David Ortiz Selling ‘This Is Our F*cking City’ Bat To Support Boston Bombing Victims
Papi Rules
David Ortiz has found a way to use his famed expletive-laden phrase to raise funds for the Boston Marathon victims.
After the spirited Red Sox player riled up the crowd when he declared at Fenway Park on live television that “This is our f*cking city” on April 20, he decided to put his signature phrase to even more good use. Ortiz is working with Marucci to produce baseball bats that feature two inspiring phrases: “This is our f—ing city’ and “Never forget. Boston Strong. 4-15-13,” CNN Money reports.
Proceeds from the sales will benefit the One Fund, the organization started by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Tom Menino, that aims to help the people that were most affected by the blasts on April 15. Three people were killed in the blasts and 264 were injured.
Since it was launched, the fund has amassed more than $30 million.
Ortiz has already played a major role in collecting funds for Boston victims.
The Red Sox donated $100,000 to the One Fund and the Red Sox Foundation gave $46,500 days after the bombings, the AP reported. Ortiz presented the checks to Menino on April 21 along with Red Sox chairman Tom Werner.
Reporter Nearly Gets Beaned
Angels In The Outfield
Sun Sports’ Tampa Bay Rays reporter Kelly Nash was visiting Fenway Park for the first time when she decided to take a selfie to capture the occasion unknowingly to her she captured a photo of a batting practice homer that almost landed on her head, which makes for perhaps the greatest self-portrait of all time.
Thankfully, the baseball missed her by inches.
Brewers honor Boston with ‘Cheers’ theme
The most popular tribute to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing across baseball was a rash of teams playing “Sweet Caroline”, played during the seventh inning stretch at Fenway Park, at some point during the game. The Milwaukee Brewers did things a little differently, and after observing a moment of silence to begin the game, they played the theme from Cheers, which was set in Boston.
Cubs to end 7th inning stretch
104 Years
Maybe it was race driver Jeff Gordon’s shout out to the fans at “Wrigley Stadium.” Or Ozzy Osbourne, who decided the lyrics of “Take Me Out to The Ball Game” were not nearly as interesting as the mostly unintelligible words he’d picked out for himself. Or perhaps it was actress Denise Richards, who brought along a little cheat sheet in case she forgot the words.
Whatever the reason, the Chicago Cubs have decided to make the broadcast booth at Wrigley Field, and more importantly, the microphone, off limits to the likes of Vanna White, Erik Estrada and Mickey Rooney. No more Kid Rock, who, as the story goes, knew it was customary to say something at the end of the song, but went with “Let’s get some lunch!” instead of the more traditional “Let’s get some runs.”
“It was a good idea at first,” Al Yellon, who runs bleedcubbieblue.com, said of the Cubs’ decision to allow celebrities to take over the job the late Harry Caray handled so famously for so many years. “But it turned into a celebrity fest with D-list celebrities.”
The song is played during the stretch around the major leagues, usually the ballpark organist leading the fans in song. Some parks have their own traditions, of course — Fenway Park and Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” in the eighth inning, for example. The Florida Marlins tried to skip “Take Me Out to The Ball Game” to go with dancers leading fans to Gloria Estefan songs, a tradition that lasted all of two games.
For a team that doesn’t exactly have a long history of embracing change, lights didn’t arrive until 1988, messing with a musical tradition tied forever to Caray might seem a dramatic step. But the Cubs have a new regime in place, with Theo Epstein and other front-office personnel trying to turn around baseball’s famous losers and chairman Tom Ricketts pressing for upgrades to Wrigley, the oldest ballpark in the majors behind Fenway.
Caray, then with the White Sox, is credited with singing the song first at a game. He was so bad that team owner Bill Veeck had the idea to secretly put a microphone in the booth so everyone could join in and, well, mask the warbling.
And join in they did, first at White Sox games and then at Wrigley, when Caray started his run with the Cubs in 1982. Fifteen years after his death, Caray is still part of the celebration, both inside the park where some guest singers still mention him, and outside, where fans can see a statute of Caray in his famous singing pose.
Josh Beckett Booed Off The Mound
Eat Texas Dirt, Drink Texas Beer
Boston Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett must have lasted longer on the golf course than he did on the mound Thursday night. The embattled Red Sox ace was booed off the field at Fenway Park when he was pulled after just 2 1-3 ineffective innings against Cleveland Indians.
Already in hot water with Red Sox fans when the story surfaced that Beckett was hitting the links with his sore lat, which came a day after he was scratched from his scheduled start because of stiffness, he was booed often as the Indians tagged him for seven runs and seven hits, including two homers, while building a 7-1 lead. The Red Sox went on to lose 8-3.
One fan yelled “FORE!” when Michael Brantley lined a foul ball down the right-field line, but all the chuckles quickly subsided when Brantley doubled to left-center. It was the second straight double for the Indians, ending Beckett’s night.
Fans cheered when Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine came out of the dugout and immediately signaled to the bullpen for lefty Andrew Miller.
“I think it was directed at me,” Beckett said. “Smart fans.”
In his postgame interview, Beckett grew more terse each time his golf outing was mentioned.
“We get 18 off days a year,” he said. “I think we deserve a little bit of time to ourselves.”
Beckett was unrepentant about his golf outing, saying what he does on his day off is his business. But what he failed to understand, it seemed, was that fans were upset about him golfing when he was supposedly too sore to pitch rather than about him simply hitting the links on a normal off day.
Beckett’s off-the-field decisions and commitment to the team have come into question before.
After last season, it was revealed that he was among a group of pitchers who ate fried chicken and drank beer in the clubhouse during games on days they didn’t pitch.
Valentine said before the game that Beckett was scratched from a start last week with stiffness, which he didn’t think would be made worse by golfing.
The Red Sox are off to a 12-19 start and are last in the AL East.
Beckett entered 2-3 with a 4.45 ERA in five starts.
Boston Red Sox PA Announcer Carl Beane Dies In Car Crash
R.I.P.
Boston Red Sox public address announcer Carl Beane, the voice of Fenway Park whose booming baritone called ballplayers to the plate for two World Series champions, died on Wednesday after suffering a heart attack while driving. He was 59.
Popeyes Across From Fenway Park Pokes Fun At Boston Red Sox
Love That Chicken From Popeyes
A Popeyes fried chicken located about 100 yards from Fenway Park has a banner hanging in front of the store poking fun at the Boston Red Sox. It says “4 out of 5 pitchers prefer our chicken BEST!” and is a clear reference to the report last year that said Red Sox pitchers used to eat fried chicken, drink beer, and play video games in the clubhouse during games.
Fenway Park Gets Listed On National Register Of Historic Places
Standing Test Of Time
The century-old home of the Boston Red Sox is being listed on the National Register of Historic Places to help ensure decades of new thrills. Fenway Park has seen heart-stopping wins and crushing defeats and hosted baseball greats Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski.
The register listing means changes to Fenway are subject to review by the Massachusetts Historical Commission.
The Red Sox say they sought the designation and are pleased the ballpark “will be counted among America’s most treasured historical places.”
Fenway was built during the Golden Age of Ballparks. Its first official game was played April 20, 1912. It’s the nation’s oldest operating major-league baseball stadium.
It hasn’t always been so revered. In the 1960s, it faced possible demolition. In the 1990s, there were plans for a new park on the South Boston waterfront.
Carl Crawford Apologizes To Boston Red Sox Fans For Terrible Season
.255 & 53 RBI Doesn't Help Either
With the wild card race heating up in the American League, Boston Red Sox fans received something they didn’t want to hear from struggling outfielder and $142 million signing Carl Crawford, an apology. Crawford admitted that he was sorry for the year he has had.
“I want to end the diary saying something to the fans of Boston. I just want to say I’m sorry for the year I’ve had. You guys have been really supportive and I appreciate that. Hopefully when we get into these playoffs, I can be the real Carl Crawford that I know I am. We’ll see.”
The 30-year-old Crawford has 29 fewer stolen bases than last year and carries a league worst .292 on-base percentage and .402 slugging.
To add insult to injury, the Tampa Bay Rays the team that Crawford left is the one chasing down the Red Sox for the wild card spot and Boston just dropped three of four at Fenway Park against them.
“If Tampa makes a miracle comeback and takes the wild card from us, I will be devastated,” said Crawford. “I definitely wouldn’t want to lose to those guys and watch them get into the playoffs while we go home. That would just be devastating to me.”
Peter Gammons Calls Wrigley Field A Dump
102 Years Losers
In a radio interview, which was done on WSCR-AM 670 Chicago, MLB Network analyst Peter Gammons called Wrigley Field “a dump.” Gammons said that new Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts has to do more than rebuild personnel.
“They have to make that ballpark livable,” Gammons said. “It’s a dump, Wrigley Field. They’re going to have to spend $200-and-something million on re-renovating Wrigley Field, do what the Boston owners did with Fenway Park.”
Ricketts declined to comment on Gammons comments through a team spokesperson. The Cubs have committed to renovating the 97-year-old park, but the club is looking at ways to finance proposed changes.
Boston Red Sox’s Fan Steals Memorabilia From Fenway Park
Explains Why The Red Sox Have Been Sucking
Authorities in New York say Jamie Pritchard Holland a Massachusetts man is accused of stealing Boston Red Sox memorabilia from Fenway Park. Holland has been charged with criminal possession of stolen property that was taken during a burglary at the Boston ballpark as investigators recovered a home plate, Red Sox uniforms, a first base glove used by Kevin Youkilis, cleats worn by second baseman Dustin Pedroia and other team property. Memorabilia that he tried to sell online.
The state of New York is charging him with criminal possession of stolen property and he has already been arraigned in Massachusetts on charges of receiving stolen property.
Security At Fenway Park
Tasers? They don’t exactly have a need for them at Fenway Park or at least in the right field fence area when this security guard is working. Now that’s a text book tackle that could get you drafted.
Gingerbread Fenway Park
Diabetic Coma
Here where the Boston Red Sox would play their home games if they where gingerbeard people lucky they are not and can admire with the rest of us the Sistine Chapel of gingerbeard stadiums.
WTF: LEGO Fenway Park
Can You Still Burry Lego People In Left Field?
I never had any skills in the Lego making department, it extended to pretty much making just a square. I always loved looking at those huge displays of Lego’s that made up the White House or Washington Memorial in the mall or someplace, so I think this is cool.
But has anyone ever seen how expensive Lego’s are? They can be more expensive than Health Care.
