Fastball Fans

All Star Celebrity All-Star Softball Game

The All-Star Workout and Home Run Derby - July 9th, 2007

The All Star Red Carpet Parade - AT&T Park, San Francisco

These are photos I took on my trip to San Francisco a few weeks ago to catch the All-Star Game…

You can view more on my personal blog, The Oriole Post…

After a wonderful career, after crossing the 3,000 hit plateau, Astros legend Craig Biggio is saying good-bye.

Is the Hall of Fame next for Craig?

According to CNNSi.com, Phillies All-Star second baseman Chase Utley broke his right hand when he was hit by a pitch during Thursday’s 7-6 loss to the Washington Nationals.

Utley was hit in the fifth inning by Washington’s John Lannan, who was making his major league debut. Utley finished the game, going 2-for-4, but X-rays afterward showed he broke his fourth metacarpal.

Credit the dude for being tough!!!

Yikes!

Although the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area is pretty much awash with the red, white and blue of the Nationals, lest we forget many in the area for about four decades rooted, cheered and followed the Baltimore Orioles.

Our neighbors to the north have not had a lot to cheer about for the past decade, as the Orioles have had nine straight losing seasons, a dramatic decline attendance, and fan dissatisfaction towards owner Peter Angelos.

However, on Tuesday night before a match-up with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, fans got a chance to relive the glory days of the past as the Orioles honored Cal Ripken, Jr. in a “send-off to Cooperstown” celebration.

A crowd about 43,000 strong celebrated a universally-respected man who was not only a great baseball player, but also a part of Maryland heritage.

The crowd last night was boisterous, decked in black and orange, and you saw the number “8″ abound on jerseys, shirts and whatever else you could find.

With an elaborate display setup of a large inflatable jersey of Ripken’s number in center field, the number “2632” posted on the warehouse to commemorate the number of consecutive games that he played, along with a podium and seating in the infield, Tuesday was all about Cal.

Although the start time of the game was set back more than half-an-hour, dignitaries such as Baltimore mayor, Sheila Dixon; fellow Hall of Famers and former Orioles Eddie Murray, Brooks Robinson, and Earl Weaver were on hand to support and honor Cal Ripken.

Read More Here: Link to the Oriole Post

Photos:

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The Yankees are coming back.

Once left for dead, and seemingly out of the AL East race, the Bronx Bombers have come around.

At 51-46, they are only 7 1/2 games back from the reeling Red Sox…

This weekend, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays got roasted, toasted and burnt to a crisp.

New York had 25 hits, reaching 20 in consecutive games for the first time in more than 100 years in a 21-4 rout of the Devil Rays on Sunday. On Saturday, the Yankees had 20 in a 17-5 win that finished off a day-night doubleheader sweep.

According to the AP, Marlins’ pitcher Scott Olsen was arrested Saturday after refusing to pull over and getting into a fight with police. He was booked on charges of driving under the influence, resisting an officer with violence and fleeing and eluding an officer.

Police say the 6-foot-5 Olsen kicked them when they tried to arrest him at his house, and they used a stun gun to subdue him.

Furthermore he just got done serving a suspension for a team with a teammate.

Nice way to make a living Scott!

Barry Bonds, today in the public eye, will elicit a reaction of either congratulations, disdain, indifference or none at all. It seems that everyone and anyone has an opinion on him.

However, as an athlete, he’s perhaps one of the best baseball players of this – or any generation

Recently, I went out to San Francisco and caught the All-Star events out there. Knowing I was going to be in the epicenter of the whole Barry Bonds and BALCO hoopla, I always took a moment to ask what Giants fans felt about him.

For the most part, most fans out there loved him with great reverence and it was irrelevant to them whether or not he cheated or not. They appreciate a guy, no matter how he was perceived by the media, as one who was loyal, brought them great joy and more importantly has made history time and time again in front of their eyes.

Well, unless you have been away from the television or the internet, Barry Bonds is on the cusp of breaking Hank Aaron’s all-time home run record. In that respect, most fans outside of San Francisco and even the commissioner of baseball, Bud Selig, are looking towards the historic moment with incredible disdain & indifference.

Most ask themselves, how could the sport let Bonds who at times could be ornery, rude and bitter allow him to approach the record that the larger-than-life Babe Ruth held once and the dignified and quiet Hank Aaron currently holds?

The moment is fast approaching us; however, I am going see he forest from the trees on this issue. It may be a little different from what you have heard in the media, but it’s what I feel.

Simply, there are other forces than Barry Bonds at play.

In my heart of hearts, if drug use in sports really wanted to be stopped, it would have been done long, long ago. If baseball, much less any other sport wanted to stop illicit use of drugs, then Bug Selig and others in position of authority would have the gumption to style the drug testing program held by the Olympics.

To be even more blunt, Bud Selig, baseball and even the players themselves could have nipped the problem in the bud, long, long ago; however, are the three reasons why.

Read More Here….

Internet billionaire and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to the list of potential Chicago Cubs buyers.

According to the AP and ESPN, “Mark Cuban confirmed Thursday that he has submitted his application to Major League Baseball to purchase the Cubs. Cuban, who has owned the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks since January of 2000 and is known for his free-spending ways, told the newspaper he sent the paperwork in last week.”

Oh joy. At least he spice up baseball a little bit more…

Alex Rodriguez isn’t interested in talking contract with the New York Yankees until after the season.

Does he opt yet? I say yes. Scott Boras will test out his value on the market, mark my words.

Ken Griffey Jr. tied Frank Robinson for sixth place on the career home run list as the Reds with his 586th blast night.

Congrats Junior and hope you get your 600th this season!

Thanks to Justin Morneau, and Joe Mauer along with an inept Chicago pitching staff, the Minnesota Twins scored 32 runs on Friday, winning 20-14 in the opener, and 12-0 during the night cap.

Morneau became the fourth Twins player to hit three home runs in a game (game two), as he killed the White Sox single-handedly.

Fans voted Hideki Okajima to the AL All-Star squad ahead of Jeremy Bonderman. Why?

Oops, Sox fans are loyal and there’s only a whole other nation, Japan which also has a say…

For the most part, at least the NL go their choice of Chris Young right.