Enough with all this madness about Bartolo Colon's home run

Not since Hank Aaron's historic No. 715 has baseball seen a home run as widely celebrated as the one Bartolo Colon dumped into the left field seats at Petco Park Saturday night.

Even Padres pitcher James Shields — the pitcher who gave up the shot — has self-appointed himself "President of the Bartolo Colon Fan Club."

The 19-year MLB vet is a likable enough guy, but it's time for the madness about a single long ball to stop.

We get it. A 42-year-old fat guy lofts a ball into the stands for his first career dinger, wobbles around the bases and all hell breaks loose. And now we get to hear Mets announcer Gary Cohen's now immortal "the impossible has happened" ad nauseum until blood runs out of your ears.



And we've have heard Mets Spanish station WEPN's broadcast clip so much it makes hearing GOOOOOOAAALLLLL sound like sweet music:

Bartolo Colon home run called by the Mets Spanish station WEPN: pic.twitter.com/eRdyvgI13U

— In Mets We Trust (@InMetsWeTrust) May 8, 2016

Now Topps has even turned the image of Colon's dinger into a baseball card:

Bartolo Colon hitting his 1st HR is newest #TOPPSNOW card. Get it here: https://t.co/tpN4j99mUZ pic.twitter.com/KjexVVdPA9

— Topps Company (@toppscards) May 8, 2016

So all you chubby-chasing baseball fans compose yourselves. It was so fortuitous a swing that even the 19-year MLB veteran almost carried the bat all the way to first base with his helmet over his eyes. So get over it.

And if you didn't figure it out by now... I'm a Yankees fan who fondly remembers when El Barto squeezed himself into slimming pinstripes.

Padres send out search party to hunt down Tom Murphy's first career home run (VIDEO)

It's a scene any kid who played on a backyard field can remember — the one where everyone from both teams rummage through the wilds of suburbia looking for the game's only baseball which got hit into the woods.

And, although major league players always have more than just one ball to play with, the San Diego Padres bullpen got to relive that experience on Saturday night. After the Rockies' Tom Murphy hit his first career home run, the Padres knew that he'd probably like the souvenir and put together a search party to pick through the wilds of Coors Field and retrieve this single ball.

And unlike those sandlot games, play continued while the Padres attended to their quest for the valuable keepsake.

Just watch out for that poison oak.

Wiener dog escapes, runs wild through minor league park (VIDEO)

The El Paso Chihuahuas  hosted the Wiener Schnitzel Weenie Dog Race on Sunday but watch what happened when one of the elongated pups escaped its people and made a break for it.

An adorable dachshund (the breed that looks like a Dr. Seuss drawing) took flight during the event in which the San Diego Padres AAA affiliate staged a race to find out once and for all who was “the fastest wiener in El Paso.”

The happy pooch took a advantage of its freedom and ran roughshod throughout the ball park — eluding handlers and players on his unauthorized tour.

A WIENER DOG IS ON THE FIELD! http://t.co/Wi2afXvxhb https://t.co/pzUia3fMZJ

— SB Nation (@SBNation) August 31, 2015

Here's the whole video of the hot dog madness:

Jake Lamb gets silent treatment after first home run, high fives imaginary teammates (VIDEO)

We've seen it plenty of times before. A hot-shot rookie gets called up, teammates wait for things to happen and bingo — nothing.

Jake Lamb had worked his way through the minors before being called up to the Diamondbacks on Aug 7. and, after a slow start in the majors, the 23-year-old third baseman finally launched his first home run over the center field fence Saturday night

After rounding the bases, Lamb received the customary silent treatment in the dugout after his first big league dinger. So, instead of being ignored by the D-backs players, Lamb high-fived his own imaginary teammates before the real ones came around and gave him a hearty congratulations.

Just don't eavesdrop on Lamb's conversations with his new invisible friends.

Cameraman makes outstanding one-handed catch while behind the lens (VIDEO)

Cameraman get to see lots of games from behind the television monitor but rarely do they become part of the action.

During Sunday's Padres-Cardinals game, this intrepid cameraman snagged Peter Bourjos' foul ball with one bare hand while keeping focused on the other task at hand — namely catching the baseball game through his lens.

Not only did the Busch Stadium camera guy make the nifty grab — stinging his hand in the process — he shielded a fellow techie from getting hit.

Oh yeah. Super Cameraman even gave the ball to a lucky kid.

Chase Headley's debut as a Yankee ends with Gatorade shower (VIDEO)

To call Chase Headley's Tuesday anything but extraordinary would would be a gross understatement.

Headley started the day off ready to suit up for the Padres against the Cubs at Wrigley Field when he found out he was acquired by the Yankees and hopped the next plane to New York.

The Bombers' new third baseman wasn't able to get to the Bronx for the start of his new team's game against the Rangers, but he did put on the pinstripes later in the contest — subbing in for Zealous Wheeler in the eighth.

After a round of quick introductory handshakes, and even fewer nondescript at-bats, Headley topped off the long day by lining an RBI single to left to give the Yankees a 2-1 walk-off victory in the 14th inning.

Instantly, talk went from Who's the new guy? to Brian Cashman is a genius! with one swing of the bat.

And, after a game that the Yankees really needed to win, his new teammates expressed their gratitude for the clutch hit by pouring Gatorade — bucket and all — over Headley's ... well ... head.

One could imagine that days just don't get crazier than this.

Little girl gets foul ball, proceeds to lick it (VIDEO)

This little fan at Friday's Diamondbacks-Padres game was lucky enough to get a foul ball, and  immediately proceeded to see what it tastes like.

My guess is plain beef jerky.

Whatever its flavor, there must be something in the hide this season because this Astros fan did his own taste test the other night — and got slapped for it.

Kid gets Jeff Mathis' pink bat after it flies into stands (VIDEO)

Jeff Mathis loses the handle on his Mother's Day pink bat and a young fan is excited to get a souvenir after it flies into the stands.

Another reminder for fans to always keep your eyes on the batter.

Giants fan and Padres fan hug it out after foul ball scramble (VIDEO)

While the Giants were in Petco Park taking on the Padres Friday night, a San Francisco fan made a futile attempt to grab a foul ball.

Unfortunately for him, he missed the ball but luckily fell into the lap of a very pretty lady next to him.

He was okay. But she wound up recovering the sought after souvenir.

At least he ended up with the next best thing — a hug.

Is there a lesson to be learned here or what? 

Another Padres ballgirl makes a spectacular catch (VIDEO)

If it wasn't official before, it is now. The Padres have the best fielding ballgirls in the majors.

That's because the Petco Park ladies seem to make great catches like this one below seem ordinary. It comes just a couple of nights after we saw another web gem from a different Padres ballgirl in the same location.

This fearless young lady down the first-base line drops to her knees to snag a sinking line-drive foul ball in the seventh inning Tuesday night. Watch the hipster in the front row hop out of his seat and recoil in horror as she makes the grab.

Way to go. 

Padres ballgirl already has one of the best catches of the season (VIDEO)

Major League Baseball was barely eight innings old (in the U.S.) and already a San Diego Padres ballgirl might have the catch of the season.

Not only does she have great reaction time, but she fully extends over the right side railing to to snag a scorching liner in foul territory — saving a couple of fans in the meantime.

The best part — she barely cracks a smile and acts like it was nothing.

Have fun topping that one boys.

MLB unveils ROC — its state-of-the-art replay center (PHOTOS)

Beginning with the Dodgers-Padres game at Petco Park on Sunday night — the U.S. opener of the 2014 season — players, managers and fans will start hearing a lot more of the ROC — technically known as Major League Baseball's Replay Operations Center.

The 900-square foot high-tech room in the Chelsea Market building in Manhattan's trendy Meatpacking District, is where umpires and technicians will make the decisions that could decide games and championships.

More than $10 million has been spent wiring the 30 big league ballparks with Fiberlink cable that will transmit the images from at least 12 cameras at every site, and MLB says it will take just 400 milliseconds for each image to arrive at the command center.

The ROC is housed in the offices of Major League Baseball Advanced Media in the historic building where the Oreo cookie was invented.

It's been called a technological marvel, outfitted with state-of-the-art video equipment. And it's the nerve center of MLB's expanded replay system. ROC will be manned by eight umpires from the existing pool of on-field arbitrators. Each umpire will have a technical assistant to run disputed plays from angles gleaned by 12 cameras at each ballpark.

Beginning Sunday, every play of every game this season that is subject to review will be analyzed in this room by at least one umpire and one trained technician. Whenever a manager formally challenges a call, or after the sixth inning, if the umpires on the field simply want a second opinion, this is where the ultimate decisions will be made.

Managers will have one challenge per game, and a second if the first is successful. They will not be able to challenge home run calls, the original impetus for the replay that started in 2008. Only game umpires can ask for replays on homers.

So if Don Mattingly disagrees with a ROC ump's call, he'll have to travel 2,760 miles to kick dirt on their khakis.

Padres fan watches game on stilts (VIDEO)

Sorry Padres fans, that wasn't Randy Johnson you saw wandering around Petco Park the other day looking to make a comeback. It was just some fan who found one way to make sure he didn't get an obstructed view at the ballpark. The acrobatic dude used stilts to walk around the outfield grass during the Rockies-Padres game.

Or maybe the circus is in town.

Fan brings own Barcalounger chair to stands at Petco Field (VIDEO)

In what has to be the most inventive example of mixing business with pleasure, this fan brought what looks like a pleather Barcalounger® and his own desk to Petco Field Saturday night. The mellow looking dude took in the Rockies-Padres game while lounging in the cushy chair in the comfort of the empty stands.

Portable man-cave or travelling office? Only this innovative guy knows. But, if he was playing hooky, at least he wouldn't be lying if he told his boss I was at the office.

Well, sort of.

Girardi still has concerns regarding Jeter's health

It only took a couple of plays from Derek Jeter Friday night to convince Joe Girardi to admit he still has some concerns about his shortstop’s health. After a week into his comeback from a Grade-1 quadriceps strain, Jeter has looked slow on the base paths and awkward at times in the field.

“As we’ve talked about, he’s coming back from a leg injury,” Girardi said after a 7-2 loss to San Diego on Friday. “And I’m not so sure it’s 100 percent. But he’s trying to grind through it for us.”

Jeter responded to his manager's remarks in predictable fashion.

“I am alright,” he said after going 1-for-4 in the loss. “Like I told you, if I play, you don’t hear anything about it. I played. So I’m good.”

The first play involved a slide into third. Jeter appeared to drag his buckled right leg as he lunged into the base as he went first to third in the first inning. He chalked up the result to a last-minute decision to slide.

“It didn’t look too good,” he said with a grin. “I was going to stand up, but I tried to slide to slow down.”

The second play occurred in the seventh inning. Jeter fielded a grounder from catcher Nick Hundley and attempted to make a play at second. But he stumbled in his delivery and flung an errant throw past the bag allowing outfielder Logan Forsythe to reach safely.

"It wasn’t an awkward step," Jeter said. "He was running on the play, and he got there a little quicker than I thought. I tried to rush it, but threw it high. But it wasn't being awkward."

Jeter made his fourth straight start at shortstop after being activated from the disabled list. Since hitting a dramatic home run and single in his first game back, Jeter was 0-for-9 until a first inning single Friday night.

As usual with the Captain, this is one battle Girardi isn't going to win.

Little baby rocks awesome Mohawk haircut at Coors Field

This is one little fan who is already showing a lot of style. During the Padres-Rockies game at Coors Field Thursday night, this baby's adorable Mohawk starter 'do got some camera time while he took a gulp from his bottle. All the while oblivious to Colorado being on the short end of a close game and his older sister sticking her tongue out at someone behind her.

Chances are good the little guy was in Sleepyland by the time the Rockies lost, 6-5, in 12 innings.



Keep it growing young dude and in a couple of seasons you'll attain the ultimate Mile High Rockies hairstyle just like this guy.

'Squirrel Man' beats human in Petco Field race and rallies Padres over Giants

A man who is being called the "World's Fastest Squirrel" showed up at Petco Field Saturday night and, besides out-sprinting a man who he had given a giant head start, rallied the San Diego Padres to a win over the San Francisco Giants. After the squirrel's 4th inning race, the Padres scored six runs to take a 6-5 lead they wouldn't relinquish.

The man in the gray costume with a big padded tail — only being identified as an NCAA national sprint champion — is now getting called everything  from "The Rally Squirrel" to just plain "Squirrel Man."

By any name, the giant tree rat delighted the crowd during the fan promotion.

Squirrel Man may be good at chasing down nutty fans but how well can he climb trees or walk across telephone lines?

Greinke breaks collarbone during Dodgers-Padres brawl (VIDEO)

Both benches cleared in San Diego's Petco Park when Carlos Quentin charged the mound after being plunked by Zack Greinke in the sixth inning of Thursday's Dodgers-Padres game.

Quentin obviously felt that the $150 million righthander's pitch was intended as retaliation for a Jason Marquis pitch which sailed by Dodger Matt Kemp's head earlier in the night.

After the dust had settled — and Greinke, Kemp, Quentin and Jerry Hairston were ejected by umpire Sam Holbrook— Greinke found out he had a broken collarbone.

It is unclear whether Greinke was hurt in the original brouhaha.  He dropped his glove and lowered his shoulder as the much larger Quentin barrelled into him.  They wrestled on the mound before both benches joined in the scrum.



After the players had initially returned to their dugouts, the Dodgers' Jerry Hairston ran out and stirred things up once again. A fuming Kemp had to be restrained by Dodgers manager Don Mattingly and pitcher Josh Beckett.

 

"He [Quentin] should not play a game until Greinke can pitch," said an angry Mattingly at the post game presser.

Greinke and Quentin are old adversaries.  This was the third time the Dodger has drilled Quentin — the last time being in 2009. Quentin has led the majors in HBPs the last two seasons.

The heavy-hitting Quentin could be facing a five or six game suspension for charging the mound if history is any indication.

The Dodgers ended up with a 3-2 victory but suffered a real loss with the injury to Greinke.

Kid catches foul ball in tub of popcorn

A young fan sitting behind home plate used his extra-large size tub of popcorn to snag a pop-up foul ball at last night's Padres-Astros game in Houston.

The kid— wearing what looks like a Los Angeles Dodgers cap— looked like a major-leaguer after making the difficult turnaround catch.

Now he has a hot-buttered souvenir.

Speaking of little guys making big plays, Alexi Amarista— all 5-foot-7 inches of him— hit a ninth-inning grand to cap off a six-run rally as San Diego came from behind to beat Houston, 7-3.

Texas Rangers show off their big guns with Navy Seals

You can't deny the fact that the Texas Rangers pack some serious firepower and, if their lineup card doesn't get major league pitchers shaking in their cleats, maybe this photo will do the trick.

While the Rangers were were in San Diego to face the Padres, the team took time off to visit a Navy Seals training facility and show off some even bigger guns on Tuesday afternoon.

The players got to meet military personnel and play around with various assault-rifles, handguns and a mortar launcher.  Leftfielder David Murphy— he's the one with the big grin and even bigger weapon— was the lucky guy holding that bad boy.

After touring the grounds and posing with the arsenal of mayhem, it was Josh Hamilton who provided the big blast at last night's game.  The Rangers centerfielder— after missing four games with an illness— blasted a two-run triple to lead his team, 7-3,  past the Padres.

And no, that wasn't Tiger Woods spotted out at the training camp going through the obstacle course.