#I was torn between catching up on MLB

[edgeofmyniall]

three: “Jolene”

masterlist | taglist | thoughts

“Jolene, I'm begging of you please don't take my man....please don't take him just because you can”

Ginger woke to fifteen missed calls from Niall, thirty-three texts that consisted of variations of “Are you okay?” and “Please call me back.” Each text made her head pound, whether it was out of anger or something else she didn’t know. But the one text message that made her heart beat rapidly and forcibly made her sit up in bed out of pure shock was a single text from John Doe.

Daniel....

Hey, what are you up to? 

It was sent at 2:56 a.m. She could hear her mother clearly as she bit the inner corner of her lip: “Nothing good comes after eleven. Nothing.” It was now 8:39 a.m. Nearly a six hour difference between the initiation and response. Ginger quickly tapped at the screen, trying to come up with a witty response. Her brain tried to remind her that this was bad news like Niall, but her heart told her brain that Daniel could have changed and their history proved volitable.

Her body began to involuntarily shake as she stared at the name in the top part of the screen. She smiled to herself as she thought of the many memories her and Daniel shared. 

Just woke up, haha. What’s up with you? Long time, no see.

The ellipses popped up immediately and Ginger threw her phone across her bed at the sight of Daniel responding. This is actually happening. Wait, wasn’t he married to what’s-her-face? Kendall? Kimberly? K-something...

Ginger tried not to keep up secretly with Daniel after everything he put her through, but she just had to know if he was happy, like truly happy. He went through many girlfriends until he met his wife at college in Florida. She watched afar and silently as he found happiness.

Couldn’t sleep. I was going through our yearbook and I couldn’t stop wondering if you’re doing good G

G. It had been years since someone had called her that. And it was Daniel’s name for her. Even after he broke her heart that afternoon so long ago, he would still linger his eyes on her for a bit too long for someone who never liked her. Never cared for her.

I’m doing good. In California working. What about you? You become that all-star catcher? She knew the answer, but she wanted to keep the conversation going. Talking to Daniel brought her unexplainable joy no matter what the conversation was about. 

Nah. I’m coaching at the high school though. Figured that was as close to MLB as I’ll ever get haha

Ginger tried to think of a witty comeback for his statement before there was another message.

Miss you G. You’re still beautiful 

Ginger blinked violently as she tried to process what just happened. Daniel misses me? In what dream state am I in? She couldn’t think of anything to say, but the yearning truth: Miss you too Danny. 

~~~

Stella was bouncing in the kitchen. Bouncing isn’t the correct word- she was dancing to Miley Cyrus, but bouncing was a better fit than the word dancing. She was practically jumping up and down to some break up song, and Ginger felt like she was suffocating. Either Niall and Stella needed to break up or make amends because Ginger can not take much more of the whiplash the two have caused her. Stella began singing at the top of her lungs off-key and Ginger breathed a sigh of relief when her phone began to rang. It was Niall. 

Stealthily, Ginger sneaks through the living room and pushes the glass door open. The enclosed backyard was small and L-shaped. She spent very little time outside, but she loved the small deck that Stella and her had put together when they first moved in together: just a patio table with an umbrella that was torn in half with mismatched chairs around it.

She closed the door and slid her thumb across the screen.

“Yes?” Ginger snaps, her voice sharp and jagged as her annoyance was made clear.

“I was, uh,” Niall is taken aback from the hurtful tone of his friend. “I was making sure you’re okay.” “I’m fine,” Ginger is short with Niall, something that isn’t normal.

“Ya sure? I wasn’t tryn’ to be a dick last night, I just...I have a lot on me mind.”

“Well you were, so…” Ginger twirled her hair in between her fingers as her mind wanders at the thought of Daniel. What was he doing? And why did he text her after all this time?

“I’m sorry. I just… I don’t know.” Niall’s voice fades off and that pulls Ginger back into reality. She sits on the cement stair leaning out to the background and leans against the glass door. 

“What’s wrong? Tell me. Or I’ll beat it outta you,” Ginger accepts Niall’s apology with a threat of unbelievable violence-her way of cheering up Niall. It had worked in the past.

“I’m givin’ Stella to the end of the month to get ‘er shit together, or I’m leaving. I’m gone. For good. No more hangin’ out wid each oder. Done.” Ginger imagines Niall waving his hands around as each of his words spills out into the line. The way he picks at his cuticles and bites his lip as he waits for an answer.

“And you’re gonna tell she has until the end of the month?” Ginger asks, her brow quirks up in half amusement and half surprise. 

“No.”

Ginger shakes her head to process the simple answer.

“She can figure it out on her own. She’s smart. I won’t try as hard, and if she doesn’t care enough to ask or do anything ‘bout it, that’s when I’ll know.”

“So you’re basing your relationship on telepathic inabilities?” Ginger half laughs and rolls her eyes. “I don’t believe it.”

“I don’t want to be with her anymore, Gin.” Niall’s voice is harsh and deep, frustration floating in his tone.

“Then fucking break up with her. God, fuck this. Either you be with her or you don’t.” Ginger stands up as her tone increases. She’s yelling at Niall now. “I don’t want to be a part of this!”

Stella opens the glass door with a confused look on her face and Ginger looks at her with somber filling her eyes. She stands and faces her cousin whose eyes are puffy from the amount of crying she’s been doing.

“Whether you like it or not, Ginger, you’re a part of this as much as I am. I can’t believe that I’m-”

Ginger cuts the phone off before she hears anything that Niall might regret saying. 

“What was that all about? Who was that? Was that Niall? He hasn’t returned any of my texts, and I-” Stella’s mouse like voice returned to normal and Ginger sighs before cupping her hands around her cousin’s shoulders.

“It was. He just wanted to make sure I was okay after my encounter with Rex at work,” Ginger lies. Her heart is racing hoping Stella buys the line she just dropped. Stella looks at Ginger for a moment and decides it is the truth.

“He’s such a dick.”

“Such a dick. What do you want to do today? I can go do laundry.” Ginger follows her cousin into the house and prays to God for letting the lie work. “I’ve got quarters.”

~~~~

Ginger is scrolling through her Twitter feed as she waits for the clothes to finish washing in the top right machine. Her offer of doing laundry was a plea to escape the house. Her rhythm of washing, drying, and folding the warm, clean clothes was meticulous enough to get her mind off certain things: Niall, Daniel, and the whole Stella situation. 

Every time she wanted to be alone, needed to be alone, someone was there to interrupt her thoughts and processes of events that happened in the past two weeks. 

Celebration Dinner: Niall came on to Ginger multiple times during dinner and after driving her home, he basically all but told her that he had feelings for her. Then she avoids anyone associated with him for two weeks which includes her cousin a.k.a. his girlfriend. Then last night or this morning, depending how you look at it, Daniel texts her out of the blue. What the hell is going on? 

A sudden light tap on her shoulder makes Ginger jump. She’s on edge since dinner two weeks ago as if she’s hiding something; like she’s guilty. It was a young girl with braids throughout her hair that needed to get by and Ginger’s sprawled out legs were taking up the walkway.

“Sorry sweetheart,” Ginger mumbles and smiles to the little girl. “Here,” Ginger pulls a dollar worth in quarters off the machine she’s been leaning on as she sits and waits for the washing machine to be done. “Go get you a coke.”

The girl happily takes the coins and pushes the clothes basket into her mother’s calves. “Momma, this girl gave me money for a drink. Can I get one?” The dark-skinned lady turns around and looks at Ginger, and as awkward as she may feel right now, Ginger smiles softly. She knew the mom wasn’t happy about the basket wreck or that a complete stranger gave her daughter money, but Ginger looked decent enough. She sighs before saying: “Did you tell her thank you?”

“Thank you lady!” The young girl runs to the back of the laundromat and decides what she should pick.

“You really have a way with people.” The simple sentence was spoken to Ginger and she knew by the accent who it was: the one person she’s been trying to avoid. She closes her eyes and sighs softly before turning around. “You hung up on me.”

“Yeah, well, you were being a dick again.” Ginger goes back to her scrolling on Twitter as Niall sits down on the bench beside her. He begins to tap her thumbs and palms against the white rusting metal of the machines as he looks both ways before smiling very assholishly in Ginger’s opinion.

“I’m a dick for expressing my thoughts. I’m a dick for not. Catch twenty-two.” Niall’s voice hums over the dryer behind him and it was a tug on his striped shirt that pulled his glance away from Ginger.

“You’re in One Direction,” the little girl that Ginger had given her money to had come up to Niall. “You look different.”

“I look different?” Niall asks and the little girl nods. “Well that’s ‘cause I’m growing up. Like you are. What’s yer name?” Niall crouches down to talk to the girl better, and she smiles.

“Jamiyah. My momma calls me Jay.”

“Where is your mom? Is she here?” Jamiyah nods and grasps Niall’s hand and pulls him toward her mom. Ginger watches the ordeal, but blocks out their conversation. They take a quick picture and Niall is back to sitting down next to Ginger, but this time his hand is close to Ginger’s thigh, and her mind races as she thinks about his burning touch on her skin. Niall is intoxicating her and she still needs to drive home. 

“So are we gonna talk or what?” Niall leans in and whispers, his breath hot on Ginger’s ear. She swallows hard as she tries to concentrate on the social media platform she’s currently on, but it’s a war Ginger isn’t ready to fight. She turns her head and his face is inches away from hers, but she can taste the mint of his breath. Her mouth falls open slightly before she scrapes her teeth against the skin of her bottom lip. 

“I, um, thought you already talked.” Ginger’s words fall out of her mouth before she can process what she’s saying. In the laundromat with the machines whirling clothes around, Niall looks around and sees the small family have disappeared before looking back at Ginger, pulling himself closer. “I’ll never stop talking to ya, Gin.”

His lips tasted of mint and strawberries; Ginger assumes from his midday smoothie. The plump skin rolls against hers as she wanes her neck. Niall’s tongue coaxes Ginger’s mouth open with the gentle brush of his open mouth against hers and their tongues roll against each other. Ginger breathes in deep and lets out a loud moan as she begins to climb on top of Niall, pushing him down onto the bench. Niall cups the nape of Ginger’s neck and halts her from throwing herself onto him. He pulls back, his thumb tracing Ginger’s cheekbone as he catches his breath. Ginger’s hair falls down onto his face and he wants to drown in her curls. Niall’s palm burns into Ginger’s pale skin and as she sits back up, Niall bites his lip as he stifles a grunt.

“Jesus, Gin, got me stiff while waitin’ for the washin’.” Niall looks up at the ceiling, begging his mind to think of anything but the touch of Ginger’s breast grazing his chest or how sweet her lips tasted against his. He smiles as his mind wanders to the things he is yearning not to think of. 

Ginger takes in Niall as his brow folds-concentrating to quiet this hard on Ginger has caused him. His throat is thick and the bulge in the middle is prominent; the only thoughts Ginger has is what she would give to leave her mark on his skin. To burn him with her touch as he does hers. 

“I like this version of talkin’,” Niall laughs as he looks at Ginger. The washing machine dings and Ginger stands quickly before smoothing her unwrinkled shirt. She places the clothes directly underneath to dry and Niall stands before Ginger turns around. 

“Hey, uh, yah. I’m on my way,” Niall cuts the phone call short and he half-sheepishly smiles at Ginger. He grasps her wrists and his touch is fire against her ice skin. “I gotta run, babe.” Niall lets go and begins to walk out of the laundry facility before he turns around and jogs to Ginger. He quickly kisses her on the lips, full and lovingly before kissing her on the cheek and the neck and her ear. 

“Go, you idiot.” Ginger says and watches Niall walk out of the building. It was when she sat down that she realized what she had done.

“Fuck,”

~~~~

Ginger drives home slowly. The corner laundromat ride should not take fifteen minutes, but it does. And an extra five minutes before Ginger braves herself strong enough to walk into her house. The only thing that made Ginger even come home was the fact that Stella needed her clothes. 

In the driveway was parked Niall’s car, and the pit in Ginger’s stomach grew. She wanted to swallow herself whole. 

On the couch, as Ginger walked in, was Niall and Stella. Stella was dry humping and rolling her hips around Niall’s waist in the middle of Ginger’s couch. Anger bubbled in her body and it took everything she had in herself to not throw Stella off Niall and punch him in the jaw. She loudly dropped the clothes basket on the coffee table, interrupting Niall and Stella’s heavy petting. Ginger’s eyes fill with tears when Stella looks up at Ginger as she still holds on to Niall’s neck, her fingers wasted in his hair. He looks as if he’s lost for words and as he tries to gather what he wants to say- to explain what he’s just been caught doing, Ginger walks to the kitchen and locates the bottle of tequila before stomping upstairs and slams the bedroom door shut. 

If Niall can hurt her like this, she’ll hurt him back ten times harder.

~~~~~~~~~

taglist:

@oyesmendes ndes @thicksniall @kare38 @stayclose-holdsteady @halfpinthoran

#niall horan #niall horan fanfiction #niall horan fanfic #niall horan fic #niall horan au #1dff #heartbreak weather #friends to lovers

[danielslilangel]

Never Needed the Mask

Holy shit it got hella angsty! 

Chat is so concerned with finding out who Ladybug is underneath her mask, but he should have been paying closer attention. 1Kish MLB One Shot 

Enjoy? 

           Ladybug dropped him off on the closest balcony, just trying to get him somewhere safe so she wouldn’t have to worry when she got back to the battle. I was too distracted and he almost got hurt. If anything had happened to him… it would have been my fault.

           “Stay here, you’ll be safe.” Turning around so that she wouldn’t have to look at him and continue fighting the urge to stay any longer, Ladybug readied her yo-yo.

           “Wait….” She looked down as she felt a pressure on her arm and saw that he had grabbed ahold of her hand and was pulling her back towards him.

           “I have to get back to the fight and cleanse the akuma.”

           Though he responded with a quiet “I know,” he didn’t let go.

           “Luka, I can’t stay.”

           He sighed and squeezed her hand tighter. “I just… you now I’m not very good with words, but I don’t have my guitar here with me and this… this just wasn’t how I wanted this to happen, but I guess now is as good of a moment as any.” He looked up, staring straight into her bluebell eyes and smiled. “Marinette, thank you for saving me back there.”

           Ladybug jerked backwards, nearly tripping, but Luka’s firm hold kept her upright. “Ma-ma-Marinette? Who, me? Phst… no. What? Uhm…” she meekly tilted her head back as he took a step closer. She hadn’t realized just how much taller Luka was than her until now. “How did you know?”

           He chuckled, the sound deep and comforting as he tucked a stray strand of hair back behind her ears. “I’ve known that Ladybug was you since the day we met. There was no way that she could be anybody but you, Marinette. No one else is this amazing, brave, kind, or beautiful.”

           “Why didn’t you tell me?” His palm rested on her cheek and she felt herself slowly melting into his warm touch as he rubbed the skin below her mask with his calloused fingers.

           “You guys keep your identities secret for a reason. I wasn’t trying to hide it from you. I’ve actually written a dozen songs where I try to tell you in a way that won’t make you hate me forever, but I guess being saved by you tonight just brought back all of the memories of these last few months and I couldn’t not tell you. I’m sorry for keeping it a secret for so long.”

           Ladybug opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted when her compact began to beep. She deftly slid it open and clicked on the beeping Chat Noir icon on the screen.

           “Where are you? It’s getting a bit hairy over here without you.”

           “I’m on my way, Kitty.” She closed the device and looked back up at Luka. There was just too much to say and not enough time right now.

           “It’s okay Marinette. Go do your thing. I’ll still be here, waiting, when you come back… if that’s what you want?” She looked around as he gestured and realized that she had unintentionally dropped him off outside of her bedroom above the bakery.

           “Stay! I mean… yes, stay, please. I’ll be back soon.” His smile shone brighter than the Eiffel Tower as he nodded and watched her leap away, heading back into battle without fear.

           “My amazing Marinette.”

             “Pound it!” Chat Noir excitedly threw his fist out to the side for Ladybug to tap, only to turn and realize that his partner was already sprinting away since the akuma had been handled. She still has a few minutes left before she transformed back so she shouldn’t have run so fast. It was the first time she had ever left without celebrating or even saying goodbye. Though he knew it was wrong and that he should stay to comfort the victim who was looking around in fear, Chat couldn’t shake the feeling that something was up and he needed to follow her. I’m coming, my lady.

             Ladybug landed on her balcony with a soft thud. Luka was nowhere to be seen in the small space. She felt her heart sink until she noticed that her pink curtains had been pulled back. She didn’t even think as she walked inside, heading towards the bed where Luka sat, eyes closed, meditating. She kept her gaze locked on him as he opened his eyes and watched as she dropped her transformation mid stride. Without hesitation, Marinette straddles his hips and wrapped her arms around his neck.

           “I could never hate the one I love.” She brought her lips down to his, slowly at first… their first. That gentleness did not last long as Luka groaned and leaned back on the bed, pulling Marinette down snugly against his body as their lips collided again and again. They had been dancing around each other for months, each one feeling the pull, but doing nothing about it. After accepting each other’s feelings now, it felt like they couldn’t separate.

           “I love you too, Marinette,” he whispered between kisses.

           They were so lost within one another that they didn’t catch the glow of green eyes and black leather as Chat Noir watched everything from the balcony’s ledge. He felt warmth fall down his cheeks as his heart filled with love and excitement from finally, finally, figuring out who Ladybug was, only to have it torn to shreds as he watched her kiss another man. The one she loves.

           He was silent as he launched himself into the too-quiet streets of a akuma recovering midnight Paris.

#miraculous ladybug #fanfic #lukanette #marinette dupein cheng #luka couffaine #chat noir #angst #sorry not sorry #i love them #marichat is life #but so is lukanette #can they just all be gay together so I can sail on a happy ship

[mynameisdreartblog]

Architectural Styles

Aries: Elizabethan. «Wow, that was a great video, wasn't it? Hey guys, while you're still considering binging on my content, please check out my new crumhorn play session. I've practiced really hard, but my parents aren't supportive of my decision to pursue it, and it'd mean the world for me if you all checked that out! Oh, and also be sure the check out my Instagram in the description: I got a lot of cool pictures of my macaw. His name is Gáirsiúil (pronounced as /gɑːrʃʊl/) and he's quite the stickler for mangos and banana, but only if they've been standing in the sun for a while.» […] And we'll cut off the video there, and that'll take us an hour to upload… maybe I'll enjoy for my life for one day and not have to whore off my pretty birds for views, and- oh? What's this that came in my mailbox and in this neat, little envelope? Why, it's my, heh, letter to next week's Comic-Con convention! And before you ask, it's not the one in San Diego: that'd require me to actually be somewhere important. Rather, it's the one in my local area <the envelope starts leaking ooze>. […] <A teal sedan arrives at the doorsteps of the con and in walks in our favorite star.> Wow, this is just incredible. I'd like to thank all of you for coming to this con; you fans are wonderful, and I don't know where I'd be now if it weren't for you all. To all five of my fans who showed up… well, I know what you came here for, and it's Old Reliable: <a suitcase is shown and unclicked to open its contents, of which includes a complete crumhorn set.> […] Well, I'm taking requests: anyone wanna suggest a spicy song from an, heh, internet meme? Hey, stop squawking at me, you sack of feathers; don't make me regret bringing you here! <Gáirsiúil tries to grab the crumhorn and steal it.> You aren't allowed to touch my crumhorn, now get back into your cage before I get crumbs on your horn!

Gemini: Georgian/Googie. I specifically remember the moment in MLB history where it was a game between the San Francisco Giants and the Arizona Diamondbacks. In that game, there was a beekeeper was brought in for seemingly no reason in particular, until the camera zoomed out and revealed that a swarm of bees had infested the stadium. And I mean infested in the literal sense of the word, as both teams were fighting against actual bees and not the Salt Lake Bees, (which you would've known if you paid attention). The most recent time this happened was on March 2017 during San Diego's final game of Spring Training at Peoria Sports Complex: the Padres and Rockies were swarmed by an unsuspecting swarm that caused them to literally hit the ground. […] Now, in my documentation, a far more interventional fate met the players of those who had to fight off the swarm mentioned in the former story: the beekeepers that came in were very suited-up, far more than any normal one. And the bees themselves were very… metallic in appearance? It was odd, but the players had to take the usual initiative for such an event, and the crowd had to evacuate, but not until the protective bubbles initiated. […] I gotta admire the player determination there, as Pollock ran straight into the horde of bees just to catch the ball, but not at the cost of his artificial arm flesh, which was torn away by the razors of the cybernetic bees, and his enhanced skeleton was revealed… he was later kicked off the team for that. […] I think one of the people in the crowd suggested that March of the Bees be played on the loudspeakers, and that overtook the entire operation. But yeah, long story short: a swarm of bees overtook a Major League Baseball game, and they had to send in special super-beekeepers to assess the cybernetically enhanced swarm all while the game had to still go on with Pollock off the time. […] «We're in Java; why do you care about American baseball?» That's the only question you have about this?

Scorpio: Metabolist. My friend, Aeonya, has been losing their sanity and sense of love from this woman who left everything with them except a red coat. Meanwhile, my consciousness is obsessed with this woman who ordered the most ridiculous menu items possible from this Wendy's and subsequently made them run outta the cream they use to make the Frosties. The point is, we all have those who got away, and it's best to move on. […] My mistake, they're still complaining about the woman and her red coat, with frequent bursts of the refrain, "look, I found her red coat!" Aside from that, it's mostly incomprehensible with my levels of pretension. But it hasn't culminated into self-made investigations nor suicide attempts, so I'll leave them to their ramblings for now. I'm not entirely apathetic; I do know what it's like to be this centered around something, as I've developed similar emotional upheavals to objects that reminded me of someone, except only I focused on the Frosty (and I usually go for the smoothies, but I've had too many bad experiences with those). I just hope they get better soon, because this definitely isn't healthy for a red coat. […] Day, uh, something: Aeonya (cool name, huh?) emailed several DNA labs to see if they can identify the owner of the red coat via the fingerprints. They've clearly crossed any line a while ago, and I feel like I have to intervene, but I'm hesitant because… <Juyeon shudders> there's a lot of bad memories the last time I did that with the smoothies; thank God it hasn't happened with the Frosties yet… What was I talking about? Oh yeah, Aeonya and his red coat situation. They haven't received any replies to their requests, and that's only making them foam at the mouth more and more while clenching harder to the coat. […] Ok, before I continue the updates for today, have you actually been keeping tabs on this? Because I sure haven't; Aeonya stopped coming to this Wendy's and… oh, you care? Well, they sent me one message at around 6 p.m. that reads, «Look, I found her.» There was a picture of a dead rat attached to the image.

Capricorn: Queen Anne. I dreamed of a star-child, I think. She was living in the remains of an old Soviet apartment block with the remnants of a freakshow from the 19th century: outcasts, neurodivergent folks, punks, queers, etc. What little I could remember of it was that the star-child approached me while I was sitting in a depraved chair in the corner of the equally depraved apartment. Her lips stumbled trying to get out something she wanted to say, but words were clearly not being grasped. Strangely enough, she reminded me of an old student of mine who attended in '92 and dropped out not long after. [,,,] Eventually, words finally came out and they were ones of solemn regret for me, in particular, because I supposedly didn't keep up with the times. At that moment, I could feel myself age beyond natural death and into a state of permanent crankiness and vigorousness of the mean spirit. But there was no bickering; there were only contempt for myself for being the middle between normalcy and freakishness: not good enough to be completely either. […] I felt like my existence was contradictory rather than the positive interpretation of connecting bridges between preconceived binaries of individuals, and the star-child in front of me understood that. The outcasts behind her started standing up and I found myself the one sitting down: was this a sign of welcoming — that I could somehow belong? It wasn't, rather they just moved to the other room to listen more closely to the radio located there. From there, the child called me out by name, «Vincent, don’t feel so torn by yourself» she said as she was ripping a sheet of copy paper in front of me. I instinctively scurried next to the door, and she quickly paced in front of me: was this what I wanted? […] Right behind the door, I was now sitting against, was a rave party in a bland lobby celebrating the discovery of a universe in a subatomic particle; they're all sharing a smoke from the smell of it.

#Zodipunc #Zodiaccupuncture #Aries #Gemini #Scorpio #Capricorn

[uncleyarn2-blog]

MLB Bullets has a golden arm

Good morning.

The Red Sox are like the villain in a slasher movie—just when you think they’re dead, they spring back to life. Over the weekend, the Red Sox swept the first-place Rays and Joon Lee writes that all the early-season concerns about the Red Sox are gone—at least for now.

Dawn Klemish has four “takeaways” from the Boston sweep of Tampa Bay.

Joon Lee also has the story of Red Sox prospect Michael Chavis and his wild trip from Triple-A to St. Petersburg to make his major league debut. Chavis’ chaotic schedule had him arriving in the fifth inning of Friday’s game and was immediately told to hurry up and get in a uniform because he was pinch-hitting in two batters. (It turned out, they didn’t need him and he made his debut on Saturday.)

Buster Olney writes that if the Red Sox don’t right the ship and get back in the playoff hunt soon, they will have some difficult decisions about selling veterans before the trade deadline. (ESPN+ sub. req.)

Speaking of the first-place Rays, Bradford Doolittle has some advice for the other 29 teams that are considering making a deal with Tampa Bay: Don’t do it. You’ll lose the trade. (ESPN+ sub. req.)

The Yankees are also in the AL East and they’ve signed first baseman Logan Morrison, just two years after Morrison’s famous comment about Yankees fans: “You can’t fix stupid.” Both Morrison and the Yankees say that’s all water under the bridge now. We’ll see what “stupid” Yankees fans have to say.

The Yankees have Gio Gonzalez pitching for them in their minor leagues at the moment, but it doesn’t seem like that will last as Gonzalez is expected to use the opt-out clause in his contract to look for a different team.

The Yankees might not miss Gonzalez, but the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees certainly will. Gonzalez has been buying gifts and paying for meals for his teammates while he’s been in Triple-A.

As long as we’re still on the Yankees, this is as good a place as any to list the butcher’s bill. Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge joins a long list of injured Yankees as he heads to the injured list with a strained oblique. The injury is being called “significant” and that Judge will miss a good chunk of time.

Blue Jays pitcher Matt Shoemaker will miss a lot more time as Shoemaker is out for the season with a torn ACL.

The Pirates got bad news when shortstop Erik Gonzalez and center fielder Starling Marte collided going after a pop in short center field.

Gonzalez has a broken collarbone and will miss at least two months. Marte went on the IL with less serious injuries.

Rays outfielder Austin Meadows went on the IL with a sprained thumb.

In good injury news, Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor has been activated for the first time this season. Veteran Hanley Ramirez has been designated for assignment to make room.

The Diamondbacks have traded for veteran catcher Blake Swihart. The Red Sox had earlier designated Swihart for assignment.

So far, Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich has been unstoppable. Plus other observations from the last week of baseball.

Except there is one way to stop Yelich: go over the fence to rob him of a home run like Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger did.

Zach Kram looks at Bellinger’s terrific start to the season and writes that not only is Bellinger a strong candidate for NL MVP, he’s been the best player in the Los Angeles-market this season.

Athletics outfielder Ramon Laureano turned in another unbelievable catch that turned into one of the oddest double plays you’ll ever seen.

David Schoenfield marvels at the plays Laureano has made on defense and wonders how many assists Laureano will have by the end of the year.

Angels first baseman Albert Pujols just passed Babe Ruth on the career-RBI list. Sort of. Runs batted in wasn’t an official stat until 1920, so MLB doesn’t count some 224 RBI that Ruth had while he was still pitching for Boston. But Pujols will pass Lou Gehrig and Barry Bonds on the career-RBI list sometime in the next few days.

Angels first baseman Justin Bour showed why you always have to run out a popup, as the Mariners infield let it drop for an easy double play.

Tim Brown looks at the Mariners up-and-down season and how the team is searching for the consistency that would make them better than just average.

The Orioles have set a record for most home runs allowed in a season before May 1.

Maybe Orioles first baseman Chris Davis needs to pitch more. He may be struggling at the plate, but Davis recorded this strikeout with a nasty fastball. I hate to mention that it was only an 82 mph fastball, but it really had good movement on it.

Ben Clemens writes that in the never-ending battle between pitchers and hitters, the pitchers are winning right now and are likely to keep on winning. Not counting Orioles pitchers, I guess.

Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard got his first home run of the season, thanks to an assist by Cardinals outfielder Dexter Fowler, who helped the ball over the wall.

Rep. Steve Cohen makes the case to reverse the current administration’s decision to cancel the deal between MLB and the Cuban Baseball Federation.

Indians first baseman Carlos Santana became a U.S. citizen and his cute daughters stole the show at his swearing-in ceremony.

And finally, here’s the story of a fan who intends to attend all 30 MLB ballparks this summer—and also make a painting of each one while he attends the game.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.

Source: https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2019/4/22/18510610/mlb-bullets-red-sox-michael-chavis-rays-logan-morrison-ramon-laureano

[brew-maths]

Since BREW MATHs has a licensed M.D. on the team, we are uniquely qualified to analyze Jimmy Nelson’s injury. An in-depth review of the medical literature is performed. Only facts are considered with the hopes of stratifying Nelson’s chance at redemption.

A LOOK BACK…

THE ANATOMY

The shoulder is very ‘high-yield real estate.’ In other words, many vital structures are crammed into a small space:

This is not even including the nerves, vessels, and fibrous shoulder capsule that covers everything like a sheath:

Once you have an understanding of shoulder anatomy, it becomes much easier to visualize what happened. By the look of the video it appears that Jimmy has a Type II SLAP (Superior Labral Anterior-Posterior) Injury. When they are of the traumatic variety (like Nelson’s) it is most often at the hands of a forward fall with outstretched hands…

11562259 – baseball player dives to catch a stray ball

When the arm is fully extended, the shoulder joint is already strained. If the player’s weight then comes crashing down upon the extended joint, the labrum (and even the covering capsule) can bare the brunt of the force. In Nelson’s case, the following structures were compromised:

Anterior Labrum (partially torn; surgically repaired)

Shoulder capsule (surgically repaired)

Rotator cuff (strained)

What this tells us: Nelson had multiple injuries and widespread damage. This often leads to gross dysfunction / chronic pain.

SO WHAT IS A SLAP INJURY?

The specific tear ends up looking like this (multiple images are included to give a full perspective):

From any angle, it is plain to see that this type of injury would not be a good one for a “competitive thrower” to sustain. For many of them, it is the kiss of death that leads to a chronic, dull tightness. Elite level pitchers often complain their arm “went dead” after this type of tear…

This three-minute video does a great job of breaking this all down:

THE OPTIONS

WHAT TO EXPECT

A QUICK LOOK AROUND…

If we take MLB SLAP injuries on a case-by-case basis, it is difficult to know how a pitcher will fare:

Mark Prior – Never pitched the same again; retired

Trevor Hoffman – Returned to form; became a Hall of Famer

The most common quote amongst pitchers successfully returning from SLAP injuries is some form of this:

“I am not the same but can have success with a more efficient windup and compact throwing motion.”

It also should be noted that any surgery is “operator-dependent.” In other words, how good the surgeon is a massive factor. Nelson’s surgeon, Neal ElAttrache, is considered to be one of the world-wide leaders in correcting these injuries. He also so happens to look like he could play James Bond… I don’t know how that helps but it can’t hurt.

Since we cannot count on Mark Prior or Trevor Hoffman to predict Nelson’s future, let’s dig into what we really know (i.e. medical facts).

THE HALLMARK SLAP STUDY

In 2016, an Article from The Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine took a look at MLB Pitchers who returned from SLAP surgery. While there were many studies on the injury in the general public, there were not any on ‘elite-level competitive throwers.’ Thus, they did a retrospective study (i.e. mining data from the past) and found that between 2003-2010 that there were 24 pitchers that had returned from SLAP surgery. Who was included in that group is summarized nicely here:

This shows us that Nelson was very similar to the players who were included in the study. While his age and years in the MLB are nearly identical, he did spend more time (i.e. 74 days) on the DL. Some of this can be attributed to his rehab plateau (as reported by The Journal-Sentinel) but some of it is just due to timing. Specifically, Nelson’s injury happened at the end of the 2017 season which caused it to linger through 2018.

AGE: Nelson was 28.3 years old at the time of the injury

YRS: He played 4.01 years before the surgery

DL: Nelson was on the disabled list (DL) 412 Days

RTP = Return to Play: Defined as being able to pitch longer than one year (in The MLB) upon return.

62.5% of the pitchers who underwent the SLAP procedure were able to RTP

RTPP = Return to Previous Performance: Defined as an ERA within 2.00 and a WHIP within 0.500.

The RTPP reported for the whole group is 54.2%

Thus, once a pitcher has this type of surgery, their overall chance of return is slightly better than a coin flip

If we look closer at the players who were able to return to play (RTP), the numbers are more reassuring:

The players that returned ranged in age from 22.7 – 33.9 years old (reassuring since Nelson is now 29yo)

The average pitcher lasted about 4 season after coming back (range: 1.76 – 5.58 years)

Of the pitchers who actually came back and lasted longer than a year, 86.7% of those were able to pitch like they used to (RTPP).

When we look more closely at the RTP Group’s baseball statistics, we see how the injury impacted their performance.

ERA and WHIP findings are not statistically significant (i.e. not predictive)

Innings Pitched is the only significant finding here

Hurler’s typically cannot handle the same workload and pitch much less upon return (~35 innings less, on average)

RELATED STUDIES

NON-SURGICAL APPROACH (performed much worse than surgical group)

Return to Play and Prior Performance in Major League Baseball Pitchers After Repair of Superior Labral Anterior-Posterior Tears. (2014)

RTP: 48%

RTPP: 7%

SIMILAR (RETROSPECTIVE) STUDY to the one reviewed above

Return to play after type II superior labral anterior-posterior lesion repairs in athletes: a systematic review. (2012)

RTTP: 63% (higher than the 54.2% we saw in the study above)

SIMILAR (RETROSPECTIVE) STUDY to the one reviewed above

Outcome of type II superior labral anterior posterior repairs in elite overhead athletes: Effect of concomitant partial-thickness rotator cuff tears. (2011)

RTTP: 57% (comparable to what the other studies found)

CONCLUSIONS

At this point, we cannot make too many bold statements about Nelson’s future. Since he is still healing and hasn’t pitched in a game situation, any prediction is speculative. In the same vein, aggressively applying these numbers to an individual is not helpful. Instead, we can only say the following with any confidence:

Nelson suffered one of the worst injuries a pitcher can go through (Labral tears are well-known to lead to “dead arms”).

The type of injury he had implies extensive damage to multiple structures within the shoulder

Nelson is in good hands with Dr. ElAttrache (arguably the best)

What the Study tells us:

As of now, Nelson has a 54.2 – 63% chance to return to his previous form (depending on which study you believe)

If he is able to make it through a whole year, his chances to reclaim his elite form are closer to 90% (in the long run).

Regardless of how he performs, it will have to be with a more efficient / compact throwing motion

Expect him to pitch much less and need more rest (esp. in the first two years)

Unfortunately, anything outside of this is conjecture… Until Nelson is back on the hill, Milwaukee has to hold its breath. An entire city roots for a shoulder…

Since BREW MATHs has a licensed M.D. on the team, we are uniquely qualified to analyze Jimmy Nelson's injury. An in-depth review of the medical literature is performed. Only facts are considered with the hopes of stratifying Nelson's chance at redemption. Since BREW MATHs has a licensed M.D. on the team, we are uniquely qualified to analyze Jimmy Nelson's injury.

#Injury #Medical Review #Milwaukee Brewers #Nelson Jimmy #Pitcher

[bmiremodeling]

The team six chargers need mebane questions

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[giantsfootball0]

Bartolo 2.0? Matt Albers has been a heavyweight on the mound – Washington Nationals

During the first half of the season, Matt Albers was the Washington Nationals’ best reliever by a landslide. But the bullpen was a train wreck, so nobody noticed. Since the All-Star break, he’s been just as good, if not better. Yet he remains overlooked because he wasn’t part of the pen’s blockbuster midseason makeover. Being underestimated is nothing new for Albers. While there’s no denying he can pitch, the husky righty has had to swim upstream — because he doesn’t necessarily look like a pitcher.

“Matt didn’t have the greatest body,” says former Astros scout Rusty Pendergrass, now with the Diamondbacks. Back in 2000, when Pendergrass first laid eyes on Albers, he wasn’t quite sure what to make of the hefty high school junior from Houston. “He didn’t look the part, but I decided to stay there and watch him throw, and it was really good.”

“Call him the Michelin Man, Humpty Dumpty, whatever you want. The bottom line is, he performs.”

AL scout on Albers

What he saw was a lightning-quick arm with plus movement on his sinker and slider, and a deceptively good athlete who was a strike-throwing machine. Pendergrass spent the next year trying to sell Houston’s front office, and it worked. Kind of. At the end of his senior season, Albers was drafted by the Astros, but not until the 23rd round.

“If he had a better body,” says Pendergrass, “he probably would’ve gone higher.”

Sixteen years later, Albers takes pride in being a 23rd-rounder. “A lot of teams had quite a few chances,” he says, referring to the other 29 clubs that passed on him nearly two dozen times before the Astros finally pulled the trigger with the 686th overall pick. “I try to make the most out of that.”

That hasn’t necessarily been easy for Albers, who’s been dismissed in the big leagues almost as much as he was during the draft process.

Now in his 12th season in the majors, Albers has played for eight different teams, including the Astros, Orioles, Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Indians, Astros, White Sox and Nationals. Between the roundabout resume and the rounded physique, he’s a little like Bartolo Colon 2.0 (minus two teams and 55 pounds). Like Colon, he’s a sneaky-good athlete who last season crushed an extra-base hit that became an Internet sensation:

Unlike Colon, he hasn’t topped the $100 million mark in career earnings. Not even close. In fact, Albers has never earned more than $2.25 million in a season, which is peanuts for a veteran with as much tenure as he has. In fairness to the clubs that contracted him, especially earlier in his career, those decisions were likely less about his body and more about his body of work.

During his first six years in the show, Albers struggled with his control and had only one campaign in which he posted an ERA south of 4.5. Over the past six years though, he’s quietly developed into one of the game’s more effective relievers, pitching to a 2.93 ERA since the beginning of the 2012 season. “His command on both sides of the plate has gotten better throughout his career,” says Nationals backstop Matt Wieters, who spent 2009 and 2010 catching Albers in Baltimore, where some fans became disenchanted with the hurler’s poor performance and started referring to him as “Fat Albers.”

Since then, the 34-year-old righty has introduced a change-up that he deploys against lefties and started throwing his sinker down and away to righties instead of exclusively down and in. He’s also mixing in a four-seam fastball to go along with the filthy slider he already had. Says Wieters: “His stuff allows him to pitch to any hitter in any situation.”

That ability to pitch anytime and anywhere is part of what has made Albers such a valuable commodity for manager Dusty Baker and the NL East champs. He’s entered games as early as the fifth inning and as late as the 10th. He’s been a situational guy, pitching to just one batter on five different occasions (opponents are 0-for-5 and have hit into two double plays), and he’s been a multi-inning guy, throwing more than one frame a dozen times (his ERA is 0.00 in those outings). On May 5, he even recorded his first career save, breaking a string of 460 relief appearances without one (an MLB record). Among National League relievers, he ranks fifth in ERA (1.72), third in WHIP (0.88), and tied for second in batting average against (.170).

Although his body type would never be confused with that of Andrew Miller, the long and lanky Indians lefty who dominated last postseason in a super-reliever role, it’s entirely possible Albers — who’s never appeared in a playoff game — could have a similar impact this October. In the meantime, he’s too busy mowing down hitters to care about what people think of his physique.

“You can do all the judging you want, but he goes out there and gets outs. [He’s] one of the best relievers in baseball.”

Braves catcher Kurt Suzuki on Albers

“I obviously know about the perception,” says Albers, who’s listed at 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds, the same height and only five pounds more than Washington second baseman Daniel Murphy. In 2016, prior to joining Murphy and the Nationals, he posted a career-worst 6.31 ERA with the White Sox. Still, Albers views the season as a success because, unlike 2014 (torn subscapularis muscle) and 2015 (broken finger), he was able to stay whole, just as he has this year. “Mostly I focus on staying healthy and what my teammates think about me. The other stuff, what the outside world thinks, I can’t really control that much. As long as I feel like they have my back and they want me on their team, that’s all I can do.”

For the record, his fellow Nats seem tickled to have him on their side.

“He’s been as good if not better than the new guys,” says righty reliever Shawn Kelley, referring to Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson, and Brandon Kintzler, the trio of deadline acquisitions who grabbed all the ink and have helped stabilize what was once a wretched Nationals bullpen. “And he’s done it all year.”

He’s done it without the benefit of a cool nickname like Doo or Mad Dog (he’s known as Albie or Matty Al in the clubhouse), and he’s done it without the benefit of the doubt. “People might judge him before they realize what he can do on the mound,” says lefty Sammy Solis, a non-roster invitee in spring training who didn’t even make the big club out of camp, then got called up from the minors a week into the season. “When he gets out there, it’s just absolutely electric.”

Even his opponents are impressed. “You can do all the judging you want, but he goes out there and gets outs,” says Braves backstop Kurt Suzuki, who’s spent the past three years in the same division as Albers and is a lifetime .133 hitter against him. “One of the best relievers in baseball.”

Back in the Nats clubhouse, nobody’s been more wowed by Albers than his manager. “I didn’t know much about him,” said Baker, who has spent his entire career in the National League, “but I’m glad we got him. He’s been the find of the year.”

Now that Washington’s found him, they’re not likely to let him out of their sight any time soon. If they do, there’s sure to be no shortage of suitors for his services, regardless of his figure.

“Call him the Michelin Man, Humpty Dumpty, whatever you want,” says one AL scout. “The bottom line is, he performs.”

The post Bartolo 2.0? Matt Albers has been a heavyweight on the mound – Washington Nationals appeared first on Daily Star Sports.

from https://dailystarsports.com/2017/09/23/bartolo-2-0-matt-albers-has-been-a-heavyweight-on-the-mound-washington-nationals/ from https://dailystarsports.tumblr.com/post/165650129781

[junker-town]

The Adrian Beltre Encyclopedia

This is everything you need to know about the wonderful Adrian Beltre, the newest member of MLB’s 3,000 hit club.

Adrian Beltre is about to reach 3,000 hits in the major leagues (has just reached, etc.), and in celebration of his varied, humorous, and never boring career, it’s time to celebrate all the amazing things that have cemented him as one of the most entertaining people in the league at any given moment.

Whether it’s his phobia of people touching his head (he’s serious guys, stop it!), his defensive prowess on the hot corner year after year, or the spontaneous moments in games and in the dugout that give you insight into his personality, Belter is a non-stop barrel of laughs. Even when he doesn’t mean to be.

To try and get those laughable, unique moments all in one place, this is the Adrian Beltre Encyclopedia.

Anti-Head Touching

This might be one of the most memorable pieces of Beltre’s entire career, and it doesn’t even have anything to do with his on-field achievements. He truly, sincerely, does not like people touching his head.

If you do so, you will set him off with a mini-tantrum of frustration which is truly, sincerely hilarious to everyone involved but him. Baseball is filled with perfectly juvenile behavior whether it be in the clubhouse, on road trips, or on the field. But people touching Beltre’s head might be the best example of this and something that never gets old.

Camera Man Check-In

Back in 2011, Beltre had a three-homer game against the Rays. During his first home run trot around the bases, a TBS cameraman followed him down the third base line to home, carrying his camera to track Beltre’s jog.

And then that cameraman absolutely ate it, breaking parts of his camera in the process. Even though he was mere feet from home, Beltre wasn’t about to let the moment pass without a reaction so he pointed and cracked a smile at the poor bloke laying on the turf. It wasn’t blatantly mean-spirited, which is what makes it a funny moment and not a cruel one.

Defensive Dives

Yes, his one-knee home runs are fun and all, but Beltre’s defense is the other half of what has secured his longevity in the league thus far and sometimes his work at third is more fun to watch than his hits (sometimes). Whether it’s a diving stop in the infield to keep a runner from advancing or a lunge to the foul line followed by a jaw-dropping throw to first, his amazing skills while manning third base are a consistent reminder of how valuable he is on both sides of the ball.

Death Stares

We’ve established (and will continue to establish) that Beltre’s teammates love messing with him, and that he will flip out if you annoy him in various ways. But there are also moments where he doesn’t go nuts if people are messing around, he will simply bore a hole in your very essence with one of the best death stares in the game.

Fun With Felix

Felix Hernandez and Beltre were teammates for five years, and we’re sure that tons of fun was had between the two during that span. But they’ve only become more entertaining from an outsider’s perspective since Beltre left Seattle, and boy have they had some classic moments over the years.

There was the “oh shit!” home run off of Felix that Beltre couldn’t believe.

There was the time when Beltre lined out right into Felix’s glove and Felix tossed it right back to him as he walked back to the dugout.

Sometimes the moments aren’t as blink-and-you’ll-miss-them, like the one game where they spent more or less the entire time jawing at each other jokingly back and forth.

Best Friends Forever!

Elvis Andrus Moments

When Adrian Beltre was traded to the Rangers, he was coming off of a stint in Boston where wide swaths of people seemed to really notice him for the first time. It’s not like he wasn’t a good player during his decade-plus in Los Angeles and Seattle, but it wasn’t the same national Beltre experience as fans know now.

So going to the Rangers, not only were his antics known and recognized, but he found a partner in crime to share his goofs with and we couldn’t be happier this happened.

Elvis Andrus and Beltre have more fun messing with each other on the field than possibly any other combination of players in the league. Even when they look mad at each other, you can tell it’s in a love way like people who have been friends since childhood.

It might happen during a huddle on the mound or a break during an inning, but the best moments between these two are when they goof off while in the process of making plays. I mean, just look at these two and try not to crack a smile.

While there are baseball friendships all across the league, there isn’t one as present on the diamond as this one. Nor one that adds to the entertainment of the game in quite the same way.

First Base Ump Fun

Beltre is a shrewd strategist sometimes, even when he’s being cheeky about things. One major example of this is his frequent referrals to the first base ump when he checks his swing. By jumping into action before the home plate official can say a word, he tries for the more sympathetic call immediately and hopes to turn things in his favor.

Even when it doesn’t work out though, his eagerness to get an answer from the ump and the way he points down the first base line is a sight to see.

Hitting For The Cycle

Beltre has hit for the cycle three times in his career, once for Seattle and twice for the Rangers. However, the cycle he hit while playing for the Mariners actually happened against the Rangers, in Arlington.

Which means he is the only person in the history of the league to hit for the cycle three times in the same ballpark. He’s only one of four people to hit for the cycle three times, period. And the last person to do that before Beltre completed the feat in 1933.

Just a fun tidbit that allows us to marvel at his sometimes unbelievable skills, which can get lost amongst his shenanigans.

Home Runs From His Knees

This might be his signature move, and one that he can’t even explain with any certainty as to why it happens. In 2016, Beltre attempted to explain the phenomenon to MLB.com saying,

I don't like doing it, but it normally happens on breaking balls -- when I'm trying to fight off a breaking ball. Somehow my knee goes down and I just see the ball and swing. I don't like doing it, I wish I could stop doing. I think it hurts me more than it helps me. Sometimes when I go to one knee I think that I could've hit the ball better if I didn't. But it happens and it's just reaction. I've been doing it too long to change now.

Good thing he can’t really fix that, as it’s incredible to watch every single time he pulls it off.

Trying to figure out how he is able to generate that type of power from one knee, and the quickness with which he pivots to the ground, is remarkable to say the least.

Listed Age

Beltre was the weirdo prospect who was actually younger than his listed age.

Boras eventually got Major League Baseball to review the case and after a lengthy investigation, they determined that the Dodgers in fact had signed Beltre when he was 15. The signing age for international amateurs is 16.

The Dodgers fudged his age in reverse, and they got slapped with a bunch of penalties for it. Only Adrian Beltre can show up to his major league debut and well-actually Scott Boras about his age.

On-Deck Circles

Adrian Beltre likes his on-deck circles where he likes his on-deck circles. When an ump asks him to move from the spot where he is warming up to the designated on-deck area, he decides: “Nah.”

So he slides the on-deck circle to where he’d like it to be instead of just acquiescing, and gets promptly ejected.

Has there ever been a more perfect distillation of who Adrian Beltre is as a baseball player and a person? Maybe. Has there ever been a funnier distillation of who Adrian Beltre is as a baseball player and a person? Not even close.

Popup Fakeouts

This mostly has to do with his Andrus bond, but Beltre has never met an easy popup he couldn’t exploit for his own benefit. It’s usually just distracting enough to be funny but not dangerous, and Beltre enjoys doing it so dang much it’s hard not to appreciate the joke along with him.

Raising His Son Right

This is pretty self explanatory in that his son, Adrian Beltre Jr., is not only adorable but is mimicking his father as he grows up just like many kids do. However it’s better than a normal kid specifically because his dad is Adrian Beltre.

Beltre Jr. has mimicked his dad’s swing pre-game (and hit some bombs while he was at it!), taken part in some pretty intense games of father-son catch where he showed off some serious sidearm toss skills, and just been an all around mini-me to his dad. With Beltre being such a character, we would be remiss if we didn’t hope for that trend to keep going and the world to grant us another baseball Beltre.

Ridiculous Base Path Running

I mean...he’s the best. How can you not enjoy this.

Or this.

What a goof.

Slow Dribblers

He has no patience for them. Who does? Those balls that come rolling through the infield moving slower than molasses, causing nothing but frustration and letting people reach base every time.

So in the face of slow dribblers, Beltre will not stand for their shenanigans and takes things into his own hands. Like when he tried to surreptitiously kick one foul rather than even making a play. It totally could have worked!

Torn Testicle

Once, Adrian Beltre tore a testicle after a ball hit him right in the...well...testicle. He stayed in the game for the duration, and then afterwards checked things out and said that his testicle was the size of a grapefruit. Later he confirmed that it took two whole weeks for it to shrink back to its normal size (he was put on the 15-day disabled list at the time).

Media reports at the time described it as “severely bruised” and surgery was even considered to get things back as they are supposed to be down there, to put it gently.

But staying in the game and talking openly about the severity of his testicle issues wasn’t even the most Beltre part of this, that would be the fact that after the incident he continued to refrain from wearing a protective cup.

At the time he said it was uncomfortable and he doesn’t like it, but a shot to that area would surely change a normal person’s mind after the fact right? A normal person, sure. But Beltre is beautifully not-normal so he wore one while he healed up and then it was back to the cup-less life.

Tossing His Glove

We’ve already noted here that Beltre loves messing with people, but doesn’t always like being messed with. This is a subset of those fun and games that also happens to be something little league parents scold their kids about.

Yet Beltre does it because everyone gets bored sometimes out on the field, it’s just that 99.9% of major leaguers hide it better than he does. Nothing bad happens because he wants to toss his glove above his head as a line drive sails over him, it won’t come close to interfering and to him it’s hilarious.

Tossing His Glove (subset: Angrily)

There have also been times when tossing his glove has stemmed not from joy and goofiness but from annoyance - at a ball or at a team member. There was the time that Elvis Andrus touched his head (again) during a meeting at the mound and Beltre promptly turned around and hucked his glove right at him as Andrus hustled out of there.

Or the time when a ground ball passed him at third and rather than diving for a play that would have been impossible to make even if he could reach the ball, he just threw his glove at it and watched it bounce right by. Who among us?

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A sad fact of professional athletics is the tenuous relationship that these athletes have with the sport that defines their lives. Whether due to deterioration of skill, an ever competitive arena, or other exterior factors, the career rate of professional athletes continues to be incredibly low. Perhaps the greatest plague on professional athletes is the ever present possibility of serious injury. Anyone who has played sports knows that injuries are an integral part of the game, however, they also recognize the fear of those potentially catastrophic injuries which can greatly alter an athlete’s career or life. With an increasing amount of TV coverage on professional sports (I mean heck, ESPN had a girl’s high school basketball game on!), so many more of these injuries are witnessed live by fans. As such, this list will count down the 15 Most Gruesome Sports Injuries of the 2000’s. As the name suggests, the only qualification for the injuries on this list is that they be sports related and that they have occurred since January 1st of 2000.

#1 Giancarlo Stanton – Facial Fractures and Dental Damage I think an underrated aspect of baseball at the major league level is just how fast the gameplay is. Specifically, the speed at which pitchers can throw in the big leagues far outdistances what hitters regularly see at the amateur or collegiate level. Giancarlo Stanton got an up close and personal view of fast pitching during the #15 incident on our list, which resulted in severe facial fractures and dental damage to the Marlins slugger. During a game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Stanton got hit full in the face by a pitch. The worst part about this incident was the fact that Stanton was in half swing when he got hit, so his face was turned towards the incoming pitch with no protection whatsoever. The man formerly known as Mike Stanton is lucky that this injury wasn’t more serious.

#2 Kevin Huber – Broken Jaw and Fractured Vertebrae As far as careers in professional sports go, an NFL Punter has to be considered one of the safest. I would have said that, anyways, if it weren’t for the #14 gruesome injury on our list. In week 15 of the 2013 season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Huber was blocked by Steelers linebacker Terence Garvin, which led to a fractured jaw. Not only this, but it was later revealed that Huber had fractured his vertebrae on the play, causing him to miss the rest of the season. Kudos to Huber for at least being close enough to the action to actually have the chance of making a tackle, but seeing the results, it’s hard to argue that it was the smartest play for him to make.

#3 Rashad Johnson – Missing Finger For the #13 entry on our list is an injury which I’m surprised does not happen more often in the NFL. During the 2013 season, in a game against the New Orleans Saints, Johnson’s finger was smashed between two helmets. The impact of this collision was so forceful that it literally snapped off the tip of the middle finger on his left hand. Johnson played it cool when it happened, much cooler than I would have had one of my appendages just been permanently ripped off. Further showing his toughness, Johnson would return from this gruesome injury later that same season. We will see another (and much more hilarious) NFL finger injury later on this list, but the injury to this NFL safety certainly deserves its spot on the bottom half of our list.

#4 Mike Cameron – Broken Nose and Cheek I think the most miraculous part about this incident was the fact that Carlos Beltran was actually running in his attempt to play the ball. That’s probably why Cameron was recklessly diving for the ball, because he just assumed that Beltran wasn’t going to be able to run fast enough to make the catch. But all kidding aside, collisions in the outfield are one of the primary causes of injuries in baseball. Whether the collision is with the wall, or another player (like it was here), outfielders who are tracking a fly ball are uniquely susceptible to collisions and other incidents. This particular incident left Mike Cameron with a severely broken nose and cheekbone and the sheer force of this unseen collision makes it the #12 most gruesome sports injury of the 2000’s.

#5 Marcus Lattimore – Dislocated Knee A sad fact of this article is that many of the afflicted athletes never fully recovered from their gruesome injuries. The #11 entry on our list is a perfect example of this, as South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore would never recover the speed and explosiveness that he had prior to his devastating knee injury. I highly recommend watching the video on YouTube because I don’t think anything I can write can do justice to how truly gross this leg injury was. The injury would cause Lattimore to miss the rest of his college career, and he would not get drafted until the fourth round of the subsequent NFL Draft. Despite being drafted, Lattimore would retire in a few short months as it became evident the toll his gruesome injury had had on him as a player.

#6 NaVorro Bowman – Tore His ACL and MCL I honestly think the San Francisco 49ers might have the worst luck of any team in the NFL. As opposed to teams like the Browns and Bills who, through bad decision making (hey Johnny Manziel) and policies, have made their franchises into laughing stocks. In contrast, the 49ers in recent years have been victims of annual bad luck that has devastated this once great franchise. A perfect example of this is the severe leg injury which occurred to star linebacker NaVorro Bowman against the Seattle Seahawks in the 2013 NFC Championship game. Bowman has declined significantly since the injury and this, combined with the retirement of Patrick Willis, has had a hugely detrimental impact on the 49ers once vaunted defense. We hope he’ll be able to stay healthy the rest of his career.

#7 Tim Hudson – Broken Ankle  Many writers and commentators have affectionately called MLB pitchers the “the least athletic athletes” of all time. While this doesn’t apply to all pitchers, it would apply to an almost forty year old Tim Hudson when he received a devastating leg injury while pitching for the Braves in 2013. Hudson was pitching a 4-hit shutout against the New York Mets when Eric Young, Jr., who was trying to beat a throw to first base, accidentally stepped on Hudson’s leg above the ankle. This resulted in an ankle fracture that ended Hudson’s 2013 season. In the video you can see Hudson’s lower leg bend (and eventually break) under the weight of Young. Hudson would successfully resurrect his career with the San Francisco Giants, thus showing that life doesn’t always end for these athletes after their gruesome injuries.

#8 Willis McGahee – Torn ACL, PCL, MCL A sad fact of this list is that many of the injuries listed here had devastating effects on the careers of its victims. As such, I thought it would be nice to include an athlete who would go on to have a very successful career after their gruesome injury. Such was the case with the incredibly intense leg injury that running back Willis McGahee suffered during his career in College as a member of the Miami Hurricanes. During the 2003 National Championship Game, McGahee would catch a screen pass before being on the receiving end of a very violent hit by Ohio State Safety Will Allen. As a result of the hit, McGahee would suffer a torn ACL, PCL, and MCL. Despite this devastating injury, McGahee would still enter himself into the 2003 NFL Draft in which he was selected in the 1st round by the Bills.

#9 Jason Pierre Paul – Missing Finger(s) We talked earlier about the completely understandable, football related, injury which led to the loss of Arizona Safety Rashad Johnson’s finger. In contrast, I present to you the story of Jason Pierre-Paul. During the summer of 2015, news reports began to surface that the New York Giants All-Pro defensive end had suffered a severe injury to his hand while setting off 4th of July fireworks. These reports were later verified and it was revealed that Paul had lost actual portions of several of his fingers in the incident. Perhaps the greatest part of this story (at least from a writer’s standpoint) is that Paul was previously known for his ability to bat down balls at the line of scrimmage. Kind of hard to do with only eight fingers.

#10 John Cena – Broken Nose The #1 argument for critics of professional wrestling is that the action and competition is fake. The fatal flaw in this reasoning is that, though the outcomes are scripted, the maneuvers and acts performed by these phenomenal athletes are very much real. A perfect example of this is the #6 entry on our list, which occurred during an episode of Monday Night Raw in a match between Seth Rollins and John Cena. During the match, Rollins hit Cena with a high knee to the face, knocking him to the mat. Once Cena got back to his feet, it was obvious the trauma which had just occurred. Cena’s nose was clearly broken, and was so askew as to make the 16x World Champion look almost comical.

#11 Kris Commons – Weird Leg Lump For the other entries on this list, I’ve done my best to focus on the incident or circumstances which led to these gruesome injuries. With the #5 entry on our list, however, I cannot get past the picture of the injury itself. What exactly is that on his leg? It looks like his thigh is pregnant, that or this guy has about the world’s biggest pimple on his leg. Soccer players are often criticized (and I think rightfully so) for the outrageousness and insincerity of the “flopping” which has become commonplace in their sport. If there was ever a case for the toughness of soccer players, it would be this injury to Kris Commons. Commons actually finished the game in which this injury occurred. I’d say it’s pretty safe the tackler who caused this deserved more than a yellow card.

#12 Kevin Everett – Cervical Spinal Injury The injury to Buffalo Bills Tight End Kevin Everett wasn’t gruesome due to how it looked when it initially happened, but because of the long-term effects that this injury had on this man’s life and career. During the first game of the 2007 NFL season, Everett was on the kickoff team in the Bill’s game against the Denver Broncos. While attempting to make a tackle, Everett received a devastating hit which knocked him to the ground. Everett was carted off the field and rushed to the hospital where it was confirmed that he had received a severe cervical spine injury, leaving him partially paralyzed. In the years since Everett has regained use of his arms and legs, however his ability to walk is limited and he has been placed on government disability. This is certainly one of the saddest cases on our list.

#13 Jessica Dube – Lacerated Cheek and Nose – Mentions video You don’t often hear the word “gruesome” used to describe the sport of competitive figure skating, but that’s exactly what makes this list so great. Easily the most frightening injury to ever happen in the figure skating world occurred at the 2007 Four Continents Championship in Colorado Springs. During the event, Dube was doing a partner performance when the skate of her male her male partner got much closer to Dube’s face than she expected. The skate severely lacerated the nose and cheek of Dube, causing an immediate stoppage of the performance. Dube was rushed to the hospital where she was amazingly able to make a full recovery. After watching the Dube video, I cringe any time I see a figure skater sticking their bodies a little too close to their partners swinging skates.

#14 Anderson Silva – Broken Leg With some of the entries on this list, those of us watching live were unaware that anything unusual had happened until after the gruesome video replay was shown. Such was not the case with the severe leg injury suffered by UFC fighter Anderson “the Spider” Silva in his fight against Chris Weidman at UFC 168. There are mixed reports concerning whether Silva initially cracked his shin earlier in the fight, however, it is obvious that during a leg kick by Silva in the 2nd round, he severely broke both his tibia and fibula. Watching live you saw Silva’s leg wrap around that of Weidman’s, moving in a way more relative to a Stretch Armstrong doll than an actual human being. The fight was of course immediately stopped, causing one of the more abrupt (and of course gruesome) ends to any UFC fight that I’ve ever seen.

#15 Kevin Ware – Severely Broken Leg I don’t think that you can talk about gruesome sports injuries in any era without discussing the Kevin Ware leg injury. Ware was, of course, a pivotal part of the Louisville University basketball program that one the NCAA Tournament in 2013. Unfortunately, however, Ware will be forever remembered for an injury which occurred in an Elite 8 game against Duke that same year. Ware landed awkwardly after attempting to block a three-point shot attempt by Duke guard Tyler Thornton and suffered a compound fracture to his right leg which protruded several inches out of his shin. ESPN, much to its credit, refused to show replays of the gruesome injury but it still made quite the rounds on the internet and other news sources. After making his recovery, the press continued to focus on Ware through the rehab of his injury until he transferred to another school.

Source: TheRichest

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