King was introduced to the crowd as “one of America’s greatest sports icons and social justice pioneers.” She didn’t throw from the mound, but still showed nice form:

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I was pleased to see that MLB teams began to create their own “It Gets Better” videos to help combat bullying. The San Francisco Giants were the first to complete theirs, followed by the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox. In addition, the Seattle Mariners and Minnesota Twins have announced plans to make videos as well. (A report that the Washington Nationals have also committed to a video still has not been confirmed by the team.)

Since the Giants released their video on June 1st, I’ve been wondering if and when my team, the Philadelphia Phillies, would join the “It Gets Better” movement. Seeing as how Gay Community Night is such a success year after year, a “Phillies: It Gets Better” video seemed like a logical occurrence. But there was no word. I’ve tweeted about it a few times, with a couple of those directly replying to the Phillies’ official Twitter feeds. (For some reason they use two, @phillies and @philaphillies.) Still, no announcement was forthcoming.In early June, as teams began filming videos, a lifelong Phillies fan, Jerome Hunt, created a petition on Change.org asking the Phils to make a video of their own. He contacted local news outlets to publicize it and got no response…until Jackson, the Eagles’ wide receiver, opened his mouth on the radio.

Then Change.org used the Jackson story in a mass email to spread the word about Hunt’s petition, and Philadelphia Weekly featured Hunt on their blog. And, I assume, the PW writer contacted the Phillies for a response, and my guess is that’s what finally led to the announcement that the Phils will also make a video. The video is expected to be released around the time schools re-open.

So, while we wait for the NFL lockout to finally, officially end so that the league and the Eagles will be allowed to discipline DeSean Jackson if they so choose, I think we should give him some thanks for inadvertently helping spur the Phillies into their “It Gets Better” action.

You can find Joe In Philly at his blog.

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Buster Posey

The Major League Baseball All-Stars have been announced so that means if you wear Yankee pinstripes then you are going to the game whether you deserve it or not. More importantly, the All-Star game marks the halfway point of the season so what better time to evaluate the league and highlight some of the good and bad of the past three months.

Two of the biggest surprises of the season are that the Cleveland Indians are still virtually in first place and the Pittsburgh Pirates don’t suck. The Indians have the Detroit Tigers breathing down their neck but Cleveland will take it considering they were in last place and almost 12 games out of first at this same time last year.

After 18 straight years of losing seasons, the Pirates find themselves four games over .500 and only one game out of first place. Pittsburgh’s pitching staff is the main reason they are still in it but I am afraid it will not be enough for them to surpass and hold a lead over the hot and cold St.Louis Cardinals, the powerful Milwaukee Brewers, or the reigning yet struggling NL Central champion Cincinnati Reds.

What isn’t much of a surprise is that the Philadelphia Phillies and their vaulted pitching staff are in first place and have the best record in baseball or that the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox are hogging all of the media attention. Everyone knew about the financial woes of the New York Mets, but now the Los Angeles Dodgers seem to be in even worse shape than the Mets by filing for bankruptcy and having baseball operations taken over by Major League Baseball.

Some noticeable absences from the game are Adam Wainwright from the Cardinals. Wainwright never made it out of spring training having Tommy-John elbow surgery. A player that barely made it out of spring training was Manny Ramirez of the Tampa Bay Rays. He opted to retire on April 8th instead of facing the consequences of another failed drug test.

The Los Angeles Angels Kendrys Morales will not be back on the field until next year because of a second surgery on the ankle he broke during a home plate celebration in May of 2010. Speaking of ankles, Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants is out for the rest of the season after a collision at home plate caused him to have ankle surgery and a great debate on catchers blocking the plate has ensued.

Finally, there are two players who come to mind that might as well never started the season. Dan Uggla of the Atlanta Braves and Adam Dunn of the Chicago White Sox are both struggling mightily with the bat. Both players are known for their slugging and ability to change a game with one swing, but fans in Atlanta and Chicago have yet to marvel at the skills that Uggla and Dunn are paid so highly for … yet you can sense it coming. They are both too good to be playing so poorly.

All of the division races are tight at the moment which means good baseball drama.  The trade deadline is at the end of July, so we should start seeing some moves between teams soon and perhaps some of these teams in tight division races will start to distance themselves from the competition.

It may be too early to talk about the wild card but I am willing to bet it will be another nail-biter going down to the last couple of days of the season. The halfway mark is an important time for teams to bear down and sweat out the summer heat, but unfortunately this is also a time when the casual baseball fan starts to lose interest in the game. It is important to let all of your friends and loved ones know that these summer months are just as important as the first three months and that a true fan must remain diligent in support of their team. The playoffs will be here before you know it!

Low and Inside.

Kevin Hart writes the myboyfriendlikesbaseball blog.

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Meanwhile, our good friend Brian Sims, the board president of Equality Pennsylvania, let us know today that their group is pushing the Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates to create similar videos. You can see the EQPA press release after the jump.

No one can say sports hasn’t changed. There is a movement afoot now that can’t be stopped. My guess is that within the next six months a majority of MLB teams will have created these videos or agreed to do so. Times aren’t just a-changing, they’ve already changed. We’re just now catching up.

The press release from EQPA:

Equality Pennsylvania today challenged the Philadelphia Phillies and the Pittsburgh Pirates to join three other professional baseball teams and make “It Gets Better” videos. The “It Gets Better Project” focuses on creating an on-line community of supporters and encouraging videos to help relentlessly bullied and harassed LGBT teens understand that their lives will get better.

“This is an exciting step that we’re asking these teams to make,” said Equality Pennsylvania Board President, Brian Sims. “The Phillies have played host to one of the nation’s most successful Gay Days Games for almost a decade and other clubs have seen positive responses to similar efforts in support for their LGBT fans and players. I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with gay and allied athletes all over the country for the last several years and bringing that experience to a project with Equality Pennsylvania is terrific. I think both ball clubs are going to respond well to their fans asking for support and we look forward to building community involvement.”

The San Francisco Giants, the Chicago Cubs, and the Boston Red Sox have already stepped up to the plate and sent strong messages of support by agreeing to make “It Gets Better” videos. If the Phillies and Pirates accept the challenge posed to them they will be among other high-profile allies including President Obama, Lady Gaga, and even corporations like Yahoo! and Google who have made videos.

LGBT teens are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers; about 1/3 of these teens have attempted suicide. However, since the beginning of this on-line project, suicide help-lines have experienced a 50% increase in calls from teens searching for an alternative to suicide. It gets even better; tens of thousands of people have left inspiring messages and words of advice for LGBT youth and more than 350,000 people have joined the movement and pledged to speak out against hate and intolerance in support of LGBT teens.

Equality Pennsylvania supports comprehensive anti-bullying legislation and our mission is to be the preeminent LGBT advocacy organization for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and work collaboratively to establish a comprehensive network of individuals and organizations united in securing equal rights for the LGBT community (www.equalitypa.org).

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Opening Day 2011 has arrived!

In an attempt not to have baseball played in November again, the 2011 season began a few days earlier than in seasons past. So I had no choice but to blow off work, buy some hot dogs & beer, and settle onto my couch and begin the journey of a 162-game Major League Baseball season.

The Braves, Yankees, Reds, Angels, Padres, and Dodgers all won on Opening Day while the Nationals, Tigers, Brewers, Royals, Cardinals, and Giants lost. It is hard to put value on these first games because the season is so long but some of these teams might look back to the results of  Opening Day if their playoff chances are decided by one game or less.

Many dramas will be unfolding over the course of the next seven months and I would like to highlight some that I find most interesting…

Battle for the NL East: Almost everyone in the world is picking the Phillies to take their division and easily make it to the World Series, with good reason because of the phenomenal four in their starting rotation of Halliday, Lee, Hamels, and Oswalt…WOW! However, the 2010 Wild Card winning Braves have a pretty impressive four of their own in Lowe, Hudson, Hanson, and Jurrjens. The Braves might just have the edge because of their superior bullpen.

Three team race for the AL East: Boston looks to be the favorite here because of their acquisitions of Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, and Bobby Jenks. The Yankees are never out of the conversation because of the big talent, big money players always on their roster. The Yanks starting rotation is questionable other than Sabathia but the impressive back end of their bullpen of Joba and Mariano just got better with the addition of  Rafael Soriano. The Rays lost some valuable players but they also gained some potentially potent offensive players in Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon but is it enough to repeat as winners of this tough division.

How the NL West will be won: Can the World Series Champion San Fransisco Giants repeat their success of 2010? Their pitching is still great but the Giants did not make any significant off season moves while the Padres made great improvements even after losing Adrian Gonzalez by adding Bartlett, Hudson, Hawpe, and Maybin. The Dodgers have much to prove after a very disappointing 2010 but the maturation of their pitching staff and improved health of their offense could actually make them contenders for the NL West.

There are many more teams and many more stories that will factor into this season but I think the 2011 World Series participants will most likely come from the above mentioned divisions. However, anything can happen from day 1 to day 162 and the three divisions not mentioned might be more involved in the post season picture than I have envisioned. Naaah, probably not.

Low and inside.

Kevin Hart writes the myboyfriendlikesbaseball blog.

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Just a week or so ago, most people were probably imagining a rematch of last year’s Fall Classic participants,  the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies.  Alas, both teams failed to win there respective leagues and instead the uncanny San Francisco Giants and the resilient Texas Rangers are facing off in the 2010 World Series.

Fans of the Giants and Rangers never doubted that their teams would be playing for baseball’s ultimate crown just as I’m sure fans of the Phillies and Yankees never imagined that their teams would not. I will not mention the team I would prefer to be watching chop their way to another championship title but instead will thoroughly enjoy watching two very deserving teams compete for their first World Series title  (New York Giants not included).

Unfortunately, because of the extreme length of the baseball season and the distractions of both college and professional football, the start of the NBA and the NHL,  sports fans have grown tired of baseball. Add to that the fact that the two popularity contest winning teams are not present, a lot of people aren’t going to watch the World Series and will miss some great baseball drama unfold.

FOX, which is broadcasting the series, probably would have preferred a Phils/Yanks rematch but I for one think it is better for the sport that those two teams are watching instead of playing. The 2010 World Series proves you do not have the biggest payroll or a team full of smug superstars in order to be competitive in Major League Baseball. Those things help but it is harder to earn a championship than it is to buy one.

Low and inside,

Kevin Hart

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With less than two weeks to play, there are only four teams left in the American League with post season aspirations, five if you count the Boston Red Sox but they need a long win streak and help from a several other teams in order to make it. Barring a colossal collapse, the Twins and the Rangers are in. The AL East is a bit wilder with the Yankees and Rays fighting for the division and the loser settling for the Wild Card(unless the fore mentioned miracle with Boston happens).

It makes me nervous just looking at the standings in the National League right now. There is still no sure bet but the closest thing to a lock is in the NL Central with the Reds. The Cardinals are still within striking distance but need to play flawless baseball this week to stay alive. The NL East is still up for grabs as my Braves are fightin’ the Phils down to the wire but they have their work cut out for them if they want to give Bobby Cox one more division title before he retires.

Last but not least is the wildest of all…the NL West. Either the Padres, Giants, or Rockies could be in first come Wednesday and all three teams could be flip flopping for first place until the last day of the season. Also, there is no guarantee the odd team out will win the wild card if the Braves continue to win. Speaking of which, the Braves lost Monday night and the only real spark of life they showed was the body block Atlanta left fielder Matt Diaz threw at a fan wearing a full red body suit that ran onto the field during the 7th inning.

Then there are the spoilers! The teams that have nothing to lose because their season is technically over and their only remaining contribution is to ruin the party for the teams ahead of them trying to make the playoffs.  These are teams that lurk in the shadows and start playing amazing baseball once their opponent has something to lose. Here are some spoilers to keep an eye on in the week to come…

The Chicago Cubs can really put a cramp in the plans of the San Francisco Giants over the next few days and then the Cubbies can dash any reaming playoff hopes of the St.Louis Cardinals heading into the weekend.

The hapless Nats will try continue their dominance over the far superior Braves after Atlanta has finished their duel with Philadelphia, while the Mets step in against Philly and try to knock the defending NL champs down a notch or two.

The Padres should have their hands full with the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks will do their best to stop the surging Rockies.

The Baltimore Orioles are a thorn in the side of the Boston Red Sox right now and will try their best to keep the Sox out of the race. On a lesser note, the Orioles will also have the chance to thwart the Toronto Blue Jays from achieving a .500 or better season during their weekend set.

After the Oakland Athletics are done with the White Sox, they are going to make things as difficult as possible for the AL West leading Rangers, but the Rangers will have to contend with the always tough Angels first.

Remember the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry? Well, it will be alive and well come Friday when the Sox will more than likely try to beat the Yanks as a spoiler instead of a division playoff rival.

Pay attention because it is wild out there and things are starting to happen fast. We will be into the 7th month of baseball before you know it!

Low and inside,

Kevin Hart

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I have been very frustrated with the way the Atlanta Braves have been playing the past couple of weeks. I never thought the Braves were going to run away with the National League East nor did I expect the Phillies were going to fade away. In fact I expect the race for this division to come down to the last few days of the regular season.  After a disastrous road trip and a mediocre home coming thus far for the Braves, the pessimist in me is starting to rear its ugly head.

I watched to the bitter end Tuesday night as the pesky Washington Nationals handed the Braves another loss, while Philadelphia beat the Florida Marlins again to take a two game lead in the NL East. Anytime my team looses, I am upset and in a dark mood. I do not want to be consoled but I need distraction from this roller coaster of emotions I am on with other Braves fans so I turn to mindless late night television. The characters and shows I have been taking refuge in all summer like the vampires of “True Blood,” the boys of “Entourage,” and the uh … well lets say storyline of “Hung,” unfortunately,  just had their season finales. So what now?

“Glee !” I found “Glee!”  I had never really watched the show before but had heard the hype and I had caught bits and pieces of it. I never imagined a show about a high school glee club would hold my interest let alone cure me of the baseball blahs but just as the third out was called in the bottom of the ninth inning, I started watching the first episode of “Glee.” The darkness lifted, joy filled my heart, a tear came to my eye and before the pilot episode was over, all of the bitter frustration I had felt towards the Braves was completely washed away.

As the American and National League races are coming down to the wire, I will be watching every pitch, every strikeout, every stolen base, and every home run.  I now know I don’t have to worry if things aren’t going my team’s way because it is only a game and I will not have to go far for solace…I still have a whole bunch of back episodes to catch up on before the new season of “Glee” begins!

Low and inside,
Kevin Hart

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The National and American League have the chance to rejuvenate their teams with young talent and veteran rehabbers from their minor league system as of September 1^st. The September call-ups allow some teams to add to their already potent lineup while other teams are trying to piece together a team to fight their way into the playoffs or just end the season in a respectable manner. All teams, whether they are in playoff contention or not, get this opportunity to preview their future.

2010 is being considered  the Year of the Pitcher and has already seen three no hitters and two perfect games (three perfect games, if it weren’t for a blown call by an umpire…see earlier post). The breakout of players like Ubaldo Jiminez of the Rockies, CJ Wilson of the Rangers, and Mat Latos of the Padres has gotten people’s attention. The revival of players like Tim Hudson of the Braves, Bronson Arroyo of the Reds, and Carl Pavano of the Twins have been an inspiration. Then there are the mainstays like Roy Halladay of the Phillies, Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals, and CC Sabathia of the Yankees who always seem to be in the Cy Young race.

The Year of the Pitcher hasn’t been without a down side.  Last year’s Cy Young winners Tim Linecum of the Giants and Zack Greinke (above) of the Royals are not performing very well and neither are in contention for repeating as winner of the prestigious pitching award they won in 2009. After leaving the San Diego Padres Jake Peavy finally had a shot at the playoffs as the ace of the Chicago White Sox this year, but injuries and season ending surgery have kept him on the bench, and the Sox are on the playoff bubble. Ironically the Padres are playing their best baseball in years and appear to be headed to the post-season. The emergence of Stephen Strasburg generated plenty of excitement around the sport and sparked interest in a struggling Washington Nationals team but just as quickly as he burst onto the scene, he was gone. Season ending surgery on Strasburg’s elbow will keep him on the sidelines at least until the middle of the 2012 season…ouch!

I think 2010 could also be considered the Year of the Rookie. This crop of new comers is one of the best in years. The National League East alone has three solid candidates in Jason Heyward of the Braves, Gaby Sanchez of the Marlins, Ike Davis of the Mets. Tyler Colvin and Starlin Castro with the Cubs and Jamie Garcia with the Cardinals are also candidates that will be competing for the NL Rookie title this year. The American League rookie race isn’t as log jammed as the NL but there are still some very talented youngsters that could win the title. The Detroit Tigers have two great chances with Brennan Boesch and Austin Jackson, while Neftali Feliz of the Rangers and Wade Davis of the Rays will also have a good chance to be the AL Rookie of the Year.

The summer is almost over but things are heating up in the Major Leagues.

Stay tuned.

Low and inside,

Kevin Hart

Editor’s note: Kevin Hart writes the blog My Boyfriend Likes Baseball.

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Oh, and let’s not forget: Phillies-Yankees: Good vs. Evil. (Surely you weren’t expecting total objectivity from me, were you?)

The Yankees won 103 games en route to the American League East title, then dismissed the Minnesota Twins in a three-game sweep and brushed aside the Los Angeles/California/Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in six games in the AL playoffs. The Phillies won the National League East with a 93-win regular season, and rolled past the Colorado Rockies and the LA Dodgers, losing only one game in each series.

Last year the Phillies won the World Series for just the second time ever, and are making back-to-back Series appearances for the first time in franchise history. The Yankees have won 26 times but none since 2000, and haven’t even been in the Series since 2003. The two teams met once before in the World Series, in 1950. The Yankees swept the Series, winning by scores of 1-0, 2-1 (in 10 innings), 3-2 and 5-2.

It’s safe to say the scores in 2009 will be higher. Maybe a lot higher. Both teams can score a lot of runs, and home runs tend to fly out of both the new Yankee Stadium and Citizens Bank Park (although October and — ugh — November weather may alter that somewhat).

The Phillies hope that Cole Hamels is the 2008 postseason pitcher and not the 2009 mediocrity. The Yankees hope that CC Sabathia doesn’t return to his 2008 postseason form (in which an epic walk by Brett Myers led to a Shane Victorino grand slam and an early exit for CC in his only NLDS start), especially since the Yanks are probably going to have him pitch Games 1, 4 and (if necessary) 7.

The Phils hope that Brad Lidge doesn’t return to the mess he was for much of the regular season, because if he does the rest of their bullpen will be negatively affected. The Yanks hope that someone — starter or relievers — will provide Mariano Rivera with a late-inning lead.

As I see it, the Phils have an advantage among the eight position players. The Yankees have a slight edge in starting pitching. The Phils have a better bullpen outside of the closer. The Yanks have the better closer. This should lead to a six- or seven-game series for the first time since 2003.

Who do I think will win? You can probably guess, but if you want the official prediction you can find it on my own blog.

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