8:00 PM CSN Baltimore has video of Marcus Smith, a U.S. soldier who dressed as a minor league umpire to surprise his children at a Bowie Baysox game with a home visit from Afghanistan.
7:45 PM A Japanese Harley-Davidson motorcycle that was swept out to sea during last year's tsunami washed up on a shore in British Columbia last month. The bike's owner asked that the motorcycle be displayed at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee as a memorial to the tsunami victims.
7:30 PM Buffalo Bills receiver David Clowneytweeted the results of his HIV test which came back negative. And to the critics of his decision to share his results, Clowney added: "Some people are Ridiculously stupid ... And can't see the bigger picture about things that are important in this world."
I bet you thought when it came to Vikings and illegal activity, Minnesota and its sex cruise would stand alone. You thought wrong. Members of the Jamestown (NY) Vikings, a Mid-Atlantic Hockey League team, went on a rampage after finding out the league was going belly-up.
After the league announced the season was canceled, some Vikings decided their next course of action shouldn’t be looking over the job ads, but to cause “at least $25,000″ worth of damage to the historic Vikings Lodge. I’m not sure if the building’s name is coincidence or if the players were looking for an ironic target for their rage. Read more…
With Topps & Upper Deck coming out with humorous baseball cards, MORE HARDBALL unwraps some chucklers of their own. For instance, here’s the collectible card of minor leaguer Rodney Craig, who looks like he was having some high times with the Charleston Charlies:
It appears Rod was snapped right after hanging out with his batting buddy:
MINOR LEAGUE NEWS recently scoured the minors, looking for the next big thing. A baseball prospect will a mighty swing? A hoopster with great court skills?
No - a hometown honey who can shake their money makers to major delight.
MLN hopped on the bus and traveled to many Civic Centers, Veterans Parks and Memorial Arenas. At the end of their tour, they called up their selections of the hottest cheerleaders root, root, rooting for the home team.
A former minor league baseball player says that steroids ruined his chances at a profitable pro career. Not because he took any performance-enhancing drugs, but because other players did:
The NEW YORK DAILY NEWS reports that Rich Hartmann may file a class-action suit against Major League Baseball, claiming that steroid use gave some players an unfair advantage of getting a big-league gig.
Hartmann was a pitching prospect in the St. Louis Cardinals organization in the mid-1990s, but now serves as a manager at a Manhattan bank. But he feels that drug use by others could have cost him a shot at counting millions of his own money, instead of balancing the bills of other customers.
The ASSOCIATED PRESS reports that the minor league owner known for bizarre promotions will be teaching a graduate marketing course at The Citadel.
Veeck, whose business motto is “Fun is Good”, is part of a group that runs the nearby Charleston Riverdogs. During his tenure, he’s come up with such promotions as Nobody Night. On that evening, fans were locked out of the ballpark in order to set a new record for lowest-ever attendance.
Veeck also has a hand in running a couple of other clever minor league franchises: The St. Paul Saints, creators of the Michael Vick Dog Chew Toy giveaway; and the Ft. Myers Miracle, host of Billy Donovan Night, where fans were able to negotiate to get their ticket money back. The event was held in honor of Donovan’s brief flirtation with the Orlando Magic.
But Veeck is probably best known for organizing Disco Demolition Night - the 1979 White Sox promotion that resulted in on-field riots and a game forfeit.
Hope the Citadel’s classrooms have their albums locked up tight.
TO THINK WE THOUGHT C. WEIS WAS ALONE IN HIS DISDAIN The ALLENTOWN MORNING CALL reports a local minor league team called the Lehigh Valley IronPigs “announced it is replacing the winning entry in its ‘Name the Mascot’ contest from PorkChop to Ferrous.”
“The team said it switched the name when it was brought to its attention that the name PorkChop could potentially be offensive to members of the community. IronPigs General Manager Kurt Landes said he received a handful of e-mails and phone calls last night from people in the Latino community who called the name derogatory.“We’re like you, we thought this might be related to orthodox Jewish folks, or possibly the local Muslim population, but no, the protest came from a “handful” of Puerto Ricans living in the area.
But after reading the story, it appears that it was one man - and his family - who lead to the change: “Guillermo Lopez, a former Bethlehem Steel employee, said he was called pork chop when a co-worker wished to be insulting, particularly in his early days with the company 35 years ago.”
Oh yeah, Lopez also happens to be the vice president of something called the Latino Leadership Alliance. We’re sure that had nothing to do with the flaccid reaction of the minor league team GM (who shall remain nameless, in the interest of his safety from the unruly, onrushing Puerto Rican mobs).Well thank god Lopez straightened out the team. Now it’s on to every Waffle House menu in the Lehigh Valley! Onward!
Stern: “Harlem represents a basketball tradition that for decades and decades and decades has given the NBA so many players.”Yes, it is an intriguing consideration, and seems to be a great idea all around. Except, as Stern points out, “The Knicks are all over the idea. It’s a great cultural tie-in.”
Cultural tie-in? If that’s the case with Isiah Thomas, then someone ought to considering breaking the tie.
CASPER GHOSTS READY TO HAUNT BALLPARKS NEXT YEAR: Wyoming’s only minor league baseball team hopes to scare up more business with a new name - the Casper Ghosts:
The JACKSON HOLE STAR TRIBUNE reports that the former Casper Rockies were looking for a new identity and, more importantly, new ways to sell more merchandise.With the ghoulish new name comes frightening marketing opportunities. The brightest idea from the Ghosts is the plan to wear & sell glow-in-the-dark caps. That’s sure to save money on lights during night games.
Team owner Kevin Haughian wanted to introduce the Ghosts name as early as 2000, when the team relocated from Butte, MT. But, then-Colorado CEO Jerry McMorris wanted all Rockies affiliates to share the same name as the parent club.
Now that Jerry’s jettisoned, the Casper Ghosts can follow in the fun footsteps of such other minor-league monikers like the Montgomery Biscuits and Modesto Nuts.
As far as copyright issues, the team has worked out a deal with Classic Media, the company that owns the rights to “Casper the Friendly Ghost”, to ensure some scary nights ahead at Mike Lansing Field.Sounds like a Halloween prank? The team’s official website spooks the truth.
The change from Casper Rockies to Casper Ghosts will certainly generate more attention, and more calls to the souvenir shop. Besides, who wants to be associated with a bunch of losers?
MINOR LEAGUE GIVEAWAY TELLS VICK TO CHEW ON THIS: Always ones to hound on current events, the St. Paul Saints will soon be giving away a Michael Vick dog chew toy:
The idea came from Vick’s recent indictment on dogfighting charges and the ensuing public backlash. The toys will have the colors of the Atlanta Falcons and include Vick’s number 7. The Saints’ director of media relations explained, “It’s a way for our fans to let their dogs get back at Michael Vick.”
The promotion comes on the heels of the Long Beach Armada’s “Michael Vick Animal Awareness Day.” Originally, Vick jerseys and shirts were to be collected and cast into a post-game bonfire. But citing “logistics concerns”, Vick apparel was used instead as pooper scoopers for the free canine attendees.
The dog toy is just one more example of the Saints’ holy attitude towards God’s creatures. In fact, the team has a pig on the payroll, who delivers new baseballs to the umps.
But it’s doubtful that Garrison Squealor would enjoy doing the same job delivering footballs for the Vikings. Those pigskins might be someone he knows.
