Thursday night marked the end of the NBA as we know it. Being plagued by the NFL lockout for several months now has not been made any easier by the shutting down of a second major sport. Considering the underwhelming nature of the NHL off-season, essentially 75% of the world of major professional sports is out of commission. America’s “Big 4” sports have been reduced to one. With all that said, who could be better fit for handling the fate of the American sports fan this year than America’s pastime? Unless you’re like me and have also been following our women’s pursuit of the World Cup Championship in Germany, or can’t wait for the Nadal-Murray match at Wimbledon, Major League Baseball may be your only hope. Typically, the long summer season of the MLB is frowned upon as irrelevant; September marks the first “significant” baseball thrown in the eyes of many. Devout baseball fans may not have this issue, but I believe all eyes should be on the MLB this summer, especially after the series of blows dealt to other struggling leagues. Sporscenter’s extensive coverage of the two lockouts have made ESPN more depressing than late night Fox news (I know it’s 10:00 pm and yes, I know where my children are, now please tell me which household appliance can kill me) . Instead of the grief and waiting for sports that have recently disappointed us with their structural issues, here are my top five reasons why baseball should receive your attention for the foreseeable future.
5. The Philly Phatale-Some people think overwhelming favorites are boring, but I find them the most exciting teams in sports because so much can go so terribly wrong. The Phillies look like they will be able to maintain a lead in the less than spectacular NL East, but there are a few major issues that could affect their playoff push once they get to September. This is an unbelievable roster, but they have historically lacked durability in both the lineup and rotation. Utley, Rollins, and Victorino have all battled relatively recent injury problems, and Howard is a strikeout machine who needs those guys functioning around him. Oswalt recently began his stint on the Disabled List and Hamels left during his last start in the 5th inning against the Red Sox. Each injury puts more pressure on the remaining players, which may prove to be too much for even Philly to handle.
4. The Boys are Back in Town-Like any other season, key players have gone down with some unfortunate injuries. Despite a few tough breaks, baseball has recently welcomed back key players such as Ryan Zimmerman and former MVP Joe Mauer. I continue to keep an eye on the Minnesota Twins who are, in my eyes, in contention regardless of their record. I wouldn’t be surprised if they made a run to even pass the Detroit Tigers once someone breaks the news to Justin Verlander and tells him that he is in fact human. In addition to all this, Derek Jeter returns to the Yankee lineup Monday to resume his chase for his 3000th career hit, a milestone never reached by any legend of the world’s greatest franchise. The return of some bigtime names should help and bring more attention to baseball.
3. The Trade Deadline-The classic debate begins. Who are the buyers, and who are the sellers? As the halfway point and all star festivities approach, the MLB hot stove is on full blast. The biggest acquisition of all may belong to whoever ends up with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The most interesting team on this borderline is the New York Mets. They are on the outer-most ring of contention, showing some promise lately but still a long shot to compete with the Phillies in the long run. With big contracts such as Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes, they could either trade them for the best available offer, or hang on to them and roll the dice. Through this option, they could either keep their talent or become the next Cleveland Cavaliers. New York is not a city accustomed to losing its stars, so I expect them to keep these two guys. With that said, they better be able to keep them in the future or an already shaky front office will have a lot of explaining to do.
2. The NL Central Race-Included in this dogfight is the all-important contract year for St Louis Cardinals superstar Albert Pujols, who is planning to become the league’s highest paid player but is now battling a severe arm injury that has shortened his season. The Cardinals have been alongside two worthy competitors, including the Cincinnati Reds, who have already proven that they are no one year wonder after bursting onto the scene in 2010. The last of this three headed monster is the current division leading Milwaukee Brewers, who have as good a one two punch as there is in the league with Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun who, by the way, is currently riding a twenty game hit streak. This division doesn’t usually have the national spotlight, but it is becoming possibly the most fierce playoff race in the league.
1. Classic Sox vs. Yanks-As per usual the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are atop the baseball world. For about fifteen years now, these two teams have continued to make each other better by pushing them both on and off the field. This second to none rivalry is what launched these two teams to dominate the sport in an almost unprecedented fashion. Financially, they are unbeatable, and their play isn’t far behind. The Bo-Sox beatdown of the Bronx Bombers has been almost embarrassing to New Yorkers, who still somehow find themselves with a 2.5 game lead in the AL East division, which is traditionally the best in baseball. These two teams will serve as the anchors to what will be a great collaborative effort to launch baseball from the depths of the hovering steroid scandal of years past.
During the aforementioned steroid scandal, from the hiding to the policing, Bud Selig and company managed to do nearly everything wrong. This created a cloud over the sport that has not fully cleared, even after the technical issues were made right through more strict testing. The scars haven’t gone away, and I don’t suspect they will. However, the MLB has been given an opening. A needy and desperate public has fallen into their lap, limping through the absence of both the NFL and NBA. Baseball should not only draw our attention; they should monopolize it. Granted, the NFL lockout could end any day now, so the window of opportunity could be any duration. For however long we are faced with this scenario, let’s give America’s past time its due credit for being our one giant in sports that actually has its act together. After all, for what’s listed here and much more, this summer in baseball will be a beautiful thing to watch.
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