We're roughly a month into the 2012 season, and there's already been some events that have set the tone early on for this year.
- PITCHER PERFECT: Philip Humber used to be a nobody. That was mostly true up until this past Saturday. Humber, the winning pitcher in the 2003 College World Series, spent most of his career after being drafted by the Mets in '04 bouncing between organizations (he was part of the deal that sent Minnesota ace Johan Santana to Flushing), and had Tommy John surgery before he even saw action in the big leagues. Finally, after recovering and tweaking his mechanics, he wound up on the White Sox, making some small waves in 2011 when he no-hit the Yankees through 6 innings. Therefore, the event that occurred in his life on April 21st, 2012, was so shocking that it propelled him into the national baseball spotlight, and he went from Philip Humber, journeyman pitcher, to Philip Humber, perfect game thrower. Yes, some bitter fans will point out that he did it against the powerless Mariners. Sure, some will detract from the occasion by pointing out that most perfect game hurlers ended up having mediocre careers. And of course, some will lament that the White Sox still aren't poised to be a contender this season. But they can say whatever they want, it won't change the fact that Philip Humber, after years of toiling in obscurity, being put on waivers and barely given a chance to show his stuff, will forever be in the history books as the man who threw what was only the 21st perfect game in Major League Baseball history.
- WHAT'S UP WITH YU?: In stark contrast to good old Phil Humber, everyone on both sides of the Pacific knows who Yu Darvish is. And if you don't, just wait, he'll be calmly headed to the mound in a ballpark near you very soon, to shut your team down and make you cry. A little shaky in his first start (you would be too if you spent the first 25 years of your life in one place and are now throwing a baseball at a professional-caliber player in a brand new continent), Darvish has managed to record 3 wins so far. But even that doesn't do justice to his more important stats. His ERA, after starting out around 5, is nearly half of what it was. He's rapidly adjusting to American hitters and ballparks, and as he does, he pitches deeper into games (5 2/3 innings in his first 2 starts, 6 1/3 in the next, and 8 full innings last night in a shutout of the Yankees) and he's throwing more strikeouts (14 through his first 3 starts, then 10 last night) while gaining better control and lowering his walk rate (4 in each of his first 2 games, 5 in his start against the Twins, then 2 on Tuesday). He has yet to allow a home run, even in the launching pad that is Rangers Ballpark, and his GB/FB ratio is an even 1:1 (in actuality, 39 of each). It's still too early to tell, and once the league figures him out he most likely won't be as untouchable, but right now, Yu's got the looks of a true ace in the making.
- NIFTY FIFTY-FIFTY: After losing a hotly-contested NL MVP race to the Brewers' left fielder Ryan Braun, centerfielder Matt Kemp of the Dodgers (after receiving a tidy 8-year, $160 million extension) thanked his fans for their support, congratulated Braun on winning the award, and promised the baseball world that he would go 50-50 (hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases) in 2012. Let's put that into perspective: plenty of players have hit 50 homers in a season, and a few have stolen 50 bags in a year. No player has ever done both in the same timespan. So, entering this season, many of us (myself included) were awfully skeptical of Kemp's prediction. There was no doubt he had become one of the elite hitters in the game, and his speed was duly noted. But so far, his proclamation may not come to pass, because he's only stolen one base...although that may have something to do with the 9 home runs he's already hit, leading all of MLB and giving real credence to the theory that, once he does stop sending baseballs into the stands and hits a double or single like a normal player, he just might become the first member of the 50-50 club. Not only that, but the ballclub that supports him has raced to the head of the NL West divison, a scenario many people didn't think was possible before the ownership debacle was sorted out (Frank and Jamie McCourt, whose very public divorce led to the sale of the team to Magic Johnson and Stan Kasten). With reigning Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw holding down the rotation, Kemp is free to power the offense with his goal of 50-50 (both would immediately become his career highs) and maybe even boost a surging Dodgers team back into October.
- NOT HEAVEN ON EARTH: What the hell (pardon the irony) has happened to Albert Pujols? You could defend him by saying that he's simply adjusting to switching leagues, but his interleague stats since 2001 (.348 batting average, 39 home runs and a 1.070 OPS in 143 interleague games as a member of the Cardinals, nearly an entire season) would quickly dispel the notion that Pujols has no experience against some of the organizations he'll be facing as a member of the Angels. And yet, as the first month of the 2012 season begins to die, Pujols has yet to make any baseballs ascend into the heavens (to fall back down into the stands). In 69 Angel at-bats, he only has 16 hits (a measly .232 batting average), 4 RBIs and 6 runs scored. The most harrowing stat of all: 0 home runs through the first 17 games of the year, the longest streak The Machine has ever gone without producing a long ball. So what's the deal? Is the pressure of having the second largest contract in baseball history more than Pujols, who's always seemed unshakable, can handle? Or is it the opposite, is the knowledge that he and his family are financially set for the rest of their lives causing him to become listless and uncaring at the plate? As it stands today, Pujols is already headed for Cooperstown once he retires. A member of 2 World Series champion teams, 3 MVP awards, nearly 500 home runs, a 9-time All-Star, Rookie of the Year and a career batting average of .328 and 1,330 career RBIs makes for one of the most impressive resumes a ballplayer can have today. So there's no doubt that Albert's going to be in the Hall someday. The question is, now that he's almost a lock, will he let his production decrease? So far, the answer is yes. Now, this seems unlikely for a man who's played baseball nearly his entire life (whether he's actually 32 years old or not), to just suddenly give up because you've achieved the big payday. But until he returns to form (it's only a matter of time), the scrutiny he faces will be ungodly.
- GROOVIN' IN MOTOWN: On the contrary to the depressing situation in Anaheim, the Tigers continue to rock 'n' roll in Detroit. Heavily favored to take the division by storm, the 3-4 hitting tandem of Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder came exactly as advertised, hitting for a combined .318/8/21 through the first 17 games, and it's not a stretch by any means to assume that they'll both end up hitting over .300 with 30+ homers and 120+ RBIs come the end of the regular season (I say regular season because, come on...the Tigers will be in the postseason). More surprisingly, the batters hitting around the two mammoth stars, such as catcher Alex Avila, centerfielder Austin Jackson, and infielder Brandon Inge, are lighting up the scoreboard and opposing pitchers as well. Unsurprisingly, though, is the effectiveness of the rotation: headed by MVP, Cy Young, and Kate Upton admirer Justin "Credible" Verlander, the pitching staff has notched multiple wins and strikeouts while allowing very few runs (you can also credit rookie Duane Below, who's currently leading the team in wins with 2, for keeping the defense afloat). Closer Jose Valverde blew a save in his first appearance this season, snapping his streak of 49 successful saves, but has closed out 4 games since. All this offense and defense put together has the Tigers ranking...between 13th and 25th in all hitting and pitching stats? You heard that right. With a 10-7 record, and ranking at or near the top of the AL Central division (the White Sox have the same record as of today, and by sheer luck and having played 2 games less, the Indians are atop the division with a 9-6 record), the Tigers haven't even truly warmed up yet. They're playing well below their potential...which is mighty scary, considering what their potential up. Once the Tigers get on the prowl, there will be no stopping them.
- DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK: Anyone who's ever glanced at this blog knows I'm a Yankees fan. I normally keep my bias out of articles as best as I can, but invariably, I always seem to end up talking about the Bronx Bombers. So, loyal readers and baseball enthusiasts, please allow me a moment to gush. Derek Jeter, who was supposedly "done" after the 2010 season in which he posted the worst single-season offensive numbers in his career, has seen a renaissance of his baseball prowess since notching his 3,000th hit last July. His second half stats in 2011 blow his first half stats completely out of the water, and he ended last season with a line of .297/6/61 with 81 runs scored. None of those numbers touch his career highs in any category, but for a 37 year old playing a position meant for someone 15 years younger, I'd say Jeter's not doing too bad. This year would certainly support that statement, at least to this point: Jeet's swinging as hot a bat through April as he has since 2009, starting off this season with a .411 batting average, 4 home runs and 13 RBIs (he's currently on pace to hit 38 bombs and knock 124 runs in, numbers that he's never come close to). Obviously, as the year drags on, his production will dramatically decrease (for God's sake, the man will be 38 in July and STILL be a contributor to a perennial contender), but for now, I'm more than happy to have my foot in my mouth as a person who doubted, even for a second, that Derek Jeter had nothing left in the tank after 2010.
