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The 7 Best MLB Moments from Tuesday

Is it just me, or is it sticky in here?

Wynn McDonald
Best MLB Moments 6/16/2021

Sticky stuff. Sticky stuff! Stih-key-stuff. Have you heard it enough yet?

With MLB’s new enforcement policy for a ban on foreign substances dropping Tuesday morning, the baseball world has become thoroughly stuck on one topic. A mid-season rule change that subjects half of the sport’s pitchers to 10-game suspensions just for using a little sunscreen? What a mess.

The responses from MLB players have come in hot, with reactions ranging from eye rolls to anger at MLB’s abrupt handling of the situation, like Tyler Glasnow’s rant saying the change contributed to his injury. Trevor Bauer made his feelings clear with a little science experiment:

Then there was Jake Diekman, who summed up the same point in decidedly fewer characters:

Everyone has their opinion, but surely they can agree on one thing. We couldn’t have come up with any better phrase than “sticky stuff?” That’s the best we can do? Just be a little more specific. I’m begging you. Sticky stuff is the floor of a $5 movie theater, not pine tar. It’s the magically perpetual state of a kindergartener’s cheeks, not tack from a band-aid. It’s the unidentifiable substance at the bottom of the cup holder in my car, not freaking sunscreen.

(Yeah, I should probably clean that out. It’s starting to smell.)

At any rate, after a long and tiring afternoon full of sticky discourse, the playing of actual baseball came as a relief. Here are the five best moments from those games, starting with some old faces bringing the heat.

Like Old Times

It was a big night for Dodger fans, as the team welcomed back its faithful at 100% capacity in Dodger Stadium for the first time in two years. And who better to celebrate being back at the ballpark with 56,000 of your closest friends than Vin Scully?

The Dodgers would go on to win 5-3 over the Phillies with the help of a three-hit game from Mookie Betts. But it was the older generation who stole the show, thanks to Scully’s rousing call and this impressive play from known octogenarian Albert Pujols:

Respect your elders, kids. They were young once too.

It is Your Birthday.

Speaking of elders, I firmly believe Dusty Baker doesn’t get enough credit. A Major League Baseball manager in his 70s, leading a winning team, and he doesn’t throw his own players under the bus for having fun either. Imagine that!

Ol’ Dusty turned a cool 72 on Tuesday, which I’d imagine is past the point where you stop worrying about things like birthday presents. But he got a pretty nice one this year in the form of this José Altuve walk-off grand salami:

It was an exciting moment for the ‘Stros, and you better believe Altuve remembered the occasion:

However, Dusty’s wasn’t the only big league birthday yesterday. That’s right—happy 37th, Tim Lincecum! And also Dominic Smith, who got himself serenaded by all of Citi Field last night with a little help from Pete Alonso.

Alright, now who’s got the piñata?

Legends Come to Life

Tuesday morning, baseball-reference made the big announcement that it was expanding its pages to include significantly more stats and records from the Negro Leagues, which are at long last being recognized as Major Leagues. I loved everything about this move, but the perhaps the best result has been finding out just how good Negro League stars like Josh Gibson really were.

Here’s a few of those nuggets, courtesy of Jeremy Frank:

Then, of course, there’s the ever-growing legacy of Satchel Paige, as pointed out by Mike Petriello:

Still, what stats we have on players like Gibson are sorely limited, due partly to the inconsistency of Negro League records and mostly to the general disregard that was given to this integral part of baseball history for the last century or so. Hopefully, this is a step toward that changing.

Also, with the addition of these players to B-R’s database, we have a new retroactive “Mr. 20,000.” Congrats… Dustin Ackley?

Manny Being Manny

They say don’t meet your heroes, but it worked out alright for this kid. He went home with a game-worn pair of batting gloves from the guy whose name is on the back of his jersey, Manny Machado.

Tacky Advertising

You didn’t think I’d make it through this article without saying sticky stuff again, did you? If only. But I couldn’t ignore the irony of these ballpark ads given the current controversies swirling around the game. Here’s one from an eagle-eyed fan featuring the Yankee’s bullpen decor:

And another, perhaps worse sign in Boston, which was even observed by NESN:

Come on, guys. Read the room.

One Giant Comeback

A 7-0 deficit in the second inning? No big deal. Or at least not for the Giants, who completed their largest comeback in two years in last night’s 9-8 win over Arizona. The decisive blow was an absolute monster shot clear into McCovey Cove in San Francisco off the bat of one Mike Yastrzemski. Look at it, and be awed:

Now look at this picture of our hero postgame, and be just as awed:

There really is hope for us all.

Weight Room!

It’s a shame Yaz couldn’t have shared a few of the 395 feet he covered with that ball, because I know someone who could’ve used the help. That’d be Elvis Andrus, who just missed on home run no. 1 in 2021 on this swing. At least he knew what he was missing:

Personally, I don’t blame Elvis. I blame Shohei for doing this in the top of the same inning, flaunting 115 miles per hour off the bat in his face like it’s nothing. He makes it look too easy!

He is also scheduled to pitch on Thursday, if you were wondering. Doesn’t even have time for the weight room. Doesn’t need it, either. He’s just like that.

Happy Wednesday, folks. Your homework today is not saying the word “sticky” in reference to baseball. Use, like, literally any word in the English language that is not “sticky.” That’s all I ask.

Wynn McDonald

Born a Kentuckian, much like Dan Uggla. Braves fan by choice, unlike Dan Uggla. I enjoy long walks on the Brandon Beachy. @twynstagram

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