It is officially September. The stretch run is here. The NL West is getting crazy and the wild card races are heating up as well. It’s going to be a fun month because not only is the playoff picture going to come down to the wire, but the award races are going to be interesting as well. Even though we have an intense race coming doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun. Let’s check out some fun we had on Wednesday.
Bigger Than Baseball
Trey Mancini missed the 2020 season due to a battle with cancer. He returned in 2021 after beating it. It’s an incredible, inspiring story that has touched everyone in the baseball world. That goes for his fellow players.
Mancini took part in the All-Star weekend festivities in 2021 by participating in the home run derby. During the Stand Up To Cancer moment at the game itself, Vladimir Guererro Jr. said who he stands for.
The #F16HT continues 🧡 pic.twitter.com/4cGPM0mDTP
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 14, 2021
Then, in their first meeting since the All-Star game, they embraced:
Bigger than baseball 🧡💙 https://t.co/AfB9pbC69H pic.twitter.com/pucTMHwXHi
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) September 2, 2021
What a touching moment.
Khris Davis is Back
With the rosters expanding on Wednesday, the Oakland A’s brought back an old friend. Davis had been raking in Triple-A and was deserving of a return to the majors. It’s safe to say that not only were fans of him excited but the players and team were, too. Maybe even more so.
Before tweeting the news, the A’s official account tweeted this:
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) September 1, 2021
After the news that his contract was selected, the players weighed in on the news:
mood pic.twitter.com/4LqvyCBeNO
— Tony Kemp (@tonykemp) September 1, 2021
Then, Chris Bassitt had something to say:
LETS GOOOOOOOOOO pic.twitter.com/Cu3b7ODyml
— Chris Bassitt (@C_Bass419) September 1, 2021
Seeing this genuine love that Davis’ teammates have for him is heartwarming. With the A’s in the thick of a wild card race, Davis not only brings power, but he clearly brings positivity and love to that locker room.
Bat Check
We’re in a year where there is the constant checking of players’ equipment. At this point, we’ve kind of gotten used to a pitchers’ glove being checked every game. On Wednesday, though, Nick Castellanos had his bat checked after he hit a grand slam. It wasn’t because of pine tar, though. It was because it had a chip in it:
https://twitter.com/JomboyMedia/status/1433214783122202627?s=20
I have to say, I’ve never seen this before. Sure, I’ve seen a pine tar check or even a corked bat in a Little League game. But checking to see if a bat is legal because it has a chip in it? How would that be an advantage? Clearly, it was fine because the ruling was upheld, but still. I don’t understand.
Another aspect of this to love is Castellanos giving the chipped bat to a young fan in the stands. You have to love baseball.
Have You Seen This Before?
There are some whacky plays in baseball every day. We see balls ricochet off of the bases or even players all the time. However, on Wednesday, a ball took a bounce off of a player in a way I’m not sure I’ve seen.
Here's a play you don't see every day 🤷 pic.twitter.com/OAErhOqBsA
— MLB (@MLB) September 2, 2021
This Franmil Reyes ball hit off of Josh Staumont’s left foot and kicked up so high in the air it looked like Carlos Santana was catching a fly ball. Just a really weird play all around.
Cheers to a good Wednesday. We’re one step closer to the weekend. Have a wonderful Thursday.