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By Michael Lopez

There is no denying that 2011 was the year of the Tweet. The hashtag social network had a major spike in popularity and was even responsible for breaking a few news stories. But are you curious as to what buzzwords got the most attention? Well guess no longer, Twitter has now released its annual Hot Topic list, which happens to include a few famous Latinos.

On the movie side of things, the 2011 Hot Topics all seemed to be based around comic book flicks. Films like Thor, The Dark Knight Rises, and X-Men: First Class dominated the list. But it’s also interesting to note that The Green Hornet (featuring Cameron Diaz) and Fast Five (with Elsa Pataky) scored high too, proving that sexy Latinas strike a very strong chord in the Twitterverse.

In the music realm, Rebecca Black (who's part Latina) was the number one Tweeted topic. Britney Spears showed she still has plenty of staying power with a #3 ranking for Femme Fatale. You've got to wonder if that massively successful Mexico concert contributed to her continuous stream of Tweets.

Names like Jennifer Lopez and Charlie Sheen dominated the Celebrity Hot Topics, along with several stars who have passed on. Elizabeth Taylor proved to be the most popular female celeb, followed not to far behind by fallen Jackass alum, Ryan Dunn.

In the sports world, teams like the Texas Rangers and Dallas Mavericks stirred up a flurry of activity. And so did Spanish soccer star, Fernando Torres. Interestingly, on the Hot Topics futbol list, Torres ranked higher than both Lionel "Leo" Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Curious about the most posted hashtags of 2011? Twitter went global for this one. #Egypt was by far the most popular, representing the civil unrest that happened there earlier in the year. #Japan ranked in the Top 5 too, as did #ThreeWordsToLiveBy and the Charlie Sheen catchphrase, #TigersBlood.

And, as a bonus, Hispanically Speaking compiled a list of the most famous Latinos to open Twitter accounts in 2011. That would be Christina Aguilera (who signed on in March), Eva Mendes (who joined in October), and good ol' Charlie Sheen, who's gathered 5.8 million followers in just nine months!

What topics did you Tweet about most this year? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Britney Spears, Celebrities, Charlie Sheen, Christina Aguilera, Egypt, Elizabeth Taylor, Eva Mendes, Femme Fatale, Fernando Torres, Hashtags, Hispanically Speaking, Hot Topics, japan, Jennifer Lopez, Música, Movies & CineMás, Rebecca Black, Ryan Dunn, Sports, Texas Rangers, The Dark Knight Rises, thor, twitter, X-Men: First Class

By Michael Lopez

Don't be surprised if you hear sports journalists labeling last night's World Series game as "one of the best in baseball history." Truly epic on every level, Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals defied the odds and won in the 11th inning with a 10-9 victory.

David Freese deserves a lot of the credit for last night's win. Scoring a two-run triple in the ninth inning, he literally brought the team back from the brink of elimination. Not only that, he was facing two strikes and two outs when he did it!

Cuban-American outfielder Jon Jay also contributed to the team's success, tying the game up with a dramatic hit during the 10th. Then, David stepped up to the plate again and delivered the winning home run. And seeing how it all went down at the Cardinals' Busch Stadium, you can imagine the type of thunderous cheers this victory brought out.

"Growing up or whatever, and you see stuff like that happen, those become memories," an emotional Freese said when it was all over.

Obviously the Texas Rangers weren't too happy at the end of the night, though team manager Ron Washington did acknowledge the amazing comeback of their World Series rivals.

"I understand it's not over till you get that last out," he said. "I was just sitting there praying we got that last out. We didn't get it."

Tonight they may have their chance. The final Game of the Series kicks off at 8pm ET and you can bet millions of baseball fans will be watching.

Will you be watching Game 7 tonight? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Baseball, Blogger: Michael Lopez, David Freese, Jon Jay, MLB, Ron Washington, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, World Series

By Michael Lopez

Are you ready to see Demi Lovato belt out the Star-Spangled Banner? Disney's former teen queen is about to step up for one of her most high-profile gigs yet, singing the national anthem at Game 5 of the World Series.

Set to go down at the Rangers Ballpark on Monday, Game 5 could prove to be a pivotal clincher in the Series. Now tied at 1-1, either team can sweep the next two games, which means rings may be handed out that very night.

In other words, Demi's anthem could actually be a part of MLB history. Of course, odds makers are thinking the Series could go as far as Game 7. The Rangers narrowly defeated the Cardinals on Thursday and expect a tight nine innings when the teams move to Texas Saturday night.

Lovato seemed thrilled with her role in Series, tweeting this week,

"Only my lovatics could land me a spot singing the national anthem at the WORLD SERIES!!!! I couldn't do it without you guys!!!!"

Let's just hope she can avoid those technical difficulties that plagued Scotty McCreery.

Have you been following the World Series? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Baseball, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Demi Lovato, MLB, national anthem, Sports, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, World Series

By Michael Lopez

Yesterday marked the beginning of some major baseball history. The buzz around the World Series has been building all week about how the battle between the Rangers and the Cardinals will go down (Cardinals won last night 3-2). Expect to see a packed house, in-depth analysis, and tons of talented Latinos on the field.

Undoubtedly, two of the biggest stars of the series will be Albert Pujols and Nelson Cruz. Pujols is no stranger to the Tr3s pages. With his All-Star awards, MVP titles, and .328 batting average, the Dominican first baseman is already a St. Louis legend.

But the Rangers' Nelson Cruz is no one to take lightly either. Also from the D.R., the heavy-hitting outfielder has already scored the American League MVP trophy this season.

He actually broke some team records this year too, having hit 12 home runs in the past two post seasons. And in this year's ALCS playoffs, he became the first slugger ever to hit a grand slam in Game 2.

But don't think these two will be the only memorable Latinos on the baseball field. Cardinals' shortstop Rafael Furcal (who was traded to the team in July) proved to be a pivotal player in the National League Championships, scoring a home run clincher in Game 6.

And representing Cuban-Americans in the World Series will be the Cardinals' Jon Jay. Drafted to the team in 2010, he's got a .298 batting average and has proven to be a solid outfielder throughout the season. Speaking with Latinobaseball.com, he seemed very eager to help his fellow sluggers go all the way.

"Me siento bien, tengo salud y muchos deseos de jugar a la pelota," he enthusiastically said.

On the Rangers' side, Dominican first baseman Adrián Beltré has proven that he's worth every penny of his $93 million contract. This season, he's batted .296 and scored 32 home runs. He also helped keep the team in the playoffs, with three homers in a game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

But of course, all eyes are now on the World Series. The Cardinals will have the home field advantage for the first two games. The Rangers, on other hand, definitely have the hunger. If you recall, they were actually in the Series last year and took a serious beating by the San Francisco Giants.

Texas has yet to score MLB's most desired ring, but this week can change all of that. Though the Cardinals will be tough to beat. They currently have 10 World Series titles under their belt and many of the Vegas odds makers on their side.

Albert has the St. Louis ring from 2006 and rumors are flying that this may be the last time he bats in the trademark white and red colors. Sports blogs are speculating about Pujols becoming a free agent next year, which is something the slugger wisely chose not to talk about.

When ask about his future with the team, Albert said,

"I don't think about (being a) free agent right now. Let's talk about the World Series and how I can help the Cardinals to win it. That's my main goal."

We'll see if he can start accomplishing that goal tonight.

Are you looking forward to the 2011 World Series? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags 2011 World Series, Adrián Beltré, Albert Pujols, Baseball, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Jon Jay, MLB, Nelson Cruz, Rafael Furcal, Sports, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, World Series

By Sharmaine Jones

Last week MLB named its Golden Glove winners and this week announced Neftali Feliz and Buster Posey are Rookie of the Year Award recipients. Now, Feliz and Posey have more than just the World Series in common.

Image : Texas Rangers

The American League winner Neftali Feliz is the closing pitcher for the Texas Rangers. Feliz won by a landslide receiving 20 of 28 first place votes (runner-up Austin Jackson of the Detroit Tigers received the other 8).  Feliz can accredit his rocket right hand for the victory, setting a rookie record 40 saves during the season to help the Rangers reach it's first World Series. With all that accomplished, Feliz was still surprised that he won the award:

“I hope it’s not a fluke. I hope I have a better season next year,” the 22-year-old Dominican reliever said through a translator on a conference call.

The road to victory wasn't exactly a smooth one, Feliz admits that the adjustment from starting to relieving wasn't easy:

"All my career, I was a starter, but now I'm getting comfortable as a closer," Feliz said. "Of course at the beginning I didn't feel very comfortable ... but I learned the process thanks to (my teammates)."

But the 22-year-old pitcher humbled himself and trusted his coaching staff which resulted in a 2.73 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 69 1/3 innings for the season.

The National League recipient Buster Posey is the catcher for the San Francisco Giants. Posy was promoted from minors league to the majors May 29, 2010. Despite missing some of the season, the catcher was just as productive – if not more – than most of the rookies that had been playing since the season's beginning. The 23-year-old hit an astonishing .305 with 18 home runs and 67 RBI's. How did he do it? What's his secret, you ask?

"I was just trying to make an impact with the team and get some wins," Posey said.

“Some wins” is an understatement. Posey put together a 21-game hitting streak, received NL Player of the Month in July, his team went 52-32 after permanently placing him as catcher (he often played 1B) oh and did we mention that he played an intricate part in the Giants winning the World Series! That could be why he received 20 of 32 first place votes (Atlanta Braves Jayson Hayward was runner-up).

Congratulations to the rookies for their outstanding play and for bringing home top rookie honors!

Who do you think should have won rookies of the year? Sound off on the show in the comments, or @MTV3.

Tags Baseball, Buster Posey, MLB, Neftali Feliz, San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers

By Sharmaine Jones

The San Francisco Giants won the World Series and it didn't even take seven games to do so! The Giants knocked off the Texas Rangers (3-1) in game five thanks to World Series MVP Edgar Rentaria's 3-run homer in the top of the seventh inning to win their sixth overall title!

Image : Sports Center

Rentaria, despite a career low 72 games played due to injuries, remained optimistic throughout the season:
"It was a tough year for me," the shortstop said. "I told myself to keep working hard and keep in shape because something is going to be good this year."

Who would have thought the “good” he was referring to was becoming the World Series MVP (hitting .412, two home-runs, six RBIs) simultaneously helping the underdog Giants win their first championship since moving to San Francisco.

“This year nobody believed what we could do, and that's so amazing,” Rentaria said, “Its a different feeling because they built the team to win (in 1997) and this year we got the guys to win a different way."

What 1997 team is he referring to you ask? Well, the Colombian shortstop is no stranger to being a World Series Hero. He was also the savior for the Florida Marlins in game 7 of the 1997 World Series. With two outs and bases loaded, Rentaria singled off of Charles Nagy and drive in the winning run to give the Marlins the World Series title.  With this years game-winning RBI, Rentaria joins baseball legends: Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gherig to become the only players to hit game-winning RBIs in two World Series-Clinching games. Wow! That's a very impressive list to be a part of.

A very humble Rentaria took to twitter to send out his thanks:

“Gracias a Dios y todos mis fans por su apoyo! Logramos ganar la serie. Estoy feliz por el logro.Gracias a todos por sus mensajes! " Congratulations to Edgar Rentaria and the San Francisco Giants for winning MLB's coveted prize!"

Did you watch the 2010 World Series? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags 2010 World Series, Edgar Rentaria, MLB, San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers

By Sharmaine Jones

MLB's World Series is slowly approaching and of the four teams still in contention, its still a little too close to predict a winner. With a playoff race as close as this one, you bet celebrities are in attendance in hopes of giving their team that extra umph.

Image : Concrete Loop

After being down 5 runs to 1, the NY Yankees rallied back in the 8th inning to come back and defeat the Texas Rangers 6-5 in game 1 of the ALCS playoff game.  Unfortunately, its been down-hill for the Yanks ever since. The Rangers have been on a tear winning the next 3 games with ease (7-2, 8-0, 10-3) and now have the Bronx Bombers facing an elimination game 5 today (October 20) in Yankee Stadium. There's much doubt about the direction of the series, but the Yankees can count on one thing: their celebrity fans will be cheering!
Rapper/Entertainment mogul Jay-Z, singer Kevin Jonas and his wife Daniella Deleasa and director Penny Marshall came out to Yankee stadium for game 3 to check out the game. Michael Jordan was in the stands for game 4 and other celebs Sent out twit-support:

“Glee's” Kristen Chenoweth: “@Nemesis_Prime u know I just love baseball period. (And basketball) I do love the yanks. My daddy loved Mantle. Oklahoma boy. "

“House's” Jennifer Morrison was told of the Yankees' game 4 loss via twitter but stayed loyal:
“Anyone know who won the yankees/ rangers game and the score? / Ah man! I was hoping the yankees won! Thanks for the info!” she goes on to tweet, “@maaraki1 I have a home in NY and LA. So it makes sense for me to be a yankees fan :)”

And probably one of the biggest Yankee fans of them all, Mayor Mike Bloomberg not only went to the game, but he sent out “hoo-rahs” via twitter:
“On my way to Game 4. The comeback starts tonight. Lets go @Yankees!!"

We're wondering why Cameron Diaz wasn't spotted at the game, could there be trouble on the homefront?

The Yankees aren't the only ones with A+ fans, the Texas Rangers have some pretty high powered celebs in their corner too. Former President Geoge “dubya” Bush and Hall of Fame pitcher and Rangers president Nolan Ryan were in attendance in Texas for game 1. If Texas fails to close out the Yankees tonight, we're betting the two will be front and center for game 6 Friday.

As for the NLCS, the San Francisco Giants defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 in game 1. The Phillies were able to win game 2 6-1 but the Giants shut them out 3-0 in game 3 to once again, take the lead in the series (2-1). Game 4 will be held tonight (October 20) at AT&T park.

Vice President Joe Biden was in attendance for game 1 to support the Phillies and the beautiful Marisa Miller showed her love for the Giants, as well as her down-to-earth side, by throwing the first pitch against the L.A. Dodgers back in September. Home run king Barry Bonds drew cheers from the crowd when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch in game 3 vs the Phillies.

Which team has the best celebrity fans? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags ALCS, Cameron Diaz, George Bush, Jay Z, Jennifer Morrison, Joe Biden, Kristin Chenoweth, Marissa Miller, Mike Bloomberg, MLB Baseball, NLCS, Nolan Ryan, NY Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers