This NL West Rivalry is Getting Out of Hand!
Baseball memorabilia can be expensive. Remember when Marc Ecko bought Barry Bonds‘ record-breaking 756th HR for $750,000 and marked it with an asterisk?
One fan in the first row of the Giants vs. Dodgers game had $$$ on her mind when Trea Turner’s bat flew over and almost found its way into the stands.
The fan tried taking Trea Turner's bat 😂 pic.twitter.com/DQ3rVrbDbE
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 4, 2021
She may have tried to play it off when Turner got closer, but I gotta respect the effort.
https://gfycat.com/consciousconsciousfirecrest
Now, what could she have gotten in exchange for that bat? Well, a Turner game-used bat is listed for $800 on eBay, and a previous one sold for $782 in auction, so I think $800 is a fair estimate. You could buy: 32 pounds of Lena Blackburne rubbing mud, 114 Trea Turner coozies, and 1,500 servings of instant ramen.
That’s a lot of ramen.
Rizzo Shows Stanton His Mean Uppercut
Giancarlo Stanton has a reputation for fragility. Many fans expected multiple IL trips for Stanton, especially when he started regularly playing in the OF again. But to the surprise of many, Stanton has stayed healthy and slugging.
Yesterday, the man who’s been mashing a 186 wRC+ since the beginning of August came in clutch again, knocking a home run and walk-off single in the Yanks’ 4-3 win over the Orioles. It seems like Anthony Rizzo doesn’t believe that Stanton is made of glass. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be throwing body shot after body shot to the man who can’t be stopped.
Rizzo throwing punches pic.twitter.com/6OiMJk3Z2g
— Jomboy (@Jomboy_) September 4, 2021
The nervous Yankee fan in myself is dreading the announcement of a 10-day IL stint for Stanton with sore obliques.
Antonio Senzatela Has Some Dirty, Dirty Tricks
We are months into the regular sticky substance checks, and so far it’s played out pretty well. Just two pitchers (Hector Santiago and Caleb Smith) have gotten caught and suspended. Other players, like James Karinchak, may gladly swap a suspension for a return to form.
The pitchers are still able to joke around with the umpires even with the regular full-body pat-downs. Just look at Antonio Senzatela and umpire Ed Hickox.
https://gfycat.com/thornymasculineemperorshrimp
Senzatela’s face is that of pure child-like mischievousness.
Oof, That Was Ruf
The Giants do not have a good history when it comes to baserunning.
What am I talking about? Look no further than Rubén Rivera, who showcased arguably the worst baserunning of all time.
Darin Ruf luckily avoided looking that foolish. But he still looked a bit goofy as he crawled his way back to first with Albert Pujols standing on guard.
Absolutely Ruf base running 😂 pic.twitter.com/iNJvrz3QTR
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 4, 2021
There’s Something Special in the Cards’ Clubhouse
Since the mid-2000s, there have been a couple of constants in baseball, from the never-ending banging of Joey Votto to the ageless battery of Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright.
On Friday, the two lifelong Cardinals made their 300th start together. Just how historic is that? Only three duos have started more games than Molina and Wainwright.
.@UncleCharlie50 and Yadier Molina have been one of the most consistent batteries in the history of baseball.
Tonight, they pair up for the 300th time in their careers. pic.twitter.com/5CbZQpfgt9
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) September 3, 2021
Both players made the most of this historic day, with Wainwright going 6.1 IP with 2 R (1 earned), 4 H, 3 BB, and 4 K + 1-for-3 at the plate with an RBI. By the way, Molina also hit a grand slam.
There must be a fountain of youth in the Cardinals clubhouse. Wait a second, they do have someone named Ponce de León…
Molina already signed a contract, stating he will retire after next season. If Wainwright were to come back for one more year, there is a chance that they could set the all-time record for starts together. Who knows if we would ever see that record broken…
Friday’s Face of the Day
Happy Saturday! Here’s baseball’s winner for the semi-regular award (that I may have just made up): “Friday’s Face of the Day.”
— Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) September 3, 2021
Congratulations Alec Mills!
Photo by Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns of Twitter)