May 27, 2021
1. There was a completely naked streaker at Nats Park
When you’ve been cooped up for a whole year, the return to society may be rough around the edges. It may be naked. It may be sprinting across the grass. In the rain. Zero inhibitions. Going for it:
Watch at the end here, the guy slides into the tarp cylinder, as if it were an escape tunnel to another planet completely:
2. Things got heated in the stands at Minute Maid Park
The finale of this two-game Dodgers vs Astros series, with an entire section wearing Dodger blue in Houston, cheering and chanting, getting (ironically) their handwritten signs stolen by security:
And then, the inevitable happened, fists being thrown, things getting ugly:
The Astros went on to win, 5–2, Trevor Bauer missed out on his most-coveted win, and they split the series. In early August, they’ll play again at Dodger Stadium — stay safe out there, people:
3. Craig Kimbrel committed an intentional balk
It’s the first balk of Kimbrel’s major-league career, and he did it on purpose — to move the runner on second base over to third, and prevent any possible sign-stealing shenanigans. Wow:
4. Pitch of the night: Tyler Rogers’ rising submarine slider
That’s about as backyard wiffle ball as it gets, right there:
5. The pitchers and pine tar issue is officially coming to a head
First, there was this in Chicago yesterday afternoon — Joe West ejecting Mike Shildt after one of his relievers had a too-prominent pine tar smudge on the brim of his cap:
Then there was Shildt after the game, asking the inevitable question people have long been wondering about: So are we just going to start policing all this stuff now, or what?
Anyone who’s watched baseball lately has seen pitchers touching their glove, their hair, their cap before each at-bat, without anything quite being done about it. And then last night, Twins third baseman Josh Donaldson went back and forth with Dallas Braden (former A’s pitcher, now A’s TV guy), and said: “I have an entire catalog of video of these guys cheating, it’s coming out.”
6. Play of the night: Jake Cronenworth in the 10th inning
Runners on first and third, no outs, one-run lead, 10th inning. And Cronenworth throws home to save the game:
And earlier in the game, he did this:
7. Overworded, pointless stat of the day
Almost gives you a headache to read it.
The Twitter replies beneath it are great:
“He’s also the first player to ever hit a homer at 9:12 pm when the moon is full and the trees are gently swaying due to a slight breeze.”
“He’s also the first Blue Jays player whose initials are VGJ and wears a red elbow pad and a gold chain to have 16 HR on May 26.”
“I’m the first person named Preston with two small dogs that a huge Titans fan that owns over 300 Titans game jerseys and goes to every Titans game and is from Memphis.”
But, kudos to Vladdy Jr. — he might be in the middle of an MVP season:
8. Standings update: Five teams are in the 30-win club
Before you read on, can you guess who they are?
Hint — they most definitely do not play in the NL East:
Here’s the list — three in the NL West, two in the AL East:
9. Tony La Russa continues to make people angry
First, the history of being already disliked, then the old-age hire, then the Yermin Mercedes comments, and now the coup de grâce — his name has taken over a beloved food lounge at White Sox Park.
La Russa had no say in the name change, and it was apparently done sometime before he was hired, but still, people were fired up:
To be fair, one could argue that we shouldn’t be spending much time thinking about a “lounge” that looks like this:
10. A player at Ole Miss hits two home runs on a torn ACL
When life gives you an awful injury, you become a DH and rake:
11. Four baseball games are being played in New York today
Two rainouts last night, at Citi Field and Yankee Stadium. And so, today in New York, it’s the “Let’s play two!”x2 day:
12. Yasiel Puig is playing in Mexico
And hit a home run last night, for the Aguilas of Veracruz:
From his Twitter, a quote: “Puig is not done.”
13. The Yankees catch the injury bug yet again
The most endlessly injured team in baseball these past few years, and right when the momentum picks up, it’s happened again — Corey Kluber and Luke Voit, down to the IL on the same day:
14. The “Field of Dreams” game is coming together in Iowa
A real MLB game, at the same spot where the movie was filmed. In Dyersville, Iowa. August 13th.
After every fanbase will have had full capacity at their home ballparks for weeks, and we’ll have a most perfect ceremony for our national pastime, to say: Things are completely back to normal, how they should be.
15. Roster updates and news: Syndergaard, Callaway, Ozuna
Some very bad news for the Mets today, who’d been thinking Syndergaard would be back sometime in June:
And, in other injury and banishment news:
16. Lastly, today in miscellaneous baseball: Star Wars scoreboard, frisbee throws and Michael Strahan
Who knew Strahan was a White Sox fan?
