Just Shut Up and Play!

A couple of funny observations from highly paid athletes. Instead of taking their "defeats" and dealing with them, they choose to air our issues through the media. But it should be this simple. Shut up and play what you're paid to do.

Case #1 involves Florida Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez and his little feud with his manager Fredi Gonzalez.

Tuesday was an un familiar seat for Ramirez.
He should be in today's starting lineup.

In a Monday evening affair against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Ramirez was going after a blooped ball into shallow left field. Ramirez couldn't get to the ball in time. When he tried to filed the ball, he accidentally kicked the ball into the left field corner. No big deal and I'm sure we've all seen the replay by now. It was Ramirez didn't do after that.

Instead of busting his rear end into the left field corner to retrieve the ball, Ramirez appeared to be lightly jogging to get it, an effort not appreciated by his manager. Gonzalez pulled Ramirez from the game for his apparent lack of hustle. Ramirez was none to kind to his skipper.

"He can do whatever . . . He doesn't understand that. He never played in the big leagues."

And Ramirez proceeded to throw his Marlins teammates under the bus as well.

"We got a lot of people dogging it after ground balls. They don't apologize."

The apology part is in reference to Gonzalez wishing Ramirez would apologize to his teammates for his poor effort. While Gonzalez could actually care less if he personally receives one, he does feel strongly that the Marlins as a team deserve such. As of yet, Ramirez has neither delivered that apology and appears in no way to waver from his stance.

What cannot be lost is the support a couple of Marlins players have for Gonzalez and the move to not only pull Ramirez on Monday, but to bench him on Tuesday. Dan Uggla seem to place himself in his manager's corner.

"I think Skip needed to do what he needed to do, which was take Hanley out of the game at that time. Does that mean we love Hanley any less? No, we have all made mistakes. We've all done things like, 'Oh, maybe I shouldn't have done that.' But you move on, you move forward you get past it."

What Uggla very well could be saying is this. You showed a lack of effort. Sit down and take your medicine. Get over yourself and play the damn game. Most importantly, shut up! Well, that's how I take it anyway.

And by the way, Ramirez is the highest paid player on the Marlins roster due to 6-year, $70 million contract and he is the face of the Florida Marlins. Act like it.

The same could very well be said of Phoenix Suns big man Amar'e Stoudemire and is Case #2.

Odom played a brilliant Game 1 and deserved
all praises for it.

During an interview yesterday, Stoudemire was questioned about Lakers "asset" Lamar Odom and Odom's 19 point, 19 board effort in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. Stoudemire didn't exactly give Odom any props. Not so much as any ackonwledgment that Odom had a superb game. In fact, Stoudemire belittled Odom's effort.

"I'm not giving him no hype right now; he had a lucky game in Game 1."

I'd rather be lucky with a line like that Amar'e. What were your stats for the game? You managed 23 points which was a +4 in the scoring column (compared to Odom). Good, good. What's this? 3 rebounds? 3 freakin' boards was all? That's a -16! Plus, Odom only had one less rebound that the whole Suns starting five (20 to 19).

Another thing here. Stoudemire also talked of not having total focus. How can you not be focused playing the the conference finals? For the record, Stoudemire gets paid $16.4 million for not being focused compared to Odom getting $7.5 million for being lucky. Maybe Odom shouldn't be as focused. He could make more money.

I was always taught that rebounding isn't luck. It's effort and nothing else. You have to want the ball.

Odom could have taken Stoudemire's ball and run. But he didn't.

"So be it. Hopefully I can have another lucky one."

Way to take the high road, Lamar. Although I guess a great line or two would have been awesome for E! to put on your wife's show, but I'll take this classy move any day.

Amar'e - shut up and play. And don't forget, it's the Western Conference Finals. You need to be focused.

MLB MVP candidates

Outside of winning a World Series, the MVP of each league validates what a player has done for that single season. While there's always going to be a lot of debate on who wins, there is little doubt on that player's place in MLB history.

With that being said, let's look at my take on cadidates from the American League.

Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer appears to be the front runner. Despite the fact that Mauer missed the first month of the season, he's out together one of the greatest statistical years in history. Mauer leads the AL in batting average (.374), on-base percentage (.441), and slugging (.610). A more surprising fact is that Mauer has scored more runs (86) than the Seattle Mariners Ichiro (81), Tampa Bay Rays Carl Crawford (84), and Boston Red Sox Jacoby Ellsbury(80). All those other players are known to score a lot of runs.

Mark Teixeira of the New York Yankees can also be considered. Tex did get off to a slow start, but he's found his groove and has produced for the guys in pinstripes. He leads the AL in RBI (112) and is currently second in HR (35). Tex can win the HR crown due to Rays 1B Carlos Pena (39 HR) being on the shelf for the rest of the season. If he can pass Pena, that will be more for the voters to contemplate when they cast their ballots.

Don't fall asleep on the Detroit Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera. He's been the most productive Tiger and is often overlooked because Detroit as a team gets overlooked. Cabrera currently sits third in batting (.333), fourth in on-base percentage (.404), and fifth in slugging (.552). Cabrera get a bit of a knock because of lack of clutch hits, but fans at Comerica will disagree. At the home of the Tigers, Cabrera is hitting .365. Midwest fans should show him a little love.

The west coast fans will thrust Angels 1B Kendry Morales into the mix. Morales sits in the top ten in four offensive categories: third in slugging (.564), seventh in HR (30) and RBI (98), and eighth in OPS (.914). One fact that voters should remember is the extended period that the Angels were without Torii Hunter and Vladimir Guerrero. Morales was there to pick up the slack and hasn't looked back.

I'm throwing one more in, Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees. I'm not doing it based on the fact that Jeter passed Lou Gehrig for the all-time Yankees hit leader. I'm doing it because of what he brings to the field everyday. Some will ask where are his stats? He's hitting .330 (fourth), 17 HR, 64 RBI and 26 SB ninth). I submit this. In 1995 Cincinnati Reds SS Barry Larkin won the NL MVP with these numbers: .319 BA, 15 HR, 66 RBI and 51 SB. Larkin was the captain of that club and what Larkin meant to the Reds that season is what Jeter is to the Yanks.

I think Yankee voters may get a bit sentimental to Jeter and they could cost Teixeira. I'm kind of in the same boat.
1. Mauer
2. Teixeira
3. Morales
4. Jeter
5. Cabrera

The National League is a bit clearer.

The favorite is St. Louis Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols. Pujols ranks first in seven offensive categories (RBI, BB, slugging, HR, runs, on-base percentage, and OPS). He also second in batting average. All the compliments I gave to Mauer I almost double giving them to Pujols. Unless he totally falls off the baseball map, it's his.

The player looked upon as his main competition is Florida Marlins SS Hanley Ramirez. HanRam leads the NL in batting and is ranked in the top ten in six other stats (third in on-base percentage and OPS, sixth in runs, RBI, stolen bases, and slugging). Ramirez is hitting .377 away from Land Shark Stadium. He's also commited only 9 errors and ranks fourth in SS fielding.

Milwaukee Brewers 1B Prince Fielder should get a bit of attention and is a dark horse. He is currently second in RBI (just one behind Pujols), second in OPS and slugging, third in HR, fourth in BB, fifth in on-base percentage, and seventh in runs scored. When Prince hits a homer, it's always a no-doubter. The Brewers were in a bid for a playoff spot but have faded down the stretch and that may hurt Fielder's chances.

Unless I need surgery, Pujols is the winner.
1. Pujols
2. Ramirez
3. Fielder