Watching the Cubs host the Diamondbacks at Wrigley this weekend I couldn’t help but notice the extra umpires seated behind home plate. Turns out the fake umpires are Tim Williams & Joe Ferrell, two traders on the Toronto Stock Exchange, in Chicago on business. It was their seventh big league appearance. They bought their seats, but received several complimentary beers from nearby fans. It’s hilarious, they actually call the game, even down to reaching into their pocket for a baseball & acting like they’re throwing it to the pitcher. The fans are particularly delighted by their strike three calls. Although MLB has instructed their umpires not to engaged the pair, they secretly admire their act, so do the players & the fans. Popular umpires? What will we see next!
Category: Humor
Redundant Team Nicknames in Sports
As a University of Illinois alum, one thing Iâve had to come to grips with is our âFighting Illiniâ nickname. No. Iâm not talking about the whole political issue. I just think the nickname is a bit redundant. Illinois Fighting Illiniâ doesnât roll off the tongue like âIowa Hawkeyesâ or âMichigan Wolverinesâ. Too many damn âLâs and âIâs.
My list of redundant nicknames in the world of sports.
Major League Baseball
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Philadelphia Phillies
Minor League Baseball
Indianapolis Indians
Jamestown Jammers
College
Augsburg College Auggies
Illinois Fighting Illini
Lake Superior State University Lakers
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Miners
Pacific Lutheran University Lutes
St John University Johnnies
Silver Lake College Lakers
St Leo University Lions
St Olaf University Oles
US Merchant Marine Academy Marines
University of Utah Utes
High School
Rock Island (IL) Rocks
any team named âSaintsâ or âMountaineersâ (most of them have St or Mount in their name- West Virginia excepted)
The NFLâs Buffalo Bills fall into a totally separate category. They use their city name for their logo not their nickname. Also, I have to admit, the St Leo Lions was pretty clever.
Iâm sure there are more. Especially, if you look into teams from the past. If you know of one, let me know.
What the hell did Dave Engle do anyway?
Last night when Andruw Jones popped up and struck out in his last two at-bats, Ranger skipper had some nice words to say about him (emphasis mine):
"I saw Kirby Puckett do some great stuff. I saw Dave Engle do some great stuff. Matter fact, I saw Mickey Hatcher get nine hits in a row â nine straight in three straight days,"
LOL, Whut??
Dave Engle?
Iâm familiar with Engle, a backup catcher/utility man, who lasted nine years despite not really doing a whole lot. He had a couple 400+ at bat years and actually made the All-Star team in 1984 (hereâs an actual scan of Toledo Blade article proving it) but after he left Minnesota in â85, he bounced from team to team not even garnering 100 at-bats.
But I wasnât aware of Engle doing anything newsworthy (other than being the brother-in-law of then fellow Twin Tom Brunansky)⌠something that we would remember over 20 years later. Nope, doesnât ring a bell.
He did go on to become a hitting coach in the majors to once again prove that those cannot do, teach. Except that he didnât do that very well either and got fired.
So if anyone knows the answer to the mystery, speak up. Iâm dying to know.
Satirical piece tells the truth of Drew?
At least one friend of mine thinks the latest Onion article entitled Brawl Clears Benches of Everyone But J.D. Drew hit a little too close to the truth.
"I thought about getting in there for a second, but then I thought, nah. It didn’t really directly concern me. I mean, yeah, they shoved a bunch of my teammates, but it’s not like they were gonna die or anything.â
Baseball and Marriage
Put this in the âNow That Weâve Solved All Other Problems" categoryâŚ
The University of Denver Center for Marital and Family Studies has found that divorce rates are lower in cities that have a MLB team.
Specifically, the study looked at cities before they acquired a team and afterwards.
A new study from the centre looking at divorce rates before and after cities got Major League Baseball teams is fascinating in its implications. The study showed that cities with major league baseball teams had a 28 percent lower divorce rate than cities that wanted major league baseball teams.
University of Denver psychology professor drew some rather interesting conclusions from this study:
âGoing to a baseball game and not talking about relationship issues, but rather having fun and talking as friends is one of the ways to protect and preserve love,â
So go to a baseball game and donât talk about those nasty relationship issues. Thatâll only get you in trouble.
Goofy Baseball
In honor of Opening Day, an oldie but a goodie from Walt Disney. I remember seeing this when I was kid.
Still funny and actually even relevant in some ways after all these years.
Saturday Quote: Beltre in Crisis
The Hot Dog Launcher and the Science behind it
This documentary about the Philadelphia Phillies Hot Dog Launcher was put together with people with a obvious sense of humor.
Personnel from Hatfield Quality Meats who helped create the Hot Dog Launcher are featured in the video along with the Phillie Phanatic.
The launcher is an air cannon which shoots hot dogs to fans between innings… usually in one piece.
Dang, that cannon is huge. Though the way the Phanatic was acting in the video, I would have taken it and aimed it for his…
never mind.
(via Neatorama)
Tony O still has the (Wii) touch
The latest on the baseball video scene? Tony Oliva playing baseball on the Nintendo Wii with his grandson.
It looks like Gramps still has it. The look on his grandson says it all when Tony O hits a double and a homer back to back.
just like the old days…
(via Home Run Derby)
Obama: you mean he’s REALLY a Sox fan?
I captured this from a video from CNN of our president-elect in DC this week… wearing a White Sox cap. All that talk from before wasn’t just campaign posturing?
I can imagine the Sox fans now. First the 2005 World Series… now a Sox fan in the White House.
Sure, give them more sense of entitlement.