Your Baseball Skipper Tirade of the Week

Rays manager Joe Maddon came flying out of the dugout today to argue what was perceived to be a blown call at first base.  After being tossed out of the game by the the first-base umpire, Maddon went ballistic and decided to throw all of the umpires out of the game, one by one.  Here is video of Maddon's brilliant tirade:

Cut Minor League Player Hits Million Dollar Jackpot

Minor league player Joel Torres was recently cut by the Indians minor league affiliate, the Akron Aeros.  Despite his bad luck on the baseball field, Torres made up for it yesterday when he hit the one million dollar jackpot for a scratcher that he bought in February.  Torres' take home sum for the ticket will total over $660,000.  He plans to first buy his mom a new home, and then use the remainder of the money to hopefully help fulfill his dreams of becoming a major league player.  In his words, he will "keep swinging for the fences."

MLB Opening Day!!

In honor of Major League Baseball's Opening Day, here is a primer for the 2011 season.

American League Predictions


AL West: Texas Rangers
The AL West has been down in recent seasons, although the Rangers broke through and made an appearance in the World Series last year.  Look for the Rangers to repeat in this weak league, despite losing pitching star Cliff Lee.

AL Central: Chicago White Sox/Minnesota Twins
The AL Central looks to be a very heated race, with the White Sox, Twins, and Tigers all competing for a spot in the playoffs.  The White Sox and Twins seem to be the preseason favorites, but the Twins must keep stars Mauer and Morneau healthy.

AL East: Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox have arguably made the best off season acquisitions, putting them in perfect position to win the pennant.  The additions of Carl Crawford, and Adrian Gonzalez, to go along with Boston's premier starting rotation, should put the Red Sox into the playoffs.

National League Predictions


NL West: San Francisco Giants
The Giants return all the key players from their run to the 2010 World Series title, which should put them in the playoffs again in 2011.  The key for the Giants will be their bats, as they have one of the league's best pitching staffs...the hitters just need to help them out!

NL Central: St. Louis Cardinals/Cincinnati Reds
Once again the Central Division looks to feature a contentious race, with almost any team having a legitimate shot at reaching the playoffs.  The Cardinals and Reds look to be the early season favorites, but watch out for the Milwaukee Brewers, who with hot bats, could steal the division.

NL East: Philadelphia Phillies
Any pick other than the Phillies to win the division would probably be a bad pick.  The addition of Cliff Lee to an already fierce starting rotation, should power Philadelphia past any competition that may surface.  The only issues that one can find with the Phil's is their recent taste of the injury bug, with Chase Utley and Brad Lidge being place on the 15-day DL.  If they can stay healthy throughout the duration of the season, the Phillies will easily move on to the playoffs.



World Series Prediction:  Phillies defeat Red Sox 4-2

The Ultimate Baseball Fan Guide

Are you a rookie fan looking for a MLB team to follow, or are you just interested in finding the right team for your personal preferences?  Well we have the answer for you...Start in the center of this baseball fan flowchart and answer the various questions to find your favorite team.

(Click on the chart to zoom in)

Sluggerrr Sued For Doing His Job as a Mascot

Sluggerrr isn't that terrifying of a guy, but apparently to John Coomer he is.  Coomer testified this week that  he suffered a severe eye injury, when his eye was the recipient of a thrown hot dog in 2009.  The Kansas City Star was great when covering this story.  Here is their story:

"In his lawsuit, Coomer said that Sluggerr attempted to heave the frank into the stands with a behind-the-back throw.  Instead of placing the hot dog in a high arch, Sluggerrr lost control and threw it right into Coomer's eye, the suit alleged."


"At the stadium, he fired some hot dogs through an air cannon. Those dogs wore bubble-wrap blankets.  But the ones Sluggerrr threw by hand were wrapped in foil.  Shores described multiple types of tosses, including underhand, overhand, and behind-the-back."


"During cross examination, Hofer showed Shores a video of a toss he made during a 2009 game and invited him to discuss the hot dog's 'arc' and 'velocity' as it sailed away."

What bothers me is the fact that this man was at a baseball game.  Your job as a fan at any sport, but especially baseball, is to constantly be on the lookout for flying debris from the field, court, etc.  If a bat, or ball has a chance to hit you in the face at a high velocity, you should at least be able to avoid a hot dog.