BASEBALL — ANIMAL

Philly Gets Lubed Up for a Wild Night

Philadelphia’s downtown area is getting a generous slathering of lube in anticipation of some extra rough partying tonight. Hoping to avoid the damage that came after the Phillies’ World Series victory last year, city workers have been greasing South Broad St. in case of a NLC win against the Dogders. Street lights, phone booths, bus shelters and trees have been covered in a “yellowish goo that bears a resemblance to petroleum jelly” to ward off celebratory climbers. |PhiladelphiaInquirer|

Photos by April Saul/Philadelphia Inquirer

By Will Sherman on October 21, 2009 at 5:12 pm

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Japanese Baseball Team Confronts Its Monsters

: Marines vs. Tigers

: Marines vs. Carp

: Marines vs. Dragons

: Marines vs. Swallows

One way to boost ticket sales at baseball games: make the slow paced sport look a lot more epic than it really is. In Japan, the Chiba Lotte Marines have these movie-style posters imagining the away team as giant monsters destroying their hometown, Chiba City. Fittingly enough for a team that’s won just a single championship in 35 years, all of the opponents are painted wreaking havoc while the Marines cower and try to look menacing. |Pink Tentacle|

By Will Sherman on June 10, 2009 at 5:25 pm

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Ticket sales at the new Yankee Stadium are so lackluster that the cheap seats can be bought even cheaper. Earlier, the Yankees slashed ridiculously expensive, with $1000 tickets going for the still ludicrous sum of $500. Now, $14 seats can be had online for as little as $7, less than a stadium beer. |NYDN|

By Will Sherman on May 11, 2009 at 11:38 am

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Yanks Open New Stadium With Shameful Performance

Damn, even the AP made fun of the Bronx Bombers and their $1.5 billion stadium today: “The Yankees opened baseball’s fanciest and priciest ballpark Thursday with a performance that would have embarrassed Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and other stars from their famous pinstriped past. After an 85-year-run in a stadium that produced 26 World Series titles, New York saw its hitters fizzle and its bullpen come apart on a sunny afternoon in a 10-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians.” |Image via AP|

By Will Sherman on April 16, 2009 at 6:12 pm

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Baseball Auction Swings And Misses

In addition to a Babe Ruth homerun ball and battered cap—purported to be one of three extant—some unusual items were on display for the upcoming sports memorabilia auction at the Javits Center on July 14 and 15, like this 1920’s poster for a minstrel show depicting an all black Harvard and Yale football game. The artist envisioned it as a colorful but unduly violent event, perhaps the graphic nature kept this out of the show catalog? Then there’s the poor Whitey Ford collection, who knew that an expired credit card was collectable? Or a cancelled check? Photographs of the historic remnants after the jump.

WEEK IN CRAIG: October Spastic

By Amy Blair
Over the years I have had a lot of powerful experiences on account of my love for baseball. Some good , some bad , and some just plain strange. As this year’s baseball season draws to a close, I have decided that it’s time to retire the topic. And so, as a final adieu to the boys of summer, I’d like to take a moment to wax nostalgic about one of the coolest baseball moments of my life. A baseball wet dream, if you will.