Home Run Derby

Extra inning walk-off Home Runs rock. 

Yesterday, Mark Ellis provided some tenth-inning fireworks in Oakland as the A’s completed a sweep of the Baltimore Orioles.  With the score tied, Ellis - who had entered the game riding a .024 average in May - tagged the left field foul pole for the win.  The A’s moved to 22-14, tied for the most wins in MLB.

What the heck happened to the Orioles anyway?  On April 29th they were 15-11 and led the AL East by percentage points.  Since then they’ve gone 1-7, falling to 16-18 and 5 games back of the Red Sox in the AL East cellar.  Things move pretty fast - heck Cub fans are wondering if Brian Roberts is available again.

Yes, I know … someone will say that I should have given the HRoD to the Twins’ Carlos Gomez, who hit for the cycle yesterday against the White Sox - and I would have if his Home Run completed the cycle or really factored into a close game instead of the blowout that it was.  HRoD’s are better if there’s some drama attached to them.

If you’re a young lady at the ballgame and the camera zooms in on you … it’s usually a good thing. 

Because it generally means you’re a hottie. 

Baseball TV crews are awesome at finding smokeshows in the crowd.  Cubs TV producer Arne Harris had a job for life at WGN so long as he popped a few shots of babes at Wrigley into the monitor once in a while for Harry Caray.

But I don’t think these two ladies are going to be all that happy.  Because they got caught on television in the All-You-Can-Eat section at an Oakland A’s game.

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There’s lots of reasons to go to a Major League Baseball game …

But sometimes, that’s just not enough to make you pay $40 for a ticket and drink a beer for $7, especially if the team sucks … and MLB Teams know it.  So they offer trinkets and bawbles to get your butt in a seat.  Yep, we’re talking promotions and giveaways.  And we usually fall for it.

The majority of these handouts are overdone retreads of stuff like t-shirts and floppy hats and plastic doodads like keychains and flashlights and bobbleheads.  Bobbleheads are great, but unless you’re the table in front of Mike and Mike or Mottram and Steinz, how many do you need?

But sometimes, the team’s marketing squad does something creative … here are the best ones you can try to grab in 2008.

Joe Mauer Fishing Lure - Minnesota Twins (May 2)

Now this is cool.  In a state with 10,000 lakes, you’re gonna need something to catch bass with when the Twins are on the road.   

Mind you, I’m not sure how many times an MLB team has given away anything with six sharpened barbs on it before.  This could be a one-and-done event, because you just know someone’s gonna lose an eye from this thing.  Given out to the first 5,000 fans over the age of 18.

No boys, this will not help you catch anything like Mauer’s ex-girlfriend, former Miss USA Chelsea Cooley.  No girls, this will not help you catch Joe Mauer.

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The Mascot brackets continue with a matchup of one of the best … and one of the worst.  From the Mammal Division …

#2 Stomper (Oakland A’s) vs. #7 D. Baxter the Bobcat (Arizona Diamondbacks)

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