Bare-handing a home run ball is hard enough, let alone pulling it off with an infant in one arm.
One Pittsburgh Pirates fan performed this incredible feat during the Pirates’ 8-7 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night, snagging a Welington Castillo homer over the hands of clamoring home fans.
He didn’t even flinch. Clearly, it takes more to rattle this guy than a baseball headed toward his kid’s head.
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Derek Jeter is a multitalented man.
On the links at his annual celebrity golf invitational in Las Vegas, the retired New York Yankees legend appears to have hit a hole-in-one. His sister, Sharlee Jeter, president of his Turn 2 Foundation, posted the footage to Instagram.
The video doesn’t supply foolproof evidence of the feat, but ace or no ace, folks sure are having fun out there.
[Instagram]
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MLB outfielders are having quite a week.
Jason Heyward of the Chicago Cubs gunned down Matt Holliday during a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday. New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks nailed the Oakland Athletics‘ Danny Valencia with a 105.5 mph frozen rope from left field Wednesday.
Not to be left out, Yasiel Puig of the Los Angeles Dodgers showed off his stellar arm during Friday’s game against the Colorado Rockies.
During the fifth inning, Puig picked up a deep fly ball hit off the wall by Rockies shortstop Trevor Story. He proceeded to uncork a 93.5 mph rocket that traveled 310 feet and nabbed Story at third.
“As far as degree of difficulty, it might be one of the best plays I’ve ever seen,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
The Dodgers lost 7-5, but Puig stole the show.
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The Jet stole home! The Jet stole home!
In this case, “The Jet” was not beloved Sandlot character Benny Rodriguez but the New York Yankees‘ own Jacoby Ellsbury.
With two on and his team trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning Friday night, the center fielder went for it against Tampa Bay Rays lefty Matt Moore.
Per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, Ellsbury said:
You’re trying to score a run, but guys get fired up. It doesn’t happen very often. As a player, you’re like, ‘Hey, did that just happen?’ And then when you’re running down the line, you’re just hoping you’ve got a big enough lead and everything works out. It’s exciting. It’s the ultimate adrenaline rush for a basestealer.
He would know. The 32-year-old speedster stole home against the Yankees in April 2009 as a member of the Boston Red Sox.
The Yankees went on to win the game 6-3.
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Chicago Cubs ace Jake Arrieta tossed his second career no-hitter Thursday, holding the Cincinnati Reds to just four walks in a 16-0 rout.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, victims of Arrieta’s first no-no back in 2015, reached out to the Reds via Twitter, and the ensuing interaction was hilarious:
Arrieta is 4-0 on the year with a 0.87 ERA. The Cubs, meanwhile, have scored 97 runs in 16 games.
Even if Arrieta doesn’t toss another no-no, odds are good that other teams will be in need of support after playing the Cubs.
[h/t Cut4]
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After several fans were injured at Fenway Park in 2015, the Boston Red Sox made some recommended safety upgrades, including expanded netting to protect fans from foul balls and broken bats.
Not all fans are happy about the changes, though.
Notably, Stephen King has been vocal about his disapproval. In addition to his status as an acclaimed author, King is a longtime Red Sox season ticket holder. The safety changes put netting in front of his seats.
In an opinion piece for the Boston Globe, King wrote the netting is “one more step toward taking the taste and texture out of the game I care for above all others.”
He added:
There are questions inherent in the decision to net, and I think they’re bigger than baseball. Like when does protection become overprotection? Is the safety of a fan at a public event like a baseball game the responsibility of the organization putting on that event? (According to the back of every MLB ticket sold, the fan is responsible.) When do safety precautions begin to steal away the pure joy of being there?
The Red Sox gave King the option to move seats, but he ultimately chose to stay with his original spot closer to home plate.
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Washington Nationals slugger Bryce Harper is a confident man, and he’s also up on all things “new school.” Basically, he is baseball’s Cam Newton.
It’s no surprise, then, that he placed stickers with the “100” emoji on the bottom of his bats. Because of course he did.
Harper is also one home run away from No. 100 in his career, so the timing is appropriate.
Wonder what Goose Gossage would have to say about this.
[h/t For The Win]
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Bryce Harper is one of the best young players in baseball, and he’s also bringing fresh style to the game. Fashion in the MLB doesn’t take center stage the same way it does in the NBA, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t sharp-dressed players out there.
Based on Instagram accounts of GQ spreads, these nine players appear to be some of the most fashion-conscious in the MLB. One way or another, they’ve shown they can look good in more than just a baseball uniform.
Major League Baseball recently announced that 230 players on 2015 Opening Day rosters were born outside the United States. This number was taken from a total of 868 that includes both active roster athletes as well as inactive players on the disabled or restricted lists. Other than the U.S., 17 countries are represented, many Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking.
Latin American countries produce some of baseball’s top talent, with the Dominican Republic and Venezuela leading the way. Here is a look at the largest producers and some of their most notable active players.