Kid Gets Foul Ball to Young Lady Behind Him

((ht: mlb.com))

Oh to be young and willing to give.

Check out what happened Friday night at the Boston Red Sox/Toronto Blue Jays game in Beantown.

Bottom of the 4th inning and a foul ball rolls down the 3rd base side of the field. The ball girl picks it up and walks over and hands the ball to a little kid sitting on the front row.

Cool. It's what you should do, give a little kid the ball if you get one.

What happened next, well, the little kid (12-year old Ryan) turned chivalrous and hands the ball to a young girl (Reese) sitting right behind him much to the surprise of the young lady and her mom.

Wait, it gets better.

After seeing what happened, the Red Sox TV team (Dan Orsillo and Jerry Remy) decided to send down a gift bag to the young lad.

He proceeded to share it with his new friend.

Awww....

Sunday MLB Recap: The Wild, Weird, And Effective

((HT: MLB.com))

Yasiel Puig's enigmatic hustle took another star turn today- against Bartolo Colon and the Mets of all teams...

A 5-4-3-2 triple play that he was the end of...


Omar Vizquel is a coach these days for the Detroit Tigers and still can flash some defense...


Someone in Boston almost went all Bartman on a ball down the left field line...


What would have happened if Stephen Strasburg actually had to make a hard stop...???


And a fan in Arizona made a point to use his tools in the best manner possible on a foul ball...

Matthew McConaughey Discusses Fanny Packs

((HT: MLB.com))

CSN Houston's Julia Morales got one of those assignments...

She's at Fenway where the Astros are playing the Red Sox and guess who is watching his fellow Texans...


Right on, right on, right on...

But it is good to know about the position of the fanny pack since the HQ will NEVER WEAR ONE...

Pujols Walkoff Ends 19-Inning Red Sox vs. Angels Baseball Marathon

Six hours and thirty one minutes after it started, Los Angeles Angels slugger Albert Pujols finally put an end to it.

On the 558th pitch of the Boston Red Sox/Angels game, Pujols hit a walk-off home run to send everyone in Anaheim, CA home happy.

Well, okay, at least the Angels fans.

Though we should mention while it technically ended the game, the marathon didn't end until the replay challenge by Boston manager John Farrell was squashed. Farrell claimed the ball was interfered with by a fan. But you can pretty clearly see it bounced off the top of the right centerfield wall.

For those of us on the East Coast, the game ended some time after 3 a.m...

The game winner from mlb.com:

Lowell Spinners Retire Westmoreland's #25

((HT: MiLB.com))

Ryan Westmoreland was regarded as a five-tool player when the Boston Red Sox drafted him in 2008.

He worked his way through the minor league system and was listed as a team Top 25 prospect in 2010. But he started to experience numbness in his body. Doctors found a cavernous malformation and removed it from his brain stem. The surgery was a success and he attempted a comeback in the 2012 season.

It wasn't to be.

He had to retire in the 2013 season and, currently, suffers from double vision, partial facial paralysis and numbness in the entire right side of his body. He has always been a part of the Red Sox family and the single-A franchise in Lowell, the Spinners, decided Westmoreland would be the first number retired by the franchise.

Here's their tribute video before the retiring ceremony

Jerry Remy Loses A Tooth On Air

((HT: MLB.com/NESN))

The HQ can't make this stuff up...

In the middle of a broadcast, Red Sox color broadcaster Jerry Remy actually lost a tooth on-air...
And what may be the funnier part is that play-by-play man Don Orsillo actually tried to encourage Remy to put it back in- while they were on the air...


The HQ has yet to lose a tooth on air and hopes never to do so...

Jim Deshaies Still Has It

((HT: CSN Chicago))

The Cubs Darwin Barney hit a foul straight back at Fenway tonight for the Cubs-Red Sox game when this happened


No word on whether Deshaies, like his peer Tom Hamilton, sent the ball back into the stands...

Big Papi Got No Respect For David Price No More

((HT:MLB.com/CSNNE))

Tempers flared multiple times last night at Fenway as the Tampa bay Rays went after Boston.

And for David Price it seemed like last night was his opportunity to get back at David Ortiz after his playoff homer that rubbed Price the wrong way.

All the brushback and blowback is below


Papi talked after the game and called Price out...
It was quite colorful

Basebrawl Over A Stolen Base (?)

Yup...

((HT: MLB.com))


Yunel Escobar, Jonny Gomes, and Sean Rodriguez got ejected as Escobar stole third with a five-run lead...

How would you react...???

Yu Gotta Be Kidding Me... Again...

((HT: MLB/NESN))

Yu Darvish had a no-hitter with two outs in the top of the ninth when this happened against David Ortiz...


Darvish lost a perfect game last season with two outs in the ninth and lost the perfect game this time in the seventh.
He struck out 12 and lasted 126 pitches and lost a no-hit bid for the third time in his career in the 8th inning or later...

Pineda Plus Pine Tar=Ejection (UPDATE: He Admits It)

((HT: MLB/YES/ESPN))

Take you back to April 10...Yankees and Red Sox at Yankee Stadium

Michael Pineda of the Yankees got caught with something dark (and, allegedly sticky) on his hand...


Red Sox manager John Farrell said he had heard about the substance Pineda may or may not have been using, but in between innings whatever was there disappeared...

MLB executive vice president of operations Joe Torre talked to Yankees GM Brian Cashman about what may or may not have happened with Pineda on the mound. The Yanks pitcher did not face any discipline since the Red Sox didn't push the issue.

Pineda said it was dirt:

"I don't use pine tar. It's dirt," Pineda said then. "I'm sweating on my hand too much in-between innings."

Takes you to tonight...
Looks like the dirt was there all over again...


And Pineda got tossed...

The HQ knows that, in the minors, the suspension is 10 games. The suspension might be close in the bigs...

2315 UPDATE: Pineda admits that the substance was, in fact, pine tar...

Pineda says, via ESPN, that "it won't happen again."

Bee Attack: Swarm Delays Red Sox-Yankees Game (video)

((ht: mlb.com))

Geez, anyone have some insect repellant? Number for the bug man? Or a beekeeper?

Tuesday afternoon's Red Sox/Yankees Spring Training game in Tampa was delayed during the third inning when a swarm of bees appeared in left field.

No really, this happened.

We don't think....this is a sign of the apocalypse, but it scared Red Sox left fielder Mike Carp, the Red Sox bullpen and the umpires enough that the grounds crew were forced to intervene.

Take a look at the closeups of the railing closest to the Red Sox bullpen, the bees are all over the gear.

Yankees 1st baseman Mark Texiera bravely offered up a couple of honey bottles from we are guessing the snack table in the Yankee clubhouse. But alas, the hearty grounds crew ran through the bullpen spraying what appeared to be bottles of Raid.

The game eventually restarted but not before tons of us got one heck of a good laugh:

Video from YES/MLB.com:

ICYMI: Cards Win Game 3 Of World Series on Obstruction Call

Okay, we kind of wish we stayed up or at least had the World Series on the television last night after reading about this.

Game 3 of the World Series ended Saturday night in a way unlike any other---ever.

The St. Louis Cardinals walked away with a 5-4, bottom of the 9th victory, when Allen Craig was awarded home plate after 3rd base umpire Jim Joyce ruled he was obstructed.

Ironically, he may very well have scored when Jarrod Saltalamacchia's throw sailed over 3rd baseman Will Middlebrooks head, but Craig and Middlebrooks got tangled up as Craig slid to beat the throw.

That's when the chaos ensued. Craig (who's fighting a foot injury), limped towards home plate as fast as he could, but didn't beat the throw home.

It didn't matter. Joyce had made his call, and according to the MLB Rule Book as long as he made a concerted effort to advance, he would be ruled safte.

That's what happened.

We'd show you the highlights, but really, this was the only highlight that mattered:

So, Did Jon Lester Do Something Or Not...???

((HT: Dennis Paruch via Vine))

Here's the event in question...


Cards minor leaguer Tyler Melling insinuated the following on his Twitter account:

Jon Lester using a little Vaseline inside the glove tonight?

MLB has responded:

"We cannot draw any conclusions from this video. There were no complaints from the Cardinals and the umpires never detected anything indicating a foreign substance throughout the game."

So, now we have a talking point for Game 5, don't we...???

What Is It About Elimination Games With Tampa...???

((HT: MLB.com))

There is no interest in leaving the season until they're ready to...

This time, it was Jose Lobaton with the walk-off to keep the series alive with Boston...


Game 4 is Tuesday night, with Jake Peavy starting for the Red Sox against Jeremy Hellickson.
Tampa Bay took a win-or-go-home game for the fourth time in nine days.

DEVELOPING: Dempster Gets 5 Games

((HT: ESPN/MLB))

For This...???


What say you, faithful reader...???
Is it a worthy punishment...???

He was fined an undisclosed amount for "intentionally throwing at and hitting Alex Rodriguez."

"I was just trying to pitch inside," he said after the game in defense...

Ryan Dempster, New Red Sox Folk Hero...Until That "Home Run"Thing...

((HT: MLB on ESPN/youtube))

With the chants of "Go Home, Cheater!" ringing through the Fens, Ryan Dempster decided to make his point on the whole Alex Rodriguez saga...

By doing the following in A-Rod's first at bat this evening against the Red Sox...


Joe Girardi's rant-a-palooza didn't help as he got tossed...
Tony Pena took over in the dugout... at least through what the HQ could see on the telly...

The HQ also anticipates another late-inning round of retribution by the Yanks toward any Red Sox batter in the box...

So, then what does A-Rod do...???
Take Dempster deep later in the game...


More when we know more...

Son Of Red Sox Broadcaster Charged With Murder

((HT: MyFoxBoston))

The son of Boston Red Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy has been charged with murder in connection with the stabbing death of his girlfriend in a Boston suburb.

Police received multiple 911 calls from an apartment complex Thursday night. When they arrived, officers found Jennifer Martel outside an apartment suffering from multiple stab wounds. Jerry Remy's son, Jared, had minor injuries that were not "self-inflicted" and was taken to a local hospital.

Martel is being identified as Jared Remy's girlfriend. There was evidence of a struggle both inside and outside of the apartment. A child, believed to be Martel's, was on scene and was unhurt. The child is now in the custody of state child welfare officials.

Remy will be charged with murder and assault and battery in connection with Martel's death in District Court.

Jared Remy was arrested Tuesday night and was released on his own recognizance after a court appearance and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon in a case involving Martel.

NECN caught up with a neighbor of Jennifer Martel who says she saw the murder...

Lavarnway In A Bad Way Handling Knucklers

((HT: NESN/MLB))

Boston Red Sox catcher Ryan Lavarnway had a rough first inning handling (or "trying to handle") Steven Wright's knuckleball against the Houston Astros...

Yeah... it was a long first inning...


Four passed balls later, Lavarnway would redeem himself...
He hit a two-run double in the fifth as the Sox would win 15-10

Big Papi Goes 4-For-4, Talks To The Phone

((HT: NESN))

The best revenge when something goes wrong is to make it right by yourself...

David Ortiz comes back from his phone assault with a 4-for-4 day with action that included a home run...

And he also had a renewal with the dugout phone...