Diamonds For Women

[dodgerblue6]

While we were gone last week, I mentioned to Crzblue that I had been collecting anecdotes here and there going back to the beginning of the season, which I was compiling for a thread for fun miscellaneous items that really don't fall under the "Special Promotions", "Ejections", or other threads.

So, for your amusement, here are various reports from around the majors from the first half.

If you have any others to share, please do; I only ask that you provide a link or, if copied and pasted, please cite your source. On the old BaseballChicks board there was a thread similar to this one, but some unverified items posted were only rumors which were later found to not be legit, so I'm enforcing a zero-tolerance policy on this one.

From April, L.A. Times' "Morning Briefing":

"Pepperoni rage"

They were giving away beer and pizza in the Fenway Park stands Monday afternoon, although for the surprise recipient, they did not come without a price.

In the sixth inning of the Angels' 7-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox, Angels left fielder Garret Anderson chased a foul pop by J.D. Drew, reached into the crowd and knocked a beer all over a fan's Red Sox jacket.

The fan was then delivered a giant slice of pizza in a manner seldom attempted by Domino's. Another spectator, from two rows behind, pelted the still-dripping fan with a $6 slice purchased at the Papa Gino's concession stand.

Afterward Red Sox Manager Terry Francona told reporters he thought the flying pizza incident "helped us." "Whatever turns them on, I don't care," he said. "As long as they're not throwing at me or us, it's OK."

The pizza-tosser, a right-hander who could definitely throw the high cheese, was ejected. The victim was named "Fan of the Game" by the New England Sports Network.

L.A. Times, Angels report:

The Angels were still chuckling Tuesday about Monday's pizza-tossing incident in Fenway Park, when a Red Sox fan, attempting to swipe a foul pop away from left fielder Garret Anderson, was doused by a beer and then pelted by a slice of pizza thrown by a fan two rows behind him.

The good news: The pizza was thin-slice from Papa Gino's, not a deep-dish, Chicago-style slice from Gino's East.

"I tell you what, if that was Gino's East, that guy might have been arrested for assault with a deadly weapon," Scioscia said. "Those things, man, you drop one on your toes, you'll be in a cast."

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From May, L.A. Times' "Morning Briefing":

The Kansas City Royals scrapped a $4-million entertainment pavilion in the renovation plans for Kauffman Stadium because, "We thought there were a lot better uses for the money within the stadium," Kevin Uhlich, senior vice president of business operations, told the Kansas City Star.

Another cost-saving tip: No real need to enlarge the stadium's trophy case, either.



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From May, L.A. Times' Angels report:

An hour before batting practice, an apparently stray kitten ran across the infield. (Angels second baseman) Howie Kendrick jogged onto the field, picked up the cat and carried it into the Angels clubhouse, where he placed it in a box. Later, he fed it milk.

"I wanted to make sure it was OK," Kendrick said. "My wife wouldn't let me live it down if something happened to it." …

L.A. Times' "Morning Briefing":

Kendrick scored points Monday with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, rescuing a kitten that was roaming the field during early batting practice. "I picked it up so it wouldn't get run over," said Kendrick, who gave the animal to a stadium employee. "I'm just trying to save a life, I guess."
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From June, MLB.com:

• Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman must have been thinking "Dude, where's the ball?" on Friday night when Franklin Gutierrez of Cleveland hit a second-inning bouncer that found its way inside Zimmerman's jersey. Zimmerman had to reach between the buttons to retrieve it. "I was more upset because I didn't get the guy out, but it was kind of funny," Zimmerman said. "I don't know how it got in there, but it got in there somehow."

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From June, MLB.com:

DOG STAR

Curtis Granderson received a lesson in canine etiquette recently, as he recounted on his blog. The Detroit Tigers outfielder was petting some of the dogs used to scare off seagulls at Comerica Park when one particularly friendly pooch peed on his foot. The dog's owner told the player that the dog liked him and just wanted to mark him. The affectionate gesture seems to have given Granderson a lift -- he's had six multi-hit games since.

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L.A. Times' "Morning Briefing":
"First lesson: Title comes before name"

By Chris Foster, Times Staff Writer
May 26, 2007

Brett Favre's creaky bones remain in Green Bay. The Milwaukee Bucks participated in the NBA draft lottery. Brats, cheese and angioplasty are still available on demand.

All seemed in order around Milwaukee.

Then baseball's Brewers caused a hiccup, starting the season 25-11. Quicker than you can say "schlemiel, schlemazl, Hassenpfeffer Incorporated," they were the toast of the town.

Miller Park attendance is up 31%. Brewers players landed cameo roles on the daytime soap opera "The Young and the Restless." Even the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tried to tap the Brewers' success with an on-line nickname contest.

"Baseball has a long tradition of naming its great teams. Of course, there were Harvey's Wallbangers in '82, the last Brewers team to go to the World Series. Going back further, we had the Hitless Wonders (1906 White Sox); Murderers' Row ('27 Yankees); Gashouse Gang ('34 Cardinals); Amazin' Mets ('69 Mets); Big Red Machine ('75-'76 Reds)."

Uh, folks, point of order: All those teams except the Brewers won the World Series.

"How about beer nuts?"

The Journal Sentinel's promotion continued, "Maybe it's too early to give the '07 Brewers a nickname worthy of a champion, but that's not going to stop us. How do you think this Brew Crew should be tagged?"

A few readers seemed to understand that this is May, offering "Fadeaway Boys" and "Great Pretenders," as well as a deep thinker who suggested, "Nice Guys" and signed as "Leo Durocher."

"As this world turns"

In possibly the biggest TV boost for Milwaukee since Laverne and Shirley were bottling beer, Brewers Chris Capuano, Bill Hall, J.J. Hardy and Jeff Suppan played themselves on "The Young and the Restless," in a photo op with fictional politician Jack Abbott.

Future plot lines could include the soap opera staple amnesia. Hey, we forgot we were the Brewers and won the National League title.

The rest of the Brewers seemed to take their teammates' TV appearance in stride.

Asked why he didn't get an invitation to the show, 32-year-old Geoff Jenkins told CBS SportsLine, "It's 'The Young and the Restless,' not 'The Old and the Restless.' "

Meanwhile, Brewers fans - 38 years, no World Series titles - are just plain, old restless.

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From May, L.A. Times' Morning Briefing:

"Shell game"

The Minnesota Twins announced plans for a "peanut-free" environment in the right field Skybox section of the Metrodome, a concession to those allergic.

And yes, that makes them the first to have a non-peanut gallery in the grandstands.

Patrick Klinger, the team's vice president of marketing, told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "If you're allergic to peanuts and you're trying to enjoy the game and the gentleman next to you is eating that bag of peanuts, it could be fatal."

The Twins will have the peanut-free zone during four games this season. Allergic fans attending the other 77 do so at their own risk.

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From June, L.A. Times' "Morning Briefing":

"Wright-Water deal"

New York Mets third baseman David Wright enjoyed a watershed moment last week when Coca-Cola bought a Queens company that produces vitamin water drinks.

The New York Post reported that when Wright signed on to endorse the flavored-water brands, he opted for a 0.5% share of the company instead of cash.

The Glaceau company was sold for $4.1 billion, making Wright's stake about $20 million, according to the Post.

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From May, L.A. Times, Dodgers report:

Luis Gonzalez posed for a clubhouse picture with a replica of Flat Stanley, the children's book character that travels the world in an envelope. When he received a Flat Stanley for a class project from a kid in Arizona, Gonzalez agreed to show Stanley around town for a few days.

"We'll take him on a road trip," Gonzalez said. "He'll go to Anaheim. We'll have 26 guys on this trip."

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(DB6 comment: after having been swept in Anaheim, Flat Stanley must stay home!)

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From June, L.A. Times' "Morning Briefing":

"Maybe they'd had a few"

We're still trying to figure out what officials at Miller Brewing Co., which paid big bucks for the naming rights to the Milwaukee Brewers' Miller Park, could have been thinking.

A Miller Lite billboard visible from inside the Chicago Cubs' Wrigley Field seemed to tout the Cubs at the expense of the Brewers during their recent series, reading, "We prefer a pennant chase to a sausage race."

Sausage races are standard fare at Brewers' games, with mascots such as a bratwurst and a Polish sausage dashing around the field in a promotion for a local sausage-maker.

Milwaukee fans' reaction to the billboard?

They told Miller to stuff it.

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From July, L.A. Times' "Morning Briefing":

Mike Lieberthal, the 14-year veteran serving as the Dodgers' backup catcher, got his 10th start of the season Tuesday night.

He also got more needling from his teammates. Accused in the past of being unable to cut the cord with the Phillies, his previous team, Lieberthal was greeted, when he came out for batting practice, with a highlight reel of his days in Philadelphia on the stadium's scoreboard big screen, courtesy of fellow Dodger Luis Gonzalez.

Before his last start, Lieberthal found his locker stall adorned with balloons and a congratulatory sign.

"Whoever bought those balloons," said (Dodgers manager Grady) Little, joining in on the fun, "they are not going to go broke if they have them for every game he starts for us."

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L.A. Times' "Morning Briefing":

"This is no way to get some relief"

By Lisa Dillman, Times Staff Writer
July 10, 2007

We've heard enough about labor lockouts in sports, frankly.

But this is about a lock-in at a baseball game in Montgomery, Ala. Just call it Loo-Gate, our early nomination for quirkiest sports story of the summer.

The Montgomery Advertiser had all the details. One angry pitcher led to one broken bathroom door, which resulted in about 47 minutes of involuntary confinement. Mobile's Matt Elliott got himself into the self-imposed jam after giving up an eighth-inning run.

"That's the first time ever I've had something like that happen in my 25-plus years in this game," said Mobile BayBears Manager Brett Butler. "The way our night seemed to go, it seemed like anything was possible."

Said Elliott, who was the master of understatement: "It just locked on me. I just closed the door and it locked."

And, suddenly, there was a whole new meaning to the word "closer."

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From www.biscuitsbaseball.com, account of the above incident:

Mark Rosen (4-2) suffered the loss, working a scoreless ninth before surrendering Martinez's opposite-field drive an inning later.

Rosen only came out to the mound for Mobile because BayBears reliever Matt Elliott accidentally locked himself in the bathroom after allowing Montgomery to tie the game in the eighth inning. There was an eight-minute delay before the start of the bottom of the ninth while Rosen hurriedly warmed up and Biscuits front office staff attempted to free Elliott. The Fire Department was eventually called in, with Elliott at last freed after the game had concluded.

The BayBears' disastrous start to the second half of the season has gone so badly that something as common as a trip to the bathroom can lead to misfortune.

Late Saturday night, Mobile reliever Matt Elliott allowed an eighth-inning run in Montgomery, allowing the Biscuits to tie the game at 4-4. Elliott went to the bathroom just behind the visitors' dugout after the inning to blow off a little steam. However, Elliott slammed the door with such force that he broke it.

When it came time to pitch the ninth inning, Elliott was still locked in the restroom. Umpires delayed the game for eight minutes while attempts were made to extricate Elliott in time to pitch the ninth inning.

Eventually, the BayBears were forced to call Mark Rosen from the bullpen to the mound while stadium and fire department personnel worked to free Elliott from confinement.

...Gabriel Martinez's 10th-inning home run gave the Biscuits a 5-4 win. Elliott spent another 20 minutes -- and 47 total -- locked in the loo before Fire Department personnel freed him.

"They were beating on (the door)," said Elliott, adding that he wasn't sure what specific techniques defeated the door. "I couldn't really see."

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From July, MLB.com:

TARPS GONE WILD

An ordinary rain delay turned into a battle of men vs. tarp in the seventh inning of a game between the Colorado Rockies and the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field on July 8.

As it began to rain, the grounds crew attempted to unroll a tarp over the infield but, before they could get it in place, strong winds began whipping the heavy covering around like a huge, untethered sail. The gale doubled the tarp over, covering some of the grounds crew who had to scramble to safety. Just as it looked like the thing would blow away down the right-field line, members of the visiting Phillies, including Shane Victorino and Ryan Howard, helped the crew wrestle it to the ground.

The force of the wind was so powerful that two crew members had to hold Victorino down as he tried to secure a corner of the covering while other tarp handlers were thrown into the air or dragged across the infield by the possessed piece of plastic. Even umpires Bill Welke and John Hirschbeck pitched in to subdue the beast.

L.A. Times' "Morning Briefing" account of same incident:

"Trapped, Part II"

It was a wild wacky few days in the baseball world ­- minors and majors.

In Denver on Sunday, some members of the Colorado Rockies grounds crew were momentarily trapped during the game against visiting Philadelphia.

Not by a locked bathroom door, but a tarp.

A gust of wind caused the tarp to roll over the workers during a rain delay in the seventh inning, and the Associated Press reported that at least four Phillies rushed over to help, saying Shane Victorino "grabbed a corner, dug in and began wrestling it toward left field."

Fortunately, no one was hurt.

Who knew baseball could turn into a game of Twister?

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From June:

"Sabathia has swift response for callers"

From the Associated Press
June 26, 2007

CLEVELAND - C.C. Sabathia's pager was inundated all day with text messages from trash-talking friends in California. They were telling him that he was going to lose again to the Oakland Athletics.

He sent them a nasty reply.

Sabathia joined Boston's Josh Beckett as the only 11-game winners in the major leagues and finally beat his hometown team again, leading the Cleveland Indians to a 5-2 victory over the "A"s on Monday night.

Sabathia (11-2) gave up nine hits in his second complete game this month to improve to 2-5 in 12 career starts against the "A"s, the team he pulled for as a kid growing up in Vallejo.

The left-hander had been 0-4 against Oakland since last beating the "A"s on July 30, 2003, a losing streak that a few buddies wouldn't let him forget.

"Oh, God, I got so many text messages," Sabathia said with a smile. "And they were all from "A"s fans saying, 'You're a good pitcher, but the "A"s are going to beat you.' That's the kind of texts I get from my friends. They'll be getting some tonight."

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_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

[Sandi]

I've got a major soft spot for a professional male athlete who will rescue a kitten.

Loved the story about the Phillies and the tarp in Denver, too.

Our closer, Jason Isringhausen, had a baseball fly up one of his sleeves at a game this season. Hope that's non-specific enough to avoid the citing rule, Linda. I just remember watching it happen.

[dodgerblue6]

LOL, Sandi. If you saw it happen...you're the source!

Thanks for sharing--I don't think I've ever seen it happen myself.
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

[Sandi]

Well, I saw it on TV, after they showed the slow-mo replay. Happened too fast to catch it otherwise. Maybe one of my fellow STL sisters can validate my claim. LOL

[stlred]

Great stories Linda. I'll have to spend some time and see if I can find some

[dodgerblue6]

Gotta laugh at this one from the Mariners-Red Sox series.


Let me clarify--well, I guess you've gotta laugh only because it was a close call. If it'd resulted in injury, then no.


At least Boston manager Terry Francona's comments made me crack up.

Maybe GoofyMsfan was there and saw it?
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

[GoofyMsFan]

[stlred]

I saw a replay of that yesterday. I loved how espn stated that the Mariners mascot will not be punished. Gosh I hope not. I can't believe all the mascots can even see will all the stuff they have to wear. I'm glad Crisp didn't get hurt but it could have been one for our topic of odd injuries. I'm sure that would have been a new one.

[dodgerblue6]

One of our own posters makes it into the L.A. Times today:

From Steve Harvey's column,

"Hot rumor: Sue Kamm says I shouldn't ridicule a notice on one household appliance that says, 'Never iron clothes while they are being worn.' She suspects that the company -- or its lawyers -- had heard a story about a baseball player making that error.

Several websites point their fingers at Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz. Author Mike Beauregard ('Are You Kidding Me? Strange but True Stories From the World of Sports') says it happened at spring training in 1990 and even quotes Smoltz as saying at the time, 'I've ironed my shirt while wearing it five or six times before and never was burned.'

Smoltz has since denied the story. I guess only the clubhouse attendant knows for sure."
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

[crzblue]

Yeah! for Sue!

[dodgerblue6]

Okay, I guess this is what it takes to get my mind off the Dodgers' downfall!

Here are some more I've collected over the last few weeks.

From MLB.com's "Beyond the Box Score":

Camper of dreams:

Career minor leaguer Tom Shearn was pitching for the Triple-A Louisville Bats and living in a groundskeeper's camper behind the centerfield fence at Louisville Slugger Field in order to save a few bucks before the end of the season. But, on Aug. 25, Louisville manager Rick Sweet walked out to the camper to tell the right-hander that after 12 years in the minors, he'd finally been called up to the big leagues. In fact, Shearn was scheduled to start for the Reds the next day against the Marlins. Shearn got so nervous that he decided to drive the 100 miles to Cincinnati immediately and stay in a hotel near Great American Ball Park. The hotel was full, though, so Shearn phoned former Bats teammate and current Reds reliever Gary Majewski to ask if he could spend the night on his couch. Majewski was happy to help, and the two stayed up late going over the scouting report. Shearn posted a win in his major league debut the next day and, on the following Tuesday, he turned 30.

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"Thirty runs worth a quality spin"

By Peter Yoon, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 25, 2007

Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak and his 16-year-old son had a "Field of Dreams"-type week -- one that demonstrated how baseball brings fathers and sons together.

Last Saturday at Dodger Stadium, they watched the Dodgers lose, 7-4, to the Colorado Rockies in a 14-inning game that lasted more than five hours. A cross-country flight later, the father-son tandem arrived in Baltimore in time to witness the 30-run outburst by the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night at Camden Yards.

"As I start to count the days when college, employment, dating, family and friends will inevitably diminish our time together, each game becomes more special, and each moment more ingrained on my consciousness," Sajak wrote in his blog at PatSajak.com. "That's why the last week has been so extraordinary for him and for me."

(Note: I found a personal connection here since the 14-inning game referenced is the one in which Crzblue and I sat near the Sajaks!)

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(Taking lessons from Tommy...?)

From the L.A. Times:

"For Scioscia, it's all about where they are going"

Angels manager keeps an eye on the future without worrying about current standings or records.

August 9, 2007

Mike Scioscia insisted that he never looks at the standings in the American League West.

"Are we in first place?" the Angels' manager asked, eliciting a few hoots from the reporters gathered around him before Wednesday's game.

Continuing with that theme, he said he also said he never looks at his team's record. The only way he'd hazard a guess, he said, would be "if someone tries to take away my mostaccioli."

The threat of pasta deprivation finally motivated him to offer an estimate of his team's wins and losses. He was off on both counts.

"I was close enough, I think," he said, laughing.

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Found a couple of David/Victoria Beckham references from back in June, when I was so sick of the hype about their arrival in the U.S.

From Associated Press:

Victoria Beckham, resplendent in a Dodgers windbreaker, filmed scenes for her upcoming reality show before the New York Mets-Dodgers game...
in a nearly empty Dodger Stadium, the wife of soccer star David Beckham played catch with Dodgers pitcher Derek Lowe in preparation for throwing out the ceremonial first pitch.

That was filmed, as was a conversation with Hall of Famer Tom Lasorda, a longtime manager of the Dodgers who is now a club executive.

NBC has signed a deal for six episodes of a 30-minute unscripted series chronicling the former Posh Spice's relocation from Europe with her husband, who has signed to play with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer.

Beckham is in Spain finishing out his contract with Real Madrid, which ends June 30.

"Mid-July, I reckon," she said when asked about when the move to California will take place. "As a family, we're really excited about moving to L.A. He's looking forward to coming to a Dodgers game as well."

Beckham, also wearing white shorts, white high-heeled sneakers and oversized sunglasses, said she was "really nervous" about delivering the ceremonial first pitch. But many of her practice tosses to Lowe in the area behind home plate were on-target.

"I've been to lots of soccer stadiums, but this is something else," she said. "I'm going to do the best I can. It's a huge honor for me. David's going to be watching at home."

Surrounded by cameras and still photographers, Lasorda told Beckham: "You'd better tell people that you really love the Dodgers."

"OK, I love the Dodgers," she replied with a smile.

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From the L.A. Times' "Morning Briefing:

"Posh's pitch is outside strike zone"

Just a hunch, but David Beckham might never be anywhere near as big in Los Angeles as he is overseas.

His wife, Victoria Beckham, threw out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium on Monday, and it made a splash on the other side of the pond.

In London, the Daily Mail website featured eight photos of Posh Spice turned Sporty in a Dodgers jacket and shorts.

The London Paper, a free tabloid, contrasted her point-by-point with Roger Clemens, making this assessment of her stance: "Hopeless. Body facing batsman, knees knocking, elbows akimbo, throwing arm out front. Oh, and completely inappropriate footwear."

Even Down Under, they were all over it.

"Victoria bends it like Beckham," wrote Australia's Herald Sun.


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From MLB.com:

"Naming rites"

The Portland Beavers of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League are considering a name change. The Beavers nickname pays tribute to the state animal of Oregon, but it's also the nickname of the Oregon State University athletic teams, including the school's two-time NCAA champion baseball team. The minor league club has asked fans to weigh in on the question of whether the nickname should change and, if so, which of the four alternatives they prefer. One option is the Green Sox, which pays tribute to Portland's eco-friendly reputation. Another is the Sockeyes, which would honor a species of salmon native to the Columbia River and runs through the city. The Thorns would play on Portland's moniker, the City of Roses. And, finally, the name Wet Sox alludes to the area's famously rainy climate. Team executives concede that the last option would pose a tough marketing challenge.

"Deal of the decade"

Two teams in the short-season Class A New York-Penn League made an unusual trade last week. The Lowell Spinners and the Vermont Lake Monsters swapped interns in a deal that also brought the Spinners a pint of ice cream and the Monsters a guided tour of Lowell's canals.

"Batter's Best Friend"

...The 121st anniversary of what could be the first "dog day" in the majors: On Aug. 22, 1886, Cincinnati center fielder Abner Powell took off in hot pursuit of a deep drive off the bat of Louisville's William "Chicken" Wolf in the 11th inning. Joining Powell in the chase was a small dog that had been sleeping by the outfield fence. The dog bit Powell in the leg and hung on long enough to allow Wolf to circle the bases for an inside-the-park home run.

"Not so fast"

An obituary in the Lakeland (Fla.) Ledger (in early September) announced the passing of Bill Henry, a former Major League pitcher who played for six teams over a 16-year career. When Bill Carle came across the death notice, he began updating the records he keeps as head of the biographical committee for the Society for American Baseball Research. But Carle noticed the birth date in the item didn't match the one he had on file for Henry. Meanwhile, Dave Lambert, a fellow biographical committee member, had also seen the obit and noted the date discrepancy. Lambert recalled that Henry's last known address was in Deer Park, Texas. He found a home telephone number there and called to talk to his wife. That's when the real Bill Henry answered the phone and confirmed that, indeed, he wasn't dead yet. It seems that the Bill Henry in Lakeland had told his wife and friends for years that he was the former big league pitcher and had explained discrepancies in published biographical data as typos. After talking with Carle, Lambert called the Ledger to let them know about the error and the paper printed a correction.

"Return engagement"

Geoff Blum of the San Diego Padres lost some bats but gained a mitt... On Aug. 29, he broke three bats while going 1-for-4 in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Fearing that his batch of maple bats contained a defect, Blum threw out a dozen remaining from the same shipment. But the next day, Blum received a package containing his prized infielder's glove that disappeared on Aug. 10 during the first game of a doubleheader against the Reds in Cincinnati. Blum left the glove in the Padres' dugout when he moved from second to left, but after the game, it had vanished. The prodigal leather was accompanied by a note from a Kentucky doctor who wrote, "I just discovered I had your glove." Blum is still trying to figure out how the doctor ended up with mitt.

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(Note: We don't have any Reds fans here...so I guess we can't blame anyone from this board!)

SORRY, WRONG NUMBER

Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Mackanin is experiencing the downside of fame in that Ohio city. Mackanin reports that an unknown woman, who somehow got his cell phone number, frequently calls him to complain about his managerial strategy, especially his decision not to use the bunt more often. He hasn't figured out how to discourage her calls so he just hangs up on her.

(I guess it would be too hard to change his number.)


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Business must be good for Dodgers owner Frank McCourt: he just bought a $33.5 million estate with 80 feet of Malibu beachfront from married actors David Arquette and Courtney Cox.

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From the L.A. Times' "Text Messages from Press Row":

"...USC basketball player Allison Jaskowiak might have to reschedule her Oct. 6 nuptials because fiance Ian Kennedy, a former Trojans right-hander, might be pitching for the New York Yankees in a playoff game...Kennedy, 22, zipped through the minors faster than expected."

From yankees.com, on the same subject:

"It's a date they'd set long before Kennedy made his debut in pinstripes... and one that may have implications beyond 'death do us part.'

'She doesn't want to think about it, because it's kind of difficult to do,' Kennedy said. 'I know [the Yankees] can figure it out, but I try not to think about it, because she might get upset.'

Odds are, it won't be a problem. No American League Division Series game is scheduled for that Saturday, as all four American League teams are slated to play the day before and the day after. If Kennedy makes the 25-man postseason roster -- and it's looking increasingly likely that he might -- he could feasibly still make the trip.

So much for the honeymoon.

Kennedy and Jaskowiak met at the University of Southern California, where Jaskowiak is a fifth-year senior on the women's basketball team. Her season opens in early November, so postponing the wedding would be a tricky maneuver.

Kennedy never envisioned the date being a problem after starting the season with Class A Tampa. He expected to be with Double-A Trenton by season's end, but no higher, in just his first full professional year after the Yankees took him in the first round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft.

Yet he didn't give the Yankees much reason to delay his progress. Kennedy spent roughly two months in Tampa before jumping to Trenton, where his stay was even briefer. He then flew through a brief stretch with Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre before making his Yankees debut last Saturday.

...The thought will surely make him sweat for much of the final month. He could be in pinstripes. He could be in a tux. Right now, neither he nor manager Joe Torre have any idea.

'I didn't get one of the invitations,' Torre joked. 'We just hope his prospective wife is very understanding.' "

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From the L.A. Times' "Morning Briefing" column:

"Cassels on cloud nine"

September 19, 2007

If the Cassel family from the San Fernando Valley sends out one of those how-our-year-went letters for the holidays, this one's going to be a keeper.

Jack Cassel, a 27-year-old rookie for the San Diego Padres (another product of Kennedy High), earned his first major league victory Monday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

One night earlier, Matt Cassel, 25, the former backup quarterback from USC, was on the bench as Tom Brady's backup for the New England Patriots' runaway victory over the San Diego Chargers.

Another brother, Justin Cassel, 22, is a former UC Irvine pitcher who plays in the Chicago White Sox minor league system.

And on Sept. 8, their mother, Barbara Cassel, shared a creative arts Emmy for art direction for her work on NBC's "Tony Bennett: An American Classic."

"It's been a good '07," Jack Cassel told reporters.

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And last...from MLB.com...

I know San Francisco is known for its sourdough, but this is unreal:

"Witness to history"

A sourdough grilled-cheese sandwich, supposedly struck by Barry Bonds' record-setting 756th home run, is being auctioned off on eBay. A picture of the sandwich shows the imprint of a baseball and, by Thursday morning, the item had attracted a bid of $30. The successful bidder will also have to pay shipping costs of $7.56 in order to possess the cheesy treat.

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Early next week I will post some stories about rookie hazing. I have some photos I am trying to get linked so I can post them, but I'll wait until then so I can post the stories at the same time.
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

[stlred]

Just a couple of responses. Of course the camper article caught my eye. I love it from camper to big leagues to the couch. I would have called a camper with me to the big leagues so I felt at home. As least I feel at home in mine. A sweet story from Pat Sajak. Your kids grow up so fast. Funny you mention Victoria Beckham because I remember seeing a picture of her in that jacket and wondering if could throw a ball that far.

[dodgerblue6]

Thought you'd like that one, Jan.

Geez, nobody else was as grossed out as I was about the sandwich?

I have to say I loved the Bill Henry story, too--as did Harpo, who was the second person to email me about it. Leave it to a SABR guy to pick up on the discrepancy!

Here's one more that happened last week (from MLB.com):

"4-2 count

Brandon Webb managed to avoid being charged with a walk even though he threw four balls to Ray Durham of the San Francisco Giants. The Arizona Diamondbacks ace caught a break in the sixth inning when, according to the San Francisco Chronicle's Henry Schulman, Durham lost track of the count and stayed in the batter's box after Webb threw ball four. Home plate umpire Angel Hernandez thought his balls-and-strikes clicker must be wrong and D-backs catcher Chris Snyder said nothing. Webb threw another pitch to the second baseman and got him to fly out. Giants third-base coach Tim Flannery told third-base umpire Rob Drake that Durham should have gotten a free pass, but Drake told him he was mistaken. Hernandez later apologized to the Giants for the error."
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

[stlred]

Well the batter should have been paying attention too. It's funny things like that still happen. Well it's funny when it is not my team.lol

[stlred]

Going back to your previous. Mike Scioscia never pays attention to the standings. What a liar. I find that hard to believe. He also looks like he has had plenty of pasta. Not that I don't look like that but come on.

[dodgerblue6]

Found a few timely items for a bump of this thread, including one from during the season that seemed more appropriate for the week of Halloween.

In mid-July, the Angels were playing Tampa Bay on the road, and the following mention was made in the L.A. Times:

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The mystique of the Renaissance Vinoy Resort might have grown over the last few days after the Angels experienced several bizarre occurrences at the supposedly haunted St. Petersburg hotel.

Pitching coach Mike Butcher said the lights in his room suddenly turned on at 4:11 a.m. Thursday.

"I thought it was kind of odd," said Butcher, who believed the only possible explanation was that a light dimmer switch had malfunctioned.

Another team official said a magazine in her room had inexplicably opened overnight. She later tried to re-create conditions that could have led to the magazine blowing open on its own, to no avail.

Nonetheless, the Angels didn't seem overly spooked by the incidents.

"The Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine came by and they assured me everything was going to be OK," Butcher said.

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From today's L.A. Times' "Morning Briefing" column:

"His treat is very sweet in Boston"

By Robyn Norwood, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
November 3, 2007

When 10-year-old Christopher Roberts dressed up for Halloween on Wednesday in Newton, Mass., he put on baseball pants and a No. 33 Red Sox jersey.

Before the night was over, he had met the guy he was pretending to be, Boston catcher Jason Varitek, who sat in a lawn chair at the top of his driveway and handed out autographs to trick-or-treaters.

"He signed my shirt, right on the first 3," Roberts told the Boston Globe.

Two police cars came to control the crowd of about 50 youngsters and parents that gathered around the Red Sox captain still celebrating a World Series title.

Varitek's impromptu autograph session was the idea of his oldest daughter, Aly, 7, who helped by handing out Butterfinger bars.

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Also from "Morning Briefing", I posted this in the "Summing it up for Halloween" thread (OT folder), but it's also worthy of inclusion here:

"And plenty of bats"

Members of the UC Irvine baseball team that reached the College World Series last season practiced in costume on Halloween.

Among the participants: pirates, a Santa, a penguin, Gilligan and the skipper too, and a buxom maid.

Center fielder Ollie Linton, one of the team's standouts, went as Steve Urkel, the character from the 1990s sitcom "Family Matters".

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Finally, from yesterday's L.A. Times' "Text Messages from Press Row" column:

Excess Temptations, co-owned by Dodgers pitcher Brad Penny, is entered in the eighth race Saturday at Santa Anita and, suffice to say, the right-hander hopes the gelding shows a better finishing kick than the Dodgers did this year. ...

Says Penny, "I'm more nervous before a horse race than I am a baseball game. When I'm on the mound, I'm in control. I have no control over a horse race." ...

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I can't get to Santa Anita today, but good luck to Brad!
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

[crzblue]

ahhhh Varitek is such a nice guy...

My friend Craig says he's seen Brad Penny at Del Mar. Soon we will see both Joe Torre and Brad at the races.

[stlred]

The Angels should be more spooked by the rat problem they had.

[crzblue]

I sent email to the L.A. Times Morning briefing and got a response 5 minutes later .

I think I'll send one to Bill Plaschke

[dodgerblue6]

When I emailed them a couple of years ago Larry Stewart responded to me right away, too. What are you emailing them about? I am waiting to read a report about the book signing.
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

[crzblue]

[dodgerblue6]

Robyn Norwood is a "she."
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

[dodgerblue6]

Gak! Here's another tidbit, and it's not so entertaining.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports:

[Harpo]

The way I heard it, the scoreboard message operator screwed up ...

It was supposed to be an endorsement for an automotive additive:

"A.B. has STP."
.

[Sandi]

There is probably a good joke in all this referencing Anheuser Busch, but I can't come up with one tonight. The brain is fried.

[dodgerblue6]

LOL...Sandi and Harpo!

I should have made the Busch connection...good catch.
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

[stlred]

Can someone try and get away with posting something mean about me so I can bring a law suit against the Cardinals. I know it won't be hard to come up with something.lol Geez people are so stupid. That girl probably needed counseling way before this happened.

[cardinalgirl]

It seems unclear to me in the story if she was called AB in the text or if she's just identified as AB in the lawsuit - does anyone know for sure? I agree if she was just called AB on the scoreboard its about as ridiculous as suing McDonald for spilled hot coffee.

The most ridiculous lawsuit I actually witnessed was when I was temping in the office of now-defunct National supermarkets and a customer sued because toilet paper fell off the top shelf and struck her, thus causing whiplash.

Julie

[dodgerblue6]

You've probably all heard this, but worth mention from the L.A. Times' "Morning Briefing" column, last week:

Major League Baseball announced Wednesday that it would auction off memorabilia from the 2007 postseason.

Among the items are the usual -- bats and balls and uniform jerseys -- as well as the unusual.

How unusual?

A can of bug spray used by the Yankees during Game 2 of the American League Division Series when bugs attacked pitcher Joba Chamberlain is up for sale.

And you thought you didn't have any good ideas for your Christmas list.

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FYI, MLB.com's announcement of the auction and mentions of other items are included here.
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From the L.A. Times' "Text Messages from Press Row" column:

USA Today reports that the $90-million contract bringing center fielder Torii Hunter to the Angels was hammered out by Angels General Manager Tony Reagins and Hunter's agent, Larry Reynolds, at a fast-food restaurant in Corona.

"I always imagined my deal would get done inside a boardroom or a Capital Grille," Hunter told the newspaper. "Turns out it was done at Del Taco. Can you believe it? The deal gets done over some tacos."

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Macho beef burrito, anyone??? Feed the beast!


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Last, just a few more days to take advantage of this offer from sfgiants.com:

Ice skate on the field at AT&T Park this holiday season. From November 17 - December 1, 2007 and December 6 and December 9, 2007, you can skate on a 60'x120' ice rink on the infield at AT&T Park.

...The rink will be open 10am-8pm Sunday - Thursday and 10am-10pm Friday and Saturday.

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Only thing omitted was "Bring your own D-Cells."

What an appropriate promotion, given the Giants are always skating on thin ice!

_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

[dodgerblue6]

From yesterday's L.A. Times:

Before meeting reporters for his first winter meetings news briefing Monday, (Angels GM Tony) Reagins left his suite in the sprawling, 2,000-room, five-lobby Opryland Hotel and said he'd be back in five minutes. Thirty-five minutes later, with some cellphone guidance from assistant GM Ken Forsch, Reagins finally found his room.

"Two guys who work here couldn't even find it," he said. "This place is unbelievable."
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame