The Nationals honored United States armed forces with Wednesday’s Military Appreciation Night, which included an appearance by the Blue Angels and a flyover by the United States Air Force 1st Helicopter Squadron.
The 11th Bombardment Group, comprised of World War II veterans, was honored in a pregame ceremony. The group’s nine members fought in the Battle of Midway, performing long-range search missions and bombing attacks in the Pacific theater.
Max Impact, the well-known rock band of the United States Air Force, performed a pregame concert for fans on the Miller Lite Scoreboard Walk. The band’s lead singer, Master Sergeant Ryan Carson, kicked off the game with his rendition of the National Anthem.
Active and retired military personnel received two complimentary tickets to the game, which was the first of five in the Nationals’ Patriotic Series in which the team will commemorate the service of the United States Armed Forces.
--Hayley Milon.
Brett Lawrie lost his cool and then some on Tuesday night, spiking his batting helmet in the direction of home plate umpire Bill Miller after he was rung up on a disputed strike-three call.
The helmet hit Miller, and Lawrie was of course ejected.
We’re wondering:
What should happen to Lawrie now? No additional discipline or only a fine? A five-game suspension? Ten? More?
A fan at Tuesday's Marlins game made a superb catch -- with his hat! -- ensuring that a baby sitting next to him was shielded from a foul ball.
Team president David Samson happened to be in the broadcast booth at the time of the catch.
Not only did he silence the announcers to call the play as it happened, Samson said on the air, "I hope you have it, because it's the play of the day if you do."
If the booth is ever looking for an extra voice, we think we've found a contender.
There may be a simple explanation for Stephen Strasburg's rough start against the Padres on Tuesday.
Nationals manager Davey Johnson offered that his ace had a pain-relieving cream mishap before the first inning.
"Somehow it got in the wrong place," Johnson said. "I don't know all the details. Not an ideal way to start -- all kinds of little things going against us."
Strasburg, who looked uncomfortable early in the game and allowed four runs in four innings, declined to comment.
"Yeah, let's keep that in the clubhouse," Strasburg said.
MLB.com's Kathy Anderson catches up with players when they visit Rogers Centre, located underneath the CN Tower in Toronto. The latest victim: Rays second baseman Will Rhymes.
Anderson: People have been saying you're a Sam Fuld lookalike, but you actually have an identical twin brother. What does he think about this? Is Jonathan [Rhymes] being replaced?
Rhymes: No, no. Well, I haven't talked to him about it, but no. No one could replace my brother, he's a pretty awesome dude.
But can he play baseball?
Yeah, he's a good baseball player actually, he played in college.
Has he seen you play yet this year?
He hasn't yet; I used to see him last year every time we played Oakland, he'd come up.
Check out the full interview >>
Following in Yogi Berra's footsteps, there’s another ballplayer in New York spreading words of wisdom.
Mets outfielder Lucas Duda had one of his deep thoughts immortalized in wearable form for this week's edition of T-Shirt Tuesday at Citi Field.
Fans who purchased tickets in select locations received a blue Mets shirt bearing Duda-ronomy 28:3 -- "Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field."
It might not be “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over,” but it’s a solid start for the young philosopher.
As they say, making a marionette is the sincerest form of flattery.
It took this Rangers fan two weeks, but his Ron Washington puppet -- or is it a mini Mini Ron Washington puppet? -- has all the signature Wash mannerisms built right in.
Tuesday was Tim Wakefield's day at Fenway Park. Boston was honoring his career. Wake was throwing out the first pitch!
But it was Doug Mirabelli, Wakefield's former personal catcher, who made the more memorable entrance. Almost reenacting the scene when he was reacquired from the Padres in 2006, Mirabelli entered Fenway Park escorted by the Boston Police Dept.
A pop fly lost in the Bermuda Triangle. A rain delay shorter than some Dustin Pedroia at-bats. An at-bat starting with a 3-2 count. Three umpires missing in action ...
Things got more than a little weird during the first inning in Washington on Tuesday.
At first glance, you might overlook a certain Grammy Award-winning rapper in attendance at Tuesday's Cubs-Cardinals game in St. Louis.
But that's probably just because you were blinded by his earrings.
Nelly -- the Gateway City's unofficial mayor -- loves his Redbirds!
Carlos Lee came off the top turnbuckle with a flying body slam at the opening bell, but it was Hunter Wendelstedt's old-school eye gouge that won this bout.
Both the ump and the Astros first baseman remained in Tuesday's game after colliding accidentally, so expect a rematch sooner rather than later.
Bryce Harper hit the first of what could be many homers on Monday night, punishing a no-doubter into the center field berm at Nationals Park.
Harper's power is eye-popping, and he has a history of coming on strong after his introduction to a new level of competition.
So we want to know:
How many more will he hit this year? With about 80 percent of the season left, how high can Harper fly? Ten more homers? 15? 20? More? Let us know.
Nine years old and already a British singing phenom, Sophia Grace Brownlee and her six-year-old cousin Rosie McClelland have gone from YouTube sensations to the Grammys to The Ellen DeGeneres Show -- where they rapped with Nicki Minaj.
The next stop on their tour de force was Dodger Stadium -- in tutus, of course -- to visit Magic Johnson and throw out the first pitch before Monday's game against the D-backs.
As Ellen herself so neatly put it, "1, tutu, 3 strikes you're out at the ol' ballgame."
Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton had a close, personal relationship with his old bat.
They traveled to Cleveland and Baltimore together, hit nine home runs in a week together ... heck, Hamilton even called the boomstick "she" after it finally cracked on Sunday night.
But now that Louisville Slugger is going to the Hall of Fame, leaving The Natural to find a replacement. And if the early results are any indication, he is none too pleased.
