On Monday night, Major League Baseball and TBS had another blatant slip up in censorship…and for that we are forever grateful.  Over the weekend it was the entire Texas Rangers team cursing with excitement after a game-changing Michael Young home run; on Sunday night it was a leaping Tim Lincecum, rejoicing after Brooks Conrad’s third error of the game.

Tonight, it was the Atlanta Braves Game 4 starting pitcher, Derek Lowe, that joined a growing list of players that have been heard(and observed) dropping a crisp “F-Bomb” during the 2010 postseason.

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First off, I’d like to issue a genuine thank you to Major League Baseball for not even considering that players might be swearing in the dugout after a game-changing play.  Over the weekend, I witnessed two incredibly audible, profanity filled moments in the dugout –one after Michael Young’s 3-R HR and the other after Brooks Conrad’s 3rd error– that made me wonder who the crack squad of geniuses working in the MLB production room really are, and what in the hell they are actually doing in there.  Clearly they are not screening any of the replays before airing them, and they are definitely not adjusting to the hyper-sensitive mics near the dugout.

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After six long months and 162 grueling games (not including spring training) the Major League Baseball playoffs are finally once again upon us. The competition has been whittled away to the cream of the crop and now only the guys who have strung together enough consistency, heart, and luck over the last half year are facing off head to head. Only one more month watching baseball and then it’s on to basketball season and things have already gotten off to a hot start.

First of all, big ups to Philadelphia Philly Roy Halladay. The guy hurled his second no hitter of the season and the first playoff no-no since Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series. Mercenary ace Cliff Lee also showed up and did his thing in game one for the Rangers against Tampa Bay. Lee gave up only one run in seven innings and struck out ten batters. These were then followed up on Thursday night with Tim Lincecum’s two hit, fourteen K performance in the Giants opening game against the NL wild card Atlanta Braves. Viva la smallball!

Continue Reading ‘Great Pitching Dominates the Start of the MLB Playoffs’>>

While it is hardly early for this sort of piece considering the 2010 draft took place over a month ago, I think it is time the Sombrero begins investigating some of the guys in 2011’s class.  This first piece will examine the top three collegiate arms and the top collegiate hitter.  They are all potential franchise guys with an enormous upside and the polish that first-round draft picks are expected to showcase.  These guys are not typical, though.  The hitter, and consensus top talent available, is 3^rd Baseman Anthony Rendon of Rice, recipient of the Dick Howser Trophy and BA’s College POY.  The arms are UCLA’s Garret Cole, UT’s Taylor Jungmann, and TCU’s Matt Purke.  None of these guys should be taken outside of the first 10 picks, and none of them spend a lot of the game under 94 mph.  None of them had an ERA over 3.40, and they all possess at least one 60 or above secondary offering.  They are exceptional.

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As I eluded to in Part I, the second installment of, “The Best Baseball Commercials,” is dedicated to my favorite baseball, video game commercials. The first baseball game that I remember becoming totally obsessed with was ‘Sports Talk Baseball’ for Sega Genesis. I know that Rob possesses a similar endless love for this game, considering we spent most of the summer of 2008 barricaded inside, playing it non-stop while screaming at each other. Since ‘Sports Talk’ burst onto the scene in 1991, I think that it’s fair to say that the quality of baseball games has improved, a lot. As games have become more complex and sophisticated, the marketing has followed suit by producing witty commercials starring some of baseball’s most popular players. The genuine quirkiness of each player gives the lasting impression that they are having a blast, and proud to be a part of it. Each commercial is a constant reminder that major league baseball players are human.

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