Hey all! With the calendar turning to June and thoughts of summer, the baseball season is 1/3 over and the race for the Longball League pennant is getting tighter. Let's look at the standings.
Don't look now folks, but the Vacuous Vipers lead is shrinking. It was 23 points two weeks ago, but it's down to a 15 point lead today. Evan Longoria's recent slowdown and Chase Utley's poor week have brought the Vipers back to the pack a bit.
The Sierra Vista Coachwhips are taking their turn back in second place again with a two point lead over the SoCal Caps. Ryan Howard finally woke up with a big week. His 4 homer, 10 RBI week was just what the Coachwhips needed.
Sitting in third are the SoCal Capuchins. Yes, they've been trading second place with the SVC's on a regular basis, but now they have another squad hot on their heels. However, they are the only squad with Adam Dunn on the roster. If he keeps hitting, they will be in this race to the end.
Now, not so quietly making noise are the Invisible Hands. They are only 6 points out of second place. Justin Morneau and Ryan Howard are now carrying this squad. Look out, League! The Hands are starting to make a move towards the top of the standings.
Speaking of moves, the San Pedro Sea Monkeys are announcing here that as of 6-1, they are dropping Carlos Pena and adding The Twins' Joe Mauer to the roster. The Monkeys hope he's the missing piece they need to get back into the race.
So what can we say now about those not so Keen Koalas? Our baseball insider, Lee Ursich, thinks the Koalas need to drop Matt Holliday if they want to try to get back into this thing.
Baseball Card of the Week: We salute Harvey Haddix for a heroic feat that occurred 50 years ago this past week. Haddix pitched 12 perfect innings against the Milwaukee Braves only to lose the game 1-0 on a Joe Adcock homer in the bottom of the 13th. No pitcher before or since has thrown that many perfect innings in one game. "Hard Luck Harvey" as he would be known ever since that game, is pictured here on his 1959 topps card #184. The card didn't keep up with Haddix's acquisition by the Pirates and shows him with Cincinnati.
Trivia: We all know about mythical slugger Roy Hobbs' ballpark busting blasts in the movie The Natural, but did you know that one of Hobbs' epic shots was based on a real life homerun? In 1946, Bama Rowell of the Boston Braves hit a home run that broke the Bulova clock that sat atop the right field scoreboard at Ebbets Field. That homer became the inspiration for Roy Hobbs' clock shattering shot in movie. One last note about Bama Rowell's dinger. Bulova watches had promised to give a new watch to any player who actually hit the clock in a game. It took awhile for the company to pay off. Rowell hit the homer in 1946. He didn't get that free watch until
1987.
Until next time folks, keep hitting 'em where they ain't.
-The Commissioner
