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emikonii090909 · 2 years ago

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MLBPA's Tony Clark concerned MLB is entering 'perilous universe' of sports betting organizations

LOS ANGELES - - The top of the baseball players' affiliation is stressed over the game's expanded business manages sports betting organizations.A BetMGM Retail Sportsbook opened for this present year at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., and DraftKings is building a games book planned to open one year from now at the southeast corner of Wrigley Field. 해외배팅사이트 가입

Association chief Tony Clark was asked before Tuesday's All-Star Game whether he was getting worried about the betting connections, which have expanded since the U.S. High Court managed in 2018 to upset the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act,.머니라인247 안전도메인

"Getting? No. Is? Definitely. Has been? Sure," Clark told the Baseball Writers' Association of America. "We're entering an exceptionally sensitive and, might I venture to say, hazardous world here. We trust that it is genuinely gainful for our game pushing ahead and that each and every individual who is involved advantages from it in some design. However, when you have players propose that no sooner was PASPA revoked, that they began to have book houses following them via online entertainment, that gets you a little skittish pretty speedy.한국어지원 해외배팅사이트

"Thus we'll keep on looking for some kind of employment in every one of the state governing bodies that are proceeding to push, that have language set up and those that don't yet that are possibly coming on the web, to guarantee that as much as anything, our players are safeguarded, and their families likewise, are safeguarded because of the language that is on the books regardless of the way that this train has left the station."

Giancarlo Stanton wins MVP, powers American League to ninth consecutive All-Star Game dominate LOS ANGELES - - The main All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium in 42 years highlighted Clayton Kershaw beginning before the home fans and appearances from Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera, yet the last score looked intimately acquainted: The American League won 3-2 for its 10th consecutive All-Star triumph and 21st in the beyond 25 Midsummer Classics.

The game turned in the fourth inning when Giancarlo Stanton and Byron Buxton conveyed consecutive grand slams off the Los Angeles Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin. Nor was cheated with his swing. Stanton's down tying two-run shot was a 457-foot impact to left-focus - - longer than any grand slam hit at Dodger Stadium in the main portion of the time. Buxton followed with a 425-foot destroyed the left-field line, the seventh time in All-Star history with consecutive homers.

Promotion

Stanton, making his most memorable All-Star appearance for the New York Yankees since they gained him from the Miami Marlins before the 2018 season, won MVP praises with his most memorable All-Star hit; he had gone 0-for-6 in his past games.

Stanton is presently one of five players to win an association MVP Award, a Home Run Derby and an All-Star Game MVP, joining Ken Griffey Jr., Miguel Tejada, Cal Ripken Jr. also, Dave Parker. Stanton additionally is the third Yankees player to win All-Star MVP; Derek Jeter (2000) and Mariano Rivera (2013) are the others.

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2022 MLB All-Star Game: Kershaw's inspiring second, Stanton wins MVP, Manoah mic'd up and important points from L.A. 4hESPN

2022 MLB All-Star Game: Best looks from Los Angeles 10h

Small time players earn enough to pay the bills,' 'Manfred says 10hJeff Passan Stanton's Yankees profession has been out of control, including missing a large portion of the 2019 and 2020 seasons with wounds, however he has 24 grand slams at the break, a vital piece of a profound Yankees group that gets an opportunity to beat the establishment record of 114 successes set in 1998.

It was a paramount homecoming for Stanton, who grew up going to Dodgers games and went to Notre Dame High School in neighboring Sherman Oaks.

"I would sit in passed on field and attempt to scalp tickets, anything that we might bear," he said. "To hit one out there is astounding."

Among the 50 tickets he gave out to loved ones, one was for his father.

"My pops took me to my most memorable Dodgers game and told me the best way to cherish this game," Stanton said.

Buxton respected Stanton's grand slam from the on-deck circle.

"That is most likely perhaps of the hardest ball I've seen hit from the on-deck circle," he said. "I couldn't actually say whether you can place it in words how hard he hit the baseball. So that me might see him face to face, be in the same boat, at last be very close, it was like, 'Goodness.' You know, similar to, I in a real sense plunked down. ... That's what he squashed."

As Buxton ventured to the plate, he said he thought: "I ain't matching that."

He came close.

Stanton's Yankees colleague Nestor Cortes, who pitched a scoreless 6th inning, said he'll now and then remain at shortstop during batting practice.

"He hits balls to me, it's so difficult to respond," Cortes said. "At the point when Stanton and [Aaron] Judge interface, it's amazing how hard, how noisy, how far the ball goes."

AL pitchers held National League players hitless from the second through the seventh innings, simply the fourth time in All-Star history a group went something like 20 at-bats without a hit.

Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase made his All-Star debut and polished it off, striking out Garrett Cooper on three pitches, fanning Kyle Schwarber on three tosses and afterward blowing a 1-2 99 mph shaper past Jake Cronenworth, simply missing an impeccable inning.

For Dodgers fans in participation, nonetheless, it was generally about the opportunity to see the nine-time All-Star Kershaw start an All-Star Game without precedent for his celebrated vocation. He permitted a leadoff single to Shohei Ohtani, prior to taking him out at a respectable starting point to a thunder from the group en route to a scoreless inning.

"I attempted to require a moment toward the starting to take everything in and glance around, which I as a rule never do," Kershaw said. "What's more, I think the actual second, being here at Dodger Stadium, where I've been currently for a very long time, to get to follow through with something like this with the best on the planet, is truly fun. Furthermore, it was additionally truly private for myself as well as my family, everyone. I'm invigorated it's finished. I did OK. I left without any runs."

Ohtani told TV watchers as he moved forward to bat that he would swing at the primary pitch - - and he did, covering a fastball for a solitary to focus field, in spite of the fact that Kershaw said he broke Ohtani's bat.

"You can't toss the main pitch of an All-Star Game as a breaking ball," Kershaw said. "He didn't hit it over the wall, so it was a success, and we can continue on. Be that as it may, no doubt, you sort of needed to give him a radiator there, I think only for everything. Needed to make it happen."

While confronting Aaron Judge, Kershaw then, at that point, took out Ohtani.

"I only sort of hurled it around there," Kershaw said. "I didn't have the foggiest idea what try out to toss yet, so only sort of allowing myself a second and I got him."

MLB added two heritage All-Stars this year in Pujols and Cabrera.

Pujols, champ of three MVP grants, is fifth on the unequaled grand slam rundown and third in RBIs, and he is playing his last season, getting back to the St. Louis Cardinals after 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Angels and the Dodgers. He squeeze hit in the fourth inning and evoked a transitory cheer from the group with a transcending fly ball to left field, however it was gotten simply before the advance notice track.

With his 3,000th profession hit in April, the double cross MVP Cabrera turned out to be only the seventh player with both 3,000 hits and 500 grand slams - - and one of only two of the seven with a .300 vocation normal. He entered the game in the fifth inning and grounded out to shortstop.

The NL made the most of Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Shane McClanahan for two runs and four hits in the lower part of the main inning, with Mookie Betts singling in Ronald Acuna Jr., who begun with a twofold, and Paul Goldschmidt crushing a 417-foot grand slam to left-focus.

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caitlyncaviness-blog · 6 years ago

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blackkudos · 7 years ago

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Willie Mays

Willie Howard Mays, Jr. (born May 6, 1931), nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder who spent almost all of his 22-season career playing for the New York and San Francisco Giants, before finishing with the New York Mets. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility.

Mays won two National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards, ended his career with 660 home runs - third at the time of his retirement and currently fifth all-time - and won a record-tying 12 Gold Glove awards beginning in 1957 when the award was introduced.

Mays shares the record of most appearances in the All-Star Games, 24, with Hank Aaron and Stan Musial. In appreciation of his All-Star record, Ted Williams said "They invented the All-Star Game for Willie Mays."

Mays' career statistics and his longevity in the pre-performance-enhancing drugs era has drawn speculation that he may be the finest five-tool player ever, and many surveys and expert analyses, which have examined Mays' relative performance, have led to a growing opinion that Mays was possibly the greatest all-around baseball player of all time. In 1999, Mays placed second on The Sporting News's "List of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players", making him the highest-ranking living player. Later that year, he was also elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Mays is one of five National League players to have had eight consecutive 100-RBI seasons, along with Mel Ott, Sammy Sosa, Chipper Jones, and Albert Pujols. Mays hit over 50 home runs in 1955 and 1965, representing the longest time span between 50-plus home run seasons for any player in Major League Baseball history. His final Major League Baseball appearance came on October 16 during Game 3 of the 1973 World Series.

Early life

Mays was born in Westfield, Alabama, just outside Fairfield. His father, Cat Mays, was a talented baseball player with the Negro team for the local iron plant. His mother, Annie Satterwhite, was a gifted basketball and track star in high school. His parents never married each other. As a baby, Mays was cared for by his mother's younger sisters Sarah and Ernestine. Sarah became the primary female role model in Mays' life. His father exposed him to baseball at an early age, and by the age of five he was playing catch with his father. At age 10, Mays was allowed to sit on the bench of his father's League games.

Mays played multiple sports at Fairfield Industrial High School, averaging a then-record 17 points a game in basketball and more than 40 yards a punt in football, while also playing quarterback. Mays graduated from Fairfield in 1950.

Professional baseball

Negro leagues

Mays' professional baseball career began in 1947, while he was still in high school and played briefly with the Chattanooga Choo-Choos in Tennessee during the summer. A short time later, Mays left the Choo-Choos and returned to his home state to join the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League. Mays helped them win their pennant and advance to the 1948 Negro League World Series, where they lost the series 4-1 to the Homestead Grays. Mays hit a respectable .262 for the season, but it was also his excellent fielding and baserunning that made him a standout. By playing professionally with the Black Barons, Mays jeopardized his opportunities to play high school sports in Alabama. This created some problems for him with high school administrators at Fairfield, who wanted him to help the teams and ticket sales.

Over the next several years, a number of Major League baseball franchises sent scouts to watch him play. The first was the Boston Braves. The scout who discovered him, Bud Maughn, had been following him for over a year and referred him to the Braves, who then packaged a deal which called for $7,500 down and $7,500 in 30 days. They also planned to give Mays $6,000. The obstacle in the deal was that Tom Hayes, owner of the Birmingham Black Barons, wanted to keep Mays for the balance of the season. Had the team been able to act more quickly, the Braves franchise might have had both Mays and Hank Aaron in their outfield from 1954 to 1973. The Brooklyn Dodgers also scouted him and wanted Ray Blades to negotiate a deal, but were too late. The New York Giants had already signed Mays for $4,000 and assigned him to their Class-B affiliate in Trenton, New Jersey.

Minor leagues

After Mays had a batting average of .353 in Trenton, he began the 1951 season with the class AAA Minneapolis Millers of the American Association. During his short time span in Minneapolis, Mays played with two other future Hall of Famers: Hoyt Wilhelm and Ray Dandridge. Batting .477 in 35 games and playing excellent defense, Mays was called up to the Giants on May 24, 1951. Mays was at a movie theater in Sioux City, Iowa when he found out he was being called up. A message flashed up on the screen that said: "WILLIE MAYS CALL YOUR HOTEL." He appeared in his first major league game the next day in Philadelphia. Mays moved to Harlem, New York, where his mentor was a New York State Boxing Commission official and former Harlem Rens basketball legend "Strangler" Frank Forbes.

Major leaguesNew York Giants (1951–57)

Mays began his major league career with no hits in his first 12 at bats. On his 13th at-bat, he hit a home run over the left field roof of the Polo Grounds off future Hall of Famer Warren Spahn. Spahn later joked, "I'll never forgive myself. We might have gotten rid of Willie forever if I'd only struck him out." Mays' average improved steadily throughout the rest of the season. Although his .274 average, 68 RBI and 20 homers (in 121 games) were among the lowest of his career, he still won the 1951 Rookie of the Year Award. During the Giants' comeback in August and September 1951 to overtake the Dodgers in the 1951 pennant race, Mays' fielding and strong arm were instrumental to several important Giants victories. Mays was in the on-deck circle when Bobby Thomson hit the Shot Heard 'Round the World against the Brooklyn Dodgers to win the three-game playoff 2-1 after the teams had tied at the end of the regular season.

The Giants went on to meet the New York Yankees in the 1951 World Series. Mays was part of the first all-African-American outfield in major league history, along with Hank Thompson and Hall of Famer Monte Irvin in game one of the 1951 World Series. Mays hit poorly while the Giants lost the series 4-2. The six-game set was the only time that Mays and the retiring Joe DiMaggio would compete on the same field.

Mays was a popular figure in Harlem. Magazine photographers were fond of chronicling his participation in local stickball games with kids. It was said that in the urban game of hitting a rubber ball with an adapted broomstick handle, Mays could hit a shot that measured "six sewers" (the distance of six consecutive New York City manhole covers, nearly 300 feet).

U.S. Army (1952–53)

The United States Army drafted Mays in 1952 during the Korean War (1950–53) and he subsequently missed most of that season and all of the 1953 season. Mays spent much of his time in the Army playing baseball at Fort Eustis, Virginia. It was at Fort Eustis that Mays learned the basket catch from a fellow Fort Eustis outfielder, Al Fortunato. Mays missed about 266 games due to military service.

1954 season

Mays returned to the Giants in 1954, hitting for a league-leading .345 batting average and slugging 41 home runs. Mays won the National League Most Valuable Player Award and the Hickok Belt as top professional athlete of the year. He also was selected as an All-Star for the first of 19 consecutive seasons (20 total) and replaced Jackie Robinson at the left field during the 4th inning of the All-Star Game. The Giants won the National League pennant and the 1954 World Series, sweeping the Cleveland Indians in four games. The 1954 series is perhaps best remembered for "The Catch", an over-the-shoulder running grab by Mays in deep center field of the Polo Grounds of a long drive off the bat of Vic Wertz during the eighth inning of Game 1. Considered the iconic image of Mays' playing career and one of baseball's most memorable fielding plays, the catch prevented two Indian runners from scoring, preserving a tie game. The Giants won the game in the 10th inning on a three-run home run by Dusty Rhodes, with Mays scoring the winning run. The 1954 World Series was the team's last championship while based in New York. The next time was 56 years later when the San Francisco Giants won the World Series in 2010.

Mays went on to perform at a high level each of the last three years the Giants were in New York. In 1955, he led the league with 51 home runs. In 1956, he hit 36 homers and stole 40 bases, being only the second player, and first National League player, to join the "30–30 club". In 1957, the first season the Gold Glove award was presented, he won the first of 12 consecutive Gold Glove Awards. At the same time, Mays continued to finish in the National League's top-five in a variety of offensive categories. Mays, Roberto Clemente (also with 12), Al Kaline, Andruw Jones, Ken Griffey, Jr. and Ichiro Suzuki are the only outfielders to have ten or more career Gold Gloves. In 1957, Mays become the fourth player in Major League history to join the 20–20–20 club (2B, 3B, HR), something no player had accomplished since 1941. Mays also stole 38 bases that year, making him the second player in baseball history (after Frank Schulte in 1911) to reach 20 in each of those four categories (doubles, triples, homers, steals) in the same season.

San Francisco Giants (1958–72)

After the 1957 season, the Giants franchise and Mays relocated to San Francisco, California. Mays bought two homes in San Francisco, then lived in nearby Atherton. As he did in 1954, Mays vied for the National League batting title in 1958 until the final game of the season. Mays collected three hits in the game to finish with a career-high .347, but Philadelphia Phillies' Richie Ashburn won the title with a .350 batting average. He did manage to share the inaugural NL Player of the Month award with Stan Musial in May (no such award was given out in April until 1969), batting .405 with 12 HR and 29 RBI; he won a second such award in September (.434, 4 HR, 18 RBIs).

In 1959, the Giants led by two games with only eight games to play, but only won two of their remaining games and finished fourth, as their pitching staff collapsed due to overwork of their top hurlers. The Dodgers won the pennant following a playoff with the Milwaukee Braves. As he did in New York, Mays would "play around" with kids playing sandlot ball in San Francisco. On three occasions in 1959 or 1960, he visited Julius Kahn Playground, five blocks from where he lived, including one time Giant players Jim Davenport and Tom Haller.

Alvin Dark was hired to manage the Giants before the start of the 1961 season and named Mays team captain. The improving Giants finished 1961 in third place and won 85 games, more than any of the previous six campaigns. Mays had one of his best games on April 30, 1961, hitting four home runs against the Milwaukee Braves in County Stadium. Mays went four for five at the plate and was on deck for a chance to hit a record fifth home run when the Giants' half of the ninth inning ended. Mays is the only Major Leaguer to have both three triples in a game and four home runs in a game.

The Giants won the National League pennant in 1962, with Mays leading the team in eight offensive categories. The team finished the regular season in a tie for first place with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and went on to win a three-game playoff series against the Dodgers, advancing to play in the World Series. The Giants lost to the Yankees in seven games, and Mays batted .250 with two extra-base hits. It was his last World Series appearance as a member of the Giants.

In the 1963 and 1964 seasons Mays batted in over 100 runs and hit 85 total home runs. On July 2, 1963, Mays played in a game when future Hall of Fame members Warren Spahn and Juan Marichal each threw 15 scoreless innings. In the bottom of the 16th inning, Mays hit a home run off Spahn for a 1–0 Giants victory. He won his third NL Player of the Month Award in August (.387, 8 HR, 27 RBI).

Mays won his second MVP award in 1965 behind a career-high 52 home runs. On September 13, 1965, he hit his 500th career home run off Don Nottebart. Warren Spahn, off whom Mays hit his first career home run, was his teammate at the time. After the home run, Spahn greeted Mays in the dugout, asking "Was it anything like the same feeling?" Mays replied "It was exactly the same feeling. Same pitch, too." On August 22, 1965, Mays and Sandy Koufax acted as peacemakers during a 14-minute brawl between the Giants and Dodgers after San Francisco pitcher Juan Marichal had bloodied Dodgers catcher John Roseboro with a bat. He also won his fourth and final NL Player of the Month award in August (.363, 17 HR, 29 RBI), while setting the NL record for most home runs in the month of August (since tied by Sammy Sosa in 2001).

Mays played in over 150 games for 13 consecutive years (a major-league record) from 1954 to 1966. In 1966, his last with 100 RBIs, Mays finished third in the National League MVP voting. It was the ninth and final time he finished in the top five in the voting for the award. In 1970, the Sporting News named Mays as the 1960s "Player of the Decade."

Mays hit his 600th home run off San Diego's Mike Corkins in September 1969. Plagued by injuries that season, he managed only 13 home runs. Mays enjoyed a resurgence in 1970, hitting 28 homers, and got off to a fast start in 1971, the year he turned 40. He had 15 home runs at the All-Star break but faded down the stretch and finished with 18. Mays helped the Giants win the division title that year, but they lost the NLCS to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

During his time on the Giants, Mays was friends with fellow player Bobby Bonds. When Bobby's son, Barry Bonds, was born, Bobby asked Mays to be Barry's godfather. Mays and the younger Bonds have maintained a close relationship ever since.

New York Mets (1972–73)

In May 1972, the 41-year-old Mays was traded to the New York Mets for pitcher Charlie Williams and $50,000 ($286,277 today). At the time, the Giants franchise was losing money. Owner Horace Stoneham could not guarantee Mays an income after retirement and the Mets offered Mays a coaching position upon his retirement.

Mays had remained popular in New York long after the Giants had left for San Francisco, and the trade was seen as a public relations coup for the Mets. Mets owner Joan Whitney Payson, who was a minority shareholder of the Giants when the team was in New York, had long desired to bring Mays back to his baseball roots and was instrumental in making the trade. On May 14, 1972, in his Mets debut, Mays put New York ahead to stay with a fifth-inning home run against Don Carrithers and his former team, the Giants, on a rainy Sunday afternoon at Shea Stadium. Then on August 16, 1973, in a game against the Cincinnati Reds with Don Gullett on the mound, Mays hit a fourth inning solo home run over the right-center field fence. It was the 660th, and last, home run of his major league career.

Mays played a season and a half with the Mets before retiring, appearing in 133 games. The New York Mets honored him on September 25, 1973, (Willie Mays Night) where he thanked the New York fans and said goodbye to America. He finished his career in the 1973 World Series, which the Mets lost to the Oakland Athletics in seven games. Mays got the first hit of the Series, but had only seven at-bats (with two hits). His final hit of his career came in Game 2, a key single to help the Mets win. He also fell down in the outfield during a play where he was hindered by the glare of the sun and by the hard outfield. Mays later said, "growing old is just a helpless hurt." His final at bat came on October 16, in Game 3 where he came in as a pinch hitter but grounded into a force play. Mays made his 20th and last All-Star appearance (20 seasons) and 24th All-Star Game appearance on July 24, 1973 when he was used as a pinch hitter.

In 1972 and 1973, Mays was the oldest regular position player in baseball. He became the oldest position player to appear in a World Series game. Mays retired after the 1973 season with a lifetime batting average of .302 and 660 home runs. His lifetime total of 7,095 outfield fielding putouts remains the major league record. Mays is the only Major League player to have hit a home run in every inning from the 1st through the 16th innings. He finished his career with a record 22 extra-inning home runs.

Post-MLB baseball

After Mays stopped playing baseball, he remained an active personality. Just as he had during his playing days, Mays continued to appear on various TV shows, in films and in other forms of non-sports-related media. He remained in the New York Mets organization as their hitting instructor until the end of the 1979 season. It was there where he taught future Mets star Lee Mazzilli his famous basket catch.

On January 23, 1979, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He garnered 409 of the 432 ballots cast (roughly 95 percent); referring to the other 23 voters, acerbic New York Daily News columnist Dick Young wrote, "If Jesus Christ were to show up with his old baseball glove, some guys wouldn't vote for him. He dropped the cross three times, didn't he?"

Mays took up golf a few years after his promotion to the major leagues and quickly became an accomplished player, playing to a handicap of about four. After he retired, he played golf frequently in the San Francisco area.

Shortly after his Hall of Fame election, Mays took a job at the Park Place Casino (now Bally's Atlantic City) in Atlantic City, New Jersey. While there, he served as a Special Assistant to the Casino's President and as a greeter. After being told by Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn that he could not be both a coach and baseball goodwill ambassador while at the same time working for Bally's, Mays chose to terminate his baseball relationships. In 1985 Peter Ueberroth, Kuhn's successor, decided to allow Mays and Mickey Mantle to return to baseball. Like Mays, Mantle had gone to work for an Atlantic City casino and had to give up any baseball positions he held.

At the Pittsburgh drug trials in 1985, former Mets teammate John Milner testified that Mays kept a bottle of liquid amphetamine in his locker at Shea Stadium. Milner admitted, however, that he had never seen Mays use amphetamines and Mays himself denied ever having taken any drugs during his career.

Since 1986, Mays has served as Special Assistant to the President of the San Francisco Giants. Mays' number 24 is retired by the San Francisco Giants. AT&T Park, the Giants stadium, is located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza. In front of the main entrance to the stadium is a larger-than-life statue of Mays. He also serves on the advisory board of the Baseball Assistance Team, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to helping former Major League, Minor League, and Negro league players through financial and medical difficulties.

On February 10, 2010, Mays appeared on The Daily Show, discussing his career and a new biography, Willie Mays: The Life, the Legend, by James S. Hirsch.

A frequent traveler, Mays is one of 66 holders of American Airlines' lifetime passes.

Special honors and tributes

When Mays' godson Barry Bonds tied him for third on the all-time home run list, Mays greeted and presented him with a diamond-studded Olympic torch (given to Mays when he carried the torch during its tour through the United States). In 1992, when Bonds signed a free agent contract with the Giants, Mays personally offered Bonds his retired #24 (the number Bonds wore in Pittsburgh) but Bonds declined, electing to wear #25 instead, honoring his father, Bobby Bonds, who wore that number with the Giants.

Willie Mays Day was proclaimed by former mayor Willie Brown and reaffirmed by mayor Gavin Newsom to be every May 24 in San Francisco, paying tribute not only to his birth in the month (May 6), but also to his name (Mays) and jersey number (24). The date is also the anniversary of his call-up to the major leagues.

On May 24, 2004, during the 50-year anniversary of The Catch, Mays received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree from Yale University.

On December 6, 2005, he received the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award for his accomplishments on and off the field.

On July 30, 2006, he was the Tee Ball Commissioner at 2006 White House Tee Ball Initiative

On June 10, 2007, Mays received an honorary doctorate from Dartmouth College.

At the 2007 All-Star Game in San Francisco, Mays received a special tribute for his legendary contributions to the game and threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

On December 5, 2007, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver inducted Mays into the California Hall of Fame, located at The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts.

On June 4, 2008, Community Board 10 in Harlem voted unanimously to name an eight-block service road that connects to the Harlem River Drive from 155th Street to 163rd Street running adjacent to his beloved Polo Grounds—Willie Mays Drive.

On May 23, 2009, Mays gave the commencement address at San Francisco State University and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

On July 14, 2009, he accompanied U.S. President Barack Obama to St. Louis aboard Air Force One for the Major League All-Star Game.

On March 19, 2010, he was inducted into the African-American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame

On May 6, 2010, on the occasion of his 79th birthday, Mays appeared on the floor of the California State Senate where they proclaimed it Willie Mays Day in the state.

On May 15, 2010, Mays was awarded the Major League Baseball Beacon of Life Award at the Civil Rights game at Great American Ball Park.

Mays has been mentioned or referenced in many popular songs. The Treniers recorded the song "Say Hey (The Willie Mays Song)" in 1955. The band Widespread Panic makes reference to Mays in the song "One Arm Steve" from their album 'Til the Medicine Takes. Terry Cashman's song "Talkin' Baseball" has the refrain "Willie, Mickey and the Duke", which subsequently became the title of an award given by the New York Baseball Writers Association. John Fogerty mentioned Mays, Ty Cobb and Joe DiMaggio in his song "Centerfield". His name was also used on the album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan in the song "I Shall Be Free", and in Gil Scott-Heron's song "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised". Chuck Prophet wrote the song "Willie Mays is Up at Bat" for his 2012 "Temple Beautiful" album, a tribute to San Francisco. Mays is also mentioned in "Our Song" by singer-songwriter Joe Henry from the 2007 album Civilians. He is also the subject of the 1994 Americana music song "Homerun Willie" by John Dunnigan.

Mays was mentioned numerous times in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. One of the most famous of these strips was originally published on February 9, 1966. In it, Charlie Brown is competing in a class spelling bee and he is asked to spell the word, "Maze". He erroneously spells it M-A-Y-S and screams out his dismay when he is eliminated. When Charlie Brown is later sent to the principal's office for raising his voice at the teacher regarding the incident, he wonders if one day he will meet Willie Mays and will have a good laugh together about the incident.

Willie Mays Parkway and Willie Mays Park in Orlando, Florida were named after the 1951 National League Rookie of the Year.

Mays also appears on Calle 13's "Adentro" music video, where he gives to lead singer, René Pérez a bag containing a pair of sunglasses, a Roberto Clemente's baseball uniform, and a baseball bat signed by him, who then will be used by René to destroy his own luxury car, a Maserati, in an attempt to widespread a message to youth about how irresponsible promoting of ostentatious luxury excesses in urban music as a status symbol, have them all killing between themselves.

In the movies Major League and Major League II, the center fielder for the Cleveland Indians is named Willie Mays Hayes. He was originally portrayed by a then-unknown Wesley Snipes, but Omar Epps replaced Snipes in the sequel.

1956 Willie Mays Major League Negro-American All-Stars Tour

In 1956, Mays persuaded many of Major League Baseball's biggest black stars to go on a tour around the country after the season had ended to play exhibition games. While much of the tour was undocumented, one venue was Andrews Field, located in Fort Smith, Arkansas, on October 16. Among the players who played in that game were Mays, Frank Robinson, Hank Aaron, Elston Howard, Monte Irvin, Gene Baker, Charlie Johnson, Sam Jones, Hank Thompson and Joe Black.

Presidential Medal of Freedom

In November 2015, Mays was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama during a ceremony at the White House. At the ceremony Obama credited Mays' baseball career with his own success, saying, "Willie also served our country: In his quiet example while excelling on one of America's biggest stages [he] helped carry forward the banner of civil rights", adding, "It's because of giants like Willie that someone like me could even think about running for president."

Television appearances

In addition to appearances in baseball documentaries and on talk shows, Mays has appeared in several sitcoms over the years, always as himself. He appeared as the mystery guest during different incarnations of the long-running game show What's My Line?. He was in three episodes of ABC's The Donna Reed Show: "Play Ball" and "My Son the Catcher" (both 1964) and "Calling Willie Mays" (1966). Also in 1966, he appeared in the "Twitch or Treat" episode of Bewitched, in which Darrin Stephens asks if Mays is a warlock, and Samantha Stephens replies, "The way he hits? What else?" In 1989, he appeared in My Two Dads, in the episode "You Love Me, Right?", and in the episode "The Field" of Mr. Belvedere. Additionally, he had performed "Say Hey: The Willie Mays Song" on episode 4.46 of the Colgate Comedy Hour in 1954.

Mays also voiced himself in the 1972 animated film Willie Mays and the Say-Hey Kid.

Personal life

Mays married Marghuerite Wendell Chapman (1926–2010) in 1956, and they adopted their son Michael, who was born in 1959. The couple divorced in 1962 or 1963, varying by source. Mays married Mae Louise Allen in November 1971. Allen died on April 19, 2013, after a long battle with Alzheimer's. Mays has resided in Atherton, California since 1969.

"Say Hey Kid" and other nicknames

It is not clear how Mays became known as the "Say Hey Kid." One story is that in 1951, Barney Kremenko, a writer for the New York Journal, proceeded to refer to Mays as the 'Say Hey Kid' after he overheard Mays say, "'Say who,' 'Say what,' 'Say where,' 'Say hey'". Another story is that Jimmy Cannon created the nickname because Mays did not know everybody's names when he first arrived in the minors. "You see a guy, you say, 'Hey, man. Say hey, man,'" Mays said. "Ted [Williams] was the 'Splinter'. Joe [DiMaggio] was 'Joltin' Joe'. Stan [Musial] was 'The Man'. I guess I hit a few home runs, and they said 'There goes the 'Say Hey Kid."

Years before he became the "Say Hey Kid", when he began his professional career with the Black Barons, Mays was called "Buck" by teammates and fans. Some Giants players referred to him, their team captain, as "Cap."

Wikipedia

#Willie Mays #05-06

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goalhofer · 5 years ago

Conversation

Last MLB Player To Wear Each Jersey Number: Seattle

1: Tim Beckham (2019-present)

2: Tom Murphy; Jr. (2019-present)

3: J.P. Crawford (2019-present)

4: Denard Span (2018)

5: Braden Bishop (2019-present)

6: Zach Vincej (2018)

7: Marco Gonzales (2019-present)

8: Mike Leake (2017-present)

9: Devaris Gordon (2018-present)

10: Edwin Encarnacion (2019)

11: Edgar Martinez (1987-2004)(retired for Martinez 2017)

12: Mac Williamson (2019-present)

13: Tyler Smith (2017)

14: Tino Martinez (1990-95)

15: Kyle Seager (2011-present)

16: Domingo Santana (2019-present)

17: Mitch Haniger (2017-present)

18: Kikuchi Yusei (2019-present)

19: Jay Buhner (1988-2001)

20: Daniel Vogelbach (2016-present)

21: Taylor Motter (2017-18)

22: Omar Narvaez (2019-present)

23: Aaron Nola (2019-present)

24: Ken Griffey; Jr. (2009-10)(retired for Griffey; Jr. 2016)

25: Dylan Moore (2019-present)

26: Sam Tuivailala (2018-present)

27: Ryon Healy (2018-present)

28: Mike Marjama (2017-18)

29: Roenis Elias (2014-15)

30: Franklin Gutierrez (2015)

31: Erasmo Ramirez (2017-18)

32: Marco Gonzales (2017-18)

33: Justus Sheffield (2019-present)

34: Felix Hernandez (2006-present)

35: Cory Gearrin (2019-present)

36: Jesse Biddle (2019-present)

37: Parker Markel (2019-present)

38: Casey Fien (2017)

39: Shed Long (2019-present)

40: Thyago Vieira (2017)

41: Evan Marshall (2017)

42: Jim Mecir (1995)(retired league-wide for Jackie Robinson 1997)

43: Hunter Strickland (2019-present)

44: Sam Gaviglio (2017)

45: Ross Detwiler (2018)

46: Gerson Bautista (2019-present)

47: Ricardo Sanchez (2019-present)

48: Alex Colome (2018)

49: Wade LeBlanc (2018-present)

50: Erik Swanson (2019-present)

51: Ichiro Suzuki (2018-19)

52: Anthony Bass (2019-present)

53: Dan Altavilla (2016-present)

54: Connor Sadzeck (2019-present)

55: Roenis Elias (2018-present)

56: Matt Carasiti (2019-present)

57: Tommy Milone (2019-present)

58: Evan Scribner (2016-17)

59: Andrew Moore (2019-present)

60: Chasen Bradford (2018-present)

61: Tayler Scott (2019-present)

62: Erik Goeddel (2018)

63: Austin Adams (2019-present)

64: David McKay (2019-present)

65: Brandon Brennan (2019-present)

66: Tyler Olson (2015)

67: Matt Festa (2018-present)

68: Max Povse (2017)

69: Never issued

70: Never issued

71: Never issued

72: Never issued

73: David Rollins (2015)

74: Never issued

75: Never issued

76: Never issued

77: Never issued

78: Never issued

79: Never issued

80: Never issued

81: Never issued

82: Never issued

83: Never issued

84: Never issued

85: Never issued

86: Never issued

87: Never issued

88: Never issued

89: Never issued

90: Never issued

91: Never issued

92: Never issued

93: Never issued

94: Never issued

95: Never issued

96: Suzuki Makoto (1996)

97: Joe Beimel (2014-15)

98: Never issued

99: Dan Robertson (2016)

#Jerseys #Sports #Baseball #MLB #Seattle Mariners #1990s #1980s

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toldnews-blog · 6 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/sports/tokyo-salutes-baseball-god-ichiro-suzuki/

Tokyo salutes baseball 'god' Ichiro Suzuki

It was the top of the third inning in the MLB regular-season opener between the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics at the Tokyo Dome, and Mariners shortstop Tim Beckham reached first base on a single. But the roars from the crowd likely weren’t all for him, as an all-time great was on deck.

The applause rolled on, as fans pulled out their phones to capture images of Ichiro Suzuki making his way to the batter��s box.

His stat line from Wednesday — a pop out and a walk in a 9-7 Mariners win — won’t be remembered as much as the fans’ adoration of a superstar.

“Mr. Ichiro,” Chicago Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish said in a recent story with ESPN, “is like a god in Japan.”

Said Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, also quoted by ESPN: “He is a legend in Japan.”

At 45 years, 149 days old, Ichiro is the oldest player on the Mariners Opening Day roster and the oldest position player to start an Opening Day in American League history.

However, after this two-game series in Japan concludes, it’s unclear what Ichiro, entering his 19th season as a major leaguer, will do next.

Last season, Ichiro returned to Seattle, his first major league team, and hit .205 in 15 games before he transitioned to the role of Special Assistant to the Chairman for the club. He struggled in this year’s spring training, going 2-for-25 in 12 games.

But it’s all but assured he will be honored one day in Cooperstown, New York, the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. And in the present, fans and players are soaking in his presence.

“I’m excited for him,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said ahead of Wednesday’s game, according to MLB.com. “It hasn’t been a great spring training for him offensively. But if there’s anybody who can turn it on for a few days, it’s certainly Ichiro.”

Ichiro’s pro debut came with the Orix Blue Wave of Japan’s Pacific League on July 11, 1992, before six of his current Mariners teammates were born. He played in Japan from 1992-2000, winning three consecutive MVP awards and seven straight batting titles.

When he made the move to Seattle in 2001 — becoming the first Japanese position player to sign with an MLB team — Ichiro emphatically made his mark. He went on to win the American League MVP and Rookie of the Year awards that year, becoming just the second player ever to win both honors in the same season.

In 2016, he reached rare company in MLB history when he recorded his 3,000th hit. To date, there are 32 players all time to have reached that mark. He ranks first in Mariners’ franchise history in batting average, hits and steals. Overall, he has 4,367 hits between his career in Japan (1,278) and the Major Leagues (3,089).

Ichiro is one of seven players in MLB history with at least 3,000 hits and 500 stolen bases. The others are Lou Brock, Ty Cobb, Eddie Collins, Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor and Honus Wagner.

On Wednesday, despite popping out to second on his opening at-bat, Ichiro received a nice ovation for his effort. He walked in his other plate appearance, which came in the fourth inning.

When he exited the game from right field later that inning, he received more love from the crowd, as a smiling Ichiro received several hugs from this teammates while A’s players applauded from the opposing dugout.

Down in the camera well, another baseball legend, Hall of Famer and Mariners great Ken Griffey Jr., was in attendance, seen taking photos of the Japanese superstar. With Wednesday’s start, Ichiro became the third player to make 13 Opening Day starts with the Mariners, joining Griffey (13) and another Hall of Famer in Edgar Martinez (15).

With Ichiro and Yusei Kikuchi being named to Seattle’s roster, the Mariners have had a Japanese-born player on their active roster in 22 consecutive seasons, dating back to 1998.

#Ichiro Suzuki: Tokyo salutes baseball &039;god&039; - CNN #latest sports news #news sport #Sport #sportnews #sports articles #sports breaking news #sports latest news #sports news headlines #sports news in english #sports scores #today's sports news #today's sports news headlines

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aci25 · 8 years ago

Text

FRANCISCO LINDOR IS TRYING TO SAVE BASEBALL FROM ITSELF

"¡VAMOS!"

The crowd in Section 18 of Estadio de Charros begins to roar. A Puerto Rico fan has challenged the gorilla mascot to a wrestling match in the middle of the aisle. This is Guadalajara, Mexico, the home of mariachi music and Pool D of the 2017 World Baseball Classic. The section has been adopted for the week by Puerto Rico fans, one of whom dukes it out with the gorilla. One armbar later, the gorilla is pinned to the ground. Another fan runs in to referee.

"¡UNO! ¡DOS! ¡TRES!"

The gorilla walks away in defeat, but the mood doesn't last long. Throughout the game, he salsa dances with another Puerto Rico fan as "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee takes over the sound system. He gives a woman a lap dance before walking through the stands and finishing abandoned beers.

Some people focus on the mascot, but the pulse of the game emanates from the crowd. A group of nearly 100 Puerto Rico supporters gathers in the concourses before games, singing, dancing and banging hand-held drums autographed by members of the national team. The music, known as plena, became popular in Puerto Rico in the 1900s as a periodico cantado, or a sung newspaper, before evolving into a tradition at sporting events.

The spirited environment is much like the one Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor grew up in. Baseball in Puerto Rico is "fun, electric and stylish," Lindor tells B/R Mag. It's no coincidence this description reflects Lindor's game on the field too.

"In Puerto Rico, baseball is played in a happy way, with music. I remember playing as a boy, here and there, with music, with our mothers singing and fighting with the umpire," Lindor told ESPN in October. "It's a different thing, and playing in Puerto Rico taught me to play with passion, with flavor, to be proud of my team ... and to play hard."

Many Puerto Rico fans say baseball is like a religion for them, a religion that elicits song and joy.

That joy translates to the field. Lindor looks loose and excited during batting practice before Puerto Rico's first game of the WBC against Venezuela. He plays catch with Javier Baez, his childhood friend, before joining the first batting practice group of Carlos Beltran, Yadier Molina and Carlos Correa.

Lindor turns his hat backward when he steps in the cage, marking an outlier on the field, and begins spraying pitches across the stadium. He doesn't hit for as much power as the others, but he's not trying to be anything he's not.

There's a certain swagger in the way Lindor plays that makes him a magnetic force in a game hellbent on rigid traditions of years gone by. He pairs quick hands, reminiscent of those of Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar, for whom Lindor dons the No. 12, with endless range. He loves chatting with his opponents, showering his teammates with gum, flashing his pearly whites and walking up to the plate to Space Jam music.

He's young, flashy and fun—everything baseball isn't right now.

"The thing with a guy like Lindor is you just get it when you see him," says Jordan Shusterman, half of Cespedes Family BBQ, a popular baseball Twitter account run by Shusterman and Jake Mintz, both college seniors who've written for MLB.com. "[Mike] Trout is amazing and the best player, but even if you see him go 4-for-5, it's not that exciting. You want everyone to play like Lindor."

The first thing you notice when meeting Lindor is his ever-present blinding white smile. The smile that served as an introduction to Lindor for many baseball fans during Cleveland's playoff run last year, when Lindor hit a two-run homer to break a scoreless tie in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series. A smile that would stand out even on an Oscars red carpet replete with excessively bleached teeth.

"Million-dollar smile, man," says Tim Layden, Lindor's high school coach at Montverde Academy in Florida. "That's what we'd always tell him: ‘In case baseball doesn't work out, that smile will get you somewhere.'"

One of Lindor's first major purchases after he signed a pro contract was braces, which he wore for 11 months.

"I was smiling with messed-up teeth, but it was different once they were fixed," Lindor says. "I didn't stop smiling."

Lindor says he'd be a dentist if baseball didn't work out. It'd be a fitting backup occupation for a man who likes to help others look their best, as he does on the field for Cleveland and for baseball.

The combination of Lindor's wide smile and enthralling playing style earned him the national spotlight. He doesn't shy away from attention, regularly wearing neon-yellow hoodies and acid-washed ripped jeans while rocking a partially blond Odell Beckham Jr. hairstyle. He maintains a lively presence on Instagram, too, where he posts plenty of funny photos. That he speaks both English and Spanish only helps enlarge his fanbase.

In a sport considered America's national pastime, Lindor's identifiable, relatable personality somehow makes him an anomaly. It also makes him an appealing star to brands—including New Balance, which lured Lindor from Under Armour with a multiyear endorsement in February. New Balance is trying to promote a fresh young backward hat-wearing star in Lindor, something Major League Baseball hasn't had since the Ken Griffey Jr. era, when Nike created the Swingman brand for The Kid and released several popular lifestyle sneakers. It's something Nike's been unable to replicate with a guy like Trout, who exceeds Griffey's talent.

"Nobody brags about wearing Trouts like they would wearing Griffeys, which are still cool," Mintz says. "You feel like you would wear a Trout to dinner with your grandpa. It's really unfortunate the most dynamic and exciting player since Barry Lamar Bonds has the personality of a desk chair."

The effort to make Lindor a star beyond the baseball bubble has already started. New Balance digital brand marketing director Pat Cassidy says Lindor will play a role in the company's lifestyle and apparel lines, with the potential for a signature off-the-field sneaker that the infielder could help design.

"His inherent sense of style and personality goes a long way," Cassidy says. "There's the old adage in basketball that big men don't sell sneakers, and there's a reason for that. It's hard to relate to Shaq and Tim Duncan. Francisco is a relatable guy and looks good not only with the on-field product but in all of the lifestyle stuff as well. He's got good taste."

But for all the charm he brings—which makes him a perfect ambassador for the sport—that's exactly what he had to tone down when he turned pro. Lindor learned flamboyance is often punished with a pitch between the shoulder blades.

"In Puerto Rico, we talk a little bit more to the other team, not disrespecting them, but challenging them. [In the United States], the game is not played that way," Lindor says. "I love the way the game is played here. I have no problem with it, but I also don't like getting hit [by pitches]."

The unwritten rules of the sport dictate retaliation be accepted when a player feels someone has stepped out of line. It's a commandment within the culture that discourages individuality.

"It does not exist in Latin American baseball, for certain," longtime baseball reporter Ken Rosenthal says. "[In] Korean baseball, it seems like there's individuality with the bat flips. It's American baseball, and if you want to say it's white baseball, you could probably go as far as to say that."

These unwritten rules largely, but not exclusively, stem from those who grew up playing the game in America, and they are imposed on players from other countries.

"I hope kids watching the WBC can watch the way we play the game and appreciate the way we play the game as opposed to the way Puerto Rico plays or the Dominican plays," Ian Kinsler of the Detroit Tigers told Billy Witz of the New York Times ahead of the United States' 8-0 win over Puerto Rico in the WBC final Wednesday. "That's not taking anything away from them. That just wasn't the way we were raised. They were raised differently and to show emotion and passion when you play. We do show emotion; we do show passion. But we just do it in a different way."

The discouragement of player over team isn't inherently bad or wrong, but it has surely played a role in baseball's difficulty grabbing younger fans.

"Consumers are used to having a one-on-one relationship, and they're going to have relationships with unique individuals," says Allen Adamson, a longtime brand executive. "By forcing conformity, it often leads to boredom."

Lindor may be a marketer's dream, but MLB's institutional culture could prevent him from becoming one of the faces of the sport. Poet Walt Whitman once wrote baseball is connected to America's national character of physical stoicism. While this quiet reservation is clearly reflected in "white baseball" culture, Puerto Rico believes in a completely different denomination of baseball, one in which no person could conceive of a sanctuary-like atmosphere at a game. Some noisemakers, drums and singing never hurt anyone.

Miguel Lindor drove worried. Halfway through an hour ride from a hotel to Montverde Academy, Miguel wanted to make sure his 12-year-old son, Francisco, could navigate his way through his first day of school in the United States despite not knowing any English.

The family had moved to Florida hoping to experience a new culture and receive better medical care for Francisco's then-nine-year-old stepsister, who has cerebral palsy. The family stayed at a hotel that cost $100 a week while Mari, Francisco's stepmother, worked as a front desk clerk at a Disney hotel. Miguel stayed at home to care for the kids.

Miguel knew his son wouldn't understand his teachers, so he told him to repeat the words "I don't understand" whenever he struggled to communicate with his English-speaking instructors. But Francisco couldn't memorize what his father was saying.

"I don't understand," Miguel repeated, hoping it would stick. It didn't.

Stretched to his last resort, Miguel grabbed a pen and Francisco's hand.

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND," Miguel wrote on his son's palm.

Miguel told Francisco to open his hand and show people the words whenever they said something to him.

"It's crazy how naive I was," Francisco says. "I couldn't even say 'I don't understand.'"

This period in his life forced Lindor to grow up quickly. He had left behind his mother and two older siblings in Puerto Rico. As a self-proclaimed mama's boy, the move was tough. Montverde Academy was "in the middle of nowhere," and Francisco only knew two people in the entire school, so to get by, he began living by a simple phrase.

"Be confident," he told himself.

It's his life's mantra now, and the phrase's initials are sewn onto his gloves and integrated into his social media handles, @Lindor12BC.

The confidence adds a flashiness to Lindor's game that dates back to his teenage years.

"His final year of high school is when I took over the program, and to be honest, he was the reason why," Layden says. "You came down and watched him play, watched practice, and even at that time, at 17 years old, he had superstar written all over him."

When Indians scout Mike Soper spotted Lindor at an Orlando tournament during the shortstop's sophomore year, it was immediately clear Lindor was special.

"He had all of the action, the instincts, the presence that you're looking for at such a young age," Soper says. "He just stood out."

Soper introduced himself to Lindor two years later.

"He just oozed this love of the game," Soper says.

Despite Cleveland's loss to the Chicago Cubs in last year's World Series, Lindor was still smiling at the impact he made during his second MLB season. He finished the postseason hitting .310/.355/.466 with two homers, three doubles and six RBI on top of his 15 homers, 30 doubles, 78 RBI and 19 steals in the regular season.

The combination of offensive prowess and an adroit ability to field shortstop cemented Lindor's place as a bona fide stud on the diamond. He also snagged the Platinum Glove, awarded to the best fielder in each league, which only further secured that status.

And he's having fun doing it all. You'll see it when Lindor mimes diving for a ball stuck in a Tropicana Field catwalk after initially covering his head in "fear." It comes out when he warms up in a personalized Tune Squad jersey. It also shows when he celebrates winning free Taco Bell for America and when he jokes around with Baez at second base during the World Series.

The on-field performance and charismatic demeanor give Lindor everything he needs to become a crossover star, something Indians manager Terry Francona noticed instantly. Francona, who's managed the likes of Michael Jordan and David Ortiz, knows a transcendent athlete when he sees one.

"His personality won over his teammates right away. What you see is what he is," Francona says. "He's enthusiastic, he's smart and he's a good kid. It wouldn't surprise me if he became one of the faces of baseball because he's young, like all of the things we talk about. I think baseball will be well-served for that."

"¡YO SOY BORICUA, PA'QUE TU LO SEPAS! YO SOY BORICUA, PA'QUE TU LO SEPAS!"

Puerto Rico fans shout this, during and after games, in times of strength and weakness. The phrase stems from a 1995 Taino song of the same name, and means "I am Puerto Rican, so that you know!"

The chant fills the stadium, despite the Puerto Rico fans accounting for only about one-fourth of the mostly sold-out crowd at the WBC.

"They motivate you to keep going hard," Baez says. "When I was young, listening to this music and the types of things we do over there, it made us have a lot of fun, and that's what we're doing now."

Joe Gonzalez, the editor of Latin baseball website AlBat.com, calls the WBC the most important sporting event of the year on the island.

"All of this noise is only a quarter of what it's like during the Caribbean Series," Gonzalez says. "It gets way crazier—and drunker—than this."

Fans jump on top of the dugout when Puerto Rico scores and wave the country's flag as if worshipping a higher power. Security doesn't intervene. No need to police jubilation.

In America, baseball is more rooted in tradition than any other sport. The records, the legends of yesteryear loom over every season. The culture within the sport is a relic from a time when attention spans lasted longer, when fans didn't have the alternative to flip through an Instagram or Twitter feed or watch any show they wanted on Netflix. It's a culture that dampens anything that shifts the focus onto one player over their team.

"Look at Bryce Harper. He's frowned upon because he does things that are not typical," Rosenthal says. "I don't think he does anything wrong, but when he opens his mouth, it's like, ‘Shut up. Shut up' from what I call the baseball establishment, for a lack of a better term."

Oakland Athletics reliever Sean Doolittle has been outspoken on Twitter about the need for baseball to market the individual personalities of its young, exciting stars in order to help grow the game. The difference between celebration and showing a player up can often be a fine line, but MLB needs to emphasize these unique personalities to pass the game along to the next generation.

"If you truly can't be yourself on the field and you have to suppress your energy so you don't rub someone the wrong way, it's unfortunate," Doolittle says. "Sometimes people misinterpret the rules or try to impose them when they are not required. I would like to see more personality in the game on both sides and not have people offended by it."

The retirement of Ortiz marked the beginning of a transition period for MLB. Ortiz represented the past generation's last star who engaged with mainstream pop culture, a group that included players like Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, among others. With a gap in mainstream star power, baseball stands in position to pivot. Now more so than ever, players like Lindor, Correa, Harper and Mookie Betts, supremely talented young stars with engaging personalities, can leave a mark on the game's culture for the next generation.

"I don't see how the guys younger than Lindor won't eventually be looking up to him," Shusterman says. "Of course you want everyone to play like Lindor, and you want those guys to stand out. But most importantly, you don't want those guys stifled [by the unwritten rules]. I'm not asking everyone to play like Lindor, but I want the 10 percent that are like him to be able to play like him. That's why I'm hoping this generation of young players becomes that way and eventually promotes it within their own clubhouses."

"PUERTO RICO! AHÍ! PUERTO RICO! AHÍ!"

The Puerto Rico section of the crowd is already rowdy when Lindor steps to the plate in the first inning against Team Mexico on March 11. The count goes to 1-2 versus Mexico starter Miguel Gonzalez as Angel Pagan stands on first. Lindor settles into the batter's box, awaiting the next pitch. It's an 85 mph splitter that doesn't split, and Lindor turns on it. He knows it's gone as soon as he finishes his follow-through.

Lindor still grapples with trying to balance his flair and respect for the culture of baseball in America. He has no desire to disrespect American baseball culture or show up an opponent.

"The game isn't going to stop because of me, and the game isn't going to change because of me," Lindor says before the start of the tournament. "That's what you dream of growing up: celebrating. I still smile. I don't pimp home runs, though. I don't know when they go."

The crowd freezes as the ball soars over the stands, over the billboards, over everything in right field and lands way outside the stadium. Lindor takes two steps, pimping the moonshot. He turns back to the dugout, and with a smirk on his face, he flips his bat, twirling it into the ground like a corkscrew.

It's his first bat flip since he got called up to the majors, but around the people of Puerto Rico, connecting again with his baseball roots, Lindor didn't feel the need to hold back.

Joon Lee is a staff writer for Bleacher Report and B/R Mag.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com

#francisco lindor #baseball #puerto rico #tumblricans #lindor #baseball boricua #soy puertorriqueño #puertorriqueño #yo soy boricua pa que tu lo sepas #cleveland indians #peloteros boricuas #pelotero boricua #sports #sport #joon lee

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