Home Run Derby

Quick …

Who’s this female athlete throwing out the first pitch and then hanging out with Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain before yesterday’s Marlins-Diamondbacks game in Arizona?

Here’s some hints …

• She’s a 2008 Olympian
• She’s won a Gold Medal in two straight Olympics 
• She plays in a HEAVILY watched Olympic event
• She’s married to an MLB Player

So she should be easy to recognize, right?

Still can’t tell?  Here’s another hint …

(more…)

And here we go … a new feature here at Home Run Derby. 

Baseball Jersey of the Week.  We’re going to highlight the most creative personalized baseball jerseys/shirts we can find.  And we’ll start with a good one …

In honor of the continuation of the White Sox vs Cubs Interleague Series (The Black and Blue Series) … here’s a Chicago Baseball fan who apparently has two favorite players in the Windy City.  The Cubs’ Kosuke Fukudome and the White Sox’ Jim Thome.

FUKUTHOME !!

I love it.  It’s a Frankenstein-like creation.  Mind you, the name looks a little off center … but it’s pretty sharp and self explanatory to most knowledgeable baseball fans (which will exclude most of the overserved patrons in the Wrigley Bleachers during a Night Game.)

FUKUTHOME Jersey Rating:

• Cleverness: 8
• Originality: 10
• Understandability: 8

Does the guy have a matching White Sox jersey? 

Home Run Derby would love your pics for Jersey of the Week. 
Drop us a line right here.

In this crazy YouTube world we live in … you always need to remember to look for a camera before doing anything … shall we say … potentially embarrassing?

That goes double if you’re a professional baseball player. 

Triple if you’re a future first-ballot Hall of Famer like San Diego Padres pitcher Greg Maddux, who got caught in the dugout the other day … digging around.

And it wasn’t his nose.

I know there’s lots of crotch grabbing and adjusting in baseball (HRD did a big post with lots of pictures) … but there’s a line between adjusting and doing something else.   When your hands are down your pants … I think you’re crossing into “something else.”

And Maddux pitched the bottom half of that inning!  I hope he washed his hands.  Then again … maybe that’s why Maddux has such great control on the mound.

 Loading …

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 …

(more…)

The Chicago White Sox will officially honor and remember the victims of the tragedy at Nortern Illinois University by wearing NIU caps in their first Spring Training game on February 27th.

After the game, the White Sox players will autograph the hats and give them to NIU so that they can be auctioned off to help establish scholarships in memory of the five victims.

Genuine Class. 

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and general manager Kenny Williams have already been wearing the caps around Spring Training so far this preseason.

I think I remember Ozzie Guillen wearing a Virgina Tech cap in press conferences after the VT shooting last year.

You can contribute to the February 14 Student Scholarship Fund right here. 

For years, some people have said that the White Sox play in a war zone.

Really, people.  The South Side of Chicago isn’t anything like that - it’s being quickly gentrified … especially in the area around U.S. Cellular Field. 

But the White Sox will look like they’re ready for combat … at least for one game this season. 

You see, on July 4, 2008, the White Sox will take the field against the Oakland A’s wearing camouflage jerseys. 

Sox’ southpaw Mark Buehrle modelled the new White Sox’ fatigues at SoxFest this past weekend.

The rumor around last weekend’s SoxFest was that the camouflage uniforms were Buehrle’s idea and that he “requested” the Sox wear them as part of his contract negotiations last season.  Buehrle had been pitching the idea to the White Sox’ marketing department about the idea for a few years.

It’s good to be the king, isn’t it?  (more…)

Baseball is the greatest sport. 

Why?

Because with 2,430 regular season games every year not to mention all those preseason games and the playoff games  … weird-ass crap happens all the time in baseball. 

For example …

• Randy Johnson beaning a bird
• A Home Run bounced off Jose Canseco’s head
• The Bugs that pestered Joba Chamberlain in the ALDS
• The Magic Bat
• Drunken Red Sox fangirls who drink mustard and flash relief pitchers

And then there’s Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals. 

June 23, 2007 - Indians vs Nationals at RFK.  Top of the second inning, runner on first with two out.  Nats’ 3B Zimmerman gets set to field a two-hopper to end the inning … and an ordinary fielding opportunity turns into a clip on a blooper reel …

(more…)

A lot of boys in America want to be baseball players when they grow up.

Is it the fame?
Is it the fortune?
Is it the women?
Is it the competition?

Or is it the fringe benefit of being able to grab your crotch in front of 40,000 people every day without suffering any consequences?

All of the above.  Let’s go around the majors and find some guys playing ball.

Jim Thome (then with the Indians) was caught swinging two bats in the on deck circle while wearing one of those terrible “turn ahead the clock” jerseys a while back.
Meanwhile, some member of the New York Mets holds his member.

(more…)

So the Blue Jays have recognized that their fans will spend money on a uniform if they put one out there … especially if it was one they already knew and loved …

And here’s the new home alternate and the new road uniform.

The Blue Jays (as previously mentioned here at HRD) will be bringing back their old Powder Blue Uniforms - as part of their Flashback Fridays promotion in which they bring former Blue Jays in to sign autographs and throw out ceremonial first pitches.

Vernon Wells (above) liked the blue uniforms …

“This is my favourite uniform. I like the old school vibe! The guys are thrilled with these uniforms. When we were presented with options, we voted to go with the powder blues - I’m glad they listened.”

The new road uniforms are just craptacular, however.

Former Blue Jay Lloyd Moseby was at the unveiling - and talked about his playing days and the powder blue uniform. Apparently he didn’t like the uniforms coming up as a rookie.

Moseby actually said “they sucked” and said that his friends called them pajamas.  He also compalined in particular about the elastic waistband and how the snaps would come undone.  I think Moseby is just jealous that the new uniforms have a belt.

Here’s a pic of old man Moseby with his pants hiked up …

“Get off my lawn, you pesky kids!!” 

More Powder Blue Uniforms right here …