Royals, Extras, No Problem...

((HT: MLB.com))

The HQ thinks that if the Kansas City Royals are allowed to hang around long enough, they'll come back and get you when you least expect it.

It happened for the second game in a row, but this time it was in the first game of the American League Division Series in Anaheim against the Angels in Anaheim.

Mike Moustakas did the damage in the 11th inning last night.


But to say it was just the Moustakas homer is a bit of a short sell to the defense of Lorenzo Cain and Nori Aoki
Four times in the game they saved Jason Vargas and Mark Davis


Four games on Friday getting in all their efforts before college football goes center stage- and the Angels have to be concerned about the possibility of having more than one game stolen from them.

ICYMI: Miss Texas With Worst 1st Pitch Ever This Month

((ht: mlb.com))

Okay, so we are starting to wonder if maybe there should be some sort of test given to people before they allow someone to throw out the 1st pitch at a baseball game.

And yeah, we get it, most people aren't great athletes and throwing a strike from 60 feet, 6 inches distance isn't as easy as you think.

But the spate of scary and sometimes funny 1st pitches continues. And yes, we suppose it does keep providing sites like ours fresh material.

Check out what happened Friday night when Miss Texas, Monique Evans, made the ceremonial attempt at the Texas Rangers/LA Angels game.

We're trying really hard not to laugh as she kind of rolls the ball in the general direction of home plate.

But alas, the crown stayed on and the smile never left her face--

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:

The Confidence Of Fernando Rodney Backfires

((HT: MLB.com))

When Mariners closer Fernando Rodney does well, he pulls out an arrow from his quiver and sends a shot into the air celebrating his closing...

Only problem... when you pitch more than an inning, this can happen if you don't keep it up


Boom...

Karma...

Mike Trout Hit The Ball Really Far

((HT: MLB.com))

Do not throw a 90-mile-per-hour fastball to Mike Trout or this will happen...


Longest home run of the year to date...

And a bad idea for any starting pitcher

Cespedes Has An Arm, By The Way...

((HT: MLB.com))

In one of the funnier round-robin retributions in recent memory in Major League Baseball, the A's and Angels did it again last night...

Mike Trout robbed Yoenis Cespedes of a home run.
Coco Crisp robbed Josh Hamilton of a home run.
And Cespedes decided to remind us all of the gun he has in left...

Thanks to Albert Pujols


Lesson here... Don't mess with Cespedes...

Laz Diaz Loves Him Some Laz Diaz

((HT: MLB/YES))

The Angels and the Yankees played a baseball game last night...

But the center of the game's universe seemed to be home plate umpire Laz Diaz- who loves him some Laz Diaz...
Especially if you question a balls and strikes call- or a lot of them...

Here's the call from Michael Kay


And ask Joe Girardi


Ah... umpires...

Pujols Joins 500HR Club

((HT: MLB.com))

Here's 499 for starters this evening against the Washington Nationals...


He would then hit 500 later in the game and become the first player to hit both HR's 499 and 500 in the same game...

More stats:

Pujols has the fourth highest career batting average in the 500 HR club behind Ted Williams, Babe Ruth and Jimmie Foxx
He is the 4th player to hit 500 HR within first 14 seasons of career joining McGwire, A-Rod, and Willie Mays
Pujols, at the age of 34, is the 3rd youngest to reach 500 home runs, trailing Alex Rodriguez and Jimmie Foxx- both were 32
Pujols also hit his 400th at Nats Park off Jordan Zimmerman

Interesting Night For Angels: Game-Winner Plus A Nasty Injury

((HT: ESPN/MLB/AP))

Any LA Angels fan can tell you that the signing of Mike Trout to the contract the team did was a steal...

Opening night was a celebration as Trout got the game-winning hit (not a "walk-off" since there was no walking involved), and Vlad Guerrero signed a one-game contract to retire as an Angel...

But the ceremony was the most shocking part of the evening where it was supposed to be a celebration- and it went wrong.


Baylor broke his leg- which, understandably, is brittle because of his fight with bone marrow cancer. Baylor has been a big, public presence in and around those fighting the battle along with him...

And we only hope that one of the best hitters in the game will be back at it soon...

Vin Scully Does Earthquake Play-by-Play: And It Was Awesome

((ht: sportingnews.com))

There are few things in the world more enjoyable than listening to a broadcasting legend call a baseball game. And Friday night, one of those legends, Los Angeles Dodgers voice, Vin Scully, was doing just that.

Scully was calling an exhibition game between the Dodgers and the Angels when a fairly strong, 5.1 earthquake shook Chavez Ravine (home of the Dodgers).

True pro, Scully's tone and voice never changed, he just described it as a tremor and wondered aloud if anyone else had felt it.

"A tremor and only a tremor"

The great ones never panic and try their hardest to make sure nobody else does either.

Listen to Vin Scully call an earthquake: (thanks MLB.com)

Hi, I'm Albert! And I'm Grover! Pujols Appears On Sesame Street

((HT: Sesame Street their own selves))

The HQ really isn't going to comment on this...
You just have to watch for the educational and entertainment value...


Told you...

Where'd That Sniper Come From, CJ...?

((HT: FS Rays/MLB))

CJ Wilson didn't quite make it to the mound last night in Tampa as the Rays and Angels squared off...


Right on the seam...

Wilson took a no decision against the Rays, surrendering three earned in five innings in the Angels 6-5 win.

And he took to the Twitter to respond:

Anyone figure out where that sniper was? #gotheem

Jack Clark Fired Over Albert Pujols Steroid Allegations

((stltoday.com))

Okay...

Former St. Louis Cardinal player and now former St. Louis radio host Jack Clark was taken off the air after making allegations that former Cardinal and current Los Angeles Angel Albert Pujols took steroids.

The allegations appear to not be new. Clark appears to have made the references over several years before repeating them on the radio during his new radio shows first week.

He attributes the allegations to a former trainer of Pujols who he says told him that Pujols had been "Shot Up" multiple times.

Pujols for his part was tired of the allegations. So he made it public that he was going to file suit against Clark and his employer, WGNU Radio.

WGNU relieved Clark of his duties early Saturday morning.

You can read a detailed report of the back story from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch RIGHT HERE

Why Clark continued and apparently continues to make the steroid allegations is unclear. However Pujols has never, to public knowledge, ever been considered a potential steroid user.

The whole thing sounds like some sort of beef between the two guys. In fact, you could make the argument Clark was trying to drum up ratings for his fledgling radio show which just launched August 1st.

Either way, the public dispute hasn't abated as Clark and the former trainer have been on TV telling their side of the story. The trainer, Chris Mihlfield denies ever saying it. Clark says he "Knows for a fact" Mihfield told him it was true.

---sigh---alb

Here's TJ Quinn discussing...
((HT: ESPN))

Baseball Surgeon to the Stars Lewis Yocum Passes Away

((ht: @angels))

No, he's not Dr. Frank Jobe, orthopedist to all things sports the man who invented "Tommy John" surgery, but Dr. Lewis Yocum was his protege and learned at his side.

Yocum, the team doctor for the Los Angeles Angels passed away Tuesday. The Angels posted the following on their Twitter feed: The Angels family and MLB have lost one of baseball's finest gentlemen and truly outstanding professionals with the passing of Dr. Lewis Yocum.

The good doctor is well known
for performing the elbow based surgery on pitchers like Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals and for patching up Roy Halliday's elbow remnants. In fact the list of baseball players Yocum helped repair, rebuild or re-imagine is far lengthier than we could put in this column.

Yes, it's rare that a doctor is mentioned as someone noteworthy in Sports, but considering how many athletes Yocum helped get back to the top of their game, he's worthy of mention here.

He will be missed.

Mike Trout Has Another First...

((HT: MLB/FS West))

He's the first player born in the 1990's to hit for the cycle...
5 RBI and his first cycle... at the age of 21...

Enjoy...

Umps Boof Pitching Change In Astros-Angels Game

((HT: CSN Houston/MLB))

If things couldn't get any worse for the pee-ahr of umpires these days, we now have this...

In the Angels-Astros game, manager Bo Porter wanted the pitcher who came in to the game, Wesley Wright, to stop throwing warm up pitches after he entered the game. Porter wanted to bring in Hector Ambriz when the Angels switched pinch-hitters in the on-deck circle.

The rule that applies is that Wright had to face a batter since he entered...

Mike Scioscia was hot about the pitching change and thought the rule was applied incorrectly and played the rest of the game under protest. Fortunately, for the halos, they score three runs and came from behind to win 6-5...

Here's the fiasco...


Crew chief Fieldin Culbreth had the sum total of a sentence to address the situation...

"Well, the only thing I can tell you is that all matters concerning protests are handled through the league office," he said.

Nice dodge...

ICYMI: 19 Inning A's/Angels Game Ends on Walk-Off

If you have to finish a 6-hour baseball game, well, what better way to finish it than with a 2-run, walk-off home run.

That's what happened early this morning when Brandon Moss of the Oakland A's hit the aforementioned home run, leading the A's to a 10-8, 19 inning win over the Los Angeles Angels.

The game finished at 1:41 a.m Pacific Time, or 4:41 a.m to those on the East Coast.

Rather than engage in hyperbole, let's just show you the game winner (Thanks MLB.com)

ICYMI: Ump Greg Gibson takes cleat to face

Yikes!

It hasn't been a good last couple of months form Major League Baseball umpire Greg Gibson.

In July, Gibson gained a measure of fame by receiving a Stephen Strasburg fastball to the "Nuts". Yes, the catcher missed it.

Now he's been cleated.

During Wednesday nights L.A Angels vs. Cleveland Indians game, Gibson was involved in a close play at the plate. The Angels' Tori Hunter was trying to score on a long base hit off the right field wall. Hunter hesitates, but then tries to score from third. The relay goes to catcher Carlos Santana who tries to tag a sliding Hunter. Hunter bellyflops and kicks his feet to the side.

That's where they meet Gibson's face.

Yes, he had to leave the game with a laceration. He'll be okay, just sore. And rapidly gaining status as an internet bloggers favorite.

Here's your video.

Thanks MLB.com:

Not a bad catch by Mike Trout (Wow!)

In case any of you baseball fans haven't seen or heard of Mike Trout of the LA Angels, you should get familiar with him.

The other "Young Gun" rookie this year is arguably better than the more hyped Bryce Harper of Washington.

Check out the 20-year old commit what only can be called "Baseball Robbery" against Baltimore's J.J Hardy.

Thanks MLB.com for actually allowing us to embed a clip...

Jered Weaver Throws A No-No, Goes Pee-Pee

((HT: FSWest/youtube))

Here's the 9th inning...


Short of a walk and a runner allowed on a dropped third strike, the effort was close to perfect...

But the best part was the interview with MLB Network's Harold Reynolds...
Weaver divulged something a lot of guys understand, but really isn't for public knowledge...