FameCrawler : home run

Tampa Bay Rays' Gabe Gross and Wife Expecting

Karl Erikson — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:16:00 GMT

Congratulations to Rays' outfielder Gabe Gross and his wife, Kelly. They're expecting their first child in May. The couple is ecstatic about the baby news.

The year hasn't been the easiest for Gabe, 28 - he got traded from the Brewers to the Rays, but he's a happy camper now. The Tampa Bay Rays are kicking some ass, and might head to the World Series.

The Rays go against the Boston Red Sox tonight for Game 5 of the American League series. Go Rays!

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Josh Hamilton is Having a Banner Year

Whit Honea — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 20:33:00 GMT

Texas Ranger (baseball, not Walker) and star of the Home Run Derby Josh Hamilton got one more home run this week when his wife Katie gave birth to Michaela, their third daughter.

Congratulations to the Hamilton family.

Josh Hamilton Loves God and Baseball

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All-Star Daddy: Joe Girardi

Whit Honea — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:01:00 GMT

Yankee skipper Joe Girardi brought his son to All-Star batting practice- because he can. That's got to be awesome.

Photo: Jim McIsaac

All-Star Daddy: Ryan Dempster

Whit Honea — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:20:00 GMT

Chicago Cub Ryan Dempster brought his son to the Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium. Little Dempster is ready to play ball!

Photos: Jim McIsaac

Josh Hamilton Loves God and Baseball

Whit Honea — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:45:00 GMT

Did you watch the MLB Home Run Derby last night? If you did then you know what I'm talking about. If you didn't, then your loss. End of post.

Just kidding.

Alright, here's the short version on Josh Hamilton. He was a blue chip prospect a few years back- first guy taken in the draft. He had some issues that derailed his career, namely drugs and alcohol. He was out of baseball for 3 years during which he started having visions and found God and got his act together. He's back:

Last night Josh stood beneath the lights in Yankee Stadium and looked into the eyes of the 71-year-old man pitching to him. Hamilton had brought his old pitching coach from his childhood to pitch to him, making good on a promise once made. Josh Hamilton stood there at the plate, sober and determined and proceeded to hit 28 home runs in the first round, thirteen of them on consecutive swings. It was a record. It had the crowd roaring. It was a dream literally come true.

You could see the movie being made even as Josh ultimately lost the 3 round contest to Justin Morneau. A baseball movie about more than baseball. Kevin Costner would have to gain about 30 pounds for the role.

Josh is married to Katie who is pregnant. They have one daughter together and Katie has a daughter from a previous relationship.

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All-Star Daddy: Kosuke Fukudome

Whit Honea — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:47:00 GMT

Chicago Cub All-Star Kosuke Fukudome and his son enjoyed the festivities of the Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium.

Photo: Jim McIsaac

Manny Ramirez Hits 500th Career Homer, Makes A Fan Out Of Me

sweatpantsmom — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 13:05:00 GMT

I don't know much about basball, but even I know this is a big deal. Red Sox left fielder Manny Ramirez hit the 500th home run of his career in a game against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night. Ramirez became the 24th player to reach the milestone.

“I’m happy, you know, about everything I accomplished in life,” said Ramirez. “Not everybody has the chance to go and get to 500. I’m just proud to do it.”

Red Sox fan Damon Woo caught the ball. Even though he could likely fetch several thousand dollars for the historic souvenir, Woo graciously returned the ball to a grateful Ramirez after the game. "It's his accomplishment, it's his achievement, it's his ball," said Woo. "That's the right thing to do."

Ramirez' immediate plans for the ball center around his four sons Manuelito, 13, Connor, 15, Manny Jr., 5, and Lucas, 2. "What I want to do with the ball is take some pictures with my kids," he said.

After that, Ramirez says he'll donate proceeds from the ball to a hospital - he has been working on a program through which he donates $1000 to charity for every home run he hits.

I'm not even a baseball fan, but I love this story - the graciousness of Damon Woo and the generosity of Manny Rodriguez. The next time I go to a game I might even pay attention instead of just eating.

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[photo: Spokesmanreview.com]