World Series: Juan Soto

I had pretty much chosen Juan Soto as my MLBoyfriend for the World Series after his incredible performance in Game 1.



Sure, other players for the Washington Nationals caught my eye...

I certainly had to consider World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg.

Adam Eaton had a great series and is quite the zaddy to boot.

Speaking of zaddies, a MLBoyfriend winner from earlier this postseason, Howie Kendrick, hit what would turn out to be the World Series winning home run.

I've had my eye on Anthony Rendon since the second week of the season when I chose him to be my MLBoyfriend even though the scrappy Washington Nationals were not playing like a championship team early in the season.

It's been a couple of years since Ryan Zimmerman has been my MLBoyfriend. He has a lot going for him: he's been with the Nationals from the very start; he hit the most symbolically important home run of the series; and he looks like this in uniform...

Of course, I alway super happy to see Sean Doolittle, former MLBoyfriend, the stalwart of the Nationals bullpen, big LGBTQ+ ally, and hot nerd.

Finally, there was long-time MLBoyfriend favorite Max Scherzer. Just days after barely being able to move his throwing arm, Scherzer gutted it out for five innings in final game. 

So many worth contenders, but none of them shook me from my initial pick, Juan Soto.

Postseason, Week 3: José Altuve

José Altuve might be the obvious choice for my MLBoyfriend this week, but still, he's the right  one. The American League Conference Series MVP and two-time MLBoyfriend was a powerhouse and a joy to watch in the series.

Altuve hit .348 in the ALCS, with three RBIs and two home runs. It was the second of those home runs--the one the won the series for the Houston Astros--that clinched his status as the MVP. His teammates were literally jumping for joy as he rounded the bases.

Speaking of his the Astros home-run celebration, Altuve kept his teammates from ripping off his jersey, a recent MLB "tradition" that I wholly support. He ended up rounding third in this adorable manner:

Postseason, Week 2: Howie Kendrick

The Washington Nationals weren't even supposed to make it to the postseason much less defeat the dominant Los Angeles Dodgers in the the National League Division Series. Yet, they did both. And there's no better representative of their improbable journey than Howie Kendrick.

This headline tells the story: Howie Kendrick goes from postseason zero to hero for the Washington Nationals with one swing. To say Kendrick's postseason had been lackluster would be an understatement. He made some key mistakes. Then, in game 5 of a tied series, he did this in the 10th inning:



That's right, a grand slam. In this picture, you can see that Kendrick's grand slam had on of his teammates literally jumping for joy.

Howie Kendrick is 36 years old and a 14-year veteran of Major League Baseball. He said in an interview after the game that it was "probably the best moment" of his career. There's no "probably" about it; this is how Kendrick will be remembered in baseball history.

Postseason, Week 1: Ryan Helsley

Ryan Helsley is my MLBoyfriend of the week because he had the courage to speak out against racism. I worked on this post for about half an hour, and realized I was going to bury the lede way too deeply.* So, let me put this upfront, Ryan Helsley, a member of the Cherokee Nation, got my attention and won my heart when he had this to say about the Atlanta Braves' horrible "Tomhawk Chop":

“I think it’s a misrepresentation of the Cherokee people or Native Americans in general. [It] just depicts them in this kind of caveman-type people way who aren’t intellectual. They are a lot more than that. It’s not me being offended by the whole mascot thing. It’s not. It’s about the misconception of us, the Native Americans, and it devalues us and how we’re perceived in that way, or used as mascots. The Redskins and stuff like that. ...That’s the disappointing part. That stuff like this still goes on. It’s just disrespectful, I think.”

Ryan Helsley is a rookie who just played his first postseason game. He showed a lot of strength and civility in what has to be a both a very exciting and stressful time. That makes his stand all the more impressive.

Congratulations, Ryan Helsey! You are my MLBoyfriend.  Before this season began, I said I would keep an eye out for "My Ethical MLBoyfriend", and you definitely fit the bill. Plus, you're super cute.

UPDATED 10/9: I didn't include the Atlanta team's official response to Ryan Helsley's comments in this post. I was skeptical, to say the least, that they "appreciate and take seriously Mr. Helsley's concerns". I was equally leery of MLB Commisioner Rob Manfred saying that the ball team has "taken steps to take out" the Tomahawk Chop chant. The headline of Deadspin's post on Sunday about the chant and Helsley's response to it summed up my feelings: "Braves Give Lie To Rob Manfield's Insistence That The 'Tomahawk Chop' Is Being Discouraged". In short, I didn't think Helsley's comments would have any effect.

I am happy to report that I was wrong. Ryan Helsey's criticism has actually caused the Atlanta organization to make some positive changes.