A season ago, the Pittsburgh Pirates had people talking near the All-Star break and then promptly fell off the face of the Earth in the second half of the season. Good clubs show the ability to learn from their mistakes and mature as a group. This year’s version of Pirates has done just that and once again, the Buccos look like their in serious contention for the N.L. Central that no one seems to want to take control of. Tonight they sit just a game back of first place. With a transformed A.J. Burnett leading a pitching staff courtesy of the cyborg eye implant due to this fun incident in Spring Training, the Pirates rank fifth in the N.L. in ERA. Leading their offense is a man, who, unless someone plays fantasy baseball or watches a lot of baseball coverage, many people may not heard of- Andrew McCutchen. People may start hearing about him more and more, as the Pirates’ center fielder recently received N.L. player of the month honors in June after accruing 40 hits, 73 bases, and 26 RBI.

The 25 year-old outfielder hit .286 with an OBP of .365 in his first two big-league seasons and has 66 career home runs. McCutchen hits right handed with a slightly open stance and his long dreads make him look even faster as he flies around the bases. As one of the speediest three-hole hitters in the game right now, McCutchen has carried the Pirates’ offense and he needs help if the Pirates want to take command. Tonight’s lineup sees Garrett Jones and Drew Sutton on either side of McCutchen but as a team, the Pirates rank 26th in team batting average and conventional wisdom would say that will not help them win a division title.

McCutchen has produced for the last couple of years when he really was the only bright spot for that team and it’s time for the Pittsburgh front office to go get him some help. The most logical move, would be for Daniel Nava of the Red Sox to come over in some kind of trade. The 29 year-old outfielder would not be the most prototypical clean up hitter but he would be a great five hitter. The Pirates could also hit him second. The Pirates owe it to themselves and to their fans to see if they can ride this thing to an N.L. Central title. The Cardinals continue to struggle on the mound and the Reds can’t seem to extend their lead. I would like to see a three-team race during the back half of the season but McCutchen can’t carry the offense himself.

At only 25, McCutchen will be a star for a long, long time.

For the past couple years, the Seattle Mariners have seemed like a far cry from the 2001 version that tied the Major League Baseball record with 116 wins in a season. Sure, Felix Hernandez has been a mainstay on their roster, along with Ichiro Suzuki, but though this season’s iteration has struggled so far this season, they do have a number of talented youngsters who I believe will one day become house hold names.  Many living on the East Coast may not get an opportunity to really see much of the West Coast teams due to early bedtimes and lack of coverage by ESPN. That is why for this week’s Sunday Spotlight, I present to you, Freeballers, Mariners’ 3B Kyle Seager. 

Kyle Seager is leading the Mariners in RBIs.

At just the age of 24, Seager has already proven himself a solid and capable big league player. He came up last season on July 7 and promptly went 0-4. Probably not the start Seager hoped for. It actually took him four games to notch his first hit, while his first long ball came against Tampa Bay, more than a month later on August 19. Not a great first stint in the majors.

This season, though, the sweet-swinging-lefty has started to come alive lately and he absolutely mashes to his pull side. He’s got a slightly open stance and gets his hands through the zone quickly. On the 2012 season, Seager is hitting .259 (after going 0 for his last 9), with ten home runs and a team leading 44 RBIs. Like any young hitter, he’s learning to adjust to the variety and accuracy of big-league pitchers. The Mariners also have begun hitting him third recently-quite a lot to ask from a rookie.

At 3B, Seager has decent speed and a very strong arm. Be sure to google the video of him gunning out Dee Gordon on a bunt attempt in the recent interleague series between the Dodgers and Mariners. He’s got a fielding percentage of .967 and has only made four errors in 120 chances. He’s also swiped six bags this year.

Not every player blossoms immediately but with the solid foundation of Hernandez, Ichiro, Seager, Dustin Ackley, and Jesus Montero, manager Eric Wedge might have his team competing very soon. True, the M’s are 14 games out of first place right now but once these guys have played together a little, they will start clicking. Don’t be surprised when Kyle Seager becomes a name everyone that a lot of people say when they talk about great third basemen in the very near future.

Sunday Spotlight targets those guys who bring that extra spark to their time who might not get the air time or print space that many of the established stars do. Have an idea for Sunday Spotlight, leave it in the comments and perhaps your idea will become the next entry. Enjoy the breeze.

Living in an area with only minor league sports (go Admirals and Tides), I have the benefit of being able to catch a game pretty much whenever I want. Tickets never sell out, are relatively cheap, and the games are enjoyable. Going to pro ball parks is a bit more of a financial commitment and personally, when I go to a game, I want to enjoy not only the competition on the field but I also want to enjoy the atmosphere around me. I go to games because I love baseball and I like the people I tend to go with. For the first ever edition of the Friday Five, here are people I do not want sitting anywhere near  me at a ball game.

5. Babies– On a personal level, babies and I have no qualms. They have pudgy hands and feet, they think I’m funny, and they look awesome in their little uniforms. Having been to my share of ball games, however, nothing scares me more than seeing a tiny mini-person sitting near me. In baseball, hitters tend to hit balls into the stands and a lot of times they’re praised for it (great 12 pitch at bat!). Even if you don’t like the sport that much, everyone tends to get excited when they realize that little white ball has the potential to end up in their hands as a souvenir. Laws of nature suggest that in someone’s frenzied excitement to grab a sixth-inning foul ball by a pinch hitter, their child may become their second priority. Worse off, I have seen toddlers hit by balls on the ricochet and no one wants to see that. Sure, sometimes people make miracle plays catching the ball in one hand and holding the baby in another but don’t chance that. The ball park is no place for a baby so get a sitter and then I’m not glaring at you the whole game while tormented by anxiety.

You see a great play, I see bad parenting.

4. Person Who Does the Wave More Than Once-  I despise The Wave. I tend to not participate in it but if you feel like being a good member of the hive mind and participating, fine, have your fun…ONCE. I just do not understand why The Wave needs to keep making its way around the stadium until it slowly dies out, like Friday by Rebecca Black, nearly half an hour later. Then once it’s dead, people refuse to believe their great social movement has perished and look like fools shouting, “WOOOO!” and standing up in front of me. Despite your lack of attention to what’s going on in front of you, oh great innovator, I’m trying to watch the game so sit down and stop doing The Wave. 

3. That Guy- I, like many legal-aged members of society, enjoy having a beer at the ball game. Something about it costing $7.50 for a Bud Light just makes it taste absolutely the same as every other Bud Light ever. Anyway, some guys decide they will blow their whole pay check on beer night at the game and get drunk enough to become a one man cheering section. Sure, it’s funny for a few minutes but this guy has really been saving up for this little adventure so he’s pretty far gone and he continues this for an extended period of time. I appreciate your fandom, oh lord of inebriation, but sit down and be quiet. Security can’t do anything about him because he’s not hurting anyone but his own liver so it’s time for some vigilante justice. Here’s how you handle That Guy- tell him to be quiet, engage in an argument, take a punch to the jaw, he’s kicked out, you’re maybe sore for a few days but at least he’s gone. Ghandi said, “Be the change you wish to see.” That’s what he was talking about, right?

2. Person on Their Phone All the Time- I love my smart phone a lot. It’s pretty neat. It lets me do just about anything I want and has crappy battery life. This is part of a larger tirade on people that don’t stop looking at their phones, ever, but something about people who have their heads down looking at their phones for an entire game makes me more angry than the last three types of people combined. I know they’re more quiet than That Guy, less obnoxious than Person Who Does the Wave More Than Once, and they don’t give me anxiety like Babies, but this person sucks. Chances are, you spent money on this ticket or worse, someone else spent money on this ticket FOR THEM, and they can’t look away from Word With Friends for a few minutes. Just put down the phone and watch the game. 

1. “OOOOO” Guy/Girl- One thing people learn pretty quickly when attending a baseball game in person is that not every ball hit goes out of the park. In fact, a majority of those balls hit are not home runs. That being said, every game I have gone to, one person has seemed to ignore this fact of baseball. They cheer literally every time the ball goes up in the air and the stranger part to me is that no one in their group of friends tries to ask them to stop.  Ugh. Words cannot describe my distaste for this individual because I, as a stranger, cannot attempt to damper your excitement because then I look like a jerk but trust me, you’re ruining the game for everyone.

It’s a popup to the catcher, stop it.

So this concludes the Friday Five for this week, have a great weekend, watch a ball game and next time you see one of these people at a ball game, just remember that you’re better than them. Sound off in the comments about the people you don’t like seeing at a ball game and enjoy the breeze.

The answer is: me. Other things that are too hot would be New York city on this first day of the summer. The Yankees and Braves squared off in an afternoon matinee and according to weather.com, it felt like 102 at 4 p.m.  Now trust me, dear readers, I love going to the ballpark for a game as much as anyone. I am the guy who sits through the rain in his seat and never leaves in the event of a delay. Watching this game, however, made me wonder, would it ever be just too hot for me to enjoy a game?

Now I’m not talking about enduring a game in the shady spots of the park, because the difference is astronomical. I’m talking about sitting in the cramped bleachers in center field where the sun moves around you but never off you for three plus hours. For many games, you have to buy your tickets to a game well in advance. Enough in advance that you don’t know what the weather will be on that particular day but you know it’s the summer so you know it’ll be decently warm (unless you’re in Boston or Seattle).  You check your bag, fanny pack, or pockets before you go to make sure that you have your sunscreen but I am curious to know how long people will sit in the sun and heat to watch an afternoon ball game.

If I knew a stadium well enough to know that shade would eventually come my way in the later innings, I don’t think I’d hesitate to go to the game. Rather, I’d just resign myself to a painful couple of days of dealing with a sunburn and smelling bad for the remainder of the day in exchange for only sitting in the glaring sun for six innings. If I had planned a trip around that specific game, I would go no matter what. If I saw, however, that things would be that bad during the day game, and a night game was somewhere nearby on the schedule, I may thinking about putting the tickets for the day game on Stub Hub and using the proceeds from the tickets on night game tickets. Let’s review

Scenarios I Would Go Anyway Despite 100 Degree Temperatures: Eventual shade, entire trip based around the game (be honest, you’ve done this too)

Scenarios I Would Try To Sell My Ticket and Reschedule With 100 Degree Temperatures: I can buy tickets for a game the night before by selling my tickets for the day game. I would take a financial hit I think.

Here are the top ten hottest games on record according to baseballreference.com:

10. September 21, 2009 – San Francisco Giants @ Arizona Diamondbacks, Temp: 105

9. June 29, 1952 – Detroit Tigers @ St. Louis Browns, Temp: 106

8. July 16, 1980- Chicago White Sox @ Texas Rangers, Temp: 106

7. July 30, 1980- Boston Red Sox @ Kansas City Royals, Temp: 106

6. September 4, 1988- Boston Red Sox @ California Angels, Temp: 106

5. September 3, 2007- Oakland Athletics @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Temp: 106

4. June 28, 1980- Minnesota Twins @ Texas Rangers, Temp: 107

3. August 8, 1988- Detroit Tigers @ Texas Rangers, Temp: 107

2. June 27, 1980- Minnesota Twins @ Texas Rangers, Temp: 109

1. August 26, 1988- Toronto Blue Jays @ Texas Rangers, Temp: 109

People go to a ball game for a variety of reasons and working on one’s tan certainly counts. A tan, however, is different from borderline heat stroke. As we now enter the Summer season, folks, remember to hydrate, beer might be cold but it’ll hurt you later on, and wear a hat. Wouldn’t hurt to go freeballin’ either. Sound off in the comments and enjoy the breeze.

Hello friends, sorry it’s been almost a week since my last post. Things got busy but now I’m writing while sitting on a Greyhound bus. Let that blow your mind-hole for a little while.

Anyway, Interleague play has continued since my last post and the NL has continued to hold it’s own and even thrown a perfect game in the form of Matt Cain. After watching many of these contests, it’s completely true that the Al and Nl play different styles of baseball and each has its merits. The New York Yankees have clobbered 96 home runs to lead the league while the Texas Rangers lead the AL in average with a .281 team average.  I truly believe the era of the long ball has come to a close and the rise of Arm-ageddon is upon us (read it again….there you go, you got it). That’s how teams like the Washington Nationals, who rank 23rd in the league with a .244 average sit atop the NL East at 15 games over .500. Their top three hitters have batting averages of .266, .261, and .239. Meanwhile, their pitching staff has  an ERA of 2.96. Feel free to continue reading when you pick your jaw up off the floor.

Pick your poison.

The Nats have dominated with their Big Three- Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, and Jordan Zimmermann. These three guys ALL have ERAs under 3. I don’t know how much longer Strasburg’s arm will hold out but I hope it lasts him the season.  He’s thrown 72.2 innings so far this season, the fewest of the Big Three, but opponents are hitting .176 against him. His fastball averages 96.1 and his hook is one of the dirtiest in the game. His strikeouts are up per nine innings, his walks are down, and he’s k’ed 1oo guys this season. That trails 2011 MVP and Cy Young winner, Justin Verlander, by only three punchouts.

Gonzalez came over from the Oakland A’s and started warmly and he’s only looking better each start. The crafty lefty averages 93 on his heater and had it not been for Brad Lidge blowing two saves, Gonzelz w0uld already be at 10 wins this season. He’s given up one long ball all season and could be the ace on any other staff. Zimmermann has come alive this season though his record may not show it. He’s not the strikeout machine the other two are but Zim has grown vastly as a pitcher over the last few seasons. Strikeouts aren’t the only keys to success and the Nats righty lets his defense work for him. Don’t forget about Edwin Jackson (as many had), who has a 3-3 record but only a 3.02 ERA. He looked like the Diamondbacks version of himself against the Blue Jays this week and could be poised for a big month of June.

The Nats have suffered injuries, slumps, and bullpen and have a pedestrian offense yet have a four game lead in the NL East. So much attention has been on Bryce Harper and rightfully so, as the young guy has started to get hot, and people might not have figured out that the Nats trot studs out to the mound three or four days out of their five-man rotation. Strasburg has an innings limit and that could become a major factor in the latter months of the season but the Nats have redefined how to be successful. Slugfests are fun, no doubt, but it’s nice to enjoy a game where pitchers still dominate. Thanks for Freeballin, now go enjoy the breeze.

Yes, pitchers have to bat and run the bases, and yes, sometime that ends poorly for the mound-dwellers, but interleague play adds to the MLB season. When I was a kid I remember playing home run derby in the street or wiffle ball and we used to pick different players to be both on the mound and at the plate. It yielded such combinations as Tino Martinez and Greg Maddux or Ken Griffey Jr. and Roger Clemens. My buddies and I loved coming up with fun match ups that you would hardly ever see in the majors unless they ended up in the world series, as Martinez and Maddux did. Interleague play throughout the season allows fantasy matchups such as these and adds a new level of excitement. Just Friday, Red Sox fans got to see their team take on Stephen Strasburg. The first friday of interleague play also gave the world four walk off wins in four very different, yet all very exciting, fashsions. It also yielded a six-pitcher no-hitter (holy hyphen, Batman!).

Watching the Diamondbacks and the A’s square off, the D-backs never seemed to give up despite giving up six runs in the second inning. They chipped away and chipped away until Tat-Man himself, Ryan Roberts, took a 2-1 pitch over the left center field wall to finish the rally. For Roberts, who became a household name amongst D-backs’ fans last year, the home run came as a welcome addition to a tough season for the Arizona third basemen. The Diamondbacks are three games below .500 at home and this big win in front of the Chase Field faithful might just be the spark the struggling snakes need.

Dusty Baker has managed big league teams for 16 years and the three-time NL manager of the year showed he’s still as sharp as ever. With one out in the tenth, Miguel Cairo led off from third and Baker elected to call for a safety squeeze. Total national league move. The play worked and the win helped the Reds stay on top of the NL Central. Small ball gets the job done too.

The Brave and Blue-Jays took a tie into the tenth inning and this game ended in a way you don’t often see. With one out, Jason Heyward, broke from second base in an attempt to swipe third. Jays’ catcher, J.P. Arrencibia, tried to gun down Heyward but his throw bounced well in front of the bag and it ended up in left field while Heyward raced home. Make that five straight wins for the Braves as they try to keep pace in the east.

The American League got their revenge when Twins took down the Cubs with men on first and third in the tenth inning. Josh Willingham ripped a fast ball down the third baseline and the runner easily scored. The twins needed a w in a big way.

These four exciting walk-offs went 3-1 in favor of the National League. League-wide, neither the American League nor the National League separated themselves from the other, both sides won seven of the 14 contests. A lot of folks consider the National League the inferior league but the NL did a good job holding its own. I love interleague play and am looking forward to an entire weekend of it.

I dislike socks. When people get those fuzzy socks for Christmas and get super excited, I just look at them like a confused puppy (because I’m that cute).  If I have to wear them that day, chances are they don’t match and one such incident occurred today which got me thinking about the team leading the AL Central, the Chicago White Sox. Yes, Brandon Morrow and the Toronto Blue Jays blanked them today en route to a 4-0 win, but rookie skipper, Robin Ventura, has his team half a game up in the Central division and when you really look at that roster, no two guys on that team are alike. It makes them an eclectic, unpredictable, and exciting bunch of Sox. Here are some examples:

Paul Konerko is like the comfortable, standard crew cut sock with the gold toe on it that you know will always be ready in your drawer. Watching him play throughout the years has shown him to be a guy with very solid fundamentals who has continued to produce year after year at the plate. He might even give viewers a little flash of excitement now and then.At age 36, Konerko is currently leading the big leagues with a .366 average in addition to his 11 home runs and 33 RBIs. Like a good sock, he has zero holes in his glove, registering a perfect fielding percentage in the 2012 season. Not every team in baseball names a captain but this guy truly embodies the meaning of the word. Ventura must love having a guy like him to turn to in his first season as a manager.

Jake Peavy is the sock you haven’t been able to find in years. I remember ESPN:The Magazine did an article on Peavy a few years ago when he was on the Padres and I could not wait to see what this guy’s career held in store for him. The 2007 Cy Young Award winner suffered a rare injury in 2010 when he completely tore his lat from the bone and went under the knife to fix it. He struggled in his time in Chicago, never having an ERA under four with a 14-13 record in 2010 and 2011 while fighting through a groin injury, as well. With the Sox,he totalled 238.2 IP worth of 7.8 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 for a 4.49 ERA.   Here’s a quote from a White Sox blog before the season, “Diminished Jake Peavy and White Sox fans have met.  White Sox fans invited Diminished Jake Peavy over for dinner, he was greeted warmly, then keeled over in pain midway through the second course, excused himself while apologizing profusely, and promised to reschedule.” This season, he’s 6-1 with a 3.05 ERA and a WHIP of .93.

Adam Dunn is the sock you swear you’ll never wear again but it just keeps ending up on your foot. Sometimes players get criticized and crawl into a hole. Give Dunn credit for bouncing back in a big way this 2012 season. The Big Donkey has always been able to hit the ball a mile but his average last year, for those who somehow missed this fact, was .159 while he added just 11 homers while striking out 177 times in 415 at-bats.  Though his average is still relatively low this season at .223, Dunn has clobbered 18 home runs in addition to his 90 strikeouts. Many of his 39 rbis have been timely and Dunn gives this team a power threat in the middle of the lineup and hitting in front of Konerko has surely helped as well.

Alejandro De Aza is the sock with a crazy pattern on you wear once, put it away, and then don’t take it out again for a while until one day you realize you really like it. De Aza has speed in the outfield and on the base paths, he’s leading the AL in swiped bags currently and is second to Josh Hamilton in runs. He’s bounced around the majors and AAA since 2007 but it looks like the White Sox have found a spark at the top of their lineup who can add a defensive presence. He’s also floating around.300 this season. At 28, it looks like De Aza might be here to stay for a while in the White Sox outfield.

AJ Pierzynski is the sock you love to hate but you keep wearing it anyway. This bleach haired, loud mouthed catcher is hitting over .300 on the season along with ten home runs and 37 RBI. For all of Pierzynski’s antics, I’m not sure the general baseball public always realizes how solid of a catcher this guy is. He’s working with a couple youngsters on the staff and managing it well. He’s also gunned out 25% of baserunners this season. He could be putting together his best offensive season since he entered the league in 1998.

Chris Sale is the new sock you like a lot. The AL Pitcher of the Month in May is 7-2 this season with a 2.30 ERA and opponents are hitting .193 against him. He’s listing like the number four pitcher on the Sox depth chart but this guy reached the big leagues two months after being drafted for a reason. He only throws three pitches but they are all nasty. The change up is underrated and he’s got one of the best in the game.

Every other member of the White Sox brings something to the table. Whether they’re veterans who bring a steady presence in any part of the game, older guys who have revitalized their career, or young/ new exciting players, this team is fun to watch and Ventura has something special on his hands. I don’t know how many people would have picked this team to be leading their division because everyone was so focused on Detroit for their offseason moves but keep your eyes on this group. Some teams have better pitching than the Sox and some teams hit better than the Sox but Ventura’s mixed collection of Sox keep the combinations fun, the results successful, and their games enjoyable to watch. At least they can mix and match socks with better results than me.

PS: I know they’re throwback unis but I still don’t get it.

The confusion continues…

Where were you on March 16, 2012? I was at a hockey game that night when I heard some news that made me celebrate like Tiger Woods after his chip on 16 last weekend: 39 year-old Andy Pettitte had decided to come out of retirement and join the Yankees after missing an entire season. I even remember I had gone to see The Avengers (if you haven’t seen it, stop reading this and go see it now) and used my phone to watch Pettitte’s first couple innings and I had a heated argument with myself about whether to wear my Captain America shirt or my Andy Pettitte shirt.  I may not be a lefty but Andy Pettitte has always been my favorite Yankee pitcher since I started watching baseball in 1996.

His first outing, against the Mariners on May 13, did not go so well and that was tough to see. He had a solid first four innings, allowing just two runs through four and not giving up a hit until the fourth, though he walked two. You could see him elevating pitches a bit more and as his pitch count went up, you could see his conditioning wasn’t quite back yet. True, it had been a year and a half since #46 had thrown a live game  but you could tell Pettitte wanted more out of himself that day. Final stat line- 6.1 ip, 7 hits, 4ER, 3BB, 2 SO.

Entering tonight’s contest against the Rays with a 2-2 record and a 3.49 ERA, Pettitte had only walked two other batters in three starts in comparison to 20 strikeouts. The brooding lefty has gained more confidence and you can see it in his starts. He’s working quickly and though his velocity has dropped to 87-90 mph on his heater, he can still spot his pitches and drop that devastating curveball. If you don’t know what Pettitte’s curveball looks like, find a way to check it out. He also still has one of the best pick off attempts in the game. He has 99 since the stat became official, which is the most of any player.

The last few weeks, the Yankees have looked more like the team people expected before the season began. They have suffered injuries but continued to win at a greater rate. Some will point to the offensive production increasing but I have a different theory. Pettitte brings a veteran presence back to that locker room and a pitching staff that had seemed to lack confidence.  Phil Hughes has looked much better in two of his last three starts, including a CG. That made me scratch my head a bit but I truly believe Andy Pettittte brings more to the team than a low tilted hat and an imposing stare.

Tonight Pettitte relied heavily on his fastball and challenged hitters on the inner half. His slider swept, his sinker dove, and his curveball plummeted. At one point the veteran southpaw struck out five Rays in a row, totaling ten strikeouts on the night. He finished the night giving up two hits and two walks after throwing 7.1 shutout innings in the winning effort.   He’s an old school guy who works quickly, stays on the rubber, and competes hard. Pettitte looks better than he did the last year of his career, right now, so let’s see how he does the rest of the year as he bolsters the staff.

The reason I scowl so much

PS: We all hope Tommy Lasorda gets feeling better soon.

PPS: Who thought they’d see Hideki Matsui playing in the outfield during an AL game ever again?

I graduated from Boston College (go Eagles) two weeks ago today and it marks the end of a long chapter in my life. It was around first grade that I fell in love with baseball. Watching the 1996 World Series and a young Derek Jeter will always be a cherished first baseball memory.  My first baseball card was this one, without the signature:

It’s funny because the first team I ever played for in coach pitch was the Marlins. Back then, had no idea what a Marlin was. Also, I miss these uniforms already. As I write this blog, I have my TV tuned to the first year player draft and I’m hoping to hear two particular names of longtime friends still chasing the dream so many of us have had to give up.

This first blog will be much larger in scope of many to come but I thank you for reading it tonight.  Harkening back to the theme of a page turning in my life, I feel like this year, more so than any, Major League Baseball has begun turning the page on its personnel as many of the perennially great players clearly have entered the decline of their career and a crop of exciting, young, and relatively unknown players have begun opening eyes.  Jeter and Paul Konerko have defied that trend, so far, but everyone knows about that. Watching Chipper Jones over the last few years is a perfect example. Jones’s body has betrayed him the last few years and his numbers have declined, as have many of the former elite players. Alex Rodriguez, Ichiro Suzuki, and Chase Utley come to mind, as well.

It’s a fact of life, people get old. We feel it when we wake up. What’s great about sports, though, is that young exciting players come into the limelight every year. I really wish more attention would be paid to these new rising stars instead of focusing so much negative attention on the old, fading ones. For years, people have asked, “Is Mariano Rivera done?” after nearly every blown save. I get it, people cling to memories, love nostalgia, and fear change.  The stars of yesterday keep the media’s attention.

The well publicized youngsters like, Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, and Buster Posey have all already left an impact on the game for the foreseeable future (pitch count discussions, a 19 year old pro, and the debate about keeping a talented hitter at catcher). Many others out there, will soon become household names, and I challenge you dear reader to start learning about more of the youngsters making a bright splash in the game today. Like I’ve done over the past two weeks, look FONDLY back at the memories you have but don’t forget to look at the horizon. Here is one guy from every team that I will be interested to watch over the next couple years that you might not have heard of much

Arizona Diamondbacks: Wade Miley

Atlanta Braves: Brandon Beachy

Baltimore Orioles: Chris Davis

Boston Red Sox: Will Middlebrooks

Chicago White Sox: Chris Sale

Chicago Cubs: Bryan LaHair

Cincinnati Reds: Mat Latos

Cleveland Indians: Jason Kipnis

Colorado Rockies: Carlos Gonzalez (if you haven’t noticed)

Detroit Tigers: Drew Smyly

Florida Marlins: Giancarlo Stanton (he hits the ball very far)

Houston Astros: J.D. Martinez

Kansas City Royals: Eric Hosmer

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Mike Trout

Los Angeles Dodgers: Kenley Jansen

Milwaukee Brewers: John Axford

Minnesota Twins: Ben Revere

New York Mets: Kirk Niuwenhuis (could Snigdha Nandipati spell that? Google her)

New York Yankees: Ivan Nova 

Oakland Athletics: Yoenis Cespedes 

Philadelphia Phillies: Vance Worley

Pittsburgh Pirates: Jose Tabata

San Diego Padres: Cory Luebke 

San Francisco Giants:Madison Bumgarner

Seattle Mariners: Jesus Montero

St. Louis Cardinals: Lance Lynn

Tampa Bay Rays: Matt Moore 

Texas Rangers: Neftali Feliz

Toronto Blue Jays: Brett Lawrie

Washington Nationals: Jordan Zimmerman

Well that concludes the list, chime in with your thoughts in the comments section.  I’ll be updating this blog daily with thoughts on what’s going on in the world of Major League baseball. Thanks for Freeballin, and remember to enjoy the breeze.