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Golden Sombrero: Miguel Olivo (No. 3)

Bottom 2: Miguel Olivo struck out swinging against Ivan Nova

Bottom 4: struck out swinging against Nova

Bottom 7: struck out swinging against Jamey Wright

Bottom 9: flew out to center against Rafael Soriano

Bottom 11: struck out swinging against Corey Wade

Final Line: 0-for-5, 4 K

Notes: Olivo recorded his third golden sombrero of the season in Wednesday night’s extra-inning game against the Yankees.  In his first sombrero, Olivo accomplished the feat while hitting cleanup for the Mariners.  This time around, the aging backstop did it out of the six-hole.  His second sombrero also came against the Yankees in late July, and he’s now tied with Adam Dunn, Kelly Johnson, Jayson Werth and Grady Sizemore for the league lead. And I wouldn’t rule out it happening again this season considering that his strikeout rate sits at 28%, which is above his career strikeout rate of 26.4%, and he’s already made the most plate appearances of his career.

Total 2011 Sombreros: 115



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Golden Sombrero: Kelly Johnson (No. 3)

 

Bottom 1: Kelly Johnson struck out swinging against Tim Wakefield

Bottom 3: struck out swinging against Wakefield

Bottom 6: struck out swinging against Franklin Morales

Bottom 7: grounded out to first against Daniel Bard

Bottom 8: struck out swinging against Matt Albers

Final Line: 0-for-5, 4 K

Notes: With players like Adam Dunn, Ryan Howard and Mark Reynolds playing nearly everyday—well, I guess not so much Dunn these days—it’s hard to believe that Kelly Johnson is now tied for the league lead in golden sombreros.  Tied with Adam Dunn and Grady Sizemore with three, Johnson’s latest achievement came against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night.  The second baseman’s strikeout rate sits at a career-high 27.6% and his OPS is down over 150-points.  And after this season, it’ll be interesting to see if Johnson will be factored into their long-term plan. (The same can be said regarding the Diamondbacks and Aaron Hill.)

Total 2011 Sombreros: 109



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2011′s 100th Golden Sombrero: Kelly Johnson (again)

Bottom 2: Kelly Johnson struck out swinging against David Price

Bottom 4: Johnson called out strikes against Price

Bottom 7: Johnson called out on strikes against Price

Bottom 9: Johnson struck out swinging against Cesar Ramos

Final Line: 0-for-4, 4 K

Notes: Johnson’s golden sombrero on Sunday was his second of the season, as he became the only player to accomplish the feat in both leagues.  Johnson and the Blue Jays collected three hits against David Price, who fanned a career-high 14 hitters over seven scoreless frames.

Total 2011 Sombreros: 100



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Golden Sombrero: Kelly Johnson

Top 1: Kelly Johnson struck out swinging against Javier Vazquez

Top 3: Johnson called out on strikes against Vazquez

Top 4: Johnson hit a three-run double to center against Vazquez

Top 6: Johnson struck out swinging against Brian Sanches

Top 8: Johnson struck out swinging against Edward Mujica

Final Line: 1-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI, 4 K

Notes: Johnson’s golden sombrero on Saturday might have been platinum had he not mixed in a bases-clearing double against Javy Vazquez.  Still, the free-swinging second baseman—who had raised his average to .221 entering Monday—became the first Diamondbacks’ player to join the club.  Normally that would not have been the case, but the Mark Reynolds trade really opened the door.

Total 2011 Sombreros: 40

Adam LaRoche pranks Kelly Johnson during Tuesday’s game

As I browsed through some tweets last night, I came across a story that was too funny not to pass along.  According to Steve Gilbert, the Arizona Diamondbacks beat writer for MLB.com, Adam LaRoche changed Kelly Johnson’s hitting music to prior to the start of Tuesday night’s game against the Padres.

As Johnson stepped to the plate in the first inning, “It’s Raining Men” was blasted throughout the stadium, much to the delight of his teammates.  The same thing happened as Johnson came to the plate for his second at-bat, which prompted Gilbert to predict that, “Payback certain to follow.”

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