Home Run Derby

So President Obama is a big fan of the Chicago White Sox.  

Or so he tells and shows us.  Over and Over.

Like last night during the All-Star game when he wore his White Sox jacket to throw out the first pitch (not so sure I liked that) and told Joe Buck and Tim “Corpse” McCarver he was a fan of the White Sox.

Not to mention a few times on the campaign trail last spring, summer, and fall.  And an interview on ESPN where he took a few digs at Cub fans.

But if he’s such a big White Sox fan, why doesn’t he know the name of their home stadium? 

Case in point:  President Obama referred the White Sox’ ballpark as ”Cominskey Field” during an interview on MLB TV with Bob Costas.  It used to be called Comiskey Park.

Roll Video …

http://www.dailymotion.com/videox9vh4r 

“I do think that there’s a different quality to what used to be Cominskey Field vs. Wrigley”

Oh boy.  That’s like calling the Cubs’ stadium “Wrigley Park” instead of “The World’s Largest Outdoor Bar.”   A White Sox fan would rip a new backside into any Cub fan who did that.

Even if he had said “Cominskey Park”, I could see it as a slip of the tongue.  But Cominskey FIELD?   Obama moved to Chicago in 1985.  Back when the old Comiskey Park was still around. 

Teleprompter comment in 3 … 2 … 1 …

It’s a long standing tradition for a rehabbing Major League player to pick up the postgame spread for the Minor League club hosting him.  

From Minor League Dugout …

One of baseball’s unwritten rules, along with not talking to a pitcher throwing a no-hitter, requires major league players on rehabilitation assignments to furnish a post-game meal for their often under-funded minor league teammates. [snip]

Tradition holds that the big leaguer will approach the clubhouse manager about picking up something for post game on their last day with the minor league club.

MILB.com reported on this back in May in a piece about Rehab stints.

And the team’s players have the chance to suit up alongside an established star, who following established protocol, nearly always pays for a primo postgame food spread.

And why not?  The usual Minor League spread is akin to pasta, cold cuts, or peanut butter and jelly and typically costs the players $3-10.  MLB players get paid their normal salary even while they’re (usually briefly) in the minors.  Add to that the fact that they’re taking away playing time from a guy trying his heart out to make the bigs and the gesture is a small one that goes a long way.

Angels’ catching prospect Chris Rosenbaum blogged that minor league players look forward to them …

A tangible perk for the players of these assignments is that a post-game spread is usually purchased for us by the Major Leaguers.

“Nearly Always?”   ”Usually?”  

What Major Leaguer would stiff their rehab teammates on such a tradition?  The name should not surprise you.

Manny Ramirez. 

According to the Modesto Bee, Manny stiffed both his Minor League teammates at Albuquerque and Inland Empire of their traditional post-game meal during his little warmup stint before he returned to the Dodgers from his 50-game suspension for taking a banned substance.

Never heard of this tradition before?  Here’s some examples from the past couple years…

• In 2007, D-Backs pitcher Randy Johnson bought the Visalia Oaks a $3,000 dinner from a “national chain steakhouse.”
• Roger Clemens refurbished the Lexington Legends clubhouse with “four new black leather couches, two love seats, a 42-inch plasma television, a 20-inch television, a microwave, DVD and a VCR.”   In 2007 Clemens  bought the Tampa Yankees a post-game spread from Outback Steakhouse.
• Kei Igawa and Hideki Matsui bought the Tampa Yankees a spread from Lee Roy Selman’s.  It’s a barbeque joint.  Yum.
• Rick Ankiel bought a ping-pong table for a minor league clubhouse.
• Jose Valentin treated the St. Lucie Mets to Outback.
• Heck, fifteen years ago, Michael Jordan provided the Birmingham Barons with a tricked out bus. 

 And the big names aren’t the only ones who do it …

• Last season, Florida Marlins pitcher Josh Johnson bought dinner for the Jupiter Marlins.  The year before that he bought a flat screen TV for the Class-AA Carolina Mudcats.
• In May, the Colorado Rockies’ Ryan Spier and Jeff Baker (now withthe Cubs) each bought a postgame meal for the Modesto Nuts.
• In June, SF Giants’ rookie reliver Joe Martinez (the one who was hit in the head by a Mike Cameron line drive in April)  bought the spread for the San Jose Giants.

But Manny couldn’t do that. 

Perhaps someone forgot to tell Manny about the tradition.  Then again, Manny spent three seasons in Cleveland’s farm system and had Minor League rehab assignments in 2000 and 2002.  He would have known about that.

Of course, during his stint in the Minor Leagues, Manny was still officially under suspension and wasn’t being paid a dime (which raises a whole new question of why MLB players under suspension are allowed to play in the minors) … but that’s no excuse. 

Manny will be paid nearly $16.5 Million this season even after pulling out the cash ($7.4 million) he lost as a result of his suspension.

Maybe Manny’s just a big prima donna cheap ass.  He apparently tips about 10%.  Here’s another example when Manny made a producer from “Jimmy Kimmel Live” pick up a $860 tab after a night of drinking with David Ortiz and Johnny Damon.

Manny being Manny, I guess.  Now hit some homers so ESPN can blow their wad and we’ll go back to ignoring what a self-centered douchebag you are.

Funny thing about that MILB.com article about Major Leaguers doing rehabs in the Minors … Manny Ramirez’ picture is prominently featured.

So I opened my mail last night … and there he was.

Bucky Dent.  Or if you’re from Red Sox Nation, Bucky F-ing Dent.

Well, at least a three and a half inch cardboard facsimile of him in near-Mint condition.

This is cool.  I like it.  But wait … WTF?

Dent showed up in a plain white envelope addressed with a computer-generated label … but no return address.  Postmarked from New York City on June 25th.  

Hmmmm.  NYC?  My first thought was that I had cheesed off some Yankee fan (who thought I was a Red Sox fan) in some post or another.  But that couldn’t be.  Because I haven’t written anything about the Yanks in a while – heck I haven’t posted at all in two weeks.  And besides, pissed off blog readers voice their displeasure immediately in the comments section – not via envelopes with mail-merged labels.

I bet other bloggers had Bucky Dent in their mailbox.  It had to be a publicity stunt.

I was right.

• Purple Row and Bronx Banter and Was Watching got a Dent card.  
• Dave Pinto at Baseball Musings and Rich Lederer at Baseball Analysts got George Scott cards.
• Will Carroll of ESPN got a Steve Swisher card. 
• Craig Calcaterra at Shysterball also got a Dent card … and led the charge to find out who else got them and who sent them.
  And to his credit – he figured it out.

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The Washington Nationals have gotten a lot of flack for their misspelling snafus lately (Natinals, anyone?) … but they aren’t the only Beltway team that can’t spell their own team’s name.

Check this out.   From the Baltimore Orioles’ Twitter page. 

On the left side …

Does that say Oriloes.com? 

Oriloes?  Seriously?  Is there something in the water over there that causes baseball people to lose their ability to spell?

I would like to offer my services as a proofreader to any and all MLB teams who don’t want to look stupid anymore.

[Update - They fixed it.  We get results.]

H/T:  Uniwatch

Hey Beltway Baseball fans – be sure to check out the best Nationals jersey you’ll ever see.

You can buy cool “Natinals” shirts here.

A couple weeks ago, Home Run Derby showed you a bunch of mistaken identies on baseball cards.  Namely, errors where the name and the picture on the card didn’t match.

But that’s not the only way baseball card companies screw up their cards.  Sometimes they get the player right … but someone put the photo on there wrong.  Let’s look at some baseball players who seem to have stumbled through the looking glass or found their way to Bizarro World.

You know, Bizarro World (also known as Htrae) – the planet in the DC Comics Universe where everything is a mirror image of what’s on Earth.  

Let’s begin with one of my dad’s favorite players …

Hank Aaron
1957 Topps #20

At first glance, you might not notice that this Hall of Famer is on here backwards.  You might not know that Hammerin’ Hank wasn’t a lefty.

But Aaron was a righty … and that 4 in Aaron’s 44 is not pointing the right direction.

That card is listed at $300  in the latest Beckett.  Take that for what it’s worth.

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Every time Major League Baseball comes out with more camoflague hats, more USA Flag hats, more green hats (for Earth Day or St Patrick’s day), more black caps (Just Ditch It), or those FABULOUS pastel argyle Yankee hats like Roger Clemens wears, MLB continues to bastardize and trivialize its iconic logos inthe pursit of more merchandising dollars.

I thought I had had enough.  Until …

I was perusing MLB.com because I was looking to buy my 9-week old son a Cub hat (just a plain stinking blue one like they wear on the field) … and I came across this monstrosity called the New Era “Watermelon Smoothie.”

Perhaps at first glance you might say, “Big deal, it’s a Pink hat for little girls”

But look closer – there’s cutesy little Watermelons on that cap.   Next, scratch one of the little Watermelons on your computer screen, press your nose against it, and take a whiff.   Okay don’t – the internet isn’t yet adapted for you to get the full effect of the scratch and sniff technology in that cap.

Let me let that sink in.  It’s a scratch and sniff hat. 
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Yesterday afternoon during the Yankees-Blue Jays game, there were two Canucks sitting behind Home Plate dressed as Umpires.

And they were making calls and everything. 

Take a look at the video as they help ring up Johnny Damon to end the fifth inning.

I like it. 

I think we need somebody doing this at every ballgame to keep the real umps honest.  And if you’re paying for those seats, you should be able to wear whatever you want.

Hat Tip: HHR

I ‘ve always wondered if ballplayers get excited when they see their baseball cards for the first time … or the 18th time for that matter.

When I was a kid playing little League – the biggest reason I wanted to be a Big Leaguer so I could be on a baseball card.  But with my luck, they would screw it up and put another guy’s picture on my card. 

Because it happens.  A lot.  Well, at least 10 times that I could find. 

Let’s take a look back at  some mistaken identities immortalized on cardboard …

Barry Bonds
1987 Donruss Opening Day #163A

I know that the Barry Bonds of the 1980’s didn’t look like the muscle-bound and big-headed Barry Bonds of the 21st Century …. but that ain’t Barry Bonds.  That’s Johnny Ray.

The error was corrected quickly and made this card a collectors’ item. 

It goes for about $300.

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With all the video weirdness (fans being hit by flying vodak bottles, Mexican Midget Batboys, fat Orioles fans, and people breaking their hands while playing Wii Baseball) we’ve shown you here in over two years at Home Run Derby, somehow we’ve never shown you video of a couple of dumbasses trying to play baseball with a potato fired out of a potato cannon.

I’m happy to say that streak will end …
RIGHT NOW.

Here’s some idiot trying to hit a potato aimed in his general vicinity flying at … oh, say 45 meters per second.
Yes, you know how this is going to end.

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