Home Run Derby

So Sunday night, during the final game of the Cubs’ sweep of the White Sox at Wrigley Field, ESPN focused a little bit on Ernie Banks - also known as “Mr. Cub.”

They showed the new statue of Ernie outside Wrigley Field, showed Banks’ 500th Home Run at Wrigley Field, and Jon Miller ran down his stats and career accomplishments.

But later in the ballgame, when Eric Patterson hit a Home Run for the Cubs into the right field basket … Joe Morgan said something that wasn’t true.  Morgan said that the basket was installed to keep fans from interfering with Home Run balls and that the fence became known as “Banks Boulevard because he hit a lot of balls into that basket”  - implying (to me anyway) that Banks’ Home Run totals were cheapened by the basket that shortens the field at Wrigley.

Roll tape.

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So last night, I got to watch some baseball for the first time in nearly a week … and it happened to be the White Sox vs the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Awesome. 

Oh wait … ESPN is broadcasting it.  Joe Morgan.  Crap.
My first thought was “how long does it take for Joe Morgan’s first blunder of the night?”

Two batters.  Seven pitches.  That’s all.

Here’s White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski at the plate in the top of the first inning.  AJP’s a bit of a polarizing figure in Chicago, thanks to the scuffle he had with then-Cubs cather Michael Barrett in 2007 during a game at US Cellular Field …

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While doing research for our recent pictorial of Lego Baseball Stadia … I came across La Grande Dame of all Lego Ballpark Models - a three foot tall, fully functional model of the home of the Milwaukee Brewers, Miller Park.  Made almost entirely of Lego bricks and parts.

It deserved its own post.

Wow.  That’s freaking Miller Park.  Just for reference …

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A while back, Home Run Derby brought you videos of some baseball stadiums being blown up and such. 

That was cool, wasn’t it?

Well, now that a new baseball season is upon us … it’s time to do the opposite and show some well constructed Baseball Stadiums and Ballparks.  But instead of ballparks which are made of bricks or steel - let’s look at some venues which were built with some of my favorite bricks. 

Lego Bricks.  I used to build a lot with Lego … but never quite like this.

Why did the police car in the foreground drive past the three drunkards passed out on the grass?  And where’s the pitcher’s mound?

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For years, I’ve listened to some friends of mine (who happen to be die-hard White Sox fans) tell me that “Wrigley Field should be torn down with bulldozers.”

A couple months ago, they got their wish - for a little while, anyway.  I think they were out on Sheffield Avenue with bags of popcorn (okay not really).

Ballplayers have complained about Wrigley for years … especially the outfielders who said that the field played like turf, had holes in it, or was just plain hazardous.

“There are like a lot of little holes, you know what I mean?  Sometimes when they hit a ground ball, you have to be careful.”
- Chicago Cubs LF Alfonso Soriano

“It’s rock hard, it’s as fast as turf, but it looks like there’s been a dozen cows out there grazing this week.”
- Pittsburgh Pirates LF Nate McClouth

“That outfield is dangerous … I’m surprised more people don’t get injured out there.  It’s worse than playing in a parking lot.”
- Cincinnati Reds LF Adam Dunn

Gives new meaning to that “Left Field Sucks” chant, now doesn’t it?  Who knew the RF bleacher bums were so prescient?  Is that why the Cubs’ LF Alfonso Soriano always does that little hop thing when he’s about to catch a ball?  So he doesn’t fall in a hole?

Here, you can watch Wrigley Field undergo its transformation … first into a 40,000 capacity sandlot and then into a World Class baseball field.

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So the Minnesota Twins didn’t keep Johan Santana.  Instead, they traded him to the Mets for prospects and thereby didn’t have to pay him anything near the $137.5 million that the Mets guaranteed Santana. 

So with all that money saved, what’s a Baseball Team to do? 

• Go get the next best available (but slightly cheaper) free agent pitcher?
• Get new, more comfortable uniforms?
• Lower ticket prices? 

Naaahhh.

If you’re the Minnesota Twins … you go and get a commercial during the Super Bowl … let’s watch …

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Yesterday we talked about someone lighting a firecracker in a ballpark and getting in big trouble for it.

Today, we’re going to look at some authorized explosives in some MLB Ballparks.

Okay, actually some former Ballparks. Here’s the demolition of a bunch of stadia which are no longer with us.

Busch Stadium (1966-2005)

Okay, Busch wasn’t brought down by explosives. But it was supposed to have been blown up. But concerns about possible damage to the nearby railway gave Busch an extended date with the wrecking ball.

Here’s the time lapse.

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You know those guys who have too much money and free time on their hands that take a summer off and go and visit all thirty MLB ballparks in a summer?

Yeah, I’d like to be one of those guys too. My dad and I have wanted to make that trip ever since I bought him the book “Dodger Dogs to Fenway Franks” for Father’s Day one year.

But I don’t have the time or scratch. And my wife would have probably have changed the locks by the time I got home …

Have you got 15 minutes?

Well if you do, you can take a quick virtual tour of every MLB stadium in 15 minutes. Thanks to some guy (who also had some extra time on his hands) who did some cool work with Google Earth and the MLB 07 videogame.

We’ll begin with the 14 ballparks of the American League …

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Finding a primo seat at Wrigley Field can be kinda confusing sometimes.

You know, with the stadium having “Aisle numbers” rather than “Section numbers” and the seat numbers going from 101-102-103 on the right side of the Aisle and 1-2-3 on the left side. Or is that the other way around? After 4 pregame beers at Bernie’s or Murphy’s who can tell?

And those ushers aren’t much help. They’re always trying to stop you from sneaking down into the field boxes.

This guy demonstrates how to get a great seat at Wrigley. Wait a minute … that might not be entirely legal …

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