KKKKKKKKKKKKKK's for C.C. and Other Fantasy News

I went to the Mariners-Yankees game last night and watched C.C. Sabathia strike out 14 batters. I also watched the grounds crew roll out their giant silver rain tarp twice.

C.C. was perfect through six. Then, Brendan Ryan singled in the seventh inning. You can see the bizarre mustache he's wearing in his scoreboard mugshot from across the stadium.

I was pretty sure it was a computer generated practical joke until I saw this photograph this morning:

So, the mustache is real hair. That doesn't mean it's not a joke. When I heard Ryan announced in the seventh inning, I yelled "Who is that? He's not even famous!" Did I jinx C.C.'s perfect game? We learned about this during our Greek Tragedy unit in high school. The Yankees still won, so I guess the universe wasn't that offended by my comment.

In other happy news, Doug Fister didn't get shelled. Three runs and five strikeouts in seven innings. He's also not bad looking. All three of these sentences are relevant to my Dynasty Keeper Fantasy Team, which has been clinging to an ever shrinking first place lead for a few weeks now (in points, not attractiveness).

Given the tenuousness of my position, I agreed to a major trade this weekend, sending Elvis Andrus to another Chelsea-based Fantasy Baseball team. I never really wanted Andrus, but got stuck with him when I overestimated his value during our draft. In fact, aside from B.J. Upton and Jonathan Papelbon, I can't think of many players that I like less. Good riddance, Elvis Andrus.

Luckily, I have this guy Derek Jeter at SS. He'll be worth the
$30+ I spent on him for the next ten years, right?

Here's who I got in return:

Aaron Hill from the Blue Jays

Houston Street from the Rockies

Heath Bell from the Padres (for now)

Heath Bell famously lost 25-pounds by playing Wii Fit in the off season. You can read more about that here and here.

People love using the internet to read about other people's hair.

Eric Hosmer has only been in the big leagues for 74 days, but he's already gone deep into the world of professional sports hairstyles. He reminds me of Ian Kinsler, who made my Top Ten back in 2009. I'm not sure if either Hosmer or Kinsler would make the list now (I'll make one soon, I promise), but I do really like how they both always seem to be in the middle of thinking up mean nicknames for their teammates.


Cole Hamels is back to getting flattened by the Mets and having facial stubble. I wonder if he gets too tired to shave or if he just likes trying new looks.

I don't have any other hair information, so here are two funny photos I found in the Yahoo! MLB Photo Gallery:

Top: Adam Jones, Nice Dive
Bottom: I love seeing things like this.

If these photos aren't satisfying to you, please continue to read about baseball mustaches, here.

Cole Hamels in Arizona

It's the All-Star Game, the night when people in different uniforms all play at the same time. Cole Hamels made the National League team but didn't pitch. What did he do in Arizona? Well, this for one thing:

I also read on his Twitter that there was a scorpion in his hotel room. Arizona is a dangerous place. The National League won the game again this year, so it's officially time to start worrying about seeing the Phillies in the World Series.

This is another photo I found on Twitter. I love that these mascots all traveled to support their All-Stars and that that mysterious magenta thing is standing next to the Phillie Phanatic. They are obviously cousins.

Home Run Derby

Other than dropping something off of the top of this building, it's hard to imagine making any object travel 472 feet. Robbie Cano did it tonight. Prince Fielder did it too, plus two feet more. I have a few different photos saved on my desk top as "Cool-Fielder.jpg." He's that cool...look at him!

There were a lot of good smiles present at the Derby, but these are my two favorite:

I've seen this glove pose before and I find it almost as cute as Matt Kemp does, but Robbie Cano has the best smile in baseball, hands/gloves/whatever down. And he hit the most home runs, tying Adrian Gonzalez by hitting 20 in the first two rounds combined, then hitting 12 to win in the final round.


I read on Yahoo! Answers that hitters get to choose their pitchers. Robbie chose his dad, Jose Cano. David Ortiz also chose Robbie's dad.

Congratulations, Robbie!!! What a week for the Yankees. Are we going to win the World Series?

Derek Jeter: 3,000

Congratulations, Derek Jeter.

Unbelievable!

The Last of My Thoughts on Derek Jeter for the Evening

I just spent the last 4 1/2 hours hand-writing and then typing a 5-page essay about seeing Derek Jeter play with the Trenton Thunder on Saturday night. Maybe after I edit it, I'll post it here and the entire blog will be filled with words. In the meantime, here's a photo of him from his second rehab start this afternoon.

I strongly doubt that Derek Jeter's the kind of person who thinks, "I have to wear that?" I think that he would especially never think this about any kind of patriotic uniform, because Derek Jeter is the definition of a model citizen (or at least one definition of it). So, Happy Independence Day. Go ahead and wear your flag t-shirts and embroidered blue jean cutoffs. Derek Jeter doesn't mind and I guess I don't either.