Yes, the title of the blog is a little lame, but kind of cute right? Anyways to the point…

Nationals Manager Jim Riggleman was denied further discussion to his 2012 option that was not yet picked up. He made his ultimatum to the team that if it was not picked up yesterday by the franchise, that he would quit. Well, the management did not accept his demands and Riggleman walked. He held to his word, you can give him that. 

The Manager was fed up, felt he deserved more than he was getting in Washington and drew the line in the sand. 

“I just feel it’s like saying, ‘You’re not the guy,” Riggleman told reporters after the game.

He was torn between continuing to manage a major league baseball team and his self worth. Did he make the right decision? Let’s look at the facts. The man was 58 years-old, he spent 12 seasons as a manager to the Padres, Cubs, Mariners and Nationals. Washington was avoiding any sort of negotiation regarding his future with the franchise, what was a guy to do?

He made the brash decision of resigning a team who is usually the league’s doormat. The squad was 11-1 since June 10th, why would he bail on such a high note? My only explanation could be that Riggleman knew he needed to lock down another year and he was not getting it. Deep down, maybe Washington did not want him back, but it may be too early to tell. The Nats front office with GM Mike Rizzo had every right to be hesitant. Rizzo probably assumed that it was premature to jump on the option with Riggleman because they are too hot and cold. Their win/loss column is way too inconsistent to jump on a Manager that wasn’t even that strong. 

For now, Rizzo must weigh out his options and seek out another skip. Stay tuned. 

I have given this topic a lot of thought and I KNOW everyone is going to have their opinion on freedom of expression in sports. Yes, it is not just baseball players that I am addressing right now. A lot of athletes feel the need to chirp, run their mouths and make complete spectacles of not just themselves, but their teams. Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Ricky Romero did trigger the subject with his recent comments, but he is hardly the only one to be guilty of the offense.

Athletes feel entitled to speak their minds and disregard anyone that may be effected by it. I realize that I have not played at the level that these NBA, NHL, MLB, NFL and other pro athletes have, but quite frankly that is erroneous. If you have played on a team, you are aware of certain etiquette you should follow. It is an absolute joke to throw a teammate under the bus, call specific players out or disrespect the team in any manner. Maturity is the name of the game. Countless members of professional sport are convinced that they are above their franchise and the game and decide to speak their mind. For instance, former Raptor, Chris Bosh and it wasn’t always just the microphone he used to viscously banter. He used media outlets, such as twitter to reveal selfish comments regarding his situation out to the world. 

The list goes on and on. Ron Artest with the Lakers, the recently retired Shaq, Sean Avery of the Rangers who people actually despise, Patrick Roy who used to be quite lippy and fan favourite Jeremy Roenick who really used to stir the pot. Some major leaguers that really caught some attention were; Mariners outfielder Milton Bradley, the retired Manny Ramirez, Carlos Zambrano of the Cubs and Red Sox hurler Josh Beckett. There are countless NFLer’s throughout the game that have labelled their sport as the worst for sports trash talking. Cincinnati’s Terrell Owens, former Cornerback/ Wide Receiver Deion Sanders and Chad Ochocinco, who is now just Ochocinco. 

Muhammad Ali takes the cake in the world of sports chirping. I have never seen anyone talk themselves up as much as this fighter did. Mind you, he backed it up and there was no team to embarrass, but it was sickening to watch. 

Not only is the blabbermouth abusing their own reputation, but they are shining a terrible light on the franchise in which the player is affiliated with. It damages the entire franchise, including the front office and the fans who wear their swag. 

Don’t get me wrong, in the heat of the moment, words are spilled, that happens. But when there are certain obnoxious clowns that go on and on with their useless drivel that effects the team, trashes the team? Where has the class gone? Just shut up, play the game and respect the fact that you are gifted and lucky enough to experience what professional sports provides for someone and the fans. These knuckleheads need to take more pride in the name on the front of their jerseys instead of the ones on their back. 

Pitching is a craft that takes years to perfect. When looking at the Majors, only the best of the best make it and even then, the hurlers need constant feedback and critiquing to maintain their elite talents and skills.

When you look at pitching coaches in the majors, the obvious decision is to hire someone who has thrown and has history in the game doing so. Pitching coaches are often former pitchers. That’s obvious.

Well it is June now, the monkey’s should be off of the backs and the early season jitters are long gone for most MLBers, but there is a different team who is standing in the spotlight from previous years.

Cleveland has one of the best records in baseball right now and sit atop the AL Central rankings. With 33 wins and 25 losses, the tribe is making some noise on the field. The team is by no means flashy, but they are getting it done. 

This is where I introduce Asdrubal Cabrera. He leads the Indians by a MILE in BA (.308), homers (12), RBI’s (42) and hits (74). Quite the accomplishment on a team that is among the best in the bigs. He is extremely talented and very underrated because he is simply not as popular as others around the league. How is it that average ball fans are not voting for this guy to start for the American League All-Star Squad?

For as long as I can remember, Derek Jeter has held that position, but for this season, this is a thing of the past. An All-Star ballot cannot be voted based on what he is done in his career, it should be awarded to the top candidate THIS SEASON. I’ve played and watched a lot of baseball in my life and I can comfortably say A. Cabrera is the best shortstop in the American League, possibly the most gifted in the game, RIGHT NOW. 

The infielder is not only hot at the plate thus far this season, but he backs up a big game with his defensive skills. He has a lot of range, a great arm and makes a lot of the hard plays in the infield, look very basic/average.

Many people say baseball has been watered down the past few years and I wouldn’t argue. Regardless of that whole debate, the Indians are in fact one of the best squads and they have a shortstop who deserves to start at the All-Star game in July. 

I encourage baseball fans and the general public out there to watch teams that you do not ordinarily follow and choose your All-Star ballots accordingly. Stars from the past two decades have had their time. Give the stars of today some credit for what they have accomplished on the field. Vote Asdrubal Cabrera!