Look at Me… I Am the Captain Now
Mel Ott. Willie Mays. Willie McCovey. Brandon Belt.
One of baseball’s most storied franchises has just anointed their new captain. Look on his C, ye Mighty, and despair!
Brandon Belt. San Francisco Giants… captain? pic.twitter.com/9GhtHtb1ro
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) September 10, 2021
Yes, Brandon Belt wears the big duct tape C in San Francisco now. But how did this come to be? Hear Belt’s own words as to why he is the captain.
Brandon Belt, the captain, is going in the postgame press conference Hall of Fame for this one: pic.twitter.com/sLy7WSPNvO
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) September 10, 2021
Since Belt felt that he was the “alpha” and had rightfully been the captain all year (sorry Buster Posey), Evan Longoria gave bestowed upon him that lovely “C.”
How did the only captain in all of baseball perform with his new title? 2-for-3 with a HR, 2 RBIs, and 2 BBs.
Sounds like we will be seeing more of that “C.”
The Debut of Kimbrel Jr.
Growing up and playing baseball, I had a couple of players I loved to imitate. Of course, as every kid did, I tried the patented Gary Sheffield bat wag. I also whipped out Julio Franco’s unorthodox batting stance every now and then. But one of my biggest pitching inspirations was Hideki Okajima, whose tendency to violently snap his head right before the release of every pitch was unlike anything else I had seen before.
Who are the most imitable players of this generation? We did see one little leaguer try his best Johnny Cueto shimmy impression in the LLWS. But yesterday, we caught one fan in the stands showing off his Craig Kimbrel arm perch.
Kid Kimbrel pic.twitter.com/ELTZQ6mON9
— Cut4 (@Cut4) September 11, 2021
Seeing as how Kimbrel is arguably the best reliever of the past decade, kids everywhere could learn a thing or two by incorporating it into their game. Just don’t start mimicking Carter Capps or we’ll see a shocking rise in Achilles injuries nationwide.
Kris Bryant Returns Home
If you had high expectations for Kris Bryant’s return to Wrigley Field, you were not disappointed.
In that stadium, Bryant achieved certain feats that few players would ever accomplish. A Rookie of the Year award. An MVP. A World Series championship in a city starved of that honor for over a century.
The love that Cubs fans and Bryant had for each other is mutual, and Bryant couldn’t hold back his emotions as the Wrigley Field crowd honored him before the Cubs vs. Giants game.
This Kris Bryant tribute 🥺
(via @WatchMarquee)pic.twitter.com/RWuXPZ3V3V
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 10, 2021
Bryant received some nice gifts, such as the No. 17 from the Wrigley Field scoreboard and a 2016 flag. But truthfully, it would be extremely tough for the City of Chicago to repay him for all that he’s done.
Kris Bryant returns to the Friendly Confines. pic.twitter.com/WiEX0FtU8i
— MLB (@MLB) September 10, 2021
Hyde Can’t Hide His Anger at Ray the Jay
I love hot mics. Liam Hendriks‘ broadcasting snafu at the All-Star Game was a masterclass in entertainment.
On Friday, the Orioles and Blue Jays game saw a verbose back-and-forth between Robbie Ray and Brandon Hyde. In a stadium that regularly features under 10,000 fans (yesterday saw an attendance of 11,751), I’m sure everyone in the stands caught this exchange.
Baseball players are known for their colorful language, and this video features plenty of that, so watch at your own risk!
Robbie Ray & Brandon Hyde are about to brawl pic.twitter.com/pW6l7kTlO6
— TrueRGM (@TrueRGM) September 10, 2021
Your Wholesome Picture of the Day
We already talked about Kris Bryant’s return to Chicago. But don’t forget that a couple of other lifelong Cubs left this year.
Both Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez found their new home in New York. And on Friday, they shared the field for the first time since July.
Javy and Rizzo ❤️
(via @MLB) pic.twitter.com/onUUIlAAgk
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) September 11, 2021
Photo by Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns of Twitter)