The Most Wonderful Time of the Year?

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year?
by Robert McIntosh

It feels great that spring has finally shown itself to the world. Days are longer and brighter, and it seems as though everyone’s mood is lifted.  Spring is also an action packed time of year in the sports world.  As the calendar turns into April, I couldn’t help but think, is April the busiest sports month there is?

All of the major North American sports are represented in April, in some way shape or form.  Let’s go through the list.

The NBA and NHL seasons are both in the midst of their most exciting points of the schedule as they wind toward the playoffs in the middle of the month.  In both leagues, teams are either trying to stake their claim as a legitimate contender for the ultimate prize or are battling for those final precious playoff spots.  As we’ve seen in previous NBA seasons, with teams like the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, they are already preparing themselves for that championship run. Just getting in the playoffs is more pertinent in hockey, as we saw last year during the Los Angeles Kings’ run, a team on a hot streak with a solid goaltender can have a legitimate shot at raising Lord Stanley’s Cup.

As for America’s Pastime, April signifies the close of Spring Training games and the start of games that actually count in the standings.  Major League Baseball began their season on April 1st this year, and you’d be a “fool” not to believe that the start of the regular season didn’t have a number of people awaiting its arrival.

All the while, the NCAA is wrapping up their “Road to the Final Four” and NCAA Championship Tournament.  Congratulations to the University of Louisville on a great season and for winning the National Championship.  

Shortly after the NCAA Tournament, the PGA Tour heads to Augusta, Georgia to showcase one of their Major, and most popular, tournaments, The Masters.   In this writer’s opinion, The Masters is the most intriguing tournament in the PGA season because of the history behind this Major.  It’s nothing short of majestic.

Not to be outdone, the NFL Draft is taking place to give the avid football fan a taste of the gridiron in the spring.  Who will go first this year?  What big names will be dealt?  All eyes will be on what the Jets will do with their All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis, so stay tuned.

No matter your preference, there are tons of options available for your viewing pleasure.  With so many sports represented, how can this not be the most wonderful time of the year?

Say Goodnight to The Sandman

Say Goodnight to The Sandman
by Robert McIntosh

Perhaps the greatest closer in the history of Major League Baseball, Mariano Rivera, has decided to call it quits at the conclusion of the 2013 season.

The future Hall of Famer will leave the game as the career leader in saves while also tallying 5 World Series Championships.  He did all of this while playing for the New York Yankees, the only team he has played with his entire career, which nowadays is an accomplishment unto itself.  With all the legacies, records and accomplishments he’s leaving behind, it’s only a matter of time before he becomes immortalized in Yankee Stadium with a monument of his own, taking his place among the other Pinstripe legends.

Throughout his career, Mariano proved that he could raise his game to another level whenever it was asked of him.  Just look at his playoff statistics, nearly flawless.  This is where he launched himself into the stratosphere with other Yankee greats.  Over the course of his playoff career, one that spans 141 innings pitched, his ERA is an outstanding 0.70, with a WHIP of 0.759.  This means that if someone ever got on base against him, they rarely, if ever, scored.  To do this while playing on the biggest stage in baseball and under the bright lights of New York, his career is nothing short of spectacular.

One of the interesting legacies that Mariano will leave the game with is that he will forever be regarded as the last player in Major League Baseball to wear number 42.  The number was retired throughout baseball to honor the late Jackie Robinson.

Rachel Robinson, the widow of the man who broke through the color barrier, thought it fitting that Rivera be the last to wear it.  “He carried himself with dignity and grace, and that made carrying the number a tribute to Jack.”

The Bronx Bombers had a taste of what was to come last year with the Panamanian right-hander going down with a season-ending injury.  But, they will have to face life without Mo for years to come.   While they do have some options that could step in, it is almost certain that we will not see another closer along the lines of The Sandman for a long time.

We may never get another chance to see someone dominate his position on the field like Mariano did for the better part of two decades.  And he did this with just one weapon in his arsenal, his infamous cutter.  But we still have one more summer with him.  So, head over to the Bronx, and enjoy his magnificence while you can.

Many MLB Teams Hoping to Cash in on a Championship

Many MLB Teams Hoping to Cash in on a Championship

By Daniel Holzhauer

 

With the Toronto Blue Jays acquiring Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey and the Washington Nationals stealing Rafael Soriano away from the New York Yankees, it has become clear that the race for the 2013 World Series is wide open and several teams are going all-in.

 

The Los Angeles Dodgers have pushed the most chips into the middle of the table with over $200 million in payroll, but it's the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim that have three-of-a-kind in Albert Pujols, Mike Trout and Josh Hamilton. The Atlanta Braves made moves to secure a pair of Uptons, yet none of the aforementioned teams were even at last year's final table.

 

Reigning NL MVP Buster Posey led the San Francisco Giants to a second World Series title when he overcame Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers. Both teams are full of superstars and it will be hard not to predict them to repeat as division champions.

 

"We all start with a clean slate," Posey told the San Jose Mercury News, "Each year, you come in with the same hunger and know you've got a long road ahead. That's what we're here to do."

 

The Tigers reshuffled the deck last year when they acquired Prince Fielder to compliment Cabrera and their ace-in-the-hole Justin Verlander.  But they struggled early last season and were forced to chase down the Chicago White Sox in the final week of the season.

 

The surprise Washington Nationals, who have MLB's biggest bankroll in owner Ted Lerner, tore through the National League a year earlier than most expected, but issues at closer and the gamble they took on shutting down Stephen Strasburg made their season go bust. In 2013, they expect neither to be an issue.

 

“I think we'll have a better, more consistent team. I think it will be one year older, one year more experienced, one year more mature,” Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told MLB.com. “I think there is an opportunity to be better than we were last year.”

 

And let’s not forget the wildcard, or four, that will be tossed into the deck. Nobody expected the Baltimore Orioles to make the playoffs in 2012 and even fewer people expected the Oakland Athletics to win the AL West.

 

The St. Louis Cardinals were left for dead without Pujols and they almost shocked the world once again. If baseball has taught us anything, don’t be in a rush to fold your hand because you never know what the next turn may bring.

Hope Springs

Spring Training 2013
by yr

Hope Springs eternal. Another year, another season begins. Full of hope. Full of optimism. Full of potential. And in 8 months from now, full of disappointment for 29 teams.  But as baseball fans, none of us want to think that far down the line.  We like to look at our teams in February and say we've got a chance. Anything can happen. Any team can be that Cinderella story.  The grass always looks greener in February than it does in October.  And that's the way we want it and love it.  That's why we come back, rooting for our teams, year after year, season after season.

Pitchers and catchers begin reporting to training camps this week, with the rest of the squads reporting by the middle of next week.  Spring training is also a time for the casual fan to get a glimpse into the team's future, by surveying some of the crop down on the farm.  Some teams are built for the now, some are building for the near future, and some others are building for the not-so near future.  You just hope your team is building towards something.

Spring is that time of year where anything is possible, as the weather starts to warm up, the trees start to bloom, and you get the feelings of new beginnings all around you.  The crack of the bat, the pop of the ball against the gloves.  For baseball fans, this is really the most wonderful time of the year. 

Hope springs eternal, but for some teams and some fans, it may just have to wait until next spring.  Just don't tell us that until October.

"So you're telling me there's a chance." - Jim Carrey, Dumb & Dumber