Minor League Spotlight is the MLB FanHouse's look into baseball's minor leagues. But you probably figured that out already.
Apparently the South Georgia Peanuts haven't been paying attention to the world of skydiver's delivering game balls at sporting events lately. If they had been, they might have seen when one skydiver landed at Duke's Wallace Wade stadium with a game ball. The problem was he was supposed to have landed at North Carolina's Kenan Stadium.
Whether they were aware of the dangers or not, the Peanuts decided to go ahead with their plans anyway, and things appeared to be going to plan when the skydiver actually showed up at their stadium. It's just too bad he never got inside.
Okay, so that "are you going to send your trainer or do you want to send ours?" line is incredibly cold, and very, very funny. I love the fact that all the players and coaches just saw a guy go face first into a wall, and instead of running over there to see if he's okay, they all just sit there and laugh. I know I'd be doing the same thing.
Don't worry about the skydiver, though, it turns out he was all right. Though I'm not sure he's going to be delivering any more game balls anytime soon. (Via With Leather)
Minor League Spotlight is the MLB FanHouse's look into baseball's minor leagues. But you probably figured that out already.
Travis Hafner hasn't played a major league game since May 25th. You would think that if he was healthy enough to play in the majors he'd be up ... either that or the Indians would think it pointless to bring him back to a lost season.
Apparently the Indians went with option C: let him play in the AA playoffs with the Akron Aeros, and help eliminate the Bowie Baysox. Wait, what?
Hafner, who has been on the disabled list since May 31 with a right shoulder strain, hit a two-run shot in his first at-bat Saturday that sent Akron on the way to a 5-1 victory over Bowie. In Game (3) on Friday, he smashed a grand slam in the Aeros' 6-2 triumph.
Hafner spent a half-hour in the trainer's room before joining his new teammates in celebration in the home clubhouse that was plastered in clear plastic as players sprayed champagne and beer at anything that moved.
"Hafner! Hafner! Hafner!" went the chant while the giddy Aeros shook the remaining bottles of bubbly over his head. When they ran out of the good stuff, they went to beer. And when that ran dry, someone brought chocolate milk out of the nearby refrigerator to ensure the party continued.
Minor League Spotlight is the MLB FanHouse's look into baseball's minor leagues. But you probably figured that out already.
I know what you're thinking, two Minor League Spotlights in one day, what have you done to deserve such an honor? In truth, nothing. Really all your doing is sitting there and reading while trying to avoid doing any kind of work, and we here at FanHouse can respect that. Hell, we invented it.
So sit back and enjoy this video of Durham Bulls center fielder Fernando Perez doing everything but a back flip to avoid being tagged out at home plate against the Charlotte Knights over the weekend.
Minor League Spotlight is the MLB FanHouse's look into baseball's minor leagues. But you probably figured that out already.
The Toronto Blue Jays Double-A affiliate New Hampshire River Cats may be in dead last in their division of the Eastern League at 58-75, but that doesn't mean they aren't winning any awards this season. No, while some teams focus on doing boring things like winning games, the River Cats are more focused on the health and well being of their fans.
"This is a special honor for our organization and our concessionaire, Centerplate, to make the leap from the most vegetarian-friendly ballpark in Double-A baseball last year to all of Minor League Baseball this season," said New Hampshire Fisher Cats President/General Manager Rick Brenner. "Different people have different tastes, so we pride ourselves on offering our fans a very diverse menu and want to thank PETA for recognizing our efforts."
Minor League Spotlight is the MLB FanHouse's look into baseball's minor leagues. But you probably figured that out already.
Roger Clemens made a surprise appearance at a minor league game on Saturday, watching the Worcester Tornadoes of the independent Cam-Am League play from the dugout and bullpen. Why were the Tornadoes graced with his presence? Presumably because they're managed by Rich Gedman, Clemens' friend and former catcher with the Red Sox.
It's not everyday that a former player of Clemens' stature shows up at an independent league game, so beat reporter Kevin O'Malley of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette (via LBS) justifiably saw it fit to mention his appearance in his game recap:
Followed by an entourage of police officers, Clemens walked from the dugout to the Tornadoes' bullpen midway through the fourth inning. Before leaving the field, he signed autographs for team employees but not fans. He was also introduced by the public address announcer and waved to the crowd of 3,153, who responded with a chorus of cheers and boos.
This is where things get interesting. Gedman read O'Malley's recap in Sunday's paper and thought it was overly negative, especially the depiction that Clemens was booed, required police protection and didn't sign autographs, which Gedman all disputes. So the next time Gedman saw O'Malley, he called him an (expletive) and a (expletive) and kindly requested he (expletive) himself.
Minor League Spotlight is the MLB FanHouse's look into baseball's minor leagues. But you probably figured that out already.
It was just a matter of time before one of the many canny marketers working in minor league baseball found a way to make hay of the Alex Rodriguez-Madonna saga. The winner of that race is the Grand Prairie AirHogs of the independent American Association. Tomorrow night they'll be holding A-Rod & Madonna night during their game against the Shreveport Sports.
Couples who share an agent will get $1 tickets to the game as will anyone wearing an A-Rod jersey or anyone dressed as Madonna. No word on what A-Rod himself would have to pay if he came to the game dressed as Madonna but here's hoping we find out what happens. The most inventive part of the promotion centers on one of the team's own players.
The AirHogs will also highlight their own third baseman, Edwin Maldonado, or "E-MAL" and his rumored sightings with various celebrities about town.
The team will also be playing clips from "A League of Their Own" during the game but I'm surprised they didn't go the extra mile and order uniforms with skirts for their players for the game.
Minor League Spotlight is the MLB FanHouse's look into baseball's minor leagues. But you probably figured that out already.
Many players use the independent leagues to try and get noticed by a big league organization. Some managers are likely trying to do the same thing. Give Kash Beauchamp of the Wichita Wingnuts credit, then, for getting himself some major publicity. His tantrum is sure to live forever alongside Phillip Wellman and Joe Mikulik, the established masters of the form.
I'm fairly certain more than one of the Lincoln-Douglas debates broke down into mayhem when Lincoln offered his sweaty armpit as a retort for Douglas's support of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Beauchamp described the tirade as an out of body experience.
"It's weird -- it just comes out of nowhere, the ejections and stuff. When I'm gone, (my brain is) gone. All I know is somehow I ended up in my socks. I don't even know how I got into my socks. I was looking for my shoes and I had no idea where they were."
He's been suspended four games by the American Association. Beauchamp's short fuse may keep him from reaching a big league dugout but that umpire showed me something. Staying so calm amid Beauchamp's malodourous assault may mean he's got the nose for the show.
Minor League Spotlight is the MLB FanHouse's look into baseball's minor leagues. But you probably figured that out already.
If Pat Venditte, an ambidextrous pitcher who's currently with the Staten Island Yankees ever reaches the majors, then Bud Selig's plans to speed up games could go totally out the window. Venditte closed out a game last night against the Class A Brooklyn Cyclones and got the first two outs of the inning. But then came Ralph Henriquez to the plate, a switch hitter. as Venditte would choose an arm to throw with, Henriquez would occupy the corresponding side of the plate. Venditte chose lefty, Henriquez chose righty. But Venditte would change his mind, and Henriquez would go to the other side of the batters box.
The cat and mouse game took a few minutes, and prompted not only laughter on the benches, but for the coaches to meet with the umpires in a "what do we do now" conference. Finally, Venditte threw righty, and Henriquez compromised and batted righty. Bad move ... Venditte struck him out.
Minor League Spotlight is the MLB FanHouse's look into baseball's minor leagues. But you probably figured that out already.
As much as Americans and Canadians have in common, there are still a lot of things about our two nations that are quite different. Americans love football, Canadians love hockey (well, Canadians not named Skeets or Tas). Americans hate the French, some Canadians speak French. Americans have dollar bills, Canadians have coins called Loonies. Canadians have free universal health care, Americans have free condoms in the nurse's office in every junior high.
The biggest difference I've seen, though, is that while in America we prefer to have our baseball fans dress up as meat products or dead presidents, in Canada, they prefer raw fish.
Not seen in the video? Wasabi having to be put down after breaking his leg.
Theo Fleury is remembered by hockey fans for a lot of things: being short, substance abuse problems, ridiculous goal celebrations (see above), and being one of the greatest players in Calgary Flames history. Not quite content with that, he's apparently planning on playing some innings with the independent Calgary Vipers, the very same minor league baseball team that just traded a player for ten baseball bats. Said the Vipers' president:
"The fans love it. He's going to be out here Thursday night throwing the first pitch," said an unashamed Peter Young, president of the Calgary Vipers. "The league has said any time we want to use him we can and not go against our roster.
"He's a pro athlete and he's not likely to make a fool of himself. It's not like Billy Crystal standing out there who has played in a couple of celebrity games in his life. This guy played professional sports."
Fleury's been taking BP and apparently isn't an awful hitter. He also currently owns a concrete sealing business, which seems a little sad for such a great player, but somehow totally appropriate for Theo. Truth is he seems to be in good health and his drug and alcohol problems seem to be behind him, and that's very good news.
Minor League Spotlight
