Mvp Mods "essay" Contest - 2009

[DJEagles]

Okay, so I am totally disgusted with the Toronto Blue Jays, and their sorry excuse for their GM, J.P. Riccardi, so I am prepared to cheer for another team, at least until the end of the season.

So, I thought I would use this opportunity to start a contest. In 3 paragraphs or less, convince me to cheer for your team. That's it, it's that simple. The winning entry will get a years membership to the site, and I will proudly display your teams avatar, and a sig with your name in it, and team logo. Contest opens tonight, and ends at the Trade Deadline.

Have fun, be creative, and remember, I am truly a die-hard Jays fan, but in protest, I will NOT cheer for them the rest of the season.

[Yankee4Life]

I have to take a step back and think about how I am going to write this because I'll be submitting one. :)

[lautrec]

I was going to give you this big long diatribe about how you should root for the Royals; a young team on the verge of breaking loose and stepping up to receive the mantle they are striving for which is to become the "next" Tampa Bay Rays. I was prepared to wax elegantly on the merits of a young and brash, not to mention bold, Dayton Moore and his finely tuned staff of scouts and farm team directors, leading the way through the jungles of evaluating talent. You would have heard the lavish plaudits due to Field Marshal Trey Hillman who has bravely led the troops into enemy territory, claiming victory and taking ground. Yes, I was indeed ready.

But,,,,,,the craziest thing happened on the way to the forum..... facts just got in the way. The Royals are not good,,,my bad.

[pistonj92]

All other teams than the Tigers are wack.

[fanofwho]

You are more than welcome to join the rest of us that suffer with the Cubs. But you are probably a good person and I must advise against it. My father died in February of this year - 77 years a Cubs fan with nothing to show for it. I'm on my 50th season myself. PLEASE .. if anyone tries to convince you to cheer for the Cubs, do yourslef a favor and run like hell.

[jay16509]

DJ,

I think you should root for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Here is my list of reasons why. One, we need all the support we can get. Two, we probably have had worse GM's than Riccardi for the past decade. Three, if you have supported your teams losing this long, you might as well go for the gusto and support some real losers, my Buccos. Four, why not try to watch some NL ball. It is a different style play from the AL, and it may just give you a nice break from seeing the Yanks, Rays, and Red Sox beat up on the Jays. Hell, you can watch as the Cubs, Astros, Brewers, Reds, and Cardinals beat up on a team.

How about the excitement in trying to figure out who your team will trade next. It could be like musical chairs for your ballclub. You can watch a game, and then try to see whether your roster is the same today as it was yesterday. And last but not least, they are not the Yankees.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Pirates, I like some of the moves we have made this year, but am just frustrated with these many years of losing, and our fans accepting it. Anyhow, DJ, I don't blame you if you don't pick my team, but I hope I gave you and all the other baseball fans here a good laugh.

Thanks,

Jay

[laroquece]

Are you kidding me???? Lets go Jays...

[MrDudleyDoWright]

Here is my case for the New York Mets, tough one eh?

DJ, as you mentioned, the Blue Jays suck. And i know how you feel. Losing sucks as we know. But i'm telling you, come and root for the New York Mets. Yeah, this may be a down year in terms of competing (41-45 isn't that bad) We've been riddled with injuries, and suffered many setbacks. When this team becomes healthy with guys like Beltran, Reyes, Delgado, Maine coming back, they make this team so much better. Watching Mike Pelfrey grow is awesome, seeing his splitter dazzle hitters is a wonder. Watching Johan Santana strike out big hitters with his change-up is a great thing to watch. Watching Carlos Beltran chase every fly ball in CF is like watching something graceful, he does it with no problem. Seeing Sheff dish out home runs shows how much of an established hitter he is. Then seeing J.J and K-Rod hold down their end of the bargain by closing out the game. Now, the Mets may not be the Yankees in terms of history wise, but this team is rich in history. With greats like Gil Hodges, Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Jerry Grote, Tommie Agee, Gary Carter, Keith Hernandez, Mookie Wilson, and all of the great players that have donned the Mets uniform in the past, makes you feel good about rooting for the Mets. So, I'm telling ya, there's a seat open for ya in the Mets clubhouse DJ, and it's waiting for you.

[SeveredSoulX]

DJ - you want a team that has history, charisma and energy. Go with the St. Louis Cardinals. Over the past 80 years, the team has been rich with talent such as Ozzie Smith, Stan 'The Man' Musial, Rogers Hornsby, Gibson, Brock, Pujols, to say the least. The team has never had a lack of support and St. Louis has been voted Best Sports Town multiple times. The fans of the town love the team and support them though good times [2006] and the bad times [circa mid 90's]. They play in THE most competitive division [Cubs and Brewers notably]. And they continue to get better with Pujols having the best decade that almost anyone has ever had except Honus Wagner and Jackie Robinson. Hoffpauir, Rasmus, Molina, Loshe - all very young players who are dedicated to the Cardinals. Dedication, History, Energy - this is why the Cardinals are the best team to root for. That's my two cents but any other Cardinals fan will agree with me.

Nick

[XxFightingIrish]

You Should Root for the Giants

Who doesn't want to root for a young exciting team on the rise, while they compete with the big bad 'Yankees' of the west. A team with thrilling young players like Pablo "Kung Fu Panda" Sandoval, Matt Cain, Tim "The Franchise" Lincecum. A long with some energetic youngsters you can also follow some savy veterans that know how to get it done, like Bengie Molina, combined with Sandoval have the most game winning hits out of any other duo. How many teams have a three hundred game winner.

The Giants have the best pitching staff in baseball with the Cy Young award winner in Lincecum, a youngster who ranks fourth in baseball in ERA, a rookie who has finally gotten a chance in the bigs and has only given up two runs in 8 innings, a 300 game winner, and someone who just through a no-no. Not to mention one of the best setup man - closer duos in baseball, with Brian Wilson and Jeremy Affeldt.

The Giants are a young team growing up in front of your eyes, at least if your watching, which is exactly what you should do. Follow the team with the best ERA in baseball while they duke it out with the Rockies and Dodgers, and you can also keep them once the season is over, b/c they are in the NL, in the US. and on the west coast, it is a no-brainer, root-root for the GIANTS!!!!!

PS:

This was really hard for me to write considering I am not even a Giants fan

[XxFightingIrish]

DJ - you want a team that has history, charisma and energy. Go with the St. Louis Cardinals. Over the past 80 years, the team has been rich with talent such as Ozzie Smith, Stan 'The Man' Musial, Rogers Hornsby, Gibson, Brock, Pujols, to say the least. The team has never had a lack of support and St. Louis has been voted Best Sports Town multiple times. The fans of the town love the team and support them though good times [2006] and the bad times [circa mid 90's]. They play in THE most competitive division [Cubs and Brewers notably]. And they continue to get better with Pujols having the best decade that almost anyone has ever had except Honus Wagner and Jackie Robinson. Hoffpauir, Rasmus, Molina, Loshe - all very young players who are dedicated to the Cardinals. Dedication, History, Energy - this is why the Cardinals are the best team to root for. That's my two cents but any other Cardinals fan will agree with me.

Nick

It is all about now, not the past

[CircleChange11]

It is all about now, not the past

Fine, then.

[1] Check the standings.

[2] Check the best player in the game that has not used steroids or had any credible accusations of cheating.

Better yet, attend a game at Busch Stadium and see fans keeping a scorecard (knowledgable and traditional), paying attention to the game, cheering the small things in baseball, appreciating players that give it all, etc.

"All about now" is for bandwagon jumpers. No, thanks we don't want em. Go root for somebody else.

Just sayin'.

[wrigleyville33]

Dude, I really wish I wasn't a cubs fan. It is absolutely the worst fan to be in any sport. My parents ejected cubbie blue blood in me when I was around five years old, freakin wgn and harry caray . I suggest you never become a Cubs fan DJ, just don't. Cardinals fans swarm down here, because a lot of plants are transferred from the St Louis area down here. They are very knowledgeable, I do agree. Half the Cubs fans are fans that don't even care if the Cubs win or lose. Some just think of going to the games as a party. Gah the freakin' cubs. The fans are somewhat knowledgeable to appreciate true hustle out of players. That's why Reed Johnson is a crowd favorite.

[seanzarelli]

Well, I wasn't even going to do this because I'm not for people rooting for other teams besides the ones they've always rooted for, but here it goes (as well as my first post to the site in I don't know how long (btw, sorry Trues for never sending out MVP, got broke in the move)). If you want a new team to root for, you can look no further than the Texas Rangers. Here's a team who has absolutely no money to sign that key free agent, and whose two aces are Kevin Millwood and Vicente Padilla. But once you look past those two factors, take a look at the rest of this team. You have Josh Hamilton who has been one of the best feel good stories of baseball for the past year. You have a player the Rangers took a chance on by the name of Andruw Jones, who has done nothing but help this team tremendously. And then to top off the outfield you have Marlon Byrd, David Murphy, and Nelson Cruz, the Home Run Derby runner up. Moving into the infield you have an exciting group of guys. Chris Davis and Hank Blalock at first, Ian Kinsler turning double plays with Elvis Andrus, who by the way is a good candidate for ROTY. And then at 3rd you have the beastness of Michael Young who can do it all. Also behind the plate you have the platoon of Taylor Teagarden and Jarrod Saltalamacchia. And once you move into the rest of the pitching rotation and bullpen, 7 of their 13 pitchers were born in 1980 or after. Being such a young team, and having an owner the fans don't trust, they are a scrappy team and saw themselves only 1.5 games behind the Angels in the West. They also have a great chance to make it back to the playoffs as well. Sure you might not want to pull for another AL Team because you are a Jays fan, but if you do, make sure to not put the Rangers so far down on your list because they may just very well surprise the heck out of you.

[Hoop27]

You could also do what I do.

I don't really have a team. Helps not living within 500 miles of an MLB team. But I can flip on any game and enjoy it for the sport

It's also quite relaxing since during the hockey season the Flames give me enough of a headache!

[DJEagles]

Keep them coming guys! Enjoying the read so far.

[HardcoreLegend]

I'm sorry. I forgot to provide a list of reasons to be a Cardinals fan:

1- Albert Pujols:

"I remember once talking to one guy on the Cardinals and asking him what Pujols was like as a teammate. He said something that’s really special, if you think about it. He said: "Albert is so good that you feel like you let him down when you screw up." I thought that had to be the ultimate line that could ever be said about a ballplayer. I build my baseball team around that ballplayer."

Albert Pujols loves 3 things: Baseball, God and Special Needs Kids:

SO HERE'S that amazing Albert Pujols baseball hero story. Every year in St. Louis, there is a Buddy Walk to raise money and awareness for the National Down Syndrome Society. Pujols is the chairman of the St. Louis Buddy Walk, and every so often, as he fulfills his duties, a child with Down syndrome will ask him to hit a home run. Actually, kids ask him just about every year.

In 2006 Pujols found himself swamped with home run requests as he strolled with the crowd during the Buddy Walk. One after another, kids shouted at him, "Hey, Albert, hit a home run for me." "You're my hero." "You've got to hit a homer for me, El Hombre." That night, he faced Pittsburgh's Ian Snell, and Pujols did not waste any time. He hit a home run in the first inning. Then, in the third inning, he faced Snell again, and he hit another. In the fifth inning, he faced Snell one more time. And he homered again—Pujols drilled this one about 450 feet.

"I thought it was going to hit the St. Louis Arch out there," Snell said to reporters after the game. "I wanted to go high-five him. That's unreal. That's like Superman playing baseball."

Last year, Buddy Walk was on a Sunday afternoon in September. The Cardinals were out of the race. It was a perfect day for La Russa to give Pujols a rest. That's exactly what La Russa had done on Buddy Walk Day the year before. This time, though, La Russa saw all the families walking around the stadium before the game, and he knew that Pujols had to play. He had a feeling too.

"The guy can do anything," La Russa says.

So what happened? What do you think happened? First inning, Albert Pujols hit another home run for another child on another Buddy Day. Of course he did. He has now hit six home runs for children. That has to be a big league record. There are things we do not know about Pujols, things we cannot know, but the question really is this: How much fun is it if you cannot believe?

He's also quite possibly not human.

"What was remarkable about Mr. Pujols' performance was not his speed but his unique visual search strategy," White said. "Most people search for targets on a page from left to right, much as they would when reading. In observing Mr. Pujols' performance, I initially thought he was searching randomly. As I watched, however, I realized that he was searching as if the page were divided into sectors. After locating a single target within a sector, he moved to another sector. Only after locating a single target within each sector, did he return to previously searched sectors and continue his scan for additional targets."

http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/7535.html

2 - Stan Musial

Former Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Carl Erskine once described his strategy of pitching to Musial: "I've had pretty good success with Stan by throwing him my best pitch and backing up third."

Hall of fame pitcher Warren Spahn knew exactly what Stan was capable of as he pitched to him.

"Once Musial timed your fastball, your infielders were in jeopardy."

He was feared by many, but respected by all. His nickname of "The Man" was created by Dodgers fans, as he consistently loved to hit in historic Ebbets Field.

Brooklyn fans would see him come to bat, and say, "Uh-oh, here comes the man again. The man is back!" St. Louis sportswriter Bob Broeg picked up on this and said to the fans, "You mean THAT man?" and they said, "No, THE Man." Musial was "Stan the Man" from that point on. Typically, respectful Brooklyn fans did not boo him at Ebbets Field.

Dude plays the harmonica.

3 - Mike Shannon. I could have put Bob Gibson here, the most intimidating pitcher of all time but you need to appreciate Mike Shannon.

Mike Shannon is a former player. He's also a drunk. He works for a baseball team that for almost 40 years was owned by a brewery. So, he was always shilling the stuff and always liquored up. Which is what made Mike 'The Moon Man' Shannon who he is today.

Shannon at Spring Training

• "He was trying to hit a three-run homer with the bases empty. To my knowledge, no one in the history of the game has ever done that. But it could happen someday. You never know in this world of baseball."
  
  "The outfield is deep and playing him straight-away, and the infield is the same, except first, second, third, and short are playing him to pull."
  
  "They've got a guy named Diaz [DIE-az], and we've got a Diaz [DEE-az], and they're both spelled the same. I tell you, folks, English is a strange language."
  
  "My the moon is big here in New York tonight. I wish you folks back in St. Louis could see this moon."
  
  "We'll be here early tomorrow morning, come on down to the ballpark for breakfast. Have yourself a frosty one, or a donut, or whatever..."
  
  "This big standing room only crowd is settling into their seats."
  
  "This pitcher here Nomo is really taking the country by storm. He's the biggest thing to hit Japan since they dropped that bomb on Nagashima!"
  
  "The right-hander is throwing up in the bullpen."
  
  "I've heard it said that if you know English, Spanish, Italian, and I think it's French, you can go just about anywhere in this world...except for China where they have all those derelicts."
  
  "Boy a frosty cold Budweiser would be great about now....Ahhh, that hit the spot."
  
  "We've got Renteria at SS, Cairo at 3B, Polanco at 2B and Pujols at 1B. I tell ya, it's like the Spanish Armada on the infield"
  

Joe: "Mike, the Cardinals would like to welcome a group of 19 French foreign exchange students in section 382 today."

Mike: "Where they from Joe?"

Joe: "Uhhh... France... I think."

4- Red Schoendienst

I only put him here because he's 86 years old, a former manager and HOF player and still shows up to the stadium in full uniform.

5 - Ernie Hays and the Clydesdales

Ever since the Cardinals were owned by Auggie Busch, they've incorporated many of the Budweiser icons into the teams proceedings. Two of them really stand out.

One is the Clydesdales. In the astro-turf stadium, it was much easier to do so but for postseason home games the iconic Budweiser chariot is brought from the near-by stables and paraded around the infield. Sometimes the horses have gone wild and nearly run amuck all over the stadium but who cares. The kids love it.

Second is 'The King of Beers or Here Comes the King'. The old jingle of the beer giant became the theme song of the St. Louis Cardinals. Ernie Hayes, the team organist since 1971 still plays it to this day any time the crowd needs riled up for a big at-bat or if the team is piling on runs.

[youtubeid]aygALzju9yw[/youtubeid]

And finally

6- Fredbird

[youtubeid]EMWawmHeQlM[/youtubeid]

I could bore you with a billion facts about the greatness of the Cardinals franchise or how bright their future is with 3 of the top position player prospects in the league in their system, but what you really care about is this folksy stuff so that tomorrow you can ask your friends "Did the Moonman really say sneaking a fastball past Albert was like trying to sneak the sun past a rooster?"

[Jim825]

I think you should join the ranks of us long suffering Yankees fans. It's been 9 long years (oh the horror!) since we've been able to see our boys parade down Broadway celebrating a World Series win. Year in and year out, we cheer our lovable losers, hoping that they will be able to make it out of the first round of the playoffs, only to see our hopes dashed. With their limited budget, they do their best to try to improve themselves each year, but they just can't seem to get to that next level of success.

It's also obvious that the ownership of the team really cares about its players, especially those who might be a little self-conscious of their weight. By keeping those pinstriped uniforms all this time (which we all know make you look slimmer!), portly players from Babe Ruth to David Wells, Sydney Ponson and C.C. Sabathia have been able to slip on those uniforms and not worry about people pointing and laughing at them.

You can't help but smile when you watch some of those happy-go-lucky kids run out of the dugout each day, satisfied to just be able to play the game and not thinking at all about money. Watching guys like Jeter, Rodriguez and Texiera play remind you that baseball is still a kid's game at heart. While they may not win the World Series, they at least have fun playing the game.

The Yankees have a beautiful new stadium and who doesn't love seeing the grounds crew doing the "Y-M-C-A" dance when they come out to groom the infield? Tell me someone better than Ronan Tynan to sing "God Bless America" -- Fuggedaboutit...

With these compelling reasons, there is no reason for you NOT to root for the Yankees.

[MarkB]

I think you should join the ranks of us long suffering Yankees fans. It's been 9 long years (oh the horror!) since we've been able to see our boys parade down Broadway celebrating a World Series win. Year in and year out, we cheer our lovable losers, hoping that they will be able to make it out of the first round of the playoffs, only to see our hopes dashed. With their limited budget, they do their best to try to improve themselves each year, but they just can't seem to get to that next level of success.

It's also obvious that the ownership of the team really cares about its players, especially those who might be a little self-conscious of their weight. By keeping those pinstriped uniforms all this time (which we all know make you look slimmer!), portly players from Babe Ruth to David Wells, Sydney Ponson and C.C. Sabathia have been able to slip on those uniforms and not worry about people pointing and laughing at them.

You can't help but smile when you watch some of those happy-go-lucky kids run out of the dugout each day, satisfied to just be able to play the game and not thinking at all about money. Watching guys like Jeter, Rodriguez and Texiera play remind you that baseball is still a kid's game at heart. While they may not win the World Series, they at least have fun playing the game.

The Yankees have a beautiful new stadium and who doesn't love seeing the grounds crew doing the "Y-M-C-A" dance when they come out to groom the infield? Tell me someone better than Ronan Tynan to sing "God Bless America" -- Fuggedaboutit...

With these compelling reasons, there is no reason for you NOT to root for the Yankees.

:lol:

[cococrispy]

Okay, so I am totally disgusted with the Toronto Blue Jays, and their sorry excuse for their GM, J.P. Riccardi, so I am prepared to cheer for another team, at least until the end of the season.

So, I thought I would use this opportunity to start a contest. In 3 paragraphs or less, convince me to cheer for your team. That's it, it's that simple. The winning entry will get a years membership to the site, and I will proudly display your teams avatar, and a sig with your name in it, and team logo. Contest opens tonight, and ends at the Trade Deadline.

Have fun, be creative, and remember, I am truly a die-hard Jays fan, but in protest, I will NOT cheer for them the rest of the season.

[Although this is not an essay...]

Lol, I know JP Ricciardi, he lives in a town near Worcester down here...

He's a nice guy. He gave every kid on his son's Little League team Blue Jays hats.

What is so bad about him? I think he wants to trade Halladay because he is expensive.

[raidersbball20]

I think you should cheer for the Minnesota Twins. The Twins are currently just above .500 but they always seem to fight really hard at the end of the season. They have so much history and fan appreciation, it is just amazing to watch them play. The Twins are opening a new stadium called Target Field in 2010. It is a new start for a new team, and it could be a new beginning for you too.

The Twins have two all-star players on the team that both want to stay in Minnesota even with both pay rolls because they love the area. Mauer is always very consistent and hits for a high average every year. Joe has two batting titles and is one of the best hitting catchers of all time. He also has his signature sideburns that you can buy at twins pro shops. Just Morneau was the 2006 Al MVP. He is a standout home run hitter and usually hits over .300. It would be great for you to cheer on one of the best players from your home country. Another great player for the Twins is closer Joe Nathan. Joe Nathan has been one of the best and most consistent closers in the league for the past 5 years. The best thing about Twins players is the dedication to the team. These are not overpaid babies who play for the money. These are real ball players that go out and play hard each and every day for the fans. It is a great ball club with a great manager and coaches.

In conclusion, The Minnesota Twins are a team on the rise with some great potential players. Even if they don't have that great of a roster for a year, the AL Central is one of the worst divisions in baseball so they always will have a fighting chance. It is a great,historical, and unselfish ballclub with a new start and a new owner who will hopefully spend some more money. So jump on the bandwagon and join the Minnesota Twins in the final season in the dome, you won't be disappointed with this team.

[Yankee4Life]

Ok, so I haven't forgotten about this thread and all this time I have been trying to think of some pretty good reasons for DJ to join the ranks of the proud and loyal Yankee fans around the world. Because there is always room for more. But then I got to thinking...

DJ, I believe that the team you should root for for the rest of the year and beyond is the Toronto Blue Jays. You don't have to explain to anyone here (Jays fan or not) the frustration you have experienced the last few years following this team in their attempt to get back into the post season. It's understandable. I was prepared to come up with an entirely different essay to try and persuade you to join the ranks of us Yankee fans as we try to root on our team on their quest for that elusive 27th championship. But before I was going to do that it occurred to me that at one time I was once in a similar position you are now in.

I was a Yankee fan in the 1980's during a time when it was not popular to be a Yankee fan. The Yankees were a sub-par team during most of that decade and it extended into the start of the 1990's too. 1990 was the low point as they finished dead last. I was fed up with the team, upset with the moves that they made, mad about the trades that they were a part of and wondering out loud about the kind of free agents that they were bringing in to try and help them win. These were teams that had talent, but lacked the ability to play well as a team. But I stuck with them because they were the Yankees.

And just because it was the Yankees, that is why I remained a Yankee fan. I'm glad I did. And just because they are the Blue Jays, a team that right now is not on top, a team that has a front office that you don't care for because of what they do or don't do, should not make a difference to you in the long run. Because to you they're always going to be your team and if you left them now, you wouldn't like it.

[rolie]

I agree with Y4L. You should try to stick with the Jays. Took the dodger's twenty years to win another playoff series also had to survive Pedro Martinez being traded for Delino Deshields and many other ridiculous moves along the way. I think I understand your disgust with your team. I still haven't stepped foot on at Dodger Stadium since Manny got suspended. I just feel like a complete tool if I step foot in there again. Tried to be an Angel's Fan for a day. I felt like I was cheating on my wife. I saw them sweep the Yankees, man that was great though, sorry Y4L.

On August 22nd I'll be making my official return as a dodger fan. The cubbies will be in town, should be fun booing Milton Bradley, eating more dodger dogs and getting hit in the head with a beach ball.

[DJEagles]

I will always be a Jays fan, first and foremost, but I find myself looking at other teams, and broadening my horizons. It's been since 1993, the year I graduated high school, that the Jays have done anything worthy of talking about.

I love my Jays, LOVE THEM, but I am tired of the bad trades, bad signings, mediocre General Managers, etc. I am starting to grow weary of baseball, mainly because of the lack of chances my team has, of making the playoffs.

There are far to many teams, and not enough playoff spots. If you are going to have 8 spots, and thirty teams, something has to give.

I will always root for my Jays, but I am curious to see how the other side lives...LOL. Plus, this contest is for fun.

Keep them coming, there is still a couple of days left to make your case.

[DJEagles]

Okay, time to announce the winner of the 2009 Essay contest:

raidersbball20

I will now be cheering for the Twins, until the end of the season. raiders, your account will be set up with a free, one year, membership.

Thanks to trues for allowing me to have a little fun!