Thursday, October 20, 2016

Baseball and 2016 Spirit Day

Today is a special day across our country.


Today is Spirit Day in America.








We stand up to all bullying in our country, respecting the rights of all people, regardless of their sexual orientation.



We stand up for inclusion in our lives, and that includes Major League Baseball.






I've never understood bullies, never understood why some people have to validate their lives by bullying other people, especially children, because they have a different belief in life.


They tried to bully me in my Freshman year of high school,  the bullies...but they failed...I refused to fight kids who were calling me names, trying to get me to break...they wanted a reason to beat me up...I refused to let them.



After I refused to give them credence to being jerks, they never bothered me again.



It's not that easy for young people anymore...the hatred and bullying of kids has gotten horrible becase the bullies can now use the Internet and Social Media to bully their targets.


My heart goes out to all those who have been, are being, will be bulied.


May God reach out and grab the hearts of those in despair...those being bullied...and to those who are the bullies...may He reach deep into their hearts to help them understand that what they are doing is wrong...that all people have the right to be happy, to be free, and to live the lifestyle that they live in peace.



I have two beautiful young women in my family who are Gay, and they are magnificent, talented, and loving people.


They have every right to their lives, to choose how to live them, to love that one special person in their lives, and to pursue the happiness that they seek


No bully...and certainly not any politician...has the right to tell either of them how to live their lives.




Play Ball!




The Indians are the 2016 American League Champions

Yesterday in Toronto the first piece to the 2016 World Series was set as the Cleveland Indians beat the Blue Jays, 3-0, winning the series 4 games to 1.





It's the first A.L. flag for Cleveland since 1997.


The Indians are a terrific baseball team.


I know this because in 18 games played between the Tribe and my Detroit Tigers, the Tribe won 14 of 18 games played...


...the 19th was rained out the final week of the season.


14 out of 18...that's how the Indians won the A.L. Central Division, hammering the Tigers this year from the very start, going 10-0 vs Detroit until the Tigers finally won a game against their division rivals.



An interesting thing about the Indians pennant run...this is the 4th A.L. Central Division team to play in the World Series in the past 5 years...the Tigers in 2012, the Kansas City Royals in 2014 and 2015, and now Cleveland.


As a Tigers fan this fact is something that is both a good thing, and yet worrisome, at the same time.


The A.L. Central isn't that good at division...the Twins were horrible, the White Sox weren't good, and the defending champion Royals faltered in September.


Because it's not that good of a division, it gives me hope for 2017 that my Tigers can bounce back, compete...and win the division.


It's also a sign that any team...even the Twins, are capable of turning it around next year...anything can happen in baseball.


The Indians are looking to win the World Series for the first time since 1948, beating the then Boston Braves in 6 games.










68 years is long time...the City of Cleveland is trying to double up after the Cavaliers won the NBA Title this summer.


I can't, as a Tigers fan, root for that to happen...I didn't want the Royals to win the past two years, and Im not rooting for the Tribe this year either.


I'm hoping the Dodgers win in the National League, but a Cubs-Indians World Series would be fun to watch...68 years without a championship vs 108 years for the Cubs with out a title.


If it's the Cubs vs the Indians I'll give a prediction of the Tribe winning Game 7 at home.

Cubs fans...I'll want you to win...but the Tribe is too good at home.


PLAY BALL!

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

My 2016 Baseball Bloggers Alliance Awards Ballot... National League

Every year I'm honored to submit a ballot to the Baseball Bloggers Alliance ...these are the National League players and managers that I'll be voting for for Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, Cy Young Award, and Most Valuable Player Award.

⚾ My previous post was my American League Award Ballots.


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Here are my picks...


National League Rookie of the Year

1. Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers 
2. Trevor Strory, Colorado Rockies
3. Aledmys Diaz, St. Louis Cardinals

National League Manager of the Year

1. Dave Roberts, Los Angeles Dodgers 
2. Dusty Baker, Washington Nationals
3. Terry Collins, New York Mets


National League Cy Young Award

1. Jose Fernandez, Miami Marlins 
2. Kyle Hendricks, Chicago Cubs
3. Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals


National League Most Valuable Player Award

1. Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers 
2. Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs
3. Daniel Murphy, Washington Nationals


⚾⚾⚾ There it is...my ballot.

My 2016 Baseball Bloggers Alliance Awards Ballot... National League

Every year I'm honored to submit a ballot to the Baseball Bloggers Alliance ...these are the National League players and managers that I'll be voting for for Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, Cy Young Award, and Most Valuable Player Award.

⚾ My previous post was my American League Award Ballots.


⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾



Here are my picks...


National League Rookie of the Year

1. Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers 
2. Trevor Strory, Colorado Rockies
3. Aledmys Diaz, St. Louis Cardinals

National League Manager of the Year

1. Dave Roberts, Los Angeles Dodgers 
2. Dusty Baker, Washington Nationals
3. Terry Collins, New York Mets


National League Cy Young Award

1. Jose Fernandez, Miami Marlins 
2. Kyle Hendricks, Chicago Cubs
3. Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals


National League Most Valuable Player Award

1. Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers 
2. Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs
3. Daniel Murphy, Washington Nationals


⚾⚾⚾ There it is...my ballot.

My 2016 Baseball Bloggers Alliance Awards Ballot... American League

Where does the baseball season go...wasn't it just yesterday that we were all excited about pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training?


Yes, it seems like it, but in reality we've gone through another terrific season of big league baseball for 7 months now....and we're a few games from the championship series to determine the participants in the World Series.


2016 was my 50th year as a baseball fan...1967 was a very, very long time ago...a time of turmoil in our country, and in Detroit, home of my beloved Tigers.


My Uncle Bob took us to Tiger Stadium that tumultuous year...heck, I was just 7, my brother Robert was 6...we didn't know anything about the racial and political protests going on in America...we just loved baseball.


The Tigers lost a close Pennant race in 1967...much like the team did this year in missing out of a Wild Card berth on the final day of the season.


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I started writing this blog in April of 2010, and for the past several years I've been honored to vote for my choices of Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, the Walter Johnson Award Winner for best pitcher, and the Stan Musial Award for the MVP of each league for the Baseball Bloggers Alliance.


Just so you know...

My pre-season choices for CY Young Awards...the Tigers Justin Verlander and the Cardinals Adam Wainwright.

My MVP picks... Jose Altuve of the Astros and Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks.




⚾ Here are my choices for the best of the American League in 2016...


⚾⚾ American League Rookie of the Year

1. Michael Fulmer, Detroit Tigers

2. Gary Sanchez, New York Yankees

3. Tyler Naquin, Cleveland Indians.



⚾⚾ American League Manager of the Year

1. Terry Franconia, Cleveland Indians 

2. Brad Ausmus, Detroit Tigers

3. John Gibbons, Toronto Blue Jays




⚾⚾ American League Cy Young Award

1. Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers 

2. Rick Parcello, Boston Red Sox

3. Jay Happy, Toronto Blue Jays



⚾⚾ American League Most Valuable Player

1. Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox

2. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers

3. Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers


⚾⚾⚾ There it is...my ballot.