HINT: His dog’s name is Astro.
Okay, that is probably not a hint, since they would have to give up their entire team for him.
But still, John F. Kennedy’s dog’s name was Lincoln, and Lincoln’s dog’s name was Kennedy, so you never know.
The Jerusalem Post reports:
Brad Ausmus, who managed the Israeli national team’s bid for the World Baseball Classic, was named the manager of the Detroit Tigers.
The Tigers announced the hiring of Ausmus, 44, on Sunday, making him the only Jewish manager in Major League Baseball. Ausmus was a catcher for four teams in his playing days.
And poor Bob Melvin wakes up today, with a cup of herring and his daily copy of the Jerusalem Post, and has to call his agent to find out if the A’s have fired him in the night. Because, according to Wikipedia, Bob Melvin is also Jewish. (More confirmation here.)
Which means that 2 out of 30 — almost 7% — of major league managers are Jewish, making us an overrepresented minority, and surely leading to a new line of MLB Bagel Bat Weight giveaways coming to a stadium near you.
Ausmus managed Israel’s World Baseball Classic team in 2012, and once wore tefillin.
Lynn Henning of the Detroit News writes:
[Ausmus is] Jewish, which will stoke a sense of kinship between Ausmus and the Tigers’ deep Jewish audience. In that context, there has been something of a void in the Tigers’ profile dating to the end of Hank Greenberg’s hallowed years in Detroit.
Because that’s why I root for a team: shared religion with team’s manager. Excuse me while I go check out the latest news about the 2010-11 Texas Legends of the NBA D-League.
The AP has this exciting interactive beard-o-matic, highlighting 12 of the World Series-Winning Red Sox beards.
Like this one:
Who’s your pick for worst Red Sox beard? Nominate (with links to pictures!) in comments, and perhaps one of those vote poll things on Monday?
(Congrats to the Sox.)
The Cardinals’ team charter plane had a 7-hour delay on the tarmac yesterday while mechanical problems were being addressed. The delay spawned a Twitter hashtag, #cardsplaneproblems. These are a few of the best of those tweets:
The Cards plane velocity has been down the last few flights and has been shut down. Will see Dr. Andrews in the morning #cardsplaneproblems
— Bob Netherton (@CardinalTales) October 30, 2013
Randy Choate is perfectly suited to fix the plane, but Matheny’s going to let Lance Lynn keep trying a little longer. #cardsplaneproblems
— Mike Flynn (@mikeflynn_) October 30, 2013
On the bright side really getting to know some of my teammates children #bonding #cardsplaneproblems
— Matt Carpenter (@MattCarp13) October 29, 2013
Don Denkinger called the plane safe. #cardsplaneproblems
— Todd Golden (@TribStarTodd) October 29, 2013
John Mozeliak not quite ready to start its arbitration clock, will get an older plane to fill in #cardsplaneproblems
— Chris Reed (@birdbrained) October 29, 2013
When @carlosbeltran15 said he wanted to make this Series last forever, he meant it. #cardsplaneproblems
— Cardinal70 (@C70) October 29, 2013
Shelby Miller has been instructed to warm up another plane. Ah, check that. He sat back down. #cardsplaneproblems
— Matt Sebek (@MattSebek) October 29, 2013
Ugh, friggin' Middlebrooks. #cardsplaneproblems — pic.twitter.com/irCg47C4TG
— Matt Sebek (@MattSebek) October 29, 2013
Is there such a thing as too much corporate sponsorship?
Hats off to @DavidOrtiz for that big blast over the green monster. On 2nd thought, everyone take hats off. Let it flow. #Whiff #WorldSeries
— Head & Shoulders Men (@HSforMen) October 25, 2013
USA Today had what I thought was a fascinating article last week about MLB sponsorships during the postseason, and how individual team sponsors get obliterated if they conflict with MLB-wide deals.
It goes so far that the Fenway Park grounds crew has had to use a backup tarp on the field during the playoffs because their regular one has a giant L.L. Bean logo – and that’s not even a competitor of an MLB national sponsor.
The whole article is worth the read.
Boston Red Sox baseball has been sponsored by Kotex and Kleenex.
— Rob Z. (@RobZ24) October 27, 2013
According to MLB.com:
“Never Say Never,” is, of course, a Justin Bieber song (and album title). So, clearly, Selig is a Belieber.
NotGraphs has obtained an exclusive copy of the new lyrics Bud Selig has written for “Never Say Never: DH edition”
BOSTON — Before tonight’s game, MLB’s all-time saves leader, inventor of the game of baseball, and best human being ever will receive the Commissioner’s Mariano Rivera Achievement in Mariano Rivera Award, awarded to the best Mariano Rivera whenever he is best exemplifying what Mariano Rivera is and does.
The award, which consists of an unlimited number of future awards, is being awarded to Rivera for the ten thousandth time since it was created last week, and will be awarded fifty gazillion more times, only to Rivera, until the world runs out of awards. Then maybe it will be awarded posthumously to Jackie Robinson, because he’s pretty awesome too. And maybe we can find some time to give Babe Ruth some version of the award, although maybe not, because even though Babe Ruth was pretty cool, he was nothing like Mariano Rivera, and didn’t act Rivera-like enough to even be on the ballot, a ballot that consists of Mariano Rivera’s name written a thousand times, on a piece of parchment made from Rivera’s skin and scripted in Rivera’s blood, and containing the secret DNA that makes Rivera who and what he is. This ballot will, when science allows, be used to create Mariano Rivera clones who can continue to accumulate saves (and awards) in Rivera’s name, although they will never live up to the magnificence of the original, and when did this post become so strange and creepy?
Incoming baseball commissioner Mariano Rivera will present the award to himself, in front of an audience of adoring acolytes who have come under his mysterious, magical spell.
Meanwhile, Jeff Reardon is super-confused why there was no similar outpouring of affection for him during the 1992 offseason, when he was (very temporarily) the all-time saves leader. Poor Jeff. (He didn’t even win the Commissioner’s Jeff Reardon Achievement in Jeff Reardon Award, which went to Bruce Sutter.)
Clicking around the Internet looking for something to post about can sometimes yield excellent results. Like this Facebook page:
Now, I’m just as opposed to sex trafficking as anyone else, but what the heck does this have to do with baseball? No worries, CBS News has the scoop.
“Well, both of our cities are obviously very passionate about our baseball teams so we set up a challenge with St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in Boston,” Rev. Mike Kinman of Christ Church said.
Oh, okay, now it all makes sense.
“And then to make it a little more interesting, the losing team’s Cathedral Dean has to wear the winning team’s hat at the service on Sunday morning after the series is over,” Kinman said.
Yes, we’re going to stop sex trafficking, but JUST TO MAKE IT MORE INTERESTING, someone has to wear the other team’s cap. Okay. I’ve posted the actual links in this post, because certainly stopping sex trafficking seems like a worthy cause, and I guess I’m happy to help spread the word. But I’m still very confused why this has anything to do with the World Series, and please contribute to my Bases Loaded Walk Away From The Unlicensed Practice of Dentistry World Series Challenge, where you can donate money to professional license inspectors in Boston and St. Louis and help close illegal dental clinics. Thanks.
This headline from the Dayton Daily News (“‘For Sale’ sign on [Brandon] Phillips’ neck”) made me think I was about to read a piece about Brandon Phillips and a very strange neck tattoo. As it turns out, it is merely an awkward headline about the Reds looking to trade Phillips and not a new addition to the bizarre and disturbing neck tattoo trend. (Is it a trend? Or have I only noticed neck tattoos recently? And why in the world would anyone ever want to get a tattoo on his neck? I mean, I don’t understand why anyone would want to get a tattoo anywhere, but on your NECK?)
This leads me to a neck tattoo quiz. Can you name the following players AND identify what the heck is pictured on their necks?
