Weird MLB Season yet?

Clockwise Wilson Valdez, Derek Jeter, Vladimir Guerrero and Mariano Rivera

This blog focuses on many other topic rarely on sports or anything else. Regular season for Major League Baseball finished last Wednesday and it was the weirdest season I have in memory, also was a season of milestones for many other players as well. Starting with the weird.
May 25 Phillie's Second Baseman Wilson Valdez recorded a win while pitching a perfect top of the 19th inning and got the win. This is not so rare because Colorado catcher Brent Mayne became the last position player to record a win back in August 22, 2000. This game started on May 25th 2011 at 8:00PM ET and concluded somewhere around 2AM on May 26th.
I don't remember what game was it I was just shuffling around channels and didn't see this clearly I couldn't find the information online neither but an umpire got injured during a game. This is weird because umpires get hurt but not this way. Umpires specially home plate umpires get hurt by foul balls, missed pitches but this umpire in particular suffered a right knee sprain.

Dexter Fowler suffering a knee injury couldn't finish the at bat (yahoo news)

Tuesday May 10, 2011 Usually when rain pours into a game the umpire wait for the at bat to be over, an at bat is never stopped. Only that this particular day was supposed to happen in Coors field Colorado. With two outs nobody on base no offense was expected so let's finish this inning shall we? As Dexter Fowler went through his at bat the rain and lighting got stronger to the point that the game had to be stopped 2 balls, 2 strikes 2 outs Mets leading 4-3 in the bottom of the 7th inning this could be a pretty long seventh inning stretch. The game was stopped after Fowler refused to strike out fouling a couple of pitches. The game resumed 50 minutes later with a new pitcher Jason Isringhausen. In Isringhausen first pitch Fowler fouled another one this time off his own left knee and couldn't finish the at bat. So time to bring a new batter and Ryan Spilborghs was walked three pitches later. This is the first time this ever happened. To get this at bat even weirder one of the members of the ground crew got trapped under the tarp.
The highest offensive team this season was Boston Red Sox led the led the American league in most stats run scored, hits, double, second in batting average, second in homeruns (Jacobi Ellsbury increased from 8 homeruns two years ago, broken rib played 18 games in 2010 to 32 HR in 2011) Red Sox also had 2 hitters leading the league in hits, five batters hitting over 300, and two batters among the top 10 in RBI. You could say this team would this team would win it all. Really? (see team stats here ESPN)
September 28, 2011 the final day of the regular season saw four teams fighting for the final remaining spot for the playoff. Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay devil Rays in the american league. Tampa facing AL east winners Yankees, Offensive machine Boston facing AL east basement Baltimore Orioles. You could say Red Sox won? wrong. Many rumors go around that the Yankees gave up the games so they don't face their nemesis (Yankees lost season series to Red Sox 9-3). In the national league Atlanta and St Louis were also looking for a playoff spot. What would make this season more than weird would be a game number 163 featuring Devil Rays vs Red Sox and St Louis Vs Atlanta.
September 26 I have heard about player trade but manager trade? Ozzie Guillén left the white sox with two days remaining in the season and one year remaining in his contract. He opted out of his contract with the White Sox, team that he led to become the world champions of 2005. September 27 he signed with the Marlins to become their manager in 2012. The marlins sent two minor league pitchers to White Sox. Ozzie played 12 years for the White Sox and managed the team since 2004.

ACHIEVEMENTS
This season was a season of achievements for many other players as well let see some of those
July 9, 2011 Well liked Athlete Derek Jeter became the #28 player in the history to accumulate 3000 on his first at bat on a full count he went deep at Yankee Stadium off Tampa Bay ace David Price. All his hits are with the Yankees he's also Yankee's all time leader in hits, and first Yankee ever to get 3000 hits. Jeter is a low key player rarely on controversy, hardworking, good leader and this is why he's among my favorite athletes.
September 14 Perhaps the most unlucky pitcher Tim Wakefield reached win #200 the 44 years old finally did it. Every time he pitches either his knuckeball get deciphered and smashed around the stadium or the relief pitcher destroy his game.
September 4 Adrian Beltré collected hit #2000 off former team Boston Red Sox (picture is from last year when he played for Boston he wears #29 for Texa Rangers)
August 8 Michael Young collect hit number 2000 all of them with Texas Rangers
September 19 Mariano Rivera 602nd save surpasses Trevor Hoffman (601) Not lying but at some point Yankees and Mets were my favorite teams still hold two of those good Yankees Mariano is one of them.
September 27 Apparently was a month for milestones Vlad Guerrero became the number one in hits among Dominican players collecting hit #2587 in 16 seasons passing Julio Franco (who also played in the Mexican League, Japan league) hits in those leagues don't count in the MLB. Looking for 3000 within the next 2 years? we have to wait and see.
September 28 closed the season and José Valverde saved 49 games in 49 attempts for Detroit Tigers
September 28 Jose Reyes of the New York Mets closed the batting title with a bunt single in the bottom of the first inning. Reyes increased his batting average from 282 the previous year to 337. In fact Reyes was batting 351 when he went down with injury he was #1 in MLB in hits and #2 in BA behind Adrian Gonzalez (359) both of these players struggled big time to a point that Reyes hit 330. Reyes increased his batting avg 55 points to become the first Mets ever to win a batting title in 49 years of existence of the franchise.

Weird things happened and many milestones also happened. By the way, every Mets fan like me know of  the  black cat game. I don't know if was some Mets fan who brought a black cat to the game vs Marlins and let it loose to create buzz but a black cat ran into the game at sun life stadium this September and back into the stands. On the original black cat game the Mets came from a deficit to become the world series champions in 1969. These Mets we have right now? Honestly all they miss is homerun power this year they only had 108 homeruns Ranking them 13 of 16 David Wright diminished from 29 last year to 12, Jason Bay if he returns healthy next year will be interesting he had 12 this year vs 6 last year and 44 the previous year with Red Sox, Ike Davis hit 7 HR this year he was 5th in the league before going down with injuries. The Mets tied first in doubles, 3rd in triples, first in hits, 2nd in Batting average, but struggled badly in games saved, ERA, too many blown saves, and HR. If the Mets stay healthy, sign Reyes, lock Wright next season, improve pitching and bring a closer to help Isringhausen it will be an interesting 2012 season for the Mets. Orioles just need to be consistent, KC as well. It got to the point that I though I would see Orioles, KC and Pirates in the playoff just to make the season more strange but they lost far too many consecutive games and saw themselves in familiar territories.
Ok I don't want to bring politics to my blog but I already expressed the Yanks are not my favorite team. The Yankees have a fine closer in Mariano Rivera a great second baseman in Cano and a good short stop in Jeter. Very professional guys not controversial. They will go down just as Bernie Williams no problem just a good athlete. Currently the Yanks are just a team collecting cleanup hitters they have in the lineup Texeira from Texas, (previous #25 was Oakland's Jason Giambi) Swisher from white Sox, Granderson (hybrid lead-off and cleanup) from Detroit. But they couldn't buy Lee who destroyed them on the playoff of 2010 haha. Talking about that playoff Yanks have the worst fans in sports. While Texas was mopping Yankee Stadium with their beloved Yankees all *fans ran away like roaches rather than stick by their team to the end. I though I was seeing a game from Arlington Park most fans were Rangers' and even the seats are blue (they are there when the team is winning only don't fully trust their team). Mets on the other hand are not that successful but it fans have learned to see their team either crash hard after almost winning to see the team escaping from a sure beat down to win the game. This is what you see when you stay the whole 27 outs didn't Yanks fans learned their lessons from the 2004 ALCS? Boston Red Sox were losing after losing all of the first 3 games just one out away from losing they came back and won the game and all other 3 to take the series 4-3. Boston Red Sox 2004 showed is possible if you believe and you truly battle. By the way the Yankees became the first team to lose 4 games in a row after winning the first 3.
The Yankees are also a bunch of cheap shot cheap win team. There was another weird event this season and was VS the orioles. They resumed play at 2:15 AM under a rainy muddy Yankees Stadium September 6. Then played again in the mud and more rain on September 7 less than 18 hours after the start of the previous game. They expected their already "superior" team would take an easy win but wasn't that way the Orioles lost the first game in a very long battle, then took the second game despite both teams being very tired. Baseball rules for all those who don't know baseball, if a game starts and for any reason (snow, rain, or other) get suspended after the bottom of the fifth inning, any team that is winning wins, if the home team is in losing but batting in the fifth inning they should wait for the home team to take the lead or the game should be resumed later. Was the plan for both games but didn't work. The Yankees were looking for a quick win which made me dislike the team more. (don't judge me is my point of view and I'm not looking to offend nobody)

I will be back soon with a brand new entry.
*Fan= someone who show devotion to something or someone no matter what happens