Home Run Derby

This kind of stuff only happens in Baseball.

Before the Sunday Night Mets-Yankees game on ESPN, a member of the grounds crew had to unroll some turf before batting practice. Pretty standard stuff.

Or not.

Both the grounds crew guy and the kitten look a little stunned.

How do these animals get into these games? Can they afford a ticket? Somebody contact Bugs and Cranks … because I think Antonio Alfonseca has been smuggling small animals into the park under his shirt so he can eat them later.

It’s been seventeen years since the Brood XIII Cicadas last invaded the Chicagoland Area in 1990.

I for one, welcome our new insect overlords.

Today (May 22) is the day that millions of Cicadas are expected to show up in my backyard like a bunch of long lost brothers-in-law at a Memorial Day picnic, loudly asking why their Bratwurst isn’t finished and wondering where I keep the good beer.

Since we know that Periodical Cicadas are Huge Baseball fans … Let’s look back at what happened in Baseball in 1990.

Joe Morgan and Jim Palmer were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on their First Ballot. 1990 also began Morgan’s quest to become a terrible Baseball Analyst on ESPN. That reminds me – you should go to Fire Joe Morgan and say “Hi.” Jim Palmer is still probably remembered more for those underwear commercials.

Dave Stewart (OAK) and Fernando Valenzuela (LA) threw no-hitters on the same day (June 26, 1990). Five other no-hitters were thrown in 1990 by Randy Johnson (SEA), Nolan Ryan (TEX), Dave Stieb (TOR), Terry Mulholland (PHI), and the combo of Mark Langston and Mike Witt (CAL).

The All-Star Game was held at Wrigley Field (Richie Rich sat through two rain delays) as a combinaton of what seemed like every pitcher in the AL two-hit the NL in a 2-0 victory. Rangers’ 2B Julio Franco was the MVP. Hometown Hero Ryne Sandberg won the Home Run Derby.

NLCS: Cincinnati Reds over Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2. MVP’s: The Nasty Boys – Rob Dibble and Randy Myers

ALCS: Oakland Athletics over Boston Red Sox 4-0. MVP: Dave Stewart

The Cincinnati Reds swept the Oakland A’s in a stunning upset as the A’s were heavy favorites in the World Series. It shouldn’t have been a surprise, as Chicago Tribune columnist Mike Royko predicted the Reds’ victory based on the newly unveiled “Ex-Cub Factor.“  If you had more ex-Cubs on your roster in the Series – you were going to lose.
Reds pitcher Jose Rijo was named the MVP after going 2-0 with a 0.59 ERA and 15 K’s in 15 2/3 Innings.