Home Run Derby

So I guess a few weeks back (on May 19th) - The Simpsons were at Dodger Stadium to see the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Cincinnati Reds.

Homer Simpson (or at least a seven-foot tall facsimilie of him) got to throw out the first pitch.  I guess Universal Studios was hyping up the new Simpsons Ride at their Theme parks. 

All season long at Dodger Stadium, there’s a “Hit a Homer” promotion.  If the Dodgers hit a Home Run in the 5th Inning – Universal Studios will be giving kids (who are at the game) free tickets to Universal Studios Hollywood.  Mind you, you have to buy a full fare adult ticket for it to be valid – so it’s not exactly free … 

Lousy unfree “free ticket.”  D’OH !! 

At least you get a cool picture of a baseball-capped Homer Simpson on a popsicle stick. 

Then again – shouldn’t Homer be wearing a Dodgers cap? 

So far there have been only four games wherein the Dodgers have hit a Home Run in the fifth inning (4/15, 5/5, 5/6, and 6/24) at Chavez Ravine – and only one of those games occurred after the press release on May 15th (6/24).  I’m not sure if the promtion was live before the press release of May 15th, 2008.

Even if the promotion was in effect during April and early May – all three of those games were night games during the school year – where there are likely to be less kids than during the summer or on a weekend.  And none of the games have been sellouts.

So Universal Studios is making out like a bandit on this promotion if you ask me.

You can watch Homer throw better than most celebrities right here … video after the jump.

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Remember last week, when Joe Buck told Conan O’Brien that he would say “Jub-Jub” during a World Series telecast for him after Conan offered to give $1,000 to Buck’s favorite charity?

It didn’t take Buck very long to do it.

In the the bottom of the third inning of Game One of the World Series between the Colorado Rockies and the Boston Red Sox … Joe Buck dropped the Jub …

“Our own little Jub-Jub, Chris Myers”

I hope Myers has some say about which charity that grand is gonna go. Because he’s going to be known around his radio show and the sports blogosphere as Jub-Jub for a while.

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I dislike FOX Sports announcer Joe Buck.  His smarmy, saccharine voice has been ruining sports broadcasts for me for some time now.  He’s kinda like Troy McClure.

Last night, Conan O’Brien was interviewing Joe Buck.  Buck talked about how his friends will call him during a baseball broadcast and bet him that he can’t work a non-baseball word like “wasabi” into the broadcast.  Often times, Buck finds a way to do it.

So Conan threw his own challenge at Buck.  Conan O’Brien will donate $1,000 to a charity of Joe Buck’s choice if he works “Jub-Jub” into his broadcast of the World Series.   Jub-Jub, is the name which then Simpsons-writer O’Brien gave Selma’s pet iguana on “the Simpsons.”

Watch the video …  

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Home Run Derby’s a sucker for a great “baseball player signing a ball” for a fan story. 

Especially when there’s something really witty written on the ball. 

Whatever happened to Vernon Wells, anyway?

The fabulous Deadspin had this fabulous story (and a fabulous pic) sent to them about a ball signed by Cubs closer Ryan Dempster …

After Christine pleaded for the ball again (in that semi-annoying way only girls can pull off), Dempster responded back “I’ll give you the ball if you take your top off.” By now the entire bleacher section was rolling over itself, a few beers deep and chanting “Take it off” in support of Dempster’s response.

Dempster, in an act of kindness and to stop the crowd from chanting at this poor girl to take off her clothes, then gave Christine the ball and went about his warming up business.

A bit later on … Christine, now relishing her role as “that girl” in the stands, goes and gets Dempster to sign the ball he gave her.

Let’s see what the always clever Ryan Dempster wrote on that ball, shall we?

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The Simpsons have been on television for nearly 20 years.

I really think there’s a Simpsons reference for anything and everything that can happen in life.

And here’s one that happened earlier this season …

 

Wait a minute, a baseball player calls for time when a Beach Ball gets on the field?  That seems familiar …

Yep, the Simpsons already did it.  Right down to the tepid announcing.  All that’s missing is a crowd shot of fans drinking beer. I love the Vin Scully impersonation, though.

The authors of Game of Shadows have posted an afterword to their investigation into Balco and Barry Bonds - one which tallies some intriguing growth spurts Bonds has had during his tenure in San Fran …

… the freakish growth of Bonds’ body parts in his years with the Giants: from size 42 to a size 52 jersey; from size 10 1/2 to size 13 cleats; and from a size 7 1/8 to size 7 1/4 cap, even though he had taken to shaving his head. 

“The changes in his foot and head size,” they write, “were of special interest: medical experts said overuse of human growth hormone could cause an adult’s extremities to begin growing, aping the symptoms of the glandular disorder acromegaly.

Funny how this is yet another case of life imitating the Simpsons – remember the episode when Mr Burns got all those MLB ringers for his softball team?  And he had them all drink Ye Olde Nerve Tonic?

“It’s a brain and nerve tonic, rich in proteins and electromagnetic juices. It promotes robust health. Of course, it has been known to cause gigantism, but only in rare cases. Try some!”

Of course, one player got hooked on the stuff with disastrous results - the picture looks like it could be Bonds to me – except that the player in the episode was Ken Griffey Jr..