Author Archive

Ichiro Suzuki Makes Pitching Debut vs. Phillies in Marlins’ Final Game of 2015

After 15 years and 2,935 hits in MLB, Miami Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki got to do something he’s always wanted to.

The 41-year-old got to pitch.

With the Marlins trailing the Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, Miami manager Dan Jennings brought Ichiro in from right field to pitch.

Ichiro allowed a leadoff double to Phillies pinch hitter Odubel Herrera before recording his first out, a flyout from catcher Cameron Rupp. The next batter, pinch hitter Darnell Sweeney, doubled to right field to drive in Herrera. Ichiro would, however, get the next two batters out to lower his earned run average to 9.00.

The 10-time All-Star allowed one earned run on two hits (no strikeouts or walks) in his MLB pitching debut. Even though it wasn’t a scoreless frame, it was a great moment for the future Hall of Famer.

This isn’t the first time Ichiro has taken the mound as a professional. Back in 1996, he pitched in the All-Star Game in Japan.

[MLB.com, Miami Marlins]

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Max Scherzer Jokingly Chokes Bryce Harper During Pregame Handshake

A few days after Washington Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon choked Bryce Harper in the dugout, the face of the franchise once again was getting “choked” by a teammate.

Don’t worry, it was all in good fun this time.

On Sunday, Papelbon and Harper were involved in a dugout altercation during their contest with the Philadelphia Phillies. The incident included Papelbon choking Harper:

The Nationals suspended Papelbon four games for his actions. The team’s suspension was tacked onto the three-game ban the league had already handed down after Papelbon threw at the Baltimore Orioles’ Manny Machado on Sept. 24, ending the reliever’s season.

Skip ahead to Thursday. That’s when Nationals ace Max Scherzer decided that the “too soon” phase had passed and jokingly choked Harper in the dugout during the club’s road tilt with the Atlanta Braves.

Update: As a reader points out, Scherzer and Harper have done something like this pre-Papelbon incident.

[MLB.com]

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Bryce Harper and Jonathan Papelbon Exchange Words, Brawl in Dugout

The Washington Nationals’ disappointing season has officially reached a new low.

A day after the team was eliminated from playoff contention, tempers boiled over in the dugout Sunday in a clash between the face of the franchise and a trade-deadline acquisition. Outfielder (and NL MVP favorite) Bryce Harper and closer Jonathan Papelbon got into it during the bottom of the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The incident started after Harper flied out to left field. When Harper made his way back to the dugout, Papelbon started chirping at his star teammate. That confrontation got more heated as the two got closer to each other, and ultimately Papelbon went after Harper.

Update from Monday, Sept. 28

Papelbon will not pitch again this season, as the Nationals have suspended him for four games for the dugout altercation:

The suspension handed down by the team will follow the three-game punishment the league issued for the reliever’s throwing at Manny Machado last week.

In addition, Papelbon’s jersey has been removed from the team store:

–End of Update–


Papelbon is facing a three-game suspension for intentionally hitting Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado Wednesday. After that game, Harper seemingly called out Papelbon for hitting Machado, per Chris Johnson of MASNSports.com:

That may have helped set the stage for what happened Sunday.

Papelbon has a reputation for having a temper and being a bad teammate, per CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury. The Nationals knew all that when they traded for him in July, but they figured his performance on the field would be worth the negatives he brought to the clubhouse. Since the acquisition, however, the team has not lived up to expectations.

While Harper was removed from the game in the top of the ninth, Papelbon was sent back out to the mound in the 4-4 game. When asked about the decision to keep the closer in after the dugout fight, Nationals manager Matt Williams kept it simple:

Papelbon—who took the loss in the 12-5 defeat—accepted responsibility for the brawl after the game, via Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post:

Williams did not elaborate on the incident:

Here’s what Harper had to say, via John Ourand of SportsBusiness Journal:

There’s still one more week in the Nationals’ season.

[MLB.com]

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Mike Trout Climbs Center Field Wall to Rob Mariners’ Jesus Montero of 3-Run HR

Just when you thought Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout couldn’t possibly do anything else to make your jaw drop, he does something like this—and totally outdoes himself.

In the top of the fourth inning of Saturday’s game, Seattle Mariners first baseman Jesus Montero hit a drive that looked destined for the trees behind the center field wall.

However, Superman Trout patrols center field for the Angels.

The four-time All-Star scaled the Angel Stadium of Anaheim wall and somehow brought the ball back into the field of play. Not only did he make the catch, but he also alertly got the ball back to the infield to keep the runners from advancing.

It was a catch that will leave you wondering, “How on Earth does Trout not have a Gold Glove to his name?” 

The 24-year-old Trout has made some unbelievable catches already in his young career, but nothing comes close to this grab. This was a catch for the ages.

[MLB.com]

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Fan Gives Birth at Petco Park During Giants-Padres Game

Levi the Ballpark Baby is, for better or worse, a San Diego Padre for life.

That’s what happens when you are born at a stadium. You are automatically a member of the home team’s family as long as you shall live.

Levi arrived during the game between the Padres and the San Francisco Giants on Thursday, when a fan gave birth at Petco Park’s Palm Court Plaza:

Andie Adams of NBC San Diego reported the name and noted baby Levi is a boy. Fortunately for the fan giving birth, Giants catcher and sorta doctor Buster Posey was at the stadium:

All right, maybe Posey stayed in the game and kept playing baseball while all of this was going on. Here’s the nurse who delivered the baby, courtesy of Rielle Creighton of ABC 10:

Kudos to this nurse for leaping into action. 

Of course, the official attendance for the game will have to be adjusted:

There can’t be many better places to enter this world than a ballpark. Sure, a hospital makes for a smoother process—but a ballpark is more fun.

[Twitter]

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Cincinnati Reds Fan Makes Nice Snag on Foul Ball While Holding Baby

As long as this Cincinnati Reds fan has his glove hand free, he’s got the ability to make a play.

During the bottom of the second inning of Thursday night’s game at Great American Ball Park versus the New York Mets, Reds catcher Brayan Pena hit a chopper foul down the first-base side. The ball ended up going a few rows deep into the stands, but it was deflected back at the front row.

That’s when Dad reached back and made a nice catch—while holding a baby.

The Reds have been known to flash some leather on the field, and apparently, their fans are pretty good with gloves.

[MLB.com]

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Diamondbacks CF A.J. Pollock Robs Giants’ Jarrett Parker of HR with Great Catch

In the bottom of the eighth inning of Friday night’s game, Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder A.J. Pollock made a great play to keep the San Francisco Giants off the board.

The Giants were able to muster all of one hit through the first seven innings of the game. However, they entered the eighth trailing just 2-0.

Pinch hitter Jarrett Parker led off for San Francisco to try to get something started. On the 3-2 pitch from Arizona right-hander Daniel Hudson, Parker hit a drive to left-center field that appeared to be heading for the stands.

The only problem for the Giants is that Pollock patrols the outfield for the Diamondbacks. And he can make some plays.

Pollock not only got to the wall in time, but he then timed his leap perfectly.

Thanks to Pollock, Arizona was able to shut San Francisco out, 2-0.

[MLB.com]

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Nationals P Max Scherzer Screams at Manager Matt Williams to Stay in Game

In a 2-2 game Friday night against the Miami Marlins, Washington Nationals manager Matt Williams went to check on pitcher Max Scherzer during the top of the seventh inning, with only one out to go.

But Scherzer didn’t need a pep talk. He was plenty fired up.

Scherzer could be seen screaming, “I want this! I f—–g want this! I f—–g want this!” as his manager approached the mound. And that was all Williams needed to hear.

It’s not very often that pitchers act like that with a manager or coach, but according to the Nationals ace himself, per James Wagner of the Washington Post, this is something that Scherzer has done before:

Scherzer got what he wanted and proved leaving him in was the right move. He was able to induce a ground ball to get out of the inning.

Washington pulled out a 5-4 victory in 10 innings. Scherzer did not factor in the decision, as he was yanked after seven innings of two-run baseball.

[MLB.com]

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Bryce Harper Surprises Little Leaguers, Plays Ball with Them

Gatorade wanted to do something special for the Prince George RBI team to reward the players for a good season, so the company invited the kids to a baseball field to play the Bryce Harper Virtual Reality Experience.

That wasn’t all.

Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper showed up at the diamond to surprise the team. While just about everybody was in shock from the MLB star’s unexpected appearance, the reactions from the kids playing the virtual reality game at the time were the best.

This wasn’t just a quick meet-and-greet. Harper stuck around and played some ball with the team. He hit some baseballs to them and even pitched to the kids.

Imagine being one of those players and getting to tell everybody (forever) that you got to bat against Bryce Harper. It’s an experience they’ll never forget.

[Gatorade]

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Colorado Rockies Reporter Trades Foul Ball for Cupcake with Dodgers Fan

While many fans value foul balls like they are gold, it’s hard to say Root Sports’ Colorado Rockies reporter Ryan Spilborghs didn’t come out as the winner of a trade that went down at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley hit a foul ball right to Spilborghs, a former Rockies player, by the dugout. That’s when he managed to make a swap with a Dodgers fan:

Foul ball for a cupcake.

It does appear as though the fan offered Spilborghs a cupcake on her way over to the railing. However, he didn’t take her up on that offer—because that’s not the cupcake he wanted. He wanted a chocolate one.

Some trades involve hesitation by one or more sides. For Spilborghs, this deal was a no-brainer.

It’s a good thing Spilborghs was able to snack during the game. The game was only at its halfway point at the time. Colorado pulled out a 5-4 victory in 16 innings, nearly five-and-a-half hours after the first pitch.

[MLB.com]

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Copyright © 1996-2010 Kuzul. All rights reserved.
iDream theme by Templates Next | Powered by WordPress