MLB Storylines
by: John Hobart ‘101. Albert Pujols- The Cardinals first baseman is further establishing himself as one of the greatest power hitters of all time. He has now hit the most long-balls of any player ever in their first 10 years. With his 5th homerun in his 10th season, Pujols passed Eddie Matthews to put him at 371 homers in his first 10 years. The most amazing thing about this feat is that Pujols has the rest of the season to extend his record. Pitchers won’t be able to pitch around Pujols either with the almost-as-dangerous Matt Holliday hitting behind him. The Cardinals’ slugger is batting .321 with 6 homeruns and 16 RBI through his first 14 games. Pujols’ record is something that will be very hard to break. But someone has a chance and he is…
2. The next coming of Albert Pujols- If you haven’t heard about Jason Heyward, then check out last week’s issue of Sports Illustrated ( the article not only talks about Heyward but also the East Cobb Baseball program that has produced such talent as Heyward, Brian McCann, and yours truly). The 6’5” 240 pound mammoth right fielder for the Atlanta Braves is something to marvel at. Jason has hit 4 homeruns through his first 13 games, including a rocket into the right field bleachers in his first ever major league at bat and a game tying, 9th inning shot in his first game against the division-rival Phillies. He is also near the top of the league with 16 RBI. One intangible is that he has a great head on his shoulders as both of his parents are Dartmouth grads, which is very important for a 20 year old in the Majors.
3. Halladay in the NL- Roy Halladay has been one of the best pitchers in the game for years now. The only problem has been that he’s been locked in the prison that is the AL East if you don’t play for the Red Sox or Yankees. Now he is on the best team in the National League, the Philadelphia Phillies, and is already dominating. In his first 2 starts he is 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA…wow. Halladay is on his way to locking up the NL Cy Young in the first two weeks of the season (I hope I just jinxed him).
4. The Evil Empire- The New York Yankees look to defend their World Series title having yet another lineup filled with all stars who have plenty of 0’s in their salaries. They lost the World Series MVP in Hideki Matsui but reloaded with Curtis Granderson, Nick Johnson, and others. They will face stiff competition from division rival Boston who also did their annual reloading. However, there will be some new players in town with teams like the revamped Seattle Mariners and the potential-filled Detroit Tigers.
5. Stephen Strasburg- While Jason Heyward is the most hyped position player since Alex Rodriguez; Strasburg may be the most hyped pitching prospect ever. Last year’s top draft pick of the Washington Nationals signed a record $15.1 million dollar contract and will look to prove he’s worth every penny. The Nationals, a franchise in dire need of star power, decided to start Strasburg in AA but he and his 100 mph fastball will be pitching in the Nation’s capital by June.
So these are five storylines that will be intriguing throughout the year. Some people call baseball boring, and at times it can be. Sitting in front of a TV for three hours and only seeing five or six hits in a nine inning game isn’t what most would call exciting. But they don’t call baseball America’s pastime for nothing. If you have never been to a game, do your best to make it this summer. The Nationals, Orioles, and Braves are all within driving distance and it is something that every person needs to experience. A few tips to those who have never experienced a live game- 1) Get there early and tailgate… it beats paying $7.00/beer inside. 2) Buy the cheapest ticket you can find. You can always find empty seats to move down, and in these new ballparks there is not a bad seat in the house. 3) Bring your family. I went to the Braves game with my parents for the first time in years over Easter Break (I guess I should say Easter Weekend since we don’t get days off for anything) and it was a lot more fun than I remembered.
So keep an eye on these exciting storylines, get out to a game this summer, and if you don’t already have a team to root for, the Nationals and Orioles are no good so… Go Braves!
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