Oddly enough, my predictions from this season have somewhat played out correctly, which really never happens, but if you go back to my Pre-Season Post and my Mid-Late Season post, things have stayed relatively the same in terms of teams and World Series predictions.
If you have followed my infrequent posts throughout the baseball season, you can probably figure out that my World Series prediction is Oakland defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers. In my preseason post, I felt the National League was going to win the All-Star Game (still hate this ideal) and the A's were going to sweep and win at home. Since the AL won the All Star game, I still think the A's win at home, but instead it will take 6 games.
Anyways, here is the rest of my predictions for the 2013 MLB Playoffs starting with the National League
Wild Card - Pittsburgh d. Cincinnati
NLDS 1 - St. Louis d. Pittsburgh in 5
NLDS 2 - Los Angeles d. Atlanta in 4
NLCS - Los Angeles d. St. Louis in 7 - Puig named MVP
And you all know my World Series Prediction, but this is how the teams get there...
Wild Card - Tampa Bay d. Cleveland
ALDS 1 - Boston d. Tampa Bay in 5
ALDS 2 - Oakland d. Detroit in 4
ALCS - Oakland d. Boston in 5 - Donaldson named MVP with Chris Young a close 2nd
World Series - Oakland def. Los Angeles in 6 with Yoenis Cespedes named MVP
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Regular Season Reflections
Amazingly that just a mere six months ago, the 2013 Major League baseball season was just getting underway. There were expectations for many teams and hopes and dreams for others that they could just have a fighting chance. Experts and fans alike debated who was going to be this year's surprise team. A's fans wondered if 2012 was just a fluke as the Los Angeles Angels reloaded signing Josh Hamilton. Seattle was an improved club and how would Texas fare after losing the 5 game lead with 9 to play?
The talk amongst most A's fans was if they could build upon what happened in 2012, which was a magical run to a division crown. When the schedule first came out, A's fan's looked at another 0-1 start against Seattle and Felix Hernandez and also looked at the last week of the schedule in which the A's finished with six on the road. There was a pretty good chances are the O. Co faithful would not see the A's celebrate anything at home with a division race that was pegged to be one of the best in baseball, perhaps sending three teams to the postseason. Experts had the A's finishing second or third to the reloaded Angels and Texas was not going to let September happen to them again.
Added to the mix in 2013 was a re-signed Bartolo Colon, who I personally thought wasn't a good signing. Though I disagreed with it, I was worried that the lack of PED's was going to affect him throughout the season. In retrospect, I was very glad to be very wrong as Colon stayed healthy pretty much throughout the year and led the staff with 18 wins and a 2.65 ERA, which was best for second in the American League behind Detroit's Anibal Sanchez. The A's also acquired Jed Lowrie in a trade from new division rival Houston for Chris Carter and some minor league prospects. I always knew that Lowrie was a good hitter, but the problem is he was often injured and had problems playing a full season. I felt he would be a descent hitter who could possibly platoon with Japanese import Hiroyuki Nakajima who the A's signed for two years. The A's though were concerned about Lowrie's and Nakajima's range, but if they could hit, they could balance thing's out. In the outfield, the A's had Yoenis Cespedes, Coco Crisp and Josh Reddick coming back along with Seth Smith. The A's had also acquired Chris Young just days after the ALDS ended for Cliff Pennington to be a backup outfielder with pop, which means they would not sign fan favorite Jonny Gomes. There was also utility infielder Eric Sogard who ended up winning a job out of Spring Training over Jemile Weeks. The A's also still had much maligned Daric Barton in their organization somehow. Near the end of Spring, the A's also picked up Rule 5 Draftee Nate Freiman, who was basically in many people's eyes, the right handed version of Ryan Sweeney. Freiman who had never played above AA, must stay on the 25 man roster all season or the A's risk losing him to his former team, the Astros.
The thing that gets me the most is where these players were six months ago and where these players are now. Freiman played an integral role as a right handed platoon player, had many key hits including a walk-off single against future Hall of Famer and now retired New York Yankee closer, Mariano Rivera. Lowrie had an awesome season, where he challenged the A's doubles record set by Jason Giambi. Crisp, went 20/20 this season and was the A's motor, while Cespedes and Reddick had down years average wise, but still hit the ball hard and played some outstanding defense. Eric Sogard solidified himself as one of the best 9 hitters in the American League using his tools as being a pesky hitter and being an awesome defensive replacement. Nakajima got hurt at the start of the season and really never recovered and still has not seen big league action. Other players that the A's picked up throughout the year such as Stephen Vogt, Alberto Callaspo and former A's catcher Kurt Suzuki have played key roles in helping the A's get to where they need to be. Much maligned Daric Barton, who the A's designated for assignment twice (meaning any team could have picked him up) played a huge role down the stretch playing stellar defense and contributing offensively. Brandon Moss lead the team in home runs with 30, while Josh Donaldson was the most consistent, putting himself in the middle of the MVP talk with his overall game. The pitching staff remained outstanding using only 7 starters all year including 2011 draft pick Sonny Gray. The down part to the team was that Brett Anderson was hurt for most of the season, but has returned as an effective reliever solidifying an outstanding bullpen. Grant Balfour, Sean Doolittle and Ryan Cook were consistent throughout the season. Jesse Chavez and Dan Otero were key cogs in the bullpen as well along with fan favorite Jerry Blevins.
Two-third's of Major League Baseball teams go home before October and the 2013 AL West Champion Oakland Athletics are not one of them. Surprisingly, the A's played consistent baseball all year long and then took off in September and clinched the division in front of their home fans on the last regular season home date of the season with six games to play. Not in an A's fan's wildest dreams would anyone have thought of that. Oh baseball, I love you oh so much!
Buckle up, strap in and enjoy this ride to hopefully ends with the Green and Gold the last team standing in the end...
The talk amongst most A's fans was if they could build upon what happened in 2012, which was a magical run to a division crown. When the schedule first came out, A's fan's looked at another 0-1 start against Seattle and Felix Hernandez and also looked at the last week of the schedule in which the A's finished with six on the road. There was a pretty good chances are the O. Co faithful would not see the A's celebrate anything at home with a division race that was pegged to be one of the best in baseball, perhaps sending three teams to the postseason. Experts had the A's finishing second or third to the reloaded Angels and Texas was not going to let September happen to them again.
Added to the mix in 2013 was a re-signed Bartolo Colon, who I personally thought wasn't a good signing. Though I disagreed with it, I was worried that the lack of PED's was going to affect him throughout the season. In retrospect, I was very glad to be very wrong as Colon stayed healthy pretty much throughout the year and led the staff with 18 wins and a 2.65 ERA, which was best for second in the American League behind Detroit's Anibal Sanchez. The A's also acquired Jed Lowrie in a trade from new division rival Houston for Chris Carter and some minor league prospects. I always knew that Lowrie was a good hitter, but the problem is he was often injured and had problems playing a full season. I felt he would be a descent hitter who could possibly platoon with Japanese import Hiroyuki Nakajima who the A's signed for two years. The A's though were concerned about Lowrie's and Nakajima's range, but if they could hit, they could balance thing's out. In the outfield, the A's had Yoenis Cespedes, Coco Crisp and Josh Reddick coming back along with Seth Smith. The A's had also acquired Chris Young just days after the ALDS ended for Cliff Pennington to be a backup outfielder with pop, which means they would not sign fan favorite Jonny Gomes. There was also utility infielder Eric Sogard who ended up winning a job out of Spring Training over Jemile Weeks. The A's also still had much maligned Daric Barton in their organization somehow. Near the end of Spring, the A's also picked up Rule 5 Draftee Nate Freiman, who was basically in many people's eyes, the right handed version of Ryan Sweeney. Freiman who had never played above AA, must stay on the 25 man roster all season or the A's risk losing him to his former team, the Astros.
The thing that gets me the most is where these players were six months ago and where these players are now. Freiman played an integral role as a right handed platoon player, had many key hits including a walk-off single against future Hall of Famer and now retired New York Yankee closer, Mariano Rivera. Lowrie had an awesome season, where he challenged the A's doubles record set by Jason Giambi. Crisp, went 20/20 this season and was the A's motor, while Cespedes and Reddick had down years average wise, but still hit the ball hard and played some outstanding defense. Eric Sogard solidified himself as one of the best 9 hitters in the American League using his tools as being a pesky hitter and being an awesome defensive replacement. Nakajima got hurt at the start of the season and really never recovered and still has not seen big league action. Other players that the A's picked up throughout the year such as Stephen Vogt, Alberto Callaspo and former A's catcher Kurt Suzuki have played key roles in helping the A's get to where they need to be. Much maligned Daric Barton, who the A's designated for assignment twice (meaning any team could have picked him up) played a huge role down the stretch playing stellar defense and contributing offensively. Brandon Moss lead the team in home runs with 30, while Josh Donaldson was the most consistent, putting himself in the middle of the MVP talk with his overall game. The pitching staff remained outstanding using only 7 starters all year including 2011 draft pick Sonny Gray. The down part to the team was that Brett Anderson was hurt for most of the season, but has returned as an effective reliever solidifying an outstanding bullpen. Grant Balfour, Sean Doolittle and Ryan Cook were consistent throughout the season. Jesse Chavez and Dan Otero were key cogs in the bullpen as well along with fan favorite Jerry Blevins.
Two-third's of Major League Baseball teams go home before October and the 2013 AL West Champion Oakland Athletics are not one of them. Surprisingly, the A's played consistent baseball all year long and then took off in September and clinched the division in front of their home fans on the last regular season home date of the season with six games to play. Not in an A's fan's wildest dreams would anyone have thought of that. Oh baseball, I love you oh so much!
Buckle up, strap in and enjoy this ride to hopefully ends with the Green and Gold the last team standing in the end...
Friday, August 23, 2013
Revising My Pre Season Predictions
Back in April, I wrote a prediction on how the A's season would play out. While my player stats have been mostly incorrect, I have been spot on with the most of the teams and will continue to believe that the Oakland Athletics will be facing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. However, I will now change what will happen.
I still believe that the A's will sweep Tampa Bay in three games, winning the third game at home, thus meaning out of the three division winners, the A's will have the worst record and Tampa Bay the second best record. Detroit, who will own the best record in the American will face the winner of the wildcard match-up between Boston and Texas and will win a hard fought series in 5 The rest and hard fought ALDS will force the Tigers to be a bit tired and the A's will defeat the Tigers in 6 games exacting revenge from the 2012 ALDS.
The World Series gets a little interesting. I feel that the pitching for LA has an edge over the A's because of Kershaw, but the A's have the stronger bullpen, which will be the difference. The A's will have a pair of comeback victories and will use the long ball to help them win. Oakland's Runners in Scoring Position since late August has been outstanding, hitting .315 as a team and even better at .335 with less than 2 outs. In the Cuban battle of Cespedes vs Puig, Puig's inexperience of being a rookie will show on the big stage and he will make mistakes that plagued him during the season. Cespedes, with a year under his belt and who struggled throughout the year has turned it up in the playoffs hitting 7 home runs, hitting .435 and driving in 27 runs, winning the ALCS and World Series. My sleeper pick in the World Series will be Eric Sogard who would bat .500 for the series in the 9 hole and naturally get the final out of the World Series in 6...
(Joe Buck and Tim McCarver at the mic)
Joe: Oakland leads 4-2 in the top of the 9th, two down, 1-2 count on Gonzalez, Puig still at 2nd after a lead off double.
Tim: The crowd of over 47,000 can really feel it. Balfour, however is shaking his arm and working real slow, so I am wondering if the nerves are getting to him. He may be injured. Should Melvin and the training staff go look at him?
(Silence and just crowd noise in the background)
Joe: He is working rather slowly...The 1-2 pitch from Balfour...Broken bat ground ball to second....Sogard's got it, flips it to Moss and MONEYBALL HAS FINALLY GOT ITS CHAMPIONSHIP!
(a minute later)
Tim: Oakland has played on a budget for so long and they have shown that money will not buy Championships.
I still believe that the A's will sweep Tampa Bay in three games, winning the third game at home, thus meaning out of the three division winners, the A's will have the worst record and Tampa Bay the second best record. Detroit, who will own the best record in the American will face the winner of the wildcard match-up between Boston and Texas and will win a hard fought series in 5 The rest and hard fought ALDS will force the Tigers to be a bit tired and the A's will defeat the Tigers in 6 games exacting revenge from the 2012 ALDS.
The World Series gets a little interesting. I feel that the pitching for LA has an edge over the A's because of Kershaw, but the A's have the stronger bullpen, which will be the difference. The A's will have a pair of comeback victories and will use the long ball to help them win. Oakland's Runners in Scoring Position since late August has been outstanding, hitting .315 as a team and even better at .335 with less than 2 outs. In the Cuban battle of Cespedes vs Puig, Puig's inexperience of being a rookie will show on the big stage and he will make mistakes that plagued him during the season. Cespedes, with a year under his belt and who struggled throughout the year has turned it up in the playoffs hitting 7 home runs, hitting .435 and driving in 27 runs, winning the ALCS and World Series. My sleeper pick in the World Series will be Eric Sogard who would bat .500 for the series in the 9 hole and naturally get the final out of the World Series in 6...
(Joe Buck and Tim McCarver at the mic)
Joe: Oakland leads 4-2 in the top of the 9th, two down, 1-2 count on Gonzalez, Puig still at 2nd after a lead off double.
Tim: The crowd of over 47,000 can really feel it. Balfour, however is shaking his arm and working real slow, so I am wondering if the nerves are getting to him. He may be injured. Should Melvin and the training staff go look at him?
(Silence and just crowd noise in the background)
Joe: He is working rather slowly...The 1-2 pitch from Balfour...Broken bat ground ball to second....Sogard's got it, flips it to Moss and MONEYBALL HAS FINALLY GOT ITS CHAMPIONSHIP!
(a minute later)
Tim: Oakland has played on a budget for so long and they have shown that money will not buy Championships.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Just a Quickie A's Sniff Thought
As we all know a sports season is a roller coaster with many highs and many lows. Currently, the Oakland Athletics are at a low after having a 6 game lead on July 29th, they are now 2.5 back of the Texas Rangers; an 8.5 game swing. They still lead hold the second Wild Card spot with three games up on Baltimore, who they happen to play this weekend. Many fans have hit the panic button and I haven't. Below are 3 reasons why the A's will be A-OKAY...
1. Each team goes through a time where they lose to "bad teams" they shouldn't be losing to. Losing 2/3 to the Mariners and Astros at home this past week is a prime example. Let it go, shake it off, move on. The current AL MOY is pissed and has let his players know. Melvin knows what he's doing, so roll with him. I noticed a ton of manager questioning this season on various media outlets. You want Geren instead?
2. Let's rewind to April 2013 and I tell you that Reddick/Cespedes have combined for 30 home runs and Brett Anderson has been out for half of the season. Nakajima/Sizemore is hurt and Eric Sogard is your starting second baseman. Josh Donaldson and Jed Lowrie are arguably your best players. Tell me the A's record and most of you will probably say under .500 and way out of the playoff race.
3. This 2013 A's team hasn't reached their potential yet. As I said in number two, Cespedes and Reddick haven't figured it out yet and when they do this season, this team is going to be scary for anyone to face. Also, they have left about 5 million runners in scoring position in the second half so far, but remember it all evens out at the end. I know this is going to make some fans butt hurt, but it is all about timing in the game. Look at the 2010 and the 2012 Giants as they had the "Perfect Storm" of playing baseball at the right time and navigated to 2 World Series Championships... (A's still lead 4 > 2 though =P). Also with this blown lead, the A's have plenty of time to right the ship. How would you feel if the Rangers won the West in the fashion the A's did last year?
In October, the A's will be there and will be contending for a World Series title. The starting rotation will be Colon, Parker, Gray and Anderson and I am not sure if any team in MLB wants to go up against that.
1. Each team goes through a time where they lose to "bad teams" they shouldn't be losing to. Losing 2/3 to the Mariners and Astros at home this past week is a prime example. Let it go, shake it off, move on. The current AL MOY is pissed and has let his players know. Melvin knows what he's doing, so roll with him. I noticed a ton of manager questioning this season on various media outlets. You want Geren instead?
2. Let's rewind to April 2013 and I tell you that Reddick/Cespedes have combined for 30 home runs and Brett Anderson has been out for half of the season. Nakajima/Sizemore is hurt and Eric Sogard is your starting second baseman. Josh Donaldson and Jed Lowrie are arguably your best players. Tell me the A's record and most of you will probably say under .500 and way out of the playoff race.
3. This 2013 A's team hasn't reached their potential yet. As I said in number two, Cespedes and Reddick haven't figured it out yet and when they do this season, this team is going to be scary for anyone to face. Also, they have left about 5 million runners in scoring position in the second half so far, but remember it all evens out at the end. I know this is going to make some fans butt hurt, but it is all about timing in the game. Look at the 2010 and the 2012 Giants as they had the "Perfect Storm" of playing baseball at the right time and navigated to 2 World Series Championships... (A's still lead 4 > 2 though =P). Also with this blown lead, the A's have plenty of time to right the ship. How would you feel if the Rangers won the West in the fashion the A's did last year?
In October, the A's will be there and will be contending for a World Series title. The starting rotation will be Colon, Parker, Gray and Anderson and I am not sure if any team in MLB wants to go up against that.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Short Term Loss, Long Term Gains
I was having an interesting twitter conversation with writer Sean Davis from the Swingin' A's blog site about Yoenis Cespedes today and we were both discussion about giving Cespedes some time off so he could heal since he is injury prone. We both agreed upon about the ideal of "Short Term Loss, Long Term Gains" and today was certainly truth to that matter.
As human beings, we all have a tendency to "live in the moment", but also we need to make sure that we look at the long term goals and focus on them. Like many people, I have interest in the stock market and my 401k retirement plan. Today the stock market went down over 2%. Does this mean I should panic and sell all of my stock and take out the money now? If we did that, then we would have to pay taxes on all this money that you are taking out. Plus when the market rebounds, you will miss out on all of the gains you felt like you should have gotten. If you are focused on a long term goal and there is a minor bump in the road, sure you can get mad and get frustrated for a moment, but the ideal is to try and let it go. One word I see and hear constantly on twitter and in life conversations is "This Always Happens." or "This Never Happens". I tend to disagree with these statements because you are discussing something that happens 100% of the time. The reason why this occurs is because humans tend to forget about the positive things and only remember the negative. I really wish I could understand why this works, but I will speculate that there is a brain disturbance when negative happens. If we get into a fight with the significant other or a family member three years apart, we tend to remember better what happened in the last argument than the positive discussion that happened yesterday.
As followers of the A's, people know how important Yoenis Cespedes is to their lineup. Fans also know that he tends to get hurt very easily due to him going "balls out" on his swing and his running. While that has tempered down this season, he has still had his share of injuries. Through Thursday, Cespedes has been the teams designated hitter for the past 5-6 games while nursing a hamstring injury. Hamstring injuries are always tricky, but he has struggled this week while in the DH slot. Sean brought up a good point about resting him during the Sunday game at Seattle and perhaps the Wednesday game against Cincinnati. Since the A's are off a rare two days next week (Monday and Wednesday while at home), giving Cespedes a full four days off to heal completely would be the right thing. This would certainly help him clear his head from his slump as well as having no reservations about the hamstring injury. I can only speculate, but I am wondering if Cespedes being careful about his hamstring injury has also affected him at the plate. Instead of playing pepper with the wall, I feel that Cespedes is trying to swing for the downs. Cespedes is a great hitter when he is spraying line drives all over the field and using his legs.
The A's have bigger things to accomplish for the first time in quite a few years and with a little bit of short term loss, they can definitely get some long term gains out of it.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
My Response to Jon Heyman
During the Battle of the Bay Series Tuesday evening, CBS Reporter Jon Heyman tweeted about the Oakland Coliseum...
Throughout my lifetime, I have lived and breathed the Oakland Athletics, while practically calling the Coliseum a second home. I love the place. My second home might be out of date, but it is still my home. I could be anywhere in the world, close my eyes and I am able to paint a photo in my head walking through the Coliseum seeing the myriad of fans, smelling the hot dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, and seeing the beer flow like water. My parents have been taking me to A's games for so long, I don't even remember when my first game was. I do know that I had my first baseball emotion at 6 years old when Kirk Gibson hit the home run off Dennis Eckersley in 1988; I cried. My parents were season ticket holders in the early 1990's and then stopped because they got divorced and could not afford them anymore. I still tried to get out to as many games as I could and dad/mom would take us. I was afraid the Angels moved to Oakland when the entire Coliseum started to change to a blueish color, but luckily I found out they were just filming a movie (Angels In The Outfield). I was depressed in 1994, when I watched Ray Fosse talk about the players strike and ended baseball way too early than I wanted it to. I danced to Icebox and the Hard Hat Construction Crew "YMCA" when Mt. Davis was being built. I caught my first baseball from Section 216 from Jim Edmonds with help from my uncle. I lived through the teams of the 1990's that were just terrible with Ariel Prieto and Todd Van Poppel not turning out to be what we all thought. 1999 gave me a glimmer of hope where the A's contended until late September. In my first year at UC Riverside, I sat in my dorm room watching the A's win the West on the last day of the season. I sat through the 20 game winning streak and remember Game 18 specifically thinking the game was over, until the Los Angeles station broke in during their sports programming saying that Tejada hit the walk-off. I remember the Giambi non slide, the Lowe crotch chop as Terrence Long went down looking. Loved Jason Kendall for his grit even though he never could hit a home run. I loved it when watching the College World Series, seeing two future drafted teammates square off (Huston Street and Kurt Suzuki, the latter whom I followed in college). After finally securing a full time job after school and going to so many games, my parents thought I should become a season ticket holder, which I finally did in 2011, which has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. I have met a whole bunch of awesome people just like me that live at the Coliseum. If I go and see someone I don't see someone I know, I am in shock. It's not just a home, its a beautiful home where the "fanily" lives. I met an awesome group in the Right Field bleachers through a mutual friend during that time and it's been awesome fun. I am privileged to call these people I have met friends as there has been a bond that has been created outside of the Coliseum as well. I hung out with a lot of these same folks at an Oakland hotel at 3am watching our team play Opening Day in Japan in what turned out to be one of the most improbable years in team history.
Jeff Francoeur called us some of the best fans in baseball. Justin Verlander called the Coliseum the loudest place he has ever played in. Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, MC Hammer, Adrien Brody, Danny Glover, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Reggie Jackson, Rickey Henderson stepped foot into the Coliseum field and that's just for baseball.
After sleeping on the comments, I have the following message for Jon Heyman...
Thank you for what you said about the Coliseum and their fans. You just made us love the Coliseum even more, while you gave the A's and their fans/players no respect. The team that was supposed to win it all because their offense was superior? They are sitting 5.5 games behind us right now because you can't admit their pitching staff sucks. The defending World Series Champs have lost two straight to us. Want to say the A's are "padding their record" against divisional doormat, Houston? That's cool, but 9 other teams have done to Houston, which Boston and Oakland hasn't done. Keep on doubting us! That's fine by me, because when the A's "shock the world" once again in 2013, what is going to be your response this time?
"Not too bad for a dump..." is what I am pretty much expecting...
A shame the a's and giants have to play these games at the coliseum while ATandT sits empty. #shameBefore you continue reading, let the statement sink in for a moment. Whether you are a fan of an opposing team or a fan of the Oakland Athletics, this tweet did one thing and one thing only; they insulted a fan base and as predicted, many A's fans are not happy about it including myself. Though, I am very disappointed for what Heyman said, he continues to go on and take the low road and decline and interview with the A's "flagship" station KGMZ.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) May 29, 2013
Heyman to Rise Guys on declining interview via text:"Sorry no disrespect but don't want to get caught up in fake controversy." (continued)
— 95.7 The GAME (@957thegame) May 29, 2013
Heyman cont'd: "Just meant to draw comparison between best and worst baseball stadiums.Surprised A's fans love Coliseum so much.(cont'd)
— 95.7 The GAME (@957thegame) May 29, 2013
Heyman (3/3):"I'd have assumed they'd agree with their team and ownership that they prefer a new stadium."#Athletics #SFGiantsTo educate Heyman, I would like to first off and say that his mention about our team and ownership prefer a new stadium. I agree with him that the A's need a new yard, but in my opinion, I want the stadium to be in Oakland and NOT San Jose as current owner Lew Wolff wants. There is also a sticky situation that has been going on for 3+ years because the Giants do not want to give up Santa Clara County territorial rights that the A's gave up to the Giants in the 1990's as a "gentleman's agreement" so they would not move to Tampa Bay. Even though the territorial rights have prevented the A's from moving to San Jose, I am thankful the Giants are doing this because this pretty much forces Wolff to try and build a stadium in Oakland or perhaps sell the team to someone who will.
— 95.7 The GAME (@957thegame) May 29, 2013
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| Die Hard Fans as you can get (Photo courtesy of Spencer Mills) |
Jeff Francoeur called us some of the best fans in baseball. Justin Verlander called the Coliseum the loudest place he has ever played in. Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, MC Hammer, Adrien Brody, Danny Glover, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Reggie Jackson, Rickey Henderson stepped foot into the Coliseum field and that's just for baseball.
After sleeping on the comments, I have the following message for Jon Heyman...
Thank you for what you said about the Coliseum and their fans. You just made us love the Coliseum even more, while you gave the A's and their fans/players no respect. The team that was supposed to win it all because their offense was superior? They are sitting 5.5 games behind us right now because you can't admit their pitching staff sucks. The defending World Series Champs have lost two straight to us. Want to say the A's are "padding their record" against divisional doormat, Houston? That's cool, but 9 other teams have done to Houston, which Boston and Oakland hasn't done. Keep on doubting us! That's fine by me, because when the A's "shock the world" once again in 2013, what is going to be your response this time?
"Not too bad for a dump..." is what I am pretty much expecting...
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Why I Dislike Geographical Rivalry Games
First off, hats off to all of the servicemen and women who have served the for the United States of America. Holidays seem to be the only time we remember them, but I don't believe its enough. Whether your brother, sister, aunt, uncle, grandparent, etc served, be sure to spend as much time as you can with them when you have the chance. You just never know what tomorrow brings.
For the next three days, not including yesterday, Major League Baseball is holding Interleague Play games between "Geographical Rivals." Some aren't as geographical, such as Atlanta/Toronto or Seattle/San Diego, but there are those that make sense such as Tampa Bay/Miami, Mets/Yankees, Angels/Dodgers etc. Major League Baseball says that this time is a great time for the fans, which I tend to disagree with this statement.
Being a "fan" of a sports team or anything in general, I consider to be a loose term. For example, I am a big fan of cheese, but I don't educate myself in the history of cheese. I just love to eat cheese. To a person who knows the best kinds of cheeses and their history, they may not consider me a fan of cheese and choose to avoid talking about the subject with me. Some people are willing to educate those that are less knowledgeable, while others don't care and say "I believe what I want and I don't give a rat's ass what you say" mentality. The example about cheese, can really apply to anything. No matter how educated one is about a subject, people will always have an opinion about something. Opinions about a subject will usually be based upon one persons past experiences, as well as general stereotypes which are subconsciously thought about. If we were to play word association with the words below, what would be the first word that comes to mind? Please keep these answers to yourself as these are just to prove a point.
Asians
Mexicans
Caucasians
Oakland Raiders
New York Yankees
Democrat
Republican
Depending on your background and what geographical region you live in, you can probably associate those 7 groups with different names. For the sake of example, lets go with Asian. Being Asian myself, I am pretty sure you can think of a wide range of words from extreme ends of the spectrum from, "Go back to China because your blind ass can't drive" to "Smart and beautiful people that are awesome."
The reasons I stated above are the reasons, I dislike attending the current "Bay Bridge" Series between the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants. I feel that there are too many fans on both sides of the spectrum at these games and all these can lead to is problems. All teams fans are guilty of this, whether we admit it or not. Tensions are high between fans at these games and fights will happen, especially if there is alcohol involved. Friendly jabbing among fans can escalate quickly and someone could get hurt. My problem with this through experience via fans and family members is that some "fans" are only interested when two of the local teams get together. With the advent of social media such as facebook and twitter, this is much more prevalent. Joe and Jane Smith who never post about sports are posting about how awesome their team is, while the fans who have been there the entire time are thinking, "Since when did these people care about my sports team?" Also on social media sites, there are people known as "trolls" which is defined to be those who stir up problems between different fan bases. Since they are "hiding behind a keyboard" chances are the people that are "trolling" will not be reprimanded for their actions, so you could really call people whatever you want to and I am very disappointed with some of the language that I see. I believed that the USA had some of the most open people on the planet at one point, but after seeing what is said on twitter, I am not surprised that we are behind in some of the times in major issues, but that is for another day.
On the flip side, I have met fans and talked to fans on twitter of teams I don't root for and have had great conversations with them. I find that talking baseball with a knowledgeable baseball fan is very fun and entertaining especially if they know their teams history. If there is a way I can be educated about their team through these experiences, this will make me a much better fan in the future. If there is someone that is interested in the game and wants to learn what you know, then don't be afraid to open up and take them under your wing. We could always use a few more A's fans on this planet =)
For the next three days, not including yesterday, Major League Baseball is holding Interleague Play games between "Geographical Rivals." Some aren't as geographical, such as Atlanta/Toronto or Seattle/San Diego, but there are those that make sense such as Tampa Bay/Miami, Mets/Yankees, Angels/Dodgers etc. Major League Baseball says that this time is a great time for the fans, which I tend to disagree with this statement.
Being a "fan" of a sports team or anything in general, I consider to be a loose term. For example, I am a big fan of cheese, but I don't educate myself in the history of cheese. I just love to eat cheese. To a person who knows the best kinds of cheeses and their history, they may not consider me a fan of cheese and choose to avoid talking about the subject with me. Some people are willing to educate those that are less knowledgeable, while others don't care and say "I believe what I want and I don't give a rat's ass what you say" mentality. The example about cheese, can really apply to anything. No matter how educated one is about a subject, people will always have an opinion about something. Opinions about a subject will usually be based upon one persons past experiences, as well as general stereotypes which are subconsciously thought about. If we were to play word association with the words below, what would be the first word that comes to mind? Please keep these answers to yourself as these are just to prove a point.
Asians
Mexicans
Caucasians
Oakland Raiders
New York Yankees
Democrat
Republican
Depending on your background and what geographical region you live in, you can probably associate those 7 groups with different names. For the sake of example, lets go with Asian. Being Asian myself, I am pretty sure you can think of a wide range of words from extreme ends of the spectrum from, "Go back to China because your blind ass can't drive" to "Smart and beautiful people that are awesome."
The reasons I stated above are the reasons, I dislike attending the current "Bay Bridge" Series between the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants. I feel that there are too many fans on both sides of the spectrum at these games and all these can lead to is problems. All teams fans are guilty of this, whether we admit it or not. Tensions are high between fans at these games and fights will happen, especially if there is alcohol involved. Friendly jabbing among fans can escalate quickly and someone could get hurt. My problem with this through experience via fans and family members is that some "fans" are only interested when two of the local teams get together. With the advent of social media such as facebook and twitter, this is much more prevalent. Joe and Jane Smith who never post about sports are posting about how awesome their team is, while the fans who have been there the entire time are thinking, "Since when did these people care about my sports team?" Also on social media sites, there are people known as "trolls" which is defined to be those who stir up problems between different fan bases. Since they are "hiding behind a keyboard" chances are the people that are "trolling" will not be reprimanded for their actions, so you could really call people whatever you want to and I am very disappointed with some of the language that I see. I believed that the USA had some of the most open people on the planet at one point, but after seeing what is said on twitter, I am not surprised that we are behind in some of the times in major issues, but that is for another day.
On the flip side, I have met fans and talked to fans on twitter of teams I don't root for and have had great conversations with them. I find that talking baseball with a knowledgeable baseball fan is very fun and entertaining especially if they know their teams history. If there is a way I can be educated about their team through these experiences, this will make me a much better fan in the future. If there is someone that is interested in the game and wants to learn what you know, then don't be afraid to open up and take them under your wing. We could always use a few more A's fans on this planet =)
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Why Downtown/Off Strip Las Vegas is Underrated...
In my last post, I discussed 10 Tips that Las Vegas Virgins should know before going to Vegas. Now I will discuss how the Downtown area/Fremont Street is very underrated compared to the pizzazz of the strip. First however, there is something that I did not mention in my last post that can be useful. Those would be Player's Cards.
If you ever wanted to get amped for a trip to Las Vegas and want junk mail with room offers from various casinos sent to your mailbox or e-mail, then sign up for a players card at the various casinos you go to. Some of these player cards come with incentives such as a free slot or table play and discounts off restaurants when you first sign up for them. Even if you aren't a gambler, there are chances that even if you use your card for a little bit, the casinos will send you offers. Las Vegas hotels are expensive in general, so having these cards will help you when you travel on future trips. Are you a big fan of Bellagio, Aria, Mandalay Bay and MGM Grand? Well you are in luck as they are under the same M-Life players card. Fancy some Caesars Palace, Paris, Planet Hollywood? They use the Caesars Entertainment Card.
1. Cheaper Food Options - Just because it's the Las Vegas Strip, the food is going to be a bit more pricey. Tourists don't know and they want to just eat good food and will splurge a little bit more while on vacation. If you want something more reasonable, check out downtown. Four Queens has an excellent cafe called Magnolia's Veranda. They have a Prime Rib special for $11.99 per person and the meat rivals some of the better cuts of meat that you have probably have had ever. I have also have had their Teriyaki Chicken and that is awesome as well and very filling at 3am. Another good spot is the Paradise Buffet and Cafe. Here you could get their buffet or order off their menu. If you are a fan of Oxtail Stew, the portion here is really good and very filling. If you want to go off strip and want Asian food, check out the variety of spots on Spring Mountain Blvd. Tofu Hut serves up some cook your own Korean Food and Pho So 1 serves up some of the best Vietnamese noodles I have ever had. Another place you can't go wrong are the Station Casino's Buffets, which run between $10-$20 a person depending on the time you go. A tip for anyone hitting up the buffet in general though. Try to get into the buffet during the end of their lunch hour and pay those prices. Thirty minutes later, they start changing their dishes out to dinner and you get twice the fun!
2. Cheaper Gambling Options - The same places that I mentioned above also have much cheaper gambling options than their strip counterparts. Unless you are in Vegas at 8am on a Tuesday morning, chances are really good you will not be able to find a $5 blackjack table. Heck, you might have a hard time finding a $10-$15 dollar blackjack table. Downtown and off strip casinos have multiple options of $5 tables everywhere and your dollar will definitely last much longer. Also, from what I have seen, comps are much easier to obtain with a players card. For example, I have gotten offers to stay at The Orleans for a free two night stay for just sitting down and playing blackjack for about an hour at about $5 a hand. Comp offers work well on future trips. I'm not sure about their slot machines, but I do notice there are more cheaper slot options than the strip.
3. Hotels are much Closer Together - In late 1994, a 5 block stretch of Fremont Street was closed to vehicular traffic for good, which created the Fremont Street Experience that is seen today. On the street, there are many side shops and vendors selling trinket type items and also there is a couple of stages which provide live entertainment during the evening. Also if you are to look straight up, there is a canopy which provides a free light and sound show at night. There are also many outside bars to pick up your favorite beverage of choice. In this five block stretch, you will probably pass by about 5-7 different casinos. Compared to the strip, this is a short walk and you can see a whole bunch of different themed hotels in a matter of minutes. The distance between hotels is what helps you with your food options I stated earlier. You could go to your favorite cafe in one casino and a couple of minutes later you could be at your favorite dessert stop.
4. The Rooms are Very Good - When my father said that he wanted my friend and I to stay Downtown with him for a night, I didn't expect much from the rooms when I stayed there. Honestly, I expected them to be run down. My buddy and I stayed at the Golden Gate and while the room was about the size of a cramped bedroom, it did the job and was clean. There wasn't much of a view, but the bed was comfortable and I wouldn't have a problem staying there again. However though, I would rather stay at the California Hotel because I thought their rooms were much nicer. I was honestly surprised because if you would have told me the room was on the strip and you paid over $100 a night for it, I would not be surprised. The worst experience I have had in a room has been Imperial Palace (renamed The Quad), which is in the dead center of the strip. I try to avoid that place at all possible, until they renovate their rooms, which they said they would in the near future.
5. Homely Feel Downtown - While Downtown, I felt like I was more at home. When on the strip, I felt completely overwhelmed and in shock by all of the stuff that is going on. You have larger than life buildings, shows, people trying to hand out adult entertainment advertisements etc. Downtown, you don't get this and it doesn't feel "too touristy" if you get what I mean. I love having a good time, but the Downtown area just seems a bit more friendly and down to earth. The crowd Downtown is mostly older people so if you are looking for your clubbing and pool crowd, this part is definitely not for you.
Downtown Las Vegas is where it was all happening back in the day, so if you are looking to see some of the nostalgia of Las Vegas, this is the place to be. I always believed in being able to look at some of the past history of the city and downtown provides a great experience. For those that are World Series of Poker fans, check out Binion's and see where the first tournaments were played. You can even seriously take a photo with a million dollars there as well...
Stay Positive Everyone!
If you ever wanted to get amped for a trip to Las Vegas and want junk mail with room offers from various casinos sent to your mailbox or e-mail, then sign up for a players card at the various casinos you go to. Some of these player cards come with incentives such as a free slot or table play and discounts off restaurants when you first sign up for them. Even if you aren't a gambler, there are chances that even if you use your card for a little bit, the casinos will send you offers. Las Vegas hotels are expensive in general, so having these cards will help you when you travel on future trips. Are you a big fan of Bellagio, Aria, Mandalay Bay and MGM Grand? Well you are in luck as they are under the same M-Life players card. Fancy some Caesars Palace, Paris, Planet Hollywood? They use the Caesars Entertainment Card.
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| Prime Rib from Four Queens - I like my meat rare |
2. Cheaper Gambling Options - The same places that I mentioned above also have much cheaper gambling options than their strip counterparts. Unless you are in Vegas at 8am on a Tuesday morning, chances are really good you will not be able to find a $5 blackjack table. Heck, you might have a hard time finding a $10-$15 dollar blackjack table. Downtown and off strip casinos have multiple options of $5 tables everywhere and your dollar will definitely last much longer. Also, from what I have seen, comps are much easier to obtain with a players card. For example, I have gotten offers to stay at The Orleans for a free two night stay for just sitting down and playing blackjack for about an hour at about $5 a hand. Comp offers work well on future trips. I'm not sure about their slot machines, but I do notice there are more cheaper slot options than the strip.
3. Hotels are much Closer Together - In late 1994, a 5 block stretch of Fremont Street was closed to vehicular traffic for good, which created the Fremont Street Experience that is seen today. On the street, there are many side shops and vendors selling trinket type items and also there is a couple of stages which provide live entertainment during the evening. Also if you are to look straight up, there is a canopy which provides a free light and sound show at night. There are also many outside bars to pick up your favorite beverage of choice. In this five block stretch, you will probably pass by about 5-7 different casinos. Compared to the strip, this is a short walk and you can see a whole bunch of different themed hotels in a matter of minutes. The distance between hotels is what helps you with your food options I stated earlier. You could go to your favorite cafe in one casino and a couple of minutes later you could be at your favorite dessert stop.
4. The Rooms are Very Good - When my father said that he wanted my friend and I to stay Downtown with him for a night, I didn't expect much from the rooms when I stayed there. Honestly, I expected them to be run down. My buddy and I stayed at the Golden Gate and while the room was about the size of a cramped bedroom, it did the job and was clean. There wasn't much of a view, but the bed was comfortable and I wouldn't have a problem staying there again. However though, I would rather stay at the California Hotel because I thought their rooms were much nicer. I was honestly surprised because if you would have told me the room was on the strip and you paid over $100 a night for it, I would not be surprised. The worst experience I have had in a room has been Imperial Palace (renamed The Quad), which is in the dead center of the strip. I try to avoid that place at all possible, until they renovate their rooms, which they said they would in the near future.
5. Homely Feel Downtown - While Downtown, I felt like I was more at home. When on the strip, I felt completely overwhelmed and in shock by all of the stuff that is going on. You have larger than life buildings, shows, people trying to hand out adult entertainment advertisements etc. Downtown, you don't get this and it doesn't feel "too touristy" if you get what I mean. I love having a good time, but the Downtown area just seems a bit more friendly and down to earth. The crowd Downtown is mostly older people so if you are looking for your clubbing and pool crowd, this part is definitely not for you.
Downtown Las Vegas is where it was all happening back in the day, so if you are looking to see some of the nostalgia of Las Vegas, this is the place to be. I always believed in being able to look at some of the past history of the city and downtown provides a great experience. For those that are World Series of Poker fans, check out Binion's and see where the first tournaments were played. You can even seriously take a photo with a million dollars there as well...
Stay Positive Everyone!
Friday, May 24, 2013
Tips for the Virgin Las Vegas Trip
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| Dad, Stepmom, Grandparents and Friend at Tender Steakhouse at Luxor |
1. If You Take a Cab from the Airport and the driver suggests the tunnel, say NO - From the airport to the strip, most think that the fastest way is through a tunnel to the freeway and then exiting. This is wrong. You will pay $40 in cab fare and the taxi will be long hauling you. Tell them to take Swenson and the ride depending on traffic will only cost you $18-20. If you still think that is still too expensive, then go with the shuttle busses which run under $10. The shuttle busses may take a little bit longer due to dropping off many people at other hotels, but it is way cheaper. Never take the limousine unless you really want to pay the extra dough. Not worth the cost in my opinion. If you are in a group, the limousine could possibly be a better deal. Do the math amongst your friends and see what works for you.
2. Las Vegas Strip is way BIGGER than you think - The distance of the Las Vegas Strip is 4.2 miles if you are driving. If you are walking, then it can feel much longer because of pedestrian bridges and stopping off at casinos etc. Before one of my trips, I asked my dad how tall he thought Bellagio was. He estimated about 25-30 stories which comes to about 300 feet high. According to wikipedia the main tower of Bellagio is 508 feet tall and its total gaming space is 116,000 square feet. Another casino, The Palazzo Las Vegas has the largest floor space in the United States and 10th largest in the world at 6.9 million square feet. Younger folks in their 20's tend to make this mistake of underestimating Vegas because they all dress up nice and fancy, which makes for some great eye candy, but they will definitely be paying for it by the end of the night. The ladies may look phenomenal in their heels, but wait three hours and see what happens when you have to walk back to your hotel. That is not good... My suggestion here is to wear flats or have a friend bring a backpack or bag to carry extra shoes in.
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| Vegas has a ton of Eye Candy for both Sexes |
3. Hotel Room Tips - You are in Vegas to have a good time and chances are those that read this are probably going to drink a ton, gamble and eat a ton of food. When you check into your hotel, remind yourself to take a photo of your room number. When you are trying to get back to your room at 4am and you are completely trashed, having the photo of your room will help you. You don't want to be that person who tries to open every single room door with your key, only to finally realize that you were on the wrong floor and/or knocking on the wrong door. Another tip is being careful with the food/refreshments inside of the room. They are very tempting to eat, but also at the same time they are very expensive. A way to solve this is to hit up the Walgreen's on the strip and pick up essentials such as water, snacks, sodas, juice etc. The prices are a little bit more expensive than your Walgreen's in your neighborhood, but this is a much better alternative than spending $5 for that 12 oz can of coke you just drank from the minibar.
4. If you are to meet up with Friends in the Casino, tell them a LANDMARK - Casinos are huge and they want you to get lost in them. I have never been to an IKEA before, but I am told that the store is confusing and their signs want you to basically never leave their building. The best thing when meeting up with a group of people is to find a huge landmark inside of the casino. One thing that most casinos have is a Sports Book and it is relatively easy to find. Another spot would be a theatre or a restaurant. Don't ever tell anyone to meet you in front of a specific slot machine because those slot machines are spread throughout the casino. This will definitely not help you.
5. Wear a Watch or You Will Constantly Be Asking People the Time - Casinos have NO CLOCKS. They want you to forget about the outside world and live in theirs. As much as you try to do it, you will definitely lose track of time and the best thing to try and take care of this is to wear a watch. Some of you will come back and me and say, "I have my phone." My response is better be safe, than sorry, especially when your phone dies at some random hour.
6. ATM Fees are HORRIBLE - This is where pre-planning comes into play. If you are one of those folks that may need an ATM, trying to find your bank at a casino is nearly impossible, unless you look it up online first. Off the top of my head, I do know that Caesars Palace has some Bank of America ATMs in their forum shops. Other than that, the ATM's charge monster fees between $3-$6 just to take your own money out and remember this doesn't include your own bank dinging you as well. If you have to do it, I suggest going to check out Casino Royale. Their ATM's charge $1 to take out some cash.
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| Some of the fine eats from Paris' Las Vegas Buffet |
8. Pre-Gaming and the Club Scene - You have stuffed yourself at the restaurants and you are ready to party! For those who love the club scene save some money and try to book your tickets in advance online. By the time you get to the trip, everything is paid for already. I have gone to one club in my life in Las Vegas (Marquee at Cosmopolitan) and we bought our tickets in advance. This was a breeze for us as all we had to do was to pick them up, go through security and walk right in. If you forgot to get your tickets, DO NOT buy them from the folks offering them on the street. Those people are there to take advantage of you and your money. I am sure most of them could possibly be trustworthy sources, but I just don't believe them. They may offer you a cheap ticket, but if you can't get into the club, you are pretty much screwed. The best thing to do is to stand in the very long line at the box office to try and get in and hope and pray you get in. As for pre-gaming, try and purchase your alcohol off strip and drink before hand. Club drinks can easily run you between $12-25 a drink depending on where you go. I personally think the clubbing is all about the company you are with, so why not have a good time on a cheaper budget?
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| Drink enough Water or you might be "Out of Order" |
10. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate - I can't stress this part enough. Whether you hit up Vegas in the 120 degree heat in summer or the 60 degree weather in December, I cannot stress enough about hydrating. This is one problem I still have issues with. When in Vegas I am so excited, I completely forget about the basics of drinking enough water. I tend to walk around going from casino to casino and while I do chug waters while at a table, I don't do that enough. For those that drink and are okay afterwards, I have no idea how you do it. Las Vegas is very dry out there in the desert and drinking enough water really will help you in the long run.
This is only a few tips that I have offered to new folks and possibly people who have been to Las Vegas before. If you have any other ideas that I didn't mention here, send them over. I am sure there are a ton of them where people do other things which help them save a ton of money.
Friday, May 17, 2013
How I Show My Appreciation for Other Teams
Thursday was a tough loss for both of the teams I follow, who were are fighting for their playoff lives. The Golden State Warriors upset the Denver Nuggets in Round 1 and then lost to the San Antonio Spurs in 6. I felt the Warriors fought as hard as they could battling through numerous injuries, but just could not finish it in the end. Talk about one hell of a season. This team was not supposed to make the playoffs and they did, completely exceeding expectations. I won't go into detail all of the injuries the team suffered through during the playoffs or during the season, but things look well for the future. The San Jose Sharks lost to the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 in heartbreaking fashion having to try and kill off a 5 on 3 late in the game up 3-2. Frustrating, but what can you do?
I will not go into details about how the Sharks and Warriors lost, but how social media can play a big part in ruining the fun of everything. I was texting with a friend after the games tonight and I was looking through Facebook and twitter. I follow various people across the globe and each person has their own viewpoints and reacts differently to when a team wins or loses. Everyone does this in one form or another and what bothers me the most about when a team wins or loses, is how people talk on social media. I will give a classic example that I was talking to my friend about to put this perfectly in perspective. I may not like a certain sports team, but I find a way to appreciate the way a team or a player performs that particular evening or throughout the series. A few years ago, I was given tickets to a Florida Marlins/San Francisco Giants game to be played at AT&T Park. The pitching matchup was Josh Johnson against Barry Zito. I grew up an A's fan and I will admit that I do not like the Giants. While I do not like a particular team, what I can do is appreciate what a player or a group of players are doing to try and help their team win. While I may wear neutral colors or secretly hope the other team loses, I will always appreciate a good performance. That evening Barry Zito pitched wonderfully. Many of his pitches worked and if I remember correctly Zito pitched 7 innings of scoreless baseball and I gave him a standing ovation because of his efforts. At this point I am knowledgeable enough to figure out that I am a fan of baseball at that point. I learned this because I had a really hard time getting over the Kirk Gibson home run off of Dennis Eckersley in the 1988 World Series. As an A's fan that was a horrible moment, but as a fan of baseball, what Gibson did was amazing. On the flip side, I have had non-Warrior fans come up and tell me, "Dang, I wish we had Curry on our team because he is awesome to watch" or another player. Many fans "hate" the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant and at one point, I did too. I may not be a fan of the Lakers, but what I can do is appreciate a game by an all time great. I find this to be a privilege and an honor to watch Kobe Bryant. Many years down the road, I may be able to tell my kids that I got to see Kobe Bryant and also Michael Jordan play basketball.
As I stated in my previous posts and I will reiterate my point here is that I try to the best of my ability to look at a situation as a whole instead of one moment in time. I do know of the saying about living in the moment, which I agree with, but also at the same time, I like to realize how far I have come to appreciate things in my life. As frustrating as a team can be as a fan, you always have to keep a bigger picture that it's all just a game...
I will not go into details about how the Sharks and Warriors lost, but how social media can play a big part in ruining the fun of everything. I was texting with a friend after the games tonight and I was looking through Facebook and twitter. I follow various people across the globe and each person has their own viewpoints and reacts differently to when a team wins or loses. Everyone does this in one form or another and what bothers me the most about when a team wins or loses, is how people talk on social media. I will give a classic example that I was talking to my friend about to put this perfectly in perspective. I may not like a certain sports team, but I find a way to appreciate the way a team or a player performs that particular evening or throughout the series. A few years ago, I was given tickets to a Florida Marlins/San Francisco Giants game to be played at AT&T Park. The pitching matchup was Josh Johnson against Barry Zito. I grew up an A's fan and I will admit that I do not like the Giants. While I do not like a particular team, what I can do is appreciate what a player or a group of players are doing to try and help their team win. While I may wear neutral colors or secretly hope the other team loses, I will always appreciate a good performance. That evening Barry Zito pitched wonderfully. Many of his pitches worked and if I remember correctly Zito pitched 7 innings of scoreless baseball and I gave him a standing ovation because of his efforts. At this point I am knowledgeable enough to figure out that I am a fan of baseball at that point. I learned this because I had a really hard time getting over the Kirk Gibson home run off of Dennis Eckersley in the 1988 World Series. As an A's fan that was a horrible moment, but as a fan of baseball, what Gibson did was amazing. On the flip side, I have had non-Warrior fans come up and tell me, "Dang, I wish we had Curry on our team because he is awesome to watch" or another player. Many fans "hate" the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant and at one point, I did too. I may not be a fan of the Lakers, but what I can do is appreciate a game by an all time great. I find this to be a privilege and an honor to watch Kobe Bryant. Many years down the road, I may be able to tell my kids that I got to see Kobe Bryant and also Michael Jordan play basketball.
As I stated in my previous posts and I will reiterate my point here is that I try to the best of my ability to look at a situation as a whole instead of one moment in time. I do know of the saying about living in the moment, which I agree with, but also at the same time, I like to realize how far I have come to appreciate things in my life. As frustrating as a team can be as a fan, you always have to keep a bigger picture that it's all just a game...
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Sports is Life Described in About 3 Hours
Twitter brings out a ton of personalities and I happen to follow some of the best fans in the world. After the Warriors lost Game 1 of their Western Conference Semi Final game vs the San Antonio Spurs, I thought about unfollowing Keith. Why Keith? Well, honestly I met him in person a few times and he is a great guy, but at the same time what disappointed me is that his tweets are completely not him. Sometimes I believe that what he says on twitter is not what he says in real life. I personally think he is doing too much politicking, so let's take a look...
Keith is talking about the umpire doing the Athletics/Indians game and is completely criticizing a man who is paid to officiate a game between "grown men". He really needs to give the guy a break. He is trying his best and all Keith does here is criticize about how terrible of a job he is doing. Major League Baseball has some of the best athletes in all of the world and this man is one of the best at doing his job trying to make a living to feed his family. Why can't Keith understand that? Noooo, he cares about the team he is rooting for to win and not giving this man the benefit of the doubt. Can you do a better job Keith? Where do you work? What if this man talked crap about what you were doing at your work today? The man is trying to make a living you know!
The one thing that pisses me off about Keith is that he "claims" to call himself a Sacramento Kings fan and he personally wants them to stay in Sacramento, but he throws this tweet up there. In all honesty, I don't think Keith cares about basketball at all. He takes photos of himself at these basketball games, but my biggest issue here is he flip-flops his ideals more than a politician does. Look at Keith's profile photo on twitter when you have the chance. He does that kind of garbage to get on television. I think he is just an attention whore to try and be noticed. Check out the next tweet about what he said to me to set off this chain of events...
Out of all the people I trusted on twitter to say really nice things to me on twitter, it was Keith who did. It's like really? This pissed me off. When I texted him and asked why he said this, all I got was a huge middle finger and he started rattling off reasons why I was doing this. Yeah, I sent him a ton of Social Reward tweets on twitter, but was that what set him off to say these things about me? Maybe it was my fault for sending the Social Rewards tweets. He never really said to me he didn't want me to send them. In fact, he made fun of me for sending them out, so I jokingly sent him all of the tweets. He never told me he didn't like them, so really? This was completely uncalled for. This is definitely rights for an unfollow.
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For those who watched the Warrior game or sports in general do you feel better now? I completely berated a friend on twitter in three tweets and overanalyzed what he said. I took everything out of context like a fan would do with their sports team on twitter. My point is that losses hurt because we care about our favorite teams and I get that. As I wrote in my last post, Sports are Humbling. At times you can be on the highest of highs and then the next day the lowest of lows. There are also middle grounds at times where you are just playing .500 at life. Some things are bad in life and somethings are good, but when stuff gets bad, its all about how you rebound. Oh and thank you Keith for helping me prove a point. You are an awesome friend.
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You are putting together an awesome presentation that will get you a huge offer of a million dollars for your company. You desperately need that raise and have been at the same job for 3 years waiting for your huge break. This is the time for you to shine and everyone in the office says that your company will definitely get the contract over the competition, as you are favored to win. Unfortunately, while putting the final touches on the project, your competition is rumored to make a huge comeback and will take the job instead. Instead of finishing the project with the way you have been working on it for the past 6 weeks, you tense up and barely beat the deadline. Your co-workers and boss are turning skeptical and wondering if the project that was so much in hand earlier is going to happen now. At the big meeting the client reads your proposal and your competitions. The client realizes that you both need to show something else to get the offer. You are frustrated at yourself that you should have gotten this job done easily and now you have to put in more hours at the office. Your last minute mistakes have cost you as you realized you made some big ones that have messed up your calculations. This extra time has now set back about four to five other projects that you have put on the back burner, but you realize that you need this project and must convince your client to take your proposal.
One week passes by and the client still needs to see more from both you and the competition. Two weeks go by, then three. Now its been a month and the client needs it done now. You have completely worked your ass off on this project and you don't want to fail. Neither does your competition, but at the same time you found out the competition started out late, but is finishing really strong because of experience. Self doubt creeps into your mind and you are really wondering if you are going to get this project. Countless hours could be all for naught. You panic, you hyperventilate, you can't breathe. You are just hoping you have got the project. A month and a half ago this was in your grasp and now, it's gone...
The client has decided to go with your competition at the last second. No specific reason why other than that their project was just "better" than yours. Your initial reaction is anger, frustration and you probably want to throw something at the wall at this point. All of your work completed and you absolutely blew it. You start thinking about that raise you were going to get which is not going to happen anymore. The new car you wanted? Gone! The new video game? No No No Not Today! What do you do? Do you learn from the experience and move on or do you just quit right now and realize you are finished. You think you will never ever become big time in your company. Your co-workers who thought you had the project "in the bag" are now doubting how you perform under pressure think you are never going to recover from the mishap. Their view changes about you and you start hearing your name going around the office as a big "choke". You failed them as much as you failed yourself.
By the end of the week, your boss has realized that not getting this project has affected you to the point to where you are being unproductive at the office. You are missing deadlines on everything and the potential that the Hiring Manager/Boss saw in you is going to waste. Your mental toughness is gone and you are getting upset and snapping at people to the point where everyone has lost respect for you for choking the project away. Two days later, the boss has seen enough and you are fired from your job.
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You wake up in your bed and check your clock and are sweating bullets. It is 4 AM and you have realized it was just a bad dream. You realize how much you have done in the past week and how you got your company the project. The million dollars is yours and everyone at the office is happy for you. You finally caught your big break at work and you have seized the opportunity under pressure. The competition although experienced took the lead on you, but you were able to snatch it back. You were resilient in the face of everything. Even when your co-workers seemed to doubt you to be able to get the project done, you did and you got the deal. Everyone is happy for you and says you have taken a big step in the company hierarchy. "Thank goodness it's Saturday morning" you think as you go back to sleep for another few more hours and wondering what car you are going to get once you get your raise next week...
By the way, the office scenario I just described to you was pretty much on point how the Warriors game went tonight. Ponder that thought for a while next time you say a team is finished...
How is Angel Hernandez still employed by Major League Baseball ? #athletics
— Keith Barnard (@KeithB322) May 7, 2013
Keith is talking about the umpire doing the Athletics/Indians game and is completely criticizing a man who is paid to officiate a game between "grown men". He really needs to give the guy a break. He is trying his best and all Keith does here is criticize about how terrible of a job he is doing. Major League Baseball has some of the best athletes in all of the world and this man is one of the best at doing his job trying to make a living to feed his family. Why can't Keith understand that? Noooo, he cares about the team he is rooting for to win and not giving this man the benefit of the doubt. Can you do a better job Keith? Where do you work? What if this man talked crap about what you were doing at your work today? The man is trying to make a living you know!
This is why I don't watch a lot of basketball....
— Keith Barnard (@KeithB322) May 7, 2013
The one thing that pisses me off about Keith is that he "claims" to call himself a Sacramento Kings fan and he personally wants them to stay in Sacramento, but he throws this tweet up there. In all honesty, I don't think Keith cares about basketball at all. He takes photos of himself at these basketball games, but my biggest issue here is he flip-flops his ideals more than a politician does. Look at Keith's profile photo on twitter when you have the chance. He does that kind of garbage to get on television. I think he is just an attention whore to try and be noticed. Check out the next tweet about what he said to me to set off this chain of events...
I'm pretty sure @sniff009 is an embellisher and lacks integrity.
— Keith Barnard (@KeithB322) May 6, 2013
Out of all the people I trusted on twitter to say really nice things to me on twitter, it was Keith who did. It's like really? This pissed me off. When I texted him and asked why he said this, all I got was a huge middle finger and he started rattling off reasons why I was doing this. Yeah, I sent him a ton of Social Reward tweets on twitter, but was that what set him off to say these things about me? Maybe it was my fault for sending the Social Rewards tweets. He never really said to me he didn't want me to send them. In fact, he made fun of me for sending them out, so I jokingly sent him all of the tweets. He never told me he didn't like them, so really? This was completely uncalled for. This is definitely rights for an unfollow.
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For those who watched the Warrior game or sports in general do you feel better now? I completely berated a friend on twitter in three tweets and overanalyzed what he said. I took everything out of context like a fan would do with their sports team on twitter. My point is that losses hurt because we care about our favorite teams and I get that. As I wrote in my last post, Sports are Humbling. At times you can be on the highest of highs and then the next day the lowest of lows. There are also middle grounds at times where you are just playing .500 at life. Some things are bad in life and somethings are good, but when stuff gets bad, its all about how you rebound. Oh and thank you Keith for helping me prove a point. You are an awesome friend.
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You are putting together an awesome presentation that will get you a huge offer of a million dollars for your company. You desperately need that raise and have been at the same job for 3 years waiting for your huge break. This is the time for you to shine and everyone in the office says that your company will definitely get the contract over the competition, as you are favored to win. Unfortunately, while putting the final touches on the project, your competition is rumored to make a huge comeback and will take the job instead. Instead of finishing the project with the way you have been working on it for the past 6 weeks, you tense up and barely beat the deadline. Your co-workers and boss are turning skeptical and wondering if the project that was so much in hand earlier is going to happen now. At the big meeting the client reads your proposal and your competitions. The client realizes that you both need to show something else to get the offer. You are frustrated at yourself that you should have gotten this job done easily and now you have to put in more hours at the office. Your last minute mistakes have cost you as you realized you made some big ones that have messed up your calculations. This extra time has now set back about four to five other projects that you have put on the back burner, but you realize that you need this project and must convince your client to take your proposal.
One week passes by and the client still needs to see more from both you and the competition. Two weeks go by, then three. Now its been a month and the client needs it done now. You have completely worked your ass off on this project and you don't want to fail. Neither does your competition, but at the same time you found out the competition started out late, but is finishing really strong because of experience. Self doubt creeps into your mind and you are really wondering if you are going to get this project. Countless hours could be all for naught. You panic, you hyperventilate, you can't breathe. You are just hoping you have got the project. A month and a half ago this was in your grasp and now, it's gone...
The client has decided to go with your competition at the last second. No specific reason why other than that their project was just "better" than yours. Your initial reaction is anger, frustration and you probably want to throw something at the wall at this point. All of your work completed and you absolutely blew it. You start thinking about that raise you were going to get which is not going to happen anymore. The new car you wanted? Gone! The new video game? No No No Not Today! What do you do? Do you learn from the experience and move on or do you just quit right now and realize you are finished. You think you will never ever become big time in your company. Your co-workers who thought you had the project "in the bag" are now doubting how you perform under pressure think you are never going to recover from the mishap. Their view changes about you and you start hearing your name going around the office as a big "choke". You failed them as much as you failed yourself.
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| A little resiliency and hard work pays off |
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You wake up in your bed and check your clock and are sweating bullets. It is 4 AM and you have realized it was just a bad dream. You realize how much you have done in the past week and how you got your company the project. The million dollars is yours and everyone at the office is happy for you. You finally caught your big break at work and you have seized the opportunity under pressure. The competition although experienced took the lead on you, but you were able to snatch it back. You were resilient in the face of everything. Even when your co-workers seemed to doubt you to be able to get the project done, you did and you got the deal. Everyone is happy for you and says you have taken a big step in the company hierarchy. "Thank goodness it's Saturday morning" you think as you go back to sleep for another few more hours and wondering what car you are going to get once you get your raise next week...
By the way, the office scenario I just described to you was pretty much on point how the Warriors game went tonight. Ponder that thought for a while next time you say a team is finished...
Monday, May 6, 2013
Humbled Through Sport
My apologies for the lack of posts, but there have been many things going on in life, especially sports and I haven't been posting at all. April/May is a big time of year in sports with baseball season starting, the hockey playoffs and the basketball playoffs. The process gets more crazy when your favorite teams are in the playoffs and you become a professional couch potato. At the same time, the sports have been very fun and humbling at the same time.
When the Oakland Athletics clinched the AL West on the last day of the season, a million things ran through my mind, but the thing that stood out was being able to watch the first and second games of the season in an Oakland hotel conference room with many of these same people. Here was a team that was supposed to be absolutely terrible and they win the west. No one believed in them except for a few fans and the players inside the clubhouse. An amazing feeling as a fan and I felt very humbled by the experience. I think this is what attracts me most to sports and why I am able to see things through an entire season. A team's regular season last months at a time, so there will be the highs and lows. Currently for my teams, they are on a high. The Warriors who weren't predicted to even touch the playoffs are beginning their second round matchup against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday evening. The A's have taken 2 of 3 for the New York Yankees and are playing well in the early going, which seems to never happen. The Sharks are up 3-0 on the Vancouver Canucks in their 1st Round matchup and look to close out at home on Tuesday.
Two days ago after the Sharks defeated the Canucks 3-2 in overtime, Sharks announcer Randy Hahn retweeted the Canucks flagship radio station Team 1040. I tuned in for an hour and fans were calling in and panicking about not being able to score goals and getting pretty much "manhandled" by the Sharks. After the Sharks won Sunday, I decided to tune in again Sunday night and many of their fans are talking about their goaltending and inability to score. I am humbled once again because these fans reminded me of how the Sharks played earlier this season. After their hot start, the Sharks went on a streak where they had trouble scoring goals. An offensive outburst would be considered to be two goals. Goaltender Antti Niemi kept the Sharks in games and gave the team a chance. This is what the Canucks are going through.
On Monday, April 29 versus the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the RF Bleachers headed up by Wes Mills held a Josh Hamilton Appreciation Night where we cheered for Josh because he dropped the easy pop up that set off the chain of events for the A's to win the AL West title. During batting practice, I really wasn't sure how Hamilton would take to the friendly ribbing. Your first thought is that he was going to be a jerk about it because he did not want to be reminded of certain events, but that evening he was far from it. He came over and entertained the fans and accepted a few Butterfinger bars from the fans and ate them while shagging fly balls. He was very cordial about it and even was able to take a photo with the Butterfinger. I give him major props for doing what he did because of how humbled he was. During the game, he threw up a baseball to Wiggi complementing her hair and writing a bible quote on it. I thought that was awesome. I know throughout his life, he has gone through many issues regarding drugs and alcohol and has established himself as a fine baseball player. I commend him that he was able to battle the demons and fight through. I know Texas Ranger fans reading this will probably think he is a douche-bag for leaving Texas, but he is my second favorite visiting player behind Kansas City Royals outfielder, Jeff Francoeur.
Josh Hamilton Appreciation Night did not end on Monday though as the A's and Angels played 19 innings! At 1:41am on Tuesday morning, the A's defeated the Angels 10-8 on a Brandon Moss home run to right field on a ball that was clearly out of the yard, but Josh Hamilton did not catch it, so once again, "THANK YOU JOSH!" Want some bizzaro baseball from the game? Check out this blurb from ESPN... Some stuff that was not mentioned, the A's and Angels lost a combined total of 5 players due to injury. Oakland lost Chris Young, Coco Crisp and Brett Anderson, while the Angels lost Peter Bourjos and Luis Jiminez. The Oakland injuries forced A's reliever, Jerry Blevins to hit. He struck out on three pitches, but managed to foul a ball off. I thought it was awesome to do the "JER-RY! JER-RY! JER-RY" chant from the RF bleachers. You can put that on the, "Things to Keep Yourself Entertained During a Long Baseball Game" List.
Sports are very humbling. You can be at the highest of highs one day and then the next day be at the lowest of lows. This is why I love sports and am very humbled. This is also what makes me a die hard fan. I am willing to see things through the entire year as frustrating as things can be sometimes, because I always know that in the end, everything is completely worth the wait.
When the Oakland Athletics clinched the AL West on the last day of the season, a million things ran through my mind, but the thing that stood out was being able to watch the first and second games of the season in an Oakland hotel conference room with many of these same people. Here was a team that was supposed to be absolutely terrible and they win the west. No one believed in them except for a few fans and the players inside the clubhouse. An amazing feeling as a fan and I felt very humbled by the experience. I think this is what attracts me most to sports and why I am able to see things through an entire season. A team's regular season last months at a time, so there will be the highs and lows. Currently for my teams, they are on a high. The Warriors who weren't predicted to even touch the playoffs are beginning their second round matchup against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday evening. The A's have taken 2 of 3 for the New York Yankees and are playing well in the early going, which seems to never happen. The Sharks are up 3-0 on the Vancouver Canucks in their 1st Round matchup and look to close out at home on Tuesday.
Two days ago after the Sharks defeated the Canucks 3-2 in overtime, Sharks announcer Randy Hahn retweeted the Canucks flagship radio station Team 1040. I tuned in for an hour and fans were calling in and panicking about not being able to score goals and getting pretty much "manhandled" by the Sharks. After the Sharks won Sunday, I decided to tune in again Sunday night and many of their fans are talking about their goaltending and inability to score. I am humbled once again because these fans reminded me of how the Sharks played earlier this season. After their hot start, the Sharks went on a streak where they had trouble scoring goals. An offensive outburst would be considered to be two goals. Goaltender Antti Niemi kept the Sharks in games and gave the team a chance. This is what the Canucks are going through.
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| Josh Hamilton Appreciation Night |
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| All Worth it after 19! |
Sports are very humbling. You can be at the highest of highs one day and then the next day be at the lowest of lows. This is why I love sports and am very humbled. This is also what makes me a die hard fan. I am willing to see things through the entire year as frustrating as things can be sometimes, because I always know that in the end, everything is completely worth the wait.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Should We All Live Our Lives Like Bartolo Colon?
On Tuesday night in cold, blustery and rainy conditions, Oakland Athletics pitcher Bartolo Colon faced off against Boston Red Sox hurler Alfredo Aceves. This match-up was a battle of polar opposites with Colon not caring and having a jolly good time and Aceves getting mad at pretty much anything and everything, including two balks in one inning which doomed his chances at winning. As predicted, the A's won the game 13-0 in a game that was called after 7 innings due to rain. No matter what the conditions were, Colon seemed to just love being on the mound and nothing phased him.
When Colon signed with the A's before the start of the 2012 season, I felt like this was a good decision because he was going to be a veteran presence in a rotation pretty much filled with rookies. Colon was very efficient all year and his demeanor on the mound was excellent. If he gave up a home run, he would just move onto the next batter and get him out. Colon seemed happy to be pitching even though he has an impressive resume with 170+ wins to his credit and a Cy Young Award from 2005 while with the Angels. Before being busted for testosterone, Colon was a very respectable 10-9 with a 3.43 ERA for the A's. He even had one game against the Angels where he threw 38 strikes in a row. The only thing he seriously throws is a fastball, but the way he understands how to use the plate is amazing. Usually if you miss location on a fastball, a major league hitter will blast it 25 rows into the outfield stands. Colon throws fastballs and his location is just outstanding. He leaves hitters guessing with his movement on his assortment of 2 and 4 seam fastballs.
When I heard the A's re-signed Colon for the 2013 season, I was skeptical and I wasn't sure what was going to happen with him. I have issues with people who have cheated the game. I still don't consider that Barry Bonds is the all time home run leader. Even if Alex Rodriquez breaks the record, I won't consider him the home run leader. In my eyes and many will agree, the All Time MLB Home Run leader is Henry Aaron. PED's has been an issue since the late 80's to pretty much three to four years ago when MLB instituted a drug testing policy. There are still players that do get busted for PED's, but not as much anymore.
Since the start 2013, I put Colon under a microscope and noticed that with him, nothing has changed. He still looks like a person you would find at a Hometown Buffet line instead of a pitchers mound, but he can still pitch. After watching him help reliever Chris Resop add a pitch and seeing how Colon pitches, especially after Tuesday night, I have decided to back off the microscope of Colon and realized that he is a great role model for the other starters in the rotation. Younger pitchers tend to "nibble" around the strike zone and try to make the "perfect" pitch which tends to lead to mistakes rather than outs. Colon just doesn't give a damn. If he gives up three home runs in a row or strikes out 3 in a row, his demeanor is the same. I have also found amusing that Colon also likes flipping the baseball in the air at random times during the ball game just to screw around. Talk about a man unfazed by anything. I am sure that Colon could be pitching in a blizzard and still be enjoying his time on the bump.
There is a saying that "If you do what you love, then you never have to work a day in your life." I would say that Bartolo Colon is a prime example of that when pitching. Colon in the batter's box is another story though...
Enjoy life, try to have fun and keep your head up!
When Colon signed with the A's before the start of the 2012 season, I felt like this was a good decision because he was going to be a veteran presence in a rotation pretty much filled with rookies. Colon was very efficient all year and his demeanor on the mound was excellent. If he gave up a home run, he would just move onto the next batter and get him out. Colon seemed happy to be pitching even though he has an impressive resume with 170+ wins to his credit and a Cy Young Award from 2005 while with the Angels. Before being busted for testosterone, Colon was a very respectable 10-9 with a 3.43 ERA for the A's. He even had one game against the Angels where he threw 38 strikes in a row. The only thing he seriously throws is a fastball, but the way he understands how to use the plate is amazing. Usually if you miss location on a fastball, a major league hitter will blast it 25 rows into the outfield stands. Colon throws fastballs and his location is just outstanding. He leaves hitters guessing with his movement on his assortment of 2 and 4 seam fastballs.
When I heard the A's re-signed Colon for the 2013 season, I was skeptical and I wasn't sure what was going to happen with him. I have issues with people who have cheated the game. I still don't consider that Barry Bonds is the all time home run leader. Even if Alex Rodriquez breaks the record, I won't consider him the home run leader. In my eyes and many will agree, the All Time MLB Home Run leader is Henry Aaron. PED's has been an issue since the late 80's to pretty much three to four years ago when MLB instituted a drug testing policy. There are still players that do get busted for PED's, but not as much anymore.
Since the start 2013, I put Colon under a microscope and noticed that with him, nothing has changed. He still looks like a person you would find at a Hometown Buffet line instead of a pitchers mound, but he can still pitch. After watching him help reliever Chris Resop add a pitch and seeing how Colon pitches, especially after Tuesday night, I have decided to back off the microscope of Colon and realized that he is a great role model for the other starters in the rotation. Younger pitchers tend to "nibble" around the strike zone and try to make the "perfect" pitch which tends to lead to mistakes rather than outs. Colon just doesn't give a damn. If he gives up three home runs in a row or strikes out 3 in a row, his demeanor is the same. I have also found amusing that Colon also likes flipping the baseball in the air at random times during the ball game just to screw around. Talk about a man unfazed by anything. I am sure that Colon could be pitching in a blizzard and still be enjoying his time on the bump.
There is a saying that "If you do what you love, then you never have to work a day in your life." I would say that Bartolo Colon is a prime example of that when pitching. Colon in the batter's box is another story though...
Enjoy life, try to have fun and keep your head up!
Adapt or Blog
- Congrats to the San Jose Sharks - 9th consecutive playoff year. Let's take Lord Stanley home now!
- Golden State Warriors tied their series with Denver at 1 coming back to the Roaracle. DEFEND WARRIORS GROUND!
- Our softball team lost 20-10 Tuesday against a team that was really good. In the Co-Ed league, most of their team either played college ball or had gotten to the minors. We were even up on them at one point too. We had a 4-0 lead, then down 5-4 and 10-7, but they pulled away with about what seemed was 500 home runs. I think the final count was like 5-6. Also, their range in the field was outstanding.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Keeping Things in Perspective from a Trying Week
Exhaustion cannot even begin to describe the week that was from April 14-20. Like the rest of you, I was on the social media platforms when news first broke in Boston. My first thought was shock because as many of you know, I run half marathons and have run a full. When I found out that the MIT Police officer that was killed was a WAKA Kickballer, hit even more too close to home. I may not know anyone that was directly affected by the events in Boston, but my heart is certainly with them.
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| Messages Like This Flashed across Stadiums all over the USA |
Events like the tragedy in Boston puts everything in perspective. Sports teams can really distort a persons view of a region. I know many people that "hate" the New York Yankees as much as the Boston Red Sox. When I saw New York standing with Boston after the tragedy, it meant so much more. Yankee and Red Sox fans who have a mutual "hatred" for one another realized that they needed to do something "bigger than the game." A baseball rivalry that meant so much a couple of days meant so little... Another example of this was the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres starting a series Monday evening. Going into the game tensions were high after Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin was hit by a pitch and charged the mound at Dodgers' pitcher Zach Grienke, breaking Grienke's collarbone. After Monday's attacks that didn't mean much anymore.
During the week, the sporting events that I attended were very tempered, but still competitive. Instead of seeing another teams colors, I saw three colors; Red, White and Blue. For those that are too young enough to remember the September 11, 2001 attacks, this reminds me so much of that. Media reports say this is more related to the Sniper shootings in 2007, but I disagree. Watching the images on television and seeing the photos, reminded me how much the human race can come together in a tragic situation. First responders run towards the danger, not caring about their personal selves. Samaritans jump right in to see what they can do to help the injured. Though it is a graphic image and I wont post the link here, Peace Activist, Carlos Arredondo helping out Jeff Baumann who just lost both his legs in this bombing is etched in my memory forever. Arredondo lost a son in the Middle East and was rooting the racers on while carrying an American flag. I can only salute him for what he did in the situation.
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| AMERICA!!!! |
After the Boston bombings a fertilizer plant exploded in West, Texas just outside of Waco, which put an America that was on edge even more on edge. Fear and Paranoia is everywhere where suspicious packages were reported in public places and I don't blame people. Then later on in the week, an MIT police officer was killed and then then there was a shootout in Watertown, which is just a stones throw from Boston. At first there was just fear that something else in Massachusetts was happening, but I am pretty sure that the public was relieved that the shootout was related to the two men who bombed the marathon. I am also glad they caught one of the suspects alive because the families who were directly affected by this want answers. The public wants answers on why something like this had to happen during what was supposed to be a time of celebration in the New England area. Let's hope the answers come sooner, rather than later.
On a normal week, I would have tweeted a ton of stuff regarding sporting events that I follow. The A's are on their way up to Boston after being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays. The Sharks are still doing well as they try to clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs and the new acquisitions are paying dividends. The Warriors almost stole Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Playoffs and are now without David Lee the rest of the season due to a torn hip flexor. Usually I would have some opinions, but this week, I just sat back and put things in perspective. As much as my life revolves around sports and the seriousness of it, this week meant not much after Boston and West. The sports was just a getaway from life for a couple of hours and I enjoyed that.
My heart, thoughts and prayers are with the friends and families who were directly affected by the tragedies in Boston and Waco. I hope that you can find peace once again in your lives. For those who weren't directly affected, remember to hug your loved one as you never know what tomorrow will bring.
Stay Positive and Show Love...
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Looking at the Bigger Picture to Relieve the Pressure
No matter what, the Oakland Athletics in the Billy Beane General Manager era have always seemed to get off to slow starts, but then turn it on post All Star Break and just play completely out of their mind. Before the Detroit series began, ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted that the A's were 80-40 since June 1 of last season, best in the Majors. Interestingly enough at the time that included an 8-2 start in which they swept a road trip in Houston and Anaheim. But, you just said that the A's never do well in April! I guess this year is a different season eh? Makes you wonder if they can keep it up all year.
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| Walk Off #1 - Josh Donaldson |
In the past two days, the A's have gone 1-1 and had their 9 game winning snapped. I am also safe to say that I am not a jinx to the A's because I started out 0-2 until they won the game Friday night on Josh Donaldson's walk-off homer. While in the stadium, I know that the A's have a tendency for these walk-off's, so I try to take a picture of the moment as it happened. I am fortunate that I was able to get Donaldson's walk-off as the ball begins the flight of landing about 10 feet left of the foul pole. Before then I was taking photos of literally every single moment trying to catch the perfect moment. The walk-off was great, but my favorite photo was that of Jorge L., who was wearing a sombrero and an old school Athletics block lettering jacket from the late 80's/early 90's. I used to have one as a kid, but I am not sure what happened to it. I wish I had one now because that is some nostalgia right there.
Anyways, onto the game the A's lost, which was Saturday. The A's were facing Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander who won Game 5 against the A's in the American League Division Series last October. This guy is arguably the best pitcher in the game throwing high 90's when he wants to and he mixes his pitches so well. You literally have to hope he makes a ton of mistakes or your team has a pitcher that kicks butt that day because he always has a chance of winning. The same thing goes for Felix Hernandez, who constantly beats the A's on Opening Night for what has seemed like the past 800 years. Basically, what I am saying is that Saturday was a "heat check" for the A's. If they won, then they would have a 10 game winning streak. If not, they would go and try to win the series Sunday, which they will now do.
If you were reading twitter and message boards today and I told you the A's were 2-8, then most of you would have believed me. As I said in an earlier post, the first 15-20 games of a season are magnified. Take the Los Angeles Angels for example. Los Angeles is predicted to win the division and perhaps the World Series, but they are off to a slow start. Some of their fans and media are in complete panic mode. I think they just need to chill.
The funny thing about sports is that they aren't like everyday life, such as those that work 9-5. If your team wins 60% of their baseball games, you are considered to be really good. If you shoot 50% from the field in basketball, you are considered to be great. If you get hits 35% of the time, you are considered to be a Hall of Famer in baseball. Now take that comparison to your job. If you failed at worst at 40%, you are on the unemployment line. This is one reason why I think people take sports so seriously. Any time that one fails, they are chastised by the fans and media. Superstars in every sport are looked through a magnifying glass and are chastised when they lose. What if I went to your job, followed you around all day, then wrote for a major media outlet an article on how terrible you were at work that day. Who cares if the last 5 years that you worked there were absolutely perfect, but for this one day, everything just didn't work out. In this article I would write that you are just terrible at making deadlines because you didn't make that important phone call out of state to get the correct product needed. What you would try to explain to me was that the company had failed to returned your calls for the past month and was delaying your product from being shipped out. I as a journalist failed to let that happen because I care about the classic phrase, "What have you done for me lately." Well lately you missed a deadline, so you are going to hear it. Now that is pretty unfair isn't it?
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| Let's Celebrate and Have a Good Time. Jorge is! |
For the past couple of years, I have been mentoring my 13 year old cousin in golf. She started two years ago and asked me to play in an Adult/Junior tournament with her. I have played off and on since I played on the high school golf team, so I was willing to do it. She wasn't very good at the time, but she was willing to work at the game, take lessons and be committed. Two years ago she couldn't make a 3 foot putt as she drove it about 5 feet past the hole. A year ago she shot 114. 6 months ago, she was averaging 100. A month ago she was averaging 95. Two weeks ago, she broke 90. This past Thursday she shot a 78. The day after though, she shot a 90 and then the day after that she kept on getting frustrated because she was looking to shoot the lower scores again. My aunt said that she was getting frustrated to the point where she was acting negative around people during her round. Today was the first time I got to play with her since she shot 78 and when I joined her and my uncle on the 7th hole, I figured out in 2 shots what her problem was; she was rushing and not taking her time. She ended up with a 49 on the front 9. I mentioned that she should first calm down and do not expect to shoot a low score every single time. Instead of putting all of that pressure on yourself to do well, just take a deep breath and let everything flow as it should be. Have fun and just play. Do what is natural and celebrate the moment that you are in. Look at what you have done to get to this point. Also, do not let your frustrations show to others when you are being watched. She shot a 39 on the back.
If you really continued this far reading all my rambling, thanks. This was pretty much a rant, but my point is that in anything that someone does I try to just enjoy the moment that I am in. I want to win just as much as the person next to me, but sometimes that won't happen. The best way I believe that this should be handled is to look at the big picture. I know that can be very tough, but focus on the improvements that you have in your hobby or line of work. I find that if I just take a moment to look at the big picture, I can really see how far I have come in what I am trying to accomplish...
Believe in yourself and others...
Believe in yourself and others...
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Runnin' Through the City Reppin' the Town
Other than perhaps a two hour on and off nap this afternoon, I have been up since 3:30am after getting up for the San Francisco Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon Sunday. This was my 16th half overall since I began running in these in 2009. I started running because my college roommate and one of my best friends convinced me to start running. This was also a way where we could keep in contact with each other since we live in different parts of California.
My friends name is Marc Anthony and no I am not making this up. He is not the singer though, so sorry! We met each other at UC Riverside though our fraternity Lambda Chi Alpha in Summer of 2002. He became my "big bro" and helped me through numerous college experiences that have helped me who I am today. I like how he is honest with me and tells me how he feels and in turn I do the same thing. We both offer each other suggestions to improve ourselves and that is why we are close, even though he is 400 miles away. Anyways, in 2005 he wanted to go running and he had problems running around the block. I was literally running circles around him. He was overweight (300+) and a smoker, which is never a good combination. Marc hides his weight well though as he is 6"4". I felt bad for him so he was the last person who I would thought would run a half marathon, let alone running.
Back to 2009 and when he asked me to sign up, I was really surprised. I knew he was working out and about 250 now, but he was taking running seriously. To make a long story short, he kicked my ass in Long Beach and I was really surprised. By December's Vegas run he broke two hours. Today though, we make these runs as more of a get together and we are usually in the 2:30-2:45 range. Unfortunately because of the size of the race, he was unable to sign up in time and the race sold out, so I ran it on my own. I was texting Marc throughout the race sending him some awesome photos and tell him he should do the race in 2014.
As for the run, I really liked that the entire run focused around San Francisco's historic and most recognizable icon, the Golden Gate Bridge. For about 3/4 of the run we were within viewing range of the bridge. Sometimes, it is very nice to be a tourist in your own backyard because sometimes you tend to take things for granted when you see the same thing everyday. I remember when I went to school in Los Angeles, everyone that lived down there wanted to go visit San Francisco because of the Golden Gate Bridge, but I didn't really see why people would want to visit. After a while, I understood why because I didn't see the historic icon all of the time. Back in the Bay, I could just be driving to work and I would see the bridge and in Los Angeles, I did not.
Other than the first half mile and miles 3-5, the run is a very good run. I'm not a big fan of inclines, so that is why I was not a big fan of the aforementioned parts of the run. I didn't mind the downgrade though as that made the run easier. I also was able to get a "second wind" running across the Golden Gate Bridge in the cool weather. I felt that being "at home" and seeing all these people from out of town taking photos of the bridge made me feel proud that I am a Bay Area native. As an amateur photographer myself, I had to whip out the iPhone and stop for a few photos. I finished the run in 2:39, but I probably wasted 5 minutes taking photos, but I think the photos were well worth it. I thought about running with my DSLR, but I would just be taking a few hundred photos the entire time. I will probably make the trip back to the Golden Gate just to play with my camera. If you are thinking about running this race, please do as I highly recommend it. The weather was great (~55 and foggy) and the parking was really easy. I paid $10 with my race bib at a parking garage that was 3 blocks from the finish line. If my friends came along, we would have probably been eating at Aquatic Park/Ghiradelli Square somewhere afterwards.
I also wanted to report that I met two of my twitter A's buddies over the weekend who also ran. I met Dave at the expo as this was his first half marathon and gave him some tips about being controlled out of the gate. I am pretty sure that running fast out of the gate was out of the question after basically running up a 35 degree incline to begin (Welcome to San Francisco!). I also was able to wave my cap to Jeff, who was running the race with his daughter. I wish we got to talk though!
My competitive juices came in during the run as a Giants fan was passing me and I was passing him throughout the run. I tend to run and walk at points to conserve energy. As we were about .3 away from the finish line in Fort Mason, he passed me up again and went about 50 feet ahead of me. I thought, hell no, he is not going to beat me and I passed him with about .2 left and crossed the finish line, so a minor victory for me there. I am pretty sure that he didn't know I was racing against him, but oh well. LET'S GO OAKLAND! I also got a couple of "Let's Go A's a couple of times during my run, so that was awesome.
For those that are willing to run a half, I will now be giving a few random tips that I have learned throughout my runs. I wear a purple fanny pack and it is not going to be very appealing, but it holds my food, aleve and tissue in case I need it. I also wear pocketed shorts as I carry my iPhone for music and a bottle of water. The reason I carry a bottle of water is because I have ran some runs that have run out of water and I was thirsty, so I was miserable until I could find the next station a mile later. I was not willing to take that risk again. I also recommend to bring a backpack to check in at the Gear Check Station with extra drinks, food, post-race clothes and toilet paper. The gear check is obviously closer than your car and when you finish the run you never want to walk more than you have to, so gear check is always nice. The toilet paper is also useful because after the runs, usually the outhouses have no paper or seat covers in it as they have been used. This is great for the post race reliefs. If you tend to have to relieve yourself during your run, then I would recommend carrying a bag of tissue on your person. If you have any questions, please ask me for any tips or bring up your own. I am always open to new ideas. Please don't ask me much about training though as I am terrible at times training. I get lazy and don't run for a bit, but I love doing the half marathons. I know, I'm strange...
Sniff-Optimism Lives!
Awesome to see the A's have won 5 straight after losing the first two. They have also been in first place alone the past two days as well, which is double than last year! I am definitely down with the A's being in first at the end of the season too! Also glad to see Josh Reddick who hit the wall hard didn't break his wrist or forearm. Very scary for A's fans. What is scary for the rest of the league though is that Cespedes and Reddick were not hitting and the A's are still doing well. This team is very deep. Oh and for those who say that the A's should beat the Astros all the time, that is true, but they should not overlook them. Last time I checked, they were still a Major League Baseball team. The best thing to do is to focus on the task at hand that day...
My friends name is Marc Anthony and no I am not making this up. He is not the singer though, so sorry! We met each other at UC Riverside though our fraternity Lambda Chi Alpha in Summer of 2002. He became my "big bro" and helped me through numerous college experiences that have helped me who I am today. I like how he is honest with me and tells me how he feels and in turn I do the same thing. We both offer each other suggestions to improve ourselves and that is why we are close, even though he is 400 miles away. Anyways, in 2005 he wanted to go running and he had problems running around the block. I was literally running circles around him. He was overweight (300+) and a smoker, which is never a good combination. Marc hides his weight well though as he is 6"4". I felt bad for him so he was the last person who I would thought would run a half marathon, let alone running.
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| Always a picturesque view of the Golden Gate Bridge |
As for the run, I really liked that the entire run focused around San Francisco's historic and most recognizable icon, the Golden Gate Bridge. For about 3/4 of the run we were within viewing range of the bridge. Sometimes, it is very nice to be a tourist in your own backyard because sometimes you tend to take things for granted when you see the same thing everyday. I remember when I went to school in Los Angeles, everyone that lived down there wanted to go visit San Francisco because of the Golden Gate Bridge, but I didn't really see why people would want to visit. After a while, I understood why because I didn't see the historic icon all of the time. Back in the Bay, I could just be driving to work and I would see the bridge and in Los Angeles, I did not.
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| Gotta Rep the Town in the City |
I also wanted to report that I met two of my twitter A's buddies over the weekend who also ran. I met Dave at the expo as this was his first half marathon and gave him some tips about being controlled out of the gate. I am pretty sure that running fast out of the gate was out of the question after basically running up a 35 degree incline to begin (Welcome to San Francisco!). I also was able to wave my cap to Jeff, who was running the race with his daughter. I wish we got to talk though!
 |
| This guy RULES |
For those that are willing to run a half, I will now be giving a few random tips that I have learned throughout my runs. I wear a purple fanny pack and it is not going to be very appealing, but it holds my food, aleve and tissue in case I need it. I also wear pocketed shorts as I carry my iPhone for music and a bottle of water. The reason I carry a bottle of water is because I have ran some runs that have run out of water and I was thirsty, so I was miserable until I could find the next station a mile later. I was not willing to take that risk again. I also recommend to bring a backpack to check in at the Gear Check Station with extra drinks, food, post-race clothes and toilet paper. The gear check is obviously closer than your car and when you finish the run you never want to walk more than you have to, so gear check is always nice. The toilet paper is also useful because after the runs, usually the outhouses have no paper or seat covers in it as they have been used. This is great for the post race reliefs. If you tend to have to relieve yourself during your run, then I would recommend carrying a bag of tissue on your person. If you have any questions, please ask me for any tips or bring up your own. I am always open to new ideas. Please don't ask me much about training though as I am terrible at times training. I get lazy and don't run for a bit, but I love doing the half marathons. I know, I'm strange...
Sniff-Optimism Lives!
Adapt or Blog
Awesome to see the A's have won 5 straight after losing the first two. They have also been in first place alone the past two days as well, which is double than last year! I am definitely down with the A's being in first at the end of the season too! Also glad to see Josh Reddick who hit the wall hard didn't break his wrist or forearm. Very scary for A's fans. What is scary for the rest of the league though is that Cespedes and Reddick were not hitting and the A's are still doing well. This team is very deep. Oh and for those who say that the A's should beat the Astros all the time, that is true, but they should not overlook them. Last time I checked, they were still a Major League Baseball team. The best thing to do is to focus on the task at hand that day...
The Sharks gained a total of 13/14 points in their 7 game homestand. They were unable to protect a pair of two goal leads, so that probably didn't make fans feel good. Overall though, if you told me that the Sharks would take 13/14 points in a 7 game stretch, I am always down for that.
The Warriors could have clinched a playoff spot by beating Utah, but lost by 7 after a valiant comeback. Utah just seemed to want the game more. The Warriors magic number for a playoff spot remains at 2. They will make the playoffs, but I think this game was a learning experience for them pre-playoffs. Once the playoffs hit, the game is totally different.
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