Deadspin
When honoring the great Jackie Robinson and all he has meant to baseball, my first thought was the same as the Dodgers': Roll out Chaka Khan. What, no Rufus? Tell me something good .... Of course Lou Gossett Jr. was also there, so it made perfect sense. Look, I don't like the fact that Jackie Robinson Day is also the last day to file your taxes. And of course confused scorekeepers wish they could skip the whole thing. But otherwise, it went pretty much as expected: With the Nationals and Braves both getting shut out. Oh, and the Blue Jays beat the no-longer-in-first-place Orioles, thanks to the offensive stylings of Aaron Hill.
Hill dined on a Steve Trachsel curve in the third for a three-run homer, as Toronto collected 16 hits in an 11-3 win over Baltimore. Hill is looking good in that 2 spot, is he not? Every Blue Jays starter had at least one hit; David Eckstein with three. It's all good news for Jays fans, who desperately need to update their banner collection.
Of course with all of the gala Jackie Robinson Day festivities throughout the majors, it only makes sense that Major League baseball's official blog site, MLBlogs, makes no mention of it on its front page whatsoever; instead featuring a post about Alyssa Milano's blog as its lead story this morning.
• The Meteoric Fall Of The Black And Gold. The aforementioned Dodgers rode the arms of Esteban Loaiza and Hong-Chih Kuo to an 11-2 win over the Pirates, ending Pittsburgh's four-game winning streak. But Pirates fans should be reminded that things could be a lot worse. Jeff Kent — who has to be older than John McCain, right? — and Russell Martin had home runs. And all of this despite the fact that Andruw Jones won't let anyone else near the buffet table.
• Tigers On Sizzling Two-Game Winning Tear. Miguel Cabrera had two-run homer in the eighth as Detroit stopped Minnesota 6-5. Magglio Ordonez homered and drove in two runs, and Gary Sheffield and Carlos Guillen also hit home runs for Detroit, which scored six in the eighth.
• Dusty And The Blustery Day. Dusty Baker's first 2008 Wrigley Field win was windy and boo-infested, just the way he likes them. Chicago won 9-5 in his second game back versus his old team (anyone remember the Cubs' last-place finish in 2006?), although he was booed each time he left the dugout. Derrek Lee had his fifth homer of the season for Chicago (wind-aided), and teammates Mark DeRosa and Ryan Theriot also homered. The latter was batting for the injured Alfonso Soriano. Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 595th homer for the Reds.
• Jason Varitek; Secret Pinch-Hitting Weapon. Boom goes the dynamite!
Comments
Pete Happy FTW!!!
Anyone want to lend the Braves some pitching?
/takes back all comments about Mets pitching being old and decrepit
Dammit, Jensen Lewis.
hey look at that! Sheffield hit a ball out of the infield!
Someday, everyone will wear Nate McLouth's number on their back.
Celebrating Jackie Robinson Day With Canadian Highlights...
Which is ironic, because the CFL is still segregated. The time just ain't right, damnit!
Ken Griffey Jr. is still alive? Well, how do you like that.
In other news, the Cardinals bitch-slapped the Brewers and are now 10-4.
That's right, the freaking Cardinals are 10-4.
No, seriously, the Cardinals are 10-4.
/Hey, where did everybody go? Guys??
You cannot stop Aaron Hill, you can only hope to contain him.
/Insert Iron Eagle quote here if only people had actually seen the movie
@MitchKayak: Ken Griffey Jr. isn't injured yet and it's the middle of April? Well, how do you like that.
Lou Gossett Jr.'s presence at the game was accidental. You see, Black Character Actor Day is on May 15th.
Chappy Sinclair goes to whatever damn ball game he wants to go to
@sassydeerrun: It is all that nerve tonic.
@THEGINOCIMOLICONSPIRACY: Lucky number 13 for those scoring at home.
@THEGINOCIMOLICONSPIRACY: I'm already wearing it.
@Sherrill-Theory: There is no stopping Braden Looper. Um, unless you know how to work a walk.
/who cares, we're 10-4
@Dany Heatley Speedwagon:
"Now look, let me clue you in on something right now. I've given this country 22 damn, fucking years of my life. Twenty two years! I've seen young boys blown out of the air, over the Pacific. I've seen their guts sprawled all over the rice paddies in Vietnam, so whenever somebody dies for this country, believe me boy, I give a shit! Goddamnit, nobody talks to me like this and I'm not about to start now! You want to do something for your father, hmm? You be strong for your family, you stay *right here*!"
-Chappy Sinclair
It would've been cooler if the Dodgers had rolled out Sasha Kaun instead.
I thought it was a little hacky when Lou Gossett, Jr. said Jackie Robinson was an "officer and a gentlemen".
Cuba Gooding Jr. wasn't available? Must've been filming another homoerotic underwear ad the kids love so much.
Tigers actually scored 3 in the 8th but who's counting?
Moses Walker is not amused by all this fuss about Jackie Robinson.
Of course with all of the gala Jackie Robinson Day festivities throughout the majors, it only makes sense that Major League baseball's official blog site, MLBlogs, makes no mention of it on its front page whatsoever; instead featuring a post about Alyssa Milano's blog as its lead story this morning.
Coincidentally, 42 is the number of Dodgers Alyssa Milano has slept with so far.
@Weed Against Speed: Even worse was when he said "UCLA?!? Only two things come outta UCLA: steers and queers! I don't see no horns on you, boy, so you must be a queer!"
Chaka Khan is bigger than Jackie Robinson Day. Literally.
@Magnakai Haaskivi: I prefer to damn Jorge Julio...
Boy, rough series for Cleveland's pen. I hadn't seen indians collapse like that since Joba's dad.
@Afino: Yeah, that's what I thought
/Sees the current, post Pedro and Duque on the DL, Mets staff average age of about 27.
@Carlton_Whitfield: but R. Lee Ermey might sue him for that.
Whew, lucky Jackie Robinson Day was an away game for the Red Sox.
@the-Bored: i havent seen Indians collapse like that since the Europeans were lending out "blankets"
@UkraineNotWeak: This week, you mean.
should have been you, Obama
Jackie was truly celebrated when Matk Kotsay wore 42 last night
Of note in that Cubs-Reds game: Soriano hurt himself by doing that gay-ass hop that he inexplicably does when he catches a fly ball.
Serves that cocky asshole right. Fuck that guy.
Boy, am I glad the Blue Jays got to Trachsel early and kept the game at a semi-watchable 3h 19m.
Those shots of the Orioles' fielders blowing bubbles, playing with their hats, winding their watches, etc. were only going to be funny for so long.
Tonight Jesse L. will get pink, round and efficient on Texas.
@kayceebk:
Lets hope Pelfrey can keep it going.
Aw shit, Pirates mentioned on the Closer...
...damn
@Burning River: Neither are Bill Willis, Marion Motley, Kenny Washington, and Woody Str...
@Sarge: To each his own, but letting up a homer to a gimpy Varitek is almost criminal.
It's all good news for Jays fans, who desperately need to update their banner collection.
I think our odds are better at getting the All-Star Game again than getting one of those other banners for winning stuff.
@Matt_T:
I said to myself when Kotsay had that long fly ball hit over his head last night...
"Jackie Robinson would have caught that. Too bad a white guy wearing #42 doesn't give you Jackie's powers."
@Doyle McPoyle:
Hey, the Pumpsie Green 50th anniversary celebration will be huge at Fenway. Next season.
/hangs head in shame.
So much for the Twins and their Best Bullpen In Baseball(TM).
Chaka Khan let me intentionally walk you
Let me intentionally walk you Chaka Khan
Let me intentionally walk you
That's all I wanna do
In other news, Pat Burrell seems to be the only Phillie who realizes April baseball counts. Two-run ninth-inning opposite field homer, baby!
@UkraineNotWeak: If only so we can get more airtime of Keith Hernandez hating on his mouthguard.
Someone get that man Burkhardt's sweet new jacket!
You have no idea how many peopleI've told that Lou Gossett Jr won his Oscar for Iron Eagle 2.
@Doyle McPoyle:
Only on a Met broadcast can you get a discussion of the film Fahrenheit 451 starring Werner Oskar.