MLB Showdown Obsession

 Today, July 1, is a fun little holiday in baseball. "Bobby Bonilla Day" is a reminder of how to be a smart negotiator as a player, and a warning to owners about reckless money schemes for more than just baseball. But before we begin our tale, let us highlight the career of the man for who we have named this holiday for... Bobby was originally signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates, but his minor league progression was interrupted by a broken leg, delaying his journey to the majors long enough for the Chicago White Sox to nab him in the Rule 5 draft. He finally tasted the majors in 1986, but Pittsburgh wasn't ready to let him go that easily... ...and made a trade to bring the rookie back to the organization. Bonilla began '87 as the starter at 3rd Base, while still slotting in the corner outfield spots from time to time. 1988 saw Bonilla solely as a 3rd baseman. You may not like Bobby to lose that extra utility, but his first season at just one position was also his best, a...

 One guy can do a lot to turn a teams fortunes around. Sure, talent on the field can be a huge factor, but the intangibles like attitude and leadership can work magic behind the scenes. It can become infectious one way or the other; poor attitude and leadership can make a pennant contender into a basement dweller, or great intangibles can take a team hovering around .500 and make them World Series threats. The 1987 Dodgers were miserable. At 73-89 they could only muster a 4th place finish in the NL West and had no postseason hopes. Added to that, management was lambasted for their non-desire to go after future Hall of Famer Tim Raines when he was a free agent. Team ace Orel Hershiser could do it all on the mound but he made it clear he couldn't help with the offense. Some transactions were made, but LA still needed a big pickup. Kirk Gibson was just freed from a toxic environment in Detroit and was looking to hook up with a winner. Dodger management wasn't going to let another ...

 Japan may have been the 2 time champions going into the 2013 WBC, but neither time were they unbeatable. The Dominican Republic had a chance to dominate in a way that no other country would be able to say that "they got lucky!" The Dominican Republic began by beating Venezuela 9-3, followed with a 6-3 win over Spain then just to flex handed Puerto Rico a 4-2 loss to sweep Pool C. Round 2 began with a 5-4 nailbiter win over Italy, then came the United States for the biggest test yet in the tournament. DR passed the test with a 3-1 win, punching their ticket to the semi-finals. Pool 2 play ended with a rematch against Puerto Rico, which DR won again 2-0 to sweep yet another group of games. As the only undefeated team remaining, Dominican Republic pushed aside the Netherlands 4-1 to lock up a spot in the championship game. Japan, meanwhile, finally lost a game that mattered as Puerto Rico set up a third battle, this time with more than just bragging rights on the line. Edwin En...