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Posted 5/16/12 at 11:10 AM

The Question: What now for Lawrie?

Watch Lawrie's ejection here.

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?

Posted 5/16/12 at 9:30 AM

Marlins president announces baby-guarding grab

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.

Posted 5/15/12 at 7:30 PM

Strasburg's ointment takes unexpected detour

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.

Posted 5/16/12 at 1:30 AM

Buzz the Tower: Will Rhymes Edition

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 >>

Posted 5/15/12 at 7:30 PM

Lucas Duda, philosophizer

Following in Yogi Berra's footsteps, there’s another ballplayer in New York spreading his wisdom.

Mets outfielder Lucas Duda had one of his deep thoughts immortalized in wearable form for this week's edition of T-Shirt Tuesday.

Fans who purchased tickets in select locations received a blue Mets shirt bearing this Duda-ism: “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field." Duda-ronomy 28:3.

It might not be “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over,” but it’s a solid start for the young philosopher.

Posted 5/16/12 at 12:10 AM

All the freaks come out for a Tim Lincecum start

"The Freak" has built himself quite the following in San Francisco, and why not? The two-time Cy Young Award winner with the flowing locks is a sight to see. But when you're in the ballpark for a Lincecum start, keep your eyes open because there's plenty else to be in awe of.
Posted 5/15/12 at 8:15 PM

Meet Ron Washington: The puppet

You know you've made it when you become available in puppet form.

This Rangers fan built a mini version of Ron Washington. The project took nearly two weeks.

On top of looking like Washington, Puppet Ron also channels some of his personality traits too.

Posted 5/15/12 at 5:49 PM

Doug Mirabelli knows how to make an entrance

It was Tim Wakefield's day. 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 memorable entrance. Almost reenacting the scene from when he was reacquired from the Padres in 2006, Mirabelli entered Fenway Park escorted by the Boston Police Dept.

Posted 5/15/12 at 6:30 PM

Good luck finding a more bizarre inning of baseball than this one

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.

Posted 5/15/12 at 5:02 PM

No "Dilemma" for Nelly, Busch Stadium is the place to be

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!

Posted 5/15/12 at 4:23 PM

The bigger they are, the harder they fall -- Carlos Lee edition

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.

Posted 5/15/12 at 3:15 PM

Remember that week when Mike Piazza was a Marlin?

Fourteen years ago today, the Marlins and Dodgers completed possibly the most late-90's trade of the late 90's. Mike Piazza (already a five-time All-Star at age 29) headed east along with Todd Zeile in exchange for Gary Sheffield, Bobby Bonilla, Charles Johnson, Jim Eisenreich and Manuel Barrios. Piazza's stay in Miami was brief, as the Fish shipped him to the Mets just seven days later for Preston Wilson and a pair of prospects.
Posted 5/15/12 at 10:45 AM

The Question: How many homers for Bryce?

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.

Posted 5/15/12 at 8:40 AM

Sophia Grace meets Magic -- in a tutu, of course ...

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."

Posted 5/15/12 at 12:25 AM

Josh Hamilton is not terribly fond of his new lumber

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.

Posted 5/15/12 at 2:38 AM

American Idol star Adam Lambert rocks the MLB Fan Cave

"Funk was the centerpiece of all this." -- Adam Lambert, who performed seven songs Monday during the MLB Fan Cave Concert Series.
Posted 5/14/12 at 7:00 PM

David Price's home run trot is in midseason form

With Interleague Play beginning this weekend, David Price will look to follow in the footsteps of (Devil) Rays legend Esteban Yan.

No, not on the mound -- Yan went 26-30 with a 5.01 ERA during five seasons in Tampa. But his homer off Bobby J. Jones on June 4, 2000 remains the only long ball ever hit by a Rays pitcher.

Posted 5/14/12 at 4:45 PM

Hamilton's bat is headed to the Hall

There's usually a ten-year career minimum for enshrinement in Cooperstown. Josh Hamilton's bat only needed one week.

Hamilton agreed to donate the lumber to the Hall of Fame following his four-homer game against the Orioles last Tuesday, and will now make good on that promise after breaking the bat on a seventh-inning RBI single Sunday night.

"She died a hero," Hamilton said. "She was tired, she was getting a little weak."

Wrap your mind around this: The Rangers center fielder launched nine long balls in a six-game stretch from May 7-12, including eight with the same bat. Hall of Fame second baseman Johnny Evers (of "Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance" fame) went yard 12 times in his 18-year career.

Posted 5/14/12 at 3:00 PM

Mo's journey back: Don't Stop Relievin'

"Closer with the cold blood stare. Stricken by meniscus tear ..."

Mariano Rivera is sidelined for the rest of 2012, but his Major League journey isn't over. At least, that's what they're saying on NOC's new hit single, Don't Stop Relievin'.

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