Home Run Derby

Yesterday afternoon during the Yankees-Blue Jays game, there were two Canucks sitting behind Home Plate dressed as Umpires.

And they were making calls and everything. 

Take a look at the video as they help ring up Johnny Damon to end the fifth inning.

I like it. 

I think we need somebody doing this at every ballgame to keep the real umps honest.  And if you’re paying for those seats, you should be able to wear whatever you want.

Hat Tip: HHR

So Roberto Alomar’s ex is suing the former ballplayer in a $15 million lawsuit, alleging that the 2010 Hall of Fame candidate has “full blown AIDS” and knowingly had unprotected sex with her.

Predictably, Alomar has denied the allegations, calling them “full of lies” and that he is in “very good health.” 

He has not said anything about whether he has HiV.

If the allegations are not true, I wonder if Alomar’s current girlfriend (Maripily Rivera) is the reason behind his Ex’s accusations.

From the Toronto Star:

Recent photos of Alomar show him to be presumably healthy. Shortly after his alleged breakup with Dall last October, reports in the Puerto Rican media linked him romantically with a high-profile model there, Maripily Rivera, described by some as that island’s equivalent of Paris Hilton. The pair, according to sources in Puerto Rico, went to Miami earlier this week.

Jilted ex?  New hot girlfriend?  Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Rivera seems to think so …

Maripily Rivera claimed that when Dall broke up with 12-time All-Star Alomar in October, she told him: “I will destroy you.”

Picture from Vocero. 

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It’s Jersey of the Week Time  – where we award the most creative baseball fans for their choice of attire.

Last time, the JotW was a Bodypainted Female Phillies Fan (NSFW) – so you know fabric is optional for this award.

This week, let’s just say we’re going with a strategically placed Blue Jays Foam Finger.

Let’s go to Toronto, Ontario, Canada where some guy decided to streak during a game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays (Sept 17, 2008) at the Rogers Center.

And when I say streak – I don’t mean run out there wearing clothes (which some people think is streaking) – This guy’s gonna go starkers.

Well, except for a foam finger …

This video is NSFW unless your workplace approves of bare bottomed guys jumping out of the stands at Skydome …

Prepare to see a Canadian moon …

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Somewhere, Mitch Williams is smiling. 

Nearly fifteen years after the Phillies lost to the Blue Jays in the 1993 World Series … The Phillies extract a little revenge.

Earlier this year, Jayson Werth earned a Home Run of the Day with an Inside-the-park job at Colorado … I guess that wasn’t enough for Werth, who felt he had to lay a whuppin on the Blue Jays … all by himself.

And only one of those longballs was a solo shot.  Werth hit a 3-run jack and a Grand Slam in the second and third innings off Jays’ starter David Purcey, who practically grooved two balls right in Werth’s wheelhouse. 

Here’s Video of the Grand Slam and the Solo shot …

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I promise we’re going to publish something other than HRoD posts one of these days.

But instead, we’ll go North of the Border, where Matt Stairs scored the only run of the Jays-White Sox ballgame last night in Toronto.

The Home Run put the finishing touches on the Blue Jays’ four-game sweep of the White Sox. 

Something tells me that the White Sox bats might come alive after this road trip.  And it has nothing to do with Ozzie’s Guillen’s rant or the Blow-Up Doll Shrine the Sox had in the locker room before Monday’s game.

It might have more to do with the fact that the Sox will no longer be playing indoors.  In nine games so far this season under a roof (and on artificial turf) the White Sox are 2-7 with six straight indoor losses … and their batting average is a simply horrendous .191.

That would be the lowest indoor batting average in MLB since at least 2000.  And the White Sox have eleven more games scheduled in domes this season (4 in Tampa, 7 in Minnesota). 

Mind you - the Mets are worse this year (.192 indoors) – but they’ve only played two games with the roof shut this season. 

Hey look- that kinda delved into something other than just an HRoD post!  Yay!

Really – work sucks right now.

 As a tribute to Richie Rich and his other great baseball love, the Toronto Blue Jays, I decided to go old shool on the logo.  I am sure Richie has his vintage Blue Jays cap somewhere.  I remember sitting with him in the outfield of New Comiskey (as it was called at the time of our outing) watching the Palehose and the Blue Birds lock up in a battle of two quality teams. 

It was 1993 and the Blue Jays were the defending champions and the Sox were contending in the AL West and looked like world beaters.  Funny thing is I don’t remember the game too well (unlike my Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS recollection) but I remember Richie’s damn hat (it was the blue road cap, and matching road jersey).

But before I go any farther, please rise and remove your caps as we sing the Canadian National Anthem (and no I am not Canadian).

I had to use a Hockey clip to get the full effect, and no, the tone deaf guy featured prominently in the audio is not me (although I am pretty damn tone deaf).  But enought about the anthem and on to the Blue Jays.

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The Interleague Inequity Series is winding down …

And since Nick just previewed the Angels, let’s head out West.  As in the American League West.

There are two likely contenders in the AL West (Angels and Mariners) and two likely also-rans (A’s and Rangers) … even before a singl;e pitch has been thrown.  Seattle and California will be locked in a tight battle all season … so a easy Interleague schedule for one of them could easily tip the scales in one team’s favor.

The MLB Schedule makers didn’t absolutely screw one contender over another one like they did in the NL Central.   But the Angels have a right to complain …

2008 AL West Interleague

A quick glance shows you that the AL West is playing the NL East.  All four teams in the Division have Interleague Rivals, so each team misses at least one team from the NL East.

And among the Contenders … the Angels drew the short straw.  They get back-to-back series against the Phillies and the NY Mets, missing only the lowly Florida Marlins.  They also get six games against the crosstown Dodgers, who will likely be better than their 2007 record. 

Meanwhile, the Mariners also miss a NL East team.  But they don’t miss an also-ran like the Marlins or Nationals.  No, the M’s miss the defending NL East Champion Phillies.  The Mariners do get the honor of facing the pitching-rich San Diego Padres for six games.  Someone needs to explain to mean why this is considered a rivalry?  San Diego?  Seattle? 

Meanwhile, rebuilding Texas and Oakland get sextets against two lousy teams.  And get to get whomped by the Mets and Phillies and Braves.

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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2007 was a banner year for Milestone Home Runs in Baseball.

• The 300 Home Run Club got a new member .
• Three players joined the 500 Home Run Club, the most ever in a single season.
• The 600 Home Run Club got a new member for only the fifth time in MLB History.
• And the all-time MLB Home Run record was surpassed. It had stood at 755 Home Runs for more than 31 years.

Let’s take a quick look back at those milestone dingers from the 2007 season … with video, of course …

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