Just some quotes! :)

Love ALL of these quotes so very much. I really strive to live my life  with very little regrets, a lot of simplicity, and most of all, as classy as possible.

 

I plead the 5th!

With a twenty-two year age difference, Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick are battling for the fifth spot in the Philadelphia Phillies pitching rotation. It’s funny to think that Moyer’s MLB debut (June 16^th, 1986) was a little over two months shy of Kendrick’s 2^nd birthday (August 26^th, 1986). One pitcher was playing against world class baseball players, the other learning to speak and walk. While the age difference may be a factor in determining who makes the cut, there are various other factors that will be looked at.

There are a few reasons why I think Moyer and Kendrick’s age will be a determining factor in who gets the fifth spot. My main reasoning is the fact that Moyer’s arm is twenty-two years older than Kendrick’s. That arm has seen a lot of work. You figure with a five man rotation and giving him 75 pitches per game, that’s 55,890 pitches during his career. Kendrick doesn’t even come close. His arm is very young and he’s still learning a lot. I believe he can gain so much more power with his pitching.

My second reason, which is definitely the most obvious, is the fact that basically everyone knows who Moyer is. I know, when a guy has a 23 year career, that’s going to happen. However, I have yet to see Moyer come up with anything new.  And that was okay when he first got back to the National league because not many players in the NL had seen Moyer pitch (He played for 3 American league clubs between 1993-2006). Three years ago it was okay that Moyer was throwing 80mph because none of the young guys could hit it. Now they can.

That’s the great thing about Kendrick: he’s young and not a lot of players have faced him. Last year (2009), he was 3-1 with a 3.42 ERA. He started out in the minors and made his first appearance for the Phillies on June 12^th against the Boston Red Sox. He made a relief appearance and lasted only 2 innings, giving up 3 runs and taking the loss. He earned his first win of the season on September 13^th against the New York Mets in which he lasted 7.1 innings giving up only two earned runs and helping the Phillies beat the Mets 5-4.

Moyer didn’t have such a stellar 2009 season.  He finished the year 12-10 with a 4.94 era. His worst statistical month was May. He started 6 games, went 1-4 and had one no-decision.  On August 9^th, 2009, in his last start before his move to the bullpen, Moyer lasted only 5 innings against the Florida Marlins allowing 11 hits and 2 earned runs. The Phillies ending up losing 12-3.

With the new addition of Pedro Martinez, the Phillies organization made the decision to send Moyer to the bullpen to allow Martinez to be the Phillies 5^th starter. Of course Moyer wasn’t terribly thrilled about this decision, but he dealt with it like a true team player. He is definitely a man with true class.

Ironically enough, two of Moyer’s best games were games that Martinez started. August 18^th, 2009 versus the Arizona Diamondbacks, Martinez only pitched 2 innings before Moyer entered the game. He pitched 4.1 innings, allowed 1 earned run and recorded 5 strike outs. The Phillies won 5-1 and Moyer got the win. Then again on August 28^th, 2009, Moyer came into the game after the 3^rd inning. He pitched 6 innings, got 5 strike outs and no earned runs. The Phillies won 4-2.

So who would be better as the Phillies fifth starter? In my opinion, Kyle Kendrick. Going back to my original points, he’s young and he’s had a lot of time to improve since last season. Not many batters have faced Kendrick, which gives him leverage over Moyer. I think the Phillies should keep Moyer in the pen as a relief pitcher. He could really play a major role for the Phillies due to the fact that he can last 2-3 innings a game easily in relief, and supply the bullpen with much needed rest.

Just to make things clear, I am basing all of my opinions off of the 2009 season. Spring training has just begun and I’m sure both players are training equally hard. It will be interesting to see who the Phillies choose as their fifth starter. And whatever their choice, I know all Phillies fans will be cheering for both players whenever they are on the mound.

 

Catcher’s Balk

So, it finally happened: I knew something about the great sport of baseball that my boyfriend didn’t. It’s shocking and amusing because he knows EVERYTHING about baseball (except this). The fact that I knew something that he didn’t made me a VERY happy girl!

I first learned of a “catcher’s balk” from the VERY amazing book called The Baseball Uncyclopedia by Michael Kun and Howard Bloom. I highly recommend reading this book regardless of your baseball knowledge. There’s a lot of great information, and the humor Kun and Bloom add to the book really make it a hit (and their silly banter).

According to Howard Bloom, Tim McClelland (MLB umpire) wrote this in response to a question about a catcher’s balk:

It is a balk if the catcher doesn’t stay in the catcher’s box until the pitcher delivers the ball. If he were to step out of the catcher’s box-the little box behind home plate-before the pitcher delivers the ball it would be called a catcher’s balk. The runners would advance.

Catcher’s balks don’t happen very often, or maybe it’s just that they aren’t recorded very often because nobody ever catches them?

Bloom also goes on and gives four examples on how/when a catcher’s balk will occur:

(1) when the catcher calls for a pitchout and overanxiously leaves the catcher’s box before the bitcher releases the ball;

(2) when the base runner attemps a steal and the catcher leaves the catcher’s box too early;

(3) when an intentional walk is called for, and the catcher moves outside of the catcher’s box too quickly for one of the pitches; or

(4) when the catcher sets up the outside the confines of the catcher’s box as the pitch is delivered.

And thanks to The Baseball Uncylopedia, you now all know what a catcher’s balk is, and I got to stump my boyfriend last night!

 

Cape May.

Before I really get into this blog, I want you all to know that Cape May is the ONLY place that makes me feel like home. I lived my whole life in Philadelphia and while I have many memories there, Cape May is still the only place that’s good to me. Aside from my boyfriend, Cape May is the one thing that instantly makes me happy when I think about being there. I even have Google Maps set to Cape May so it’s the first thing I see when look at the maps.

To me, Cape May is a magical place. I have many amazing memories with my families and friends there. I’ve spent countless hours walking the beaches, swimming in the ocean, walking by beautiful Victorian homes. Cape May isn’t like other shore towns. They don’t have rides like Wildwood does. Their boardwalk is called the Promenade and isn’t really a boardwalk at all. Unlike many other shore towns, Cape May has class.

My title isn’t subtle. You know what this will be about. Maybe you don’t know what Cape May is? It’s one of the most beautiful shore towns in New Jersey. It’s the southern most point in New Jersey. Cape May actually just celebrated it’s 400th year in 2009! Kind of hard to imagine. Something a lot of people don’t realize is that “Cape May” is really 4 municipalities. Not that any of you really care, I just thought it was something you should know. Those municipalities are:  Cape May (which is where most attractions are), West Cape May (my FAVORITE section to stay in), Cape May Point (where the light house is!) and Lower Township. In Lower Township, there is another popular town called North Cape May, which is a very nice part of Cape May County that sits on the Delaware Bay.

I’m not sure why West Cape May is my favorite section. I guess to me, it has the most charm. Can’t explain it. My favorite restaurant is in West Cape May. It’s called “Bella Vida” and is pictured below. They have a lot of great food there, and they cater to vegetarians. I’m not a vegetarian, but their food still rocks! My favorite thing to get is their quesadilla’s. They give you huge portions for decent prices.

It’s not a great picture, but you get the idea.

As I said earlier, Cape May Point is where the famous light house is! The lighthouse is part of Cape May Point State Park. Beautiful area for dolphin watching, bird watching, and tons of history. There’s a bunker from WW2 that sits right on the beach. A lot of people probably think it’s an eyesore. Not me. I think it adds to what makes CMP what it is – historic. Beautiful and historic.

Okay so now I’ll write about Lower Township. Now, the only good thing about Lower Township is North Cape May. And in my opinion, there are only three things good about North Cape May. One good thing about NCM is the fact that it’s a hella cute neighborhood. While it is off the island, it’s just a short drive to the beaches. The vacation rentals are a little less expensive too. The second good thing about NCM is the ferry! The Cape May- Lewes ferry runs from North Cape May to Lewes Delaware, every day, year round. It takes about an hour & a half each way, and it’s so much fun! I’ve seen dolphins, sting rays, fighter jets (Dover AFB is not far), massive amounts of jelly fish, it’s just awesome. I totally recommend driving down to watch a ferry come into dock. Pretty cool. Now the greatest thing about North Cape May are the sunsets. The sun sets over the bay, and up and down NCM is the bay- making pretty much 99% of the bay’s beaches perfect for sunset viewing. I have seen some of the most amazing sunsets there, and plan on seeing many more before I die.

So that leaves me with the City of Cape May. This is where most of the attractions are, including 98% of restaurants and hotels (or whatever kind of lodging you’re looking for). In Cape May, you will find so many gorgeous Victorian homes. Many of them have been there since the 1800′s. This is also where the Promenade is located (their version of a boardwalk). It has some cute stores, a few restaurants, one or two arcades, and the ever popular convention center. Cape May is really not the place to go if you’re on senior week and trying to get trashed. Like I said earlier, Cape May has class.

I know I said my favorite restaurant is in West Cape May, but the City has a lot of great places to eat as well. Oyster Bay, The Mad Batter, & George’s Place to name a few. My favorite is the Lobster House which is located basically on the Cape May Harbor.

My favorite section of Cape May is called Poverty Beach. I love it because of it’s irony. When you go to Poverty Beach, there’s NOTHING impoverished about it. There are beautiful huge houses in Poverty Beach. Houses worth a million dollars or more. They look out over the ocean and probably have more than 7 bedrooms. Poverty Beach is also home to some beautiful Bed & Breakfasts, such as the Angel of the Sea. I stay there for 3 days with my Grandparents & Mom every July. It is one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen.

Angel of the Sea at night all lit up! This Bed & Breakfast is in Poverty Beach. =)

Here you can see some of the beautiful woodwork the Angel has to offer. Also, a great view of the Atlantic ocean. There are many rooms with even more spectacular views of the ocean.

So why does Poverty Beach have this name when there’s nothing but awesome houses? Well, a long time ago, I’d guess in the late 1800′s and early 1900′s, when people were coming to the shore for the summer, people who were poor were sent to Poverty Beach. Cape May was exclusive for the wealthy (and still comes off that way), and anyone else went to Poverty Beach!

By the way, Cape May has some of the best beaches in the world. They’ve been ranked top 10 in many shows I’ve seen on TV, like on the Travel Channel!

You know, after writing this post, I really think I should be writing reviews for a local Cape May paper. About restaurants or beaches or anything! So if you’re reading this and you work for a Cape May magazine or newspaper and you like what I wrote here, offer me a job! =) Of course if I was writing for a magazine or paper, this would be better written.

Anyway, I guess I just wanted to write about my favorite place in the world. My passion for Cape May is something I have trouble expressing to some people. Maybe those people lack passion for something. I guess that’s why they aren’t able to comprehend what I feel. Regardless, the way I feel, I could marry Cape May if it was a man. Cape May is my home, even if I don’t live there.

Enjoy the post!

 

Haiti.

As I laid in my bed last night (actually it was EARLY this morning),  I thought about how thankful I am to have a bed, a house, just everything I take for granted every day, I am SO incredibly thankful for.

I can’t even watch the news. It breaks my heart.

I want to fly to Haiti and just help everyone. I know that I can’t. What would I do for them? I’m going to be searching for ways to donate clothes or something. Anything, I guess. If you know of anything, let me know! I all ready donated $10 dollars to the Red Cross. I want to do more.

That’s all I have to say.

God Bless Haiti. I will continue to pray for all the victims.

 

I need it all; the money, the fame, the cars, the clothes.

I don’t actually need it all. You will see why I wrote that in a minute.

This morning I read a fellow bloggers post about music and how it affects our lives (http://kierancarobine.wordpress.com/). He then asked me to explain what lyrics describe ME. Well, that’s a difficult task because I feel that I relate to so many different songs. However, I managed to pick one song that I feel describes me right now.

The song is “Hard” by Rihanna. Now I am usually not partial to rap/hiphop music. Some of it, because I love to dance, but not normally. This song just does something for me. It’s VERY powerful (if you listen to the lyrics) and really describes how I feel about the upcoming year.

As for this posts title “I need it all; the money, the fame, the cars, the clothes”, it really has nothing to do with having all of that. I guess for me it’s more striving for all of that. I want to have it all, and I’m gonna work hard so I can have it all. It doesn’t make me a snob, it makes me a hard worker who has awesome things! =)

The actual lyrical part of the song that describes me right now is this: “I’ma rock this shit like fashion, as in goin’ til they say stop. And my runway never looked so clear, but the hottest bitch in heels right here.”  The whole song has to do with confidence and being tough so matter what people say. I feel like those lyrics really bring out the confidence and toughness in the song. That’s how I feel this year, confident and tough. Nobody is going to bring me down as hard as they try. I’m living my life and nobody is getting in the way of that. I feel confident and I know I’m going to succeed.

Here’s the video of the song:

 

Hey there.

This is my first time on WordPress.  If WordPress pisses me off like Blogger did, I am going to delete! BE cool WP, be cool.