Marlins Pitcher Chad Qualls Wipes Out While Attempting Post-Strikeout Fist Pump (GIF)

Reliever Chad Qualls became the latest victim of that fact Tuesday night, when he botched the execution of his celebratory fist pump and ended up taking a tumble on the infield grass.
Qualls escaped his one inning of relief unscathed — on the stat sheet, at least — but the Marlins were not so lucky. The Mets touched Miami for a pair of runs in the top of the 10th inning en route to a 4-2 win.
Check out Qualls’ tumble in GIF form below.

Even when the Marlins make a quality play, something goes wrong. Reliever Chad Qualls became the latest victim of that fact Tuesday night, when he botched the execution of his celebratory fist pump and ended up taking a tumble on the infield grass. Qualls escaped his one inning of relief unscathed — on the stat sheet, at least — but the Marlins were not so lucky. The Mets touched Miami for a pair of runs in the top of the 10th inning en route to a 4-2 win. Check out Qualls’ tumble in GIF form below. chad qualls

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2013/07/marlins-pitcher-chad-qualls-wipes-out-while-attempting-post-strikeout-fist-pump-gif1/

Even when the Marlins make a quality play, something goes wrong. Reliever Chad Qualls became the latest victim of that fact Tuesday night, when he botched the execution of his celebratory fist pump and ended up taking a tumble on the infield grass. Qualls escaped his one inning of relief unscathed — on the stat sheet, at least — but the Marlins were not so lucky. The Mets touched Miami for a pair of runs in the top of the 10th inning en route to a 4-2 win. Check out Qualls’ tumble in GIF form below. chad qualls

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2013/07/marlins-pitcher-chad-qualls-wipes-out-while-attempting-post-strikeout-fist-pump-gif1/

Even when the Marlins make a quality play, something goes wrong. Reliever Chad Qualls became the latest victim of that fact Tuesday night, when he botched the execution of his celebratory fist pump and ended up taking a tumble on the infield grass. Qualls escaped his one inning of relief unscathed — on the stat sheet, at least — but the Marlins were not so lucky. The Mets touched Miami for a pair of runs in the top of the 10th inning en route to a 4-2 win. Check out Qualls’ tumble in GIF form below. chad qualls

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2013/07/marlins-pitcher-chad-qualls-wipes-out-while-attempting-post-strikeout-fist-pump-gif1/

Even when the Marlins make a quality play, something goes wrong. Reliever Chad Qualls became the latest victim of that fact Tuesday night, when he botched the execution of his celebratory fist pump and ended up taking a tumble on the infield grass. Qualls escaped his one inning of relief unscathed — on the stat sheet, at least — but the Marlins were not so lucky. The Mets touched Miami for a pair of runs in the top of the 10th inning en route to a 4-2 win. Check out Qualls’ tumble in GIF form below. chad qualls

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2013/07/marlins-pitcher-chad-qualls-wipes-out-while-attempting-post-strikeout-fist-pump-gif1/

Tony Stewart’s very good week ends with a violent sprint car crash

It had been a very good week for Tony Stewart. A Wednesday-night truck series race at his Eldora track won rave reviews. He spent the weekend at Indianapolis, one of his favorite tracks, and then saw his driver Ryan Newman win the Brickyard 400. Alas, it all came to a violent (though, thankfully, safe) end Monday night.

Stewart will race anybody, anywhere, any time, and this is the proof. Monday found him at the Ohsweken Speedway in Ontario, Canada for the 2013 Ohsweken Northern Summer Nationals. According to local reports, Stewart was battling with the race's leader, and eventual winner, Shane Stewart (no relation). Stewart went high going into one turn and hit some debris, flipping several times. Stewart walked away from the wreck.

Stewart is a frequent presence at small tracks, and he always draws a crowd. Here he is making an appearance at a nearby Rochester Knighthawks lacrosse game earlier this year to promote the race:

Tony Stewart Night! (Via Rochester Nighthawks)

“I don’t think Tony really realizes how big of a name he is," said Glenn Styres, owner of the track, "but he’s like Elvis; he’s such a big superstar."

A video and picture that sum up the life of a rookie at training camp

In many ways, training camp isn't too fun for rookies.

There isn't much of the old school, mean hazing that used to go on, but the veterans don't let the rookies totally off the hook. Sometimes it's funny haircuts, sometimes it's providing breakfast for the veterans, and sometimes it's carrying all the helmets and shoulder pads of your position group to the locker room.
The above video, from Denver TV cameraman Dave Wille via his Facebook account, is a perfect glimpse into the life of a rookie at his first training camp.

No. 41 in the video is safety Ross Rasner of Arkansas (at least we think it's Rasner, tough to get a positive identification of his face when it's buried under his teammates' sweaty shoulder pads).

'Fat' Eddie Lacy photograph sets off Twitter firestorm

Eddie Lacy was minding his own business at training camp Monday when one snapshot turned him into a fleeting social media fascination.

Within minutes, the Green Bay Packers rookie became one of Twitter's top trending topics in the United States. All the predictable jokes were flying. Eddie Lacy was fat -- or so the theory went.

It didn't take long before we had Lacy photos from more flattering angles. We even got a Vine that showed the running back looking (relatively) mean and lean.

Grantland's Bill Barnwell provided an accurate summation of the Lacy Weight Watch.

Lacy's work ethic was questioned during the pre-draft process, and it was reported he put on close to 10 pounds when he showed up at spring practices. That said, Lacy never would have been cleared for training-camp practice if he truly was out of shape.
We're prepared to make a final ruling that Eddie Lacy ... is ... (wait for it) not fat. We're sure this will make him feel much better when he checks his Twitter mentions.

UPDATE: Packers coach Mike McCarthy was asked Tuesday after team practice to comment on the Lacy controversy.
"Eddie Lacy definitely falls in the category of a 'big back,' and big backs fall forward," he said. "That's definitely the benefit of big backs. It's definitely a preference, particularly in that (red zone) area."
McCarthy also confirmed the team had no issues about Lacy's weight, adding, "Going through the conditioning test, he was fine. If we had any concern about any guys they wouldn't be on the field."

Ravens Get a Visit from the Ice Cream Truck!!!!

Tight end Dennis Pitta may be lost for the season, but all is merry and bright at Ravens camp, thanks to a surprise visit from…the ice cream truck.

Make that two ice cream trucks.
Coach John Harbaugh had them brought in as a surprise after practice Monday afternoon.
The trucks were used as a reward after a friendly intra-squad competition that was won by the defense.
So I guess there’s nothing an Ice Pop won’t cure. Unless you’re the offense and didn’t get any. (Or if you’re Dennis Pitta).
Watch the full video, and I highly recommend you do, if for no other reason than to see an exuberant Arthur Jones prancing over for a visit with “Miss Twist.”

Must See VIDEO: Red Sox David Ortiz talks about "Smashing Dugout Phone" Inside D's Locker!

Red Sox Designed Hitter David Ortiz goes Inside D's Locker with Darren Haynes and talks about smashing a dugout phone on Saturday and a 4 for 4 hitting performance against Baltimore on Sunday. Check out the video below!

How much would you pay for the stick from 13-year-old Wayne Gretzky’s 1000th goal?

If you're the collecting type, and you have upwards of $20,000 dollars you don't know quite what to do with, you could make a bid to own the stick with which a 13-year-old Wayne Gretzky scored his 1000th goal.

I don't know why you would, but I'm cheap. I wouldn't pay more than $40 for a hockey stick. But that's just me.

Way back in the early 1970s, you see, people began to notice that Gretzky was pretty decent at hockey. (It probably happened sometimes around when he scored 378 goals in a season.) His father began tracking his stats, and one night in 1974, in a late-season exhibition game, the little great one hit four digits.

After potting his 1000th, Gretzky signed the stick at gave it to his coach, Ron St. Amand. Let us pause here to examine 13-year-old Wayne's adorably practiced, cursive signature:

Nowadays, I bet you couldn't find 10 kids in 1000 that knew how to do a cursive capital G, let alone a lower-case Z. They'd be like Who the eff is Waym Dretyty? Is he related to Wayne Brady?
The stick remained in St. Amand's house until his death earlier this year at 73, at which point his widow decided to part with it. Now it's up for bid over at Heritage Auctions.
Now, I'm no collector, but as it turns out, I have the heart of picky one. I balked at this story when I first saw it yesterday. After all, the stick's not part of Gretzky's pro career, the numbers included exhibition games, and the stats were tracking by his Dad. That's not quite as bad as trusting the Minnesota stat counters with Cal Clutterbuck's hit totals, but even still... lame.
Turns out a lot of collectors see things similarly. From the Canadian Press:

Shawn Chaulk of Fort McMurray, Alta., who owns one of the largest collections of Gretzky memorabilia, is interested in purchasing the stick, which he says collectors will be very “opinionated on.”
“A lot of the collectors who collect his career stuff have no interest in that kind of thing because it’s not part of the pro career or when the person turned the corner and became pro, things like that,” Chaulk said. “It’ll appeal to some people just because it’s unique. It appealed to me more because it’s unique and because I’m a greedy collector who likes to have everything.

But there are plenty of people much less picky than I am. The highest bid at the time of this writing is $11,000, and Heritage Auctions expects, when the auction closes on August 1, it will be closer to $20,000.

By Harrison Mooney

Video: Reggie Wayne lands at Colts camp in style

Every year, Reggie Wayne's arrival at training camp is highly anticipated.
Whether it's showing up in a Humvee and military gear or a dump truck in preparation for construction, Wayne's appearance at camp has become an annual event, with each year topping the last.

That trend may end after this year, however, as Wayne's going to find it difficult to top his impressive entrance at the 2013 camp.
Wayne arrived at camp via an IU Health Life Line helicopter, something that George Bremer of the Herald Bulletin reported that he desired to do two years ago, but was shot down (If you don't appreciate a good pun, I don't know what to tell you).
Not only did Wayne show up in a helicopter, but he brought along a friend: Matt Sercer, a young man out of Plainfield who lost his foot in a farming accident and whose life was saved due to one of the Life Line choppers.
Per Bremer, Wayne says that the arrival signified "the sky being the limit" for the Colts, and that Sercer coming along was another bit of inspiration for his teammates. Sercer was told in December that he would never walk again, but today walked out of the chopper with Wayne.
For Colts fans, it's just another tick on the long list of reasons why Reggie Wayne is beloved more than any other current Colt. His performance throughout his career has obviously been stellar, but it's the attitude as a leader and member of the community that makes him a figure that somebody like Marvin Harrison never was for Indianapolis.

David Ortiz ejected after arguing balls and strikes, destroys bullpen phone

That's one way to answer the call. Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz obliterated his bat in the corner of the Camden Yards visitor's dugout — wrecking a dugout phone with three swings — and was ejected in the seventh inning Saturday night, angry about missed calls from home-plate umpire Tim Timmons. Big Papi likely faces a fine for his overall antics, if not a suspension.
"All I’ve got to tell you is I’ve got 17 years in the league, and I don’t think I deserve to be disrespected like that," Ortiz said after a 7-3 Sox win over Baltimore. "If you want to get respect from the players, you respect the players. That was horrible. Both of the pitches, not one. These people been semi-intentionally walking me all night, I don’t mind going to first base so what was the reason you’ve got to call pitches like that a strike?’’
Dustin Pedroia, talking nearby on the bench, leaned away and put his head in a towel to protect himself as the bat shattered on Ortiz's powerful hacks.
“I didn’t hit anybody," Ortiz said. "I know what I was swinging at. I’ve got good eyes, bro.’’
The bat in pieces, Ortiz stormed up the dugout steps closest to home plate and on to the field, but didn't get far when manager John Farrell intercepted him, as did bench coach Torey Lovullo.

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"He or Jon Rauch," Farrell said, alluding to his time as Blue Jays manager when he had to restrain Rauch, a very tall reliever in 2011. "I've picked the two wrong guys to try to restrain from umpires. There was a difference of opinion."
Ortiz tried to push past Farrell — and his manager gave some ground against the huge slugger — before Ortiz retreated to the dugout steps. His last act as he descended was to throw his right elbow guard toward, but short of, Timmons behind the plate.
It was at that point that Pedroia grabbed Ortiz, trying to calm him down.
“He just doesn’t want me to go crazy because he thinks it could get worse," Ortiz said. "But that was horrible. It was horrible. People always focus on when we snap. We’re not snapping everyday out there, there’s a reason why we snap. You always look like the bad guy – I’m not a bad guy, I’m trying to do my job. You don’t take my at-bat away from me like that.’’
In a six-pitch at-bat with one out and no one on in the seventh inning, Ortiz struck out swinging with a full count against Orioles reliever Jairo Ascencio. But it was the pitch two tosses before on, 3-0, that prompted the madness. Timmons called a fastball that appeared high a strike for strike one as Ortiz stepped out of the box very early, perhaps presuming he was being pitched around — recall his sentiment that the O's were "semi-intentionally walking me all night."
The next pitch, a change-up, was closer, but nonetheless could have been outside and was called strike two. Ortiz fanned on the next pitch.

Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz has words with home plate umpire Tim Timmons after a called third strike in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Saturday, July 27, 2013, in Baltimore. Ortiz was later ejected from the game. The Red Sox won 7-3.

“He called that one a strike and then he called another ball a strike, then I don’t know what to do afterwards," Ortiz said. "I’ve got to swing at a pitch in the ground. I think I still have good eyes at the plate. And I walked twice all night, so I disagree with the whole situation and that’s why I was angry.’’

“It was a ball that if the catcher let it go, it would have hit (Timmons) in the face," Ortiz said of pitch No. 4. "The funny thing is he wanted to act like it was the right call. No, I don’t play that. I don’t pitch, I don’t play defense, I hit. You’re not going to take my at-bat away from me. Period."
The fact that Timmons didn't show any acknowledgment he might have gotten the call wrong particularly bothered Ortiz.
“When I was walking away I was telling him he was acting like he wanted to be right about the call," Ortiz said. "No you weren’t, you weren’t right, the whole planet saw you weren’t right. So don’t be giving me that b------. If you miss it, just tell me ‘I missed it’ and I’ll walk away, I have no problem with that. You’re not perfect, you’re human, but don’t try to act like it was the right call. It was ball four."
Ortiz used Saturday night's Sox starter, Ryan Dempster, as an example of how Timmons could have handled the matter more to his liking.
“Dempster threw a pitch right down the middle," Ortiz said. "He was mad because that was strike three on (Manny) Machado. When Dempster was walking off, he told Dempster ‘I missed it.’ And what did he do? He just walked to the dugout, ‘Ok, fine, you missed it.’ Who cares. But if you want to tell me it was a good pitch, I don’t agree.’’
When Ortiz was walking back to the dugout and barking at Timmons — he had not been tossed at this point — he turned and gestured with his hand up to his helmet to show how high he thought the pitch was.
Boston led 7-2 at the time of the incident. Ortiz finished Saturday 0-for-2 with a pair of walks.

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Pitch No. 4 is the one Ortiz disagreed with.MLB.com screenshot 

Umpiring has been a problem for the Red Sox all series. Farrell argued with Laz Diaz, who was at third base on Saturday, once again on Saturday, after getting into it with him Friday on a play where the runner's lane to first base was in question. On Saturday, the issue was a fair or foul call.
The night was already odd before Ortiz lost it. Stephen Drew scored on what was ruled an inside-the-park home run — before Sox manager John Farrell argued the ball actually left the park. The umpires agreed, and Drew's home run was turned into, well, a home run.
"Is it a full moon here tonight?" Farrell said. "It seems like it."
The 3-0 pitch in question for Ortiz appeared to be high, per the image at this link on BrooksBaseball.net. The highest red dot is the one in question.