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Tag: Baseball

  • Cardinals’ Plane Delayed at Airport Terminal

    Today has not been the best for the St. Louis Cardinals. Instead of traveling problem-free to Boston for Game 6 of the World Series, the players spent extra hours at an airport delaying their arrival into the Boston area. In fact, several hours were spent aboard the plane while the team members were forced to wait for mechanical problems to be sorted.

    While there is no specific word on what led to the mechanical problems, the St. Louis area experienced heavy rain on Tuesday.

    Manager Mike Matheny explained that the players waited on the runway without specific word on when the plane would be able to depart. However, fans of the team should not feel disheartened that the delay interfered with practice time. Tuesday was expected to be an off day for practicing.

    However, the delay was used as an excuse for some people on Twitter to poke fun at the team’s predicament.

    It appears that team members took the delay (and the teasing) in stride. Michael Wacha, who is reported to start Game 6 for St. Louis, said that his teammates were using the delay to relax and watch movies. You know, to get their heads in the game!

    [Image Via Facebook]

  • James Taylor Messes Up National Anthem at World Series Games [VIDEO]

    It happens to the best of us, right? We’re ready to sing a song or recite something we’ve done a million times and know by heart, only to have a brain fart. This happened to James Taylor on Thursday when he sang the national anthem at Game 2 of the World Series in Boston. Taylor momentarily forgot which song he was supposed to be singing. Watch the flub below.

    “Oh, beautiful…,” Taylor began instead of starting with “Oh, say can you see.” Whoops, a case of confusing patriotic songs. After accidentally launching into “America the Beautiful” instead of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Taylor quickly recovered and otherwise pulled off the national anthem without a hitch. Taylor was singing “America the Beautiful” during the seventh inning stretch, which explains why he started off with a couple words from the wrong song.

    Messing up the national anthem in front of millions of people would cause many musicians to have an “oh, crap” moment and force them to start over, but not James Taylor. He changed to the right song so quickly that you almost didn’t realize he made a mistake. If you’re going to mess up, that’s how you do it.

    While most folks are usually quick to be very critical of anyone who messes up the national anthem, most people were very understanding of Taylor’s mistake:

    Taylor, a Boston native, was happy to be at Fenway Park singing at the World Series. “It’s been a hard year for Boston,” Taylor said, referring to the Marathon bombings. “I’m glad I can do this. I’ve been struck by how personally everyone in the city responded and how much it made us feel like a community.”

    [Image via YouTube]

  • Boston Red Sox Advance to World Series with Grand Slam

    Fenway Park was packed on Saturday night for Game 6 of the American League Championship between the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers . The Red Sox were trailing 2-1, but the crowd was still in good spirits. The crowd sang, “Don’t worry about a thing, ’cause every little thing is gonna be all right,” — the chorus to Bob Marley’s song, “Three Little Birds.”

    Shane Victorino stepped to the plate in the seventh inning with the bases loaded. Then came Tigers reliever, Jose Veras. Strike one…strike two… Victorino missed on both curve balls from Veras. Then came another throw by Veras but this time Victorino connected. Victorino hit the ball just past the Green Monster for a Grand Slam, putting the Sox ahead 5 -2 over the Tigers, whose bullpen gave yet another disappointing performance.

    As Victorino made his way around the diamond, the dugout celebrated and the stadium cheered.”It’s one of those moments you live for,” said Victorino, “Just listen to the crowd…the one thing I came here to do is to be a part of this city. With all we went through as a city, there’s definitely a bond.”
    (image)
    “My emotions are getting me,” Victorino said, “A special moment. Something I will never forget.

    The Red Sox won the series, four games to two and will start the World Series at Fenway Park on Wednesday night against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night to win NL pennant.

    “This series had a little bit of everything — dramatic comeback wins, dominant starting pitching, particularly on their part,” said Red Sox Manager, John Farrell. “You couldn’t have asked for a better series. It tested everything we had, pushed us to the limit.”

    Also worth mentioning, is the Red Sox pitcher, Koji Uehara, who got the last three outs for his team and went on to win the series MVP award.

    Game one of the World Series starts Wednesday.

     

  • Cardinals Defeat Dodgers, Advance to World Series

    Fans of the St. Louis Cardinals are cheering today. Game 6 of the NL championship series proved fruitful for the St. Louis Cardinals as the team advanced to the World Series after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers, which grosses the second highest payroll within the league with an astonishing combined total of $220 million (9-0). This win serves as the 19th NL pennant for the Cardinals, where the team will go on to compete against either the Boston Red Sox or the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday for Game 1 of the World Series.

    Carlos Beltran shared his enthusiasm over his team’s win. “I’m so happy right now. We did it as a team. We fought hard, we worked hard all season long and thank god we’re here,” he said.

    The game was won, in part, due to the incredible pitching skills of relative newbie Michael Wacha (who was the 19th pick in the 1st round of the 2012 amateur draft).

    Starter Joe Kelly had nothing but positive things to say about right-handed Michael Wacha. “There’s not anything you can’t say about him [Michael Wacha]. He’s just going out there and pitching his butt off right now and as you can see he’s just a pretty damn good pitcher,” Joe Kelly said.

    (image)

    Though there are high expectations for the team, fans of the Cardinals stick by their players through thick and thin, even through the loss of Game 5 and now the win of Game 6.

    [Images Via Facebook Page For the St. Louis Cardinals]

  • Cal Ripken’s Mom Fends Off Man With Gun

    Cal Ripken’s Mom Fends Off Man With Gun

    Cal Ripken, Jr.’s 75-year-old mother was the victim of an attempted carjacking on Tuesday. Fortunately for Vi Ripken, she was able to think quickly under pressure and scared the would-be carjacker away.

    Vi says that she was approached by a man with a handgun in the parking lot of a bank on Tuesday afternoon. The mom of baseball’s Iron Man said that the man showed her his gun and demanded she turn over her keys. Instead of complying with the man’s demands, however, Vi pressed the panic button on her car key fob, and the man left.

    After notifying the bank of the attempted carjacking, Vi filed a police report and police had a suspect in custody less than three hours later, thanks to the man’s picture being captured by an ATM. Jesse Brown, 33, was charged with attempted armed robbery, attempted armed carjacking, possessing a dangerous weapon, first degree assault and several controlled substance related charges. He is being held without bond.

    Interestingly enough, this isn’t the first time that Cal Ripken, Jr.’s mom has had a gun on her over the past 18 months. In July 2012, Vi Ripken was taken from her home at gunpoint. She was returned around 24 hour later unharmed.

    After a year passed with no suspects, Cal offered up a $100,000 reward this past August for anyone who could offer up information leading to the arrest of his mom’s abductor, but police still never made any arrests in that case. Since the attempted armed carjacking came just several weeks after Cal offered a reward, some have wondered if the two crimes were connected, but police say that doesn’t appear to be the case.

    Cal Ripken, Jr. was known for being a pretty tough baseball player in his day, and it’s easy to see that he gets it from his mama.

    Image via The Baltimore Sun

  • Strike 3 Call: “Whoomp, There It Is!” [VIDEO]

    Strike 3 Call: “Whoomp, There It Is!” [VIDEO]

    Do you ever hear the phrase, “Whoomp, there it is!” anymore? Well, you’re about to, especially if your kid plays fall baseball. And no, it’s not because you’ve been transported back to the 90s when the song was made popular by Tag Team.

    It might be a little surprising to watch a baseball-related video in October and it not be about the MLB playoffs, but it’s easy to see why the video below is getting so much attention. It isn’t often that videos on a strike 3 call are about anything other than complaining, let alone do they bring such amusement. Check out the video below and make sure your speakers are turned up, because the enthusiastic call made by the umpire in the video is guaranteed to crack you up.

    If all strikeouts were called like that, walking back to the dugout wouldn’t be quite as bad.

    The hilarious video was posted to Instagram by former MLB player Mark Mulder, who played for the Oakland A’s and St. Louis Cardinals. The video is only seven seconds long, but it’s probably a safe bet that you’ll spend more time than that on the video. And in the midst of cracking up at the umpire yelling out “Whoomp, there it is!” on the strike 3 call, don’t miss the umpire’s little move that accompanies the call.

    Twitter users are loving the video, and it has been liked by more than 1,000 Instagram users so far (with more likes sure to come, now that the video has hit viral mode).

    Watch more baseball videos that went viral below.

    Image via WikiMedia Commons

  • KHSAA: No Post-Game Handshakes in High School Sports

    The Lexington Herald Leader reported yesterday that the Kentucky High School Athletic Association has issued a new directive instructing teams not to make their players participate in post-game handshake lines, the reasoning being that too many altercations have taken place. Affected sports include baseball, basketball, football, soccer, and wrestling.

    “Unfortunately, the adrenaline and effort required to participate in the sport sometimes seems to deplete the supply of judgment available to participants,” the Commissioner’s Directive reads, which went out to Kentucky high schools yesterday. “While it is an obvious sign of sportsmanship and civility, many incidents have occurred … where fights and physical conflicts have broken out.”

    “The message needed to be gotten out there clearly that some of the things we always assumed would go smoothly would not go smooth,” Commissioner Julian Tackett said. “Above all, don’t rely on the officials to monitor it [the handshake line]. That’s not their job.”

    Over two dozen fights have occurred at Kentucky high school sporting events in the last three years during the post-game handshake lines. There are no specific rules requiring the handshake lines, but coaches sometimes make their players participate as a matter of civility and honor.

    The new policy states that the teams are not to participate in any more handshaking than required by the National Federation of State High School Association’s playing rules. If the teams want to shake hands, the interaction is to be highly supervised. Any altercations are to be reported to the KHSAA and both teams will be held liable. “You’re on notice, if you’re going to do this, you’re going to be accountable,” Tackett said.

    As for game officials, KHSAA reps and referees are expected to leave immediately following the game without being involved in any post-game activities. As independent contractors, the officials will be penalized if they involve themselves. Tackett: “[If parents were really concerned about sportsmanship], they wouldn’t treat the referees like they do — chase them off the fields, follow them to cars, not to mention the language that’s used.”

    If you want to see a couple reactions from Kentucky high school coaches about the new regulation, this video may interest you:

    [Image via WYMT Sports]

  • Grant Balfour’s “Rage” Clears Benches in ALDS

    If the great community of Reddit has taught us one thing (and it has taught the world many-a-things), it’s that Australians are weird. They just are. And A’s Australian-born closer, Grant Balfour, is no exception to that rule.

    “He’s always yelling – whether it’s at himself or the hitter or the umpire; I never know,” fellow A’s reliever Sean Doolittle stated about Balfour.

    A’s first baseman Brandon Moss backed Doolittle’s statement: “Honestly, I know Balfour is fiery on the mound. He’s yelling a lot and spitting everywhere. It’s who he is. You know, sometimes it can ruffle the feathers of other teams. Being a hitter, I can see where it’s frustrating and it can be in the moment; it can frustrate you a lot.”

    In Monday’s Game 3 of the ALDS, Detroit Tigers’s designated hitter, Victor Martinez, found Balfour’s shouting a bit more than frustrating: “I hit a foul ball, and I was looking at him (Balfour), and he said ‘What the (expletive) are you looking at?,’” Martinez said. “I don’t know what he wanted. I was looking at him, because I wanted him to throw the next pitch. Where did he want me to look? I don’t know what he expected me to do.”

    History would suggest that Balfour probably didn’t expect Martinez to do anything. Balfour’s aimless shouting is so famous in Oakland that it has its own moniker – the Balfour Rage.

    However, on this particular night, Balfour found disagreement with the look Martinez sent toward the mound: “He gave me a death stare, and I asked him what he was looking at. If he’s going to stare me down, come out to the mound. That’s all I said.”

    At least, that is all Balfour said in very censored language. What Balfour actually said was “What the f*ck are you looking at?” – something the entire world had the enjoyment of being able to hear in the national telecast.

    Victor Martinez was not about to be intimidated by Balfour’s use of profanity, however: “I’ve played against the greatest closer in baseball — Mariano (Rivera) — and he’s never done anything like that. (Balfour) starts screaming at me, but I’m not a rookie. I don’t take that (expletive). I’m a veteran, and I’m a leader on my teams. (Expletive) him. He can’t intimidate me.”

    Balfour professes that he was confused by the reaction from Martinez, stating “If I’d run it in there, I understand, but I didn’t go in there the whole at-bat. So I was like, ‘Why are you staring me down?’ ”

    Even if there was confusion from both of the parties immediately involved, neither bench shied away from coming to their aid of their teammate. Following the intense verbal confrontation between Balfour and Martinez, both the Tigers’s and A’s benches cleared. Neither team was punished, though, seeing as the verbal showdown was all that occurred.

    Tigers fans are hoping that the altercation gives the team the motivation they need to come from behind and win the series. However, Tigers’s catcher, Alex Avila, believes their current plight is enough of a spark: “We’re down 2-1 in a best-of-5 series. That’s all the motivation anyone in this room needs. We don’t need something like that to fire us up when our season is on the line.”

    Here is an uncensored NSFW version of the video:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBQanPT-Oj4

    The next game of the ALDS is currently airing on TBS.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Joe Girardi: Yanks And Cubs To Fight It Out?

    Joe Girardi is reportedly about to have two teams battling it out over who gets him, if sources are correct, and it could end up being very beneficial to him.

    After a slow season, the Cubs have fired manager Dale Sveum and are prepared to make a nice offer to Girardi in the hopes that he’ll come build up some fan love in Chicago. New York, however, will do what they can to keep him, and since his contract isn’t up until October 31st, the Yankees haven’t said whether they’ll give him permission to have a sit-down with the Cubs.

    ”He knows we’d like to have him stay and continue as manager of the New York Yankees as we move forward,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. ”I feel we hired a good one. He’s been a world champion player for us. He’s been a coach, a broadcaster and obviously a world champion manager. So we’ve benefited from having him and we’d like to do that going forward, but we’ll have to speak with him and see how it plays out.”

    Because the Cubs are trying to boost fan attendance at games–which has gone downhill over the past five seasons–it may be more financially viable for them to hire Girardi than it would be to try and woo some free-agent players. Girardi, who currently is under contract for $3 million a year, may be offered between $4 and $5 million to come to Chicago.

    Image: YouTube

  • Pittsburgh Pirates Reach Playoffs After 21 Year Wait

    Andrew McCutchen knew good things were afoot when Francisco Liriano showed up to Tuesday night’s Wild-Card game with his suit on: “He had the expectancy to win. When he showed up with his suit on, that got me hyped up.”

    Not only did Liriano have his suit on, but he also had his suitcase packed. The message from Liriano to his teammates, the fans, and the Cincinnati Reds was obvious – Liriano had all intentions of boarding the next plane to St. Louis.

    And on Tuesday night, the Pirates punched their first class tickets to the Gateway to the West. Before 40, 487 stark-raving mad fans, Liriano and Russell Martin gave the performances of their lives, leading the Pirates to a 6-2 victory over the Reds, marking the first trip to the playoffs for the Pirates in 21 years.

    The last time the Pirates were in the playoffs in 1992, Barry Bonds’s throw home was barely beaten by the Braves’s Sid Bream, allowing the Braves to beat the Pirates in the bottom of the 9th, of Game 7, of the National League championships series.

    This time around, the same scenario was not even close to recurring. Liriano gave up only 4 hits in 7 innings, while striking out 5. Russell Martin, catcher for the Pirates, had a record-setting night at the plate. Russell became the second Pirate ever to have a multi-homer postseason performance in the team’s 132 year history. Russell also became only the second player to hit two home runs in a game played in Pittsburgh, the other being Mickey Mantle. Russell’s 2 home runs also make him only the third catcher in major league history to have a multi-homer postseason game, the other two being Johnny Bench and Gary Carter.

    Russell’s response: “It’s definitely a good feeling, but we’ve still got work to do.”

    Cincinnati has a lot of work to do this off-season. After achieving their 90th win of the season, the Reds lost their last 5 regular season games (3 of which to the Pirates, perhaps foretelling events to come), and literally dropped the ball in their only post-season game.

    In his first ever playoff at-bat in his 1,250 game career, Marlon Byrd blasted a home run into left field to lead off the 2nd inning. It was at this point that Pirates fans showed exactly how ravenous for a win they were, taunting Reds’s pitcher Johnny Cueto by chanting his name: “Cue-to, Cue-to, Cue-to…” Cueto seemingly responded well to the pressure, getting the next batter out. Cueto’s next move, however, captured Tuesday night’s performance by the Reds perfectly, however.

    As Russell Martin dug in at the plate to receive the next pitch from Cueto, the Reds’s pitcher simply dropped the ball. Out of his hand the ball went, skittering into the infield grass.

    Before the game, Reds’s manager Dusty Baker discussed Cueto facing the Pirates’s fans: “If you know Johnny Cueto like I know Johnny Cueto, he thrives in this type of environment.” Apparently Dusty should spend this off-season getting to know his pitcher a little better. After the game, the Reds continued to defend their pitcher and his nerves of steel: “I don’t think he was rattled. That’s one thing with Johnny I don’t worry about,” said Reds’s catcher Ryan Hannigan.

    Cueto himself denied any allegations that the crowd shook his confidence, stating “No, no, I don’t care about those things. I don’t listen to them. It’s like opening day; it’s like any other game. It doesn’t scare me. You may think I was scared when the ball dropped — but the ball dropped.”

    While the Reds are reluctant to blame their pitcher, shortstop Brandon Phillips was not hesitant to blame the team, and even himself, for the Reds’s loss: “We choked. We did. I don’t care about how my teammates feel about what I’m saying right now, because it’s the truth.” Phillips then responded to a question concerning how he felt about his own performance, stating “I choked. I didn’t do nothing. It’s not the team’s fault, it’s my fault. I had the opportunity to come through for the team, and I didn’t do that.”

    While the Reds spend the off-season trying to figure out why the end of their season faltered, Pirates second baseman Neil Walker will be relishing this time of triumph for the city of Pittsburgh: “This is just really special for the city of Pittsburgh. And nobody knows that more than me. I’m 28 years old. I’ve seen a lot of stuff. I’ve been in this organization since 2004. So I know this is special. And what’s really special is that we feel like this is just the beginning.”

    The beginning of the next series for the Pirates starts Thursday in St. Louis, where Pittsburgh faces the regular-season division champions, the Cardinals.

    Image via Facebook

  • Baseball Playoffs Set to Begin Tonight

    It was an amazing finish for three American League teams competing for the right to play in the one game Wild Card that begins on Tuesday night. For the past several weeks, the Texas Rangers, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cleveland Indians fought tooth and nail to outlast the Baltimore Orioles, the New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals. And even after 162 games, there needed to be another game, another dramatic finish for Texas and Tampa Bay who have seemingly been playing like every day was an elimination game.

    On the heels of an outstanding pitching performance by David Price and the power bat of Evan Longoria, the Rays were able to best the Rangers in their ballpark in Arlington 5-2 for the right to face the smoking hot Cleveland Indians who have won ten in a row. The two teams will compete in a one game match on Wednesday night at 8:07 pm.

    David Price describes Monday night’s victory on his twitter account:

    Tonight, the Pittsburgh Pirates, who haven’t hosted a postseason game in 7,660 days and haven’t had a winning season since 1992, send Francisco Liriano to the mound to face Johnny Cueto and the Cincinnati Reds. Tomorrow, we will get a chance to see the Rays face the Indians in Cleveland at 8:07. The game will be a battle of young arms. The Rays will send 25-year-old Alex Cobb to the mound and the Indians will hope that rookie Danny Salazar can give them quality innings. Both games will air on TBS and both games feature a one and done scenario. Win and move onto the best of five series against the division winners, lose and schedule a tee time back home.

    The winner of the Pirates/Red matchup will face the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday at Busch Stadium. There will be three games on Friday as the Division series gets into full swing. The winner of the Rays/Indians will face the Boston Red Sox at Fenway at 3:00 pm. The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to face the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field at 6:00 pm and the Detroit Tigers will square off against the Oakland Athletics at the Coliseum at 9:30.

    The Red Sox and the Cardinals both led their respective leagues this season with 97 wins. However, we’ve seen before with this three-round playoff system, it’s anyone’s title to win. The Indians are certainly the hottest team coming into the playoffs but it really is anyone’s championship to win.

    Image via Facebook

  • Cubs Fire Manager Dale Sveum After Two Awful Seasons

    In not-surprising news at all, the Chicago Cubs fired manager Dale Sveum today. Sveum, who had little coaching experience (Sveum had previously served as the Red Sox third base coach in 2004-05 and as an interim manager of the Brewers in 2008), managed to lead the Cubs to an outstandingly dismal 127-197 record over the past two years – the worst 2 years in Cubs history.

    This year, Sveum led the Cubs to a 66-96 record, with the Cubs losing 41 of their final 59 games. Sveum took over as manager for the Cubs following Mike Quade, who had previously taken over following the sudden retirement of Lou Piniella in 2010.

    Theo Epstein, president of the Chicago Cubs, stated that Sveum was not simply evaluated on his overall record, but more for his development of young talent, in-game decision-making, appropriate use of his roster, and his ability to “create a culture of accountability, hard work and preparation, and the ability to develop a strong trust with his players.”

    Perhaps the most important area, of those listed, where Sveum failed was the development of his younger players. Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo have been pegged as the Cubs building blocks for some time now. However, both players saw a huge offensive slump in 2013. Castro, who hit .307 in 2011, with 66 RBI’s and 22 stolen bases, finished 2013 with a career-low batting average of .237, with a paltry 44 RBI’s and only 9 stolen bases. Rizzo’s numbers are essentially equal to his performance in 2012, but the disappointing fact is that he played double the amount of games in 2013 as he did in 2012.

    However, not all of the Cubs woes can be attributed to Sveum. This year, the Cubs used a team-record 56 total players on their roster, with only 12 players from the original roster at the beginning of the season remaining with the team until the end of the season. Over the course of the 2013 season, the Cubs got rid of notable players such as Alfonso Soriano (who went on a tear right after his trade), Carlos Marmol, David DeJesus, Scott Feldman, Matt Garza, and Tony Campana. During this time, the Cubs acquired….well, no one worth mentioning.

    How the Cubs expected success with these roster moves, no one knows. Theo Epstein, though, believes that the Cubs are making the right moves to become a major league contender for the first time since 2003:

    ”Soon, our organization will transition from a phase in which we have been primarily acquiring young talent to a phase in which we will promote many of our best prospects and actually field a very young, very talented club at the major league level,” he said. ”The losing has been hard on all of us, but we now have one of the top farm systems in baseball, some of the very best prospects in the game, and a clear path forward. In order for us to win with this group – and win consistently – we must have the best possible environment for young players to learn, develop and thrive at the major league level.”

    The next manager the Cubs look for will need to provide “…that spark of a winning culture,” and will need to be “a proven leader. …. We know what we’re looking for and I think we’re going to find it.”

    This has led many to believe that the Cubs will seek to hire New York Yankees’ manager Joe Girardi as their next manager. Girardi, whose contract with the Yankees expires October 31, has close ties to Chicago – he attended Northwestern University and played catcher for the Cubs during his MLB career. However, Girardi has stated that his ties to Chicago are not as close now as they used to be, considering both his parents, who lived in Chicago, have died and he hasn’t been in the city since 2006.

    Whatever the Cubs decide, quick progress will not be made unless the new manager is a genuine miracle worker. The Cubs are currently relying on the talent created in their expansive farm system, talent that has yet to pay off. Perhaps the Cubs should consider Tim Tebow? Maybe Tebow’s fantastic motivational speaking skills can finally convince the fans in Chicago that the Cubs really don’t suck, and everyone will be happy regardless the performance of the Cubbies for many years to come.

    (As a real-life Cubs fan, please, please, please, please do not take that last statement seriously. Thanks.)

    Image via Facebook

  • Mike Piazza Inducted Into Hall of Fame

    How did you celebrate Mike Piazza Day? New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg claimed that Sunday was a day dedicated to Mike Piazza and named that day Mike Piazza Day. The forty-five-year-old has recently received the honor of being the 27th inductee into the New York Mets’ Hall of Fame.

    A whopping 220 of his 427 homers spanned throughout his career where achieved as a Met. Though he has accomplished more through the sport than most could dream of, Mike Piazza spoke about his accomplishments as resulting from active participation in a process.

    “The Hall of Fame, I truly feel I got a lot of support. It’s a process. I’m very proud of my career. Obviously I put my body of work up against anybody, I’ve said before. But, you know what? I truly feel that the process is a beautiful thing as well. It is what it is. I mean, looking back, Yogi [Berra] had three ballots. And Joe DiMaggio three ballots. When you retire, you get retrospective. You think of things in the bigger picture. And so if I’m so blessed and honored to get to that point someday, I will enjoy it and be proud and wear the honor that is so important. Up until that point, I can only do like an artist — here’s my work, my canvas — and it’s out of my hands. The process, it’s cool and amazing and very interesting and historic. I know throughout history there is always going to be debate. That’s the best thing about baseball. That’s the best thing about sports,” Mike Piazza said.

    Mike Piazza ended his speech by discussing fate, where he said that he felt that his participation within the sport was part of his purpose and calling. “If you look at the big picture of life, you realize that sometimes there’s just a destiny in things. And I truly feel it was my plan to be here, in one way, shape or form. It may not have been the most beautiful journey at the time, but it was meant to be,” Mike said.

    [Image Via Wikimedia Commons]

  • Cleveland Indians Defeat Minnesota Twins

    Cleveland Indians Defeat Minnesota Twins

    The recent victory for the Cleveland Indians against the Minnesota Twins, ending with a score of 5-1, perfectly positioned the Indians for competing for the AL wild card where at least a tie is pretty much guaranteed.

    The next phase for the Indians will take place on Wednesday against either Tampa Bay or Texas at Progressive Field. The winner from that game will move on to ALDS to duke it out against the following division champions: Detroit, Oakland, and Boston.

    One may expect the team to relish in the recent victory; however, the manager seemed more concerned that the team focus on their strengths and plan to take the process day-by-day.

    Terry Francona, the manager of the Cleveland Indians, spoke about the team’s recent win. “Every time you win, it makes the next day that much more important, so we get to show up tomorrow and see if we can win a game. We need to be one run better tomorrow and then we go from there,” Terry said.

    The players appeared to enjoy the competition as much as their fans have been enjoying watching the games. “We want to keep this roll going. This is so much fun,” Nick Swisher said.

    Scott Kazmir, who has 43 strikeouts in 28 innings, spoke about the importance of getting opposing players to just swing at the ball. “I was able to attack the strike zone and expand. I’m going out there and getting them in swing mode, and once I get two strikes, I have quite a few pitches I’m able to set them down with,” Kazmir said.

    If hard work is the epitome of success, Kazmir and his teammates have set themselves up well. “We’re still very hungry, so we’re going out there every day and grinding at-bats and making quality pitches. That’s something we can carry into the postseason,” Scott Kazmir said.

    The following video shows an overview of the Cleveland Indians presented by the Major League Baseball Network with talks during the team’s spring training.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g55nlGCnuiE

    [Image Via Wikimedia Commons]

  • Marlins No-Hitter Is For The Record Books

    Everyone is praising Henderson Alvarez for his pitching skills in the game between the Miami Marlins and the Detroit Tigers. The game happened on Sunday at Marlins Park where the final score was 1-0.

    Henderson spoke about the thoughts that were racing through his mind while the game was still in progress. “I was thinking ‘God, please give us a run,’” he said.

    Henderson Alvarez went on to speak about the reactions of his teammates. “They were pulling on my jersey and choking me, so I took it off,” Alvarez explained. This is the first no-hitter of Henderson’s professional career since the last no-hitter he pitched was during his little league days back in Venezuela.

    The manager for the Marlins, Mike Redmond, said, “That’s the beauty of baseball you never know what you’re going to see. On the last day of the season, what a treat.”

    Throwing a no-hitter is an amazing accomplishment; however, throwing a no-hitter on the last day of the regular season is an even more surprising feat. In fact, the last time this was achieved happened in 1984 when Mike Witt pitched.

    Mike Redmond was ready to share his enthusiasm with the world and encapsulate his vision of the team. “That’s how the Fish roll right there – a walk-off, no-hitter wild pitch. Why not? It ends the season in grand style.”

    The game pitched by Alvarez will go down in history as the fifth no-hitter for the Miami Marlins. The Marlins have been unable to score a no-hitter since 2006 when Anibal Sanchez pitched the game.

    Even the opposing team seemed impressed with Alvarez’s skills. The manager for the Tigers, Jim Leyland, said, “The kid (Alvarez) was terrific.”

    Fans jumped on board by voicing their excitement on Twitter.

    [Image Via Wikimedia Commons]

  • Alex Rodriguez Prepares to Faces Appeal Head On

    MLB enthusiasts around the country can only imagine how a 211-game suspension must be weighing in on three-time American League MVP, Alex Rodriguez. Violating the league’s joint drug and collective bargaining agreements are steep penalties that are not taken lightly in major league baseball. But, no one feels the brunt of it like the man himself, which is why he intends to fight back.

    With next season, the future of his professional career, and possibly his entire legacy hanging in the wind, Rodriguez plans to go to war with MLB officials Monday morning. “It starts on Monday. We’ve got to face it head on,” said Rodriguez.

    The appeal process will take place at the Major League Baseball offices in Manhattan. Yankees’ third basemen and his team of legal eagles will start the appeal process before a three-man panel of MLB officials. The full hearing will take a total of five days, and the designated officials will be allowed 25 days to make a decision. There are three possible outcomes that can be derived from the hearing: the suspension could stand without any modifications,or it could be reduced. Then, there’s also the long shot of the entire appeal being thrown out completely.

    If Rodriguez is lucky the suspension may be reduced, but having the suspension overturned completely is almost unimaginable. However, Rodriguez has to give it his all considering what he has to lose if he doesn’t. Beside his reputation being at stake, there’s the financial loss he’ll be faced with if the appeal doesn’t rule in his favor.

    Rodriguez suffers the possibility of losing an initial $32 million this season, which equates to approximately $154,000 per game. According to New York Daily News, the four year remainder of his contract is worth an estimated $86 million, which excludes the tentative $30 million he could acquire from bonuses if his home-run numbers continue to climb. On the brink of breaking Willie Mays’ 660 home-run record, Rodriguez could either add another feat to his record, or have all of his accomplishments overshadowed with the present allegations. So, the next 30 days will be an imminent factor in the future of A-Rod’s career.

    For those who are still wondering how the home-run honcho even ended up in this debacle, here’s the gist: He became a dominant figure in the infamous Bio-Genesis baseball scandal, which went public at the top of the year. Rodriguez, along with a number of MLB players, were accused of illegally acquiring and using performance-enhancing drugs. Now, these particular stimulants weren’t just any drugs, but human growth hormones, which are also medically prescribed to promote exuberant vitality. That is exactly where the crux of the problem erupted, and why MLB officials are outraged. The reprimanded MLB players retrieved these drugs from the now-defunct Bio-Genesis of America rejuvenation clinic, and Rodriguez was among those select few.
    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Dodgers’ Brian Wilson Lashes Out at Giants’ CEO Larry Baer

    Its been almost a year since the 2012 World Series when the San Francisco Giants came out undefeated over the Detroit Tigers. Before his trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers, relief pitcher, Brian Wilson, was apart of the championship winning team. While there was a slight misunderstanding of logistics before his trade, ultimately there was no ‘bad blood’ between the pitcher, or the Giants’ franchise. So, what was his purpose in confronting Giants’ CEO Larry Baer?

    Immediately after the Dodgers-Giants game, it was quite clear that Wilson felt some kind of way about the man, as he deftly made his way across the field to the opposing dugout. However, the purpose for his rant had nothing to do with anything confrontational. Once again, it was all logistics.

    Wilson felt it was time to inquire about his 2012 World Series ring that he never received. Although he was traded, he rightfully deserved the ring he works so vigorously for, so he felt compelled to go directly to the source for a definitive answer. Once Wilson had blown off enough steam, Baer ventured to the another area of the field, retrieved the ring, and returned to pass it on to Los Angeles’ personnel.

    While the scene was quite disconcerting, Baer made an effort to maintain a professional stance, personally delivering the ring to personnel. Following the exchange, Giants spokesperson, Staci Slaughter weighed in on the misunderstanding:
    “We have been for seven months trying to give him his World Series ring, and tried these past three days. It’s been more challenging than we expected. We’ve given the ring to the Dodgers and he now has it. We really tried to do the right thing. We invited him to the ring ceremony. A number of members of our organization repeatedly reached out to him and we didn’t get any response,” she said. “It’s just unfortunate, because he was an important member of our organization,” admitted Slaughter.

    CSNBayArea.com reported that when Wilson was questioned in regards to the confrontation with Baer, he coolly said, “It was just a conversation between me and him.”

     

     

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Mariano Rivera Bids Farewell to Yankee Stadium

    In a sport that has been marred in recent years by steroids investigations and doping scandals, there are still some shining lights. However, perhaps the brightest star in baseball had his black dwarf moment Thursday night. After coming into the game during the 8th inning, with 2 on and 1 out, Mariano Rivera quickly mowed through the next 4 batters. At that moment, Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte approached the mound, and Rivera knew that his career at Yankee Stadium was over.

    As Yankee captain, Derek Jeter, approached the mound, he seemingly stated “It’s time to go.” A fitting statement to end the career of a reliever who approached the game with a humble simplicity and respect that everyone admired.

    Pettitte then told Rivera, “It’s been an honor to play alongside you.” And that was it for Mariano. After 19 years of playing professional baseball for the New York Yankees, he could no longer control his emotions: “I was bombarded with emotions and feeling that I couldn’t describe. Everything hit at that time. I knew that was the last time. Period. I never felt like that before.”

    And neither had Yankees’s fans, baseball fans, or the general populace. It’s a safe bet to assume there was not a dry-eye in Yankee Stadium that night, nor for anyone who watches the video of Rivera’s exit.

    There is good reason for this catharsis. Rivera is, without a shadow of doubt, the best reliever baseball has ever seen. Period. Over his 19 year career, Rivera racked up 652 saves. The next active baseball player on the list has 339 saves, 313 behind Rivera. The “Sandman” (Rivera’s moniker derived from the music he plays while entering games – “Enter Sandman”) also accumulated 42 postseason saves, with an ERA of 0.7. Despite the immense pressure surrounding playoff games (especially for the Yankees), Rivera’s numbers are equivalent to what most top-notch relievers average over the course of an entire regular season.

    Rivera’s all-time ERA is 2.21, making him 13th all-time. While that figure may not seem terribly impressive, Rivera leads the category for pitchers from the modern era of baseball (the 12 preceding him on the list were all born in the 18th century).

    Today’s professional athlete is constantly lambasted for making millions of dollars per year to simply play a game, and doing so without understanding how fortunate they are. Thursday night’s moment at Yankee Stadium was so heart-wrenching because it was obvious how much Rivera truly cared for and appreciated the game. His embrace of Pettitte is one of the most genuine human reactions that has ever been recorded – that of utter devastation of losing something one holds so dear. Regardless of one’s feelings towards the Yankees or baseball, one cannot help but be moved by the genuine outpourings of emotions from Rivera, his fellow baseball players, and the fans in Yankee Stadium. Rivera may not play professional baseball ever again, but hopefully his legacy of professional and respectful dominance carries on.

    tl;dr – Watch the damn video and be prepared to cry.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Dodgers Fan Dies After Parking Lot Knife-Fight

    A disagreement became violent between several Dodgers/Giants fans on Wednesday night after the game at AT&T Park, and now a 24-year old man is dead.

    Authorities say they believe at least ten people were involved in the altercation and have detained three of those; sadly, Dodgers fan Jonathan Denver was pronounced dead at San Francisco General Hospital from stab wounds. Police say they aren’t sure yet whether the fact that Denver was a Dodgers fan played a role in the altercation.

    The violent incident happened just days after a three-day fundraiser for Giants fan Bryan Stow, who suffered severe head injuries in 2011 after a brutal fight following a game in L.A. Even after rehabilitation, Stow–a father of two–was left with physical issues and memory loss.

    Due to the tragic death, officials are debating adding extra security to tonight’s game.

    “We’re obviously very concerned about the situation and trying to understand exactly what happened,” Giants spokesperson Staci Slaughter said.

    Image: Thinkstock

  • Washington Nationals Reschedule Game

    Washington Nationals Reschedule Game

    As a show of concern and solidarity the Washington Nationals have rescheduled their game against the Atlanta Braves as a result of the shooting which occurred during the morning hours on Monday at the Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters within blocks of Nationals Park.

    The team released a statement the read as follows:

    “All of us here in the Nationals organization were deeply saddened to learn of the tragic events that occurred this morning only a few blocks from Nationals Park. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families. In light of the circumstances, we have decided to postpone tonight’s game against the Braves. The safety of our fans is our utmost priority. As we have throughout the day, the Nationals security personnel will continue to work closely with all levels of law enforcement to reinforce the already high level of security in place at Nationals Park and to ensure that our visitors always have a safe experience.”

    The game is rescheduled for Tuesday where a day-night doubleheader will take place with the first game starting at 1:05 p.m. EST and the second game starting at 7:05 p.m. EST. While the Nationals will play two games against the Braves on Tuesday, separate admission is required for both games. Fans who were originally expected to attend Monday’s game will be able to use their tickets to attend Tuesday’s 1:05 game; however, if unable to attend that game fans have the option of attending any home game during the 2013 season or a game of any value during the 2014 season.

    The general manager for the Nationals, Mike Rizzo, explained the detailed efforts that must go into the process for cancelling a game of such prominence. “There are a lot of [logistics] that go into cancelling a game for these reasons. We have to be in contact with federal authorities and the state D.C. authorities to have a coordinated effort, and then whenever you cancel a game, MLB is involved and we have to go through the correct procedures for that,” Rizzo said.

    As important as baseball is to the American culture there are forces and powers that remain superior to sport. The pitcher for the Braves, Scott Downs, shared his sympathy and necessity to prioritize situations that happen in life. “Nobody is thinking about baseball. Baseball is a game. You look at the real-life perspective when things go on. That’s the last thing I want to do or any team wants to do, especially when something is going on five minutes down the road. You’ve got to tell your families how much you love them. They come to work and a tragedy like this happens. It’s hard to put into words. You just kind of got to go about your day and have their thoughts and prayers in your mind,” Scott Downs said.

    [Image Via YouTube]

  • Scotty McCreery Starts Baseball Tour

    Scotty McCreery Starts Baseball Tour

    The former American Idol, Scotty McCreery is giving back and is helping the programs that support youth baseball.

    McCreery played baseball all through high school and knows what an impact being a part of a sport can have on today’s youth. “I learned some of my greatest lessons playing sports and being a team member,” McCreery said. “Sports teach you so many life lessons about self-discipline, responsibility, teamwork, setting goals, and being fit. It’s awesome that Major League Baseball provides opportunities for kids who might not have a chance to play baseball and softball elsewhere. I’m proud to provide assistance to this program.”

    McCreery’s tour started on Thursday, August 29. He visited the stadium of the Tampa Bay Rays and personally presented a $5,000 check to a Tampa youth baseball program before the start of the game. Scotty served as a pitcher on his high school team, so it would only make sense that he would throw the first pitch at the Tampa Bay Ray’s game. He also treated the team and guests to the well known song, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”

    Here is a schedule of the remaining tour dates:

    Thursday, Sept. 12: Philadelphia Phillies v. San Diego Padres, at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
    Sunday, Sept. 15: Chicago White Sox v. Cleveland Indians, at Comiskey Park/U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago
    Sunday, Sept. 22: Washington Nationals v. Miami Marlins, at Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
    Friday, Sept. 27: Atlanta Braves v. Philadelphia Phillies, at Turner Field/State Mutual Stadium, Atlanta

    Today marked the second stop on McCreery’s tour, as he traveled to San Diego as the Padres played the Colorado Rockies.

    Image via Twitter