-4-3 double play which Jeter, Cano and Teixeira have perfected over the last few years.

Not me.

I’m going to be the rookie looking to make myself a household name. The rookie who’s sitting on a 3-2 count, 2 outs in the bottom of the 9^th and I’m going to swing for the fences. With that one swing the hopes of ending up on the front page and not on the bus back to Scranton go with it.

The MLB star I would most like to meet…the Phillies Phanatic.

I know, I should probably turn in my pinstripes now. But hear me out. Green is king. Kermit, the Grinch, Oscar the Grouch…ok, not the best examples. The Phillies brought in Lee at the start of 2011. They grabbed Pence mid season from the Texas heat. But the Phantaic, he’s the star and the face of the team. I understand the confusion. Here is fan of one of the greatest teams in all of sports, and she wants to meet a mascot? But with all due respect to Derek Jeter, The Phanatic has already made it to Cooperstown; Jeter will be there soon. But credit where credit is due…so to spend the day with the Phanatic at Citizen’s Bank, learning the ins and outs of shooting hot dogs into the stands and getting to sit in the best seats (on top of the dugout!), how can you go wrong? Don’t forget the chance to hear what really happened between the Phanatic and Lasorda during that fateful 1988 game…. priceless.

I admit my choice in MLB star I’d like to meet may seem questionable. But three major storylines of the 2012 season are not; the Chicago Cubs, the newly minted Miami Marlins, and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim looking to win the AL West.

After failing to hold on to the lightning in a bottle of 2004 and 2008 seasons and some big money trades at the start of the 2011 season. Theo Epstein and the Boston Red Sox ended their nine-year relationship. From Bean Town to the Windy City, Epstein went. The same way Lee headed north in 2010 to bring home a ring, so too does Epstein look to bring a ring to the long-suffering Cubbies.  Epstein’s arrival means one thing and one thing alone the Cubs want a ring and they want it soon. 2012 will not being their year, but if MLB’s wonder kid was able to break the Bambino’s curse he’s the only one with any chance of doing the same for the Cubs. Chicago’s best bet to make the play-offs wears loafers, not cleats.

Bienvenido Miami! A city known for its beaches, nightlife and humidity, just got a little hotter. The Miami Marlins signed everyone short of LeBron James during the offseason. New stadium, new name, new uniforms, new manager, and new a image. The Marlins in 2012 mean business. Lucky for them and their new manager Ozzie Guillen their business isn’t communication, its baseball. Thanks to a busy and productive off-season that brought in Jose Reyes and Heath Bell. The Marlins are going to be counting on their bats to be muy caliente’. With a line up featuring Reyes, LoMo, Superman Stranton, Raimerz, and Sanchez. Followers of Ozzie on twitter can look forward to more positive rants then they’re used to. The Miami Marlins look to bring the heat, without the help of King James.

Refusing to bet the farm on a monkey, the Angels swooped in and added not one big name, but one big name and one BIG name this winter; C.J. and Al. Mr. Race Car has one job alone, and that is to be the lead car of the Angles pitching staff. The lead car sets the pace at the start of every race, and is the car the others follow when there is a caution on the track. C.J.’s job couldn’t be easier, with one the best pitching staffs in the AL West and one of the greatest hitters to ever play. The Angels should fly right into the postseason; there is no team that can stand toe to toe with them; except the Texas Rangers. The Rangers like the Mounties always get their man. That man is Yu. The road to a ring for LAA will go through Arlington, but if any team has a chance to it’s the Angels with Wilson leading the pack all the way.

They have balls

I have been going to Major League Baseball games since I was a kid. However, I only started going to Minor League games when I moved back to Texas. I bring THIS fact up to explain this post and my current interest in the pitching aspect of baseball. Of course the long ball puts butts in seats, or mainly in the outfield bleacher section, where fans can attempt to catch a baseball as it hurtles at them. I love the long ball too. But in my search to find the seats I liked best at Nelson Wolff Stadium, I began sitting in Section 113; located along the San Antonio Missions dugout. It is in those seats I have sat the last 4 games. It is in those seats that the nuances of what a pitcher is doing on the mound were brought to my attention.

Pitchers throw the ball fast. FAST. That might seem obvious, and maybe I have been paying too much attention to where the peanut vendor was heading in the past. But that was truly a revelation to me. I have seen the light and the light is whizzing by at ridiculous speeds.

The San Antonio Missions continue to sit at the top of the Texas League South, with a record of 38-18 and six games ahead of the Texas Rangers double-A affiliate, Frisco Roughriders. The Missions pitching staff leads the league in strike outs with 465 and have an impressive team ERA of 3.81.

I am by no means a stats queen. Math was never my favorite subject in school and having to revisit Mr. Dewey’s decimal system just to cover and enjoy my favorite sport is not high on my list of things to do. But I do pay attention to pitching speeds and I take notes on that.

The recent series with the Arkansas Travelers was filled with good pitching and good hitting. Having never seen the Travelers play this season, I'll admit I was impressed. From the lay fan's point of view the Travelers were definitely the toughest teams I have seen the Missions face at The Wolff.

Jorge Reyes the switch hitting RHP faced the Travelers on the 3rd. Despite having a less than stellar performance the right hander worked himself into and thankfully out of a few jams, during his five innings. You can look at Reyes line from that night and think, not great. But what I took away from that game was the fact that Reyes did not allow himself to be rolled by the Travelers, he battled, yes. But with run support and yes another walk off performance by the Missions. The team got the job done.

Monday June 6^th, was the last home game for the Missions till they return on the 12th.  Monday night Simon Castro delivered an impressive performance for the Missions. Five solid innings with a fast ball that was maxing out at 96 on a few pitches but sat comfortably at 94 mph most of the night. Castro’s off speed had the Springfield Cardinals confused, by dropping it down to 86mph at times. At one point he faced three batters, threw twelve pitches, and caught a ball hit back at him, fumbled it, recovered it, fed it to the first baseman and STILL got the out. Not quite a bang bang play more like a bang, bang, drum roll, bang play; but an out none the less.

The pitcher that I have watched most closely since my first games this year has been Josh Spence. The 6'1 lefty from down under has pitched 34.1 innings and sits with an ERA of 1.83. I first took notice of Spence during a game earlier in the year when he threw four pitches and recorded three outs. Josh Spence has a deceptive delivery with a leg kick similar to current Cincinnati Red Bronson Arroyo. Thankfully Spence does not seem to be simultaneously auditioning for the Radio City Rockettes’ each time he comes to the plate. Spence has done his job in each of his relief outings for the Missions, getting outs and not allowing runs to score.

The current leader in saves in the Texas League happens to be Mr. Brad Brach. The San Antonio Missions closer. Watching him warm up the last few games, has been crazy. The 6'6" right hander has a smooth delivery, which then explodes out of his glove. If you are trying to catch a glimpse of the ball as it leaves  his glove before it hits the catcher’s glove you better not blink. As an opposing player facing Brach, I would pat myself on the back on my walk back to my dugout thinking, "well at least I attempted a swing...”
  
As with my last Missions related post, I’m clearly showing my support for my home town team. My response to that is, it’s my blog and I’ll write what I want.


GO MISSIONS!!

-ML

My Major Love of the Minors

Settled into my seat, three rows behind home plate with a beer and a hotdog and I am ready to take in the game. I could not tell you what the score was or who won or any details of my first San Antonio Missions game in 2010. But what I can tell you is that it was a great time. I love baseball...LOVE. I am and will always be a New York Yankees fan. Nothing will change that. Nothing will change my love for the game either. 

After the final out of the 2010 ALCS all my attention, along with the rest of Yankees Universe, was focused on what changes Brian Cashman would make for the New York Yankees. When the story broke in early December, that the San Diego Padres would be trading Adrian Gonzales to the Boston Red Sox for Casey Kelly, Anthony Rizzo, Reymond Fuentes, and a player to be named later, I was intrigued. Seeing that our arch rivals, the Boston Red Sox, were trading away four of their top prospects in exchange for one player, and the fact the it was likely one if not all of the four players may spend some time in San Antonio, I wanted to know more. 

I began to follow the San Diego Padres player transactions and acquisitions. When the San Antonio Missions kicked off their 2011 season, in early April I was ready for baseball in the Alamo City.

The Missions have yet to disappoint. The team tops the Texas league in hitting, thanks to James Darnell (.377). Brad Brach is the Texas League leader in saves with 13. Casey Kelly (ERA 3.83) has an arm on him that is sure to guarantee his stay in San Antonio will not be a long one. Kyle Blanks (.301) is hitting with such power and ease that it is a joke that he is not with the San Diego Padres right now. Maybe when the scouts check box scores from the last few games and see Blanks amazing hitting performance on Saturday to help the Missions win in extra innings, with a walk off grand slam. The Missions' catcher Ali Solis (.317) has a hot bat and had defense skills behind the plate that are beginning to rival the fabled Molina brothers. With Blake Tekotte's call up just hours after a strong hitting performance in Sunday's game, the Missions are proving to be the team to beat in the Texas League.

There in lies the triumph and the tragedy of becoming invested in a minor league team. One of the coolest things for a true, passionate fan like myself is that when you go to Wolff Stadium to see the Missions, the intimacy of the park is like nothing in the Majors. With first row ticket prices maxing out at $10.50 I can sit behind home plate, without having to take out a loan, which is what would be required if I wanted to sit right behind home at my beloved Yankees Stadium. The tragedy of Minor League baseball is that the players are playing their hearts out, so they can get that call, "You're ready for the big Show"; and most games the seats are empty. I am sure that Cody Decker (11 HR) or Sawyer Carroll (OPS .819) are not too concerned with playing the game they love to more empty seats then full ones. But even so it's a disservice to the players. Minor League teams have a hard time getting butts in seats because there is not always a "big name player" on the field. Unless a Josh Hamilton, Francisco Cervelli, or Stephen Strasburg are rehabbing, you will not see a Major Leaguer at the game. 

If you believe that, then you would be wrong.  Every single player on the field is a major leaguer. Orel Hershiser, Fernando Valenzuela, Joe Morgan, Mike Piazza, Paul Konerko, Pedro Martinez, Felix Hernandez, played on Minor League teams. Not just any Minor League team either; they ALL played for the San Antonio Missions in their careers. 

When you come to a San Antonio Missions game you may not be able to rattle off each player's number, ERA, OPS, yet. But when they get “The Call” you can say, "Hey I saw that kid pitch when he was in double - A. I told ya'll he would be a Hall of Famer." 

You know what, you'd be right. 

Why I hate this title...

Why is that a stupid title? Why would I pick it if I don't like it? Why I really need to think of something better. Why I hope you get what I'm doing here. Why do I even care? Why I hope your still reading.

So here's the deal I cook, but that doesn't make me a chef. I know where the first aid kit is, but I don't call myself Dr. Hollywood Hippie. I blog, but that doesn't make me a writer.

For the record, it doesn't make YOU a writer either.

But I'm not here to write about you, that would be silly and a waste of my time.

The point I am trying to make is that, yes I have Internet. Yes I figured out how to type 65+ words per minute, thank you 8th grade computer class. But Internet and typing skills does not a writer make. Neither does knowing the proper way to use whom (which I don't).

Whomever, my point is I don't like reading other people's blogs. I LOVE that you like reading mine, or at least you clicked on it by mistake in hops of finding something else and are now just waiting for your browser to refr...

You're still here, good.

Thank you.

The point is, why does everyone who writes a blog (of course I don't mean EVERYONE, so calm down) why do the majority of blogs, sports related or otherwise, have such wussy titles? If you have the balls to sit down, type out, and hopefully spell check, your inner thoughts and send them out into the world, nut up and don't be so passive!

Don't tell me, "why i think the Yankees will win..." Tell me, "The Yankees are going to win." If you are a "writer" then write and do it with authority and confidence behind your ideas. Don't worry that some other douchey person is going to leave some blow hard comment...be a man and suspend your comments. Or just let Mr. Douche leave his comment and move on with your day of tweeting and status updating. But if I'm going to take the time out of my own self involved day to read your thoughts, I want to KNOW you believe in them.

Thank you.

And that's why I think you should keep reading my blog.

;)

~ML