Posts belonging to Category Players

Classic Sports Illustrated Covers: 2005 Chicago White Sox

Happy 5th anniversary to the 2005 World Series Champions: Chicago White Sox .  As a White Sox fan, October 26, 2005 marks one of the greatest days in my life, and is all but a distant memory. I remember exactly where I was when I watched each game of the World Series against the Astros.  That includes being lucky enough to watch Game 1 from the upper-deck, down the right field line.  Despite the fact that I had knee surgery a few days before — I was even pushed around U.S. Cellular Field in a wheel chair — it was easily the greatest baseball game that I have ever attended.  To this day, I have never seen a third baseman play the position like Joe Crede did that night.

“Don’t stop now, boys!”

Do you know what the best thing about baseball’s postseason is, besides the fact that the Yankees are no longer present in this one?  Anything can happen, and we fans get to witness it.  A career .265 hitter claimed on waivers in the middle of August bats .350 in the NLCS, belts 6 extra base hits (including 3 home runs), and wins the NLCS MVP Award.  A former drug addict turned AL MVP frontrunner misses almost the entire last month of the season just to come back strong and help handle the New York Yankees, at times without even swinging the bat, on his way to his own ALCS MVP Award. These are the reasons I watch. Well, that and the two phenoms that will be alternating time on the mound come Wednesday.

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Stan Musial Award (MVP)

National League:
First Place Vote – Joey Votto (Cincinnati)
Second Place Vote – Carlos Gonzalez (Colorado)
Third Place Vote – Albert Pujols (St. Louis)
Fourth Place Vote – Adrian Gonzalez (San Diego)
Fifth Place Vote – Troy Tulowitzki (Colorado)
Sixth Place Vote – Aubrey Huff (San Francisco)
Seventh Place Vote – Jason Heyward (Atlanta)
Eighth Place Vote – Roy Halladay (Philadelphia)
Ninth Place Vote – Jay Bruce (Cincinnati)
Tenth Place Vote – Ryan Zimmerman (Washington)

American League:
First Place Vote – Josh Hamilton (Texas)
Second Place Vote – Miguel Cabrera (Detroit)
Third Place Vote – Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay)
Fourth Place Vote – Paul Konerko (Chicago)
Fifth Place Vote – Robinson Cano (New York)
Sixth Place Vote – Delmon Young (Minnesota)
Seventh Place Vote – Carl Crawford (Tampa Bay)
Eighth Place Vote – Jose Bautista (Toronto)
Ninth Place Vote – Joe Mauer (Minnesota)
Tenth Place Vote – Adrian Beltre (Boston)

After a nerve-racking road win in Game 6 of the NLCS Saturday night in Philadelphia, Cody Ross of the San Francisco Giants was justifiably awarded the NLCS MVP trophy after torching the greatest playoff rotation ever assembled.  Ross got very hot at the right time, just like the Giants really.

My opinion of Ross has always been that he is a serviceable Major Leaguer with a chance at a decade of service.  He is athletic enough and is a good enough clubhouse guy to keep getting contracts.  The reason I write this, however, is to inform the world that the man called “Smiles” is a New Mexico native, and we are all very proud of him.

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After Colby Lewis struck out Derek Jeter to end the eighth inning, I had goose bumps as he walked off the mound, slowly striding towards an ecstatic Rangers’ dugout. If you didn’t, you’re either not human or a Yankees fan.

There’s a moment, right before he reaches his teammates at the edge of the dugout, where he gazes into the depths of the roaring crowd and seemingly realizes the magnitude of his historic performance.  Such a moment kind of defines the Rangers’ spectacular season, don’t you think?

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