Baseball Page 1330 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Goodbye, Sweet Fruit; Old Mets Home Run Apple To Be Thrown Out, Not Forgotten
Of all of baseball's quirky stadium landmarks, the Mets' Home Run Apple has to be the wackiest of all. And after impassioned fans formed a Save the Apple committee and gathered more than 9,000 signatures to save their beloved figerglass fruit, it appeared that it would be preserved and moved from Sh...

Your American League Video Roundup; Now With More Squirrel
First of all, kudos to Cleveland broadcasters Matt Underwood and Rick Manning for not resorting to Willy Wonka references as this squirrel invades Jacobs Field in the ninth inning of the White Sox-Indians game last week. The Indians had the infield shift on and the squirrel obviously felt that third...

Why Your Team Won't Make The Playoffs: National League
East. • 1. New York Mets. Record: 81-63. Magic number: 16. Why they're doomed: Bullpen woes; chiefly Billy Wagner, who is currently planning a comeback in time to play in the 2012 Olympics. Upcoming: They don't play the Phillies again. So there's that. Ray of hope: Carlos Delgado has four multihomer...

Angels Make Final Push Toward Postseason
The Angels have had enough of your everywhere-but-West-Coast bias. They will NOT be ignored, Dan! The only infielder named Rodriguez in the AL playoffs this year will be named Sean, and after Monday's 12-1 victory over the Yankees, their magic number is 2. Rally Monkey drinks your milkshake! As the ...

When Jobas Collide: Fake And Real Chamberlains Set For Historic Meeting
So the New York Post is setting up a meeting between our fake Joba Chamberlain — Jersey Shore resident Ryan Ward — and the real Joba on Friday at Yankee Stadium (Joba Chamberlain quote: "I want to know what was going on in his head"). And just like in The Prince and the Pauper, we'll no doubt soon s...

Why Your Team Won't Make The Playoffs: American League
And down the stretch they come! A look ahead at the final few weeks of the regular season, and why your team is doomed, in capsule form. Today, the American League ... East • 1. Tampa Bay Rays. Record: 85-56. Magic number: 20. Big strength: Evan Longoria is back after a stint on disabled list with a...

MLB Closer: Grand Slams, Extra Innings and Joe Torre
Toronto catcher Gregg Zaun hit a game winning Grand Slam in extra innings to shut down Tampa and cut the Rays' lead in the division to two games. The Blue Jays' Lyle Overbay had a pair of solo home-runs during regular play, but the Rays tied the game up in the ninth with a three-run inning. Zaun's g...

Mr. Met Will Shield Your Children From Online Predators
Watch out evildoers, Mr. Met is now savvy to the ways of the Interwebs. He is ready to kick some serious online predator ass. The Mets are having their Internet Safety Day on Saturday, and there are plenty of fun Internet safety activities planned. I'm pretty sure. Actually I have no idea, so let's ...

Even Bathroom Doors Hate the Yankees This Year
When things aren't going well for your team there is no end to the obstacles confronting them. Every day you get online and a new disaster has occurred. Even when you can't see them coming. Such as this story. Jason Giambi split his eyelid walking into the bathroom door of his hotel. Giambi told th...

The 600 Club
Fun pregame activity for Florida Marlins players: Guess the attendance. Wednesday's opponent at Dolphins Stadium: Atlanta Braves. So Marlins reliever Joe Nelson does a head count and guesses, 418 fans. He was way off. The true count: 600. Each fan had his own personal usher. But was this a record fo...

Instant Replay II: Rise Of The Machines
Let the record show that the first use of instant replay in Major League Baseball was used on Wednesday to confirm an Alex Rodriguez home run in the Yankees' 8-4 win over Tampa Bay (a more deserving recipient there has never been). But wait, was it the first? Stacy Long of the Montgomery Advertister...

Chase Utley Ain't No Broad, According To Charlie Manuel
As the Phillies maintain their pursuit of The Bastard Mets in the National League East, there were some questions about whether or not this team was capable of hanging on through this final month of the season due to an overall lack of clubhouse leadership. There are no shit-stirrers, save for the o...

No Way Will The Cubs Blow It This Time ... Uh Oh
Time to worry: When your team has lost four straight at home during the stretch run of the division race. Time to really worry: When your manager says "If he can pitch, he'll pitch. If he can't, we'll put Sean Marshall in the rotation." Those words of wisdom were spoken by Lou Piniella, after Carlos...

Do Not Mock The Power Of The Taco
In case you haven't noticed, we're into September and the Tampa Bay Rays are still in first place in the AL East. This is no longer a joke, people; they could actually win this thing. The Red Sox relegated to the wild card race? The Yankees, out of the playoffs entirely? How did this happen? The Ray...

A Tale Of Two Cycles
I guess Stephen Drew isn't a big name, except for writers of slash fiction. All he did on Monday was hit for the cycle, and AP called him Scott Drew (11th graph). Later Monday, Adrian Beltre also hit for the cycle. What are odds of two players hitting for the cycle on the same day? About the same as...

Koby Clemens Proves His Worthiness As Rightful Heir To Dushbag Throne
Koby Clemens, the squatty-looking 21-year-old catcher and son of Roger Clemens found himself in a little bit of legal trouble over the weekend when he and two of his minor league teammates were arrested after a disturbance outside of Mac and Bob's ("Best Salem area Restaurant 2004" ) early Sunday mo...

Sabathia One-Hits, Possibly No-Hits Bucs
I'd say this trade has worked out well for the Brewers, wouldn't you? CC Sabathia was ridiculously dominant again today as Milwaukee beat the Pirates 7-0, strengthening their hold on the NL wild card. Sabathia only allowed one piddly little hit, and according to ESPN, even that has yet to be finally...

Kid Who Fell Onto Field Further Traumatized By Dopey Matt Lauer Interview
It pays to be a klutz in Philadelphia: The kid who tumbled from the stands onto the warning track at Citizens Bank Ballpark on Thursday woke up the next day to new-found celebrity, collecting a bunch of Phillies memorabilia, game tickets and a trip to New York for an interview on the Today Show. The...

Moon Over Parma: Those Indians Are White Hot
Has anyone noticed that the Cleveland Indians have won 10 in a row? And 16 of their past 19? Excitement is at a fever pitch along the Cuyahoga, where they're talking division title, ALCS, and World Series! (Checks AL Central standings. Carefully folds newspaper, slowly rises from desk and leaves roo...
