Josh Q. Public:Big time. I’m on my way, I’m making it. Big time. I’ve got to make it show, yeah. Big time. So much larger than life. -Peter Gabriel
Public Service Announcements: Ok, here we go! Eighty-one games in the books. Time to do this. Like we always knew this. I do the Smurf, the Popeye, and the Jerry Lewis. I also hand out awards. Midseason awards. If you pleasin’ awards. Grade A guaranteesin’ awards:
Willie Mays Award (Best Player on the Planet): Fresh off Player of the Month, this award goes to Hanley Ramirez. Beast of the East. A lean mean baseball machine. This kid really can play the came. On offense, he hits for power. He hits for results. He’s the best leadoff hitter I’ve seen since Rickey. On defense, he has exceptional range. He has an equally exceptional arm. He is going to be the best player in baseball for a long, long time.
Teddy Ballgame Award (Best Hitter): Lance Berkman. Berkman has put together one of the strongest first halves we’ve seen in a while. A Ken Patera first half. Just a monster. A leviathan. A barbarian. A behemoth. I’m no sabermatric guy. No Bill James, I. But Berkman’s numbers are just astounding. .364/.444/.690 in 313 at-bats. He has also posted the majors’ highest OPS (1.135), OPS+ (198) and slugging percentage. He is second in the NL in batting average and RBIs and third in homers. If it weren’t for Chipper, Berkman would have a legitimate shot at the circuit’s Triple Crown.
Sandy Koufax Award (Best Pitcher): I said it yesterday. I’ll say it again today. Have another drink on me Doc Holliday. Have another drink on me. Roy Halladay. In an age of pitch counts, Roy Halladay is a throw back. A go back. An Adrianne Barbeau back. Roy Halladay is by far and away the most unappreciated player in the game. When all is said and done, Halladay will go down as the greatest Blue Jays pitcher ever. When all is said and done, Halladay will go down as a first ballot Hall of Famer. When all is said and done, he will go down as the best pitcher of his generation.
Freddy Lynn Award (Best Offensive Rookie): Rookie rookie, who gets the cookie. Evan Longoria. That’s who. Longoria is poised to become the just third rookie in the last fifty years to have fifteen bombs, twenty doubles and fifty RBIs by the All-Star break. Holy cow! A once stud prospect for the Rays is now a stud Ray. He is now the best player on baseball’s best story of 2008. Twice he’s won games with walk-off hits. Earlier this month, he drove a 442-foot blast at Rangers Park in Texas to become just the second player in the stadium’s history to reach the second-level outfield deck. Light tower power. He’s only going to get better. Yikes.
Mark Fidrych Award (Best Rookie Pitcher): The other guy in the Josh Hamilton trade. Edinson Volquez. Voltron. Voltron may not only win the NL Rookie of he Year, he just may win the Cy. The only other guy to do that was something in the air that night. The stars were bright, Fernando. Fernando Valenzuela. Great. Now I gotta change the name of the award.
Brooks Robinson Award (Best Defensive Player): Heard in a glooove song. Heard it in a glooove song. Can’t be wrong. Can’t be wrong picking the O-Dog. Can’t be wrong picking Orlando Hudson. Orlando Hudson remains the best defensive player in baseball. The best I’ve ever seen. Maybe the best there’s ever been. Just a glove machine. And he won’t work for nobody but you. Year after year. Game after game. Web gem after gem. Simply the best.
Hank Greenberg Award (Best Jewish Ballplayer): Hey, Sandy Koufax was already taken. You got the Hebrew Hammer, Ryan Braun. You got the Greek God of Walks, Kevin Youkilis. But for my money, Ian Kinsler is the best Jewish ballplayer going. When you think of second basemen, you don’t normally think about Kinsler. He may not even be in your fav five. He should be.
Wade Boggs Award (Cheatenist Summama####): Madonna’s new beau. There was Jose Canseco. There was Dennis Rodman. There was Mark Messier. You can now A-Broad to that list. You can now A-Broad to that notch on the bedpost. She may not be as muscular as Alex likes, but he likes Madonna just the same. His wife doesn’t. His wife likes Lenny Kravitz. Oh, the tangled web weave.
Impossible Dream Award (Best Story Team): Tampa Bay Rays
Jim Abbot Award (Best Story Player): Jon Lester
Cecil Fielder Award (Fattest Player): CC Sabathia
Andres Galarraga Award: (Comeback Player): Bartolo Colon
Sparky Anderson Award: (Top Manager): Fredi Gonzalez
Lou Brock Award (Stolen Bases): Willy Tavaras
Ron Blomberg Award (Designated Hitter): Milton Bradley
JoshQ
Your boys just got Punk'd and there'll ne be more on the way when they next meet. As to the Galarraga Award if it's being given to Colon. Shouldn't be for the size of his gi*rth ?
As for A-Rod with him slobberin' on Madonna. At least his soon to be ex didn't waste much time by hooking up with the Lenny Kravitz. Now she can get to strum his strings and get to see how a pipe is really layed.
justan' aka tophatal .........
Last edited by justanotherfan on July 3rd at 11:09 AM.
JoshQ
It is very , very early but who'd have guessed that everyone within the AL would be looking up at the Rays. Instead of the Yankees or Red Sox being at the top of the standings. And if the team's confidence should continue in the vein that it's in. It's by no means a certainty that the Sox or Yankees can catch 'em. And even as astute as you are , you've got to be fully cognescant of that very fact.
I do know this however it's got the fans within the Bay are of Tampa all happy. But for me as an avowed Marlins' fan I'm just happy at this moment in time that the state has something to crow about when it comes to the game of baseball.
See my post on the state of the game within the state and let me know what you think as to the merits of the piece ? I'll look forward to reading your comments. It's titled Sense And Sensibility....If We Build It They Will Come Not So Fast ! Chimin' out.
Josh ive been a Tribe fan forever I dont even want to think about how many of my Favorite players ive seen them let slip away aka (Manny) (Bartolo) and theres more alot more Its tuff but its just what they do.
What? no love for Chase Utley? And while were not on the subject of pitching, i would give Best Pitcher and Rookie pitcher to Volquez. Are you back to stay this time? Not that youve been missed, just askin
The upper, right coast media is going nuts about the Yanks or Sawks NOT being in first place and how it's bad for baseball. I'm laughing outside and in. We're only half way and the Yankee ship is deemed to be sinking. Crazy media pukes on the four letter network!
josh q. public. For the public, by The Public. Irreverent sports opinion from a Bostonian in New York. The one blog to read, when you’re reading more than one. Good to the last drop!
Teddy Ballgame Award (Best Hitter): Lance Berkman. Berkman has put together one of the strongest first halves we’ve seen in a while. A Ken Patera first half. Just a monster. A leviathan. A barbarian. A behemoth. I’m no sabermatric guy. No Bill James, I. But Berkman’s numbers are just astounding. .364/.444/.690 in 313 at-bats. He has also posted the majors’ highest OPS (1.135), OPS+ (198) and slugging percentage. He is second in the NL in batting average and RBIs and third in homers. If it weren’t for Chipper, Berkman would have a legitimate shot at the circuit’s Triple Crown. 
Freddy Lynn Award (Best Offensive Rookie): Rookie rookie, who gets the cookie. Evan Longoria. That’s who. Longoria is poised to become the just third rookie in the last fifty years to have fifteen bombs, twenty doubles and fifty RBIs by the All-Star break. Holy cow! A once stud prospect for the Rays is now a stud Ray. He is now the best player on baseball’s best story of 2008. Twice he’s won games with walk-off hits. Earlier this month, he drove a 442-foot blast at Rangers Park in Texas to become just the second player in the stadium’s history to reach the second-level outfield deck. Light tower power. He’s only going to get better. Yikes.
Brooks Robinson Award (Best Defensive Player): Heard in a glooove song. Heard it in a glooove song. Can’t be wrong. Can’t be wrong picking the O-Dog. Can’t be wrong picking Orlando Hudson. Orlando Hudson remains the best defensive player in baseball. The best I’ve ever seen. Maybe the best there’s ever been. Just a glove machine. And he won’t work for nobody but you. Year after year. Game after game. Web gem after gem. Simply the best.
Wade Boggs Award (Cheatenist Summama
