As corny and predictable as that headline is, considering this is the opening week of the 2016 Major League Baseball season, enough emphasis cannot be placed on the fact that BASEBALL IS BACK!
Baseball is back from the abyss it was put in during the post steroid ERROR and most lackluster ERA in baseball history. The abyss was a quicksand of boredom due to a lack of superstars and a black eye of broken cherished records by participants loaded with performance enhancing drugs. Due to league-wide ineptitude to control the PED problem, baseball was not only a joke nationally, but with the superstars who were the faces of baseball for so many years gone, there was nowhere for baseball to go but down.
Say what you want, but there is no debate that
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If you missed the World Series last season, you missed the dominant young studs. Syndergaard and Matz have the most upside and may prove to be the best of the bunch at 23 and 24 years old respectively.
Manny Machado - 23 years old - 3B Baltimore Orioles
Machado can flat out play the game of baseball. He can hit bombs, he plays amazing defense and is another kid with serious swagger. Baltimore’s lineup can put up some runs and Machado is going to be a fixture at Camden Yards for years to come.
Mookie Betts - 23 years old - CF Boston Red Sox
To be a star, sometimes you need to be in the right place to succeed, and Betts is in that place. Betts leads Boston’s lineup and brings that superstar feel to the game. For a leadoff hitter, he can hit for power — Plus, his name is Mookie.
Anthony Rizzo - 26 years old - 1B Chicago Cubs
Rizzo is at the forefront of the team that is leading the young superstar revolution. Paired with Bryant in Chicago, Rizzo is just as big of a star and should lead the Cubs to a World Series at some point in his career.
Kyle Schwarber - 23 years old - LF/C Chicago
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Not previously mentioned are three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw (28 years old), 2014 World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner (26 years old) and potential MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt (28 years old). One could go on an on breaking down the young talent in the league. Even franchises like the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves, while they likely won’t have great seasons record wise, have fans excited with stockpiled young talent.
While the new talent should take baseball to the next level, there is even more to enjoy about baseball this season. Thanks to this influx of talent and stars hitting their primes all at once, there could be more contenders this season than in recent memory.
The loaded Kansas City Royals, which won the 2015 World Series, have begun their title defense in 2016. From top to bottom, the team is extremely fun to watch. The question is, can they repeat? If not, who will step up to the plate to take their spot at the top?
Look no further than the Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto’s lineup is as scary as ever and the Blue Jays should be a lock to make the playoffs. The Jays are as entertaining as any team in
Do you like Craig Kimbrel and the Atlanta Braves as much as I do? At the age of 4 Craig Kimbrel started off his baseball career. He didn’t play tee ball like most kids, he went straight to coach pitch. Between the ages of 4-12 Craig played with the Civic league team in his hometown of Huntsville, Alabama. He played in the Babe Ruth league from the age of 12-16. Growing up through baseball Craig’s positions were 3rd base and outfield, not pitcher. Kimbrel played high school ball for Lee High in Huntsville, Alabama.
batters away with his powerful pitch. He had a good couple of years but then got into a big slump – he
As the decade opened up with the year 1950, the Yankees were celebrating an American League Pennant and a World Series victory from the previous year. It was apparent in 1950 that the team had not taken too much time off as the team posted a 98-56 regular season record, winning their second straight Pennant and a trip to the World Series where they would match up against the Philadelphia Phillies. In 1950, the Phillies were known as the Whiz kids because of their youth and amazing talent, but in the series against the Yankees they were swept in 4 games thanks to Joe DiMaggio- a legend in Major League baseball- and Phil Rizzuto- a shortstop who would enjoy one of his most productive seasons as well as the honor of earning American League MVP. Whitey Ford, a rookie pitcher for the Yanks, also enjoyed a stand out career, winning all 9 of his starts and losing only one game in relief. (Baseball History)
He is noticed much less than most major league superstars. He only gets noticed for his good plays. He is the only shortstop to have a record of start in eight straight All Star games.
The game of baseball has changed ever since Babe Ruth has joined the league. He has changed the game with the amount of power he brings to the plate. Right now with the Yankees, he has showed how amazing he is and has helped make the Yankees popular by winning a few World Series and breaking many homerun records. For Babe to come into the league, it took a little help to get noticed.
Who would have thought a little boy from the Dominican Republic would have so much effect on people. David Ortiz is a well known player around the Major League Baseball Association, many people know him by Big Papi. He has created foundations and many other things for all types of people. From children to adults and in between, Ortiz has been an influential individual.
McCutchen is an extremely good player on the Pittsburg Pirates. He is very talented and
Albert Pujols said, “Baseball was an outlet for him to be able to do that, and he had some special talent to go through what he did and still set an example for others. You cannot replace it.”
Since then he has led his team to five world series titles and become the team captain. He is known for his good looks and quiet confidence. He is still playing shortstop for the Yankee’s today and never stops improving. More world series titles are seen in his future.
Baseball has been of the longest living sports in our world today. The game started with the idea of a stick and ball and now has become one of the most complex sports known in our society. Several rules and regulations have been added to help enhance the game for everyone. Although baseball has endured several issues during its history and development of the game the game has still been a success throughout the world.
forging Hall of Fame careers. The Cincinnati Reds, on the other hand, had its share of stars,
When people think of baseball, pitchers normally come to mind: starters, relief pitchers and then there are the closers. The closer is a crucial asset for a baseball team, without an outstanding closer a team could fold in the last inning of the game. To be a great closer, one must have excellent control, the ability to outwit a batter, and movement on their pitches. In order to be remembered as one of the all-time greatest closers, they must have the statistics as well as effective pitches. Mariano Rivera, the most well-known closer for the New York Yankees, was able to use his background to further his love for baseball by accomplishing many goals set during his career while also setting the highest rankings in baseball closers’ history.
For most sports fans there is nothing like opening day and a baseball field. In recent years I have over heard several people say Baseball is not the National Pastime or National Game any longer. When I query these people the typical response is Football is our new National pastime/game. Frank Deford (Nov 7, 2012) a writer for Sports Illustrated said, "Baseball is what we used to be. Football is what we have become." I refuse to believe this based on my knowledge of both games. In this paper we will exam the facts and I would submit to you that Baseball is still the National Pastime/Game and it cannot be disputed.
Derek Jeter, one of the greatest shortstops of all time, once said, “There may be people who have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do- and I believe that” (“Jeter”). Sometime later the same man also said, “Your image isn’t your character. Character is what you are as a person” (“Jeter”). Jeter was obviously a guy that believed in hard work all the time, but also realized that he had to be great off the field as well. There have been some spectacular shortstops in the history of baseball, but none greater than the likes of Barry Larkin, Derek Jeter, and Cal Ripken, Jr. They all changed the game in one way or another, but every single one of them had great leadership abilities, a knack for coming