If you know the name of this blog, you’ll know that we here at Home Run Derby LOVE the Home Run Derby. It’s the most wonderful day of the year.
The best thing about the MLB Home Run Derby is that it’s all just fun.
No pretentiousness about the sanctity of the game.
No forced urgency about home-field advantage during the World Series.
Heck, even the incoherent ramblings of Chris Berman and Joe Morgan on ESPN can’t ruin Home Run Derby for me.
But if you can’t stand the ESPN telecast… maybe you need a little something to take the edge off … like Home Run Derby’s Second Annual Home Run Derby Drinking Game!!
We did this last year for the Home Run Derby in San Francisco and it was so much fun I had to call in sick the next day. My arm hurt from raising my glass so much.
I’m always in need of a day off from work … so let’s do it again !!
Short Version
Put 911 on speed dial
Take a drink every time Chris Berman says “Back” as in “Back-Back-Back”
Take a drink every time Joe Morgan says something stupid.
Continuing Home Run Derby’s quest to find the most unique and creative personalized baseball Jerseys/shirts we can find … we’ll stay in Dodger Stadium for a second week with a slightly more disturbing Jersey of the Week.
Apparently … The Devil is a Dodgers fan.
Frankly, I’m a little surprised. I totally had the Prince of Darkness pegged as a Yankee fan. Maybe he’s a Joe Torre fan and followed him to LA. Or maybe ol’ Satan got a little disenfranchised when the Tampa Bay Rays changed their name from “Devil Rays” and started winning baseball games.
I’m kinda even more surprised that MLB would allow “SATAN” as a name on a Customized Authentic (or Replica – I can’t tell) Jersey.
Mind you, you can’t get “666” as a number through the MLB.com shop. I guess you gotta know someone to be able to pull that off. Or put it on. Take your pick.
SATAN 66 Jersey Rating:
Cleverness: 6
Originality: 6
Understandability: 6
The Jersey loses points because it’s missing the third 6.
This really shouldn’t shock anyone, seeing as how fundamentalist preachers have been telling us that Los Angeles is a pit of sin for years. And Dodgers uber-fan Alyssa Milano once played a Vampire in a movie, didn’t she?
Pinch-hitting is hard enough. Sit on your duff for 7+ innings, get the notice that you are probably going to get at bat if the situation is right, go take a couple swings in the cage behind the dugout, swing the donut a bit, and go out there down by 1 run and 2 runners on and 2 out.
Oh, and you get to face Hank Steinbrenner’s favorite Yankee (but not Erin Andrews), Joba Chamberlain. A single ties the game, but why not over-deliver? Second pitch he sees … ding dong, the pitch is dead.
And while Joba had a bad night last night, “his” team in the HRD, The Joba Rules, is building a nice cushion in our contest. Through May 5th, The Joba Rules had a seven Home Run cushion in the contest and was on the doorstep of breaking 100 Home Runs to date.
I think we might have found a new HRD whipping boy.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Ryan Howard untied a 2-2 ballgame with one swing and the Phillies went on to beat the visiting San Diego Padres.
The win put the Phillies in sole possession of first place in the NL East.
Around the League:
Brewers 4 Cubs 3
The “Kerry Wood as closer” experiment might be just about over for the Chicago Cubs.
Wood blew a 3-1 ninth inning lead and his third save in seven opportunities and visiting Milwaukee beat the Cubs 4-3 – wasting another great start by Carlos Zambrano. Wood now has an ERA of 18.00 against the Brewers in three games at Wrigley.
You get the sense that it’s only a matter of time until Carlos Marmol is the closer for the Northsiders.
Rays 4 Orioles 2
They’re on the cusp of history in Tampa Bay … as the AL East-leading Rays beat the Orioles and moved to four games over .500 for only the third time in their 10+ year history.
The Rays have never been five games over .500.
Maybe there was something to dropping the Devil.
Tigers 8 Yankees 4
The Tigers completed a three-game sweep of the the Yankees in New York.
Don’t look now, but since the Tigers started 0-7, they’ve gone on a 14-8 run. And they’re now in a three-way tie for second place in the AL Central, only 1 1/2 games behind the Chicago White Sox.
Yesterday was a pretty cool day for Home Runs. We had 4 multi-homer games (Delgado, McLouth, Konerko and Phillips).
We had power hitting third baseman that were swapped for each other hit their first Home Runs for their new teams (Rolen and Glaus) – more than 25 games into the season.
We had a total of 22 Home Runs to choose from, and today’s winner is Melky Cabrera. His Home Run has the distinction of being the only run scored in the game between the Yankees and Indians. Run, Melky, Run.
Sometime before the White Sox played the New York Yankees on Wednesday, ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews had a chat with Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain.
Chamberlain was talking about his father, who apparently has been getting better after collapsing earlier this month.
But as Andrews wrapped up the interview … she reached out and held his arm in support … and it looked as if Chamberlain said something that made her roll her eyes and scrunch up her face.
Okay – who can read lips? Does he say “I love you” or something like that?
Whatever Chamberlain said isn’t picked up by the microphone … but it made Erin Andrews wince in exasperation, if not disgust. She looks like she got Punk’d after showing genuine emotion towards Chamberlain about his family situation.
If that’s the case (and it might not be – I really can’t tell what the heck Chamberlain said or if that’s what caused her reaction) – that’s just obnoxious.
Andrews gets and takes a lot of crap from horny college students (and coaches) at NCAA basketball and football games – solely because she’s an attractive woman. But this is the first time I think I’ve ever seen her catch it from a professional athlete.
The Golden Sombrero
Four At-Bats, Four Strikeouts.
It’s a badge a hitter doesn’t want.
And it rarely happens to the best hitters in the league. And it should NEVER happen to a three-time MVP who happens to be the highest paid player in the history of the game.
But it did last night.
Against the Kansas City Royals, Alex Rodriguez struck out looking three times against Brian Bannister (!) and flailed away against Ramon Ramirez. Watch for yourself.
Travis Buck, Matt Holliday, and Chris Young (D-Backs) have all worn the Golden Sombrero this season.
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