Signed Todd Frazier baseball card from my collection
January 20 Update: This event has been postponed due to weather concerns.
Next Saturday, new Chicago White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier will be signing autographs to benefit Operation Shoebox New Jersey, a non-profit charity that ships personal care packages to US troops deployed around the world.
Frazier, a 2015 All-Star and Home Run Derby champ, is a lifelong New Jersey resident who was part of the 1998 Toms River Little League World Champion team and played for Rutgers University before turning pro.
Pro Custom Solar will be hosting the charity event at Freehold Raceway Mall on Jan. 23 from noon until 2 p.m. Frazier will sign one flat item for a $20 donation. Memorabilia (a bat, jersey, etc.) will be signed for a $50 donation.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Reds winning the 1990 World Series over the A’s…. the “Nasty Boys” trio of Norm Charlton, Rob Dibble and Randy Myers will serve as grand marshals of the 96th Findlay Market Opening Day Parade.
Randy Myers is probably best remembered as one third of this Cincinnati trio, but he started his career with the New York Mets and shared closing duties with Roger McDowell on the 1988 National League East pennant-winning team.
This would be a fun year to go experience Cincinnati’s famed Opening Day festivities. They’ve also got a pretty nifty triple bobblehead giveaway planned in April.
Ryan Freel, who played parts of 8 seasons in the major leagues and finished his baseball playing career with the Somerset Patriots in 2010, was found dead yesterday. According to a report by the Florida Times-Union, police believe Freel shot himself with a gun to commit suicide.
Freel’s former Reds teammates Brandon Phillips and Sean Casey expressed their thoughts via Twitter:
The Mets lost again, the seventh time in their last 10 games, as they fell to the Cincinnati Reds 6-1 on Wednesday. If there was a bright spot, at least the Philadelphia Phillies also lost so the Mets are still clinging to a tenuous one-game lead for third place in the NL East.
R.A. Dickey (Photo credit: Paul Hadsall)
But let’s talk about some people in baseball who had worse days than the Mets:
Melky Cabrera failed a test for performance-enhancing drugs. He will be suspended for 50 games, denying the San Francisco Giants the services of one of the National League’s leading hitters and likely costing himself a big free-agent payday this offseason.
The Tamp Bay Devil Rays were the victims of Felix Hernandez‘s perfect game, the third in Major League Baseball this season.
Back to the Mets, though. Someone should really remind the offense that the season isn’t over yet. Mike Leake limited the Mets to just four hits in his complete game victory, and New York’s lone run scored when Daniel Murphy hit into a double play.
R.A. Dickey had a disappointing start, allowing five runs on ten hits (including three home runs) and two walks over six innings even though he struck out 10. Thanks to the movement of Dickey’s knuckleball, Josh Thole set a team record he probably wishes he didn’t have – he was charged with three passed balls in the game.
Dickey may have been bothered by the umpires’ decision to require him to cut off friendship bracelets made for him by his daughters. Terry Collins had this to say after the game:
“The rule is, as they explained it, you’re not suppose to have anything on your wrist. They must be newly enforcing it. Twenty-three starts he hasn’t had to take it off yet. So tonight it was an issue…. We just want to know what the big deal was…I think it bothered him, yes. He still has to pitch through it and he knows that.”
PaulHadsall.com 