Quote of the Week
“ Now that they’ve got me out of there, we’re taking off. ”
– Charlie Blackmon, injured Colorado Rockies outfielder on their winning streak
This Week in Baseball
Yo Adrian...
The Texas Rangers had a ceremony to retire Adrian Beltre’s number 29 jersey over the weekend. He had spent the last eight of his 21 major league seasons in Texas. Beltre is a sure-shot Hall of Famer who, in addition to his great offense and defense, was regarded as somewhat of a folk hero in Texas for his eccentricities. Beltre's is only the fourth jersey number the Texas Rangers have ever retired along with Nolan Ryan, Pudge Rodriguez and, of course, Chuck Norris.
Final Destination...
Welp! Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel finally signed contracts. When the off-season started, the two high-profile free agents seemed like they would each take in huge paydays from teams in a league desperate for pitching. Well, the Cubs and Braves (respectively) are finally desperate enough to sign them – like the last single guy and girl at the bar as the bartender announces "last call."
McOUCHen...
Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen’s season is over after he tore his ACL while caught in a pickle. He was playing in his first year for the Phillies, after signing a three-year $50 million deal in the offseason. Possibly the most expensive pickle the world has ever seen.
Rocker Like a Hurricane...
Vanderbilt was down 1-0 in the best-of-three Nashville Super Regional against Duke and sent ace pitcher Kumar Rocker to the mound. He responded with 19 strikeouts and a no-hitter, leading them to a 3-0 win. I can only hope that to celebrate they let Kumar go to White Castle.
Deez Nuts...
Mariners' Mitch Haniger was placed on the injured list with a ruptured testicle when a foul ball bounced and struck him during an at-bat. The pitch was a strike, but it turned out that it was also a ball.
On the Air
“ Whenever I go to Vegas next and get in trouble with the law, I'm just going to say I'm there to meet with Bryce Harper. ”
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Game of Thrones deep dive; Orioles Woes, Yankees Wows, Mets Whoas; Ian Kinsler’s Salute; Carter Stewart; UFOs; John Wick (Ep.104)
First and foremost, what did you think about the series concluding episodes of Game of Thrones? Episode 104 of Foul Territory: A Game of Thrones Podcast, er um A Baseball Podcast—the “Blazing Saddles” edition—leads off with a teaser about Jed …
Going Deep
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Is It Time for the Mets to Start Trading?
I’ve been a New York Mets fan since the very first pitch thrown by Roger Craig against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on April 11, 1962. Predictably, the game was an 11-4 loss – the first of 120 …
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Major League Baseball Hears the Sound of Cricket
Breaking News from The Off-Base Newsdesk* at Foul Territory… NEW YORK – In order to cultivate its global presence, Major League Baseball is always looking to expand its appeal to the fans of other sports. Cricket is the second most …
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Bryce Harper: Hero to Antihero?
Usually a player who has put up great (and that could be Hall of Fame-like) numbers is recognized as his team’s most dangerous offensive weapon. A star. Players like Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and Giancarlo Stanton. Yet the fans’ adulation …
Off Base
