minorleaguebaseball Page 22 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Minor Leaguer Pushes Hit Streak To 45 Games
Mariners prospect Jamie McOwen has hit safely in 45-straight games, which pretty much means he's better than Pete Rose. Of course, that also means he's not as good as legendary sluggers Otto Pahlman and Harry Chozen, but them's the breaks....

Minor League Promotion Violates Human Rights Laws, Constitution
It's a remarkable world we live in when a promotion meant to celebrate women can get written up as a violation of human rights laws. I hope Amnesty International doesn't have to be called for the next Free Bat Night....

Triple-A Team Finds Tenuous Manny/Steroids Link
Manny Ramirez's time with the Albuquerque Isotopes was uneventful: four plate appearances, zero hits, one walk, and one near-riot when he left the stadium during a pregame rain delay. But some good did come of his AAA sojourn....

Dodger Lies Make Baby Jesus (And Bloggers) Cry
After all the effort I expended learning about the Inland Empire 66ers, Manny Ramirez will actually be playing his first minor league pre-post-suspension game for the Albuquerque Isotopes, forcing me to work even harder to dig up obscure Simpsons references....

Getting To Know The Inland Empire 66ers
You've probably never heard of them, but the Dodgers' Class A affiliate is about to become the hottest ticket in minor league baseball. Inland Empire just might be the first stop on the Manny Being Manny Reunion Tour....

Jim Leyritz Fans, Cancel That Flight To Newark
"Jim Leyritz won't be honored Sunday afternoon by the Newark Bears, after all. The former Yankee, who had been scheduled to appear as part of a Legends Sunday promotion by the team, will be replaced by Roy White." The power of the press! [The Star-Ledger]...

Spotted: Bud Selig At An Independent League Game In Chico
There were fireworks last night at Nettleton Stadium in Chico, Calif., and in the end, that's what it was all about. The independent league baseball game before the fireworks was just the opener, and there was certainly no encore....

You Could Be A Heartless Corporate Giant For One Day
The Peoria Chiefs want to sell naming rights for their stadium, but there are no companies left in America with the financial security to finance such a project. So do you have $6,000?...

The Hideki Irabu Era Is Not Over Yet
When last we heard of Japanese pitching sensation Hideki Irabu, he was drinking beer by the barrel and slugging bartenders back in his homeland. That was apparently just the warmup for his stateside comeback....

The Atlantic League Is Where Baseball Careers Refuse To Die
Can't afford MLB tickets? Try the Atlantic League, where dozens of former all-stars/has-beens give you a near-Major League experience at a fraction of the cost. Don't get too close to Carl Everett. [Jorge Says No]...

Minor League Bat Dog Ejected For Foul Ball
Master Yogi Berra, a bat and ball fetching dog for the Greensboro Grasshoppers, was relieved of his duties after relieving his own uh..."duty" on the field mid-game. That's a crap call. [Triad]...

New Baseball Franchise Attempts To Hitch Its Wagon To Stephen Colbert's Star (Update)
The new Frontier League baseball team in Normal, Ill., needs a nickname, and it's up to you to rock the vote. Of course they're secretly hoping you'll opt for option "C."...

If You've Eaten A Four-Pound Burger, Of Course You'll Need A Giant Plunger
Still grappling with the media frenzy over its monstrous 5,000-calorie burger, the West Michigan Whitecaps, masters of the metaphor, have installed a giant plunger in the outfield that squirts water on fans....

Giant Burger Of Doom Now Comes With A Side Of Controversy
West Michigan Whitecaps are refusing an advocacy group's demand that they put a warning label on their 4,800-calorie super-burger. [NBCSports]...

Minor League Team Invites You To Watch A Game FROM A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER
If your lifelong dream has been to watch a minor league baseball game from a 1978 GMC van parked just beyond the outfield near a major river, then you're in luck, my fat motivational-speaking friend....

Use All Of These You Want, You're Not Going To Help Sabathia
As is befitting a team with a mascot named Thunder, the Lake Elsinore Storm (Class A, California League) is giving out free samples of Subtle Butt anti-fart shields at their weekly all-you-can-eat Tuesday home games....

Baseball Has Been Very Good To Him Indeed
And now the bittersweet story of minor-league catcher Brayan Pena, who defected from Cuba 10 years ago by jumping out a bathroom window in Caracas, only to end up with the Royals....

The Sad Demise Of John Odom, The Player Traded For Bats
Well, this has been a depressing day. John Odom, the minor leaguer who made news last year when he was traded for 10 maple bats, has died of an accidental overdose of drugs and alcohol....

Sorry, BlueClaws' 'Kids Eat Free' Promotion Does Not Include Beer
What minor league baseball team dares to feed your kids for free at every 2009 home game? The Lakewood BlueClaws. Take that, stupid economy....

Mets Welcome Redundant, Gramatically Questionable Triple-A Team
The New York Mets' Triple-A affiliate is now located in Buffalo, where it had been previously associated with the Cleveland Indians. But, I thought the plural of Bison was Bison? [New York Daily News]...