A Girl's Guide to America's Pastime

Baseball from a die hard fan who often has trouble watching games due to being distracted by the beautiful men playing it.

[9inningsanight]

This game is really crazy. Nobody can understand it, and there a lot of things that happen that you can’t control.

Albert Pujols

(via 9inningsanight)

[yahoosports]

Fifty-seven years ago today, Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in MLB postseason history.

[mlboffseason]

Andrew McCutchen in Little League

@MLBFanCave

[onegirlonegame]

This is adorable. 

[onegirlonegame]

#ManCandyMonday : God Bless America.

Alas, the last #ManCandyMonday of the regular season and it has brought us to our nation’s capital of Washington, DC and might I just say, God Bless America. This week’s #ManCandy is one of my first non-Yankee, baseball loves, Ian Desmond of the Washington Nationals. When I went to Nationals Park in the summer of 2011, I chose him to be my favorite National strictly because of his name, fyi I love the name Ian; then something magical happened, his face appeared on the jumbotron and I was lost forever.

The best part is that his looks match his talent as well as the positivity he spreads to his teammates, fans and all of baseball. Desmond completed this season with a respectable .280 average but the real focus is on his awesome defensive skills at shortstop. Since making his major league debut in 2009, Desmond has been shaping up to be one of the top shortstops in the league and a leader on the young Nationals team. Desmond has not only set an example of talent and professionalism on the field but off the field as well.

Desmond and his beautiful wife Chelsey do great work off the field to benefit charities and raise money for great causes. In 2012, Desmond launched his, “Spread the Glove” campaign. Fans were given the task of nominating charities that they believed were the most deserving and at the end of the season, money that Desmond and the fans raised were donated to the charities picked. On top of that, Desmond is nominated for the MLB Alumni Association’s Heart and Hustle Award for the third time. This award goes to the MLB player, “who demonstrates a passion for the game of baseball and best embodies the values, spirit and traditions of the game.”  The 2013 winner will be announced next month and if it doesn’t go to my Yankee, Brett Gardner, I’m hoping Desmond gets the honor. Now, Ms. Desmond, not to be topped, showed her heart and hustle during the Wounded Warriors charity softball game. Chelsey flashed some glove on a great defensive play at shortstop, causing her husband to give her a shout out on twitter, “My wife’s a boss. Nice work.” This dynamic duo does wonders in helping other’s out and also spreading positive energy. On Desmond’s twitter, he is often quoting inspirational and moving words from the Bible to his followers for some uplifting energy.

The world of MLB could use some more players like Ian Desmond; players who aren’t all about showboating, bragging and the crazy life that sometimes comes with the athlete life territory. So to all my bad boy baseball players out there, take a page out of Ian Desmond’s book and commit to loyalty and helping others on and off the field.

Ready to be inspired? Follow Ian on twitter @iandesmond20.

 Sequined Yankee hat off to you Mr.Desmond, one of the most respectful athletes out there. 

Love and baseball.

xoxo

[silymarin]

So young!

[swingyankees]

[onegirlonegame]

I cried way too much on Sunday, goodbye core 4. 

[daringtomotivate]

"To you fans, thank you for many years of support. It’s been a great run, guys. You have always been here. I will never forget that." - Mariano Rivera

[onegirlonegame]

Sobbing, uncontrollably. 

[pirates]

Yes, the Pirates are headed to the postseason.

[onegirlonegame]

Monumental. 

[onegirlonegame]

#ManCandyMonday: Amazin' Met Man

The Mets, oh the Mets. So much can be said about this crosstown rival and most of what is said is negative but today we’re going to focus on the positive. One BIG, beautiful positive of the New York Mets, is Mr. Eric Young Jr. Now, Mr. Young is rather new to the Mets, having only joined the team from the Colorado Rockies in June but he has added heart, and talent.

The Mets are constantly rebuilding their team and the addition of Young to right field was an excellent choice. In Colorado, Young was used more as a utility player and now has been able to showcase his talent in the outfield and his speed on the base paths. This season, Young has 40 stolen bases and that total can go up a few more with the final games of the season. What’s amazing about Mr. Young, is that bases aren’t the only things he’s working on “stealing”.

When Eric Young Jr. was still with the Rockies, he developed a program called, Steal Some Smarts. It is literacy, reading based program for children where Young made trips to Colorado libraries and read to children of all different ages and also adults. I’ve mentioned a million times how much I love baseball players who work with kids so when I found out this fabulous tidbit about Young, I nearly died AND THEN I found the MLB’s video of Steal Some Smarts and I did die. Check it our for yourself, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJPaiycZcAI .More recently, he has worked with an organization called Action Team to encourage the youth to become more active in volunteering. Another organization he has teamed up with to get the word out is, Voices Against Brain Cancer, whom he shot a commercial for in order raise awareness, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_ImS4pzy0o) I hope he also brings his Steal Some Smarts programs to New York and continues to encourage and mentor the youth. Also the positivity that comes very often from this twitter account is refreshing and uplifting.  I can’t talk about Young without mentioning the Tim Hudson injury. All I want to say about it is how amazingly Young handled the situation with constant communication with Hudson and his family and the way he left it all on the field with the incident happened. It was absolutely amazing and I commend him for his actions and his behavior.

I’m hoping Eric Young Jr. sticks around in New York for a while and that I get to travel crosstown to see him in that blue and orange and see him spread his faith and love across my beautiful city.

Want to be part of his positivity? Follow Young on twitter @EYjr and keep connected.

Sequined Yankee off to the giant heart of Eric Young Jr.

Love and baseball.

Xoxo. 

[mets]

Mets rookies dress for final road series.

[onegirlonegame]

Um, yes. 

[yankees]

There’s a new number in Monument Park.

[onegirlonegame]

Absolutely beautiful. 

[yankees]

42 forever. #ExitSandman

[onegirlonegame]

I cried way to many times today during this Yankee ceremony and game. 

[onegirlonegame]

#ManCandyMonday : Hello, Miami.

I have been waiting for this #ManCandyMonday for a very, very long time. Today is a glorious day. The time has come for us to honor a super special #ManCandy. Ladies and gentleman, happy Giancarlo Cruz-Michael Stanton day. Giancarlo Stanton is the 23 year old stud, right fielder for the Miami Marlins and in the past couple years has started to become the face of the team.

Giancarlo Stanton’s first year in the majors was in 2010 with the Marlins and his first major league hit was a grand slam against the Tampa Bay Rays. How’s that for coming up to the big leagues? The 2011 season had Stanton battling some eye and leg injuries but still slamming those homeruns, hitting the farthest homeruns at 4 different major league stadiums. 2012 was an interesting season for Stanton. He was still hitting bombs all over the place and was selected for the 2012 All Star Game and Homerun Derby. Unfortunately, knee surgery would prevent Stanton from playing in both of those events. He returned about 2 weeks after having his surgery and continued to hit monster homeruns. Now this season has not been quite what everyone in the Marlins organization or in MLB thought it was going to be for Stanton. He’s hitting .253 with 22 homeruns, which is far from being horrible but the homerun projections are not being met. Stanton hasn’t played as often as I’m sure he would have liked this season because of injuries but he is doing his best to reestablish himself as a feared hitter in the league. Oh, he does more than hit monster homeruns? Of course he does, because he’s basically perfect.

So back in June, Giancarlo and fellow teammate Alex Sanabia went to the UM’s Pediatric Cancer Outpatient Care Center. On this trip they played games, visited families, and developed friendships with the patients at the center. There was one boy in particular named Ruben who’s relationship with the players flourished. When Ruben was strong enough to make it to the field, he got to watch BP, experience the stadium and meet up with his old buddies, Stanton and Sanabia. Now there is no photo of the encounter but it is said that the embrace that Stanton and little Ruben shared, could make a grown man cry. Guys who are good with kids? Hot. Baseball players who are good with kids? Fire. How could Giancarlo Stanton get any hotter and more baseball God-like? ESPN Magazine: The Body Issue. A few weeks ago, when it was Jose Bautista’s turn in the limelight, we went over his spread in The Body Issue. This year’s issue featured a 2 page spread on Mr. Stanton. Thank you, Yeezus. Looking at the photos, you might find it hard to believe that Stanton has his cheat days but he is human.            “Baseball – it’s a grind, man. With all the travel, you have to schedule your workouts. But I have cheat days, if I’m going to cheat, I’m going to cheat. It’s not, Oh, I’ll have one bite, I’m eating the whole thing and you order your own.” Damn.

I could go on for days on why Giancarlo Stanton was my pick for the Miami Marlins #ManCandyMonday but I’ll let the collage and some vids further my reasoning for this BEYOND pick.

Wanna stay connected with my mancandy? Peep his Twitter, and Instagram @Giancarlo818 . 

Sequined Yankee hat off to you,  sexy Stanton.

Love and baseball.

Xoxo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsPDQ9bMeTg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK1keW-VZxo

[sportsnetny-blog]

A tip of the cap for the Fenway crowd from #Mo42

(via @RedSox)

[onegirlonegame]

I teared during the ceremony, I don't know what I'll be like on Sunday for the ceremony at home.

[cincinnatireds]

Joey Votto gets a little fancy.

[onegirlonegame]

oh so fancy.

[detroittigers]

Miggy crushes baseballs. Literally.

[onegirlonegame]

Dope.

[mlb]

Youthfulness, or over the line?

[onegirlonegame]

Youthfulness and shock that he hit a home run, no intent to offend or be disrespectful.