The MLB Home Run Derby is right around the corner (literally – it’s on Monday).
Some of MLB’s top sluggers will be hitting lots of Home Runs in the Derby … but we thought it would be fun to take a peek at who these guys will be hitting “Home Runs” with AFTER the Derby. Namely, their Wives and Girlfriends (WAGs).
Wink-Wink, Nudge-Nudge.
Without further delay … the WAGs of the 2009 Home Run Derby …
AMERICAN LEAGUE HOME RUN DERBY WAGs
Yes, I know that MLB still hasn’t officially announced who’s playing for the AL in the 2009 Home Run Derby … so we’ll just roll with the rumored players and update this when they tell us who’s in.
When an MLB franchise selects a player with the #1 overall pick in the Amateur Draft, the team is expecting to have that player make a significant contribution to the team for years to come.
In unrelated news, earlier this season, the Padres released Matt Bush, the #1 Pick in the 2004 MLB Draft … before he ever played a game in the Major Leagues. I hope no one actually bought a Matt Bush Padres Jersey.
Bush was a High School Shortstop from the San Diego Area who the Pads selected over the likes of Jered Weaver and Stephen Drew. Bush’s career batting average in the minors is a robust .219 (in nothing higher than Class A ball) … so let’s just go and call him a bust. The Padres have.
This got me to thinking … who else has flopped after being picked first in the MLB Draft?
Mind you, after his first two seasons in the minors … he looked like he might be worth it. In Class A in 1992, he had 187 K’s in 161 innings and in 1993 went 13-7 with 150 K’s in AA Albany.
But in December 1993, he separated his shoulder and tore his labrum in a fight in a trailer park – does anything good ever happen in a trailer park? Dr. Frank Jobe described the injury as one of the worst shoulder injuries he’d ever seen.
Taylor never posted an ERA under 6 the rest of his minor league career and never sniffed the Majors.
Okay, when I say “popular demand” … I mean the two people who emailed me asking what the heck happened to the Baseball Mascot Tournament.
We’ll pick up where we left off last year in the second round with what might be one of the most anticipated showdowns of the tournament. One which is sure to whet your appetite.
#1 Racing Sausages (Brewers) vs #5 Racing Pierogies (Pirates)
Get used to it, Alex Rodriguez … because that’s what you’re going to be hearing at MLB Ballparks this year, whenever you step up to bat. It’s gonna be deafening.
And Home Run Derby will be calling Rodriguez “A-ROID” from now on.
Because Sports Illustrated has itself a little bit of a bombshell this morning … namely that Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003.
In 2003, when he won the American League home run title and the AL Most Valuable Player award as a shortstop for the Texas Rangers, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for two anabolic steroids, four sources have independently told Sports Illustrated.
There are 103 more players that tested positive for PED’s in 2003 whose names haven’t been released. So this could be the story that keeps on giving.
And it’s a damn shame the Yankees don’t put player names on the back of their jerseys, because it means I can’t personalize one with “A-ROID” with the #13 on the back.
Texas Rangers’ relief pitcher C.J. Wilson is headed to the Disabled List and possibly the DFA list. Supposedly for “bone spurs in his left elbow.”
Bullshit. It’s because Wilson’s not effective as a pitcher (recently removed from the closer’s role) and even worse – he’s disrespectful towards his manager and his team.
Last night, Wilson entered the game in the top of the eighth inning with the Rangers holding a six-run lead over the visiting New York Yankees.
Wilson threw 22 pitches … and was not impressive. He walked Bobby Abreu, hit Alex Rodriguez, struck out Xavier Nady, walked Robinson Cano, and then, with a 0-1 count, served up Richie Sexson’s 15th Career Grand Slam.
Things were looking good for the Seattle Mariners. Top of the ninth inning, one run lead … and the Mariners’ closer, JJ Putz (the reigning AL Rolaids Relief Man of the Year) was looking to close the door.
At bat is Josh Hamilton, who struck out against Putz to end yesterday’s game.
Mr. Soul Patch goes back to the fastball that Hamilton whiffed on the night before …
Hamilton went 2 for 5 with 2 Runs and 2 RBI. He also made a great play in the field, saving a run when he made a over-the -shoulder basket catch at the waring tracj in the fifth inning.
Last year, the M’s were 75-0 when leading after 8 innings. This season, they’re 1-1.
Video courtesy of MLB.com. They already have some bugs to work out this season with their multimedia.
I think just about everybody expected Sammy Sosa to be named in the Mitchell Report.
He wasn’t.
I think just about everyone who opined on who would be named by Senator George Mitchell today would have had Sammy Sosa listed. And I would have agreed with them, which would have kept my “fabulous” record of predictions intact.
But he’s not there.
Okay, Sosa is mentioned in the report - but he’s not listed among the 86 names. And he’s only referenced once. His only mention comes when Senator Mitchell was detailing his attempts to contact Mark McGwire through his attorney …
I sent similar letters with specific questions to lawyers for Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa and Gary Sheffield, none of whom provided answers to my questions either.
Now mind you – just because Sosa isn’t in the Mitchell Report list of players doesn’t mean he didn’t use a performance enhancing substance. It could just mean that Mitchell didn’t find any cancelled checks payable to Kirk Radomski from Mr. Sosa.
In 2008, the Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals are going to do something that no baseball team has done since 1991.
They’re going to break out the Powder Blue Uniforms. Mind you – they’ll be only occasionally be used as home alternate uniforms, but that’s a feat in and of itself. I don’t think anyone’s ever worn the powder blue in their home stadium before.
The Royals will be wearing blue shirts (with white pants) while the Blue Jays will go completely retro and bust out the baby blue from head to toe. The Jays will also bring back their old logo, a pullover jersey, and their old two-color cap. I have one of those hats. I love it.
There’s no word yet as to how often the Royals and Jays will do this in 2008, but the vibe is that they’ll do it enough that they petitioned MLB to add the uniforms to their regular cache of kits.
The St. Louis Cardinals have worn powder blue throwbacks in road games twice (2005 vs Tampa Bay and 2007 vs Milwaukee).
Considering that we’ve hardly seen powder blue for the last sixteen seasons (and the fact that no one under the age of 21 likely has any memory of powder blue baseball) let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit the teams that dared … to wear blue.
Prepare yourselves for a trip when the blue wasn’t just in the azure sky over the field. And watch out for lots of polyester pullovers and stirrups.
Brien Taylor, P – 1991 (New York Yankees)
Get used to it, Alex Rodriguez … because that’s what you’re going to be hearing at MLB Ballparks this year, whenever you step up to bat. It’s gonna be deafening.
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