Baseball is Poop

The Next Really Big Thing
Atlanta Braves outfielder Jason Heyward seems like one top prospect who is going to live up to the hype. At 6'5", 240 lbs. the man they called Jay-Hey is definitely ready for the big time. Because he had only 200 at bats at the upper levels of the minor leagues there were some questions over whether he had some Pedro Cerrano him ("straight ball hit very good, but curveball, bats are 'fraid") but through two weeks of his major league career he seems to be killing just about every kind of pitch. Through 12 games he as a 1.004 OPS (.423/.581) with 3 homers and 15 RBI. On Sunday he got the first walkoff hit of his career with a bases loaded single to drive in two runs and give the Braves a 4-3 win. About the only time he looked like a rookie is when he got caught with the shaving cream pie bit after the game.



Maybe Rihanna is Giving Matt Kemp Hitting Tips
One of the worst kept secrets of the offseason was the relationship between Rihanna and Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp. Rihanna attended the Dodgers home opener and did a dance in the stands when her boyfriend homered. Something she was giving him seems to have helped as Kemp homered in each of the next three games as well.




You Can't Have a Hit and an RBI in the First 10 Games of the Season, Cantu!
Florida's Jorge Cantu had a hit and an RBI in each of the first 10 games this year. That's the longest streak to start a season since the RBI became an official stat in 1920. If you go back to last year Cantu's streak of 14 games is the longest since Mike Piazza had 15 games back in 2000.

This is Kind of Upsetting
While the Los Angeles Angels were in New York to play the Yankees a man committed suicide by jumping off the roof of their hotel.

About 15 players witnessed the aftermath of the apparent suicide when they walked out the front door of Le Parker Meridien hotel to board the team bus. The 39-year-old man landed on W. 56th St. at about 8:15 a.m. The Angels' bus was scheduled to leave at 9 a.m. for Yankee Stadium.

Pitchers Jered Weaver and Matt Palmer, according to witnesses, were at a coffee shop across the street at the time of the fall. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said they saw the fall and were shaken up by it.

According to Angels publicist Eric Kay, several autograph seekers witnessed the man's death. The man was not a guest at the hotel, but asked to take a look at the hotel's pool, located on the top floor.

Does that make any sense? A guy comes to the front desk and says "I'd like to see the pool" and they just let him up there? It's like the guy who said "can I please have the room next to Erin Andrews?" and the oblivious clerks didn't even ask what he planned to do with all the power tools and video equipment.

Picture of the Week
Some sights (no sounds) from around baseball on Jackie Robinson Day. A day when all players wear #42 in honor of the man who broke baseball's color barrier. And a day when announcers get all huffy because they have no idea who is warming up in the bullpen.






Play of the Year
This year the play of the Year occurred on Opening Day. Mark Buehrle benefitted from the play of the year last year when DeWayne Wise preserved his perfect game with a fantastic catch. This year Buerhle did it all (or most of it) himself.