MLB 2nd Half Wish List

Here are ten things I’d like to see in the 2^nd half of the MLB season:

10) Mark Teixeira homer from both sides of the plate in the same game
Teixeira hit his first home run right-handed all season in the all-star game. Now that I know he can do it both ways, I’d like to see him do it both ways in one game. I know it ain’t easy but I also know he’s capable.

9) Rafael Palmeiro catch fire and hit 40 HRs
I think he’s at 15 right now so it would take an Albert Pujols second half for Palmeiro to hit 40. This guy is one of the most underappreciated and underrated baseball players ever; I just want him to get some respect for once.

8) Scott Podsednik steal 100 bases
Sometimes I long for the days of small ball and gritty play to come back. Other times I love watching the long ball. But if I can have a steal 100 bases and a couple of guys hit over 50 home runs all in the same year then I’d be more than content.

7) Barry Bonds come back and lead the Giants to an NL West title
All this talk about Bonds not coming back this year is making me sad. I want him to come back and lead the Giants to the NL West title. If he did wouldn’t you have to at least consider him for MVP even though he was out for much of the season?

6) Derrek Lee win the triple crown
This is another one of those things that I wish for constantly and Lee is in one of the best positions to do it in recent memory. I only hope that if he does it he keeps his production up in later years. It’d be horrible if this was a fluke season for him.

5) Neither the Red Sox nor the Yankees in the World Series
This is something I’m going to be wishing for awhile. Those high market, spend-happy juggernauts are really getting on my nerves. I want to see grit and heart win a world series title, not money and power. Furthermore I’d like to see…

4) Boston and New York battle for one playoff spot.
It would hardly be the playoffs without at least one of these two teams playing in the postseason. But really, I’m getting tired of both these teams hogging up the postseason headlines. Let’s see the A’s, O’s, or Twinkies in October for once, and better yet…

3) The Nationals make a trip to the World Series
How’s this for a story? On the verge of the entire franchise being eliminated the Expos are transferred from Montreal to D.C. The next year they go from worst to first with a world series berth.

2) Johnny Damon hit for 56 straight games
I wish for someone to hit DiMaggio’s mark every year but it never happens. Damon’s climbing towards thirty so he seems to be the likely guy to challenge this year. Of course thirty games is only half way there. Good luck Damon. (I realize that his hitting streak is over now, but at the time I wrote it his streak was still in tact.)

1) Dontrelle Willis and Roger Clemens throw no-hitters in the same game.
How amazing would that be? Somehow the Astros would scrap out a run. Maybe a reach on an error, a stolen base, a sacrifice bunt, and a sacrifice fly; of course I know that I’m reaching but boy would it be fun.