Home Run Derby

Facebook.  Everybody’s doing it. 

Facebook is a great way to keep up with friends, reconnect with old ones you forgot about, constantly update people about the excruciating minutiae in your life, and avoid doing any work.

But it would appear that Facebook doesn’t love everyone.  Namely, one Allan H. Selig.  Also known as Bud Selig, the current commissioner of Major League Baseball.

Take a look …

Hilarious. 

Yes, I know that Facebook page almost assuredly doesn’t actually belong to Bud Selig.  Or this one.  Or this one (which lists former NBA commissioner David Stern as Bud’s only friend.  More likely, they’re all fake Facebook pages under the name ”Bud Selig.”

But there are a bunch of Facebook Groups who don’t like Bud Selig … and here’s some of them.  But be warned … some of them have some NSFW names.

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President George W. Bush has always been a big fan of baseball.  And I suppose that means he can’t be that bad of a guy.

He’s always had a pretty impressive baseball pedigree.

• Bush played Little League baseball as a child – and is the only US President to have played Little League … more on that later.
• Bush had collected over 250 autographed baseballs while governor of Texas (probably way more now). 
• Bush’s great uncle was one of the original owners of the New York Mets … which may have inspired W to own a ballclub of his own.
• Bush was the former owner of the Texas Rangers and helped get a new stadium for the Rangers.

And quotes like this display that it’s not all for show …

“I don’t know how I fell in love with baseball, I just loved to play it. Everyone who loves baseball can remember the first time he saw the inside of a real major league park with real big-league players. It stays with you forever – the greenness of the grass, the sight of major leaguers in uniform, the sound of a big-league swing meeting a big-league pitch.”

“I never dreamed about being President, I wanted to be Willie Mays.

That man gets it.  About baseball, anyway.

So it was no surprise that he would be a familiar face at baseball games throughout his Presidency.  And now, on his last day as President of the United States … let’s look back at where Bush has been …

April 6, 2001 – Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI

President Bush and Baseball commissioner Bud Selig threw out the ceremonial first pitches at the Milwaukee Brewers’ brand-new Miller Park. 

Have there ever been two more disliked CEO’s together on a pitcher’s mound?

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Do you like those cute little Elmer Fudd ear-flapped baseball caps the Phillies and Rays have been wearing in Philly for the World Series?  Get used to them – they”ll be back next year.

I’ve heard a lot of griping about late-October baseball this postseason, brought on by the rain-induced suspension of Game 5 of the World Series and the subsequent postponement of the last 3.5 innings of that game yesterday – and it’ll be in the low 30’s for the replay tonight.

If the makeup innings get postponed again (doesn’t look likely – the Philly rain is expected to let up by gametime) – Game Seven would be scheduled for November 1.  Last season, November baseball would have happened if the Rockies would have shown up and the Series went seven games.

Get used to it.

Next season, if MLB sticks to its recent ludicrous playoff schedule (no doubt designed by FOX and TBS) there will be at least one World Series game played in November … and possibly four games.

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A while back, Home Run Derby told you the favorite MLB teams of the 2008 Presidential Candidates. 

Ever wonder who Major League Baseball wants to win in the political arena? 

Simple answer:  Democrats.

How do we know?  Well … since 2001, Major League Baseball has a Political Action Committee (PAC).   So far as I can tell, MLB is the only Professional Sports League to have a PAC – why am I not surprised? 

Considering how often MLB gets dragged into Congressional hearings lately, it makes perfect sense that MLB would want to have lined the pockets and greased the palms of some Senators and Representatives.  Baseball has given to a number of Candidates over the 21st Century.  Some notables …

• $1,000 to Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
• $6,500 to Senator John McCain (R-AZ)
• $13,000 to Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-IL)
• $22,500 to Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT)
• $7,500 to Senator Max Baucus (D-MT)
• $9,500 to Senator Harry Reid (D-NV)
• $10,000 to Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD)
• $25,000 to Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI)

Let’s see how MLB has doled out that PAC money by Party over the past four Federal Election Cycles.

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Barry Bonds etched his name on the most hallowed of baseball records last night when he hit career Home Run number 756 …

Whether you like it or not.

And I think that Washington Nationals pitcher Mike Bacsik, Jr. DESERVED to serve up his career-defining pitch to Bonds … because Bacsik started showboating right before it.  Watch.

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