FanHouse MariahCarey

Over the last few days, Fanhouse has been buzzing with story after story about Pop Diva Mariah Carey's devastating gyroball and the effect it may have on the way the game is played in the States. Not since Roger Clemens did steroids and one-two'd it by cornholing the New Nashville Sound have the world of sports and music come together so hilariously. If you haven't watched the video, please do so.

And look at that picture over there. Mariah can't even go to a BASEBALL GAME without looking like that.

Today's Dugout is the spiritual successor to the Mariah Carey Gets Married iVoice we did for the Village Voice. In that strip, Mariah returns home from vacation married to young rap star Hip Hop Harry. After the jump, Mariah switches from bears to... well, what's the opposite of a bear?

International Pastime looks at baseball's influence outside the U.S.

Mariah Carey is big in Japan. No, really: she was invited to throw out the first pitch in a game between Yomiuri Giants and Rakten Eagles, and Big League Stew found video to prove it:



Um, yeah, I've seen a lot better. And come to think of it, that pitch wasn't too great, either. Though honestly, I'm actually surprised she got the ball as far as she did wearing those ridiculous sneaker heels.

The answer to fallen celebrity is always another geographical location. Look at the 'Hoff in Germany. Our D C B-listers absolutely kill overseas. Which is why Mariah Carey is making huge waves in Japan, pimping her music at every possible public appearance.

Which is also why she is got to throw out the first pitch at a Yomiuri Giants vs. Rakuten Eagles baseball game in Tokyo today.

Arriving in Japan ahead of the MTV Japan awards, 38-year-old Carey and 27-year-old [Nick] Cannon walked hand in hand amongst their screaming and devoted Japanese fans at Narita International Airport.

Actually relevant to baseball? Not particularly. But what we have here is a allegedly psychotic pop music superstar who has somehow reinvented her career by flooding the Japanese music market with her new stuff all the while secretly robbing the cradle with the producer of one of her music videos.

In other words, Mariah Carey is just smarter than Britney Spears. But then again, so is most of America. But to a greater and more relevant point, it is interesting that more and more models and singers and non-dude celebrities are turning to the "first pitch" toss to run up a little publicity, be it at Wrigley Field or in Japan.

And I tend to think that's a pretty good sign for baseball; not only does it point to a rerise in popularity but it shows that people outside the bubble of fandom don't consider the sport as tainted as we might have thought.