Archive for July, 2008



14
Jul
08

MLB All Star Fanfest, A Moderately Fun Time!

cnt_9130fanfestWith the All Star game tomorrow, there have been a ton of various MLB sponsored events around town. To take part in the festivities (since my press pass to the All-Star Game itself must have gotten lost in the mail), I headed over to the Fan Fest at the Javitz center on Sunday.

This was my first time ever at an event like this, so I wasn’t sure what to fully expect. When we arrived at the convention center, the simple act of buying tickets became a clusterfuck, as it took us a couple minutes to find the place where they even sell the tickets. Fortunately, while waiting in line a friendly scalper came by and sold us tickets at less than face value. Hey, thanks!

Tickets in hand, we could see the entrance to the event only a few feet away. Instead of conveniently walking through and getting into the fest, we instead had to walk back outside, go down some stairs, through a long snaking path, up an escalator, around a corner into another snaking line and then finally we came back to where we had bought our tickets and were eventually allowed entry.

Upon entering, we checked out the various items up for auction: some cool jerseys, balls, bats and other cool memorabilia for those of you with healthier checking balances than I. There were multiple a cappella groups performing around the area, which was totally fortunate since a cappella totally sucks. There was however a dope set-up of all the various hats of the minor leagues, arranged by team, which was very neat to see and there were some excellent hats.

We wandered around and saw all the trophies of baseball. Did you even know that the NL base-stealing champion wins the Lou Brock award? I didn’t. Apparently the AL guy gets nothing. Strange. The trophies were somewhat interesting, for example, I’d much rather, based on aesthetics, win the Home Run Derby trophy or the World Series MVP than the regular season MVP which is just a boring plaque.

Hilariously, they had some giant-size posters of players hanging from the ceiling. The ones that I noticed were from such current All Stars like Barry Zito, and my personal favorite, Kaz Sasaki. He’s only been out of the league since 2003, so I can see why they’d be anxious to market him…

Continue reading ‘MLB All Star Fanfest, A Moderately Fun Time!’

11
Jul
08

Let’s Make Papa Proud

The annual running of the bulls in Pamplona started on the 6th and will be going until the 14th, every day they set 6 of the bulls loose and head them towards their inevitable death. Sporty! Hemmingway made it sound like a fun adventure, so I won’t hear any ninnying from the PETA folk.

My new favorite, The Big Picture, an all hi-res image photo blog, releases new sets of photos every few days and the latest are from the bull runs and fights this week, they are totally boss.

You should absolutely go to the page itself and check them out in their full large size glory, since I can’t even begin to do these pictures true justice thanks to my layout, but there’s one more, totally graphic, picture I want to post. Join us below the jump to check out what happens a bull gets got.

Continue reading ‘Let’s Make Papa Proud’

11
Jul
08

I Disagree With Your Call and Would Like A Word About it

Here’s one of the better minor league manager melt-downs to have happened this season, manager Kash Beauchamp of the Wichita Wingnuts in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball felt that the umpire might have missed the call. At least, I think that’s what he was trying to say when he took his shoe off and shoved it in the umpire’s face.

“It’s weird-it just comes out of nowhere, the ejections and stuff.” Beauchamp told the Wichita Eagle. “When I’m gone, (my brain) is gone, all I know is somehow I ended up in my socks. I don’t even know how I got into my socks. I was looking for my shoes and I had no idea where they were.”


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11
Jul
08

Corey Hart Gets All Star Bid, Daughter Gets A Beer Bath

Corey Hart was voted in by the fans to his first All-Star game and his teammates couldn’t have been more excited for him, deciding to invade his press conference and shower him with beer. It’s a totally awesome gesture and shows how genuinely excited and happy for him his teammates are, but they clearly didn’t think about that he was holding his infant daughter. Oops!

Vodpod videos no longer available.

I assume she’s fine, but if as she becomes a teenager she starts dancing on tables and begging men to spray her with champagne and beer we’ll know exactly where that desire came from.

[Awful Announcing]


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11
Jul
08

One Fan Gets Pure Enjoyment from Baseball

The Rays have been a feel-good story all season long, already having won more games than they did their entire 2002. Attendance has been slowly rising but the residents of Tampa and St. Pete haven’t gotten fully on-board as yet.

Sports by Brooks found this the other day of one fan doing his best to add to the feel-good and to make the attendance rise.

Sure, she might not be giving him a handjob, but I prefer to be an optimist.

[Sports by Brooks]


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11
Jul
08

Titletown Has Finally Been Worth it

Titletown is one of the most uninteresting segments ESPN has done this side of “Who’s Now,” but the other day, while supporting Gainesville’s chances to arbitrarily be dubbed “Titletown,” Erin Andrews did her best Gene Simmons impression.

I know what sports fans will be dreaming about tonight…


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10
Jul
08

Being Hammered New Qualification for Refs

The NBA had Tim Donaghy fixing games, which is a pretty dastardly thing to do, but in the soccer leagues of Belarus they have a very different problem with their referees, drunkenness.

Initially, referee Sergei Schmolik was escorted off the field and taken to the hospital for tests because it seemed like his back was hurting him. It wasn’t. His strange refereeing style may have had something to do with the fact that he instead tested for high levels of alcohol in his system.

“The stadium crowd were stunned by Shmolik’s peculiar behaviour. The referee was hardly moving by the end of the match, which ended in a 1-1 draw, as he officiated the game from the centre circle, refusing to go to his pocket for any cards throughout.

“I haven’t seen a drunk referee before. It’s just beyond my comprehension,” said Belarus national coach Berndt Stange, who was at the game.”

I particularly love the wave he gives to the crowd as he comes off the field, I just can’t believe they even needed to test for alcohol, as it seems pretty clear to me that he’s hammered, but then again, I’d be hammered if I was in Belarus too…

[Sports by Brooks]

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10
Jul
08

Triplets Slam Homers in Order of Birth!

In a tournament game in South Point, WV, Portsmouth High hit three home runs in a row on their way to a victory, amazingly, they were hit by triplets, in order of their birth!

Matt, Howard and John Harcha play together for the Portsmouth team and during a May 17th game for the first time ever, the triplets homered in succession. Howard, the oldest by about a minute, generally is derided by his brothers for only having batting practice power, proved them wrong by crushing a grand slam. John followed with a solo shot of his own, and then it was left up to the youngest, Matt.

“I had the most pressure on me,” Matt Harcha said, “the other two hit one and everyone was looking at me. The pressure was on. It was our last home game, and it was my last at bat when I hit mine.”

For the season the triplets combined for 10 homers, John had 5, Matt 4 and Howard just the one. All three are planning on attending Ohio State University in the fall.

After their unique feat, a local sports fan submitted the accomplishment to Ripley’s Believe it or Not, which accepted it. Even neater, the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown is also planning on having an item about their exploit.

“It’s pretty cool,” Matt had to say after the game, “Pretty awesome.”


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10
Jul
08

Does This Mean the Macarena Era is Over?

Oaks Christian, a highly regarded prep-school in California is apparently quite the popular place for the wealthy and talented to drop their teenagers to receive an education; or play sports.

The latest transfer to their football team, I mean academic campus, is one Nicholas Montana. By name he sounds like an excellent old west Marshal, in actuality he’s the son of Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana; you might have heard of him.

Montana is now the 4th quarterback to transfer to the Oaks Christian team, making for quite the crowded backfield–I live for high school football. Recently, another transfer, Tony Macarena, was named the starter after out-competing 6 other players. When pressed for reaction to the newest transfer, Macarena’s only response was a robust hip swing and a sharp turn 90 degrees to the right.

Among the other quarterbacks competing for the starting gig, Trevor Gretzky, son of hockey legend Wayne, brother of hottie Paulina Gretzky. I’m holding out hope for Gretzky, I took him in my REALLY deep fantasy football keeper league and am counting on him to lead my team to glory in 2016.

The grand winner of this competition gets the real prize, he’ll get to throw his passes to Will Smith’s son, sophomore Trey. It’s like an episode of Made!

With such celebrity parents and sports legends, it might be daunting coaching such a team, but according to coach Bill Redell, “What I have found is when you are coaching kids with famous parents, they are humble and the families are very cooperative. They understand the game and they understand decisions have to be made. I’ve never had a problem.”

Could this recruiting class get any better? “Well, Michael Jordan said his son’s coming and Babe Ruth’s great, great grandson is supposed to enroll,” Redell said, before adding, “I’m only kidding.”


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09
Jul
08

A Boy Who Loves to Play Baseball

Here is the story of Adam Bender, he’s 8 years old and plays catcher on his Little League team in Kentucky. When he was 1 years old his leg was amputated due to cancer, he doesn’t use a prosthesis and only uses his crutches when he’s on base. He also over the weekend got a chance to meet a bunch of the Reds at their stadium and throw out the first pitch, a week after he got to hang out with the White Sox. Excuse me for a minute the room just got really dusty…

09
Jul
08

I Hope They All Watch “Bring it On”

So as the Olympics come closer, more stories about the preparations and extreme steps the Chinese are taking to make the games go off well and have the media report good things about China. To that end, the Chinese have created the largest cheerleading squad ever, over 200,000 people! The cheerleaders are comprised of people from all walks of life, from students to retired civil servants–who I’m sure have by far the best moves–and will learn some simple dance steps and have nosiemaking thunderstix to excite the crowds.

From the 200,000 there will also be an elite group of 400 who will server as cheerleaders, dancers and acrobats. To help get these teams ready since China has no history of cheerleaders, the games organizers arranged for the teams to get training from the New England Patriots cheerleaders.

The girls have been training for 4-6 hour days and are gearing up for the games.

“‘Everyone knows cheerleading is a Western activity, but we hope we can find a Chinese way to do it [and] show the world,” says He He, who sports long, dyed-red hair and a sparkly belly-button ring.”

Let the games begin!

09
Jul
08

Mike Lowell Caught Stealing

Controversy invades Fenway! Mike Lowell was caught stealing the other night, but not on the bases. This vidcap from Monday’s game shows Lowell along the 3rd base box seats swiping an unsuspecting fan’s cell phone while everyone is distracted by a foul ball.

“I always just look to see if there’s like peanuts or nachos… and no one ever on the third base side… I think they banned like nachos, peanuts and popcorn there… because no one ever eats them,” Lowell admitted under intense questioning.

But that’s not all, Lowell, who makes nearly $12 million a season wanted to try and make a quick score off this fan.

“I kinda just want to take one from them to see their reaction. I guess a cell phone could have been good. If it was his wallet it would have been better. If it was his wallet I would have kept it in my pocket until the end of the game and then I would have given it back to him. I think that one would have been good.”

That’s how identity theft happens Mike. It all starts with a millionaire baseball player stealing credit card numbers. We’re all onto you! Just because you look like you should be Zorro doesn’t mean you are allowed to steal from the people around you.

Sigh.

You’re just so damned handsome and debonair. I can’t stay mad at you. Besides, you did say it was all in fun…

Continue reading ‘Mike Lowell Caught Stealing’




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