Yankees and Mets expected to battle it out for Ben Zobrist: Report

It's highly unlikely the Yankees and Mets will be battling it out against each other in a World Series anytime soon but, if either team can land Ben Zobrist before the MLB trade deadline, one of the two New York teams believes they will have strengthened their chances for the playing long into the fall.

Zobrist, one of the most underrated players in Major League Baseball, was acquired by the Oakland A's in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays prior to the season. However, with Zobrist eligible for free agency after the season and the A's now in last place in their division, Zobrist is expected to be one player who is available for the right price.

And the word is that the Mets, along with their cross-town Yankees, are interested in acquiring Zobrist — making it one of those rare occasion when the two Subway Series rivals are vying for the same player.

The Mets have already talked to the A's about trading for Zobrist, according to the New York Daily News. And even upped the ante when it was reported that Mets general manager Sandy Alderson is willing to "overpay" for the utility player to help boost the team's offense. The Nationals and Giants are in play for him.

However, at the time of the report (July 3) Zobrist had reportedly been taken off the market as the A's got hot and won 12 of 18 games. That likely changed quickly as the A's then lost five of their next seven games and now sit 8.5 games back in their division with the worst record in the American League.

Zobrist is one of the best utility players in the game — one of those types of players who become more important during late-season playoff runs. And besides his versatility in the field, he can hit. Since the start of the 2009 season, only two players in all MLB have been worth more Wins Above Replacement (WAR) than Zobrist.

John Madden blasts Will Ferrell for playing in MLB spring training games

When Will Ferrell took the field for ten teams during an MLB spring training day stunt which benefited cancer research, most people found it to be a harmless diversion from what are normally considered warmup games.

Not so Hall of Fame NFL coach and legendary broadcaster John Madden who thought the actor should keep his sports comedy on screen and off the diamond.

The daylong stunt was part of a new HBO special from Funny Or Die — which is dedicated to the fight against cancer. Ferrell suited up for ten teams — including Madden's hometown Oakland Athletics — and played all nine positions during games in the Cactus League in Arizona on Thursday.

When Madden was asked about the stunt, he said it showed a "lack of respect."

The 78-year-old Madden called in to KCBS before Ferrell took the field with the A's to discuss the stunt.

"I hate it," he said.

"That's a lack of respect for the game and for what players have to do to get where they are."

In addition to the A's, Ferrell "played" for the Mariners, Angels, Cubs, D'Backs, Reds, White Sox, Giants, Dodgers and Padres. 

The Super Bowl-winning coach further explained that when he was coaching in Oakland, Golden State Warriors superstar Rick Barry said he wanted to practice with the Raiders during training camp.

Madden claimed he instructed his players to flatten the NBA star. 

"I'm in training camp in Santa Rosa. Rick Barry comes walking by and he was playing for the Warriors at that time," said Madden. "He was a friend of Al Davis' and he said he was going to go in and suit up and go out on the field and practice, to fool Al. 

"I swear this is true," claimed Madden. 

"Jack Tatum and George Atkinson walked by and I said, 'Look, if this guy comes out on the field, he's live bait and I want you to go after him the way you would go after any other player that plays on another team.'"

After Ferrell's duties on the field, his spring training statistics were posted on baseball-reference.com.

Welcome, Will Ferrell to the @mlb pantheon. http://t.co/HfM5F3wlF4 @CFCcharity pic.twitter.com/TB4EIcPihN
— Baseball Reference (@baseball_ref) March 13, 2015

Ferrell is listed 11 times under the March 12, 2015, transactions section of baseball reference. 

Among the notable listings for John William Ferrell (Manimal) are: Traded to Chicago Cubs for a washing machine; Traded to Arizona Diamondbacks for a Churro Dog and D-Bat Dog; and claimed off waivers by Cincinnati Reds, Norm MacDonald released.

He's listed as becoming arbitration eligible in 2018 and can file for free agency in 2021. 

Jose Canseco tweets photo of hand with blown off finger (PHOTO)

Former baseball slugger Jose Canseco is known for shooting off his mouth. On Tuesday he accidentally shot himself through a finger on his left hand while cleaning a gun.

Never one to pass up a chance to promote himself, the bedridden Canseco tweeted a photo of the injured hand on Wednesday presumably using one of his good digits.

"Hope I can keep my finger but grateful it wasn't something worse," he tweeted.

The disgraced ballplayer added that his fiancee, Leila Knight, was taking good care of him, but he got no sleep.

Got no sleep. Hope I can keep my finger but grateful it wasn't something worse @ModelLeila my nurse taking good care pic.twitter.com/TR78fmru8d
— Jose Canseco (@JoseCanseco) October 29, 2014

Canseco returned to his Las Vegas home where the shooting took place. Police say he was wounded while he was cleaning his semiautomatic handgun and it accidentally fired.

Love you baby no matter how many fingers you have ♥️♥️♥️ @JoseCanseco pic.twitter.com/v71ZUyBPTL
— Leila Knight (@ModelLeila) October 29, 2014

While reattaching the finger is still questionable, he's lucky it wasn't more serious.

A's go ahead with Yoenis Cespedes T-shirt giveaway despite being traded (VIDEO)

Yoenis Cespedes was once a bright star for the Athletics but, after being exchanged for Jon Lester and Jonny Gomes before Thursday's trade deadline, La Potencia will soon be a washed up memory in Oakland.

Washed up as in an old faded T-shirt sort of way.

While Thursday's trade seemed to benefit both clubs, it left the A's marketing department with an unusual dilemma because Saturday's game at Oakland's O.co Coliseum was supposed to be Yoenis Cespedes T-shirt night. 

So the A's decided to just go ahead and give them out anyway.

Today's @ynscspds Yoenis Cespedes T-shirt giveaway by #Athletics two days after trade to #RedSox. pic.twitter.com/qSlxzFItTX
— Janie McCauley (@JanieMcCAP) August 2, 2014

Lester, who made his first start for the A's in the giveaway game, weathered the awkward situation, for an 8-3 win over the Royals.

Meanwhile, Cespedes went 1-for-4 with a run scored in a 6-4 Red Sox loss to the Yankees.

Minor-league pitcher confronted by fan after plunking batter (VIDEO)

During Sunday night's game between the Double-A Midland RockHounds (Athletics) and Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros). RockHounds reliever Blake Hassebrock plunked Hooks first baseman Telvin Nash with his team down 9-0 in the fifth inning.

Not satisfied that no one from the Hooks dugout rushed out to defend their bruised teammate, one fan made the decision to take it upon himself to serve justice.

Not surprisingly, according to Greg Rajan of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, alcohol was involved. The fan, an unidentified 35-year old Houston man, was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication and criminal trespass at a sporting event.

“I saw (the fan) out of the corner of my eye and I honestly thought it was someone from their dugout, like a trainer, going to see Nash,” Hassebrock said. “Then I realized when he was halfway between the (foul) line and the mound, that he was a fan. My first thought was I just hoped he didn't have a gun or something weird. If he's crazy enough to be on the field, who knows what he had on him. By the time he got to me, he stopped and it looked like he came to and regretted being out there in the first place. We didn't (make contact).

“This was something out of ‘Eastbound and Down.' (What he said) was pretty much inaudible, drunken gibberish. (There was) a couple of f-bombs and some slurring. I'm pretty sure he was upset I hit Nash.“

Did we mention that alcohol was involved?

[CBS Sports]

Coco Crisp uses ninja move to get out of a rundown (VIDEO)

Coco Crisp got caught in a rundown between first and second after a pickoff attempt Friday night. But the A's outfielder managed to use a ninja-like move to escape the tag.

Now you see him, now you don't.

Even the baffled Marlins players stood around wondering what just happened after Crisp's catlike crawl and slide back to the base.

Yoenis Cespedes makes unreal throw to nail Howie Kendrick at the plate (VIDEO)

With the A's and Angels tied at one in the bottom of the 8th, Mike Trout hit a ball into left field that bounced off the tip of Yoenis Cespedes' glove. Instead of respecting the well-known cannon that the leftfielder calls an arm, Howie Kendrick made a mad dash for home plate and paid for his challenge.

After the ball rolled into the left field corner, Cespedes picked it up and made the unbelievable throw to nab Kendrick at the plate, keeping the game tied at 1 in the 8th.

Here's the play at the plate:

Even though the A's went on to lose, 2-1,  in 14 innings, Cespedes had reason to smile for a moment at his incredible handiwork ... I mean arm work.