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While it might seem strange to see soccer star Claudio Suárez on the pitcher’s mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers recently, it turns out that the two sports share many things.
Dodger star Nomar Garciaparra, who caught the ball when Suárez threw out the ceremonial first pitch, admires Suárez in part for his incredible play as a member of Chivas Guadalajara. Garciaparra has a special connection to that team, because his uncle, Javier Ledesma, played as a goalkeeper for the club. Garciaparra’s cousin, Arturo Ledesma, now plays for the team. Garciaparra is also married to Mia Hamm, the great female soccer star.
Many baseball players have ties to soccer because they come from countries where the sport is very popular. Some had to choose between playing soccer or baseball at a young age. They often follow the other sport as fans.
Now is the time of year when baseball action really heats up in the playoffs. The six division winners advance automatically to the playoffs, while the remaining two spots are wildcard places given to the best second place team in each league.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox were among the clubs who made a late push to be one of the teams in the playoffs. It was a close race to the very end for many teams.
It could be the year the Chicago Cubs finally win big. They’ve played well this season and clinched the best record in the league. Along with the Los Angeles Angels and Tampa Bay Rays, the Cubs go into the playoffs with high hopes.
Great hitters are helping their teams win, but they can’t do it alone. Dustin Pedroia is having a great year with the Boston Red Sox, which helps make up for the absence of Manny Ramírez, who was traded to the Dodgers midseason. Chipper Jones is hitting well this year, too. No one is having a better hitting season than Albert Pujols, however. The Dominican has been hitting an amazing percentage all season.
Besides good hitters, a successful team needs solid pitching to make a playoff run. Though Cleveland’s Cliff Lee was the first pitcher to reach 20 wins this season, the rest of the Indians pitching staff didn’t provided enough support to put the team at the top of their division.
The New York Yankees are one of the most popular teams in the entire league. They are also the club with the highest payroll. This season, that didn’t save them from struggling in a tough division and missing out on the playoffs. It’s the New York Mets who have had the better season overall, partly because Venezuelan Johan Santana has pitched consistently. His fellow countryman, Francisco Rodríguez, is also having an excellent season for the Angels and already has set the all-time saves record among Latino players.
Baseball has gone through some interesting changes this year, including the use of technology. Limited instant-replay is now used to make sure of home run calls. Many expect the use of video to continue to grow.
Though it’s not as international a game as soccer, baseball is attracting athletes from many different countries around the world, including Japan, Korea and many countries in Latin America.
No matter what sport someone chooses, it takes a lot of hard work to be successful. Athletes in both soccer and baseball know that it’s important to also have fun, no matter how they “Play ball”.
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