Posts belonging to Category Teams

It has been nearly a week since the Cincinnati Reds first basemen, Joey Votto, launched a 10^th inning, walk-off home run, deep into the left-centerfield bleachers at Great American Ball Park.  The opposite field blast was his 16^th of the season—he now has 17—and only added to his already impressive resume for the N.L. M.V.P.  In my personal opinion, Joey Votto has clearly been the best hitter in all of baseball over the course of the 2010 season.

When I say best hitter, I’m not just referring to what is reflected by his robust slashes of 320/.419/.588.  Rather, what makes Votto the best hitter in baseball is the consistency in his approach to every at-bat, and his ability to crush any mistake that a pitcher makes.  He recognizes pitches and maintains a selectiveness that simply cannot be taught; it’s the type of thing that elevates a player to superstar status.

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The Golden Sombrero presents MLB Look-alikes: Justin Morneau and Chris Getz

On Labor Day weekend, my dad and I woke up at 5AM and flew all the way to the other side of the country.  We battled hellacious Los Angeles traffic with tiny maps and bad directions.  We spent $34 on parking—for the first night.  And we drove six hours across the desert, dozens of miles from civilization but just one engine breakdown away from a grim fate at the hands of the 105-degree Arizona heat.

Some might wonder if we were out of our minds, all our months of frustration with the economy, global warming and LeBron’s Decision to take his talents to South Beach having finally driven us over the edge.  But no.  Our motivation for the four-day trip was much simpler—to watch four baseball games in four ballparks in four cities.  And while I can’t confirm or deny Pete Rose’s willingness to actually walk through hell in a gasoline suit to play baseball, I can certainly say that driving through hell in a Toyota Corolla merely to watch it was very well worth it indeed.  This is the first in a four-part series chronicling each ballpark we visited along the way.

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It has been a long and draining season for Arizona Diamondbacks announcer and former World Series Champion, Mark Grace.  But just like any desensitized and heartbroken fan, Gracie has demonstrated a knack for finding enjoyment in everything happening in the game, but the actual game–sans Daniel Hudson and Stephen Drew.  For those who tune in to watch Gracie on a regular basis, it doesn’t take long to realize that he possesses the attention span of an excitable, 6-month old puppy.  Combine that with his alleged affinity for both alcohol and women, and you get the kind of situation that occurred during Monday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark.

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There’s not much to say about Chicago White Sox announcer Ken “Hawk” Harrelson that hasn’t already been said; you either love him or find his style of broadcasting utterly intolerable.  In an age of broadcasting objectivity, Hawk rests in a league of his own as the epitome of the “homer” announcer.

As a lifelong White Sox fan, Hawk has been the voice of the organization for my entire life and has called all of my most cherished White Sox memories.  You can say what you want about the man’s professional approach–or lack thereof–towards broadcasting, but Hawk’s level of enthusiasm is contagious, and that’s precisely why White Sox fans love him.

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