Nine-year old bat boy in critical condition after being hit by player’s bat: Report

The nine-year-old bat boy of an amateur Kansas baseball team was hospitalized Saturday in critical condition when a player taking practice swings accidentally hit the boy in the head with his bat.

The Liberal Bee Jays confirmed that Kaiser Carlile was in the intensive care unit of Via Christi St. Francis hospital in Wichita as a result of the injuries suffered during a National Baseball Congress game against the San Diego Waves.

"As most already know, our 9 year old, precious batboy... was accidentally struck," club president Nathan McCaffrey wrote on the team's Facebook page, while describing the youngster's condition as "critical."

Hey fans, we need a lot of prayers for our bat boy and superfan, Kaiser.

— Liberal Bee Jays (@LiberalBeeJays) August 1, 2015

Kaiser, who was wearing a helmet, took the full force of a bat to the head as a Bee Jays player took cuts in the on-deck circle, a witness told KSN-TV of Wichita.

“He was swinging, and it hit him in the helmet, knocked him down," according to witness Jim Parks. "He got back up, but he went right back down again."

The Bee Jays credited umpire Mark Goldfeder with beginning first aid on the child before nearby emergency workers took over.

Bee Jays players were pictured huddled in prayer shortly after the tragic accident, which has the team and the tiny town of Liberal hoping for the best.

“Please continue to pray and keep Kaiser and his family in your thoughts,” the team wrote.

Kershaw freezes out Trout in historic MVP matchup (VIDEO)

Never before had reigning league MVPs ever faced each other during the regular season. And this matchup had to have a winner. So score it Clayton Kershaw 1, Mike Trout 0.

VIDEO: Clayton Kershaw FREEZES Mike Trout in round 1 of MVP vs. MVP. http://t.co/zWD3bQi94y pic.twitter.com/mCrWEvOwtI

— theScore (@theScore) August 1, 2015

At Dodger Stadium on Saturday afternoon, the Dodgers and Angels played a big game between the two playoff contenders, but the real subplot, not surprisingly, was the face-to-face between Kershaw and Trout.

And Kershaw retired Trout three times, striking him out once, like this, in the first inning:

Round 1 goes to the Southpaw. https://t.co/aKFld39Vdh #MVPvsMVP

— MLB (@MLB) August 1, 2015

But not so fast claimed Angels fans after they saw this strange looking graphic. According to this Twitter post, Kershaw was about 1.1 inches out of the strike zone.

Call helps #Dodgers Strike 3 should be ball 2 Top 1 Kershaw vs Trout 28% call same 1.1in from edge pic.twitter.com/sfuVnfmACJ

— Dodgers Strike Zone (@DodgersUmp) August 1, 2015

Kershaw won the battle and the war, throwing eight two-hit innings, as the Dodgers beat the Angels 3-1. But maybe Trout will get a shot at redemption in a Freeway World Series?

Fans arrive at midnight to see American Pharoah in Haskell Invitational

Sorry Odell, but when it comes to diehard fans, it looks like another New Jersey-bred star might be giving you a run for your money. And this sports star is faster and even pays off too.

Causing all this new fan fuss is Triple Crown-winner American Pharoah who is set to run in the $1.75 million William Hill Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on Sunday.

According to NJ.com, railbirds hoping to get a glimpse of the champion thoroughbred  began lining up outside the front gate of the New Jersey track almost 18 hours before the horse even entered the stating gate:

Brick Township resident Steven Prosser was the first in line outside the main gate of the racetrack at midnight, nearly 18 hours before the scheduled post time for the main event.

This year's Haskell was be the 25^th Prosser attended, but he said he made sure to arrive extra early this year to reserve enough tables in the picnic area to accommodate a large group of family and friends.

"I love horse racing anyway, but it is monumental to get the chance to see a Triple Crown winner," Prosser said. "We might never get to see one again in our lifetime."

The gates to the parking lots were scheduled to open at 5 a.m., but they opened about 10 minutes early and seconds later there was already a long line of out of breath racing fans stretching from the general admission entrances.

At 9 a.m., there was a mad dash for the tables in the general admission picnic area, and in less than a minute all of the tables in the section closest to the track were accounted for.

Long line to get into #Haskell2015, #APPHaskell pic.twitter.com/Ki3quTLKpM

— jean mikle (@jeanmikle) August 2, 2015

So what's more memorable? A Triple Crown or The Catch?

Oddsmakers give AP 1-to-5 odds to win this Sunday but only give OBJ a 30-to-1 chance of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy on Super Bowl Sunday.

Take the horse.

Rousey demolishes Correia in 34 seconds at UFC 190 (VIDEO)

In normal fight time, Saturday night's UFC 190 bout between Ronda Rousey and Bethe Correia was what would normally be called a short affair. But in the world of Rousey Time, it seemed an eternity — at least for Correia.

While she needed only 34 seconds this time to retain her women's bantamweight title over the trash-talking Brazilian challenger, this didn't look like the same old Rousey.

The champion's hand striking, which some said was her weakness, was the key to Rousey's one-sided victory in the main event at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

And she came out swinging. 

Ronda Rousey ladies and gentlemen #34seconds #UFC190 💪👊 pic.twitter.com/inCOX6lKJ3

— BreatheSport (@BreatheSport) August 2, 2015

Rousey's punches overwhelmed Correia, who could nothing but absorb the blows.

Rousey popped Correia with clean, hard shots and finished it with a right to the temple. Correia fell on her face as referee John McCarthy quickly stopped it.

It was four seconds longer than the combined time of her two previous wins — 16 seconds over Alexis Davis at UFC 175 and 14 seconds over Cat Zingano at UFC 184.



An emotional Rousey, who is quickly becoming one of the most dominate athletes in their respective sport, said she was angered by Correia's pre-fight trash talk that she took as shots at her family, dedicated the win to the late professional wrestler "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. Piper, who died in his sleep Friday, had given Rousey permission to use his "Rowdy" nickname.

"I said the exact same thing she was saying to me at the weigh-ins when she was screaming in my face at weigh-ins," Rousey explained at the post-fight press conference. "She was saying 'Don't cry'.

"So I turned around to her after I knocked her out and I said 'Don't cry'."

Frenzied Odell Beckham Jr. fans trample woman having a seizure: Report

It seems nothing involving Odell Beckham Jr. can go off without some sort of commotion.

And sometimes it's not a good thing.

New York Giants Fans Step Over Seizing Woman in Effort to Land Odell Beckham Jr. Autograph #giants #nyg #nfl http://t.co/xhonfXDjxJ

— Giants 101 (@Giants_101) July 31, 2015

On Friday, the first day of Giants training camp, the star receiver held an autograph signing for fans following practice. And it created a few moments of chaos and ugliness during the 45-minute signing period while Beckham made his way through a long alley packed with fans at what appeared to be the most attended open training camp practice since the team moved to their New Jersey complex from Albany.

Even before Beckham arrived, Giants staffers were instructing the crowd to be wary of kids along the fence. "Don't squish 'em!'' one yelled. "We're all Giants fans here. We have to take care of each other.''

And during the chaos among those clamoring for a piece of No. 13, children, the disabled and even a woman having a seizure got trampled by the crowd.

Odell Beckham Jr. autograph session turns chaotic as fans became violent, bleachers buckle. http://t.co/3v1h4k7RDV pic.twitter.com/jFXq5aLfJT

— Sporting News (@sportingnews) August 1, 2015

In a release Friday night, the club admitted that the portable bleachers set up for the training camp crowd were overwhelmed by the crowd and "shifted."

There were no injuries, the club said, but the issue has led to a change in autograph policies. They also said it moved all autograph sessions to away from the bleachers and into the Kids' Zone area of camp. The team has also barred adults from seeking autographs in the post-practice sessions.

OBJ Fever... catch it. Or get caught up in it.

Ronda Rousey dedicates UFC 190 fight to Roddy Piper and do 'Rowdy' nickname proud

It came as sad news to find out former WWE star "Rowdy" Roddy Piper died at the age of 61, after it was confirmed by the WWE on Friday.

One of his fans happens to also go by the nickname "Rowdy," MMA superstar Ronda Rousey — a namesake the wrestler handed down to her when Rousey was an amateur.

  

And as Rousey prepares for Saturday night's UFC 190 against Bethe Correia, she took to Instagram to thank the wrestling legend for the name and dedicate the upcoming fight to him.

"Thank you for the name.... And so much more.... Will do it justice and do you proud tomorrow.... This one's for you Roddy...."

Thank you for the name.... And so much more.... Will do it justice and do you proud tomorrow.... This one's for you Roddy....

A photo posted by rondarousey (@rondarousey) on Jul 31, 2015 at 6:07pm PDT

On paper, there’s no good reason to think Correia (9-0 mixed martial arts, 3-0 UFC) stands a chance of beating Rousey (11-0, 5-0). The Brazilian challenger’s unbeaten record might look like a good match for the champion’s, but now Piper's namesake has some added incentive.

Wilmer Flores goes from tears to walk-off home run (VIDEO)

On Wednesday night there was Wilmer Flores sopped in tears, thinking the New York Mets had traded him.

Now, just 48 hours later, here was the young infielder being drenched in a Gatorade shower after hitting a walk-off home run in the 12th inning of the Mets' 2-1 win over the Nationals.

Talk about an emotional roller coaster ride. 

Happily for Flores, and luckily for the Mets, the trade never went through.