Oscar Taveras

I don't need to be the one to tell you that life is fragile. 

Oscar Taveras, 22-year old outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, was killed in a car accident with his girlfriend in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, his hometown. His agent confirmed the tragedy late last night and the news spread like wildfire even on to the biggest stage.

Taveras saw spurts of action in 2014 and was expected to make a run for one of the starting outfield spots on the 2015 roster. He was an impressive combination of speed and power that made tracking fly balls easy and hitting home runs even easier. Here's an example of Taveras' skill in the NLCS, when he hit a clutch moonshot to right to tie the game at 3 in the 7th. That at-bat was his last Major League action. 

Taveras was born June 19, 1992. One month younger than me to the date. To begin the season, he was ranked as the #3 prospect across the board (MLB.com, Baseball America, and Baseball Prospectus), and to be honest, I had him as my 2014 NL Rookie of the Year. I thought he would get more playing time this year; I even drafted him in fantasy baseball thinking he would be a mid-May call-up and have a Puig like effect on the game. 

It's kind of creepy thinking about that knowing what we know now. 

I wrote a post a few weeks ago about Derek Jeter's last at-bat and the end of Tiger Stadium and how it was such a poetic ending and how sports are such redeeming moments in our eyes. But what about this? How does this make any sense? How can there be a reason for an incredibly talented 22 year old kid to be taken in such a violent fashion so soon? Sports are something we can get lost in, forget the woes of our daily lives and believe in something bigger than ourselves; but what happens when the woes of sports creep into our daily lives? I guess this is poetic too, but rather than Whitman writing this story, it's Dickinson. 

This past weekend was a series of rivalry games for my fandom. Michigan and Michigan State squared off on the gridiron, and I watched intently and hopefully, only to see Michigan take a 35-11 drubbing and leave the fields to chants of "little sister." Chelsea, my favorite English football club, faced the hated Manchester United in a matchup of EPL giants and again, I was drawn into the simplicity of the game only to see Chelsea concede a 94th minute goal off of a questionable free kick to end the game in a painful draw.

My teams didn't win. They broke my heart, even, considering it was a rivalry weekend. But what happened to Taveras doesn't even come close. And what really shook me was how baseball characters put their lives on hold to bid another one goodbye, specifically the Cardinals' biggest rival. The Cubs and Cardinals have hated each other for as long as either one was a franchise, but they put all that aside Sunday night to pause and recognize the tragedy that had just occurred. 

At work this morning, I complained about how my teams let me down. But then I paused and kicked myself for saying that because I didn't lose anyone close to me.

Giants outfielder Juan Perez, though 5 years older than Taveras, is from the Dominican Republic along with Taveras. The two had played on some younger teams together and Perez took the loss very hard. In the middle of the 5th inning, Perez wandered down the dugout towards where Fox broadcaster Erin Andrews was stationed.

His eye caught her prompter and saw the word "Taveras" which was odd considering the Giants had defeated the Cardinals a few weeks ago to advance to this very World Series. 

What happened next is heartbreaking. Perez watched in horror as he saw the death of a close friend develop before his very eyes. Can you imagine finding out that way? Not through a friend or family member or hospital official - but on a broadcasting monitor on the other end of the dugout. 

You'll see Taveras in the white, second from the left. Perez is the lone Giant facing the camera.

Jorge Ortiz of USA Today writes more here.

The same thing happened to Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart in the 2009 season. Adenhart pitched in a single game in April of 2009, allowing 7 hits over 6 shutout innings against the A's. The following night, Adenhart and two others were struck by a drunk driver and killed on impact, ending the hopeful career of a 22-year old pitcher who had overcome major elbow surgery to just get to the big stage. The Angels' finished the year with his jersey hanging in their dugout 

and celebrated mightily when they clinched the AL West crown. 

I'm guessing the Cardinals will do something similar, whether it be a jersey patch or an outfield pad, or a jersey in the dugout. Adenhart or Taveras, it doesn't make it any easier to swallow. I think now that I'm actually 22 and the same age as they both were when they passed wakes me up a little bit, forcing me hang my head in mourning but also thankful that I have never lost anyone close in my life. 

I'm not writing this to tell you to appreciate every breath or take life one step at a time or any other YOLO-esque cliche, because you probably have enough of those crocheted into a throw pillow. I'm just trying to tell you that even while sports are so great because of stories like Jeter and Tiger Stadium, it also is that much harder because of the emotional investment we have. Very few of us probably ever met Oscar Taveras let alone knew him, so why are we so sad about this? It's because of his potential and what could have been. It's because it just doesn't seem fair that such a rare physical specimen is gone in the blink of an eye. It's because for the sorrow that a loss brings, a win can be mean so much more than beating your rival.

Remember Juan Perez, the poor guy that found out he lost a friend over a TV monitor? He slapped a two run double three innings later off of the best AL reliever this season. 

I can only imagine what Perez felt after that hit. 

And again, I can only imagine what the Taveras family is going through right now. 

Thanks for reading. And please, if you will, keep Taveras, his family, and the Cardinals in your thoughts. 

Torii Hunter

As I woke up this morning and was browsing the old Instagram, I've started to notice the Tigers dedication to high quality and tailored suits. Go through any of the players' feeds and somewhere in the distance you'll hear Tim Gunn applauding. 

Last Thursday, the day of the trade deadline and the infamous day when David Price became a Tiger (sorry Rays fans), JD Martinez posted a video of Austin Jackson (you're welcome Mariners fans) showing off his new suit with superhero comic strips lining the inside, and just this morning David Price tweeted that the Tigers locker room looks like the red carpet of the ESPYs. 

The Rays have their own fun getaway days with their goofy themes. Joe Maddon brought a snake into the clubhouse last year and other times the Rays will do team dress-up days. They have theirs, the Tigers have theirs. 

Hunter and Tigers' pitcher Justin Verlander have an ongoing competition for who looks better on travel days. Hunter began the contest two weeks ago today when the Tigers traveled from Detroit to Arizona for their last west coast swing of the year with a photo of him leaving Comerica Park with the hashtag #lookbetterthanJustinVerlanderDay.

Despite the length of this hashtag, Hunter has consistently posted nothing but his nice suits since then to show his competitiveness with the former Cy Young winner. 

Let me say, I love this and I think it's absolutely hilarious. That's who Torii Hunter is, though. He makes the game exactly that: a game. Sure, it's his fulltime job and baseball is indeed a business, but he keeps it light. Instagram and nice suits are all fun to look at, but at the end of the day, they aren't as important as the play between the foul poles. Aside from his infectious smile and lighthearted play, Torii Hunter is a terrific player who I think has been overlooked throughout his career. 

Now a fresh 39 years young, Hunter has played for only 3 teams in his 17 year career; the Twins, Angels, and Tigers. He's been an All-Star at least once with all of those teams (very spread out too, first in 2002 and most recently in 2013) and has played alongside some of the bigger names of our generation: Big Papi in Minnesota from 1997 to 2002 and Mike Trout 2011 and 2012 and now Miguel Cabrera and his fashion rival Justin Verlander. He's been on some big teams, but has never won a ring.

Hunter's first big league appearance came in 1997 - it is the absolutely definition of a cup of coffee. Hunter came on in an August 22nd game when the Twins were fighting a losing battle to the Orioles (down 3-1 in the 9th inning) and a losing battle to the 1997 season (Twins were 52-74). Hall of Famer and current Twins hitting coach Paul Molitor flew out to center to lead off the 9th. After a Scott Stahoviak walk and Terry Steinbach single, O's starter Scott Erickson was removed from the game to make way for closer Randy Myers, who would eventually retire the next two batters - but a young 21 year old pinch runner Torii Hunter came on and didn't leave first base for the game. He didn't see playing time the rest of the season. 

Hunter would not break rookie status for another two years in 1999 when he hit .255 with 9 home runs and 10 steals. An aggressively average season, and certainly an experience from which he has learned, considering he is now a .279 hitter with a career .466 slugging %, 9 Gold Gloves, and over 2200 hits. 

I reference Mike Trout earlier. Trout is obviously one of the biggest names in the game today, yet referred to Hunter as his mentor. Coming from Trout, who has led the galaxy in WAR the last three years and will have a bevy of MVPs in his future, that is high praise for Hunter. Angels columnist Alden Gonzalez has a full write up here. 

That's what makes Hunter so great. He's great to have on the field, but he's great off the field. Not just from his nice watches and suits, but because he makes the other players around him so much better. I'm not saying Big Papi owes all of his success to Hunter or that Trout should share his awards with Hunter but considering the similarities in their mindset: humility, gratitude, thankfulness to coaches, etc., it is obvious that he rubs off on a lot of young players. I'd be willing to bet that when Austin Jackson's career is said and done, he'll tribute some of his success to Hunter too. We'll see.

Hunter is a great player and an even better person. Here's some of my favorite tidbits:

• His postgame interview last summer when the Tigers and White Sox game got a little chippy.
• In his first All-Star Game, 26-year old Hunter robbing Barry Bonds of a home run after Bonds set the single season home run record.
• His interview with Jim Rome after LeBron James left Game 1 of the NBA Finals this year (warning: colorful material).

Here's to you, TNutts. 

Thanks for reading. 

2014 Predictions: AL West

This is a really tough division to pick. A lot of teams made a lot of of changes this year, but I still think it will be a two horse race between the A's and Rangers. Without further adieu:

AL West

1. Oakland 92-70
Bob Melvin's green and yellow elephants will be, once again, in the playoffs (will we see a third straight A's/Tigers ALDS?). Last year was a very solid year for the A's, namely behind the offensive production of Josh Donaldson (.301/29/93, 4th in MVP voting). Despite their winning record, Donaldson was actually the only player to hit over .300 (other than Kurt Suzuki who played in 15 games), but they came in third in the AL in runs and home runs, so the long ball was essential to them last year. This year will be mostly the same: GM whiz kid Billy Beane did not make any major free agent pick ups, so Melvin will be putting out nearly the same lineup. Reddick and Crisp, both excellent defensive outfielders, had down years, hitting .226 and .261 respectively. Reddick was bothered with a wrist injury, resulting in a lack of hitting to the power alleys and simply a lack of playing time. Crisp's average was down but his on base percentage was right on par with the rest of his career, though his stolen bases were far down compared to his last few years in Oakland. The rotation lost 18-6 ageless wonder Bartolo Colon, but other than him, the oldest starter last year was Tommy Milone at age 26, so the future is very bright on the bump. Right now their rotation is looking like Griffin, Parker, Gray, Milone, and Straily. Very young, but a lot of potential. Last year they won 96 games, I think that's possible but not all that probable given the Mariners revamping of their roster.

2. Texas 90-72
The Rangers lost some key players in this offseason: AJ Pierzynski, Joe Nathan, Ian Kinsler, and Nelson Cruz. Cruz was gone most of last season and they did just fine, but there's no denying his big bat will be missed. That said, manager Ron Washington was also given a lot to work with this offseason, signing Mitch Moreland and JP Arencibia to deals, as well as outfielder Shin Soo Choo to a 7-year deal and Prince Fielder from the Tigers. There is a little bit of pressure on Fielder because of all the talk of moving to a more hitter-friendly ballpark. Last year, Comerica had a park factor of 108 and Arlington had a 102 which means that Comerica was even more friendly to hitters, but maybe the change in the atmosphere will be good for him. Andrus and Beltre will be excellent as usual, but youngster Jurickson Profar will be tried at second base. I think he'll do fine as long as he doesn't hit in the 2 slot. Choo was a hotly contested free agent, sought after by a number of teams for his crazy .423 OBP (granted, he played in a matchbox in GABP). He'll most likely play center and young stud Leonys Martin will take over in right for Cruz. The Rangers' rotation is top heavy, with Darvish (Cy Young candidate) and Derek Holland at the top. Matt Garza was a nice addition last year but he has moved on to Milwaukee, so Alexi Ogando will take over and continue the nice season he had in 2011 (13-8, 3.51 ERA). The key to the Rangers season, and this is bold, I know, is Neftali Feliz. The former ROY has oscillated back and forth from starter to closer and its taken a toll on his body, causing some lingering biceps issues last year. With Nathan gone, the closing role should be his and if he stays healthy, the Rangers could do some damage.

3. Los Angeles 81-81
Scioscia is an awesome manager. Last season, he had a lot of things working against him in terms of injuries (Pujols and Bourjos) and completely underperformance (Joe Blanton going 2-14). Trout will be Trout and likely go .325/.430/.560 (wow) and rub off on JB Shuck on both sides of the ball. Hamilton is a wild card, his first year in LA was not pretty, and I think he'll improve but not much. We won't see 2010's .359 average, but we won't see 2013's .250 average, either. My prediction is somewhere around .270 but with a lot of fly balls and strikeouts. Pujols will be heathy (hopefully), adding some protection, and the offseason pickup of David Freese, likely 5-hitter, will add even more. Raul Ibanez is a good addition, likely as a DH for an injection of power every once in a while. He won't put up an MVP campaign, but will have a respectable year for a 42-year old. Kendrick is a highly underrated second baseman, and I expect him to hit .310 this year. Similar to the Mariners, they are offensively challenged when it comes to catchers; between Hank Conger and Chris Ianetta, they produced 18 home runs and 60 RBIs. Signing veteran Yorvit Torrealba will aid their growth in hitting. CJ Wilson will again anchor the aging rotation, which is their weakest link. Past he and Weaver, it's a crapshoot. Ernesto Frieri was pretty shaky last year, going 2-4 with 1.4 home runs per nine. Not good. If the Angels want to win this year they will have to hit, hit, and hit some more. Last year, their team average of .264 was 3rd in the AL and their 733 runs scored was 6th.

4. Seattle 74-88
Oh boy. Jack Z did some work this offseason. With a solid core of King Felix, Hisashi Iwakuma, and Justin Smoak, the Mariners overloaded their artillery with offense by signing Robinson Cano, Corey Hart, and Logan Morrison.

By adding closer Fernando Rodney, last year's shaky closer Tom Wilhemsen will be off the hook, though I don't think Seattle fans know exactly Rodney's style (walk two people, throw a wild pitch then strike out the side). Young catcher Mike Zunino will be the everyday catcher so maybe his .214 average will sneak above .250. Hard to believe last year at .214 he was Seattle's best offensive catcher. Kendrys Morales is not coming back and Justin Smoak will most likely once again barely hit .230. Signing Hart and Cano is great, but the guys around them are not there yet. They are either too young or just have too many bugs in their swing to be successful. I also don't think Cano will have as many home runs at Safeco, but he will have more doubles. Last year he hit .313/.383/.516 with 27 home runs and 107 RBIs. In a pitcher's park like Safeco, I'm guessing he'll have a .298/.365/.478 with 24 home runs and 99 RBIs, as well as a vicious chorus of boos when he goes back to the Bronx. Also, let me say I think the Mariners settled big time with hiring Lloyd McClendon. In 4.5 years managing the Pirates, he was 110 games below .500. He is not a good manager and I think they were just impatient in signing someone to man the helm. All in all, a few big names will not bring a championship. I think they'll bring a winning season (eventually) but aside from their bright stars, the future is kind of dim. 

5. Houston 57-105
The Astros will probably be in the basement for a few more years. Their farm system is wicked, with Mark Appel, Carlos Correa, and Jonathan Singleton, but these guys can't even drink a beer yet (well Correa can't), so they probably won't be playing professionally any time soon. As far as this year goes, Bo Porter will do what he can with what he's given. He's not a bad manager, he just has players that can't compete. Jason Castro, Jose Altuve, and acquisition Dexter Fowler are bright spots, but when your best pitcher is 4-12 with a 4.59 ERA, good things won't happen. Seeing how Fowler will adapt to the hill in center will be interesting. He's played there a few times before, when the Astros were in NL, but other than that, I'm sure he's rarely been to the Juice Box (Minute Maid Park).