Seattle Mariners' Mike Carp samples the ice cream he was hit with as Jen Mueller with Fox Sports Northwest interviews him in the dugout after the 4-1 win over the Chicago White Sox of a baseball game in Seattle on Wednesday.
Honoring a legend.
The pennant races are closing in.
Henceforth, Matt Wieters shall be known as the Lord of Baltimore.
Leading Off
Ernie Harwell has never gotten enough credit.
While Vin Scully has the soothing voice and rhythm, Harry Kalas had the baritone and excitability and Bob Costas has the storyteller's touch.
All could connect with the fans. All became national names.
But there might not be any broadcaster in baseball history who connected with his fans like the 92-year-old Ernie Harwell.
Maybe that's why he never got the national acclaim. It was because the Tigers fans owned him and he owned them. Their relationship was too tight for us to but into.
The Detroit Tigers honored their legendary broadcaster Wednesday. He retired in 2002, but recently announced he has been stricken with cancer.
Of course, you couldn't tell that from his speech.
He had 55 years of experience, 42 of which were spent with the Tigers, to hold himself up with as he talked to his fans.
But all those calls, made with excellence, and all those games, covered with a boy's enthusiasm, aren't the reason he was the first acting broadcaster inducted into the Hall of Fame.
It was the love he had for the game and its fans.
Regional Roundup
- The Phillies got a win, and lost another reliever. Jayson Werth had a grand night. Jimmy Watch: 1-for-5.
Magic Number: 11 - MATT WIETERS. York resident Mark Hendrickson wants to stay in Baltimore.
- The Pirates are closing in on 100 losses.
- Jose Flores just got some backing from the G.M.
Best of Rest
- The Rockies got one back from the Giants.
- Jorge got three games for his ridiculous reaction to getting drilled.
- Something's brewing in the Tampa Bay clubhouse.
- The Red Sox rallied to shock the Angels in a possible playoff preview. It was a good day for Boston because...
- Texas got one-hit by Oakland. When the Rangers' offense stumbles, it really stumbles.
- The story of the dad who caught a foul ball only to watch his daughter throw it away continues.
Today in history
1984 -- Reggie Jackson, at 38, became the 13th player in major league history to record 500 home runs. No. 500 came off Kansas City pitcher Bud Black. His homer came exactly 17 years after he got his first career hit.
1984 -- Rookie pitcher Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets struck out 16 Phillies in a 2-1 loss at Philadelphia. Five days earlier, Gooden fanned 16 Pittsburgh Pirates tying a major league record for 32 strikeouts in two consecutive games.
2008 -- Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki matched Willie Keeler's major league record of eight straight 200-hit seasons, beating out an infield single in the eighth inning for his third hit against Kansas City.
The Closer
The season is definitely winding down.
John Heyman has an article previewing the upcoming free-agent class.
At first glance it looks like one of the deepest groups in years.
You've got an ace: John Lackey
You've got two stud outfielders: Matt Holliday, Jason Bay
You've got a versatile and underrated speedster: Chone Figgins
You've got a consistent producer: Bobby Abreu.
And now the prognosticating begins.
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