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Tag: Baseball

  • Matt Kemp Adds $250,000 Donation To Earlier Pledge

    In the aftermath of this week’s tragic tornado outbreak in Oklahoma, many people across the country have rushed to do whatever they can to help. Donations of money, food, and other supplies have been sent by individuals and organizations in every corner of America.

    Midwest City, Oklahoma native Matt Kemp is certainly no exception. The Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder pledged via Twitter on Monday, the day of the tornados, that he would donate $1,000 for every home run he hit until the All Star Break (in mid-July) to relief efforts.

    While the gesture is undeniably generous, there were many who felt that it wasn’t enough. After all, critics argued, Kemp will make $20 million this year. Surely he could afford a little more than the few thousand dollars his initial grand-per-home run pledge would amount to? Well, Kemp apparently took those criticisms to heart. He announced today via the Chris Singleton Foundation that he would also donate $250,000 to relief efforts immediately, while continuing to honor his earlier $1,000 per home run pledge. Check out the announcement below:

    Dear Families of OKC,
    On Monday, out of concern and emotion I committed $1,000.00 for every home run I hit until the All-Star Break. It was a quick and small gesture in advance of what I knew would be my greater contribution through your rebuilding process. I am keeping my pledge and in addition, donating $250,000.00. May God bless you through this and the many generous donations coming to your aid.” -Matt Kemp #PrayforOklahoma

    Kemp has spent his entire career with the Dodgers, who drafted him in 2003. He rose to the majors in 2006 and has remained. In his seven years with the team he has hit 156 home runs. Only two of those home runs have come in the 2013 season.

  • Canseco Tweets Rape Charge, Is Suspect Of Investigation

    Jose Canseco has a wonderfully demented Twitter account, which boasts over half a million followers. But things got more scary/sad-demented than funny-demented this week when he tweeted out that he’s being accused of rape and is the subject of an investigation.

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    The ex-baseball great, who made news just yesterday when it was announced he’ll be moving to Texas to play/coach for the Fort Worth Cats, has deleted the tweets above from his account but did post this one today:

    Las Vegas police say they won’t reveal any details since it is an open investigation, but they have confirmed that Canseco is indeed a suspect in the case. Now, he’s drawing the ire of many who can’t believe he would post the name of the woman on a social network.

  • 66-Pitch Perfect Game: High School Player Pitches An Amazing Game

    While a perfect game in the majors is pretty much always newsworthy, it’s rare that a non-professional player gets much attention for it. Sometimes, though, a pitcher manages to accomplish this rare feat in a way that makes the larger sports world sit up and take notice.

    That’s just what happened when Michael Strem, senior at St. Francis School in Mountain View, California, threw the first perfect game in his school’s history. Throwing a perfect game – especially the first in your team’s history – is impressive enough. What’s really remarkable is that Strem did it with a mere 66 pitches. In seven innings of baseball, Strem faced 21 batters, which means that each batter saw, on average, just slightly more than three pitches. That makes it one of the most efficient perfect games you could ever hope to see.

    Even more impressive, 48 of Strem’s 66 pitches were thrown for strikes, and only 18 were balls. He also recorded 8 strikeouts.

    Strem’s gem turned out to be a major boon to his team, whose offense was a little slow. The game was tied 0-0 until the 6th inning, when St. Francis scored two runs on an infield single by Mark Cardinalli.

    Thanks to Strem’s amazing pitching (and Cardinalli’s two-run single) St. Francis improved their record to 26-4 and advanced to the semifinal round of the Central Coast Section Division I playoffs.

  • Canseco To Play Again In Texas Starting This Week

    Jose Canseco has been out of the game for a while, but he’s anxious to get back in (as anyone who’s been following his Twitter feed will know). As of Thursday, he’ll get his wish.

    The former Bash Brother will begin his stint with the Fort Worth Cats as a player and a coach. The first game, coincidentally, will be against Edinburg, which is managed by his brother Ozzie.

    “I am excited to come to Fort Worth and mentor the young ballplayers,” Canseco said in a statement. “I love Dallas/Fort Worth and I can’t wait to go up against Ozzie.”

    Canseco fell out of the spotlight a bit after a much-publicized bout with steroids and has been using his time out of the Major Leagues to pursue other interests–like writing for Vice Magazine–and to gain a following on Twitter, where he posts gems about his life and future goals.

    It’s unclear if Canseco will continue on his new path in Fort Worth after this season, but fans are sure to fill the seats once word gets out that the former Oakland A’s hitter will be on the field again.

  • Wife Douses Husband With Beer At Cubs Game

    What happens when you accidentally spill your beer on your wife while trying to protect her from a wayward ball to the face? If you’re one man, you get a drink dumped on you.

    A woman was caught on camera throwing her (expensive) beer on her hubs while they were watching a Cubs game on Sunday after he did just that. Apparently the woman was upset at getting wet and said she couldn’t resist a little payback.

    “I just got livid,’ the woman, identified only as Ellen, said. ‘And I took my beer and splooshed it in his face. I figured if I’m wet, he might as well be wet too.”

    Her husband took it in stride; the couple was all smiles after the game.

  • Fred White Dies: Broadcaster Was 76

    Fred White Dies: Broadcaster Was 76

    Fred White, who was a sports broadcaster for the Royals, has died from complications of melanoma just a day after announcing his retirement. He was 76 years old.

    White had a 40-year career with the Royals, some of which was spent in charge of the Royals Radio Network and as director of Broadcast Services. When he wasn’t broadcasting for the team, he was calling basketball games.

    “Fred White has been synonymous with Royals baseball as long as anybody can remember,” Royals vice president of communications and broadcasting Mike Swanson said when the team announced White’s retirement. “There are so many people in Kansas City who, when they hear a voice, they knew it was Royals baseball, and Fred was that voice along with Denny for so many years. He had a huge influence on my life back in the ’70s, and I’m personally honored that I had a chance to work with him when I came back to town and wish him and his family nothing but the best.”

    White reportedly died while under hospice care. Funeral arrangements are pending.

  • Baseball Is A Much Darker Sport When Darth Vader Is Involved

    The Star Wars YouTube channel has uploaded a series of videos featuring Darth Vader, some stormtroopers and scout troopers getting ready for a baseball game, and even playing (against each other).

    As one of the videos’ descriptions says, Vader was stepping up to the plate for a Pacific League Baseball game in honor of Star Wars Day (May 4).

    Anyway, here’s the series of videos.

  • Here’s Metallica Performing The Star-Spangled Banner

    Metallica frontman/guitarist James Hetfield and guitarist Kirk Hammett played “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the Giants/Dodgers game a few days ago, in a segment that in some ways felt like it could have been the intro to a Metallica album of yesteryear (think “Fight Fire With Fire,” “Battery,” or “Blackened”).

    Unfortunately, what followed was just a baseball game and not five minutes of heavy metal thunder. Still worth a watch.

    Note, both Metallica members are wearing Giants jerseys, and have Giants logos on their guitars, as the band is from San Francisco.

    The Giants won the game 4-3.

    Oh, and here’s Lars throwing out the first pitch:

  • MLV TV Worker Dies of Heart Attack in Atlanta

    The Washington Nationals, who are finishing a four-game series with the Atlanta Braves today, are reporting that MLB TV cameraman Reuben Porras has died.

    The 61-year-old Porras suffered a heart attack at Turner Field in Atlanta on Wednesday while setting up his equipment. Nationals Head Trainer Lee Kuntz and Nationals Assistant Coach John Hsu were reportedly able to revive the cameraman in the off-field media room where the incident occurred. They performed CPR and used an automated defibrillator until medical personnel arrived.

    According to a Comcast Sportsnet report on the event, Kuntz was informed later that Porras had died at an Atlanta hospital. Kuntz stated that this was the first time he had to use CPR during his job, though the entire Nationals staff receives CPR training each year.

  • Suspended 50 Games: Minor Leaguer Tests Positive For Steroids

    With an entire decade of Major League Baseball scandals, Olympic athletes losing medals, and Lance Armstrong having his life’s work erased, Americans couldn’t be blamed for assuming that up-and-coming athletes have learned from the mistakes of others. Unfortunately, they would be wrong.

    The Associated Press today has reported that a minor league player has been suspended 50 games for using steroids.

    According to the report, Brandon Brown tested positive for Stanozolol, a synthetic anabolic steroid. Brown is currently a free agent, and his 50-game ban will begin when (and if) he signs with a new team. He is one of 18 minor league athletes who have been suspended just this year following drug tests.

    Brown had most recently played third and second base for the Class A minor league Savannah Sand Gnats, a team which is affiliated with the New York Mets. According to Baseball Reference, Brown hit .222 with 34 RBIs in his last season with the Sand Gnats.

  • MLB Expands Its Video Offerings on YouTube

    MLB.com’s YouTube channel is just got a lot better.

    Today, MLB Advance Media announced that they’re expanding the licensed content offerings on the channel. You can expect more highlight clips from every MLB game – available two days after the games are completed. There is also thousands of hours of new archive content available, including videos from MLB.com’s Baseball’s Best Moments library.

    The channel will also livestream two games a day – but only if you live outside of the MLB’s core distribution areas. That means to YouTube streaming for baseball fans in North America, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. But the MLB says that this move will help expand the game in new corners of the globe.

    “Expanding our partnership with YouTube provides another platform for extending the reach of the thousands of hours of archived baseball content in our library and for delivering live baseball games via the Internet to fans in new markets around the world,” said Kenny Gersh, Senior Vice President, Business Development, MLBAM.

    You can catch the new content today on the MLB’s official YouTube channel.

  • Instagram Selfie Catches Reporter’s Near Miss with Flying Baseball

    Talk about perfect timing. And incredible luck.

    Tampa Bay Rays reporter Kelly Nash almost got plunked in the back of the head with a baseball this past weekend. And the near miss was captured by a once-in-a-lifetime selfie and posted to Instagram.

    As the story goes, Nash was in Boston working on a feature on the Tampa Bay Rays. According to Nash, she wanted to snap a photo atop the Green Monster in Fenway Park because her whole family is from Massachusetts.

    “I knew they would be so excited to see me working at Fenway Park, and when I went to text them the picture I noticed the baseball by my head!” Nash told Fox Sports Florida.

    “I laughed pretty hard when I saw such a surreal picture that I had no idea I took. I thought, you have got to be kidding me, maybe there ARE really angels in the outfield. I actually brought the movie with me on the trip and had it in my bag at the game.”

    Nash says that her producer found the ball and gave it to her, so at least she has some hard evidence of her near-serious injury experience.

    Just add this to the growing list of reasons that self-shots are rarely ever a good idea.

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  • Rick Camp Dies: Braves Pitcher Was 60 Years Old

    Rick Camp, who pitched for the Atlanta Braves from 1976-1985, has died of natural causes. He was 60 years old.

    A small-town hero from Trion, Georgia, Camp excelled at sports in school and had the support of the entire community when he went on to play for the major leagues in ’76.

    “He was our one guy, the local boy who made it big,” said Greg Baker, a former Trion resident. “He was our T-ball coach, the volunteer PE teacher; everybody’s cousin, hometown hero. Every kid in Trion would fight to wear his number 37. We followed every move he made with the Braves — the highs and lows both on, and later, off the field.”

    Camp was mostly a low-key player for the Braves, but he had a shining moment when he was called in to pinch-hit during the 18th inning of a game against the Mets. There, he hit the only home run of his career and tied up the game. And despite not being a big name in sports, he is greatly missed and fondly remembered today by those who knew him, on and off the field.

  • Jack Curran Dies; Basketball Coach Was 82

    Jack Curran, the winningest high school sports coach in the U.S., has died. Curran reportedly died in his sleep at his home in Rye, N.Y. on Thursday. He was 82 years old.

    Curran coached both baseball and basketball at Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens, New York. His combined wins for both the sports total over 2,600 – more than any other high school coach in the U.S. His winning record and longevity as a coach have earned Curran a place in the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame, and seven other halls of fame.

    “It’s a very sad day for all of us here at Molloy,” said Richard Karsten, president of Archbishop Molloy. “Coach Curran built a legacy that transcends any traditional notion of coaching high school athletics. To him it was always about the kids. They were the reason for his success. His passing will not only be felt by today’s students, faculty and staff, but generations going back over 50 years.”

    Curran was the son of a New York City police officer and grew up in the Bronx. After graduating from St. John’s University, he went on to play minor league baseball. in 1958 he began his coaching career at Archbishop Molloy. Throughout his years of coaching, Curran coached several players who went on to join the NBA, including Kenny Anderson and Kenny Smith.

    (Image courtesy Archbishop Molloy High School)

  • Chipper Jones Yankees Rumors Shot Down

    Chipper Jones Yankees Rumors Shot Down

    Earlier this week, the New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman stated that Larry “Chipper” Jones would be “perfect” for the Yankees. Now, Chipper Jones himself has shot the rumors down, much to the delight of Atlanta Braves fans.

    The rumors fueled rampant speculation that the Yankees, who are plagued with injuries, could be getting desperate, and are looking for just about anyone to fill their roster.

    Jones is more than just anyone, however. During his 19-year MLB career with the Atlanta Braves, Jones earned eight National League All-Star awards and was the National League’s 1999 MVP. He ended his career in 2012 with a .303 batting average and 468 home runs. The third baseman

    As much as the Yankees might want him (and as much as they may be willing to pay him), it seems that Jones is happy with retirement. The baseball star took to Twitter to dispel the rumors that he could soon be seen wearing pinstripes:

    Later on, Jones even joked about how the rumors had raised his Twitter follower count:

    (Image via Djh57/Wikimedia Commons)

  • Dwight Gooden Threats Lead to Restraining Order

    TMZ is reporting that former MLB pitcher Dwight Gooden has had a restraining order filed against him by his estranged wife. Monique Gooden had called police on March 1, claiming Gooden had made “terroristic threats.”

    A temporary restraining order has been granted against Gooden. Though he had been living with Monique while a divorce is in progress, Gooden has now left the premises. The order also prevents Gooden from visiting his children until a court hearing on March 11, where a judge will evaluate the restraining order and consider whether it should be permanent.

    Unnamed documents quoted by TMZ stated that Monique claims Gooden said, “All bets are off an I will hurt you and your family. You’ll see, just wait.”

    Gooden was arrested in 2005 for allegedly hitting Monique, whom he accused of throwing a phone at him. He was later released on a misdemeanor battery charge.

    Gooden has a history of substance abuse dating back to 1987, when he tested positive for cocaine during spring training. He is currently on probation related to DWI and child endangerment charges.

    (Image courtesy Jeff Marquis via Wikimedia Commons)

  • Edith Houghton Dies: Baseball Legend Was 100

    Edith Houghton was making a name for herself in baseball long before the ladies who inspired “A League Of Their Own” were doing their thing in skirts, and as awesome as every woman in the game was, Houghton stood out for her drive and early ambition.

    In 1922, at age ten, she was the starting shortstop for the Philadelphia Bobbies, an all-girl professional team. As the youngest player on the team, she earned the nickname “The Kid” and wowed audiences and fellow players alike with her skills. She would go on to play against men’s teams as the Bobbies traveled extensively, even going overseas to Japan. When WWII began, she made the move to the Navy and played for their team, as well.

    By the time she was 35, Houghton decided she’d done all she could for her teams on the field and wanted to make her mark elsewhere in the game. When she got home from the war, she landed herself a job as a scout for the Phillies and was the first woman hired to do so in the major leagues.

    In 2006, Houghton was honored to be featured in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, where one of her uniforms is on display. The legendary player passed away on February 2 at the age of 100.

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    Image: MLB.com

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    Image: Philly.com

  • Jackie Robinson Google Doodle Celebrates Baseball’s Color Line-Breaker

    Jackie Robinson was a great baseball player, ending his career with a .311 battling average, 1,518 hits and 137 home runs. For that alone he would have been remembered. But as we all know, Jackie Robinson had a much more important role in history than simply good MLB player.

    In 1947, Robinson debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in a move that people call “breaking the color line.” When Robinson stepped onto the diamond, he was the first black player to do so in the modern era. Not only was his inclusion seen as a step to ending racial segregation in Major League Baseball, but also as an important moment in Civil Rights history. In 1947, another black player in the American League named Larry Doby helped to break the color line as well.

    In his impressive career, #42 played in six World Series, winning one in 1955. He was also a part of six straight All-Star games, from 1949-1954. Robinson won the National League MVP award in 1949 – the same year he won the NL batting title. On two separate occasions, Robinson had the most steals in a season. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962 on his first attempt.

    Today’s Google Doodle is a classic tribute to one of the most important figures of the 20th century. Today is Robinson’s birthday, as he was born on January 31st, 1919.

    Robinson died in 1972 of a heart attack at the age of 53.

  • Sammy Sosa’s Pinterest Page Is Glorious, and You Need to Look at It Right Now

    Like you, I’m sick of professional athletes using social media to promote products, rant about officials, and generally make complete asses of themselves. And like me, former MLB slugger Sammy Sosa’s Pinterest page should fill your heart with joy.

    It’s…it’s just so elegant. And classy. Simple in it’ execution, but spectacular in its presentation. He may have fallen short of the Hall of Fame vote yesterday, but man can Slammin’ Sammy run a Pinterest page.

    We’re nearly sure that it’s legit. And not just because it says “Sammy Sosa. Yes I’m the real Sammy Sosa, and this is my Pinterest” on every picture. No, seriously. That’s the caption on every picture pinned to his board.

    Sosa tweeted out his Pinterest page, once again reassuring us that it’s real. The Twitter account isn’t verified by Twitter, but the Chicago Tribune did confirm it as legit. Redeye Chicago has confirmed it. So we’re over 99% sure that this Pinterest account is real.

    Sosa has currently pinned 14 items to his board, 13 of which are photo of Sammy Sosa. Sosa looking sharp in a suit, Sosa looking double-sharp in a yellow sweater. Sosa flashing the peace sign, Sosa playing with his smartphone. Sosa gesturing the the picture of him and Obama on the wall. Incredible.

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    [via Deadspin]

  • Bobby Valentine’s Job Is Now Radio Commentator

    NBC Sports and Dial Global announced today that former Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine will join the NBC Sports Radio lineup as a Major League Baseball commentator, effective this month.

    Commentary is not completely new territory for Valentine. In addition to managing baseball teams, he has also provided analysis for ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball.

    Valentine will call in weekly to NBC Sports Radio affiliates and speak with hosts about baseball topics. He’ll also become a part-time co-host of a daily (Monday – Friday) talk show that will debut in April. This show has yet to be named.

    “I can’t wait to get started on NBC Sports Radio,” said Valentine. “I’m looking forward to talking to our affiliates and network shows, and to being a major contributor to the network. I always state my honest opinion and I can’t wait to share it with NBC Sports Radio listeners.”

    “We all known that Bobby V. will bring a passionate and opinionated voice to NBC Sports Radio and we can’t wait to light that fire,” said Chris Corcoran, Executive Vice President, General Manager, Dial Global. “Along with Stan Van Gundy, NBC Sports Radio offers two of the most opinionated former major league coaches, each of whom will bring our affiliates and advertisers excellent and compelling content every time they speak”.

    Rob Simmelkjaer, SVP, NBC Sports Ventures and International, added, “Bobby Valentine has always possessed one of the greatest minds and sharpest tongues in all of baseball. This will be must-hear radio.”

    Valentine was dismissed from his position as manager of the Sox after just a single season with the team.

  • Groupon Partners With Major League Baseball

    Groupon announced today that it has entered a multi-year partnership with MLB Advance Media (MLBAM), the interactive media and Internet company of Major League Baseball. As a result of the partnership, Groupon is now the official daily deals site for MLB.com.

    Groupon says it will be working with various teams from the league to offer more deals on tickets, official merchandise and “rare experiences, such as up-close encounters with MLB ballparks.”

    “What does this insider status look like?” asks Groupon in a blog post. “Past deals have included exclusive access to World Series ticket packages, batting practice with an MLB team, the chance to throw out the first pitch before a game, an official Jumbotron welcome to the stadium and a tour of the locker room where your favorite players starch their lucky socks.”

    The company says users can expect similar deals to these, and other things on GrouponLive, Groupon’s events platform. Such offerings will also be available via the Groupon mobile app.

    Users can expect all of this to begin with the upcoming 2013 baseball season. While it is a multi-year partnership, it’s unclear just how many years it is for.

    “Groupon is proud to partner with MLB Advanced Media and work with the teams to create new, unique opportunities for our customers to appreciate America’s favorite pastime,” said GrouponLive General Manager, Greg Rudin. “In addition to great deals on tickets, fans will have a chance to enjoy unforgettable ballpark experiences.”

    “Groupon offers a cutting-edge marketing channel with an extensive customer base to drive additional ticketing opportunities and incremental revenue for our teams,” said Noah Garden, EVP, Revenue, MLBAM.

    Groupon, meanwhile, is facing potential changes in leadership.