Japanese high school pitcher Otani opts for MLB (Yahoo! Sports)
2012
Bearded man robs St. Louis-area bank, shouts ‘Go Cards!’ on way out
2012
ST. LOUIS — Even criminals get World Series fever. A man walked into a bank about 20 miles south of Busch Stadium on Friday afternoon, passed a note to a teller demanding cash and walked out with money. But not without also voicing his support for the local Major League Baseball team playing Game 5 of the NLCS.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that a "bearded bandit" showed some community spirit at the First Bank branch in Arnold, Mo. as he robbed it:
He never showed a weapon, but the robber yelled, "Go Cards!" on his way out of the bank, according to the FBI.
That fact probably won't soften up St. Louis-based FBI agents, who are asking for information that will help them catch the baseball-fan bandit.
No one was hurt in the robbery. Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371-8477.
And have McGruff Fred McGriff take a bite out of crime while you're at it. This bearded fellow yelling "Go Cards" as he walked out reminds me of the movie "Point Break" when the Richard Nixon-mask wearing robber yells, "I'm not a crook!" The guy in Missouri was doing it for the money, and probably the juice, but also for the theater.
Also, it's worth noting he wasn't wearing any Cards merchandise, at least not obviously. Not even a cap. He would have blended into the community wearing it around. Big getaway mistake. And how can we call him something like "The Baseball Bandit" — which we must — without a Cardinals cap being involved?
On that note, it always was the fear of my favorite local talk-radio DJs that one of their fans would commit a crime and be arrested while wearing a "Steve and Garry" T-shirt and the footage would appear on the 10 o'clock news. Embarrassing.
That's probably how the St. Louis Cardinals feel about this guy. Especially because he wore a beard, or a fake beard. The Cardinals rely on beards heavily, including starting pitchers Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, along with closer Jason Motte, reliever Brandon Boggs and right-hander Lance Lynn, who started against the San Francisco Giants in Game 5. Rookie Matt Carpenter and Daniel Descalso beard up too. And others. It's like a thing.
And the thing about the surveillance footage here — the quality is terrible, as it often is. Shouldn't we expect better bank video surveillance technology in this day and age? We can pretend to put a man on the moon, but we can't give banks HDTV? It's like we're looking at a clip that belongs in the Gerry Todd show.
Also: How many of the Cardinals have an alibi for about 1:15 p.m. Central Time on Friday?
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Worker adjusts microphone under third base before NLCS Game 3 (Photo)
2012
ST. LOUIS — Ever wonder what a real Major League Baseball base looked like underneath? Regardless if the answer is yes or no, you do now. But these bases, like the one in the photo above used for Game 3 of the NLCS, are a little different. They've been retrofitted with microphones so Fox can better pick up its "Sounds of the Game." The microphone is located under the rectangular metal plate, screwed in on the right-hand side.
The worker in the photo was checking each set of bases made by Schutt Sports (there are at least two full sets) during batting practice to ensure the sound was coming through clearly. A technician on the other end of the microphone would advise him if the base sounded "dirty" or "clean" and the worker would whack the base and blow into it — really — to clean it out.
As he was finishing, Marco Scutaro of the San Francisco Giants saw him and asked if he were "blowing it up" like a balloon. Oh, you, Marco!
In case you're wondering what the writing on the sticker says, I transcribed one of them:
ATTENTION:
The purchaser and/or installer of this product is responsible for advising the end user of the possibility of injury while sliding into the base. The installer and/or purchaser shall read and follow safety and installation instructions packaged with this product.
Extra caution should be taken to ensure anchors are clean and base rests properly on playing surface. Under no circumstances should play commence when bottom of base is standing above playing surface. Injury may result.
Do you think anyone actually talks to the major leaguers about the dangers that sliding into bases presents? Maybe it happens during spring training? Anyway, as to the other sticker, it is a warning that the base should not be used in wet or icy conditions. And there's something about a "clear and present danger" to sliding somewhere (home plate?) but I don't know what it says because the post is in the way. Sorry.
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ALCS Game 4 postponed due to rain
2012
The Detroit Tigers' party in Motown will have to wait at least one more day.
Game 4 of the ALCS at Comerica Park was postponed due to rain on Wednesday night, meaning the Tigers won't get their first chance to advance past the New York Yankees until Thursday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 4:07 ET with the pitching matchup — CC Sabathia vs. Max Scherzer — staying intact.
The Tigers lead the Yankees three games to none and are on the brink of their first World Series since 2oo6. The bad news is that Thursday's forecast doesn't look too good, either, with an 80 percent chance of rain.
While the rain didn't move into Detroit until about 9:15 local time on Wednesday night — approximately 75 minutes after the game was scheduled to start — Major League Baseball made the decision to hold off on starting the game. That led to the strange sight of fans sitting in the stands around a tarp-less field, but MLB said the decision was made to "protect the integrity of a nine-inning game." It'd be hard for either side to argue with that logic given that it meant neither Sabathia nor Scherzer were used up for just an inning or two before a rain delay. That same situation happened when Game 1 of the ALDS was suspended in the middle of the second inning last year and the league attracted plenty of criticism for letting Sabathia and Justin Verlander effectively waste a start.
The postponement, however, will push Game 5 to Friday, eliminating the travel day before Saturday's Game 6. Brian Cashman says Sabathia will not be able to pitch in an if-necessary Game 7 on Sunday and that's a bad break for the Yankees as it means Sabathia will pitch only once this series. But at least that one appearance will likely come under the terms of his performance and not under the terms of Mother Nature.
Make sure all your bases are covered this postseason ...
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Giants, Cardinals ready to rock at the NLCS (Photos)
2012
SAN FRANCISCO — How does that old lyric go? If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear a bat guitar pick in your hair. No? Well, whatever, Pablo Sandoval and Jose Mijares (right) are ready to rock 'n' roll, and so are the rest of the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals. Game 1 of the NLCS is underway, so let's get to some of The Stew's pregame photos up before it's the ninth inning already:
Giants coach Tim Flannery prepares to hit some fungoes while absolutely trampling the "POSTSEASON" paint job along the third-base line. Notice how Major League Baseball has really been marketing the "postseason" the past few years. Go ahead, take a look around AT&T Park for a mention of "NLCS." It's hard to find. "Postseason" is all over the place, though.
* * *
OK, so there is ONE sign for the NLCS, in the left-field corner. It's almost like MLB doesn't like the grouping of the letters "NLCS" for some reason. Hey, what's going on in McCovey Cove?
* * *
I like the T-shirt. And the kayak is not bad, either. Traffic in the Cove (for batting practice or the game) isn't as busy as in the days of Barry Bonds. To date, 62 homers have splashed down into the water since the park opened.
* * *
These guys might need a bigger boat.
* * *
If the McCovey Armada had to invade somewhere — say, Oakland — these guys are hitting the beach first.
* * *
Gah, it's a sea monster! Oh, wait. We're back inside the ballpark. This is just Hunter Pence, who is bound and determined to grow out his beard to Brian Wilson proportions. Someone should be determined and bind him to a barber chair and go to town with some clippers.
* * *
"All right, awesome press conference, Carp."
"Thanks, Waino."
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Bryce Harper’s Ultimate Warrior look is back
2012
It's baaaaack. Though Bryce Harper previously made a promise to ditch his Ultimate Warrior eye black behind in his amateur days, the 19-year-old phenom took his first at-bat on Monday while looking more suited for a pay-per-view than a batter's box.
The re-emergence of Harper's junior college look caused a minor uproar on Twitter, but it's unclear if the Washington Nationals rookie intentionally made it that way for Game 2 of the NLDS in St. Louis. He's worn liberally applied bars of eye black before this season and the above look almost appears as if he splashed some water on his face and then rubbed it without thinking.
Of course, there's also the chance Harper is protesting Major League Baseball's decision to schedule the first two games in St. Louis at a time when the sun and shadows wreak the most havoc at Busch Stadium. Or maybe he really is just planning on clotheslining Fredbird later.
Whatever the case, the eye black does not appear to be helping Harper improve any. He's currently 0 for 2 with two strikeouts in Game 2 after going 0 for 5 with two strikeouts in Sunday's paint-free Game 1.
Update: The eye black was gone by his third at-bat in the fifth inning, but the result was the same as Harper struck out for the third time of the day. He struck out again later, too, earning him the golden sombrero as the series shifted to Washington.
Big BLS H/N: Nats Enquirer
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Braves’ protest officially denied by MLB – Chipper Jones | ATL
2012
Clairvoyant Chipper: Jones envisioned Braves’ demise in one-game wild card
2012
Barely two weeks ago, Chipper Jones told reporters what he thought of Major League Baseball's new one-game wild card playoff. He said it was garbage. And, as CBS Eye on Baseball pointed out, what the Atlanta Journal-Constitution quoted Jones as saying eerily matches what happened to the Braves on Friday evening in a 6-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals:
[Related: Questionable infield fly rule call mars MLB playoff opener]
"You say to yourself, we could possibly have the second- or third-best record in the National League when the season's over and we have to play a one-game playoff just to get in," Jones said. "That doesn't seem fair because anything can happen [in one game]. Now if you were to say the two wild-card teams will play a best two-out-of-three [series], I'd be OK with that. We play three-game series all the time, and we concentrate on winning those series all the time. I think it's more fair from a standpoint that anything can happen in one game — a blown call by an umpire, a bad day at the office … at least in a two-of-three-game series you have some sort of leeway."
No leeway. Game's over. Season's over. Career's over. Just as Jones said it might.
A blown call by an umpire. Instead of loading the bases with one out no outs in the eighth inning with the potential lead run at the plate, a mistaken infield fly ruling by umpire Sam Hollbrook handed a free out to the Cardinals and took a runner of the bases. It also prompted fans to delay the game for 18 minutes by throwing everything in their possession, seemingly, onto the field. The game's entire character was changed. Credit to Jason Motte of the Cardinals for pitching out of it. But he also was handed a stacked deck.
The call wasn't the only reason the Braves lost — they sustained several self-inflicted wounds with uncharacteristically bad defense and poor baserunning. And even Chipper himself was to blame. File it under the "bad day at the office" clause in his wild card complaint.
[More: Call leaves baseball with a mess on its hands]
Jones committed a critical error in the top of the fourth to get St. Louis rolling. After making a neat stab on a grounder by Matt Holliday, Jones threw wildly for an error to second base, botching what probably was a double play. Slugger Allen Craig followed with an RBI double, and the Cardinals added two more runs to take a 3-2 lead they didn't give back.
As you might figure, Jones said to hang the loss on him.
''Ultimately, I feel I'm the one to blame,'' Jones said. ''That should have been a tailor-made double play.'' ...
Jones refused to pin this loss on the umps.
''That one play didn't cost us the game. Three errors cost us the game,'' he said. ''We just dug ourselves too big a hole.''
Chipper also had a chance at the plate in the seventh, but he grounded out with two runners aboard. He also reached in the ninth on an infield hit/error/bad call. But it led nowhere.
[Also: Cards capitalize on Braves mistakes]
In another season, the Braves, the umpire — anyone who had a bad day at the office — would have another chance to make up for it in Game 2. But with this playoff format, there is no tomorrow if you lose Game 1. And Chipper knows it as well as anybody.
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MLB average attendance up 1.8 percent (Yahoo! Sports)
2012
MLB completes 8-year deal with Fox, Turner Sports (Yahoo! Sports)
2012
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