A $100 million partnership was announced Tuesday between the Yankees and Premier League club Manchester City to create a Major League Soccer team called New York City FC. Yahoo! Sports soccer blog, Dirty Tackle, has more of the particulars. But here's one interesting tidbit that's emerged on the baseball side: This could open the door for the Yankees to play in England.

From London newspaper The Telegraph:

With London playing host to American football and NBA basketball fixtures in recent years, Yankees president Randy Levine admitted his interest in taking his baseball team to Manchester for a Major League Baseball game.

“The idea has come up through Major League Baseball about us maybe coming over to play,” Levine said. “I don’t think they have actually said it yet, but we’d love to come over to play at the Etihad Stadium.

Such a move — if nobody beats the Yankees to it — would be the first MLB game in England, and in Europe as a whole. Games have been played in Tokyo in recent years, as part of expanded efforts by Major League Baseball to market the game outside the United States. There also have been games in Puerto Rico, both neutral-site games in 2010 and about 20 games in 2004 games when the Montreal Expos used it as an alternate home site.

MLB has been eyeing expanding into Europe in recent years, with England and the Netherlands among the possible destinations. Netherlands and Italy both having better-than-expected runs in the 2013 World Baseball Classic might help the MLB-in-Europe idea move forward. But having the Yankees — baseball's most prestigious and valuable brand — on board with a business partner that has its own facilities might just kickstart the idea better than anything.

Important question: Is it too late to get a Manchester date booked for Mo Rivera's farewell tour?

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Catcher Gary Carter has already been immortalized in the Baseball Hall of Fame, but now he's immortalized in Montreal too, where he used to star for the Expos.

At a Tuesday ceremony, Montreal officially renamed a street in his honor, or in this case, honour. Gary Carter Street will now replace Faillon Street West on Montreal maps. According to the Montreal Gazette, the street was chosen because it's near the ex-Jarry Park Stadium, where the Expos played 1969-1976.

Carter, who died in 2012 from brain cancer at age 57, played for the Expos 1974-1984. He was a seven-time All-Star and MVP runner-up in 1980. He later played for the New York Mets, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Gary Carter Street is the first of two namings in Montreal to honor Carter. Gary Carter baseball park is opening June 15. From the Gazette:

Little league teams from across Quebec are to participate in a series of baseball games for the park's opening. Montreal sportscaster Rodger Brulotte, who will emcee Tuesday's event, has been working on the park opening for months and described Carter as "legendary" among Quebec baseball fans.

While the Expos might be gone, it's nice to know that Montreal will always remember "The Kid."

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It has four bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a pool and a mid-century style you'd expect from someone born in 1920 — like a checkered marble floor in the entry way and a decent amount of pastel in the living room.

We've heard of people buying old cars owned by famous people, but how about Musial's house? For a hardcore Cardinals fan, that's a one-of-a-kind souvenir, definitely something to talk about at dinner. And at a modest price when you consider what some houses sell for. Andruw Jones' mansion cost $5 million, and he didn't have anything near Musial's 3,630 career hits. Though, as was Stan "The Man's" style, he lived modestly compared to Andruw Jones' of the world.

Worth a note here: Musial died in his home. That might be a morbid thought to some, but others might believe it means the spirit of a great ballplayer lives on there. If that rubs off on a young hitter, that might be worth an extra million dollars.

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In sticking up for one of his struggling players over the weekend, Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost introduced a neoclassical term to the world. Coming into play Tuesday, third baseman Mike Moustakas was batting .240/.294/.384 with 29 home runs in 1,130 career plate appearances. This season alone, his numbers are much, much worse.

It appears Royals brass has overreached in expecting Moustakas and first baseman Eric Hosmer to develop into reliable corners this season. But it's too soon to give up on Moustakas — even for a while, by demoting him to the minors — Yost said to Kansas City Star reporter Bob Dutton:

“You know what?” Yost said. “Maybe when we get home, I can go to the third base tree and pick another third baseman. … Obviously, third basemen who can hit and hit with power, they must grow on trees."

There it is. "The Third Base Tree." Soak it in, in all of its grandeur. If he contributes nothing else in his managerial career, either on the field or in a press conference, Yost has borne fruit by conjuring a mystical tree from which any major league team can pluck a ripe stud for the hot corner.

• Miguel Cabrera would be the trunk.

• David Wright, Adrian Beltre, Evan Longoria and (UPDATE) Manny Machado (who someday will cross-pollinate over to the Shortstop Tree) would be the biggest branches.

• Kyle Seager would be a blossoming bud.

• George Brett would still be attached, double-tapered and tan.

• Moustakas would be a fallen leaf.

• (UPDATE) Jeff Keppinger is poison oak.

Later in the interview, in case you weren't sure that Yost's quote didn't drip with sarcasm, he broke it to everybody:

“There is no third baseman tree. You don’t go grab another one. You let him develop. Look at Gordy (Alex Gordon). When I came over here (in 2010), all I heard (from fans) was this kid is never going to be anything.

“No. You’re wrong. Give them time to develop. But I understand it. I know what the fans want. They want it, and they want it now. Instant gratification just doesn’t work (in baseball).”

He's right that the Royals have needed patience, but we're more than 1,000 at-bats into Moustakas's career. His adjusted OPS this season is 52. Average is 100. Seager's is 130.

Opening day is no longer an "instant" ago. Yost knows this, but he's being willfully dishonest in order to be seen as "in his player's corner." If he really wanted to help Moustakas, not to mention the team, he would tell GM Dayton Moore to send Moose to Omaha and bring in another player to play third. It doesn't have to be forever, but it should be now.

There's a lot more fruit on the tree than Yost lets on. Kings of Kauffman has more.

In closing: Thanks, skipper, for the imagery of the Third Baseman Tree. It will remain planted in our memories long after Ned has gone.

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I'm giving $1000 for tonight's HR and every HR until the All-Star break for the victims of my hometown in OKC. #PrayforOklahoma

— Matt Kemp (@TheRealMattKemp) May 21, 2013

But here's the thing: Kemp, who is from nearby Midwest City, hit only his second home run of of the season on Monday. That's in 165 at-bats. Kemp makes $20 million this year from the Dodgers, as part of a $160 million contract he signed in 2011. It's easy to look at this all this and say Matt Kemp is being "cheap" — oh, and people have.

It didn't help matters when NBA star Kevin Durant, who plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder, donated a flat $1 million dollars on Tuesday.

Kemp is one of baseball's good guys. He doesn't get in trouble off the field and about the worst thing he's done on the field — besides having a down year — is getting in the face of Carlos Quentin after that recent Dodgers-Padres brawl. You'll recall he also recently made headlines for giving a teenager with cancer his jersey, cap and cleats in a touching moment after a game.

One point Kemp's detractors have on their scorecard is that he's seen firsthand the damage tornadoes can inflict. MLB.com's Ken Gurnick talked to Kemp after Monday's game detailing what he remembers about previous tornadoes in Oklahoma:

[Kemp] said he was in junior high school when an E-5 tornado with 300-mph winds hit the same area in 1999 and killed 36 people. He remembered accompanying a cousin who was hit by a foul ball in a baseball game to the local hospital and not knowing the tornado hit until the mangled patients started to arrive.

He vividly described the carnage he saw 14 years ago.

"And this one hit a school," he said. "I know where the schools are. My mom lived in a house in Moore and we gave it to my aunt and uncle. They weren't home today, but they said two blocks away there's nothing left. I've never been through an earthquake, but I've seen what a tornado can do and you just can't even believe it."

The people upset at Kemp have three main complaints: he's not giving enough, he's making this too much about himself and he's not hitting the home runs necessary to justify a pledge-drive. Here's a smattering of the negative things people are tweeting at him:

@therealmattkemp you're wack for that 1, you make millions every year, tellin me you can't just donate 1,000 or 2,000 for every HIT you get?

— Jimmy (@JDSantos23) May 21, 2013

@therealmattkemp you mean to tell me you can't afford that? I wish I was a Millionaire #Selfish you got 2 hr's & only by All-Star? — Jimmy (@JDSantos23) May 21, 2013

Durant makes @therealmattkemp look like a little boy with a lemonade stand.

— Adamn Foglio (@FoglioA) May 21, 2013

@therealmattkemp you'll prob hit no more than 3, so $3000 outta the 20 mil you're making this year? #cheapbastard — Josh (@JDotKr1s) May 21, 2013

@therealmattkemp how much do you make per game? durant is giving 1 million to help red cross. Couldnt you spare more from 120 million deal?

— Michael Gates (@RecDawg34) May 21, 2013

Hey @therealmattkemp, why not help your hometown without making it about you.Do something admirable, something fitting of real heart! — CykoDad (@CykoDad408) May 21, 2013

Matt Kemp is on a blistering pace to donate 2000 dollars toward Oklahoma, he makes 20 million dollars a year, nice gesture but really cheap.

— Bobby Brown (@MrBobbySocks) May 21, 2013

Kevin Durant is donating $500K for each home run Matt Kemp has hit this season.

— 'Duk(@KevinKaduk) May 21, 2013

Geez, by that kind of talk you'd think he's the villain here, not a guy trying to help out. Could he give more? Sure, obviously. Is he beholden to you, me or anybody else about how he chooses to donate his money? Hardly.

If nothing else, maybe this will motivate him to find his home-run stroke — the one responsible for 116 dingers in his last four seasons (including 39 in 2011). That would benefit both the people of Oklahoma and his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates.

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Can you "jump the shark" while dressed as a "Killer" pea? Fans of the San Francisco Giants might have found out Monday night at AT&T Park when four folks in the bleachers tried to nickname a segment of the team's roster.

Did you know that Hunter Pence, Angel Pagan, Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval (head obscured by child) form the "Killer P's"? It's a riff on what the Houston Astros used to call the "B" part of their lineup, which included at times in the late 1990s and early 2000s: Craig Biggio, Derek Bell, Lance Berkman, Jeff Bagwell, Sean Berry, Carlos Beltran, Chris Burke, Eric Bruntlett, Michael Bourn, Geoff Blum, Tim Bogar, Doug Brocail and Brandon Backe.

This "P" phenomenon is not as phenomenal.

The pod costumes are great. But, as noted curmudgeon Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote in April, stuff like "Killer P's" has been done. It's time to eat your peas, grab a giant Bruce Bochy head and do something with that.

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For a guy who hasn't played in the majors in a dozen years, Jose Canseco sure does find ways to hang around the game. This week, he's in Texas, serving as a player-coach for the independent Fort Worth Cats for a homestand. And if that wasn't enough to interest you, his first opponents are the Edinburg Roadrunners, coached by none other than Canseco's brother Ozzie.

“I am excited to come to Fort Worth and mentor the young ballplayers,” Jose said in a statement. “I love Dallas/Fort Worth and I can’t wait to go up against Ozzie.”

The player/coach is a noble profession, but one that's fallen into disfavor in these days of specialization. The last player/manager in the majors was Pete Rose back in the late 1980s. As recently as 2011, the White Sox toyed with the idea of making Paul Konerko a player/manager, but ended up hiring former player Robin Ventura instead. Jose Canseco was, apparently, not considered for the position.

And in other "what the heck...?" news, Canseco has written the foreword to the novel "Air Force Gator 2: Scales of Justice." In case you missed the first installment — come on, get with the program — "Air Force Gator" is the tale of an alcoholic alligator that flies a plane shaped like a gator's head. It's fiction, we're assuming, but you never know. Anyway, the author, Dan Ryckert, apparently got into a Twitter war with Canseco and somehow persuaded him to write the foreword for free.

After Ryckert insulted Canseco on Twitter, the erstwhile Bash Brother replied, "how many copies of Air Force Gator did you sell dan? Let me know if u need help mine made the NY Times Best Seller list."

Canseco later offered to write the foreword, and Ryckert agreed: "I am not kidding at all when I say you can write the foreword for Air Force Gator 2. I'm totally not spellchecking it, though."

Canseco wants to play the gator in the movie version, because of course he does. If you're interested in checking out some of the literary stylings of Canseco, as well as the tale of a gator who flies a plane, click here to see the book's Amazon page.

Related: the Internet is weird.

While it hasn't been confirmed yet by Major League Baseball, Paul Lukas of Uni-watch reports that every team will wear camouflage jerseys and caps come Memorial Day on Monday. Lukas notes that replicas of the uniforms, which are on sale at MLB.com, appear to be similar to the camo colors the White Sox and Angels recently wore on Armed Forces Day.

How does Lukas know MLB's plans for May 27? The league gave them away on its website:

In each case, the team’s online shop only shows a home camo jersey or a road camo jersey — not both — depending on whether the team is playing at home or on the road next Monday. Tucked away in the fine print is the following line: “As worn on-field Memorial Day May 27th, 2013.”

Yes, they did:

(So, the Marines trademarked the digital camo pattern, eh? Interesting.)

Lukas was hardly patting himself on the back. He has a problem with MLB's plans, and he makes at least one great (and angry) point:

Memorial Day is not a day for celebrating the military. It’s a day for honoring the military dead. A more appropriate gesture would be an MLB-wide black armband. An even better gesture would be a pregame moment of silence, without anything on the uniform. But as is so often the case nowadays, merchandising and pandering trump common sense.

I'm only guessing, but my grandfather probably would agree. He was among the Allied troops to risk life and limb on D-Day. He also knew the difference between Memorial Day and, say, Veterans Day. Grampa was funny; he didn't even like people to applaud the playing of the "Star Spangled Banner" because it was not to be viewed as a performance, like some kind of top 40 hit. So he was principled in his patriotism. Regardless that you might clap after the national anthem, it was something he put some thought into.

As Lukas said, Memorial Day originated to honor men and women who died while fighting. I can't imagine Grampa would find it appropriate to be honored on Memorial Day because he didn't die until World War II had been over for 50 years. Now, there's nothing wrong with honoring the dead, and there's nothing wrong with honoring veterans. And there's nothing wrong with honoring the military. The San Diego Padres manage to be tasteful in doing so at Petco Park on a frequent basis. It's just disturbing how many people don't know what Memorial Day is for, and that they'll just mindlessly go along with anything that sounds remotely patriotic. Memorial Day has become a synonym for anything at all to do with " 'Merica," and it's a disgrace.

MLB contributes to this cognitive dissonance by having the players wear these inappropriate jerseys. It makes it look like all they want to do is sell more merchandise. That's not the kind of message they want to project, I would imagine, even as they prepare to sell "stars and stripes" caps come July 4 and Sept. 11.

UPDATE: MLB spokesperson Jeff Heckelman would like to note:

Major League Baseball has long been a supporter of the military including active military, military families and veterans. The camouflage caps and jerseys are being sold with 100% of MLB’s proceeds going to Welcome Back Veterans, a program which raises money to provide grants to hospitals and clinics that provide post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) treatment to veterans at university hospitals throughout the country. Welcome Back Veterans is funding programs at Weill Cornell in New York City, The University of Michigan, Rush University Medical Center, Duke university, Emory University, UCLA and the Boston Red Sox’ Home Base Program at Mass General Hospital in Boston.

This program is part of $23 million commitment from MLB to Welcome Back Veterans since 2008.

He also notes that a moment of silence is observed at each game played on Memorial Day, even if it comes in the middle of an inning. All good deeds, and all show that MLB has its heart in the right place when it comes to helping those who have served. Another step it could take that would help. Use the camo uniforms in another way. They shouldn't be worn Memorial Day.

And finally, just imagine: What are the New York Yankees uniforms going to look like in a camo theme? Hey, you don't have to imagine:

And for what? Not for what MLB would like us to think.

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While Sanabia awaits his fate, if he's waiting, let's give him a nickname. Any one of these 10 would do:

10. Alex Salivia: Sanabia's name lends itself perfectly to our game.

9. Oscar Spitorius: It's not baseball, but it's too good to go unused.

8. Rob Dribble: Can strike the grandstand with a mouth projectile from 400 feet away.

7. Hakan Loogey: Or go with "Hawk Harrelson" to keep hockey out of it.

6. Spew Burdette: Spahn and Sain and you don't want to pray for this kind of rain.

5. Drip Sewell: Threw a famous "esophagus pitch" to Ted Williams.

4. Dave Phlegmanczyk: Blue Jays, represent! (Would also make a good "Garbage Pail Kid," while we're at it.)

3. Squirt Schilling: Ickiest-sounding of them all?

2. Larry Frothschild: Wise and well-coiffed in the way of wetting the ball.

1. Vern Druhle: Played with Joe Niekro, who knew a thing or two about doctoring a ball.

Bonus: Mucus Harrell.

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The Juice returns for season No. 6! It's almost eligible for free-agency! Stop by daily for news from the action, along with great photos, stats, video highlights and more.

Right-hander Ryan Vogelsong was having perhaps his best start of the season for the San Francisco Giants on Monday. But this is the National League, where pitchers bat and accidents happen, and now Vogelsong is slated to have surgery Tuesday to fix a broken pitching hand. He had pitched five innings of three-hit ball against the Washington Nationals in an 8-0 victory at AT&T Park, but that's the extent of the good news. (And Brandon Belt had four hits and scored four runs — that's also good.)

Swinging in self-defense during his at-bat against Craig Stammen in the fifth inning, Vogelsong didn't get enough wood on the ball. The Associated Press reports:

Vogelsong broke two bones along the right pinkie and dislocated a knuckle the area that the medical staff couldn't get popped back into place. He was scheduled for surgery Tuesday morning at Stanford and said he likely would have pins inserted to stabilize the hand and help speed the healing process.

''We're not talking about Tommy John or anything here,'' Vogelsong said, his eyes misty. ''Basically as fast as we can get it to heal so I can start throwing again.''

Someone lend a hand: Remarkably, we have another broken hand to announce regarding a pitcher named Ryan on one of these teams.

Washington manager Davey Johnson said that right-hander Ryan Mattheus broke his pitching hand punching a locker in frustration Sunday. Mattheus had been pitching well, but allowed five runs in a blowout loss at San Diego and took out his frustration on himself. Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post described the Nats pitching staff as already being in disarray before Mattheus lost his cool.

“It’s pretty embarrassing,” Mattheus said. “I let the whole Washington Nationals organization down by doing something stupid.”

Ain't broke, so don't fix it: Rookie left-hander Patrick Corbin of the Arizona Diamondbacks tossed a three-hitter at the Colorado Rockies in what was described as a "virtuoso performance." He lowered his ERA to 1.44 in joining Randy Johnson as the only lefty in team history (brief as it is) to start a season 7-0. If there was such a thing as a Cy Young Watch List in May, he'd be on it.

MORE SCORES

Indians 10, Mariners 8 (10 inn.) : Close your glove, Wilhelmsen!

Blue Jays 7, Rays 5: Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey might be coming around.

Yankees 6, Orioles 4 (10 inn.): Yikes! Orioles closer Jim Johnson has blown three straight save opportunities after nailing down 35 in a row. It all started with a tying home run by Travis Hafner. The O's have lost six in a row.

Padres 4, Cardinals 2: Jason Marquis has won five straight starts. He does this sometimes, though not since 2007 with the Cubs.

Braves 5, Twins 1: They should have had Kent Hrbek ceremonially lift Ron Gant off first base to celebrate the '91 Series. Instead, they just had Julio Teheran and Dan Uggla go to work.

Dodgers 3, Brewers 1: Manager Don Mattingly is done a solid by ace Clayton Kershaw.

Astros 6, Royals 5: Young third baseman Matt Dominguez had a big night: A homer and three RBIs, all on one swing. K.C. drops to 20-21.

Is it time to start the Ned Yost watch?

White Sox 6, Red Sox 4: Boston ace Jon Lester has a 5.43 ERA in 10 career games against the White Sox for some reason.

Reds 4, Mets 3: Aside from a rough third inning, Johnny Cueto pitched like himself in a return from the DL.

Athletics 9, Rangers 2: Happy 40th birthday, Bartolo Colon (on Friday, but let's celebrate now)!

''I asked myself, 'What was going on, what happened?' I told myself I have to start pitching the way I am. Then after that, I said, 'That is me.' "

— Johnny Cueto of the Reds, using a translator. Perhaps he should have used two of them.

Now watch Carlos Gonzalez catch it on video.

• The Miami Marlins scored at least three runs for the second time in 13 games.

• With Ian Kinsler injured and on the disabled list, Jurickson Profar made his 2013 debut for the Texas Rangers. He went 0 for 2 with two RBIs, which is unusual.

• Shelby Miller of the St. Louis Cardinals allowed three runs, just the second time this season he's permitted that many in nine starts.

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• Are Dodgers too soft to save Don Mattingly's job?

A funny thing happened after Alex Sanabia of the Miami Marlins allowed a home run to Domonic Brown of the Philadelphia Phillies in the second inning Monday night: He didn't allow any more runs over his 6 1/3 innings of work and picked up his first victory since April 16.

Was it in part because Sanabia was aided by putting a foreign substance on the baseball? The question arises naturally because the Phillies broadcast clearly shows Sanabia spitting on a new ball as Brown circled the bases in Miami's 5-1 victory at Marlins Park.

[Jeff Passan: Cheating has become a lost art form]

The Phillies might be looking at a case of highway slobbery right here. It doesn't appear that any reporters covering the game asked Sanabia about his spit take. They probably will Tuesday, if he's around the clubhouse. Heck, Major League Baseball might even try to get him to spit into a beaker.

In the meantime, let's take a look, frame by frame, to see what Sanabia might have been up to:

From that point on, Sanabia must have been licking his chops because the Phillies couldn't find home plate with a compass. As for Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels, he obviously was upset about losing to the Marlins. He didn't say spit to reporters.

Now, I've always thought that the term "spitball" was something of a euphemism for loading up the pelota with anything. Burleigh Grimes — one of the last pitchers to legally throw a spitter before it became outlawed in 1920 — would put so much spit and juice on the ball that fielders would complain about fielding it. Other pitchers, like Eddie Cicotte of the White Sox, were reputed to throw balls loaded with shoe polish.

"You put snot ... on the ball?" — Ricky Vaughn, to Eddie Harris in "Major League"

Sanabia's case is different. In fact, he loaded up the ball so quickly after Brown's at-bat, and appeared to rub the ball with such force, it's hard to imagine the ball not being all-but dried by the time he threw his next pitch to Delmon Young. Did he really get any extra drop or action on the ball because of his saliva? He had two strikeouts the rest of the game, if that's any indication.

To compare: Clay Buchholz of the Red Sox caught flak for apparently using sunscreen and rosin to take moisture off the ball for a better grip. Sanabia appeared to be adding it for the same purpose.

He's a regular Rob Dribble.

Still, it's against the rules. Expect him to be warned by the league, if not fined, and probably not suspended — unless there's more evidence or repeated charges.

Big BLS H/N: Dave Cameron of Fangraphs

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Before the walkoff, came the muff.

Seattle Mariners closer Tom Wilhelmsen, messing up a play that pitchers and first basemen across the league have worked on, time and again, during spring training, muffed a flip from first baseman Justin Smoke in the bottom of the ninth inning Monday afternoon, dropping the ball for an unbelievable error that allowed the Cleveland Indians to score the tying run.

It was right of Smoak to throw the ball, after a grounder came his way, and not try to beat Carlos Santana to the bag himself. Smoak's flip didn't have too much on it, or not enough. It wasn't too high that Wilhelmsen had to reach, and it wasn't too low that he had to stoop. Wilhelmsen wasn't late covering the bag, and Smoak didn't lead him too much. The ball hit him right in the leather. Everything about the play was right — except for the catch. Wilhelmsen, who came in 11 of 11 converting saves and really had pitched as well as anyone in ninth innings this season, just didn't catch it. After time was called Smoak bent over at the waste in apparent disbelief.

The Mariners re-took the lead in the top of the 10th, but manager Eric Wedge chose not to use Wilhelmsen for another inning, and they lost on a three-run home run by Yan Gomes — Cleveland's backup catcher — in the bottom half. It was an exhilarating ending to one of the more entertaining games of the season. For one side, anyway.

Wilhelmsen spoke matter-of-factly about his error, via Geoff Baker's Mariners Blog in the Seattle Times:

“Smoakie made a great play and threw a perfect ball right to me,’’ Wilhemsen said. “I simply took my eyes off it and it fell out.’’

The Smoak homer nearly made everyody forget about that. But then the Mariners couldn’t get anybody out in the bottom of the 10th and all their efforts went for naught.

Smoak said the late loss clearly hurt in a clubhouse where many of the players seemed stunned and angry.

It was a total capsizing by the M's, who probably won't endure a tougher loss this season. M's fans might disagree, but this might be one of their 10 worst losses ever — though they've been creative enough through the years to maybe make it a top 20 instead. Instead of averting a sweep, the Mariners dropped their fifth straight. Three of the four losses at Cleveland came in the last at-bat. All gut-wrenchers, but this one was the hardest to stomach.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this post read, in the first graf: "time and memorial," which is not the intended saying. H/N: @Bonanos.

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That's a weird set-up for two weird tidbits: (1) Phil Jackson might want to be a baseball coach. (2) He's already an adviser to a couple MLB managers.

The New York Times' magazine detailed at length how NBA teams are still chasing Jackson and how he can't really leave the game. One passage reads: "Jackson will almost certainly return to basketball. One of his other great talents is coming out of retirement."

But about three-fourths into the story comes this baseball-centric nugget:

Jackson has been serving as a kind of intersports guru, giving informal advice to an Israeli soccer coach — “All soccer involves triangles,” Jackson says — as well as to a couple of baseball managers. He grew up playing baseball and still thinks he would make a good coach. He has told the owner of the Chicago White Sox — his former boss with the Bulls, Jerry Reinsdorf — that he’s available. He seems to be only half joking.

Phil Jackson, baseball coach. How crazy would be if the guy all these NBA teams are chasing made the jump — like a certain star player of his did — to baseball? Maybe Jackson could take over the Dodgers. L.A. fans could get behind that, right? I mean, they've already accepted Magic Johnson as their savior.

OK, so Phil Jackson in baseball probably isn't not going to happen, but it is interesting to learn that Jackson is giving advice to MLB managers. Who do you think they are? I dunno, but it sure would be funny if it were Jim Leyland. Let's hope it's not Don Mattingly. That wouldn't bode well for Jackson's coaching prospects.

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Related coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
• Are Dodgers too soft to save Don Mattingly's job?
• The Juice: Ryan Vogelsong breaks pitching hand, Ryan Mattheus does same
• Top 10 spitball-related nicknames for Alex Sanabia of Miami Marlins

Ken Rosenthal at Fox Sports wrote a column Sunday with the ominous headline, "Ax soon to fall for LA's Mattingly," citing a scout and his own baseball instincts.

The Dodgers, however, are denying that. The Los Angeles Times reports the team has "no plans" to fire Mattingly "when the team returns home Thursday or any time before then." That comes from an unnamed club official, spoken with Sunday night after the Dodgers lost to the Atlanta Braves 5-2, completing a three-game weekend sweep.

It's funny, though, because when was the last time you heard, "Oh, yes, we DO have plans to fire our manager and we're going to do it on Wednesday?" Having "no plans" could mean they just don't have the press conference scheduled yet. Or haven't gotten around to ordering the "goodbye" cake.

Here's more from Bill Shaikin of the Times:

There has been some thought about whether the Dodgers should dismiss Trey Hillman, the bench coach picked by Mattingly. It is uncertain whether removing a coach would be considered the best solution at this point, or whether the Dodgers' plans would change if the team does not fare well in a series that starts Monday in Milwaukee.

So, in essence, Don Mattingly isn't on the hot seat ... but he is totally on the hot seat. Should we start a what-day-will-he-get-fired pool? I'll take May 27.

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More popular MLB coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
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• Playing catch with kids in the stands is MLB's latest trend
• Rays' Matt Moore is off to a Ruthian start on the mound

What does it take for Aroldis Chapman of the Cincinnati Reds to blow a save for a second consecutive appearance?

How about Chapman being bloated from binging on "18," he said, of the yummiest Cuban pastries anyone could stuff in their face Sunday before the Reds faced the Phillies? And it was one of the Phillies announcers, also a Cuban expatriate, who sabotaged Chapman by bringing him the goodies!

That's the story Phillies' Spanish-language broadcaster Rickie Ricardo told the 94-FM WIP morning show Monday. Friends with Ricardso since he came to the U.S., Chapman had asked him to pick up two boxes (100 total) of flaky Cuban pastries filled with cream cheese and guava from a place down in Union City, N.J. — described by Ricardo as a "Cuban stronghold." Two or three of these things would clog your arteries and send you into a food coma. Only, Chapman didn't stop at two or three, Ricardo said:

“Could you imagine cream cheese and guava on a baked pastry? Well Chapman asked me for a box of 100, two boxes of 50. When I saw him on Sunday morning before the game, he was in the clubhouse, he had just eaten about 18 of them. He couldn’t breathe! I looked at my partner, I said, ‘he’s ripe for the taking today.”

The "Ripe Guava," or the "Flaky Pastry," is now the Philadelphia nickname for Chapman, who had come in with a 2.41 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings.

Chapman, who can hit 100 mph on the radar gun with no problem, and not only while driving, was in the 95 mph neighborhood as the Phillies rallied for 3-2 victory at Citizens Bank Park. That 5 mph could mean a lot. It's up to the rocket scientists to formulate an equation as to how much each pastry cost Chapman from his 100 mph heater.

Big BLS H/N: Deadspin

Baseball is in full swing! Interact with @AnswerDave, @MikeOz, @Townie813 and@bigleaguestewon Twitter, along with the BLS Facebook page!

Have a baseball road trip coming up? Well, in a bid to help you with your upcoming journeys, Big League Stew has solicited the help of the locals. Over the next month or so, we'll be hitting up our usual guest blogger crew to feature 10 tips for enjoying each of the 30 ballparks like the locals do. Have a suggestion in addition to the ones listed here? Make sure to list it in the comments below.

Planning a trip to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington? First things first, we just call it “the Ballpark” around these parts, and we never agreed to call it Ameriquest Field for those few years a while back, but I digress. The home of the two-time American League champion Texas Rangers is a beauty of a stadium, blending Texas tradition with architectural elements reminiscent of bygone eras, most notably a covered porch in right field that echoes Tiger Stadium and old Comiskey Park. The past three offseasons have included extensive technological upgrades and stadium renovations, enhancing the game day experience for fans and players alike. Pack your warm weather clothes and join me for some tips about my home away from home:

1. Location, location…location? While many other entries on this list can boast a vibrant downtown or quirky neighborhood full of unique characteristics surrounding their stadium, the same cannot be said for our fine establishment situated at 1000 Ballpark Way. Take a stroll down Randol Mill Road and you’ll find yourself at either Cowboys Stadium or the Wal-Mart Supercenter, both emitting an equal sense of despair.

Deciding where to stay on your trip basically depends on who you are and what you want to do — are you a family looking for an easy few days of baseball games and amusement parks? Keep it local and stay in Arlington. Rangers Ballpark is in close proximity to both Six Flags Over Texas and Hurricane Harbor, so gather up the kids and the sunscreen and go say hello to Bugs Bunny and his pals.

Not into roller coasters or water parks? Opt for Dallas or Fort Worth. What Arlington lacks in amenities that aren’t chain restaurants, it makes up for in geographical convenience. Sandwiched right in between Dallas and Fort Worth, you can easily book your hotel stay in either city and fill your days with superior sightseeing, and then hop in the car to make the drive to Arlington at night for the games. It might not sound all that convenient, but let’s face it; if you’re in Texas, you’re driving everywhere already.

2 But what If I’m not driving? No, you’re probably driving. Unless you’re in a cab or hotel shuttle, your trek to Rangers Ballpark will be in your own hands as Arlington does not have a public transportation system. Really, we don’t.

Once behind the wheel, it’s not too hard to get in and out of Rangers Ballpark, but there will be traffic. Numerous parking lots surround the stadium in all directions, with most of the cash parking lots located on the north and east sides of the Ballpark, accessible from Interstate 30. Don’t be fooled by the Arlington Convention Center lot that is also on the north side of the Ballpark, unless you feel like spending $20.00 instead of the $15.00 charged in Rangers lots. Slightly cheaper options can be found at various restaurants and office parks nearby, but having parked there myself on a few occasions, saving a few extra bucks isn’t necessarily worth the extra effort even if you do snag the “Employee of the Month” parking spot.

Do you own a Lexus? Can you borrow someone’s Lexus? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you can valet park for free at Rangers Ballpark. These spaces tend to fill up quickly, especially for a big series and on the weekends, so take that into consideration when you head out the door. If you don’t own (or can’t borrow) a Lexus, you can still choose to valet, but it’ll cost you $40.00.

3. Where (not) to sit: Whether it was suffering the last-place Rangers teams of yore, or bathing in the glory of attending a World Series game, I’ve sat just about everywhere you can sit in Rangers Ballpark and have nothing but good things to say … for the most part. You’ll run into some obstructed views due to safety rails and the like, but the only place I would tell you to actively avoid is all tiers of left field. Not because the sightlines are bad, or because the fans or ushers are rude, but because it’s entirely possible that you will catch on fire while filling out your scorecard. What I’m trying to tell you is that it’s hot under the sun in left field. Very, very hot.

If you’re attending a night game, you will eventually find some relief once the sun sets over the first base side of the Ballpark, but for a day game in a North Texas summer? That sizzling sound you hear isn’t a nearby concession stand grilling up some food, that’s your skin. Unless you’re the biggest David Murphy or Jeff Baker fan in the world and just HAVE to sit in left field, select your seats elsewhere and thank me later. And if you are in fact the biggest David Murphy or Jeff Baker fan in the world, we may need to have a talk.

4. I’m here and I’m hungry Come for the two-foot-long hot dog, stay because you just ate a two-foot-long hot dog and can’t get out of your seat. Rangers Ballpark offers not one, not two, but several different food items measuring in at a whopping 24 inches all ready for you to consume as soon as you come through the Home Plate entrance gate. We’ve got the classic Nelson Cruz tribute in the form of the “Boomstick” (a hot dog covered in chili, nacho cheese, jalapenos and grilled onions), the “Sausage Slugger” (Polish sausage that can be topped with onions or sauerkraut), and last but not least, the “Murph-a-Dilla”, a dystopian interpretation of a quesadilla named after David Murphy, featuring flatbread topped with brisket and nacho cheese Doritos.

Are you worried about the difficulty of cradling a food monster like a baby while you maneuver to your seats, but still want to eat a ton? Check out the “All You Can Eat” seats in the Upper Home Run Porch in right field. For $51.00 ($58.00 for premier games) you can fill yourself with unlimited grilled chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, nachos, peanuts, popcorn and sodas. You can eat in the air-conditioned grill at the top of the porch, or take your bounty down to your seat.

If you’re looking for quality over quantity, you can find all sorts of goodies in the rest of the Ballpark. Head out to the center field concourse to Smokehouse 557 for smoked brisket and turkey legs, get a gourmet burger at the Ryan’s Express stand, or you can visit the Centerfield Market for veggie-friendly choices and gluten-free snacks.

Your primary options for tastiness are going to be located on the lower level, so if you want to grab some street tacos, garlic fries or a Food Network Signature Sandwich, you won’t find it in the upper deck. You will find a churro vendor in the upper home plate area who hands out vintage baseball cards with a purchase, so it’s not all bad up there. Who doesn’t like a Montreal Expos player card that ends up covered in sugar?

Rangers Ballpark does allow you to bring in your own food and beverages, but metal cans, glass bottles and alcoholic beverages are not allowed.

5. I’m here and I’m also thirsty: Throughout Rangers Ballpark you’ll find stands specifically dedicated to Texas brews (Rahr & Sons, Saint Arnold, Shiner, Lone Star) as well as stands with premium selections (Shock Top, Hoegaarden, LandShark, Abita, Goose Island, Leinenkugel).

Full bars are available in certain areas of the Ballpark, which we’ll get to next.

6. Air-Conditioned escapes: Need to step inside to beat the heat or wait out a rain delay? The Captain Morgan Club in center field is open to all ticketholders before, during and after games. They have a food menu as well as the aforementioned full bar if you want to have a drink and beer isn’t your thing.

Also in center field (but lacking in alcohol) is the Kids Zone, featuring an indoor playground and video games. This area of Rangers Ballpark is open before and during the game, but closes down before the game is over.

7. Free Stuff: Promotional giveaways usually occur on Tuesdays when it’s an item that’s given to all ticketholders or on Sundays if it’s a kids-only item for children 13 and under. Every Friday night home game is followed by a fireworks show that is worth sticking around for.

If you find yourself sitting in Sections 201-208 on a Thursday or Saturday game (even though I told you not to), you’ll be rewarded with a spot in the Kia K-Zone. What’s the Kia K-Zone you ask? Earlier this season it was called the “Yu-niverse” and bore a striking resemblance to a little thing called The King’s Court up in Seattle. For reasons unknown to me it’s now no longer exclusive to Yu Darvish starts, but you’ll still end up with a free yellow t-shirt and “K” card to hold up when a Rangers pitcher records a strikeout.

8. Behind the scenes: Tours of Rangers Ballpark are available on game days (night games only) as well as non-game days, and will take you to the batting cages, dugouts, press box and much more. Chances are if you’re reading a local’s guide to a baseball stadium, you might care enough to see the stuff you wouldn’t normally get to see as a fan, so I definitely recommend taking the tour if it fits into your schedule.

9. Baseball Town: Did you hear that thing that Josh Hamilton said about Arlington not being a baseball town? Well, Rangers Ballpark PA Announcer Chuck Morgan certainly did and took it as inspiration to create the “Baseball Town” video montage that plays on the jumbotron before the start of every game, highlighting great moments in Rangers history. A certain play from last season’s final game involving a dropped ball in Oakland’s O.co Coliseum didn’t make the final cut, however.

10. Darvish:If you trust the Baseball Gods and your every-fifth-day counting skills enough, try to buy tickets for a game started by Yu Darvish. What emerged last season as required viewing for Rangers fans when Darvish began to adjust to the majors has now become required viewing on a national level. Think of the pitchers you’d list as worthy of the price of admission alone (Verlander, Kershaw, etc.), and then add Darvish to that list. I’ve attended two of his starts this season and became spiritually bonded to a 61-mph curve from my seat in section 323. Trust me — you need to see this man in person. You also need to set your DVR to record what you may miss when you turn to your companions and try to process the pitch you just saw while deciphering what that strange tingling feeling inside of you is. Is it love? Is it lust? Is it fear? It’s Darvish.

Holly Hollenbeck tweets about Rangers baseball and Stars hockey at @holly_holl

What are your favorite tips for attending a game at Rangers Ballpark?

Previous parks: Citi Field, Marlins Park, Great American Ball Park, Petco Park,Comerica Park, Progressive Park, AT&T Park, Rogers Centre, Wrigley Field, O.Co Coliseum, Yankee Stadium, Coors Field, Minute Maid Park, Fenway Park, PNC Park,U.S. Cellular Field, Safeco Field, Target Field

Well, it's happened. Soccer finally has taken over the heart of the United States. The rest of the world's favourite sport is coming to Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday and it is flattening the pitcher's mound in order to make it happen.

With the host baseball team having vacated the stadium on a road trip, Manchester City and Chelsea of the English Premiere League move in to play a "friendly" (exhibition) on the same field where David Freese won a car for leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a World Series championship in 2011.

EPL's season ended Sunday, with Man City and Chelsea taking second and third, respectively, in league play. So these are two of the best teams in the world, a good matchup for the first soccer game of any sort in Busch Stadium III history.

But, as fans of soccer would tell you, big mounds of dirt and clay on the pitch aren't conducive to a good showcase, so the pitcher's mound has to go, as does a layer of dirt elsewhere on the infield. The Cardinals tweeted a photo of work being done to that end Monday. Of course, they'll put the mound back in time for the Cardinals' return (right? RIGHT?). Hey, the crew in St. Louis used to be expert at knocking down the pitcher's mound at Busch Stadium II for the St. Louis Football Cardinals. The mound always went back up, did it not?

But the rest of the field's condition will depend on the weather. It's supposed to rain a lot before Thursday which, MLB.com reports, could lead to more divots being left behind. That worries some fans:

Prediction: Carlos Beltran twists knee in first game back to Busch Stadium; every soccer ball in St. Louis is summoned for obliteration.

— Matt Sebek (@MattSebek) May 20, 2013

One other note about the ground's crew, from MLB.com:

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It's official! Pitchers playing catch with kids in the stands during batting practice is the hottest craze in baseball — sweeping the game faster than a team playing a three-game series with the Dodgers. (Sorry, Dodgers, but you have been swept three times in May).

Actually, it's a trend that started with those Los Angeles Dodgers, when Hyun-Jin Ryu played catch with a young fan named Deuce last week. Gio Gonzalez of the Washington Nationals was next to get caught on camera doing it. Now we find Bruce Chen of the Kansas City Royals, who did it over the weekend when playing the Oakland Athletics.

Of course, the third time something happens it isn't as cool anymore. Just like with movies and Nas albums, the first one is still the best. But in this case, we'll point out two noteworthy things about Chen's effort: He's tossing the ball with A's fans, not Royals fans, which is a nice show of bi-partisan catch-playing. And he's playing with two kids, not just one.

This tell us it won't be long before the kids are lined up to play catch during batting practice like they line up for autographs.

BLS H/N: 7000 Coliseum Way via Cut4

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A trip to the MLB Fan Cave in New York City to play Wiffle ball must have been fun enough for 13-year-old Nick D'Annibale, a seventh grader who happens to also be a survivor of leukemia. Just getting a chance to play in the street, semi-Willie Mays-style — to hit and pitch, with other baseball fans — some 18 months after being diagnosed, that alone made for a happy Friday.

And then the ice cream van showed up, announcing its presence with the appropriate music box soundtrack. Car! Ice cream delay — those are the best.

But then, instead of the Ice Cream Man, none other than Robinson Cano popped out of the van, wearing the same No. 24 that D'Annibale wore on his back.

"I thought it was just going to be ice cream," D'Annibale said.

On his own free time before the New York Yankees hosted the Blue Jays in the Bronx, Cano played Wiffle ball in the street with D'Annibale and the Fan Cave Dwellers.

"I love Robinson Cano and he's one of the best second basemen in the league," D'Annibale said.

Cano and D'Annibale traded swings, with the Yankees star giving a high-five and saying, "Whoa, you're better than me!"

And the kid, who sports a Roger Maris 1961 haircut, did seem to put some good swings on the ball. Watch.

Nick's father, Joe D'Annibale, said the first year of his son's treatment was "really rough," but he's been better lately (Nick has been in school this year), even though there might be two more years of treatment ahead. Whoa, again.

Send some good thoughts Nick's way, won't you? He's still got a long way to go. And the same to Robinson Cano. Visits like these make a big difference in another person's quality of life.

Baseball is in full swing! Interact with @AnswerDave, @MikeOz, @Townie813 and @bigleaguestew on Twitter, along with the BLS Facebook page!

How is Taiwan ever going to repay the Western Hemisphere for Manny Ramirez?

As Manny continues to hit like Manny, (he has seven home runs), he also provides Taiwan's nightly news with hysterical video clips. Now, it's hard to tell what is happening in this clip in total because of the language barrier and the overgrown graphics that make CNN or ESPN on NFL Draft day look spartan by comparison. It must be like "Blade Runner" in Tapei City.

But here's the gist of Manny's Moonwalk:

Manny takes a big swing on a foul ball, loses his balance, and prevents himself from falling on his bottom by walking backward until he finds his bearings. And it looks like he's moonwalking like Michael Jackson. (OK, it's kind of a stretch. But they did a nice job with the video cuts and "Billie Jean" sound clips.)

It's just Manny being ... Michael. As showmen go, and as kinky hair goes, they are not dissimilar.

There's also something going on with a foul ball and a fist bump and a broken bat that smells scrumptious to Manny. I've seen players smell a freshly broken bat before, but ... I don't know either. Just keep the highlights coming until Dennis Rodman figures out a way to get Manny home.

Big BLS H/N: Manny Does Taiwan

Baseball is in full swing! Interact with @AnswerDave, @MikeOz, @Townie813and@bigleaguestewon Twitter, along with the BLS Facebook page!

Related coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
• Busch Stadium pitcher’s mound flattened for Man City-Chelsea match
• Robinson Cano surprises 13-year-old leukemia survivor
• Playing catch with kids in the stands is MLB's latest trend

Have a baseball road trip coming up? Well, in a bid to help you with your upcoming journeys, Big League Stew has solicited the help of the locals. Over the next month or so, we'll be hitting up our usual guest blogger crew to feature 10 tips for enjoying each of the 30 ballparks like the locals do. Have a suggestion in addition to the ones listed here? Make sure to list it in the comments below.

So you’re in Minneapolis and you’re looking to be entertained, eh? Well you’re in luck, fair visitor! Minneapolis is a jewel of a city, with beautiful parks and lakes, a thriving arts scene, and some of the Midwest’s finest restaurants. Nestled on the banks of the Mississippi River, you’ll surely find myriad ways of enjoying springtime, which this year takes place for nearly two full weeks before three months of oppressive heat give way to winter’s nine months of snow and passive aggression.

What’s that you say, dear friend? You’re in the mood for a baseball outing? May I convince you otherwise? We don’t really do that anymore around here. For one, the Local Nine haven’t given us much to cheer about over the past two years. Plus, I was actually still shoveling my driveway a week and a half ago. No, I’m not kidding. So please forgive us natives for neglecting to realize that the 2013 baseball season has actually been going on for a while, and for ignoring that our team, while only playing .500 ball, is wildly exceeding our 90-loss expectations.

So instead of hanging out at that admittedly beautiful ballpark downtown tonight, I would encourage you to seek out a rooftop bar in our sparkling urban playground, order yourself a nice seasonal beer, and watch as all of the beautiful 25-year-olds who work in Target’s marketing department get off work and make tonight a wonderful thing.

Huh? You’re telling me that you still insist on watching Vance Worley struggle to make it through four innings tonight? I honestly don’t know what to say to that. It’s your life, brother.

Anyway, here are 10 tips for enjoying your trip to Target Field:

1. Getting in and out of downtown Minneapolis: Reaching Target Field isn’t all that tough to begin with, but if you want to spice things up, you can always take the light rail, which drops you off right at the ballpark. The Hiawatha Line, running from downtown to the Mall of America, is the only line in operation right now (with the Central Corridor Line to St. Paul projected to start running in 2014). Many a cheapskate has parked near the train station at 38th Street, grabbed a couple beers and some pull-tabs at The Cardinal, and then hopped the light rail for a 10-minute jaunt downtown. You get dropped off right at Gate 6 (more on the gates below).

2. The park has five gates. That seems simple, right? Well, curveball! They’re not numbered 1-5. Instead, they’ve been given the numbers of five all-time great Twins. Starting from the northernmost gate (i.e., left field) and going clockwise, they’re numbered 6 (Oliva), 3 (Killebrew), 34 (Puckett), 29 (Carew), and 14 (Hrbek (yes, really)). Go ahead and curse this entire premise when you find yourself walking all the way around the park to find your gate. We all do.

3. “Minnesota Nice” is practiced by the people working throughout the ballpark. Any kid who doesn’t have a mustache can probably get in Target Field without a ticket. And they’re pretty lax about bringing in food or water bottles, just don’t make a big show about it. (Note: “Don’t make a big show about it” may as well be on our state flag.) Even our scalpers are surprisingly honest.

4. The best views in the whole park are on the third base side. SI certainly understood this. You get a great view of downtown, and there’s absolutely no better place to watch Joe Mauer hit two sharp singles, take a walk, and ground into a 4-6-3 double play.

5. Keep in mind that Target Field really is a microcosm of Minneapolis as a whole. It is pretty and clean. It is family friendly. And it is very aware and unabashedly proud of its Minnesota-ness. In this respect, you’re lucky, since the Twin Cities, like Brooklyn and Portland and every other city littered with hipsters, have become somewhat of a homebrew hotspot. The Twins have embraced it, offering Surly and Fulton drafts at the Twins Pub in Section 141. Throughout the park, you’ll also find plenty of other local brews, like Summit, Schell’s, Lift Bridge, and that beer that lights up our skyline, Grain Belt. And for God’s sake, if you’re ordering the latter, call it a Premo. Act like you’ve been here before.

6. Minnesota is crazy about its State Fair, which is the home to [Insert Name of Any Cockamamie Food You Can Think Of]-On-A-Stick. Target Field has wisely co-opted some of the Fair’s fairest fare, offering (among others) Pork Chops-On-A-Stick, corn dogs, and fried pickles. They’re all found in section 133.

7. The standard hot dogs are plenty good, though they’re not the equal to the beloved Dome Dogs of yesterday. Nonetheless, bypass the standard sausages and make a point of hitting up one of the Kramarczuk’s stands throughout the park. Kramarczuk’s is a Northeast Minneapolis mainstay, and just won a James Beard Award. You’re not going to want to miss their Polish.

8. The Budweiser rooftop deck in left field is incredibly difficult to sneak into. Still, it should be attempted at least once.

9. The Twins’ marketing department got creative this year and booked a bunch of local bands to play during Wednesday night home games. No word on whether Prince will make an appearance. (Hint: He won’t.) But listening to The4onthefloor or Trampled By Turtles in between innings will help get your mind off the fact that Aaron Hicks needs to hit about .350 for the rest of the season to reach the Mendoza Line.

10. As a follow-up to No. 1, the light rail trains after the game are inevitably and uncomfortably packed. Your best bet is to grab a drink. There are two ways to go here. You can either keep it classy, and head somewhere cool nearby like Bradstreet Craft House or the Monte Carlo (home of one of the most beautiful bars you’ll ever see), or keep it dirty and cross the tracks (literally) to Sneaky Pete’s. Whatever the latter might lack in sophistication, it makes up for in goodwill, having hired beloved beer vendor Wally the Beer Man after his unceremonious firing in 2010. Better still, go Don Draper and head to Murray’s on 6th Street for a steak and a whiskey. Sid Hartman would approve. (You’ve by now noticed that several of these tips are about how and where to drink. Before you insinuate anything, bear in mind that Kevin Correia is currently being touted as the Twins’ ace. You’d drink, too.)

So there you have it. That’s how you do Target Field. One more thing: If you ride a bike to the game (or anywhere else in the city), you can basically do whatever you want, unimpeded. We’re progressive like that.

What are your favorite tips for a visit to Target Field?

Previous parks: Citi Field, Marlins Park, Great American Ball Park, Petco Park,Comerica Park, Progressive Park, AT&T Park, Rogers Centre, Wrigley Field, O.Co Coliseum, Yankee Stadium, Coors Field, Minute Maid Park, Fenway Park, PNC Park,U.S. Cellular Field, Safeco Field

Comparing pitchers by their individual won-loss record isn't useful, usually. First off, pitchers don't complete games like they used to — not even close — so the statistic lacks much of its former meaning. Besides, there are many other, better stats to go by when measuring how well someone pitches. However, when the name Babe Ruth is evoked, it's fun just to take a look anyway.

Such is the case with Matt Moore of the Tampa Bay Rays, who Sunday became the youngest left-hander, at 23 years old, to start a season 8-0 since Ruth did so at age 22 for the Boston Red Sox in 1917. (It's also fun to remind ourselves that Ruth was once a dominant pitcher, as well, before he became the Sultan of Swat.)

Moore also set a franchise record by winning his ninth straight decision overall, edging teammate David Price.

''Historically speaking, it's been wonderful,'' Rays manager Joe Maddon said of Moore's season.

Looking beyond the record, has Moore outpitched the Babe? In many ways, yes:

• The Rays have won in each of Moore's nine starts; In the Babe's ninth start of 1917, he got shellacked by the White Sox in a loss for the Red Sox. Edge: MOORE.

• Moore's ERA is higher a tad, but when you consider the era, it's much better than the current league average. Ruth's is very good, too, but it's much closer to the league average. Edge: MOORE.

• Ruth pitched more innings during the respective streaks — 13 2/3 more, a substantial amount, and that's even with Moore getting an extra start. Edge: BABE.

• Ruth allowed no home runs, compared to seven allowed for Moore. This is what what accounts for the difference in OPS allowed. Of course, nobody was hitting home runs in 1917 like they do today. Not even Babe Ruth (yet). Still, Moore gave 'em up. Edge: BABE.

• Moore struck out almost one man per inning. The Babe's nowhere near him. Strikeouts are good, if not democratic. Edge: MOORE.

• Game score, a stat developed by Bill James that's a great way to figure out (for example) whose no-hitter was the better performance, says that Ruth's average game score during his streak was 63. Moore's was 62. It's only one point, but ... Edge: BABE.

We'll end it there. It's reasonable to say that Matt Moore has pitched about as well as Babe Ruth did in getting to 8-0. And that's pretty cool.

A total of 95 pitchers have started 8-0 since 1916, but if Moore wins his next decision, he'll be only the 41st pitcher to start 9-0 in that span (that includes Kris Medlen of the Braves in 2012). Now, 10-0? That's really elite. Only 12 men (Roger Clemens twice) have done that since 1916. If Moore wants the all-time record in modern times, Dave McNally of the Orioles and Johnny Allen (who I've never heard of) of the Indians started 15-0.

Baseball is in full swing! Interact with @AnswerDave, @MikeOz, @Townie813and@bigleaguestewon Twitter, along with the BLS Facebook page!

It started with a chivalrous act gone wrong, was followed by a beer bath and ended with a high-five.

A couple caught the attention of baseball fans at Wrigley Field on Sunday and the ones watching at home on TV. Why? His-and-her beer baths!

It happened when Chicago Cubs pitcher Travis Wood hit a home run to left field in the fifth inning. A husband in the bleachers tried to protect his wife from the ball, but in the process spilled his beer on her. So, in return, she dumped her beer on his head.

This was not a cheap lovers spat. The Cubs have one of the highest beer prices in the league — $7.25 for a small beer, so that's $14.50, minus whatever they had already gulped down.

[Related: Another Cubs fan shows great hands while reeling in a foul ball]

MLB.com caught up with the couple afterward and the wife explained herself:

"I just got livid," she said. "And took my beer and splooshed it in his face. I figured if I'm wet, he might as well be wet too."

They both were in good spirits, laughing along.

The wife agreed she got her payback, and the husband was happy to hear they were even. Then they high-fived. No beer was dropped in the process.

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Usually when we're posting a crazy circus catch, it's a diving outfielder or a darting infielder. It's hardly ever the pitcher or the catcher. But in this case, it's the pitcher AND the catcher.

You gotta see Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero and relief pitcher Josh Collmenter combining for the rare 2-1 pop-up put-out — on a bunt no less. It's one of the coolest plays so far this season.

It sorta reminds me of a deflected pass in the NFL — with Montero knocking the ball up in the air, then Collmenter sweeping past to keep the ball afloat, then catching it on the move, barehanded.

The score didn't reflect it — the Diamondbacks ended up losing to the Miami Marlins 2-1 on Sunday — but this was touchdown-worthy effort.

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• Wife douses husband with beer as he tries to protect her from HR ball
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• Miguel Cabrera's three HRs not enough for Tigers

The Juice returns for season No. 6! It's almost eligible for free-agency! Stop by daily for news from the action, along with great photos, stats, video highlights and more.

Miguel Cabrera doesn't exactly need to remind us that he's really, really good at hitting baseballs. Coming into Sunday's game against the Texas Rangers, the reigning AL MVP and Triple Crown winner already led baseball in batting average and RBIs.

With an other-worldly display Sunday, the Detroit Tigers slugger showed why he's a Triple Crown candidate again. He hit three homers, going 4-for-4 and driving in five runs. He now has 11 home runs, which is one behind the AL lead.

But here's the reality check: The Tigers still lost to the Rangers 11-8 in a matchup that many think we could see again come playoff time. The Rangers have the best record in baseball at 29-15, while the Tigers are in second in the AL Central at 23-19, behind the surging Cleveland Indians.

[Related: Jurickson Profar poised to make fantasy splash for Texas]

En route to the victory, the Rangers pounded out 18 hits and scored 10 total runs in the fifth, six and seventh innings. Still, after the game, even Rangers manager Ron Washington was gushing about Cabrera's greatness:

''I've never seen a guy that puts the bat head on the ball as regular as he does, and on all pitches,'' Washington said. ''He's just a tremendous hitter. I'm very happy that he's headed to the airport.''

Phillies beat Reds with dramatic comeback: As good as Aroldis Chapman is, even this happens to him: Freddy Galvis and Erik Kratz hit back-to-back homers in the bottom of the ninth Sunday as the Philadelphia Phillies stunned the Cincinnati Reds, 3-2.

The Reds went into the eighth inning up 2-0 after Homer Bailey pitched seven scoreless innings. The Phillies got on the scoreboard in the eighth, when Chase Ultey singled in Ben Revere. Chapman, the fire-throwing Reds closer, blew his second straight save, something he's only done once before in his career.

MORE SCORES

Indians 6, Mariners 0: Justin Masterson gets his seventh win as the Indians improve to 17-4 since April 28.

Marlins 2, D-backs 1: Ricky Nolasco strikes out 11 for the Marlins.

Rays 3, Orioles 1: Matt Moore improves to 8-0 for the Rays after giving up five hits and one run in seven innings.

Braves 5, Dodgers 2: The Braves sweep the Dodgers after an eighth-inning rally.

Pirates 1, Astros 0: Pittsburgh pitcher Jeff Locke locks down Houston. The Pirates have won eight out of their last 10.

Red Sox 5, Twins 1: The Red Sox win their fifth straight in a rain-delayed game.

Cardinals 4, Brewers 2: The Cardinals beat ex-teammate Kyle Lohse for the third straight time.

Mets 4, Cubs 3: Daniel Murphy's go-ahead homer in the eighth is the difference-maker for the Mets.

Angels 6, White Sox 2: Jason Vargas out-pitches Jake Peavy for his third win of the year.

A's 4, Royals 3: Yoenis Cespedes hits an eighth-inning home run to push the A's past Royals for a three-game sweep. Each game was decided by one run.

Rockies 5, Giants 0: Carlos Gonzalez goes 2-for-3 with two RBIs as the Rockies top the Giants again.

Padres 13, Nationals 4: The Padres beat up on Dan Haren and the Nats to split their four-game series.

Blue Jays at Yankees (Postponed, Rain): No make-up date was announced.

"[It] made my hair stand up and I don't have any — Torii Hunter, on teammate Miguel Cabrera's three-homer night, per Tom Gage of the Detroit News.

Juan Lagares of the New York Mets isn't going to catch that one, try as he might. It wasn't all bad for Lagares, though. He hit his first big-league homer on Sunday, a two-run shot in the seventh that helped the Mets beat the Cubs, 4-3.

• Sunday was the first time Aroldis Chapman has given up two home runs in one game.

• The Cleveland Indians have faced eight pitchers this season who have won a Cy Young Award. The most recent being Felix Hernandez, who the Indians beat 6-0 on Sunday. All told, the Indians are 7-1 against the past Cy Young winners (including David Price, R.A. Dickey, Cliff Lee and Justin Verlander). The Cy Youngs haven't looked the part, with a combined 8.20 ERA. Jake Peavy is the only one to have beaten the Indians.

• Before Friday's game, the Giants had beat the Rockies 10 games in a row. The Rockies won Friday, Saturday and Sunday, outscoring San Francisco 25-11.

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• Diamondbacks pitcher, catcher combine for cool catch
• Coors Field mound gets revenge on Giants' Tim Lincecum

Ironically, it was less than 24 hours earlier that we rehashed Tim Lincecum's accusatory comments on the Coors Field mound in September 2010 that had everyone (myself included) turning into expert lip-readers.

Of course that became temporarily significant again because of the interesting exchange between Troy Tulowitzki and Madison Bumgarner on Friday night after a baseball was taken out of play at Tulowitzki's request as he was running the bases. Rather than a continuation of bad blood, though, it turned out to be nothing more than an honest request and a miscommunication. Everyone went about their merry way heading into Saturday night's game in Denver. But maybe the mere mention of that incident stirred up some spirits at Coors Field.

Well, that, or maybe Tim Lincecum just can't catch a break these days, because the struggling former Cy Young Award winner ended up taking an embarrassing tumble on that same mound in the fourth inning of Colorado's 10-2 victory.

It happened right in the middle of his 1-1 delivery to Charlie Blackmon when his plant leg slipped right off the rubber. He's actually pretty lucky he didn't suffer a sprained ankle or even a knee injury considering the torque and pressure put on his lower leg, but he bounced up and carried on with the only downside to the mishap being a balk that awarded the runner second base.

Well, I guess there was some downside to staying in the game, too, because the Rockies immediately went back to bouncing Lincecum. Their own pitcher, Tyler Chatwood, made Timmy pay for his balk by delivering a two-out, RBI single. Colorado tacked on a two more in the fifth on Wilin Rosario's two-run homer deep into the left field seats.

When all was said and done, Lincecum had allowed six earned runs in five innings, which was better than Bumgarner's line the night before, but certainly not what the Giants needed during this uncharacteristically tough stretch for their starting rotation.

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• New addition poised to make fantasy splash for Texas
• Gerardo Parra's HR first of its kind in 50 years

No beers were sacrificed in the attempt to catch this foul ball, but that's not to say there were no substantial risks involved. In fact, I would confidently say the Cubs fan seated front row in the upper deck at Wrigley Field on Saturday afternoon was willing to put a whole lot more than a beverage on the line to reel in a souvenir.

Fortunately for him, he had two big things working in his favor as he leaned precariously over the railing with Ike Davis' foul ball slicing in his direction.

The first would be his tremendous balance, as he managed to keep himself steady while extending his arms as far as they would go.

The second are his exceptional hands.

Seriously. That was all about the hands. Even Keith Hernandez, a Gold Glove first baseman in his day who knows how important soft hands are in fielding a baseball, was impressed by how easily the fan was able to snatch the baseball and secure it from that position. And Keith doesn't impress easy, folks, so that's a pretty solid endorsement.

I'll throw my own endorsement in there as well. It was a terrific play. But I'll once again add that bringing a glove to the ballpark it still the best way to go.

Also, kids, if you're reading, don't try copycatting that play at your local stadium or anywhere else. It's far too dangerous and not worth the risk for a baseball. If there's a railing in place, it's there for a reason.

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• Gerardo Parra's HR first of its kind in 50 years

Though he remains stuck on one home run through the Dodgers' first 40 games, at least Matt Kemp can say he's taken the same number away from their opponents.

The Gold Glove center fielder turned in one of the finest defensive plays we've seen in the first seven weeks on Saturday night, gliding into position, timing his jump, and then hanging in the air just long enough to bring back a Jason Heyward fly ball that wasn't quite ticketed for the bleachers, but definitely had enough juice to clear the wall.

The play happened in the first inning with the game still scoreless. Heyward, who just returned to Atlanta's lineup on Friday after missing 23 games following an emergency appendectomy in Colorado, was making a bid for his third home run of the year. Another foot, maybe 2, he has it, but instead all he could do was tip his helmet to Kemp out of respect for the play he'd just made.

As the game continued, it looked like Kemp's robbery would hold up as the most important play in the game. The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the eighth behind an excellent outing by Chris Capuano, before manager Don Mattingly turned to his set-up man, Kenley Jansen. That's where things went south quickly, as Evan Gattis (two-run shot) and Andrelton Simmons parked back-to-back big flys in places Kemp couldn't reach to make it 3-1.

Atlanta's Craig Kimbrel closed things out in the ninth for his thirteenth save. Meanwhile, the Dodgers fell to 17-24 and seven games out of first as their incredibly frustrating season continued down the wrong path.

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Home runs leading off baseball games aren't all that rare an occurrence in Major League Baseball. However, the one hit by Gerardo Parra on Saturday night is rare for a couple different reasons that just so happened to come together on the same night.

1. It came on the very first pitch of the game from Tom Koehler.

Again, in and of itself, not all that unusual, but wait for part two.

2. It held up as the only run scored in the entire baseball game.

That means the Arizona Diamondbacks and Miami Marlins played a complete nine-inning game, and all of the offense came on the first of 236 pitches. According to Elias (via ESPN Stats), the last time a baseball game followed that exact script was all the back on Sept. 2, 1963.

The hitter that day? None other than Pete Rose, as the Cincinnati Reds knocked off the Mets 1-0 in Game 2 of a doubleheader.

That's pretty remarkable when you think about it, but if you're to believe Parra, that may have been the way hitting coach Don Baylor had it drawn up all afternoon.

[Related: Rays snap Orioles' leading-after-seven streak at 109 games]

From the Associated Press:

Parra's home run to right-center field came on the first pitch from Tom Koehler (0-2) on Saturday. It was Parra's third career leadoff home run and it came on the advice of batting coach Don Baylor.

''I talked to him before the game and he said, 'Just swing first pitch' and he was right,'' Parra said. ''He's got more experience than me.

Of course the game wasn't without other close calls offensively. In fact, the closest one came in the bottom half of the first inning when Chris Coghlan singled to right field and Derek Dietrich attempted to score from second. Gerardo Parra took care of that problem, too, recording his sixth assist of the season to end Miami's one and only true threat to break the shutout.

''The throw there, we've seen it a lot,'' manager Kirk Gibson said. ''It's unreal how good he is and how accurate and strong his arm is. It was a big play for us.''

For the record, the winning pitching back in 1963 was Jim Maloney. He went the distance to notch his 20th victory of the season.

On Saturday, the winning pitcher was Brandon McCarthy, which is also a noteworthy story. He needed only 100 pitches to complete the three-hit shutout — third of his career — and earn his first victory since suffering a skull fracture on the mound last September.

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• Mariano Rivera setting example with speaker series

The Juice returns for season No. 6! It's almost eligible for free-agency! Stop by daily for news from the action, along with great photos, stats, video highlights and more.

The Baltimore Orioles have been basically untouchable when leading after seven innings over the past couple of seasons, but that all came to a stunning and screeching halt on Saturday. With a 6-4 lead entering the ninth, closer Jim Johnson, whose consecutive save streak ended at 35 on Tuesday, allowed a home run to Kelly Johnson, two walks, a single, before wrapping up his outing on Matt Joyce’s go-ahead, two-run double.

Sidearmer Darren O’Day took over from there and allowed both of Johnson’s inherited runners to score and then one of his own. All in all, it was a six-run rally for the Rays that turned Baltimore‘s lead into a 10-6 defeat, ending their remarkable 109-game winning streak in games they led after the seventh inning in the process.

I suppose they knew it was coming eventually, but one has to believe there were a few shocked people in Baltimore's clubhouse after it got away to that extent. Meanwhile, Evan Longoria and the Rays couldn't have been more thrilled they were the team to finally end the late inning dominance.

''Their track record after seven innings has spoken for itself,'' Longoria said. ''They've been really good late in the game. And Jim Johnson has been as good as they come. To be able to get to him and then tack a couple more on and be able to win a game like that, especially here in this hostile environment, is really big.''

The Rays will hope to make it three really big wins on Sunday as they go for the series sweep.

Another day, another walkoff: The Cleveland Indians are rolling and not even a blown save by closer Chris Perez can stop them. Despite Perez allowing back-to-back, two-out home runs in the ninth inning to Raul Ibanez and Justin Smoak, which tied the score at four, Cleveland found a way to win again.

On Friday night, it was Jason Kipnis delivering a walkoff three-run homer in the tenth. On Saturday, it was Kipnis again who got the rally started with a leadoff single. Asdrubal Cabrera followed with a double, and then after Nick Swisher was walked intentionally to load the bases. This allowed Mark Reynolds to get the winner home with an RBI fielder’s choice. Indians take it 5-4.

Votto rhymes with Lotto: Single-walk-double-walk-single. Powerball: Ninth inning two-run homer. No, we didn't win the big cash prize last night, but Joey Votto's fantasy owners had a nice consolation prize with that statline. Aside from reaching safely in all six plate appearances, Votto scored twice, knocked it two runs, and helped lead the Reds to a 10-0 blanking of Philadelphia.

MORE SCORES

Cubs 8, Mets 2: This was the 700th between the two teams. Chicago leads the series 352-348

Yankees 7, Blue Jays 2: That Robinson Cano guy? Pretty good.

Angels 12, White Sox 9: While Josh Hamilton recharged his batteries on the bench, the Angels regained their confidence against White Sox pitching.

Braves 3, Dodgers 1: Atlanta does all of their damage in the eighth on back-to-back homers from Evan Gattis and Andrelton Simmons.

Diamondbacks 1, Marlins 0: After Gerardo Parra led off the game with a home run, everyone else put their bats to bed.

Padres 2, Nationals 1: Jordan Zimmermann pitched well enough to be an eight-game winner. Eric Stults and Huston Street were just a little better.

Red Sox 12, Twins 5: Two taters and six RBIs for David Ortiz.

Astros 4, Pirates 2 (11 inn.): Credit Houston for putting Friday's disaster behind them quickly. Character-building win, even for baseball's worst.

Brewers 6, Cardinals 4 (10 inn.): Jeff Bianchi wins obscure baseball hero of the day. His two-run single in the tenth won it for the Crew.

Rangers 7, Tigers 2: Healthy statline for Elvis Andrus beginning with five hits.

Rockies 10, Giants 2: No accusations or controversy. Just a straight up pummeling of Tim Lincecum.

A's 2, Royals 1: Tommy Milone threw over 50 pitches before recording his fourth out, but still managed to throw six innings and end his personal five-game losing streak.

Cashman on Ben Francisco's roster spot: "Just in terms of your fan comments section, just say I'm holding onto him to piss everybody off."

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughSL) May 18, 2013

Professional wrestling took over baseball this weekend. Here's Mr. Baseball (and WWE Hall of Famer) Bob Uecker along with WWE's Bella Twins at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

• Chris Iannetta walked four times, making him the second Angels players to ever have two four-walk games in the same season. According to Jacob Jaffe, the other was Fred Lynn in 1984.

• ESPN's Katie Sharp tells us the Yankees have won eight straight home games against Toronto. They last did that during the 1979-80 seasons.

• David Ortiz now has 38 multi-homer games with the Red Sox, which puts him one ahead of Ted Williams for the franchise record.

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Winning over professional wrestling fans in the 1980s and early 90s was never a problem for Jake “The Snake” Roberts (real name: Aurelian Smith Jr.). In fact, he was a master at controlling their emotions and getting the exact reaction he desired every time he performed.

Unfortunately, he was dealing with a little tougher crowd on Friday night when he performed “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” during the Braves-Dodgers game at Turner Field.

No, those weren’t D-D-T chants (Jake’s famous finishing move throughout his 30-year career) ringing through the stadium as he become accustomed to hearing. That was more of a mixed reaction, as in a mix of boos and what the 'blank' is going on out here.

It was a shaky performance, undoubtedly, but not nearly the worst seventh inning stretch we've seen over the years. And besides, Vince McMcMahon never paid him to sing, and the 93,000 fans who showed up at Wrestlemania 3 in Pontiac, Mich certainly didn‘t pay to hear him sing (that's why Alice Cooper was in his corner). He was a wrestler, and for a ten year stretch during wrestling’s golden era there were few capable of performing at a higher level.

Putting the singing aside and his wrestling success aside, though, it’s really just great to see Jake Roberts healthy and apparently very happy after a long battle with drug and alcohol addiction. As you can see in the before and after photo below, he’s made quite a transformation over the past nine months after moving in with another wrestling legend, “Diamond” Dallas Page, and beginning his DDP Yoga program.

According to the now 57-year-old Roberts, he’s 180 days sober (and around 60 pounds lighter). He currently has plans to take on Hollywood and even make a return to the ring in the next year.

We certainly wish him well in those endeavors and hope his improved health continues.

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• Troy Tulowitzki denies accusing Madison Bumgarner of doctoring baseballs
• 'Sandlot' actors hit the big leagues, but still look like kids
• Mariano Rivera setting example with speaker series
• Photos: Wild minor league food creations

No professional sports team understands that line of thinking or has embraced it more than the Tampa Bay Rays ever since Joe Maddon took over the reigns in 2006. The end result has been a number of highly entertaining ventures.

From D.J.’s, mariachi bands and penguins in the clubhouse, to their many awesome themed road trips that have seen players donning various costumes and even lettermen jackets on a trip from Texas to Boston earlier this season, the Rays aren't afraid to stand out or do something silly just to keep the clubhouse atmosphere from stagnating.

It's with that established that we now tell you about Tampa Bay's latest themed road trip. It's their 25th different theme since Maddon started the tradition in 2008, and it's among our favorites so far as the team was decked out in army fatigues, hunting disguises and other various camo patterns for their flight up the coast to take on the Baltimore Orioles this weekend.

Pretty much every player took the assignment seriously, though most were subdued compared to Matt Moore, who you see pictured on the far left in the picture above, and Fernando Rodney, who you'll see below.

Yes, those are plantains hanging from Rodney's locker, because of course. And given his out-going personality, it should come as no surprise that he's one of the players who went all out.

I also have to applaud Jamey Wright, who went with the full green military suit.

Good stuff, and a nice little tradition you have going there, Mr. Maddon.

"We have so much of that in our clubhouse," Rays manager Joe Maddon told MLB.com. "They're all into this stuff. We have so many hunters. Plus, camo's in right now. Camo actually is in in a fashion sense. It's coming from all different directions. The only part that's uncool in a sense is it's a night trip, so nobody gets to see it. But then again, if you're wearing camo, they wouldn't see anyway."

Hey, all that matters is that we can see them now. Thanks again, Joe.

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• 'Sandlot' actors hit the big leagues, but still look like kids

That's correct. Prior to the White Sox 3-0 win over the Angels Friday night in Anaheim, there was a "milk the cow" competition right down on field between Chicago reliever Nate Jones and Los Angeles reliever Ryan Brasier.

That's Brasier (pronounced brey-zher), not brassiere as Tom "Wimpy" Paciorek hilariously (and perhaps intentionally) states during the clip. You know Tom.

Anyway, Brasier ended up getting his hand raised in the "milk the cow" competition, which we're sure served as a tremendous warmup for both pitchers had they been needed for an appearance later (they weren't). But the highlight of the entire clip really comes around the 1:16 mark when Hawk Harrelson begins to recall the time he rode Charlie-O the Mule, which was the Kansas City Athletics and Oakland A's mascot from 1963 to 1976, around Yankee Stadium.

Without spoiling too much of the story, we can tell you that yes, there is a picture. We can also tell you the story involves Roger Maris, a fungo bat, a bucking mule, Hawk swallowing his chaw, $25, and is definitely worth the two minute investment of your time. Trust me.

Also, I have to say that baseball players were pretty darn awesome back in the 1960s. Not to mention fearless if a friendly wager happened to be at stake. What a great time that would have been for an internet and a Big League Stew to exist.

Big BLS H/N: Comcast Sports Net Chicago

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• 'Sandlot' actors hit the big leagues, but still look like kids
• Photos: Wild minor league food creations

I should first explain that this was by no means an ordinary foul ball. This was actually a frozen rope off the bat of Albert Pujols, who got well out in front of a Chris Sale breaking ball during their first inning confrontation on Friday night.

To me, if you're not wearing a glove, that's one foul ball you'd want to avoid unless the safety of a loved one depended on it. However, the group of fans sitting halfway down the third base line and about halfway up the bleachers Angel Stadium of Anaheim really didn't have much time to think or react.

Instead, all they could do was hold up their full cups of beer as a substitutes for leather, and the results were not pretty. In particular, they were not pretty for the man wearing the black Angels hat with the white t-shirt. Though his beverage did stay intact, which is very good news, he ended wearing most of the plaid shirted man's beer in front of him.

And to make matters worse for everybody, it looked like plaid shirt may have been in the best position to grab the souvenir after it hit the ground, but was a little slow reacting. We're not sure who ended up with it, but for him it may have been a sacrifice worth making to end up with a Pujols baseball.

Tough call. But I've always said the toughest decisions at a baseball game are made much easier by wearing a glove. I know, I know. Everybody's too cool to do that these days. And yes, I know that would eliminate many of the awesome clips we bring to you on a yearly basis. But I'm just looking out for you, as I always do.

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• Troy Tulowitzki denies accusing Madison Bumgarner of doctoring baseballs

I’m paraphrasing, of course, while channeling my inner Vin Scully.

Lincecum never backed off his words following the game, and the accusation seemed to be that Colorado would occasionally throw a few non-humidor baseballs into the bag later in games to give their offense a better chance at instant offense. Though it felt more like gamesmanship than anything, Major League Baseball took San Francisco’s complaints seriously, even changing the rules for how baseballs at Coors Field were handled between the point where they leave the humidor and end up in the umpires hands.

Case closed. That particular issue has not resurfaced since, whether it be the Giants or any other team visiting Coors Field, but the hard feelings between the National League West rivals have seemingly lingered since that point without ever truly boiling over.

That brings us to Coors Field on Friday night. For a few seconds it seemed like we may have been headed towards that inevitable flare up. It happened in the third inning with Troy Tulowitzki running on first base, D.J. LeMahieu at the plate, and Madison Bumgarner pitching. As it's being reported, Tulowitzki asked first base umpire Tim McClelland to check the baseball. McClelland complied, stopping play to give it a once over before tossing it out of play.

Bumgarner had the outward reaction you'd expect. He didn't appear pleased by the stoppage or the insinuation, and even directed some words in Tulowitzki's direction, but it didn't go beyond those words. That left many of us wondering what exactly the situation was. Had Tulowitzki played the gamesmanship card himself? Did he think something shady was going on? What did McClelland find, if anything?

Andrew Baggerly of Comcast Sports Net San Francisco has some of the answers. At least the ones straight from the players.

“I wasn’t accusing him at all,” Tulowitzki said. “I have too much respect for him to do something like that. I didn’t think they were cheating.”

Tulowitzki said he noticed the mark and pointed it out to umpire Tim McClelland, only to suggest that they put a fresh one into play.

“You respect the game and there’s something on the baseball, so let’s get rid of it and move on,” Tulowitzki said. “You respect guys who compete. I have respect for him and hopefully he has the same for me.”

Bumgarner added:

“I was just confused at the runner on first base asking for the ball to be checked,” Bumgarner said.

Did he think at the time that Tulowitzki was trying to get in his head?

“He didn’t, if he was,” Bumgarner said. “I didn’t take it that way.”

Much ado about nothing, it seems. Just a bizarre occurrence where the runner spots a scuff on the baseball before the batter or home plate umpire. Not a first, but certainly not something you see often. When you then take the history of the two teams into consideration, not to mention the Clay Buchholz accusations from a couple weeks ago, it became a situation worth investigating, but we can close the book on it quickly.

We can also close the book on Colorado's 10-game losing streak to San Francisco. They pounded Bumgarner for nine runs in four and a one-third innings, and then held tight to a 10-9 win after once leading 10-5.

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• Faceplant: The worst head-first slide ever?

The Houston Astros introduced Reid Ryan as their new president on Friday.

It's possible somewhere down the road we'll look back at that moment as the turning point in their organization's history. For now, though, they're still the same old Houston Astros, which means losing games in every way imaginable will continue.

For example, let's look at Friday night's 5-4 walkoff loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Astros held a 4-1 lead through five innings, but saw that evaporate by the time the ninth inning rolled around. The all too familiar sense of impending doom had to be consuming Astros fans at this point, and especially so when Pittsburgh loaded the bases with one out after pitcher Edgar Gonzalez botched a would be 1-6-3 double play.

However, as bleak as it looked for that moment, fans were able to let out a temporary sigh of relief after Gonzalez recovered to strikeout Neil Walker for a huge second out. Gonzalez then made the biggest pitch of the game, getting Russell Martin to hit a weak fly ball into short right field for what should have been the third and final out of the inning.

Only one little problem... Impending DOOM finally arrived at PNC Park.

In charged right fielder Jimmy Paredes. Out went second baseman Jake Elmore. They met at the baseball, and then they collided, allowing the ball to pop loose from Paredes' glove and hit the ground to give Pittsburgh the stunning victory.

Painful.

Especially for Paredes, who was charged with the error.

From the Associated Press:

''I'm anticipating the ball being hit to me, just like I do on every pitch,'' Paredes said. ''All I'm thinking about is catching the ball for the third out. That's all I wanted to do. I was watching the ball and then I hit into him. Sometimes things like that happen in this game, and it's frustrating to lose like this.''

You almost feel bad when a game ends on a play like that. At least initially. Then you remember how easily it could have been avoided had two professionals simply communicated.

But, hey, manager Bo Porter says that wasn't the problem here.

Honestly, that's what he said.

''It's not a lack of communication, because there's only one person that should be communicating,'' Porter said. ''The infielder is not saying anything. If he gets underneath the ball, the outfielder is running in and he's looking at the infielder. And if the infielder is waving his hands and under the ball, you let him take the ball.''

OK, but if nobody is communicating verbally and the guy who's supposed to be looking for waving arms isn't looking, then it's a lack of communication, no? And shouldn't the outfielder be looking at the ball to determine his chances while listening to the infielder? After all, he's got the better angle and the momentum. If he can get there, it should be the outfielder's ball, I would think.

Maybe I'm just confused, too. All I really know is the baseball hit the grass, the Astros are a league worst 11-31, and there's no end to their misery in sight.

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The Juice returns for season No. 6! It's almost eligible for free-agency! Stop by daily for news from the action, along with great photos, stats, video highlights and more.

With their desired lineup intact for the first time in 40 games, the Atlanta Braves offense turned it up a notch in their 8-5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jason Heyward, who just returned from the disabled list on Thursday after undergoing an emergency appendectomy in Colorado last month, reached base three times to help set the table. Justin Upton then cleared it in the sixth, cracking his third career grand slam off Paco Rodriguez.

''As soon as he took that swing, I knew that ball was going to be out of the ballpark,'' said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. ''That was one of the prettiest swings I've seen put on a baseball.'

After traveling an estimated 461 feet, we're sure the baseball agreed with Gonzalez's assessment. It was Upton's tenth homer — out of 14 — to travel over 420 feet this season. He's averaging 427 feet on all of his home runs, which is the most for any players with more than five.

Just awesome, game-changing power. As we're about to learn, though, the Diamondbacks aren't exactly lacking that type of player despite trading Upton during the offseason. But boy how nice would it be to have two of them?

Good as Goldy: How about the start for Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt? After going 4 for 5 with two more home runs and 4 RBIs in the D-Backs 9-2 win over the Marlins on Friday night, the 25-year-old slugger is up to .338 on the season with 12 big flys and 35 driven in. Only Upton has more homers in the National League with his 14. Goldschmidt is also second in RBIs to Brandon Phillips. An all-star bid seems more likely with each passing day.

Hiroki Special: For the fifth time since the beginning of the 2012 season, Hiroki Kuroda gave the New York Yankees eight plus innings of scoreless baseball. Only Felix Hernandez has more during that time with eight. Kuroda didn't have much room for error on this night as Mark Buehrle nearly matched him through six innings. New York did manage single runs in the first and fifth, and then finally broke it open with a three spot in the seventh to lock up their 5-0 win.

Rosales strikes again! And this time... it counts! After hitting a game-tying home in Cleveland last week that was incorrectly ruled (despite a review) a double, Adam Rosales left no doubt on Friday. His eighth inning solo home run was the difference in Oakland's 2-1 victory over James Shield and the Royals.

''I think I was pretty sure about that one,'' Rosales said with an ear-to-ear grin. ''It felt good to get over that hump. Every ballfield I went to, they all were saying, 'Oh, it was a homer,' or you talk to family and friends and like, 'Yeah, it was a homer.' So, now they'll be talking about something else. They'll talk about a real homer.''

And more importantly, a real win.

MORE SCORES

Mets 3, Cubs 2: Matt Harvey gets the win on the hill and the game-winning RBI at the plate. He’s already 5-0.

Phillies 5, Reds 3: Philly gets two in the eighth after bullpen blows lead for Cliff Lee.

Pirates 5, Astros 4: The Astros lose in the most Astros way possible.

Indians 6, Mariners 3 (10 inn.): Three-run, walk-off home run by Jason Kipnis sends Indians fans home happy.

Rays 12, Orioles 10: Camouflaged Rays strike early and often, then hold on as O's rally for six runs in eighth.

Red Sox 3, Twins 2 (10 inn.): Boston steals another game late on the road. Jonny Gomes' sac fly in the tenth is the difference.

Tigers 2, Rangers 1: The pitching duel scheduled for Thursday arrived one day late.

Cardinals 7, Brewers 6: David Freese's long-awaited first home run in 2013 was a grand slam. That helped St. Louis overcome two three-run homers by Aramis Ramirez.

Rockies 10, Giants 9: Jordan Pacheco's go-ahead grand slam in the fifth holds up as Colorado snaps their 10-game losing streak to San Francisco.

White Sox 3, Angels 0: Even dozen strikeouts for Chris Sale.

Nationals 6, Padres 5 (10 inn.): Chad Tracy homers off Huston Street in the tenth. That's six allowed by San Diego's closer in 17 innings.

''We don't want to be the heart-attack kids, but it's a good character check for us right away.''

— Jonny Gomes on Boston's back-to-back dramatic road victories in their final at-bats.

• Elias says the Yankees are the first team in AL history to begin a season 17-0 in games they've scored first.

• Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson became first pitcher to allow eight earned runs and still win the game since Andy Pettitte in 2007.

• According to Yahoo!'s Jeff Passan, the Kansas City Royals have lost six of James Shields' nine starts this season, with each coming by one run.

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Classic coming-of-age baseball flick "The Sandlot" turned 20 last month — which we documented at length on the anniversary date. The celebrations continue into the summer, however. Like this Sunday, when Target Field will screen the film after that day's game Boston Red Sox-Minnesota Twins game.

To get people hyped, a couple of "Sandlot" actors visited the Twins and Red Sox before Friday's game. But get this: Chauncey Leopardi, who played kiss-stealing Michael "Squints" Palledorous, and Patrick Renna, who played wise-cracking Ham Porter, still look like kids next to big leaguers. Even though they're now 31 and 34, respectively.

Brian Duensing of the Twins tweeted the picture above, while Renna himself Instagrammed these pics with David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia and Will Middlebrooks of the Red Sox.

For comparison's sake:

It's worth noting that Will Middlebrooks was 4 when "The Sandlot" came out. Let's all go feel old now.

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Related coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
• Faceplant: The worst head-first slide ever?
• Mariano Rivera setting example with speaker series
• Photos: Wild minor league food creations

As an appetizer to Friday night’s nearly full slate of 14 games, Major League Baseball has published the entire MSG broadcast of David Wells' perfect game against the Minnesota Twins from May 17, 1998 on their Youtube channel.

That’s right, it was exactly 15 years ago today that Wells joined the history books as the thirteenth pitcher to throw a perfect game in MLB history. We’ve actually added another eight perfect games to this list since then (most recently Philip Humber and Felix Hernandez during the 2012 season), so obviously we’re seeing them at a much more frequent clip over that timeframe, but it certainly doesn’t diminish Wells’ accomplishment on that afternoon one bit.

Of course Wells also claimed in his book that he was partially in the bag (aka “half-drunk“) that afternoon after spending the previous night out drinking with the cast of Saturday Night Live. If true, I suppose that adds another layer to his performance. Then again, taking one look at the lineup Minnesota fielded that day makes you wonder if he could have been completely hammered and still done just as well.

Here it is with their batting averages leading in to that game included:

• Matt Lawton (.244)
• Brent Gates (.129)
• Paul Molitor (.255)
• Marty Cordova (.256)
• Ron Coomer (.269)
• Alex Ochoa (.253)
• Jon Shave (.182)
• Javier Valentin (.234)
• Pat Meares (.296)

Aside from future Hall of Famer Paul Molitor, there wasn’t a whole lot of resistance in that lineup. And even Molitor was at the very end of his career at that time.

But even still, Wells did everything he needed to do that day to be perfect. His defense, anchored by Derek Jeter (the only still-active player from the Yankees that day) did their jobs as well.

By the way, according to Hardball Talk’s Aaron Gleeman, the only other still-active player in that game just happened to be Minnesota’s starting pitcher. He’s a reliever now, and has been for over a decade, but he was well thought of starting pitching prospect for a time.

His name: LaTroy Hawkins.

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Related coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
• 'Sandlot' actors hit the big leagues, but still look like kids
• Troy Tulowitzki denies accusing Madison Bumgarner of doctoring baseballs
• Mariano Rivera setting example with speaker series

Minor League Baseball, in its current Food Fight contest, has narrowed down 64 crazy culinary treats you can get at its stadiums around the country. There are four categories — gut busters, hogs 'n' dogs, local legends and scrumptious sandwiches. You can head to their site to vote for the ones that look most appetizing.

Here at The Stew, we're going to forego all the categories and just show you 10 that we think are the craziest — we're talking weird, wacky, over-the-top. Stuff you'd expect to find at the county fair. It's up to you whether you actually want to track these down and eat them, or just stare at the pictures and drool. No judgement either way.

CLICK HERE TO BEGIN SLIDESHOW

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Jeff Keppinger of the Chicago White Sox had gone 0 for the 2013 season when it came to drawing a walk, until he finally took a pitch for ball four in his 141st plate appearance Thursday night. Keppinger's timing, if not his frequency, was terrific. His walk against Michael Kohn came with the bases loaded in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels and forced in the go-ahead run. The White Sox won 5-4.

The walk was the third in a row issued by Kohn, who threw 12 of his final 14 pitches out of the strike zone.

''It seemed like their guy just lost it there,'' Keppinger said.

Hey, it happens, not that Keppinger has taken advantage much. He was the last player in the majors having at least 30 plate appearances to draw a walk this season. He beat Jarrod Dyson of the Royals (42 plate appearances) by one day.

Historically speaking, Keppinger drawing a base on balls has not been comparable, in lack of frequency, to Juan Pierre hitting a home run. Keppinger has drawn 180 walks in 2,846 plate appearances during his career. It's not a lot of walks, but it's one every 15.8 trips, which is more often than Pierre's pauses of 450 trips per dinger. He walked 51 times in 2010. It's in him.

Drawing a walk should be easier to do for any major leaguer, simply by happenstance, than hitting a home run. Other than the Kansas City Royals, nobody walks less as a team than the White Sox, and it's one of the reasons they're 18-21 coming into Friday. So it's not all Keppinger's fault — there's some kind of groupthink going on with the White Sox, whose batting coach Jeff Manto has never expressed much appreciation for how drawing walks can help an offense. The team's manager didn't seem all that gung-ho about seeing Keppinger be so selective, either.

''I don't know if you're necessarily rooting for that, but it was at a good time for us,'' Chicago manager Robin Ventura said about the third walk. ''I just like the way the offense battles.''

Sure, Robin. Sometimes, a battle can be won by not swinging.

So we come here not to praise Keppinger (too much) for finally drawing a walk, but to say that there are other walks out there, waiting to be taken. Who knows? They might even lead to more runs being scored.

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Ramirez showed us a pretty horrible example of sliding recently, but he's got nothing on what Ian Kinsler did in Thursday's Texas Rangers game against the Detroit Tigers while advancing to third base from first on a single. Let's cut to the GIF:

It was so bad that even Ron Washington, his own manager, had to laugh at Kinsler. If you prefer the frozen-motion pictures, here's the story of Kinsler's slide in three acts:

His body and his ego might be a little sore today, but on the bright side, Kinsler was safe at third. He even scored afterward.

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There's a lot to like about the catch the fan at Yankee Stadium makes in the video above. He's wearing a glove, which some people don't like, but they're wrong. There's no way he makes the catch without it. And a foul ball must have been unexpected, because the batter, Chris Stewart, was a right-handed hitter. Rarely do right-handed hitters put foul balls where the fan was sitting. Way to be on your toes, literally and figuratively.

He also makes an all-out effort to catch the ball, slamming his left arm and full torso into the rows of seats behind him. Terrific grit. And, ouch. As Mike Blowers of the Seattle Mariners broadcast team says, "He's going to feel that in the morning."

No matter, because this guy got PUMPED. Primal screams, forceful high-fives, likely bro hugs (off camera). He was proud of himself, as he should have been. There was nothing nonchalant about it. David Cone, part of the YES Mystery Wheel of New York Yankees TV broadcasters, said the catch was "Like Derek Jeter in the playoffs a few years back." I think he's referring to the catch Jeter made against the A's in the 2001 playoffs. Or it could have been the one against the Red Sox in July 2004.

Well, the guy didn't appear to draw blood, and Jeter had a longer way to run, and almost everything he does has a nonchalance about it — that's one of the reasons he's Jeter — but it's an OK comparison for live television, and it probably crossed the mind of a viewer or two, as well, that it might be Jeter-like. I don't have a problem with the fan's catch, anything about it, except for the jersey the guy was wearing.

Does that look like a licensed Mariano Rivera jersey to you?

I don't like the font of the No. 42. Seems off. I don't like the color. It's too light. Even the pinstripes. It's not even close to what the Yankees wear on the field. I'm afraid we're going to have to eject this young man, nullify his catch and confiscate his ball because of obvious jersey violations.

Now, the same thing goes for the guy next to him in the Bernie Williams replica jersey, but for another reason. While the color is right, and the font is right, the Yankees don't put their names on their jerseys ever (even though this one appears to be licensed by MLB). Sorry, son, you're going to have to leave too.

What an unfortunate ending to what seemed an inspiring story.

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Not only might LSU senior Raph Rhymes have the greatest full name in college baseball — he was born Raphael Ray Rhymes IV — but he's a good ballplayer and quite a tumbler.

Against dreaded rivals Ole Miss on Thursday, he got to show off his myriad skills during a nationally televised game on ESPNU. Thanks in part to an unsuccessful dive by Ole Miss outfielder Auston Bousfield (another great name), Rhymes scooted around the bases for an inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. It wasn't a clean scoot, though, because catcher Stuart Turner — who was trying to field a relay throw simultaneously — flipped him head-over-heels, with Rhymes landing on his left side (his hip appeared to absorb most of the impact) a few feet in front of home plate. The throw got away and Rhymes got to his feet quickly but it didn't matter, because the umpire awarded him home due to Turner obstructing the plate.

The sequence took about 18 seconds, for you Tater Trot Trackers.

It was a heck of a way to earn four bases for Rhymes, who comes into Friday batting .351/.419/.473 with four homers after he led the country in hitting in 2012. Rhymes, 23, has been drafted twice by major league teams, most recently by the Yankees in the 30th round a year ago. On Twitter, Rhymes did not preclude the possibility of doing more gymnastics in the future:

Great win tonight..thanks for all the congrats! Need to work on my landing though if I'm going to do any more flips #GeauxTigers

— Raph Rhymes (@RaphRhymes4) May 17, 2013

And a good sense of humor. Well done, Rhymes (who, by the way, does not appear to be related to recent and possibly future major leaguer Will Rhymes).

Considering where the relay throw led the catcher, the collision seemed inevitable and not malicious. As the announcers noted, some in the home crowd didn't appreciate Turner flipping their player like that, but he appeared to be acting in self-defense.

Big BLS H/N: The Big Lead

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Have a baseball road trip coming up? Well, in a bid to help you with your upcoming journeys, Big League Stew has solicited the help of the locals. Over the next month or so, we'll be hitting up our usual guest blogger crew to feature 10 tips for enjoying each of the 30 ballparks like the locals do. Have a suggestion in addition to the ones listed here? Make sure to list it in the comments below.

Welcome to Seattle! You’ve grabbed your cup of Starbucks and watched them throw fish around at the Pike Place Market, but now what? There’s a lot to consider when you visit Seattle, and believe it or not, you won’t always need an umbrella! Yes, Seattle gets a lot of rain, but there’s one place you’re guaranteed to stay dry, and that’s Safeco Field.

The Seattle Mariners' miracle run in 1995 was a turning point for a baseball team that was on the cusp of moving to Tampa Bay. An Edgar Martinez double down the left field line against the Yankees cemented the team’s legacy, and fast-tracked the approval to build Safeco Field in time for the 1999 season. Its retractable roof, one of the few in the major leagues, was a key component of the proposal and guaranteed that not only was baseball here to stay in Seattle, but that the game is guaranteed to be played every scheduled day, rain or shine.

There are a ton of things to do in and around the park, so these 10 tips are designed to help you make the most of your time in Seattle and at Safeco Field!

1. Downtown! I think most casual fans visiting from out of town are in Seattle for longer than just a day or two. There are the easy things like walking downtown Seattle and hitting the Pike Place Market, but then there’s the “rest of it." Walk the rest of the Piers and take a ferry across Puget Sound. Pioneer Square is close to Safeco Field and is basically a cluster of bars, restaurants, and more. Take an Underground Tour of Seattle and see the city beneath the city. Check out Ye’ Old Curiosity Shop at the Pier, take a ride to the top of the Space Needle, enjoy the view from the new Ferris Wheel, or spend the afternoon at the Experience Music Project to see the history of Nirvana, Taking Punk To The Masses. Seattle is a beautiful city that’s easy to walk, make the most of your time here!

2. Parking and Transportation: If I had one tip for getting around Seattle it would be to leave plenty of time, and to park in one place and forget your car… Well, I guess that’s two tips. The freeways around Seattle are horrible. Expect congestion and backups, that’s what happens when five lanes of I-5 (the main way through downtown Seattle,) turn into two lanes when you hit downtown. There are plenty of all-day parking lots around Seattle; they won’t be cheap, but if you’re spending the entire day in the city it’s worth not worrying about it. If you’re just in town for the game, there are a handful of lots around Safeco Field, but the cost varies based on who they’re playing. Now you may be thinking, “Are there any free places to park?” The answer to that question is yes, but not downtown. There are abandoned lots and side streets on the south edge of the city where you can park for free, but be ready to do some walking. Look for two-hour parking spots that end at 6pm if you’re in for a night game. They’re out there if you look for them!

3. The Mitt: Every park has its “meeting spot." Yankee Stadium had the Bat, Safeco Field has The Mitt. Stationed at the left field entrance of the park, The Mitt is a big glove sculpture with a hole in it. I’ll be honest, I don’t know if having a glove with a big hole in it is the kind of statement you want outside of left field, but given the Mariners' difficulties with maintaining a true constant in left field, I guess it makes sense. Lou Pinella was always vocal about the team’s instability at left field, so it’s only fitting that Pinella would be traded as manager to Tampa Bay for Randy Winn, who would join the team as, yes, a left fielder.

4. Home Plate Tribute To Ebbets: You may not know it, but there are two tributes to Ebbets Field in Seattle. The first and most obvious is the rotunda shape of Safeco Field’s Home Plate gate. Stand back and you’ll see a clear homage to Dem Bums with the rounded brick entrance and stark white letters along the top. Citi Field did the same style of tribute when they opened their park in 2009, but Seattle did it first 10 years earlier. To cap it off, look up as you come in the home plate entrance, you’ll know what I mean when you see it.

The other tribute is less known unless you’re a big fan of throwback jerseys, or past Negro and Dominican League teams of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Ebbets Field Flannels specializes in authentic recreations and retro shirts you can’t find anywhere else. They’re based out of Seattle and have a store on Occidental, down the street from FX McCrory’s, which boasts probably the largest alcohol board you’ll find anywhere. (Do you like how I snuck an extra tip in there? Shh, don’t tell anyone.)

5. History In The Northwest: You’re at a ballgame in Seattle, so you might not be up for a history lesson. That said, don’t pass by the Pacific Northwest Baseball Museum on the 100-Level of the park. They have a detailed history of the Pacific Coast League, the Seattle Rainiers, the single-season Seattle Pilots, and everything before, during, and after. The museum has a great assortment of bats, balls, programs and more. It’s worth the stop. There’s a strong baseball history in the Northwest, but there’s one name that’s truly transcended the game, and that’s Fred Hutchinson. Hutchinson managed in the Minor and Major Leagues, but his namesake is the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, one of the premier cancer research facilities in the world. The Mariners pay tribute to Hutch through their annual Fred Hutch award and luncheon, as well as on the seat sides of every aisle in the lower bowl of the park.

6. Let’s Play! You didn’t forget the kids at home, did you? Safeco Field is great for all ages. The Mariners have a solid Kidzone past the batter’s eye in CF. There’s a fountain (where all of the change goes to charity,) a play area, and the home of the Mariner Moose. Take your kids by between most innings and you’ll have a chance to take a picture with the team mascot. They have a kid-centered souvenir store next door, and one of the best values in the park at the concession stand: You can get a cup of popcorn, small Cracker Jack, a hot dog or PBJ, and a pop for one low price.

7. BIGGER IS BETTER! The Mariners debuted their new big screen in center field for their opening day away game against the Oakland A’s. Yes, 15,000 people showed up to watch the game on TV at the park because it beats anything any of us have at home. I have it on high authority that the team’s screen in center field may be the largest in the universe. You just thought everything was bigger in Texas. Wai t… the board at Cowboys Stadium is still bigger? Dammit. Well, 11,425 square feet is still really big!

8. Place is a total meat market: (I mean that in a good way.) There isn’t a more popular location for single men and women than “The Pen” and now, “Edgar’s Cantina." Prior to 2011, the lower level area outside the Bullpen was cramped and dark. You were separated from the pitcher by a fence, and only the true diehards would go down there to watch pitchers warm up. The Mariners changed all of that in time for the 2011 season. The team took down the fencing, and now you’re practically on-top of the pitchers warming up before and during the game. You won’t find a park in baseball with a closer view of the Bullpen. They’ve lined the area with countertops, filled the walkways with tables, and added a slew of new concessions. Some of the best food in the park is downstairs outside of The Pen. You can get pizza, burgers, crepes, and their famous tortas. There’s also a huge beer garden that offers specials before the game, and a full-bar with a gas fireplace and seating. If The Pen is too full, head out and stand in the open air of Center Field or head upstairs to “Edgar’s Cantina”, a new addition to the park for 2013. (You might even see Edgar Martinez while you’re there!)

9. Feed Me! Anyone that’s been to my website, Blocking The Plate, knows that I love to eat. There’s a lot more to Safeco Field than hot dogs. Safeco Field, like Seattle, is a culinary melting pot. Where else can you get fish and chips down the way from BBQ, upstairs from pizza and Mexican tortas, and on the other side of the ballpark from sushi? (And don’t get me started on the garlic fries…) I’ve had a bit(e) of everything in the park, but personal favorites for me are the BBQ sandwiches down the first-base line, a slice of pizza down in The Pen, or a high quality hamburger from Hamburg and Frites. Trust me when I tell you, there’s more variety at Safeco Field than you’ll be able to experience in even one or two games, and that’s just inside the park. There are some great choices outside the park too. Pyramid Alehouse, Jimmy’s On First, and FX McCrory’s are just a sample of the restaurants that are close to the park. For your best seafood options (outside of oysters at FX,) you’ll have to go further into the city.

10. Beer. I know what you’re thinking, every ballpark has beer. Yes, but does every ballpark have over 50 styles of beer on tap or in the bottle?! Safeco Field boasts the largest selection of beer in the major leagues. No, seriously, check this beer list out.

Seattle is known for its craft beers, and that’s loud and clear at Safeco Field. You can get a Bud Light or a Coors at any park, but what about a Pyramid IPA, Silver City Ridgetop Red, or Elysian Men’s Room Red (that’s a hanging curve, I know). You can get 'Duk’s favorite Mac & Jack’s too. If over 50 beers weren’t enough, the list is constantly changing. Safeco Field rotates their beers based on the season. (Their full list actually comes in at 72 different styles.) That leads to some serious questions: Which ones to choose, and who’s driving? (For the designated drivers, stop by the table in The Pen and sign in for a free pop, and “Thank You” for doing the right thing!)

Enjoy your trip to Seattle! It might be your first trip, but it won’t be your last. The city and the ballpark have a ton to offer, so have fun and let’s “Play ball!”

Doug Miller writes about Major League Baseball, travel, and everything in between on his site www.blockingtheplate.com! You can follow him @millerdna. How big of a Mariners fan is he? He picked them to make the playoffs this year – We’ll see how that goes, he’s either out of his mind, or an absolute genius!

What are your favorite tips for visiting Safeco Field?

Previous parks: Citi Field, Marlins Park, Great American Ball Park, Petco Park,Comerica Park, Progressive Park, AT&T Park, Rogers Centre, Wrigley Field, O.Co Coliseum, Yankee Stadium, Coors Field, Minute Maid Park, Fenway Park, PNC Park, U.S. Cellular Field

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While not as rare as Halley's Comet returning, Miami Marlins slugger Juan Pierre hitting a home run is one of the more infrequent occurrences in Major League Baseball. Pierre hit career homer No. 18 on Thursday night in the Marlins 5-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, a line drive against Mat Latos that just sneaked over the right-field fence and barely stayed fair. That's how guys with a .278 slugging percentage roll:

''Juan Pierre hit a home run off me — just my luck,'' Latos said. ''I looked at him when he was running the bases and said, 'What the heck happened?'''

"Shocked" is an OK reaction. It was Pierre's first home run since June 2012. And that's about right, because in his career Pierre has hit a home run every 450 times he has come to the plate. Among players with at least 8,100 career plate appearances — Pierre's precise number coming into Friday — it's the third-weakest rate since integration in 1947 (via Baseball Reference):

1. Don Kessinger: 14 HR in 8,530 PA (1 per 609.3)

2. Larry Bowa: 15 HR in 9,109 PA (1 per 607.3)

3. Juan Pierre: 18 HR in 8,100 PA (1 per 450)

4. Maury Wills: 20 HR in 8,306 PA (1 per 415.3)

5. Ozzie Smith: 28 HR in 10,778 PA (1 per 384.9)

That's what happens when you choke up! Even if you play with the numbers — say, by lowering the plate-appearance threshold to 6,000, and by going back to 1916, about when the "dead-ball era" was over — Pierre still has the fourth-lowest career home-run rate.

Still, he's no Duane Kuiper. Kuiper, who played with the Indians and Giants in the 1970s and '80s, hit one home run in 3,754 plate appearances. Even if Kuiper got the plate as many times as Pierre has, there's almost no chance of him hitting eight — much less 18.

So here's to the raw, brute strength of Juan Pierre. Here's a list of every Pierre home run. (Never against the same pitcher twice, never more than one in a game. First against Jose Lima, most against Tigers and Pirates (three). Fourteen solo shots, no grand slams. Only hit one inside-the-park homer (at Comerica Park). Sixteen went to right field, one went to left, one is "unknown.")

(Pierre also made two great catches against the Reds, by the way, but the first catch came after he turned the wrong way at first.)

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• Daniel Murphy's double vanishes through outfield wall

This one might get you misty: Nine-year-old Alayna Adams threw out the first pitch before Thursday's Tampa Bay Rays-Boston Red Sox game. She was told she'd been selected by the U.S.O. for the honor, partially because her father, Lt. Col. Will Adams, had been deployed overseas in Afghanistan for most of the past two years.

Before Alayna threw her pitch, a message from Dad played on the video board, saying he'd see her soon. Indeed he would.

Because it turned out the whole thing was a ruse orchestrated by the U.S.O and the Rays. Lt. Col. Will Adams was, in fact, dressed in catcher's gear, crouching behind home plate, awaiting the throw from his daughter.

When he caught the ball and flipped up the catcher's mask, Alayna looked at him for a second, realized what's going on, ran full speed toward him and launched herself into his arms.

Dana Adams, Will's wife and Alayna's mom, didn't know about the surprise either. Soon, she joined them in tears.

"I thought it was a dream," Alayna said a few innings later, when the family was interviewed on TV.

"I had no idea," Dana added.

According to a report from the Tampa Bay Times, Lt. Col. Adams arrived on Wednesday and stayed in a hotel that night to keep up the surprise. He told the Times:

"That was the hardest part. Being back home and not being able to see them."

Dad's return would have been memorable anyway it happened, but this sure had style points. And it made a lot more people tear up.

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Yu Darvish threw 130 pitches. Justin Verlander gave up seven runs in the third inning, his most ever in a single inning. Darvish threw 36 pitches in the third. There were four home runs and two bases-loaded walks (both by Verlander).

In short: Darvish vs. Verlander wasn't the pitcher's duel many people were hoping for. The Rangers won the game 10-4, with 11 of the 14 total runs scored in the first three innings. It was reminiscent of an NFL game between two stellar defenses that ends up 42-21.

Said Tigers manager Jim Leyland, per MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan:

"It was one of those games where everyone in the world was looking for the matchup and it didn't work out so good," Leyland said. "I don't think anyone expected 12 runs to be scored with those two guys out there. These things happen."

Still, Darvish had his moments. Like the video above of him making Miguel Cabrera whiff on a 62 MPH curve ball. Darvish improved to 7-1 on the season, pitching eight innings and striking out six. Verlander, meanwhile, fell to 4-4 after pitching only 2 2/3 innings. It raised ERA to 3.17 on the season. No more "Nasty Nine."

"I just had too many poorly executed pitches," Verlander said. "Something's not right, and it's consistency in repeating my delivery. It helps knowing that I'm someone who can turn things around quickly ... "I'm not going to go home and pout about this. I'm going to figure this out -- and fast."

Red Sox win after ninth-inning rally: Alex Cobb turned in a good start for the Tampa Bay Rays against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday. He pitched 6 1/3 innings, giving up only one run on three hits and leaving with a 3-1 lead. When the Red Sox got the top of the ninth, facing closer Fernando Rodney, that's when things turned upside down for the Rays.

Rodney — who was lights out last season, but as been struggling as of late — loaded the bases with three walks, but struck out two. Will Middlebrooks was at the plate with two strikes against him. That's when he lined a Rodney changeup into left-center for a three run double. That 3-1 Rays lead became a 4-3 deficit that they couldn't overcome in the bottom of the ninth.

MORE SCORES

Reds 5, Marlins 3: Cincinnati scores three in the 10th inning to sweep the Marlins. Juan Pierre, above, started things off well for Miami — with a crazy catch in the first inning, then a homer in his first at-bat.

Nationals 6, Padres 2: Stephen Strasburg gets his second win of the season (first since opening day!) in his return to his hometown. Bryce Harper homers too.

White Sox 5, Angels 4: The White Sox score three in the eighth to rally past the Angels — including a bases-loaded, go-ahead walk. Ouch.

Giants 8, Rockies 6: Matt Cain gives up six runs in the first three innings. Good thing the Giants got him eight.

Pirates 7, Brewers 1: Francisco Liriano, in his second game of the season for the Pirates, now has as many wins at Strasburg.

Mariners 3, Yankees 2: Not only did the Yanks lose the Mariners, they lost Andy Pettitte and Chris Stewart to injury.

Mets 5, Cardinals 2: The Mets snap their six-game losing streak, as Daniel Murphy goes 4-for-4, including that vanishing double.

"Hunter was like, 'Synergy, synergy, we have to believe. I hadn't heard from him in a couple of games, and sure enough, we scored five runs. He's a magician. That's unbelievable."

— Brandon Belt on Giants teammate Hunter Pence's encouragement before the team scored five runs in the fourth inning.

Bryce Harper — helmet flyin', hair standin' up, face crunched — is thrown out trying to advance to second on a fielder's choice. Remember, world, he's never going to stop playing hard.

• Stephen Strasburg, whose pitch count has always been a hot topic, pitched into the eighth inning for the first time in his MLB career on Thursday.

• Jeff Keppinger's bases loaded walk in the eighth inning to put the White Sox ahead of the Angels was his first walk of the season. In 141 plate appearances.

• The Giants have beat the Rockies in 10 straight games.

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Three questions about the video above:

1. Is Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals, haunted?

2. Is Daniel Murphy, the New York Mets hitter whose bat that came off, a wizard with ball-disappearing powers?

3. Does MLB have a new strategic partnership with "Ghost Adventures" to come out and investigate baseballs vanishing?

No to all three? Oh. Well then. I guess we'll have to go with the boring explanation: Murphy's line drive to right field in Thursday's Mets-Cards game flew through a small gap between two pieces of the outfield wall.

It's quite a feat. Sort of like shooting a basket at those rigged carnival games, where the ball just barely fits through the hoop. Murphy probably couldn't have done that again if he tried.

Or if a giant teddy bear was on the line.

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Nonetheless, around the web right now people are counting off the best episodes and lessons we've learned from this popular comedy about 9-to-5 life. In the sports world, there's one very obvious tie-in: Ryan Howard.

Being a baseball blog, most of our readers associate that name with the Philadelphia Phillies slugger. But Ryan Howard was an "Office" character played by B.J. Novak (also a co-writer for the show) who rose from a temp to a corporate vice president and fell back down the corporate ladder. Howard, the baseball-playing one, actually appeared on "The Office" recently, a bucket-list cameo for a show approaching its end.

It's been said the Ryan Howard character was named after baseball player, since the show takes place in Scranton, Penn. When it was being conceived, Howard was playing for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. So, in honor of "The Office's" series finale, here's a look at Ryan Howard, the baseball player vs. Ryan Howard, the office worker:

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But only one of them is on the "Nasty Nine" list put together by Yahoo! Sports. It narrows down the nine pitchers in the MLB this season who have pitched at least 50 innings and have sub-2.00 ERAs. (Click through the slideshow above to see them all).

As nasty as Darvish has been this season — 6-1 with a league-leading 80 strikeouts, but a 2.73 ERA — it's not him on the list. That should tell you something about this "Nasty Nine" designation.

Is it then surprising to see another second-year Japanese import Hisashi Iwakuma on the list rather than Yu? Maybe, but the numbers — 5-1, 1.84 — prove he's having a stellar year. And Patrick Corbin? He's been great for Arizona — 6-0, 1.52 ERA —  even though there's a good chance half the country doesn't even know his name.

Now let's see who can keep being this nasty.

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Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno took responsibility Wednesday for his team achieving so little the past three-plus seasons, including its 15-25 record this season. That means the jobs of manager Mike Scioscia and GM Jerry Dipoto are safe.

Moreno told Fox Sports there was "zero" chance of an in-season managerial change with Scioscia, who has managed the Angels for 14 seasons and has a contract through 2018. Dipoto has been GM for a year-and-a-half and, besides, it was Moreno who was the point man on the additions of Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton, who cost a combined $375 million over the past two offseasons. And it was Moreno's decision to let Zack Greinke and Torii Hunter walk.

"There are a lot of underlying things we need to fix and adjust in the organization.”

The first order of business might be to let the baseball people build the roster. Still, it's encouraging to hear an owner pull a mea culpa, instead of lashing out with mass firings:

“I try not to live with that victim mentality that I want to blame everyone. If you’re going to blame anyone, you’ve got to blame me. I’m the one at the end of the day that has the final call.”

It reminds me of another Arte — Artie Fufkin from "This is Spinal Tap," played by Paul Schaffer — taking the blame for the band drawing zero fans to an album party.

"Do me a favor. Just kick my ass, will ya'?"

It's in this NSFW clip from the classic film:

It would be a fine goodwill exercise for Arte Moreno to come on down to the main concourse at Angel Stadium, bend over and offer Angels fans a chance to playfully boot him in the boot. And then, right after that, have Dipoto fix the farm system. Transforming an organization is that simple, right?

Regardless of who's to blame, these are dark times — none more black — for the Angels right now.

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Turns out the Astros got a Ryan to be their new president, but it's not Nolan. It's his son, Reid Ryan.

MLB.com's Brian McTaggart is reporting that Reid Ryan will be introduced by the Astros at a Friday press conference. So the intrastate Astros-Rangers rivalry has another new wrinkle (besides both teams now being in the AL West): It's Ryan vs. Ryan, father vs. son.

Reid Ryan, 41, has a baseball-heavy resume: He was president/CEO of Ryan-Sanders Baseball, which owns the Triple-A Round Rock Express (Rangers affiliate) and Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros). He also served on the board of trustees for Minor League Baseball.

On the Houston Chronicle's Ultimate Astros blog, Jose de Jesus Ortiz writes that Reid Ryan is a "perfect fit":

Reid Ryan understands the Astros’ organization, the Astros’ fan base and the city of Houston. Although his father ultimately went into the Hall of Fame as a Ranger despite playing nine seasons with the Astros, Reid Ryan has always viewed the Astros as his hometown team.

Reid Ryan, who couldn’t be reached at his cell phone, would bring instant credibility to the Astros’ business operations throughout Houston and throughout the baseball industry. He understands the complexities of selling a long baseball season to fans, sponsors and rights holders.

Now Reid has a couple months to get adjusted to the new gig before the Astros play his dad and the Rangers again in July.

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It's probably the best save seven players on the Millersville (Pa.) University baseball team could possibly make.

Earlier this month, Millersville's team had arrived late one night for a tournament at Johnstown, Pa., and some of the players got hungry for a snack. On their way to a Sheetz convenience store, they came upon an upsetting scene. But the players — (clockwise from top-left in photo) Tyler Thomas, David Pine, Evan King, Dan Stoltzfus, Tyler Orris, Zach Stone and Tyler McDonald — kept their heads.

A car had hastily turned into a driveway ahead. The players heard screaming. A man held in his arms a young child, who had gone limp. He passed the boy to a woman, who laid him down on the ground. The couple appeared to be in a panic. The man yelled, "My son is choking! He's having a seizure! Somebody help!"

The players quickly approached. From Lancaster Online:

Chambersburg High School health class came rushing back to McDonald, 21, a third baseman.

"I started doing the checklist of CPR," McDonald said.

McDonald calmly told the child's panicking father, Shane Norman, to take off his jacket and put it under the little boy's head, to tilt it back and open his airway.

He told the child's frantic mother, Megan, who was trying to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation, to move the child's tongue out of the way and make sure nothing was blocking his breathing. McDonald then put his ear down next to the child's mouth, to feel if he was still breathing.

In the meantime, Pine called 911 on his cell phone, scanning the nearby street signs and summoning an ambulance.

"We were at Somerset and Napoleon," Pine said. "I think I'll remember that for a long time."

The Normans will remember too, as will anyone reading about the heroism of Pine and teammates, whose actions revived 2-year-old Braydin Norman, who soon opened his eyes. An ambulance came and, as paramedics wheeled the child away, infielder Tyler Thomas pulled off a yellow bracelet with the Marauders team logo on it.

"He put it on my son's wrist and said, 'Don't forget about us, buddy. Millersville baseball,' " Megan Norman said.

Doctors checked out Braydin and figured a virus had caused temperature to spike to 104.3, putting his life in danger. But he was going to be OK. The next step for the parents: Find the Millersville baseball team and thank them.

Using the bracelet and Facebook replies, the Normans tracked the team back to its tournament at Johnstown. Shane and Megan Norman, along with Braydin, stunned the players by showing up for the Marauders game against Slippery Rock. The reunion was full of smiles.

After Millersville won, the team presented Braydin with a signed ball and posed for pictures, all of which surprised their coach, John Shehan. He didn't know. The players hadn't told him what happened with Braydin.

"I said, 'Who are you getting your picture taken with?' " said Jon Shehan, of Ephrata, who is the father of two small children, including a son about Braydin's age. "I don't think they understood what they did, and how significant it's going to be for that little boy's life. They were surprisingly humble and nonchalant."

True heroes.

The final great part of the story: The parents returned Braydin home with a babysitter and came back for Millersville's next game. It was a loss, but with two extra dedicated fans in the stands — watching in the pouring rain, yelling at umpires, the whole bit. How else do you pay back a baseball team, other than to root for it?

Megan Norman said, "We weren't going to walk out on them for just some rain."

Millersville's season continues Thursday in the NCAA Div. II Tournament. They're the top seed in the Atlantic Regional.

Big BLS H/N: New York Daily News via Hardball Talk

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Every baseball city should have a broadcaster like Fred White. He had a 40-year association with the Kansas City Royals, calling their games on the radio with Denny Matthews from 1973 to 1998, and was at the mic for most of the greatest moments in franchise history. White died Wednesday at the age of 76 from complications of melanoma, but his voice is preserved in the memories of Royals fans and in recordings anyone still can listen to.

The Kansas City Star's Bob Dutton wrote a touching obituary for White that's worth reading even if you haven't followed the Royals, and Fox Sports Kansas City made an inspired choice by starting their broadcast of K.C.'s game against the Angels with a half-inning of silence to honor White's passing. It's a beautiful and powerful few moments (condensed to about 90 seconds in the video highlight) when listeners only hear the ambient noise of the ballpark. And it's even more emotional when you realize that Royals broadcaster Ryan Lefebvre (who introduces the silence) was the person who replaced White on radio broadcasts in '98 (a move that was widely unpopular at the time).

Among White's finest moments: Well, anything to do with George Brett. Calling his home run that help beat the Yankees and get the Royals to the World Series in 1980. And saying of the Royals before Game 7 of the 1985 World Series: "This improbable little team, doing improbable little things, now has pushed this thing to the brink."

And then there's the resumption of the "Pine Tar" game with Brett and the Yankees in 1983, when White hysterically described the defensive alignment a defiant Billy Martin fields for the ninth inning:

Fred White's voice is a beloved one in Royals history. He will be missed.

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Within minutes of the speech, Ortiz's phrase "This is our f***ing city" was the most talked about topic on social media, and within 24 hours it was already being attached to t-shirts with several companies looking to raise money for those affected by the Patriot Day bombings.

Needless to say, it caught on faster than a "Stone Cold" Steve Austin catchphrase in the late 90s, and now Ortiz himself is going one step further by selling actual bats emblazoned with his famous quotes over at a bigpapi.com.

And, once again, all net proceeds will go to the victims of those horrific events.

My Fellow Bostonians,

On April 15, 2013, nearly a decade after I first came to Boston, our city was attacked during one of Boston's most beloved events. Through the great bravery of our emergency service men and women, and the strength of our citizens, Boston has and will continue to perservere through this tragedy. I wanted to figure out a way to do something to help the victims, so I reached out to my partner Marucci Sports who have created these bats to help raise money for those affected by this tragedy. 100% of the net proceeds from these sales will go to the OneFund and other victims of this terrible event. When I gave my speech during the pregame ceremony of our first game back, I fully meant the words I said. Let's get together as a city to show everyone that "nobody is gonna dictate our freedom!".

Boston Strong,

David Ortiz

If Ortiz's colorful quote is a little strong for your liking, you can also choose "Nobody's going to dictate our freedom" as the emblazoned quote. All standard bats are selling for $125 each, but if you'd like one with a personalized signature from Ortiz it'll cost you $500.

Not a terrible deal at all, and it's made even better knowing that it's going to a worthy cause.

Big BLS H/N: Eye on Baseball

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In his own words, that's how long it took the life long Yankees fan from Toms River, N.J. to create a Yankee Stadium replica using only matchsticks, and that's how much it cost him to burn through — literally — all 75,000 matches that were required to complete his unique, extensive and completely awesome project.

When broken down, that's roughly 70 matches a day that Brother Beans (his nickname may be my favorite part of the story) burned. He then scrapped off the charred tips before shaping them into perfect position and setting them in place. Tedious work for most of us, but not Becker. In fact, according to Becker, it's not the first such project he's undertaken. A number of years ago he also created a Lambeau Field replica, so he obviously enjoys the work it requires and the personal satisfaction it creates.

Speaking of satisfaction, the New York Yankees themselves were very impressed by his efforts once they learned of the creation and even put the replica on display at the new Yankee Stadium before their game against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday.

You can learn more about that cool event and how Brother Beans came up with the idea to create a matchstick Yankee Stadium in the video below.

Honestly, I have no idea what I'll be doing 50-60 years down the road. I hope I'm here to be doing something, though, and if I am I can only hope it's half as cool as this.

Well done, Mr. Becker.

Big BLS H/N: Big Lead Sports (via Cut 4)

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The Juice returns for season No. 6! It's almost eligible for free-agency! Stop by daily for news from the action, along with great photos, stats, video highlights and more.

To say Raul Ibanez enjoys hitting at Yankee Stadium would be an understatement. After enjoying a terrific postseason in 2012 in which he delivered three home runs at the Stadium — including his dynamic Game 3 in the ALDS where he connected for game-tying and game-winning blasts — the 40-year-old veteran has returned with just as big a bang this season while wearing a Seattle Mariners uniform.

On Tuesday, Ibanez hit a two-run homer in Seattle's 4-3 loss. On Wednesday, he went deep two more times, including a first inning grand slam off Phil Hughes and a two-run shot in the fifth that iced away Seattle's 12-2 victory. That brings his totals to six home runs and 13 RBIs at Yankee Stadium since the beginning of the 2012 playoffs. He's 10 for 21 overall and obviously feels more confident taking shots at the short porch in right. Right, Raul?

''I can't tell that much of a difference even though when you hear it, depending on how you're doing, you know,'' Ibanez said with a sly smile.

The sly smile gives him away. Or maybe he just heard he became the oldest player (40 years, 347 days) with at least six RBIs in a game since Barry Bonds in July 2007. Thanks to Elias for that tidbit. On the flipside, Phil Hughes allowed seven earned runs in the first inning after allowing only two first inning runs in seven starts all season. That's a rough night for the old ERA.

D-Backs get last laugh: Justin Upton returned to Arizona with a four-hit game, including a monster home run, in Atlanta’s win on Monday night, but the Diamondbacks ended up winning the series with a 5-3 victory on Wednesday. New offensive centerpiece Paul Goldschmidt paced the attack with three doubles, while Eric Chavez knocked in three against former A’s teammate Tim Hudson. Heath Bell pitched the ninth for his sixth save.

No sweep for you: A big pat on the back is in order for the Houston Astros as they avoided a sweep at the hands of the Detroit Tigers. Not a three-game series sweep, mind you, but a seven-game season series sweep in which they had been outscored 50-12 over the first six.

It took a strong comeback after falling behind 4-1 in the second. A four-run fourth capped by a J.D. Martinez three-run homer gave them a one-run lead. Then with the game tied at five in the ninth, Carlos Corporan and Matt Dominguez drove in the difference-making tallies as the ‘Stros held on for a 7-5 win... barely. It took a Miguel Cabrera flyout to the warning track with the bases loaded to get the elusive 27th out.

MORE SCORES

Padres 8, Orioles 4: 17-hit attack for San Diego as they complete stunning road sweep of the O’s.

Indians 10, Phillies 4: The Phillies fall to 1-8 in Cole Hamels starts.

White Sox 9, Twins 4: Adam Dunn’s five RBIs provide the difference. He homered twice and doubled to raise his average to .156 (third worst in baseball among qualifiers).

Rangers 6, A’s 2: Not shocking: Nelson Cruz hit a three-run homer. Shocking: He also made a diving grab to kill a rally and save two runs.

Pirates 3, Brewers 1: The Pirates win back-to-back games against Milwaukee for the first time since Aug. 18-19, 2009.

Reds 4, Marlins 0: Two homers for Shin-Soo Choo in support of Mike Leake.

Red Sox 9, Rays 2: David Price exits with a left triceps strain. He's expected to miss at least one start for Tampa.

Cardinals 4, Mets 2: Rick Ankiel tied it for the Mets with a two-run homer in the seventh, but St. Louis rallies for single runs in seventh and eighth.

Cubs 6, Rockies 3: Jeff Samardzija's eight solid innings were nice. His two-run homer deep into the left field bleachers at Wrigley was even better.

Dodgers 3, Nationals 1: Zack Greinke wins his return with five and one-third innings of one-run ball. He also chipped in an RBI single.

Royals 9, Angels 5: Kansas City touched home seven times in the third to break it open.

''They hit some pitches that were really good and they hit some pitches that were bad. That's been the theme.''

— Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong after another difficult outing in San Francisco's 11-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. He falls to 1-4 on the season and his ERA now sits at 8.06 despite the fact that only three of the eight runs he allowed were earned.

• Jason Kipnis homered in the eighth inning on Wednesday. That's significant because his first five home runs this season all came in the first inning.

• From Elias, Shelby Miller of the Cardinals is the third pitcher in the last 100 years to allow eight or fewer earned runs in his first nine career starts. Fernando Valenzuela was the most recent in 1981.

• David Price has not won at Tropicana Field since July 19, 2012 — a span covering eight starts.

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An already disappointing start for reigning American League Cy Young Award winner David Price ran into another hurdle on Wednesday night after the left-hander was forced to exit his start against the Boston Red Sox with what was originally termed as "tightness in his left triceps" and later diagnosed as a strained triceps.

Price, who entered the game with a 1-3 record and a 4.78 ERA, had a fairly encouraging beginning to his outing, holding Boston off the scoreboard in the first two frames despite allowing two-out doubles in each. He then ran into serious trouble in the third after walking Stephen Drew to begin it. That was followed by three singles, the last of which was delivered by David Ortiz. It was at that point Price could be seen looking at his arm and shaking the fingers on his left hand while half-heartedly backing up the plate.

Head athletic trainer Ron Porterfield and manager Joe Maddon quickly converged on the scene to check him out. After a couple minutes of discussion and more hand shaking, the decision was made to get him out of the game and it was about an hour later than we heard the triceps tightness report.

It wasn't until after the Rays finished their 9-2 loss to the Red Sox and an MRI was completed that we received a more thorough report. Roger Mooney of Tampa Tribune provided those details via Twitter.

#rays Maddon said MRI on Price left triceps showed "nothing serious but we'll make a better call tomorrow."

— RMooneyTBO (@RMooneyTBO) May 16, 2013

#rays Maddon said Price unlikely to make next start Monday. Will make decision Thursday on who will make that start

— RMooneyTBO (@RMooneyTBO) May 16, 2013

My guess is a DL stint will be required to ensure Price gives the arm the proper amount of rest and doesn't risk unnecessary aggravation. Playing it safe with their ace is definitely the way to go, and it's not as if the Rays lack the options for a short-term callup with Jake Odorizzi off to a terrific start at Triple-A. They also have Chris Archer coming off his taste of the big leagues last season, so he could easily slot in there for two or three starts.

Bottom line, though, at least this doesn't sound like an injury that will cost Price a significant amount of time as long as it's treated wisely and effectively.

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First off, if you haven't been following Modern Seinfeld on Twitter, you should probably do that. It imagines Seinfeldian scenarios in our current world — such as this one: George gets a Kindle so women on the train will think he's smart. G: "I read sports articles! They think I'm reading… like…" J: "A book?"

That brings us to the video above. Inspired by the Modern Seinfeld movement (Can we call it a movement? Eh, why not), the MLB Fan Cave crew gave us a baseball version of 2013 "Seinfeld" with an assist from Oakland Athletics pitcher A.J. Griffin.

Another thing worth mentioning here: The Jerry and Elaine characters are actors, but the George and Kramer characters are members of this year's MLB Fan Cave. Ben Weitmarschen, the Reds fan cave dweller, plays Kramer and Nick Mendillo, the Red Sox fan cave dweller, plays George. Mendillo does a pretty good George Costanza, don't you think?

Baseball is back. Don't miss anything.
Follow @MikeOz and @bigleaguestew, on Twitter, along with the BLS Facebook page.