Special For The Puerto Rico Daily Sun
This upcoming 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Yadier Molina will be the lone boricua shining with the best of the best .
There is no doubt, the younger of the Molina brothers deserved the accolade from the fans to be the starting catcher in the National League lineup. Not because the fans wanted to award him with his first All-Star experience playing at home. The 2009 All-Star Game will be played at Busch Stadium in his Cardinal nest in St. Louis on July 14. Neither a gift because he will be celebrating his 27th birthday the night before the big mid-summer classic game.
Yadier is validating he is the best defensive catcher in the National League. At midway point of this season he has thrown out 44 percent of would-be basestealers and picked off four baserunners as well. He's second in the league in innings caught. Numbers that are in pace to help him win his second career Gold Glove Award.
Do not misremember either his batting. The Bayamon native is hitting for a .284 average with 5 homers and 28 RBI’s.
Of course, we can not forget that Carlos Beltran was also selected to be a starter outfielder in the National League. However, the Manati native at present is receiving a second treatment in his ailing right knee and would be re-evaluated during the All-Star break.
At this moment, the New York Mets have informed if doctors cleared him, he could resume baseball-related activates, like hitting and running after the All-Star Game break. For now, he is exercising on a bike and in a pool. Beltran publicly have acknowledged he does not have a timetable how long it would take to return to the Mets.
For the rest, after 85 games, I keep asking que pasa boricua ? Besides Molina and Beltran whom this season deserve to be an All-Star. Possibly in the National League older Yadier’s brother Bengie and in the American League Mike Lowell before getting re-injured again with hip problems. That’s it !
No longer are the hey-days of full of boricuas All-Star Games. See the accompanied chart below this decade. Make your own conclusions. I know we can do better again. Hopefully soon.
Puerto Ricans in All-Star Games (2001-2009)
2001 (Seattle): Roberto Alomar, Juan Gonzalez, Edgar Martinez, Jorge Posada, Ivan Rodriguez, Bernie Williams
2002 (Milwaukee): Jose Hernandez, Mike Lowell, Jorge Posada, Benito Santiago, Jose Vidro
2003 (Chicago): Carlos Delgado, Javier Lopez, Mike Lowell, Edgar Martinez, Jorge Posada, Jose Vidro
2004 (Houston): Carlos Beltran, Mike Lowell, Ivan Rodriguez, Javier Vazquez
2005 (Detroit): Carlos Beltran, Felipe Lopez, Ivan Rodriguez
2006 (Pittsburgh): Carlos Beltran, Alexis Rios, Ivan Rodriguez
2007 (San Francisco): Carlos Beltran, Mike Lowell, Jorge Posada, Alexis Rios, Ivan Rodriguez
2008 (New York): Geovany Soto
Special For The Puerto Rico Daily Sun / MLB Notebook
For the first time this season Mike Lowell is accepting a break. Not because he is pulling one of those Alex Rodriguez ‘fatigue’ stories as the ‘A-Rod’ did when the Yankees came to Miami. Lowell’ hip had grown stiff and sore lately and his Manager Terry Francona have offer him to take longer breaks. Not good news for the Puerto Rican four-time All-Star.
Let’s remember this season is one he does not want to finish hurt. Lowell pointed us out back during spring training that he very well know he needs a healthy season and finish with good numbers.
He really wants to demostrate Boston’ management he can still play and would like to be a Red Sox longer than his signed contract through 2010.
"This season is very important to me. I love Boston and I want to stay here. If not I play in Mars along their is big league baseball. After all I'm a major leaguer," Lowell said.
For the veteran Gold-Glove third baseman, up until few weeks ago it look his numbers were amazing hitting over .300 and taking him to the path for a run for American League Comeback Player of the Year. Some Boston media were even talking All-Star Game in St. Louis. However, the last two weeks his hitting has gone down faster than the Titanic. At this moment he’s hitting .281, 10 homers with 41 RBI’s.
According to Lowell, 35, the pain is not constant but some days his hip would feel “locked up”.
For Red Sox Nation fans this is not good news either. Specially right now that they are in command of their East Division pennant. Nonetheless, they have not forgotten that it could be déjà vu all over again as last season.
Last year Lowell went down as they were fighting the surprising Tampa Bay Rays. For most of the 2008 campaign he was hurt to the point he was left off from the Red Sox roster for the American League Championship Series. And in October 20th he decided on to go to surgery for a torn labrum in his right hip with well catalogued Dr. Bryan Kelly in New York.
Remember the Rays won and were the one with the ticket to the World Series. And this year the Red Sox besides the Rays they also have the Yankees and the Blue Jays in their back very close too.
At this moment the Red Sox are planning to put Lowell on a maintenance program starting next week up to the All-Star break where he'll receive at least one day off a week and receive occasional lubricating injections to ease the friction in the cartilage in hip and they want to make sure he's rested accordingly. After the All-Star Game they will check on Lowell’s progress.
The Red Sox acknowledge that they need a healthy Lowell to win it all again. In the other hand, Lowell wants to be healthy enough to go back to a post-season and who knows if he can repeat again his 2007 World Series MVP performance. And of course, stay as a Red Sox. Last Minute Note: According to various reports Lowell will not play this weekend against the Atlanta Braves.
Special For The Puerto Rico Daily Sun / MLB Notebook
When thinking about Puerto Rican catchers, it first comes to mind such names as future hall-of-famer Ivan Rodriguez, veteran Yankee Jorge Posada and the new wave kids Geovanny Soto and Omir Santos. Often forgotten and they shouldn’t be there are Bayamon’ Molina brothers. Hopefully one month from now Yadier and Bengie will receive the attention they deserve.
“We all are quiet. We come to the ballpark to do our work and with God blessing we do the best job we can,” Yadier said at Landshark Stadium in Miami.
The Molina brothers younger to older Yadier (Cardinals), Jose (Yankees) and Bengie (Giants) they all debuted in the same season in 2004. They are the only trio of brothers in Major League history to win World Series ring. However, no matter what, there are often left out of the favourite boricuas fan list.
That probably could change in few weeks as both the junior and the senior can be select it to their first All-Star Game in their careers.
“Yadier is like the kid everybody loves in the neighborhood,” St.Louis’ Manager Tony LaRussa said. “He deserves it same as his brother (Bengie).”
At this moment, Yadier, 26, is the leading vote-getter among National League catchers for the upcoming All-Star Game. And he is very happy about it moreover this year Summer Classic is at his Redbird nest at Busch Stadium in St. Louis July 14.
“It means a lot to me. A lot of people doubted I could do it,” Yadier said. “I’m proud of what I have done so far. It feels very good.”
Of course, he should feel good. Defensively he is probing once more he was not just lucky last season when he won his first Gold Glove. At present, Yadier leads all Major League catchers in throwing percentage (41.8) and leads the majors in pick-offs since 2005. He admitted is slumping offensively a bit but he knows he can do better as similar to last year career-best .304.
In the other side of the country, all west, Bengie, 34, is finally getting the attention he deserves. Not only because he is only 1 of 3 active catchers ---Pudge Rodriguez (13) and Brad Ausmus (3)-- to have won multiple Gold Gloves (American League 2002 and 2003) or owns as a catcher a career .994 fielding percentage. As a backstopper, he is second in the majors in putouts and have logged fourth-most innings played behind the plate. Also, he can hit too. He leads his San Francisco uniform in homers and RBI since 2007 and he is the leader again in both departments in 2009 (9 HR-37 RBI).
“(Pitcher) Matt McCain should be our All-Star this year. If I’m select it then it will be a great honor.” Bengie said. “Of course, that will be great to play in the same All-Star Game with my brother."
Last Puerto-Rican duo of brothers to play in All-Star Games together were Roberto And Sandy Alomar Jr. in the 90’s.
Even though he is satisfied with the Giants---were he have been its franchise MVP the last two seasons--- he stated he sometimes feels unrecognized as in his days with the Anaheim Angels. However, he said that given the right opportunity he wants to stay in the Bay Area with San Francisco and be the starting catcher for the next two or three years.
Bengie is a free agent at the end of the season but he does not want to discuss with the Giants management a return to the team and any kind of deal anytime after the All-Star break.
On Jose, the other forgotten, is at the moment in the Yankees minor league complex in Tampa in a rehablitation assignment (strained left quadriceps muscle). Jose, 33, went on the disabled list last May 10. No word from the Yankees management how soon he will called up.
Special For The Puerto Rico Daily Sun The 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game ballots are out to select the opening lineups of the American and National League squads. This season the Midsummer Classic will be held at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on July 14. In this tough times we talk and write often about to recover Puerto Rican pride. As all baseball fans in the Island follow closely with passion our local players this is a good time to show it. In Venezuela voting is pouring for such as Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez. In Mexico voting support is showing up to such as Jorge Cantu and Adrian Gonzalez. In the Dominican Republic they are rooting for such as Albert Pujols, Carlos Peña, Hanley Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano. Yes! Puerto Rico go online to mlb.com-the official Major League Baseball website--right now and vote for your favorite Puerto Rican players. At this young point of the season in the National League there is no boricua more deserving your support than Carlos Beltran. The New York Met outfielder has begun the season with outstanding numbers and is among present leaders in few offensive categories. We remember very well the words of Met teammate Carlos Delgado last March that if Beltran played with the same enthusiasm as in the World Baseball Classic he was going to have a great season. So far he is and is a strong contender for the National League Most Valuable Player. Other National Leaguers that receive your vote right now are brothers Bengie and Yadier Molina. In the American League Mike Lowell is proving that he is back and healthy and his good offensive numbers are showing up. The veteran Red Sox third baseman deserves your support as his showing right now his a strong candidate for American League Comeback Player of the Year. This voting request is not for individual recognition but also for Puerto Rico. Last season National League Rookie of the Year Geovany Soto was the sole Puerto Rican representative at Yankee Stadium. The least Puerto Rican representation this decade. Back in 2000 in Boston seven Puerto Rican were present. In 2001 and 2003 in Seattle and Chicago respectively six Islanders were among the stars. Thereafter have not been the same. Much has been said and written Puerto Rico have lost its luster of its golden years at the Major League level. Let's reverse that trend and show in St. Louis the Puerto Rican power. Puerto Rico: Vote !
Special For The Puerto Rico Daily Sun
