Archive for the 'Baseball' Category

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30
Jun
09

Owner Bobbleheads are the Newest Collector’s Item

By slanch 2 Comments
Categories: Awesome, Baseball and Boston
Tags: , , , ,

ebffbe1413_Henry_06302009Red Sox owner John Henry married his blushing 30 year old bride, Linda Pizzuti over the weekend at Fenway while the Sox were out on the road. Instead of boring gifts for their guests, the billionaire gave out silver picture-frames with the guests standing in front of the Green Monster or with the World Series trophies. Pretty sweet!

As well, when the friends and family streamed out of the stadium they were given an additional present, a John Henry/Linda bobblehead! Unfortunately for the Henry’s, according to the gossip hounds over at the Boston Herald, “Many, many, of the parting gifts, we’re told, were left behind.”

[Boston Herald]

30
Jun
09

Who Says Girls Can’t Brawl

By slanch Leave a Comment
Categories: Awesome and Baseball
Tags: , ,

batfaceDuring a softball game in Colorado Springs last night a brawl broke out that required the police to come and contain the situation. According to the Colorado Springs police department criminal blotter the police were forced to come out to the Four Diamond Sports Complex as up to 30 people, some with baseball bats were fighting.

The brawl, between Cheyenne Mountain and Wasson High School girls’ softball teams, started when one player was hit with a pitch and then charged the mound. That girl was ejected and subsequently one of the coaches started ranting at the ump, who then stopped play.

Then, as players and fans were leaving there was another “physical confrontation” in the parking lot. Among the arrested includes a woman charged with third-degree assault and two juvenile girls being investigated for fighting.

As players and spectators were leaving an argument and “physical confrontation” took place in the parking lot, police said.

Sounds like a fun night!

[Denver Post]

30
Jun
09

Francouer’s Gobble Gobble Underwear

By slanch Leave a Comment
Categories: Baseball
Tags: , , ,

jeffWhen Jeff Francouer was called up in 2005 from Double-A I almost immediately fell in baseball-love. The young prospect started his career with a .300 avg, 14 HRs in just 257 ABs and an OPS+ of 126 seemed to signal a future superstar. Toss in his prodigious throwing arm and his enthusiasm for the game and I was smitten. His first full year though saw the average drop to .260 but he also managed to knock 30 balls over the wall and was still seemingly learning the game. Another reason I (used to) pine for Francouer; up until last season, the life-long Red Sox fan was using a Red Sox branded credit card until several of his Braves teammates chided him and made him get rid of it. Despite growing up in Georgia, Francouer has always been a Red Sox fan and that always makes someone better in my book.

These days Francouer has gone from struggling to anemic. He was sent down to the minors last year in an attempt to get him back on track, which unfortunately didn’t help. In an effort to both help his scuffling team and his own stats, Francouer told reporters he will be wearing his lucky Thanksgiving-themed turkey boxer briefs. According to Francouer the Braves are 7-0 when he wears the lucky briefs, including Sunday’s 2-1 win over the Red Sox.

Knowing the team needed a win on Sunday, especially with rookie pitcher Tommy Hanson suffering a bout of the flu, before the game Francouer let his team know everything would work out; “I wore the turkey underwear,” he announced.

Francouer’s wife Catie washed the boxers yesterday, and Francouer intends to wear them again today, the first time he’s worn them in back-to-back games.

[AJC]

29
Jun
09

I Don’t Care for That Last Call You Made

By slanch Leave a Comment
Categories: Awesome and Baseball
Tags: , ,

Big league front offices like to instill a standard set of values and training methods in their minor league players starting from the early-going, clearly the Braves are doing the same with their managers. Bobby Cox holds the all-time record for most ejections, Double-A Mississippi Braves manager became legendary for an ejection where he lobbed a rosin bag as a grenade amongst other antics, now, Randy Ingle of the Single A Rome Braves can add his name to the illustrious list of blustery Braves mangers.

Following a blown call down the third base line, Ingle gets into it with the home plate umpire, eventually walks down the line, picks up third, places it around the shortstop position and then signals “Foul” which is what he believed the ump should have done before. Well-played sir.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

[Augusta]

29
Jun
09

Khalil Greene Needs a Hug

By slanch 1 Comment
Categories: Baseball
Tags: , ,

7233From the papers of St. Louis comes this:

Infielder Khalil Greene was absent from the lineup for a second straight game Saturday after experiencing what the club hopes is only a temporary setback in his battle against an anxiety-related disorder.

So Khalil Greene is on the DL with a case of the SAD? I have to imagine that he’s having a hard time if it has now caused him to go on the DL twice this season. At the same time, I wonder if having your employers constantly announcing to the media that you have an anxiety problem isn’t compounding the issue…

[STL Today]

29
Jun
09

The Bat Man Does Tricks

By slanch Leave a Comment
Categories: Awesome and Baseball
Tags: , ,

Remember Josh Womack of the Long Beach Armada who had the neat little bat trick? Well, it turns out he was only getting started, he’s got a whole bunch more in his arsenal and he’s slowly letting them out as the Armada see a possible way to drum up attention for a player who otherwise hasn’t been too successful.

Now, I may be crazy, but I wonder if just some of the time that Womack spent practicing these tricks could have been better spent practicing actual baseball skills if he might have done better than a minor league career .257 average and an OPS of .702? Either way, these bat tricks are totally cool.

29
Jun
09

Mariners Fans Have New Reason to Go to Games

By slanch Leave a Comment
Categories: Awesome, Baseball and Football
Tags: , , , , , ,

safecotoplessGoing to see a Seattle Mariners game or Seattle Seahawks game is going to be a lot more fun thanks to a judge’s ruling that will allow a new strip club, named “Deja Vu” a few hundred feet from Safeco Field and Qwest Field. The Mariners had taken Roger Forbes, the owner of Deja Vu to court trying to utilize a city ordinance that bans adult enterprises  within 800 feet of any community center, child care center, elementary or secondary school or public parks and open space use.

The Mariners were arguing that their stadium fits that description but Judge John Erlick disagreed and Forbes’ permit was upheld.

“We’re very happy,” said Forbes’ attorney Peter Buck. “It’s a huge go ahead signal, with a strong opinion by a good judge.”

Now plenty of fans can go to the game, stop by the strip club, enjoy the buffet and come home sated. I’m just disappointed that there are all of a couple hundred feet between the stadium and the club, there had better be a shuttle or pedi-cab or something…

[KREM]

23
Jun
09

Fake Umpires to Invade NYC

By slanch 1 Comment
Categories: Awesome and Baseball
Tags: , , ,

fake-umps-jay-gameIf you’ve seen any Blue Jays games this season you’ve probably seen the two fans who sit directly behind home plate dressed in complete umpiring gear, including face-masks, and call the games along with the real umps. The two men, Tim Williams and Joe Farrell are Blue Jays season ticket holders and work as traders at the Toronto Stock Exchange and acquired all their authentic gear from a chance encounter with two umpires at a steakhouse.

Now, they are taking their act on the road, having followed their Jays to Washington DC for the recent series with the Nationals. They intend on traveling to Oakland for a series in August and during the upcoming series with the Yankees on July 3-5 the Yankees’ own broadcasting arm, YES, is bringing the two down to sit behind home. Amazingly they didn’t have to bump anyone out of the seats, because no one ever sits there anyways. What does it say about the Yankees that in their first season at their new home the only way they can get people to sit behind home in their exorbitantly expensive seats is to GIVE THEM AWAY TO THE OPPOSING TEAMS’ FANS?!!?

[Fanhouse]

23
Jun
09

An Angels and Zombies Doppelganger

By slanch 3 Comments
Categories: Baseball, Celebrities and Doppelgangers
Tags: , ,

When the Angels arrived in the World Series in 2002 they did so with two very important rookie pitchers; Francisco Rodriguez, quickly dubbed K-Rod, who powered the bullpen and John Lackey a strong-armed starting pitcher who was given the daunting task of starting game 7 of the World Series. Lackey, and the Angels won, obviously, and since then he has been when healthy, one of the better starting pitchers in the American League. Nick Frost had the good sense to become best friends with Simon Pegg long before Pegg became famous and as Pegg’s acting career took off, he brought Frost along on the journey. Starring in Shaun of the Dead, as Pegg’s best friend Ed, Frost introduced himself to a worldwide audience and stole most of the scenes he was in. Despite being born nearly 5000 miles away from one another, these two gentleman share quite the resemblance as pointed out by loyal reader the roomate.

What do YOU think, make sure to VOTE in the POLL below so that this doppelganger can breathe the fresh air of freedom that is on the permanent Doppelgangers page.

LackeyFrost

23
Jun
09

Jose Gets Rear-Ended

By slanch Leave a Comment
Categories: Baseball
Tags: , , , ,

ReyestruckDecimated by injuries — last night the Mets starting lineup featured 3 members of the team’s Opening Day starting lineup — the last thing the Mets need is to have anything upset the recovery of their walking wounded. Yesterday, while heading to the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan for a check-up, Jose Reyes and team trainer Ray Ramirez were rear-ended on the RFK Bridge by a firetruck.

While fortunately no one was hurt, what is even more interesting is that the Mets initially had no intention of announcing the accident had happened until last night’s starting pitcher, Tim Redding accidentally told reporters about the incident. Ooops!

“I got here about 10 after 4 and a lot of things were going on,” Redding said. “Apparently a lot of things were going on all over the city. Our shortstop and our trainer, who’s been working his butt off to keep us on the field, got into an accident. Carlos was getting an MRI and being placed on the DL. And people were being moved, brought up and sent all over the place. So it was a whirlwind day.”

The Mets then were forced to issue a statement and explain what happened so as to not cause even MORE panic amongst their fans. In the meantime, from now on Jose Reyes should be transported in a truck filled with mattresses.

[NJ.com]

22
Jun
09

Who Knew I’d Ever Side With a Yankee Fan

By slanch Leave a Comment
Categories: Awesome, Baseball and Douches
Tags: , , ,

Here’s a scream-filled fight video from the game yesterday between the Marlins and Yankees down in friendly Florida. Some father, along with his young daughter intends to take in the game and instead has some crazed other fan attack him. Now, obviously, something was said earlier that set this all off prior to the video rolling but at least in the video it’s clear who was the aggressor. I will say the attacker makes a pretty crazy leap towards the dad, and the guy who is filming it makes a nice understatement when he turns the camera on himself and says “Holy shit!”

Happy Father’s Day!

22
Jun
09

More Examples of Why John Sterling Sucks

By slanch 3 Comments
Categories: Baseball and Douches
Tags: ,

I’m on record saying that I think John Sterling is possibly one of the WORST baseball announcers to listen to. For a man in his 60s to keep using and overusing such hokey, lame home run calls as he does is inexcusable. Now, obviously, I’m no Yankees fan, but I would hope that any reasonable Yankees fan would agree that Sterling comes off as a tool of the largest order when he makes such calls as “It’s a text message, from Teixeira” when making a home run call. Just describe the goddamn game and tell me what’s happening. I find it astonishing that for a team with as much money as the Yankees that they have the most unwatchable TV broadcast (with Michael Kay and Ken Singleton) and the most unlistenable radio broadcast (Suzyn Waldman makes me want to insert a chisel into my brain.)

Anyways… Here is John Sterling doing his “Yankees Win” call after a game last season. Look at how he looks around immediately afterwards seeking approval from those around him. If you’ve never seen a 60 year old shake and shimmy like this before you’re lucky; it’s an image that won’t leave your brain soon.

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