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The 6 Best MLB Moments From Sunday

Dingers, Heaters, Errors and Crazy Mascots. Ah, baseball!

Benjamin Haller
Best MLB Moments 4/11/2022

During the dark days of the offseason, I sometimes wondered if I would even get to write this article every Sunday in 2022. Luckily, things panned out and I sit here writing this with a smile on my face and baseball on my mind. The first weekend of the Major League Baseball season has been nothing short of electrifying. From the hyped prospects to the wily veterans, baseball is back and our world is better for it. Let’s dive in to Sunday’s action…

 

Big Names, Big Dingers

 

After the CBA was finally agreed, all the hype turned to where the big names would sign. Three of the biggest acquisitions – Carlos Correa, Seiya Suzuki, and Matt Olson – all announced themselves on a super Sunday with huge long balls. Correa kicks things off with this monster homer into the third deck at Target Field. Wowzers!

 

Meanwhile in Chicago, with his family watching the latest Japanese sensation to endear himself to MLB, Seiya Suzuki launched a first-inning three-run blast into the jubilant crowd at Wrigley Field. He already understands the love for the bat flip. Burabō, Mr. Suzuki!

 

And, for the World Champion fans in Atlanta, the most eagerly awaited home run of the season materialized in emphatic fashion just a day after the team unveiled their glittery championship rings to their adoring public. Matt Olson, the former Oakland A’s superstar, has been handed the baton previously entrusted to Freddie Freeman at first base, and he settled everyone’s doubts by doing what he does best – handsomely dispatching pitches into the seats.

 

Savour the moment.

 

Don’t Forget About Us…

 

The new names might hog the headlines, but hype is temporary. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Nelson Cruz reminded us all that they can and will still rake at every opportunity, and that records are there to be broken. Vlad slugged his hardest hit home run of his career against the Rangers in Texas.

 

How hard, do you ask?

 

While at Nationals Park, Cruz helped his new team avoid the sweep against the upstart Mets by launching his 450th career home run.

 

Remarkably, it was Cruz’s 385th homer since turning 30, tying Jim Thome for 5th-most after that age. Only Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth, Rafael Palmeiro, and Hank Aaron have hit more after turning 30. Cruz is the peak version of a worthy veteran. He also did it wearing those delicious City Connect cherry blossom uniforms.

 

Young Stars, Balling Out

 

It was another brilliant day for some of the young prospects across MLB to showcase what they will bring to the future of the game. The headliner was the Cincinnati Reds‘ former-first round pick Hunter Greene, who made a memorable first Major League start by grabbing the win after an impressive stat line.

 

And, yes he was on fire!

 

Elsewhere, Jo Adell starred in the outfield for the Angels with this phenomenal catch to save at least a couple of runs and keep his team within a shout late in the game. Battling the low sun in Anaheim, the highly-rated prospect showed why his glove could be the talk of the town for years to come.

 

Not to be outdone, Jazz Chisholm Jr. tipped his cap to the great plays of the day by flying like a Marlin to snag this line drive in Miami’s narrow defeat to the Giants.

 

And finally, new Oakland Athletics outfielder Cristian Pache announced himself with some speedy and smart base-running in the A’s first win of the season in Philadelphia. Don’t sleep on the young gun in Oakland. That kid has infectious energy.

https://gfycat.com/villainousnervouscassowary

 

Sunday Night Baseball is…great?

 

ESPN’s flagship Sunday Night Baseball unveiled a new lineup in the booth and it was a hit. The crew of play-by-play announcer Karl Ravech, David Cone and Eduardo Perez brought joy back to our screens on a Sunday night and I for one am thankful for it. They were helped out by an entertaining showdown between the Red Sox and the Yankees at Yankee Stadium that also featured Kiké Hernández mic’d up and dropping gems.

 

It seems like we now have a fun game of “nominate next up on the mic” amongst players for next time around. This could get interesting, hey Ozzie Albies?

 

Probably the funniest moment was Bobby Dalbec making a mockery of the the new PitchCom technology by slugging a homer during the crew’s segment on how the device works and how it can help catchers to communicate the right sequence to their pitchers. Ironic!

 

Technology responded in unity by impacting instant revenge on the Red Sox slugger via live closed captioning!

https://twitter.com/KevinDLC50/status/1513327474620485641

 

Blooper Reel

 

Always…always protect your beverage!

 

You remember the scene in Moneyball when Billy Beane asks for an opposing GM to pay for his soda in the clubrooms? Well, looks like Rays GM Peter Bendix will need to look for someone to pay for his team’s logos on their equipment this year. The cheap stickers aint working according to Ji-Man Choi.

 

And speaking of faulty equipment, are the handles just screw-on now Corey Seager?

 

Mascot Wars: Part 1

 

A joyous part of the baseball season is the developing rivalries between the teams mascots throughout the year. It looks like we will have a few new characters in this season’s proceedings. Let’s hear your best names for these two…

 

This may get a little out of hand, however, if these scenes from the NPB are to be believed. New Japan Pro-Wrestling superstar Jushin Thunder Liger got into it after his ceremonial first pitch.

 

Featured Image Photo by Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns of Twitter)

Benjamin Haller

A Yorkshireman living in Australia, loving Major League Baseball from afar. As I wait for my A's to build their new stadium, I spend my time coaching soccer, writing for sportbc.blog, and over-analyzing relief pitcher scoring in fantasy baseball. Follow me @benjaminhaller1 for thousands of retweets

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