MLB FanHouse

Those Rocks Are Slippery When Wet

Tom Fornelli — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:43:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Yankees, MLB Fans, MLB Video, American League Championship Series

Game 5 of the ALCS on Thursday night was a pretty exciting game for fans of both teams, and interested observers as well. Of course, not everybody in the world has an attention span long enough to focus on a baseball game for too long without deciding they need the world to be paying attention to them.

When alcohol is introduced into the mix, it speeds up this process, and we end up seeing a situation like the one that occurred in the sixth inning last night. That's when an Angels fan decided to make his way into the waterfall/rock formation that is beyond the left-field wall in Angels Stadium.

The biggest surprise about all of this? FOX actually choosing to show all of this during the broadcast. The status quo has always been that when a fan runs out onto the field or interrupts play in anyway, the television networks covering the game don't show it on the air.

Something about encouraging people to be idiots, because apparently television thinks we need to be encouraged to act stupid. Also, that doesn't stop them from airing shows like The Hills. Which is really more dangerous to society?

I'd like to thank FOX for just this once, having faith in my sense of responsibility, along with everyone else who was watching the game last night. Not one of us has interrupted a baseball game since.

Those Rocks Are Slippery When Wet originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is Saliva the Secret to Rivera's Cutter?

Tom Fornelli — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:21:00 EST

Filed under: Yankees, MLB Rumors, MLB Video, American League Championship Series

During Tuesday's FOX broadcast of Game 3 of the ALCS, Tim McCarver referred to Andy Pettite as the "Dean of the Cutter." It was a title I found somewhat ridiculous considering that Pettite doesn't even have the best cutter on his team. No, that would belong to closer Mariano Rivera.

Rivera has booked himself a ticket to Cooperstown using his cutter to help him save 562 game in both the regular and postseason during his career, and many have wondered what his secret to throwing the pitch is. Well, there's some video from Monday's television broadcast that may have just solved that mystery.

Did Mariano Rivera spit on the ball?

He held it in his throwing hand, looked around for a second, and then spit into the direction of the ball. Was he spitting on the ball, or was he just spitting because baseball players can't go more than 10 seconds without spitting at some point? I'm just presenting the evidence to you here.

I'll let you be the judge, though according to MLB there's no evidence that Rivera spit on the ball. You know, except for that video you just watched.

If he did spit on the ball, it looks as though we're finding out all the Yankees secrets these days. I mean, we already found out where Alex Rodriguez has found all his postseason magic.

(A quick grab of ShysterBall's rear end for the video)

Is Saliva the Secret to Rivera's Cutter? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mauer's Teammates Laugh at Allegations Of 'Pitch-Tipping'

Ed Price — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:44:00 EST

Filed under: Tigers, Twins, MLB Video

DETROIT -- Justin Morneau wants to know why Joe Mauer never gave him signs.

"I've been batting behind Joe for five years," Morneau said Thursday. "I haven't gotten a sign yet. I'm still waiting."

An amateur analysis on YouTube accused Mauer, the possible AL MVP, of tipping the catcher's signs from second base Tuesday.

But Jason Kubel, the hitter at the time, said he wasn't looking for the help.

"Not that I know of," Kubel said.

The YouTube video -- put together by a user named "rolemodel2008" who in an e-mail identified himself as Tony Faust of Maple Grove, Minn. -- alleges, with subtitles, that with Mauer on second base during Kubel's sixth-inning plate appearance against Detroit's Justin Verlander, Mauer touched his helmet in certain places to let Kubel know what was coming.

Kubel wound up hitting a sacrifice fly.

"Joe, even at first base, is always touching his face or his ear," Kubel said.

"It's hard to fit his head in that helmet, I guess," Morneau said.

Mauer declined interview requests before Thursday's game. Morneau was partly amused, partly annoyed at the accusations.

"I think it's funny," Morneau said, "but at the same time, you can look at anybody standing on second base and make the connection.

"That's funny because he's giving [Kubel] the fastball, and [Verlander] throws 100. He's not looking for the fastball?"

Manager Ron Gardenhire laughed at the topic.

"That's why we're three games back," he said. "We scored two runs last night. We're stealing a lot of signs."

Gardenhire shook his head.

"Chrysler! " he said. "You're giving people too much credit here boys."

There were a few problems with the allegations. With a runner on second base, catchers use a sequence of signs to disguise the pitch call. Runners can try to communicate location, but they know if they're not subtle, the defensive team will retaliate with inside pitches. At some points, Mauer doesn't even look at catcher Gerald Laird.

And Kubel, who watched the video Thursday morning and called it "funny," said it misidentified some of the pitches.

Responded Faust: "I'm just a fan of Mauer's, but I saw it plain as day in real time, so I recorded it on my iPhone and posted it. I am 100 percent confident that is what was going on, but obviously have no way to prove it. ... I just think it's interesting and love inside baseball.

"I didn't want Mauer to take heat for this, just wanted to point it out for people that he is trying REALLY hard to make the playoffs."

Of course, no one denies that there is sign-stealing, or at least attempts at it.

"I wish we could steal signs," Gardenhire said.

"If somebody is stealing your signs, then you're probably not doing a real good job protecting your signs."

Said Morneau: "Guys do it, but Joe's not one of them, I know that."

Mauer's Teammates Laugh at Allegations Of 'Pitch-Tipping' originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eric Bruntlett's Unassisted Triple Play Adds to List of Mets' Lowlights

Tom Herrera — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:05:00 EST

Filed under: Mets, NL East, MLB Video

The 15th unassisted triple play in major league history was turned by Phillies second baseman Eric Bruntlett on Sunday, ending Philadelphia's 9-7 victory at Citi Field. According to STATS, it was only the second unassisted triple play that ended a game; the first feat was accomplished by Johnny Neun for the Tigers way, way back in 1927.

Watching the play, it really seemed like just awful luck for Mets outfielder Jeff Francoeur, who hit a line drive up the middle that looked like a single off the bat. With runners on first and second both trying to steal, Bruntlett happened to be in perfect position when he moved over to cover second.

Bruntlett snagged Francoeur's liner, stepped on second to double up Luis Castillo, then tagged Daniel Murphy for the third out. Murphy tried to escape the tag but had nowhere to go.

"Frenchy hit it on the screws," Murphy said. "It happened so fast there was nothing I could do."

Francoeur threw down his helmet with both hands in frustration and Phillies closer Brad Lidge escaped with his 25th save of the season.

"Even with the runners going I did not expect him to be there. The only place he could catch the ball was where he was," Francoeur said. To end the way it did was a little disheartening."

It was the first unassisted triple play since Cleveland second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera turned one in May 2008 against Toronto.

"What a bizarre ending. I don't know what happened there. The game's over, so I'm happy with that," Lidge said. "That was pretty exciting. That's definitely not the way you draw it up."

The secondary storyline was that Bruntlett's triple play preserved a win for Pedro Martinez (2-0) in his return to New York. The 37-year-old hurler gave up four runs and struck out five over six innings of work.

In total, it was definitely not a good game for Mets fans to witness. Then again, not many have been this season.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Hat tip for video: TheFightins.com

Eric Bruntlett's Unassisted Triple Play Adds to List of Mets' Lowlights originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now for Something Completely Different: The Electric Louisville Slugger Anthem

Tom Herrera — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Fans, MLB Video

If you're the kind of baseball fan that thinks "The Star-Spangled Banner" needs more energy, wait until you hear this guy. Glenn Donnellan, a violinist for the National Symphony Orchestra, made his major league debut before the Nationals-Diamondbacks game Saturday night as he played the national anthem ... on a baseball bat.

And not just any baseball bat. An electric violin hand-crafted from a regulation Louisville Slugger, the Derek Jeter model of course (aural delight after the jump).

As the story goes, Donnellan bought the bat at a local sporting goods store, ready to combine his two loves -- music and baseball -- into one unique creation. "I went to the Sports Authority with my fiddle one day after work, held it up to the bat, and it looked about right," Donnellan told the AP.

After meeting Robert Tanenbaum, one of the Nationals' owners, at an orchestra concert, Donnellan said he'd like to play the game-opening music on his new instrument. Tanenbaum witnessed a YouTube of the awesome solo showing and was sold on the idea.

The YouTube video, which can be watched below, has already amassed over 150,000 views since he posted it on July 1. Not only has Donnellan's performance been a big hit on the Internet, but it was also a rousing success at the Nationals game, as both fans and players cheered for the one-of-a-kind anthem rendition.

If you're in the Atlanta area and want to catch it live, he's going to be playing again at the Diamondbacks vs. Braves game on August 17.

Now for Something Completely Different: The Electric Louisville Slugger Anthem originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins Can Prepare Any Fan for the Bigs

Tom Fornelli — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:50:00 EST

Filed under: Phillies, NL East, MLB Video

Things are going pretty smoothly for the Philadelphia Phillies at the moment. The defending champions sputtered out of the gate this year, but in the last few weeks they've gotten rolling, added a former Cy Young winner to their rotation and placed a pretty tight grip on the NL East.

So it's no wonder that their players are in a pretty good mood, even the ones that are hitting only .239 on the season. Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard recently took some time to shoot a video for the website Funny or Die in hopes of raising awareness for their Players Trust charity. So who's ready to go to fantasy camp with two World Series champions?

Baseball Fantasy Camp with Ryan Howard and Jimmie Rollins - watch more funny videos

Personally I think the practice interviews while receiving shaving cream pies are imperative for any aspiring Major League Baseball player.

Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins Can Prepare Any Fan for the Bigs originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Replays Hosed Pirates on Monday's Craziest Catch of the Year

Will Brinson — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:15:00 EST

Filed under: Pirates, MLB Media Watch, MLB Video

Dewayne Wise had -- arguably anyway -- the best catch of the baseball season so far when he made an over-the-wall snag to save Mark Buehrle's perfect game. The circumstances surrounding the catch made it just ridiculous. But not as ridiculous as the following snag (H/T Men's Fitness, via Digg, natch) which wasn't even ruled a catch on Monday. As you can see in this Comcast replay, it most certainly was a catch, and it most certainly was awesome. So, downside: replay still sucks. Upside: I could watch this all day.

Replays Hosed Pirates on Monday's Craziest Catch of the Year originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mark Buehrle's Perfect Game Lands Him Coveted Letterman 'Top 10' Spot

Will Brinson — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: White Sox, MLB Fans, MLB Media Watch, MLB Video, MLB Satire

Reading the Top 10 on the Late Show with David Letterman is truly an honor, yada-yada-yada. Well, thing is, if you pull off something awesome in the sports world -- winning the British Open, throwing a perfect game -- you'll probably get to appear on television and read some Top 10 list related to your accomplishment. Mark Buehrle, fresh off a perfect game, did just that recently, with a pretty funny list (it made him laugh while reading it, so clearly he practiced) of "Things That Went Through Mark Buehrle's Mind During His Perfect Game."

Mark Buehrle's Perfect Game Lands Him Coveted Letterman 'Top 10' Spot originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MLB Weekly Rewind: Here Comes the Trade Deadline!

Pat Lackey — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Video

Every Monday, the MLB Weekly Rewind returns to take a look at the past week in baseball in video form. Sort of. It's still biased, rambling, and mostly cynical, but ... Hey! Moving pictures! Sweet!

MLB Weekly Rewind: Here Comes the Trade Deadline! originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rickey Henderson's Hall of Fame Speech

Tom Herrera — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Hall of Fame, MLB Video

Rickey Henderson's Hall of Fame speech was one of the most anticipated parts of the 2009 induction ceremony. One fan, Pete Wahlstrom, and his nephew even traveled 300 miles from Massachusetts to Cooperstown, excited to hear speeches from Henderson and Jim Rice, both of whom spent time in Boston.

"I want to hear Henderson's speech," Wahlstrom said while waiting out an afternoon shower in the Hall of Fame. "I hope he doesn't let us down."

Rickey did not disappoint.

You can check out video of Henderson's speech below.

Rickey Henderson's Hall of Fame Speech originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MLB Weekly Rewind: Parts of a Whole

Pat Lackey — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Video

After a mid-season hiatus, the MLB Weekly Rewind returns to take a look at the past week in baseball in video form. Sort of. It's still biased, rambling, and mostly cynical, but ... Hey! Moving pictures! Sweet!

MLB Weekly Rewind: Parts of a Whole originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Ted Williams' HBO Documentary Sheds Light on All-Time Great

Andrew Johnson — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:47:00 EST

Filed under: Red Sox, MLB Hall of Fame, MLB Video

It's a little more than 10 years to the day since Ted Williams bid his informal adieu to Boston and baseball fans. The all-time great Red Sox left fielder died three years later in 2002 after numerous health complications, but his appearance at the '99 All-Star Game at Fenway Park was one of his final in public, and the one that left the most indelible mark.

Even with the backdrop of Mark McGwire crushing chemically-enhanced blasts over the Green Monster during the Home Run Derby, and Pedro Martinez's maestro act at the height of his prime a night later in the All-Star Game, Williams' farewell was the defining moment of a seminal Midsummer Classic.

Life hasn't gotten any simpler since Williams rode that cart to the center of Fenway Park, adulation from fans in the Hub and All-Stars alike washing over him. Neither has the Splendid Splinter's legacy, as the HBO documentary "Ted Williams," which premieres Wednesday, July 15 at 9:30PM ET/PT, details.

Williams, of course, remains one of the greatest hitters to ever play the game, ranking second all-time in adjusted OPS behind Babe Ruth and first in on-base percentage, but, as the documentary suggests, the bizarre circumstances of his death (he chose to be cryogenically frozen in a controversial informal family pact that was disputed by one of his children in a lawsuit) could cloud how he is remembered, typically by younger fans.

"His nephew said it toward the end of the show -- he's 'the frozen guy' now," Margaret Grossi, the producer of the documentary for HBO said. "We ran into that with a lot of people when we mentioned Ted Williams.

"Hopefully people will remember him as this really well-rounded individual and this really amazing hitter and just see that he was a complex figure in history, but I'm not sure."

Even before he became a sci-fi punchline, Williams' place in baseball lore didn't seem entirely cut and dry.

Teddy Ballgame is certainly in the inner circle -- the pantheon -- of greatest players to ever play the game. But he's also pretty clearly not considered the greatest. In fact, among the elite, he almost seems overlooked at times.

Babe Ruth is the most famous athlete ever. Willie Mays is the greatest living ballplayer. Hank Aaron is the once and, to many, future home run king, a near-constant talking point in any discussion around the game's harmful association with performance-enhancing drugs.

Williams might be the greatest natural hitter ever, and given his feats in the batting average department and his other-worldly on-base percentage, his batting eye remains unmatched to this day. But, other than the .406 season in 1941, those aren't exactly the type of accomplishments celebrated at large with lists of superlatives from baseball fans. (In fact, his propensity to take the free pass got him labeled selfish often in the Boston media.)

In the era of Moneyball and the endless summer of on-base percentage, perhaps there's a bit more appreciation to be found for Williams. Albert Pujols has never matched his .482 career OBP in a single season, and Barry Bonds exceeded that mark just four times in his career -- from 2001 to 2004, when he was allegedly using every performance-enhancing substance Victor Conte and Greg Anderson could shuttle his way. Still, the baseball world doesn't seem to be bursting at the seams with reverence.

Part of it is the fact that he never won a title with the Red Sox. (Of course neither did anyone else for the better part of a century.)

"I think that had he won a World Series [he would have been more appreciated]," Grossi said. "I think that's a lot of the thinking in this country. ... The fact that he was maybe considered a selfish player didn't help him any, but I think even that would have been overlooked had he won a championship.

"I think that really was the missing piece for him. In one way, people thought of him as a war hero, but I wonder in terms of being appreciated in baseball, if that would have been more so if he had had those prime years [he lost serving in World War II and the Korean War]. And would he have won a championship."

The rest of it, at least according to the documentary, is a function of his adversarial relationship with the press, which curried little favor with a public much more swayed by the printed word then than it is now, and that big what if question that drives so many baseball statisticians mad.

What if Ted Williams never had to go World War II or Korea, after all? 600 homers? 700 homers?

"The only thing is, I don't know where you go with what ifs," Grossi said. "I think Ted took the what if and just put it aside. I'm sure he regretted missing those five years (1943-45 and 1952-53), but he just kept moving."

And it is that irrepressibly driven Williams -- the one seemingly impervious to any distraction on a baseball diamond -- that ultimately shines through in the Grossi-produced film.

Closely following his death in 2002, USA Today called Williams a real-life John Wayne. It seems silly to compare any real person, even one as prolific as Williams, to a character actor from the movies, especially one as cartoonish as Wayne.

But then you start putting his life story together.

The home run in his last at-bat at Fenway Park and the two in the 1946 All-Star Game there. The years of military service and the countless hours and untold sums given to the Jimmy Fund. The negotiating of a lower contract for himself with the Red Sox after an off year.

Who does, not just one, but all of these things in real life?

It hardly seems real or human. That's not to say his frailties are glossed over in the documentary. His strained relationship with his children is covered in detail.

In the end their remains this indomitable individual.

"It's cumulative with him," Grossi said. "He's one of those guys where if you read articles from the time, you would think he's just this skinny spoiled brat, but over time all the things he did, they just all added up to make this larger-than-life guy. On top of it all, he was just gorgeous.

"The guy had something inside of him that just kept him going. He just kept it intact no matter what was going on around him. I don't know if we'll see that again."

'Ted Williams' HBO Documentary Sheds Light on All-Time Great originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Former First Overall Pick Matt Bush Goes From Bust to Busted

Josh Alper — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Padres, NL East, MLB Video

There's no crying in baseball, or so the saying goes. Still, there's a good chance that Padres GM Kevin Towers has thought about shedding a tear or two about his decision to take Matt Bush with the first overall pick in the 2004 Draft.

Bush flopped on and off the field while with the Padres, and it doesn't seem like his problems ended when the Blue Jays released him in April. He was arrested in San Diego last month, and makes it clear that once you're out of baseball you're free to cry as much as you want.

Bush was observed throwing objects at moving cars in the middle of the afternoon and hit one car with his belt buckle. He then got into his own car, crashed it into the car he hit with his belt buckle and was finally arrested and booked on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, driving on a suspended license, vandalism and driving under the influence.

It's the second time Bush, who was released by the Blue Jays in April, was also arrested in February after a fight with high school lacrosse players. Bush entered a not guilty plea in a San Diego courtroom last week, and his attorney said that he has entered an alcohol abuse rehabilition facility. Hopefully that helps him pick up the pieces and move forward.

One final thought: Did you ever think a San Diego athlete could actually give Ryan Leaf a run for his spot as the city's biggest draft bust ever?

(H/T Digg)

Former First Overall Pick Matt Bush Goes From Bust to Busted originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Giants Fans Fire Up Napoleonic 'Vote for Pablo' All-Star Campaign

Will Brinson — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, MLB All-Star Game, MLB Fans, MLB Media Watch, MLB Video

Pablo Sandoval is one of the five remaining candidates for the All-Star Game in the NL, part of a fan vote to see which players get the final roster spot in each league. Giants fans have started a particularly awesome campaign to get Sandoval voted on to the National squad, playing off the popular film Napoleon Dynamite with a "Vote for Pablo" slogan ("Vote for Pedro" was the original in the movie) along with hip and somewhat retro dance music. Well done, Giants fans. You got my vote.

Giants Fans Fire Up Napoleonic 'Vote for Pablo' All-Star Campaign originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Erik Estrada Butchers Tunes, Interview in Trip to Wrigley Field

Will Brinson — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:47:00 EST

Filed under: Cubs, MLB Fans, MLB Media Watch, MLB Video

Celebrities routinely enjoy special treatment at Wrigley Field, often times having the privilege of staining our collective eardrums by singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh-inning stretch. Afterward, an interview occurs with the announcers. Erik Estrada, of CHiPS fame, was the celebrity at the Cubs game last night. Things did not go well.

"Well" would have included a lively discussion about baseball. Or anything other than what he talked about. Which just happened to be a brief discussion of Ron Jeremy's, ahem, junk, and child pornography (although it's extremely important to note that it relates to his doing real police work and that the execution was just horrible). So, yeah, he should be a regular guest at Wrigley.

Or perhaps not. You see, this is the dagger of the entire interview right here:

"I've seen my fair share of child pornography and I want to do something about it."

Because, really, it says something -- something seriously bad, I might also add -- about an interview when a mention of a porn star's private parts somehow isn't the worst thing that's been discussed. It all boils down -- as always -- to the phrasing and context. And in this case, talking about a porn star and then coupling a mention of child pornography ... well, you see how this can come off as a pretty poor decision on national television.

The prudent thing, of course, would have been for Estrada to just shut up and talk about the Cubs' recent semi-hot streak and how the return of Aramis Ramirez should really spark the club. But no, he had to use the words "child pornography," which, unless you're Chris Hanson, almost never, ever ends well. Enjoy the awkwardness, now in video form:

Erik Estrada Butchers Tunes, Interview in Trip to Wrigley Field originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indian Pitchers Make Professional Debut

Pat Lackey — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:19:00 EST

Filed under: Pirates, NL Central, MLB Video, Prospects

The video posted above seems like wholly unremarkable footage from a generic Gulf Coast League game between the Pirates and Yankees affiliates. That's until you realize that the pitcher for the Pirates is Rinku Singh and the first pitch thrown in that video is in fact the first professional pitch thrown by a native of India in a professional baseball game. Both Singh and his countryman Dinesh Patel made their professional debuts, fittingly enough, on the Fourth of July.

Their debuts came approximately a year after winning an Indian TV reality show that gave them a chance to pitch in front of big league scouts. Despite all of the jokes that were made at the Pirates' expense when the signings were made in November, both pitchers pretty much look like typical 19-year-olds out on the mound. The duo is approximately the same age as most of the Pirates' high school draft picks from 2009 that are playing with the GCL Pirates in Bradenton, as they're both just short of their 19th birthday. Below is a video of Patel inducing a groundout and covering first.

Singh gave up two hits an a run in his inning of work while Patel breezed through an easy 1-2-3 inning needing just nine pitches. Both pitchers are light years away from the majors, but this weekend was a cool first step for Indian baseball and anyone that's a fan of the globalization of the sport.

Hat-tip to Walkoff Walk, who's been all over this story since it started, and of course, Rinku and Dinesh's own Million Dollar Arm Blog, where the videos originated and they regularly post about their adventure in American baseball.

Indian Pitchers Make Professional Debut originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cincinnati Reds Ground Crew Worker Is A Disturbingly Hazardous Job

Will Brinson — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: Reds, MLB Fans, MLB Media Watch, MLB Video

One would think that the role of "person required to pull a tarp across the ground when it rains at a Cincinnati Reds ballgame" is pretty simple, right? I mean, the Reds have basked in mediocrity for years, so it's not like they expect a ton from their ground crew. Yet, the poor girl in the following video found out the hard way (being swept under the tarp) that it's not all fun and games at the Great American Ballpark. It's OK to laugh -- she's fine. The fun starts around the 40-second mark.

Cincinnati Reds Ground Crew Worker Is A Disturbingly Hazardous Job originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MLB Weekly Rewind: Savior of the Nats

Pat Lackey — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Nationals, NL East, MLB Video

Every Monday, the MLB Weekly Rewind is here to take a look at the past week in baseball in video form. It's biased, rambling, and mostly cynical, but ... Hey! Moving pictures! Sweet!

MLB Weekly Rewind: Savior of the Nats originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hong-Chih Kuo Is Powered by Subway

Pat Lackey — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Dodgers, NL West, MLB Video

Tired of the incessant "$5 Footlong" Subway commercials, with their double entendre and stupid, catchy jingle? Maybe you're lucky you don't live in Taiwan, where Hong-Chih Kuo sells NT$69 subs (that's about two dollars in the States) with a 180-km/hr (111-mph) fastball that literally catches on fire and moves the catcher two frictionless feet backwards. In my book, there's only ever been one better Subway commercial.

Hat tips to Diamond Notes and BBTF for giving me an excuse to make a Happy Gilmore reference.

Hong-Chih Kuo Is Powered by Subway originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MLB Weekly Rewind: Open Season

Pat Lackey — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:15:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Video

Every Monday, the MLB Weekly Rewind is here to take a look at the past week in baseball in video form. It's biased, rambling, and mostly cynical, but ... Hey! Moving pictures! Sweet!

MLB Weekly Rewind: Open Season originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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