Ever since the beginning of time, there was change in the world. Ever since the beginning of time change has been both the subject of both dislike and support. There have always been those who have welcomed and encouraged it with open arms and there has always been those who have resisted it for as long as they possibly could. Change effects everything not just our general walks of life but also our sports and entertainment as well Major League Baseball has become subject to the effects of change both positively and negatively. A common phrase that can be heard when referring to various professional baseball players is that they are "new school" or "old school". After reading dozens upon dozens of articles referencing the two terms the thought occurred to me, which is better, old school vs. new school? Before I go into the arguments of the discourse I will start by explaining what exactly new school and old school baseball players are. New school baseball players are more often than not young players in the MLB. These are the players who are trying to "change the game" whether or not it is for good is up to you, New school ballplayers often try to argue that the MLB should alter the rules and they believe that there should be additional rules added. There are some rules they feel are unnecessary. These players are often very vocal about their thoughts on the rules, there have been several accounts in which such players have succeeding in persuading professional baseball to change its rules. New school players tend to be the ones arguing that baseball needs to "speed up" and catch up with the times. Old school players, however, don't necessarily have to be players from another age, long since retired. After all old school and new school isn't about the age of the players, it is about the way that they play. Players like this believe in keeping baseball the way it always has been, baseball has always been America's pastime so why should we change it now? They play baseball for the pure love of the game, for the joy that it has always brought them. These players are tough and toss bats, they play dirty when they have to. They aren't afraid of a fight if it comes down to whether or not their team can succeed. Old school players are competitive and tough, they are willing to do anything possible to ensure that their team gets the win. New school or old school both styles of baseball players have one major thing in common, they love baseball more than anything else. The question is which type should really be the decide of how people view baseball and the MLB forever and always?
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Why Is That A Question?From the moment the Phillies drafted 21-year-old Aaron Nola, we should have known that he was going to be special. In the three years, he was at LSU, Nola posted a total ERA of 2.09. In high school, he was ranked as one of the top high school players in the state of Louisiana. LSU has one of the top-ranked baseball teams in the SEC, they have gone to the NCAA World Series 18 times over the past 3 decades. The current coach, Paul Mainieri brought the team to the world series five times during his 12-year tenure at LSU. Alex Box Stadium, where the LSU Tigers play has sell out crowds almost every game.
So when the Phillies announced that Aaron Nola would make his debut on July 22nd, 2015 just days before Phillies ace Cole Hamels was traded, it was clear that Aaron Nola was set to be the next Phillies ace. Aaron Nola's name covered headlines throughout Philadelphia the day of the announcement and for the first time in months the Phillies attendance bumped up to 28,703. But Nola didn't worry, he did not panic or get stressed that he would let everyone down. He simply pitched to the best of his ability and he did amazing. But as we know now, amazing wouldn't begin to cover Aaron Nola. The now 25-year-old is withholding an ERA of 2.18 which puts him 5th among overall MLB starters and 3rd among National League starters behind only Max Scherzer and Jacob DeGrom. He is currently 7-2, the only other pitcher in the MLB with that record is former Cy Young winner and world series champion, Justin Verlander. Needless to say, Aaron Nola is the Phillies ace, in fact, he has even posted better stats than Cole Hamels, the very pitcher whom he was called up to replace. My question is, why are people still figuring out whether or not Nola is the Phillies long lost ace? It seems like all evidence points to him having been our ace from the beginning. I am a firm believer in the argument that numbers don't mean everything and that's true, they don't. Thus far, most of the evidence I have provided is numbers. But I have evidence for why he is our ace that goes far beyond the realms of numbers and computers. The question is, what does make Aaron Nola so dang good and how did the Phillies get so lucky to have him? Growing up in Baton Rouge, La. and playing baseball meant that Aaron Nola always had the dream of becoming a college baseball star at LSU. Sure he hoped to get into the Major Leagues, but he hoped more than ever to get to play at the Division I school. Even when the Toronto Blue Jays drafted him out of Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, Nola turned them down in order to play at his dream school with his older brother, Austin, who is currently a catcher in the Miami Marlins system. Aaron played successfully throughout three years at LSU, but when the Phillies drafted him in 2014, he wasn't going to turn them down. He signed with the last place Phils in order to begin a new chapter in his life. He breezed through the minors, everyone knew he would. A year was enough time for the Phillies to decide that yes, they wanted him on their team. Keep in mind that this was the Phillies that still had Cole Hamels and Ryan Howard. A different Phillies no doubt, a number of the player's on that team were ones Nola had watched on tv when he was in high school and they were winning the world series. Somehow, despite the fact that Nola and Hamels barely overlapped for a week, Aaron was still lucky enough to bear witness to Cole's no-hitter first hand. Perhaps that was a sign that Nola was to do great things of the like here in Philly. The Spring Training of the year Aaron Nola was called up, Nola made the Yankees' lineup look like little leaguers, it was clear then that Nola was bound for greatness. Every five days Phillies fans look towards Aaron Nola to gain them a much-needed win. On Nola Days as we like to call it, anyone who's ever heard of Aaron turns on their tv to watch their favorite team attempt to win. Nothing is more pleasant than sitting on the couch curled in a blanket as you watch the Phillies young ace work his magic as per usual. Aaron Nola is by far the best thing the Phillies have to offer. He is unhittable. His curveball is a work of magic as even baseball's finest hitters whiff and gawks at it. The 2018 season has been filled with change for Nola. He started opening day for the first time in his career and he has begun expanding his pitch selection. His intense work on his changeup has resulted in his third best pitch becoming his second best pitch. In fact, there are times when he loses command of his curveball so instead, he uses his changeup. This has made Nola even more effective as crazy as that sounds. Although Aaron Nola may not be the most overpowering pitcher in the MLB in terms of speed with a fastball topping out at 94 mph. He is still by far the MLB's most talented pitcher. It's not just the pitching though, it's his mind. He is always so unfazed and calm it is as though nothing could ever disrupt him. He is so oblivious to any and all fumbles. He is not overwhelmingly competitive he is just calm. Calm to the point that one wonders whether or not he is aware that he is currently the top candidate for National League Cy Young. But he has always been like that, it's the way anyone who grew up in Louisiana acts. It's hard not to be calm in Louisiana and people down south tend to have a much more...relaxed approach to life. Nola is no exception, much like the city he shares a name with, Nola is perfect beyond compare. Ah yes, 2008. There is nothing, I as a Phillies fan love to relish on more than our moments of greatness. There once was a time when the Phillies could actually stay controlled and consistent and actually...can you believe it...win?
This week has been a sad one for any Phillies fan who still maintains to keep constant track of their precious 2008 players whereabouts. Ryan Howard loses his contract with his Braves (I've been crying about this for the past 3 days), Chase Utley can't muster enough strength to get a decent hit, Jimmy Rollins was cut from the Giants out of Sprig Training, and Cole Hamels is out for the season. Carlos Ruiz is currently the only 2008 player who I can still trust not break my heart into one million tiny little pieces. Despite the fact that I still miss him like crazy and may or may not be devising a plan to kidnap him and keep him here. I didn't really miss Chooch too much when he left, but then the second he returned every good memory from our past flooded back to me like a tsunami. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley's home runs Doc's no-hitters, and finally Cole Hamels unbeatable wins. But the truth is, what do we really miss about 2008? Is it the feeling of actually being successful and talented? Or is it just simply because we miss the kindness, love, and admiration of the players themselves? Do we just miss having their personalities around? The Phillies drafting Aaron Nola 1st round in 2014 was perhaps one of the teams best decisions since signing Ryan Howard. The Baton Rouge native displayed many impressive stats throughout his career at LSU. LSU has had many a great pitcher, but none quite like Aaron Nola. Aaron Nola is like the sequel to a great book or movie and yet even better than the first. Aaron Nola appears to be the Phillies very own sequel to Cole Hamels. Don't get me wrong Cole Hamels was and still is an impressive pitcher. But was it just me or was Hamels just a bit, overdramatic? You see, one of Nola's many great talents that make him such a dominating pitcher is his ability to maintain a calm demeanor. No matter the situation, Nola seems to be able to stay calm and not panic. For a pitcher, this is a crucial trait. As a young pitcher myself, I have found that with pitching, the true key is not to simply pitch well but to be able to remain calm. I think I personally could use some work on this. But Aaron Nola's special talent on the mound used to be his confidence and his laid back demeanor. Not to mention the fact that his arm is one of the finest I have ever seen. His pitches are not overpoweringly fast but they have such movement that hitters often struggle to find them. Thus, I have deemed his curveball "unhittable".
But of course like everything, there is a slight downside to his impressive regime. The windup, itself has been seen as risky. Even while he was at LSU in his starlight of being on the brink of an amazing career, people had begun to worry about just how safe his style was. Aaron Nola confirmed our fears last season when he was placed on the 60 day DL last August. Turns out Nola had suffered a torn UCL. The injury came as a huge blow to the Philadelphia Phillies seeing that he was once perceived as the possible ace of our staff. Without him, our once brighter future was beginning to seem so dim. But Aaron Nola, being a stubborn professional pitcher, returned this Spring claiming that his arm felt 100% healthy and back to normal. However, I would at times find this hard to believe like when he kept giving up runs and losing games. But then you have to realize something through the entire spring and this season Nola and the team seem to believe his arm is fine, it doesn't seem to be bugging him. It just takes a while to adjust to facing batters again. As a pitcher, I can relate to the fact that there is a major difference in practicing pitching to your catcher without a batter and pitching in a game with a batter. Baseball is a mental game that depends on severe mental toughness. It is not for the weak of mind or heart. That is what makes the game so challenging, it is a game of perfection and strength. This year Aaron Nola has begun to seemingly recall or have regained his former glory. Seeing that in his first game of the year he and his team crushed the DC Nats 17-3. Just when we think everything is going perfectly and falling into place again, of course, it goes downhill, again. On Wednesday, April 26, the Phillies placed Aaron on the 10 day DL and announced he should be missing just one start. That one start was missed due to rain anyways, but that's not the point. Nola said that his back felt sore after his last start on April 20 against the New York Mets. He expected that he should be back from the injury shortly. But no, he pitched a bullpen session in LA on Friday and said his back feels bad again. Instead of starting tonight in Chicago against the Cubs like he was supposed to, he will be throwing a bullpen session to see how his back feels. One does begin to worry if the same player who was at first seen as the future of their organizations' rotation keeps getting thrown on the DL. All I can say is please lord keep Aaron Nola healthy, we need him. They say not to judge a book by its cover. Perhaps this is accurate when it comes to the Phillies 160 pound second baseman, Cesar Hernandez. While he may not look like your typical origin of power, the Venezuelan has been on a hot streak since late June of last year. Hernandez was benched due to his inability to get on base and constant errors in both base running and fielding. It seemed that as soon as he returned to the lineup he's been able to regain his focus and improve his talent. Only eighteen games into the 2017 season and the second basemen already leads the team in home runs with four. Not to mention the fact that he has also been getting crucial clinch hits. For example, about three weeks ago on Sunday, April ninth, Hernandez hit a game-winning, walk-off RBI single that launched the Phillies past the Nationals. The Phillies offense, in general, appears to have been electrified this year. It's not like they are the number one hitting team this year but they have certainly improved since last year. Last year they were getting crushed to the point where one would begin to wonder if they even knew how to hit anymore. I mean me, a five-foot teenage pitcher, could hit better than half the team. It's not like I can't hit or something, but the pros should be better than me, not the other way around. Now they've actually been hitting decently well. The sluggers who are supposed to be slugging are actually, well, slugging. Maikel Franco is sort of living up to his expectations. More so defensively than offensively. But he's gotten a couple of game saving hits. Odubel Herrera's fierce personality has started many tense rallies and stirring innings. Let his bat flips speak for themselves. But the best story offensively in our 2017 appears to come in the form of our young second baseman. Now the real question is...Can he keep this up? |
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