I'm back...

After over a year away from the whole blogging scene (jadsbl.com thought I was to controversial), I am back online. It's not so much that I wasn't able to set up a blogging site on my own. It's just that I was far too busy to sit down and sign up for a ghetto blogger.com account that nobody would read anyway until I tipped off a beat writer that I'm posting on it. Que cheesy smile here.

It's kind of been a rocky go of it since the last time I wrote anything for the public viewing. I got hurt in the second season and my numbers were down because of it. That led people to ask what happened to me. Umm, I was hurt. The next year I struggled, leading to more questions about what happened to me. I'm sensing a trend here. Early this year, while we were struggling, I faced numerous questions about what was wrong with me.

I've been labeled as a bust. I've been rediculed by my own team's management (oh yes, it's true). And worst of all, I've heard the boos of the home crowd. I've been called overrated. I can deal with that. But you know what? I haven't demanded a high price tag to this point. Seriously. Look around the league. I'm a bargain.

However, here is where my gripe comes in. When we lost the inaugural Championship Series to Bridgeport in 2007, who had to stand up and do the post-game, losing locker room interview? Me. When the team struggled in 2008, who had to answer all the hard questions? Me, even though I missed two months of the season. Last year, as the team flourished, guess who suddenly didn't get all the attention. Me.

This is what bothers me. With all the team's stuggles, look at the line-up changes over the past couple years. I'm the team's starting center fielder right? Well, I've been forced to start many a games in right field the past couple years. I played the field flawlessly. Yet it always came down to the fact that my batting average wasn't as high as Peter Gibbon's. I've batted in more spots in the lineup than anybody else on the team (1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9) yet, I was never as consistent as Carl Feely, nor am I as good as Kevin Nunez (who has only scored 5 more runs than me and has driven in 14 less runs than me).

The thing that is the worst is that when we are winning, everyone from John Bush to Doug Gilmour is right up there in the spotlight. When we lose? Where do they go? You don't here about any of them. Who gets dumped on? Sean Mack and Alex Crane get dumped on. Everyone is talking about how dominate we are and how much we will run away with the championship this year. I hope we do. I really would like a ring. But, as far as mid-season enjoyability, this team is as dysfunctional as it has ever been. I haven't said more than "What's up?" to Steve Theile yet. Hollywood Hogan is still a bitch and is lucky that his offensive production covers up the fact that his defensive skills are terrible. (Yeah, we still don't get along.)

It comes down to this. I love the OC. I have a beautiful beach front house that I am in heaven in. I have some really great friends and connections here. On that note though, my contract lasts through 2013. I'm signed for a pretty reasonable price at this point. With that, I've brought a lot of attention to this club. I've been there through good times and bad. I've been the face of the team when down and pushed to the side when up. Bottom line: I hear there are plenty of oppertunities in the north east. And even though the winters are shitty, I know from experience that the OC is rather pleasent from November through February. Figure it out.