Home Run Derby

So this past weekend, Major League Baseball went to China. 

In MLB’s continuing quest to conquer the world, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres played a pair of Spring Training games in Beijing, China.  They got to grade some players, eat some Chinese food, spread some baseball goodwill, and showcase China for the upcoming Summer Olympic Games.

But the Chinese Cheerleaders stole the show.

As you probably know, we here at Home Run Derby are big fans of Baseball Cheerleaders, and we find it to be our duty to “report” to you whenever we find baseball cheerleaders.  We’ve been doing it for nearly a year.

•  St. Louis Cardinals’ Team Fredbird 
• The Florida Marlins Mermaids
• Mexican Baseball Cheerleaders (Porristas)

So let’s keep doing it …

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I can’t pity fans of the Florida Marlins …

• Even though Dontrelle Willis is gone
• Even though Miguel Cabrera (2007 NL Andre Dawson Award Winner) is gone
• Even though they’re among the lowest in league attendance
• Even though 2008 looks pretty bleak

They do have nice weather … even in late January … and you know what happens next …

Yes, I suppose that pitchers and catchers will be reporting to spring training really soon (Two Weeks and Counting).  But it also means that MLB’s pre-eminent cheerleading squad is about to formally announce their 2008 Squad.  That’s right … the Mermaids are coming.

HRD has had a spot for the Mermaids and Baseball Cheerleaders in general for some time … and we just can’t wait to see the 2008 Marlins Mermaids … so here’s your first look at video from the Mermaids’ tryouts in Miami this past weekend.

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Outside the home office of Home Run Derby, it’s gotten really freaking cold.  So let’s warm it up a bit …

Home Run Derby is proud to present the return of Porristas Mexicana de Beisbol !  Mexican Baseball Cheerleaders !

We held a vote back in May to ask our readers which Mexican League baseball team (in the Liga Mexicana) had the best Porristas or Edecanes.   The Potros (Broncos) de Tijuana won that vote - so let’s check out more of their Porristas and Edecanes. 

We’ve mentioned before that the Potros outsource their cheerleading to whatever company wants to pay for the exposure.  By my count there’s at least six different cheerleading uniforms dancing around Estadio Calimax in Tijuana.

Talk about your logo creep.

Here’s pics of another of the Potros’ porrista sponsors … and video. (more…)

Outside the home office of Home Run Derby, it’s gotten really freaking cold.  So let’s warm it up a bit …

Home Run Derby is proud to present the return of Porristas Mexicana de Beisbol !  Mexican Baseball Cheerleaders !

We held a vote back in May to ask our readers which Mexican League baseball team (in the Liga Mexicana) had the best Porristas or Edecanes.   The Potros (Broncos) de Tijuana won that vote - so let’s check out more of their Porristas and Edecanes. 

We’ve mentioned before that the Potros outsource their cheerleading to whatever company wants to pay for the exposure.  By my count there’s at least six different cheerleading uniforms dancing around Estadio Calimax in Tijuana.

Talk about your logo creep.

Here’s pics of one of the Potros’ porrista sponsors … and some video. (more…)

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Home Run Derby continues its celebration of the Mexican victory over French occupational forces in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Anyone shocked that France was defeated in a battle?

And we’re gonna celebrate by showing you pictures of scantily clad cheerleaders (big shock that Home Run Derby would do something like that) who probably speak a different language than you do. Aren’t you the lucky ones?

Anyway, The LMB (Liga Mexicana de Beisbol) is a Triple-A Minor League affiliated with Major League Baseball. And they’ve been doing this Baseball Cheerleader thing for some time now. Which means they know what they’re doing - and they’re really good at it.

After the Jump are Five (again, Cinco equals Five) Cheerleading Squads I could find South of the Border …

Me Gusta! Vayamos!

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The fine folks over at Umpbump recently said that the Florida Marlins were one of the smartest teams in baseball (two championships in 15 years of existence kinda proves it - whatever reasoning there might be) … take some time and read Umpbump’s thoughts on the matter, and then come back here … (please come back here)

I agree with them - the Marlins are freaking brilliant - but for totally different reasons …

Yep - The infamous Marlins Mermaids  - Since we started the MLB Cheerleader team profiles, everybody keeps saying …

• When are you going to profile the Mermaids?
• Hey - the Marlins have some cheerleaders
• Have you seen the Mermaids? They’re freaking hawt! (That guy was from Southie I think)

Well, wait no further, because after the jump … are the Marlins Mermaids. (more…)

Let’s continue Home Run Derby’s look at cheerleaders around the Majors … with the Pad Squad.

The San Diego Padres have the “Pad Squad” to help rev up the crowds at Petco Park.

The Pad Squad spends its time roving the stands to pose for pictures, sing “Happy Birthday” to kids, and give away T-Shirts between innings by sling-shotting them into the crowd.

Okay, so the Pad Squadders are more like a bunch of Padres “Goodwill Ambassadors” than Cheerleaders and they’re way more interactive with Padre fans than most MLB Cheerleading squads.

There’s also guys on the Pad Squad, which would typically exclude them from a CWDTLB post, but hey - the guy wearing the red laynard in the team photo below deserves the mention for getting his freak on in a team photo that includes the team chaplain (oh wait - that’s the mascot). Wait a minute - does the big Asian guy have a ventriloquist dummy? And wasn’t the African-American gentleman at the bottom in an episode of Seinfeld?

Interestingly, the Padres have absolutely no mention of the Pad Squad on their website. I had to find pics via myspace and the excellent Padres blog Gas Lamp Ball.

The writers at Gas Lamp have a weird obsession with the Pad Squad. Really - there’s a bunch of Pad Squad stalkers over at that site.

It’s been a while since there’s been a decent CWDTLB post, so let’s knock one out right now … actually, let’s set up a whole new category at Home Run Derby - Baseball Cheerleaders.

What’s that you say? 

There’s no room for cheerleading in baseball?  Well - that’s where you’re wrong - because there are at least 16 natural breaks in a baseball game, and you can only watch a variation of a Dot Race on the Jumbotron so many times. 

And more importantly, because there are at least seven MLB teams who have some form of cheerleaders on the payroll.  Just because we’ve been on the Cardinals’ case lately … let’s start with …

Team Fredbird

Whoa.  Where were these ladies during the World Series telecasts?  I think more people might have watched if the TV cameras would ever point in their direction. 

According to the Cardinals’ website, they’ve been around since 1995.  Who knew St Louis has so many otherwise out of work models running around?  And that they’d be named after a mascot?

It sounds like Team Fredbird girls walk around the ballpark, hanging out with celebrities and just looking hot for most of the game until they go out on the field and launch T-Shirts, towels, or cups into the crowd during the 7th inning stretch. 

I’m told that sometimes they go out and dance - but there’s no photographic evidence of it anywhere.

When the team’s on the road, they’re paid to hang out at some place called Hotshots Bar and Grill, the squad’s sponsor.

In closing.  Team Fredbird - a good looking Dance/Promotions Team with a stupid team name.