Baseball Update: News & Notes

The Baseball Update looks at the happenings around Major League Baseball.

Ballpark Etiquette: Babes Love Baseball have written this excellent post about the etiquette you should follow when your attending a game at the ballpark. It's a detailed post that looks at the do's and don'ts from parking your car, to the gate, to what type of clothes you should wear at the ballpark.

I would like to add a couple of don'ts for the fans that attend the games:
1) Don't bring a beach ball to the ballpark. I'm looking at you, Dodger fans. Leave the ball at home. It's called a beach ball for a reason, take it to the beach. And if a beach ball ever lands near me, I'm taking my pocket knife out and popping it.

2) When the ballpark is half full, don't do the wave. Matter of fact, don't do the wave at all. It's old and tired and should have been retired as a part of the fan experience years ago.

Eric Gagne Retires: I never liked Eric Gagne. He played for the Dodgers, wore weird glasses while he pitched, and stole a the 2003 Cy Young award away from Jason Schmidt. So I'm happy to say Eric Gagne is finally out of my life because he announced his retirement today. Everything comes around though, Eric Gagne was a roid user.

Aaron Rowand is a tough SOB: I'm not a fan of Aaron Rowand. It's not totally his fault. He wasn't the one who demanded to be overpaid by the Giants, but he is. I am though, not a fan of his at-bats. I'm tired of him swinging at every first pitch and every slider he see's. There are things to respect about the guy. He one of the better defensive outfielders in the league and he's one tough SOB. He endured himself to Phillies fans forever for leaving his face on the Citizens Bank Ballpark outfield fence. Well once again, Rowand's face has been injured.

During the Friday Giants-Dodgers game, Rowand was beamed by Vincente Padilla. The ball ricocheted off Rowand's face and caused facial fractures. Here's the best part of this whole ordeal, Rowand wanted to continue to play. He was reluctant about going on the DL. There are a lot of things to questions about Rowand, but toughness isn't one of them.

Another Nationals Fail: The team that brought the world the Natinals is now promoting violence on women. Check out that ticket stub, to the right, from yesterday's Nationals-Brewers game. It shows a guy hitting a women in the back of the head. I guess that's their new “Beat That Gal (Daughter? Wife? It Doesn’t Matter) Next To You”promotion.

Flying Protective Cups: I had a bad day yesterday, but this story cheers me up. Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News shared an e-mail he received from a staff photographer who worked the April 9th Giants-Braves game. Warning: This e-mail is graphic in detail about Pablo Sandoval.

In the bottom of the 12th inning Friday, with Eli Whiteside at the plate and Sandoval dancing off 3rd base with the possible winning run, it hit me.

Panda’s athletic cup.

In the head.

In 25 years of photographing baseball, that was the first, and please, last time that’s ever happened.

I had been shooting from the photo well next to the Giants dugout on the 3rd baseline when Sandoval was running the bags during the Giants’ comeback. He seemed uncomfortable though, and started fussing with his belt when he got to 3rd.

After I turned my attention back to home plate to shoot the batter, something hits me in the head.

Nearby fans gasped, and then groaned.

The Panda’s cup is sitting untouched behind me in full radioactive glory.

Mercifully, trainer Dave Groeschner comes over wearing Sandoval’s glove, and retrieves the offending blue projectile.

Glad I was wearing a hat.

Classic!