The One Thing: NL East
With the season bearing down on us (only a month away!), I’m going to run through the divisions and pick out one thing that interests me for each team. This isn’t intended to be something that’s key to their season, or the most compelling story, but just something that caught my attention. It’s the one thing that first came to my mind when I thought of the team.
Here’s the NL East:
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The Marlins
When a club has an owner as onerous as Jeffrey Loria, there’s not much good to say about them. However, I enjoy watching every game that Dontrelle Willis starts. From the crazy windup to the infectous smile and zest for the game, how can’t you like the D-Train? Even is he did relieve himself in public this winter, he’s still one of the most likable guys in the game.
The Mets
I’m going to try and catch a few Mets games on TV (or MLB.tv) this season, if for no other reason than to watch the new park slowly rise beyond the right-field fence of Shea. I’m drawn to ballpark construction. It’s the creation, on a massive scale, of a home for this beautiful game. I’m going to side-step the public-money minefield, and just say that I love ballparks, especially when they replace the eyesores of the game (Shea, Metrodome, etc.).
The Braves
I’m hoping that top prospect Jarrod Saltalamacchia makes the Atlanta roster, just so I can see how ridiculous that name looks jammed into an arc across his back. I’ve done a little checking, and his 14-letter last name would be the longest in the majors. The current titleholder is Todd Hollandsworth, with 13 letters. Fellow Brave Pete Orr is at the opposite end of the name-length spectrum. So, are names measured in nomenmeters?
The Phillies
I know I said that I was going to avoid the big issues… but c’mon, how can you not be enthralled with every Ryan Howard at-bat? He hits the ball about 900 feet, has a sabermetrician-approved .425 OBP, and by all accounts he’s a great guy. His mom also gives him an allowance (?!), and he’s the runt of the family. That’s not to mention the stance he’s taken against using PEDs.
The Nationals
I’ll avoid the all-too-easy rubbernecking at a car wreck comparison. Why am I going to want to watch anything that the Nationals do in 2007? Ryan Zimmerman. This kid is the complete package. He can hit, he can field, he can save Social Security with a plan based on the sunflower seed market. Perhaps not the last part, but Zimmerman is going to be fun to watch over the next few years.