Jonny Gomes really loves America.
On the same day that the United States play Belgium in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the Boston Red Sox outfielder sported a very patriotic look during batting practice at Fenway Park.
Of course, Gomes also repped the U.S. when the Red Sox made their trip to the White House:
Gomes is a true American.
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Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz delivers his brief but powerful message to the United States men’s national team prior to its battle with Belgium in the round of 16.
(Note: This video has borderline NSFW language)
Tell ’em, Big Papi.
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Oakland Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is back at it again.
In the bottom of the third inning during Friday night’s game against the Miami Marlins, Giancarlo Stanton began running for home after a base hit. However, Cespedes did what he does best, throwing a laser to home plate to somehow get him out.
Cespedes now has an MLB-leading 10 outfield assists this season, as he continues to show off arguably the strongest arm in the majors. The Athletics ended up getting the 9-5 win to move to 49-30 for the year.
[MLB.com h/t Hardball Talk]
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It’s very rare that you see a baserunner successfully avoid getting tagged out during a rundown, but Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Josh Harrison was able to do so in a very clutch situation.
In the bottom of the 10th inning against the New York Mets, Harrison got caught in a rundown. However, thanks to some quick thinking and some quick cuts, he was somehow able to advance to third base.
To make the night even better for Harrison, he came up with a walk-off double in the 11th inning to give the Pirates the 3-2 win.
[MLB.com]
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Even security guards can have fun from time to time.
Between innings during Friday night’s game between the Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers, Astros mascot Orbit got down with one of the security guards. Orbit didn’t have anything on the guard, however, as the man showed off some impressive dance moves.
[MLB.com]
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Every time you think Los Angeles Angels phenom Mike Trout can’t get any better, he goes and does something like this.
During Friday night’s game against the Kansas City Royals, Trout hit a screamer to center field in the first inning. The ball went so far that it landed in the outfield fountain at Kauffman Stadium.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, the ball went an incredible 489 feet, while SportsCenter pointed out that it was the longest home run hit in the big leagues this season.
At just 22 years old, Trout continues to have a phenomenal start to his career. This season, he has now already hit 18 home runs with 59 runs batted in.
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Atlanta Braves slugger Freddie Freeman got his day off on the right foot with a big three-run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies, but what happened immediately after was far more entertaining for the home fans.
Tom McCarthy, the Phillies broadcaster, actually ended up catching Freeman’s home run on Friday night. Thanks to some encouragement from the fans, he ended up throwing the ball back onto the field.
[MLB.com, h/t Hardball Talk]
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Detroit Tigers’ Ian Kinsler was traded from the Texas Rangers in a one-for-one trade for Prince Fielder prior to the 2014 season, and on Tuesday night, Kinsler reminded them what they were missing.
Kinsler homered to left field in his return to Arlington in the first inning, then gave his former teammates a wave as he rounded the bases.
The home run was Kinsler’s ninth of the season.
[MLB]
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Dollar Dog Night at Citizens Bank Park nearly turned into an episode of The Wire on Monday when the Phillie Phanatic pumped a high-caliber hot dog into some poor sap in a pig costume.
The porcine victim was a mascot for Hatfield Quality Meats—a Pennsylvania pork meat-packing company that sells hot dogs at Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals home games.
Part of the Phanatic’s routine involves rolling out the mobile Hatfield hot dog launcher and shooting franks into the stands.
Baseball authors George Gmelch and J.J. Weiner write that the cannon is three-and-a-half feet long and generates 350 pounds per square inch of pressure.
“This [the pressure] allows the Phanatic Frank to reach the upper decks from the middle of the outfield,” they write in their book, In the Ballpark: The Working Lives of Baseball People.
Holy. God.
That is a weapons-grade hot dog gun, with more than enough juice to pull off a seriously painful pork drive-by. The sportscasters working the game said the dog is traveling around 98 mph—which seems low, considering you can barely see it as it leaves the cannon.
The pig appeared to take the cooked-sausage bullet to the gut—which is a good thing. Two feet higher and McNulty and the Bunk would’ve caught another redball.
Fortunately, the packed-meat fastball didn’t harm the pig, and the Phanatic is not in a holding cell looking at 25 to life.
As for the cannon, we can only hope it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Letting the Phanatic handle this weaponized meat-slinger is risk enough. If it falls into Charlie Kelly’s hands, it’s all over.
On the Twitters.
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If the Tampa Bay Rays have a hard time making contact against Chelsea Baker’s knuckleball, there’s a good chance that her high school opponents don’t stand much of a chance.
The 17-year-old Durant High School (Plant City, Florida) pitcher took her knuckleball—which the late Joe Niekro taught her—to Tropicana Field on Monday. The Rays’ Evan Longoria, Jose Molina and David Price each stepped into the batter’s box against Baker, who threw a mix of knuckleballs and fastballs.
Not only did Baker fool the Tampa Bay hitters, but she also became the youngest female to ever throw MLB batting practice.
[MLB.com, h/t Next Impulse Sports]
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