Losing Hits Like A Ton Of Bricks

Take that feeling, and multiply it by ONE MILLION.
That's how I feel.

I'm sitting in front of the computer soaking wet, knee torched, and without answers for the simplest of questions.

I don't know what to do.

Every so often, you have one of those weeks when you can't hit or field or play in the right spot. Well, my week was this week.

I had a period when everything clicked, which was the first two weeks, actually. I hit with power, had a home run in my first at-bat, triples, doubles, singles stretched into doubles, infield singles, RBIs, easy catches, diving catches, you name it. This was going to be my best season...EVER.

Then...

I don't know what to do. I don't know where it went.

It's a saying he acquired from his football days at Harvard University, but actor Tommy Lee Jones said, "It takes eleven players to make one mistake". When you have the game on your bat, or in your glove, you must deliver, and if you can't do it, then what are you doing?

Side note: I just remembered I didn't shower yet o_O Post-game tradition, win or lose.

The disappointment of defeat should, because it SHOULD, last one day and a half. Any longer, and nothing will stop it before it destroys you. I saw it happen too many times in my life, and while I don't want to trivialize it to sound as though I'm an expert, it almost happened to me. You have too many people depending on you to say or do something to bring them back up. Keep your chin up, because the will to win and exceed your limits is within you. It's a brand new ball game, and you are at the plate.

As you can tell, the past couple of weeks playing in three leagues is beginning to take its toll. I play in four games next week, all on consecutive days: Sunday night, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I don't know how that works, but it works. o_O Hopefully, I can figure something out by then, and build off of that. I just need something to read or write in case I feel this way again. Thanks for reading ^_^

Are You Serious?

Brewers infielder Jean Segura (left) makes a stolen base attempt
against the Cubs.

Help me out...

What is worse: The Chicago Cubs fielding or the Milwaukee Brewers coaching?

Brewers speedster Jean Segura stole second base against the Cubs during his Brewers' regular season tilt on April 19th. After Ryan Braun drew a walk, you would think that was the end of it. Alas, no... I wasn't a big supporter of Brewers manager Ron Roenicke to begin with, but with Milwaukee languishing in last place in the National League Central Division, baserunning and managing errors like these will have Wisconsin baseball fans second guessing the man in charge.

It's Good To Be Back

Well, that took a while! o_O

MAJOR LEAGUE GOOFBALL ready for another year of thrills and spills this baseball season. Already the Houston Astros began their American League campaign with an 8-2 against state and AL West division rivals Texas Rangers. Rick Ankiel got into the swing of things; check this out! ^_^  

The Great Train Robbery

I went to Wal-Mart after work to pick up some supplies the night of November 13, 2012. Before I entered, Bob McCown of Prime Time Sports said that Serena Williams was due on the popular Canadian syndicated radio show at 6:20pm.

Once inside the store, my android phone started buzzing and ringing like crazy! What happened, I thought, as I checked my phone in the frozen food section. At first, I misread everything on the screen, and thought the following:

"Oh, we picked up Josh Johnson. How about that?"

When I returned home, and the reports from MLB.com, Facebook, and Twitter tweets poured in, I realized just how big and massive this trade turned out to be.

Toronto Blue Jays acquire:

• SS Jose Reyes; three-time all-star, 40 stolen bases last year, 2011 batting title winner (.337 BA, 1st in National League), due to make $92 million over next five years
• SP Josh Johnson; 8-14 win-loss record on one of the worst teams in the NL, 3.81 ERA, one year left on his contract
• SP Mark Beuhrle; 13-13 last year, fastball throwing lefty, gutsy, 33 years old, threw 2 no-hit games.
• 2B Emilio Bonifacio
• C John Buck

PEACE OUT! Former Marlins star Jose Reyes, pictured above, joins JJ, Beuhrle,
Bonifacio, and Buck on the trading block to Toronto
 in blockbuster deal between the two clubs.

Miami Marlins acquire:

• SS Yunel Escobar
• SS Adeiny Hechavarria
• SP Henderson Alvarez
• C Jeff Mathis
• Minor league prospects Anthony DeScalfini, Jake Marisnick, Justin Nicolino

What does this mean for baseball fans in Toronto? For the first time since 1993, when Toronto was last in the postseason and this happened, the Blue Jays are legitimate playoff contenders in the American League, if not in all of Major League Baseball. Their division, the American League East Division, is wide open: The Yankees are vulnerable with the health status of Derek Jeter and their starting rotation up in the air, The Red Sox and new manager John Farrell are rebuilding (sidenote: John Farrell sent Blue Jays fans a friend request LOL), the Rays are in steady decline, and the Orioles are a wild card o_O Now, or maybe next year, is the time for Alex Anthopoulos to make his move.

Before everyone goes bananas on pitchers' win-loss records, please bear in mind that statistic is a double-edged sword. They are a basic level understanding of a pitcher's ability, however a more advanced understanding of the game will tell you a pitcher's wins and losses are more a reflection of a team's performance behind him, and a minor reflection of the opposition the pitcher faces with every outing. The Miami Marlins finished the year 69-93, which is good for dead last in the National League East Division, so Johnson and Buerhle combined for 21 wins; that's thirty percent of the Marlins' win total between two pitchers: The former coming off tommy john surgery in 2011, while the latter started 31 games and won his fifth consecutive Gold Glove from the pitcher's mound. The pride of the Blue Jays pitching staff is to have groundball pitchers, or pitchers that throw down in the zone, which is a key asset in the ultra competitive, hard-hitting AL East, so Buehrle and Johnson are a nice addition ^_^

I'm a little disappointed the Blue Jays lost SS Hechavarria and SP Alvarez, because they represented the future of the organization, similar to their prospects. I wish them the best of luck in a town, which according to Twitter, is full of vitriol for the Marlins organization for going through with another "fire sale". Without the world championship his Marlins won in 2003, Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria probably wouldn't have a team with which to sell all its star players, nor would he have a baseball-only stadium with a retractable roof built with taxpayers' money.

Nevertheless, it feels good to be a Jays fan today ^_^ Any chance the season can start tomorrow? o_O

GIANT WINNING ^_^

AL Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera (right) of the Tigers walks away
dejected as San Francisco Giants teammates Buster Posey (left) and
Sergio Romo (54) celebrate the team's second world championship.

You know something? That jersey doesn't look half bad, when you win.

MAJOR LEAGUE GOOFBALL congratulates the 2012 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants. My early season chastising of your road uniform modification did little to phase your postseason ambitions, and you came through with flying colours. The Giants won Game 4 of the best-of-seven series against the Detroit Tigers by the score of 4-3 after ten innings of play to close out the baseball season with an emphatic four games to none series win. This is the second world championship won by the Giants in three years; their earliest coming in 2010 when they defeated the Texas Rangers in five games to win their first since moving the ball club from New York to the Bay Area in 1958, and their second under manager Bruce Bochy ^_^

GIANT FIGHT BACK II

Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants, winners of the National League Championship Series, who defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 9-0 in the seventh and final game. They will host the American League champion Detroit Tigers in San Francisco for the first two games of the best-of-seven series.

Aside of the offensive explosion by the Bay Area baseball players in the penultimate game, the San Francisco Giants make history as they six consecutive elimination games during this year's playoff campaign. What does that mean? On six occasions (three against Cincinnati, and three against St. Louis), the Giants had to win the game otherwise they would be eliminated from the playoffs (Oh, right). What made the night so memorable for the Giants and their fans was the torrential downpour, which on a normal evening of baseball, would bring a halt to the action. The umpires allowed play to continue, and we saw the most memorable 9-0 finish in baseball history ^_^

The World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Detroit Tigers begins tomorrow at 8pm Eastern time, and I might say a couple things about that series, as well as congratulations to the winning team. For right now, however, it is time to bring another season for the GOOFBALL to a close.

From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you for making this blog so successful this year. This year we reached more baseball fans in more countries than in previous years, and the prospects for next year are higher still. I write all about baseball for you guys, and if you were not around, then none of this would be possible. There will be plenty to talk about in 2013, and I'm still holding to my "all designated-hitter" prediction that I made at the start of the year. If there is a playoff race, and a team qualifies with the luxury of a designated hitter in their lineup ahead of another that does not, then there will definitely be all-DH baseball for 2014. In the meantime, I still believe in all-DH baseball for 2013.

So, thanks again for all your support. I'll occasionally add a couple things to the blog during the winter months that are worth mentioning, but other than that enjoy the World Series, and I will see you all next year!

Bye! ^_^

Oh wait o_O I almost forgot: OZZIE GUILLEN GOT FIRED! O_O WHAT?!

Farewell Farrell

Back in RED: John Farrell makes his return to the
Boston Red Sox organization as manager in 2013.

Game 6 of the National League Championship Series is tonight at 7:30 ET between the St. Louis Cardinals and the hometown San Francisco Giants. The Cardinals lead three games to two in the best-of-seven series, and missed a glorious opportunity to close out the series at home in the previous game, but Giants starting pitcher Barry Zito stymied the Redbirds in over seven innings of work to secure a 5-0 Giants victory.

The big news of the day, however, is the Boston Red Sox signing of former Blue Jays manager John Farrell as their next bench boss. Toronto excused Farrell from the last year of his contract so he could take the Boston job. Going with him is pitcher Dave Carpenter, but in return the Blue Jays picked up infielder Mike Aviles.

I should be angry and flip a nearby table, but I'm not. This was a deal between the two basement dwelling teams in the American League East Division: One decimated by injuries and under performing pitching to finish below the expectations of management and fans alike, the other with enough in-fighting and threatening behaviour from its former manager Bobby Valentine to provide more drama than an ABC soap opera. Farrell's laid back approach is a contrast to the fiery, button pushing Valentine, who wilted under the intense media pressure found in Beantown; Farrell has enough friends and cohorts in the Red Sox organization to do well, so you wonder why it took so long to get him? For more on this story, click here for Ian Browne's column in MLB.com

According to reports through baseball, Farrell was to be Terry Francona's successor, but by the time of the infamous September collapse of 2011 and Francona's firing John Farrell already finished his first year of the three year stint with the Blue Jays. Unable to sign him away from my Jays, Boston went with "Bobby V", who was caught in the ultimate "Catch-22":

• WIN: Media spins story Valentine won with Francona's crew
• LOSE: Rumours of secret meetings with management and angry players, volatile radio interviews, and ambiguous Twitter statements calling for the removal of Bobby Valentine get national exposure. Oh, by the way, Valentine gets fired.

Personally, I would hold out until Boston traded Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz in exchange, so to get only Mike Aviles on top of giving up another pitcher confuses me, o_O seeing as the Red Sox wanted Farrell so badly! Alas, what's done is done. Look for the microscope of criticism to fall heavy on Toronto Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopolous, staff, and players in 2013.

Phil's thoughts: If the Red Sox win the World Series in 2013, I'm going to throw up.