I was planning on writing an article about R.A. Dickey being
named the National League’s starting pitcher the 2012 MLB All-Star
Game in Kansas City. It was going to be absolutely brilliant. I had
it all planned out:
The second sentence of New York Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey’s
autobiography, Wherever I Wind Up, goes something like
this, “I will never be a Hall of Famer and will never lead the
league in strikeouts, and am in no imminent danger of joining the
300 Victory Club.”
But he will start the 2012 All-Star Game.
Alas, NL skipper Tony La Russa tapped San Francisco Giants
pitcher Matt Cain to start the game instead. It wouldn’t be the
first time La Russa has messed up my writing plans. Shortly after
the St. Louis Cardinals won the 2011 World Series, I was writing an
article imploring La Russa to “please come to Boston” to manage the
Red Sox. But just as I was putting the finishing touches on
said
article, La Russa called a press conference to announce his
retirement as a big league manager. La Russa, of course, has come
out of retirement to manage at the All-Star Game. While I think
it’s great that he’s been bestowed with this honor, hopefully this
will be the last game he manages because I can’t afford to have him
keep throwing me curveballs.
But back to the man they call R.A. The 37-year old right hander
might not be starting the mid-season classic but I’m sure he wasn’t
expecting to be named to the squad when he reported to the Mets’
spring training camp in Port St. Lucie. I’m sure Dickey would have
been content to go through the season without being sent down to
Triple A for the umpteenth time. Instead, Dickey
has gone 12-1 with a 2.40 ERA with 123 strikeouts. While Dickey
doesn’t lead the NL in
strikeouts, he is second only to Stephen Strasburg of the
Washington Nationals who has 128. Dickey threw back to back one-hit
shutouts, becoming the first pitcher to do so since Dave Stieb did
so with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1988 and the first NL pitcher to
do so since Jim Tobin hurled back to back one hitters with the
Boston Braves in 1944. The consecutive one-hitters came in the
midst of a 44 1/3 scoreless innings streak. Dickey would be named
NL Player of the Month in June. But it’s not good enough to start
the All-Star Game — at least not for Tony La Russa.
Then again, Matt Cain did throw a perfect game. Of course,
Philip
Humber threw one too and he has a 6.01 ERA which just goes to
show you don’t necessarily have to be good to be perfect. In
addition to the perfectos, we have witnessed no-hitters this season
by Jered Weaver, Johan Santana, and Kevin Millwood along with the
cast of A Chorus Line. I actually saw Santana
throw a complete game, four hit shutout against the San Diego
Padres at Citi Field in the start prior to pitching the first
no-hitter in Mets history.
I also saw Bryce Harper, the 19-year old rookie sensation for
the Washington Nationals run from first to home to score the go
ahead run against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. He
resembled Secretariat in his mad dash home. It was every bit as
impressive as when he stole home after being plunked in the back by
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels. Meanwhile, 20-year old
rookie Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels is making people forget
they signed Albert Pujols for a quarter of a billion dollars.
Albert Who?
In the space of ten days, Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman
Aaron Hill hit for the cycle twice,
becoming the first big leaguer to do so twice in a season since
the Babe. Not Babe Ruth but Babe Herman, who accomplished the feat
in 1931 with the Brooklyn Robins. Incidentally, Herman is the only
big leaguer to hit for the cycle thrice, doing so in 1933 as a
member of the Chicago Cubs. Can Hill climb that hill and get his
third cycle? Well, as long as he isn’t vicious about it.
Let us not forget Josh Hamilton hitting four homeruns in a
single game. Notwithstanding an off-season relapse, Hamilton is
doing everything in his power to convince the Texas Rangers to
include him in their long-term plans. Hamilton, who is a free agent
at the end of this season, will remain a fan favorite no matter
where he plays. Hamilton
received a record 11 million votes for this year’s All-Star
Game. No doubt a lot of that has to do with his performance in the
2008 MLB Home Run Derby at old Yankee Stadium.
Yet I’m not a big fan of the Home Run Derby mostly because Chris
Berman’s voice annoys me. Especially when he shouts “back, back,
back!!!” My Dad says it reminds him of a duck.
However, 2012 hasn’t been good for everyone. Who would have
predicted that two time NL Cy Young Award winner Tim
Lincecum would be 3-10 with a 6.42 ERA at the halfway point in
the season? He leads the NL in both losses and earned runs. The
Giants’ slim right hander is also experiencing the unpleasant taste
of
fair-weather fandom in the normally laidback Bay Area. Lincecum
can thank his lucky stars that he’s not pitching in Boston, New
York or Philly.
My 2012 predictions
have been a mixed bag, as one might expect. Of course, it isn’t
exactly a stretch to pick the Yankees to win the AL East. But they
are leading the division by 9½ games without Mariano Rivera closing
out games. I picked the Red Sox to finish last and they have a
share of the cellar with the Toronto Blue Jays, albeit with a .500
record.
When I picked the Pittsburgh Pirates to win the NL Central a
typical reaction was like the one made by one Richard M., who
wrote, “Aaron’s not shy of making bold predictions, but it was
hard for me to continue reading after I saw the Pirates winning the
NL Central.” Perhaps Richard should have read on, because the Bucs
are leading the NL Central. That doesn’t guarantee anything, and
the Reds and Cardinals will be stiff competition. But the NL
Central should be a fun race to watch.
I didn’t expect the sudden decline of the Phillies. But who
would have thought that Cliff Lee would have one win this season?
Nor did I predict the rise of the White Sox under Robin Ventura. I
did, however, pick Adam
Dunn to win AL Comeback Player of the Year. Yes, he’s hitting
.208 and will probably strike out more this season than White Sox
legend Nellie
Fox did in his entire career. But his 25 homeruns are more than
double the 11 he hit in 2011, and that should be good enough for
the Baseball Writers Association of America even if it isn’t for
Tony La Russa, but he doesn’t have a vote.
I have only one complaint about the All-Star Game. Specifically,
it’s the commercial featuring the likes of Detroit Tigers slugger
Prince Fielder, World Series MVP David Freese of the St. Louis
Cardinals, and Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to name
but a few. Specifically, it’s the copy that bugs me:
Some call it an All-Star Break. It’s not a break.
For we play on because the battle for the post-season begins
now.
To quote New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, “Who wrote this
sh*t?”
Justin Upton of the Arizona Diamondbacks can say it’s not a
break all he wants. Since he and 90% of active major league players
aren’t going to be at the All-Star Game, how exactly would he
characterize this interregnum? Yes, Virginia, there is an All-Star
Break.
The battle for the post-season begins now? Um, the
battle for the post-season began when you guys reported for spring
training.
And why is Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp staring at the camera so
menacingly? Did someone ask him about Rihanna or Ned Colletti?
As for the game, I predict the National League will win for the
third year in a row and the All-Star Game MVP will be Andrew
McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In 2013, the All-Star Game will be played at Citi Field.
Hopefully, Dad and I will go. Next year in New York. In the
meantime, Kansas City here we come.
