There's No "I" in Blog: Starter: Pablo Sandoval

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Starter: Pablo Sandoval

Who is he? Pablo Sandoval, who was born in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, is the 23-year-old third and first baseman (and sometimes catcher) for the San Francisco Giants. In his second major league season, Sandoval has a .325 batting average with 21 homers and 77 RBIs.

Why do we like him? Along with Tim Lincecum, Sandoval has become the new face of the Giants. He's so likable that teammates, fans, and the Giants' front office created a "Vote for Pablo" campaign based on the Napoleon Dynamite "Vote for Pedro" dance. He's chubby; he smiles all the time; he manages to hit above .300 despite swinging at any pitch he can reach; and he likes cake. Like all great players, he's acquired great nicknames also, such as Zorro and Kung Fu Panda. If you can't like a cheerful pudgy kid called Kung Fu Panda who can't stop smiling and makes everything around him fun, you're probably just a Dodgers fan.

*Photo courtesy of Miss Chatter via Flickr Creative Commons

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Rachel Partin

Rachel is a writer living in Somerville, Massachusetts. She spent her childhood shooting hoops with her beloved hot pink basketball and getting bowled over as she posted up against her towering brothers. Eventually learning that she was better suited to track and field, she pursued a high school career as a pole vaulter, only to inevitably end up sunbathing on the pit rather than practicing. In college she tutored athletes in writing and English, discovering, to her delight, that most college athletes truly care about academics. She edits a sports blog in her spare time.

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Patrick Truby

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