Baseball Is In Search Of A Superstar

With Basketball finished up, and the NFL still in Lockout, Baseball is the natural choice for most sports fans looking to catch a game. However, this year in Baseball is noticeably unremarkable in terms of players. Previous years and decades had huge superstars the likes of Mickey Mantle, Don Mattingly, Ken Griffey Jr., Ichiro, and Albert Pujols. This year though, the biggest name in Baseball is probably Bryce Harper, who is still a Single A player.

Don't get me wrong, it's great to see Derek Jeter approach his 3,000th hit, a feat that few have ever accomplished, not to mention the fact that he has done it with no trace of the allure of steroids in his career. But where, I ask, are the players that are so great that even if you know nothing about Baseball, you recognize their names? Where are the monolithic phenoms that kids aspire to be? There's also Jose Bautista, the league's leader in practically every category, but he's not exactly a household name. He doesn't even play in this country, so it's hard to equate him with other Baseball heroes. As a Sports Cards seller, we need these sports greats. They help bring customers in the door. But as sports fans, we need them even more. Without them, the giddiness of watching the players come out onto the field is just nonexistent.

We flirted with a possible great last year, in the much-hyped Stephen Strasburg. However, with his injury setting him back, we are foaming at the mouth more than ever. To have someone that good just taken away from the sport is maddening. It was fun while it lasted, and we can only hope to see him back as soon as possible.

This is simply my observation on the sport of Baseball right now. It seems like it's been a mediocre year for sports fans everywhere. As we look on to the months ahead, we can only hope that it gets better. For many of us, watching these players do what they love to do is a driving force in our lives. Whether you're a social sports fan, or a lifelong, dedicated sports nut, it's hard not to realize that if we don't have anyone to root for, there's not much point in watching the game.