Just because these players' names either sound cool, or are so simple (John Buck) that they have to be recognized and rewarded.
American League:
Catchers:
John Buck - Kansas City C
Kenji Johjima - Seattle C
Infielders:
Nomar Garciaparra - Oakland 1B
Asdrubal Cabrera - Cleveland 2B
Yuniesky Betancourt - Kansas City SS
Jack Hannahan - Seattle 3B
Placido Polanco - Detroit 2B
Jhonny Peralta - Cleveland SS
Outfielders:
Scott Podsednik - Chicago LF
Jacoby Ellsbury - Boston CF
Nick Markakis - Baltimore RF
Melky Cabrera - New York CF
Designated Hitter:
Willy Aybar - Tampa Bay DH
Starting Pitchers:
Clay Buchholz - Boston SP
Joba Chamberlain - New York SP
Gil Meche - Kansas City SP
Jarrod Washburn - Seattle SP
Brian Bannister - Kansas City SP
Relief Pitchers:
Rafael Betancourt - Cleveland RP
Boof Bonser - Minnesota RP
Brandon Duckworth - Kansas City RP
Jason Isringhausen - Tampa Bay RP
Octavio Dotel - Chicago RP
Fernando Rodney - Detroit RP
Jeremy Accardo - Toronto RP
National League:
Catchers:
Yadier Molina - St. Louis C
Robinzon Diaz - Pittsburgh C
Infielders:
Micah Hoffpauir - Chicago 1B
Tadahito Iguchi - Philadelphia 2B
Yunel Escobar - Atlanta SS
Edwin Encarnacion - Cincinnati 3B
Troy Tulowitzki - Colorado SS
Kevin Kouzmanoff - San Diego 3B
Outfielders:
Raul Ibanez - Philadelphia LF
Elijah Dukes - Washington CF
Frank Catalanotto - Milwaukee RF
Wily Mo Pena - Washington LF
Colby Rasmus - St. Louis CF
Starting Pitchers:
Bronson Arroyo - Cincinnati SP
Yovani Gallardo - Milwaukee SP
Cole Hamels - Philadelphia SP
Clayton Kershaw - Los Angeles SP
Micah Owings - Cincinnati SP
Relief Pitchers:
LaTroy Hawkins - Houston RP
J.J. Putz - New York RP
Scott Schoeneweis - Arizona RP
Pedro Feliciano - New York RP
Jonathan Broxton - Los Angeles RP
Francisco Cordero - Cincinnati RP
Huston Street - Colorado RP
Friday, July 24, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Pedro v Zimmer & Artest v Pistons Fans
These two incidents were two of the most infamous sports incidents in the past few years. But for what reasons? Because two athletes were defending themselves against over zealous attackers?
It's been a few years but these two things came to mind today and it's time for those who cut up Pedro Martinez and Ron Artest to shut up.
Pedro may have thrown at hitters during his rivalry with the Yanks but that's baseball - a traditional, albeit stupid, part of baseball. So when Pedro was standing there by himself during the 2003 ALCS Yanks/BoSox brawl and Don Zimmer suddenly charged at him in a malicious, vengeful manner, what did you expect Pedro to do, stand there and take a punch? Get real fools. Any one of us would defend ourselves if some angry man came charging at us, even if he was 72 years old. Let's be fair to Pedro. He was taken by surprise and essentially brushed Zimmer aside by simply holding his head in a quick, instinctual reaction and throwing him down, pretty much sparing him the potential harm he could have faced had Pedro clocked him.
And as much as Ron Artest is a giant douche, he too did what any one of us, with balls that is, would have done. If you're lying there and someone throws a beer on your chest, are you going to stay there and say "ohh that's okay, I actually needed a beer bath, thanks man!"? I didn't think so.
It's a perfectly normal human reaction to do what Artest did and jump into the stands and go after the punk who threw the beer. That pansy David Stern banned Artest for the rest of the season in order to set precedent and prevent other players from entering the crowd but you can't deny that what Artest did is what most people would have done. So for all the critics who say athletes should never get into it with fans and that what Artest did is wrong, put yourself in that position and see if you wouldn't do the same. The only guy in sports media that I can recall preaching the same thing as I have here is Bob McCown of the FAN 590 sports radio in Toronto and I don't agree with a lot of what he says, but at least he had the right opinion on this issue, unlike so many others out there.
It's been a few years but these two things came to mind today and it's time for those who cut up Pedro Martinez and Ron Artest to shut up.
Pedro may have thrown at hitters during his rivalry with the Yanks but that's baseball - a traditional, albeit stupid, part of baseball. So when Pedro was standing there by himself during the 2003 ALCS Yanks/BoSox brawl and Don Zimmer suddenly charged at him in a malicious, vengeful manner, what did you expect Pedro to do, stand there and take a punch? Get real fools. Any one of us would defend ourselves if some angry man came charging at us, even if he was 72 years old. Let's be fair to Pedro. He was taken by surprise and essentially brushed Zimmer aside by simply holding his head in a quick, instinctual reaction and throwing him down, pretty much sparing him the potential harm he could have faced had Pedro clocked him.
And as much as Ron Artest is a giant douche, he too did what any one of us, with balls that is, would have done. If you're lying there and someone throws a beer on your chest, are you going to stay there and say "ohh that's okay, I actually needed a beer bath, thanks man!"? I didn't think so.It's a perfectly normal human reaction to do what Artest did and jump into the stands and go after the punk who threw the beer. That pansy David Stern banned Artest for the rest of the season in order to set precedent and prevent other players from entering the crowd but you can't deny that what Artest did is what most people would have done. So for all the critics who say athletes should never get into it with fans and that what Artest did is wrong, put yourself in that position and see if you wouldn't do the same. The only guy in sports media that I can recall preaching the same thing as I have here is Bob McCown of the FAN 590 sports radio in Toronto and I don't agree with a lot of what he says, but at least he had the right opinion on this issue, unlike so many others out there.
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