Someone at MLB must have read my blog post from 5/9/08 and decided that All-Star voting needed to start even earlier this season just to see my reaction. Keep in mind that the 2009 season began later than the 2008 season.
The one good thing about early voting is that maybe the fans will show some support for Evan Longoria over the injured Alex Rodriguez and vote the reigning Rookie of the Year starting third baseman for the American League.
Longoria is hitting .415 and has already hit five home runs and seven doubles – good for a slugging percentage of .830.
How ‘bout that?
How about the Cleveland Indians? On Tuesday against the Royals the Tribe infield turned six double-plays. Still not impressed? How about when I tell you they did it in SIX CONSECUTIVE INNINGS (3rd-8th)?
How about Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko? In the second inning of a game against the Tigers on April 13th, the White Sox teammates hit back-to-back home runs – the 300th of each slugger’s career.
How about the Pirates, Mariners, and Padres? Though the season is still young, these teams hold records of 9-6, 10-6, and 9-6, respectively, after finishing with three of the four worst records in baseball in 2008. Pittsburgh actually was the least bad, losing 95 games – good for a .414 winning percentage. San Diego barely avoided 100 losses, finishing at 63-99 and a .389 winning percentage. Seattle took the cake with a .377 winning percentage, losing 101 games despite wining their last three contests. As awful as they were last year, this trio is off to a great start in 2009 and will hope to build on their early success over the next several months.
Gone but not forgotten
The baseball world lost two more figures last week in announcer Harry Kalas and former pitcher Mark Fidrych, both of whom passed away four days after Angels rookie Nick Adenhart. Kalas called Phillies games for nearly 40 years, and though no one knew it at the time, he threw out the first pitch before what turned out to be the very last home game he would work. Kalas celebrated his 73rd birthday two and a half weeks before his death.
Nicknamed “The Bird” thanks to his resemblance to Sesame Street’s Big Bird, Fidrych was named Rookie of the Year in 1976 after winning 19 games with a 2.34 E.R.A. and an unbelievable (especially by today’s standards) 24 complete games for the Detroit Tigers. He was edged out for the Cy Young award by Jim Palmer. Fidrych went on to win just 10 more games over the next four seasons before injuries ended his once-promising career. At the time of his death, he was 54 years old.
O’s Notes
After taking two out of three games in their series with the White Sox, the Orioles are have a winning record against every team they’ve played other than the Red Sox, who swept them in four games. If the Birds can continue to win two games per series they will have a very successful season – that is, as long as they don’t lose the remaining 14 games against Boston. Knowing the O’s, anything is possible.
Keywords: Alex Rodriguez, All-Star voting, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, double plays, Evan Longoria, Harry Kalas, How about that?, Iowa Caucus, Jermaine Dye, Mark Fidrych, Nick Adenhart, Paul Konerko, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, The Bird
