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Why 2nd Place is Unacceptable

Talkin' Baseball with Bobby Valentine

2009 Season (W)Rap up

20 Random Baseball Facts

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Baseball Author - Written By: Nakamura

Some people say that if you try your best, then everything will be alright. Really? Because not everybody agrees. There's another group of people that believe failure is utterly unacceptable. Some people say that finishing second sucks. I am one of those people. So here are 12 quotes to prove that 2nd place sucks.

12) "Winning is everything, to win is all there is. Only those poor souls buried beneath the battlefield understand this." -SEAL Team Saving

11) "If you're going to play at all, you're out to win. Baseball, board games, playing Jeopardy, I hate to lose." -Derek Jeter (Shortstop, New York Yankees)

10) "Once you say you're going to settle for second, that's what happens to you in life." -John F Kennedy (35th President of the United States of America)

Eminem

9) Success is my only motherf---ing option, failure's not!" -Eminem (Rapper)

8) "If you ain't first, you're last!" -Ricky Bobby (Movie, Talladega Nights)

7) "The first rule is to not lose. The second rule is to not forget the first rule." -Warren Buffett (Investor)

6) "It ain't over 'till it's over" -Yogi Berra(Former Catcher, New York Yankees)

5) "Compete like you're number one, train like you're number two." - Jeremy Bloom (Olympic Skier)

4) "If you finish second, then you're the first loser." -Dale Earnhardt (Former Driver, NASCAR)

3) "There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game and that is first place." -Vince Lombardi (Former Football Coach)

2) "Nobody remembers who finished second but the guy who finished second." -Bobby Unser (Former Driver, NASCAR)

1) "Winning isn't everything... it's the only thing." -Vince Lombardi. (Former Football Coach)

That's all for today's segment for "Baseball Author". If you have a suggestion for a future blog, please leave it in the comments below. And what do you think? Does finishing 2nd suck? Is it really better than finishing last, or is a loser a loser no matter how you look at it? Write your opinions in the comments below.

-Written by: Nakamura. This article is copyrighted © by Nakamura and may not be reproduced, recopied, or used in any form without permission from Nakamura

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February 7th 2010 @ 00:58

Posted By: Nakamura - Category: No Category

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Trading Cards 101 Part 1

Remember those days when baseball cards were... popular? Those were the good old days,

T206 Honus Wagner, once worth half a million dollars

huh? Well, what happened? For everything baseball cards, Nakamura and Aguilera have come together to let you all in on it.

Compared to the past, how do present baseball cards differ in value?

Nakamura: Today’s cards don’t have a chance to those of the past. No one seems to have interest in baseball cards anymore. There was a time when people collected cards as something to the side, as a hobby. The cards used to come with a package of candy or gum. That just doesn’t happen anymore. It’s about money now. Companies have started to realize this and have begun to create more cards that the buyers would enjoy. The reason why a T206 Honus Wagner was worth so much was due to the fact there were so few left in the world. But since card companies started making literally hundreds of cards that were numbered under 10 (fewer than 10 printed) having a “rare” card meant nothing. As the rules of supply and demand would dictate, the price of the cards went down. As a result, baseball cards aren’t worth that much anymore.

Aguilera: In the past, baseball cards were represented throughout a society. In cereal boxes, toy stores, television ads and more. Baseball cards represented the sport as a form of advertisement towards children. Then, these became collectibles. Autographed rookie cards and set collections all came out in the “Baseball Card Era”. During the 1900’s, everyone was collecting cards, and as a result, the cards became valuable. Now In the 21st century, we tend to stray from the common good of reading and have become reliant on today’s modern technology. Instead of collecting cards, society has drifted and moved on to the Internet and online sites. The effect baseball cards had on society in the past and how players create an image to their fans both have changed the way baseball cards differ from the 20th century to the 21st.

Did Technology have an affect in the change of value for trading cards?

Nakamura: I wouldn’t say technology did. But price guides… now that’s a different story. When companies such as Beckett came out, they gave collectors a basic idea of how much they thought a particular baseball card is worth. This resulted in the entire world of baseball cards to change. Why? Because people weren’t the collecting cards they wanted anymore.

Price Guides have destroyed the joy of collecting baseball cards

Again, it became an issue about the money. There was a time when it didn’t matter how expensive a card was. It was about getting your favorite player. But once price guides were released, money prevailed once again.

Aguilera: Baseball cards are the last effective trade mark for baseballs history. The sound, tempo and view of the game has changed from a respectable sport to technology based one. Baseball cards were used more than stat a collector, which brings up the fact everyone uses the Internet. The recent stats can be checked on various websites throughout the web. These prize positions were traded, gambled and were the utensil for various games. Without baseball cards baseball in the 90’s would have crumbled. Now, athletes s are bet on through Fantasy sports. This is a replication of baseball stats, on going games and value represented by a number used to add up and win the game. Sounds easy? All this could be done from the click of a button from you house, cell phone, iPod, whatever, you name it. Baseball cards are no longer relevant; they have become invisible due to the advancement in technology.

For Part 2 of this article, go to Aguilera's blog, Sports Times.

-Written by: Nakamura and Aguilera. This article is copyrighted © by Nakamura and may not be reproduced, recopied, or used in any form without permission from Nakamura

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January 31st 2010 @ 01:30

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All Time Best: Infield

Every generation has their share of stars. This time around, there are players such as Mauer, Pujols, Suzuki, Lincecum and more. Way back when, there were players such as Ruth, Gehrig and Mays. So who were the true best of the best? Here are my picks. Feel free to leave your top players in the comments.

Catcher: Johnny Bench Hall of Famer. 14 time all star. Two time MVP. 10 time gold glove award winner. Owner of two world series rings. One world series MVP. Anyone who says Bench is overrated is insane. This man could do it all; whether it be catching pop ups, fielding

Johnny Bench

bunts or throwing out runners at second. He takes the crown for best defensive catcher by a long shot. And with the bat, he is third on the list of most homeruns hit by a catcher. As first ballot hall of famer, Bench got in with 96% of the votes

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January 27th 2010 @ 10:20

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DH: Fair?

One of the most disputed rules in Major League Baseball relates to the designated hitter. Is it fair for all of the National League teams? After all, half of the interleague games are played in a national league ballpark. But at the same time, the National League teams don't get the luxury of having a player worth 10 million dollars on their bench just to hit. There is no Edgar Martinez in the national league... so why was the rule ever created?

To begin with, the DH wasn't a position created at the same time America's pastime was. It was first proposed in 1906... by a NATIONAL league manager. However, it did not catch on and the idea was postponed. But it re-arose again in 1920 from the NATIONAL league president. It was planned to be used by the NATIONAL league in 1929 during Spring Training when it was called off at the last minute. Noticing a pattern here

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January 26th 2010 @ 05:39

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Talkin' Baseball with Bobby Valentine

On January 21, 2010, I was lucky enough to witness a speech given by Bobby Valentine. As a baseball fan, I knew that he would know more about what he was talking about than anyone else in the room. I was right. Not only did he know what he was talking about, he blew my mind. To put it simply, the man is a genius. I have never met Bud Selig, but from what I heard come out of Bobby's mouth, he should be commissioner. He doesn't just know every bit about the game on the field there is to know. He also shared his secrets about public relations, general managerial decisions and advice he would give owners.

I paid a measly 15 dollars to hear him speak at the Japanese Society Building in New York. Knowing the words he spoke, the lessons he taught and the effect he has created in the next few years of my life, I would have paid $500. Valentine is a genius. No. He's BEYOND genius. I would give up my heart to receive his brain and the knowledge and wisdom he carries with it.

Bobby Valentine

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January 22nd 2010 @ 04:10

Posted By: Nakamura - Category: No Category

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Talkin' Baseball with Bobby Valentine: Part 2

Bobby's First Surgery

During Bobby's playing days, Valentine was a star. His high school numbers were beyong astronomical and his minor league statistics weren't far behind. "I was the best on my team", said Bobby, "I played everyday, every inning". But then, a fatal accident happened. While playing for the AAA affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers in Hawaii, Bobby was hit by a pitch. First pitch of the game. Accidents happen, so no big deal, right? Well, usually. But this time, the hitter was hit in the cheek

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January 22nd 2010 @ 00:00

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Showdown: Harper or Strasburg?

With this day and age, more and more teams are focusing their franchise around one or two players. The Marlins have started to focus on Hanley Ramirez. The Rays have committed to Evan Longoria. The Royals have Grienke, the Nationals have Zimmerman, the Mets have Wright and the Phillies have Utley. You can be sure the Cardinals will be trying to lock up Pujols soon. The Twins are already working with Mauer and the Giants will be trying to keep Lincecum. The Red Sox have locked up Pedroia and Lester while the Yankees already have locked up Jeter, Posada and A-Rod for quite a while. But there are two new kids on the block.

Enter: Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg. We all know Strasburg. He was the first pick of the 2009 draft and was awarded a record deal to one day pitch for the Washington Nationals. Even before throwing one pitch in professional baseball, Stephen has piled up an impressive resume. With a 13-1 record and a 1.32 ERA in 2009, there seems to be a good player behind the 15.1 million dollars.

Bryce Harper, possibly the next "LeBron James of Baseball"

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January 15th 2010 @ 07:47

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No Way Jose - Canseco

Just one day after McGwire came clean, Jose threw himself into the media. He didn't accuse Mark of lying, but of stretching the truth. Jose claims that McGwire used roids to help with his performance. McGwire claims that he used roids simply to stay healthy. But what's the difference? Either way, you're injecting yourself with something you shouldn't be. But that doesn't matter. The real question is whether Canseco a good or a bad influence to baseball.

The upside of Canseco's history: he told the truth. BEFORE he was forced to. He did not wait until the Player's Association had concrete evidence against him. He didn't wait until he was facing congress. He just let the truth out. Why? Maybe because he thought it was the right thing to do. Maybe he foresaw the crisis of PED coming around the corner. Maybe he felt as if the paying fans were being cheated. I have no idea why, but I respect the hell out of him for helping out baseball by revealing the truth. I've read his book, "Juiced" which is a pretty interesting read. One point he made was that steroids can IMPROVE THE HEALTH of people if used correctly. This should support McGwire's case, if it hadn't been for the entire chapter written on how they used to inject each other before games

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January 13th 2010 @ 06:31

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McGwire Comes Clean

After countless accusations of steroids use, Mark McGwire, arguably one of the best hitters of his generation, has come clean. I think it's great that the truth is finally out. But here's the one thing I have to say.

TOO F(rea)KING LATE NOW
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January 12th 2010 @ 07:46

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Red Sox vs. Yankees Preview: Rotation (12/18/09 Update)

John Lackey: Well what do you know? The best free agent starting pitcher has now signed to a team. But the deal went rather unnoticed until it was official. General Manager of the Boston Red Sox, Theo Epstein, did a very good job on keeping the news quiet. For five years - 82.5 million dollars (16.5 million per year), the Red Sox have landed themselves a solid right handed fireballer. Once one of the strongest pitchers of the AL West, Lackey will make a transition to the East coast. Pitching for Red Sox nation, he'll also have to make another big adjustment. He's no longer #1. With Beckett and Lester already locked into the top 2 spots,

John Lackey

Lackey may end up being the #3 pitcher.

But no matter what way you look at it, the move helps Boston in a big way. Adding a pitcher like Lackey can never hurt you. And with health concerns in Daisuke Matsuzaka and Tim Wakefield, a workhorse like John is always useful. If we were to do the usual Red Sox vs. Yankees match up, Lackey would most likely be compared to AJ Burnett. So as of December 18th, 2009, this is what the Yankees - Red Sox rotation looks like

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December 18th 2009 @ 05:01

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