CAUGHT STEALING HOME

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Baltimore’s Jason Hammel accused the Toronto Blue Jays of stealing signs during last night’s 4-1 loss to the blue birds after giving up 4 solo home runs. Hammel said “Honestly, with the fastball command, when you’re not locating your fastball, you’re going to give up some home runs there. The swings they were taking on the breaking stuff, it was pretty amazing to me. I don’t think you can take swings like that, not knowing they’re coming. I don’t know. That’s all I can say.”
This isn’t the first time the Blue Jays have been accused of stealing signs. Last year Joe Girardi said he thought the team was stealing signs during a road trip to Toronto.
If they are stealing signs, good for them. If they are that sloppy with their signals then it isn’t theft… But the reality is if you keep throwing the same fast ball over and over batters are going to notice. And take you out the park.

He’s baaaaccckkkkk

Irving Falu’s Major League Debut After 949 Games

It isn’t easy to be a minor league player. You work as hard as you can to get a chance to make it to the show, but sometimes the call never comes. For 28 year old Irving Falu of the Kansas City Royals, it seemed to be his reality. Irving played 949 minor league games dating back to 2004 where he paid his dues and honed his craft, hoping each spring training he’d be told he was on the roster for the Royals. 

Well this weekend, Falu finally got the call (thanks to an injury to Yuniesky Betancort) and proved he belonged in the majors with his first major league hit a triple in the second. Falu finished the day 2 for 4 and scored a run off of a single from Alex Gordon. 

Alex Rodriguez appreciated the momentus hit and handed him the ball at third. Classy!

Irving’s family reacts to his triple. 

It Was A Perfect Day For A Ballgame…

It was an unusually action packed day at ball parks across America - from breaking slumps to walk off hits to a shitty hitter pitching a win. I’ve broken down some of the best plays and moments of the day below. 

Who would have thought that the Baltimore Orioles first baseman CHRIS DAVIS would be the hero in a marathon 17 inning game against the Boston Red Sox and record a win after pitching two scoreless innings.  

Best part was that Davis was completely useless at bat striking out 5 times and going 0 for 8. I thought the fantasy baseball Gods would somehow gift me his win for being so hurtful to my average today, but alas, they did not and I ended the day with a .120 average. ASSHOLE!

Here are some of his highlights:

Striking out Adrian Gonzalez with two on base to tie the game. 

Even the Baltimore bench couldn’t contain their laughter when Davis struck out Gonzalez.

Next up was Darnell Mcdonald, outfielder and 17th inning pitcher who by no means is trained as one (which is why he let in a 3 run homer in the 17th) but he was given the chance of redemption with two on base, and one out in the bottom of the 17th. Poor guy hit into a double play, giving Chris Davis the win.

Mark Reynolds spoke for everyone watching the game when he handed Davis the well deserved game ball.

It took a clean shave and a day off, but Pujols has finally ended the longest home run drought of his career. It was great to see the support of his team who reacted to the homer like Pujols had just won them the World Series (of course after the entire team cleared the dugout and hid in the hall to the clubhouse to prank Pujols. Fitting celebration considering Pujols had been fooling the Angels into thinking he was worth $300 million. Just kidding! It was great to see the big man come back to regular form.)

(I apologize for the terrible photo quality)

Injury was the big excitement today in the Philly vs. Nats game as Jayson Werth was pulled in the 6th after he slid for a routine pop up, and injured his left wrist. 

Any injury or trauma to Werth’s left wrist is a major concern considering his career nearly ended in 2005/2006 when he suffered a season ending injury courtesy of A.J. Burnett. Seriously, that guy’s the worst.

Also during the game Bryce Harper was drilled by a pitch from Cole Hamels in the first and Harper gave the best possible f* you to him later in the inning when he pulled the kind of phenom shit we’ve been waiting for and stole home. After he got up from home plate he was seen staring down Hamels. I absolutely love the balls on this kid. 

Here’s what Cole Hamel’s had to say to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer after the game:

“I was trying to hit him. I’m not going to deny it…When I was a rookie, the strike zone was really, really small and you didn’t say anything….Sometimes the league is protecting certain players. It’s that old-shool prestigious way of baseball”

Me thinks a fine/suspension is coming for Hamels. 

There’s nothing more exciting than a walk off home run in extra innings. All the hard work has paid off (and when I say hard work, I mean my own hard work of sitting on the couch in my underwear drinking beer for 4 to 5 hours instead of the usual 3) and the home crowd and team can finally go wild. Unfortunately, there were no walk off homers today, but there was the next best thing - a walk off single! 

Hector Sanchez hit a single deep into left field, bringing in Emmanuel Burriss to score the winning run n the 11th.

What The What??!

Floyd Mayweather has the most eclectic team on the planet. 

Pujols Tries To Change His Luck With A Clean Shave

Looking good!

Mariano Rivera Injury - A Photo Story [UPDATE]

Sadly, Mariano Rivera was diagnosed with a torn ACL, which is pretty much as bad as it gets. We may have seen the last of the greatest player of our generation. 

Get well, Mo.

“I’ve been through it. You have to be positive, and a lot of good things will happen,” … “But you have to fight for it.” - Mariano Rivera

[Update 3:30pm May 4: “Put it down. Write it down in big letters. I’m not going down like this. God willing and given the strength, I’m coming back.” - Mariano Rivera]

Albert Pujols Isn’t The Only Player Not Getting Hits - Jered Weaver Pitches No Hitter

Jered Weaver pitched the second no hitter this season tonight against Minnesota Twins.

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The Highlights of The Blue Jays Come From Behind Victory

So the best part of last night’s game wasn’t the Jays rally from a 5-0 deficit, or the walk off homer hit by Brett Lawrie, it was his new ‘handshake’ with Colby Rasmus. It appears to include a cheek lick and a punch to the chest. Gotta hand it to them for being creative. 

The second greatest part of the game was when Omar Vizquel was booted from the game, even though he was benched. Apparently Omar was angry that umpire Sam Holbrook was calling balls as strikes and began airing his disdain from the bench. Eventually Holbrook had enough and called him out, much to the surprise of Mike Napoli, JP Arencibia and John Farrell. Farrell was so confused as to who and why someone was being tossed that he walked up to Holbrook and asked if HE was the one who Holbrook wanted out of the game. After the situation was resolved, Farrell returned to the dugout and gave Omar the news that it was he who was being ejected. Me thinks Farrell went to the one player he didn’t intend to use that night and asked for him to leave the game. 

Click here to see the video

Suspensions and Injuries Up The Ying Yang In The NBA

You show that fire extinguisher whose boss, Amare!

Metta stickin’ it to Kobe. 

By far my favourite part of the Flyers vs. Devils game last night. 

I’m a Fan JP, And This Is Why

Here are the three faces of agony.

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Delmon Young Pulled A Mel Gibson, Fights Like A Girl

Here’s something you don’t see every day. Detroit Tigers outfielder Delmon Young was arrested last night in New York City after going on a anti-Semitic tirade after a pan handler wearing a yarmulke approached the group he was with. A group of men approached Delmon to check on the situation, which was when the confrontation turned physical and Delmon  pushed a man to the ground and proceeded to scratch him.

Delmon was reportedly so intoxicated that he was taken to Roosevelt Hospital where he could sober up before he could be arraigned. He has been charged with hate crime harassment.