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⚾️🔥 FIRST PITCH

Happy Saturday!

I’m not one of those people who puts a ton of stock in April baseball.

Long season.

Teams stumble.

Houston. Kansas City. Boston. Seattle.

It happens.

BUT…

The Mets and Phillies?

What… the hell?

The Mets with a $375 million payroll—spent the week dragging around a 12-game losing streak before finally winning.

The Phillies?

A $312 million roster—10 straight losses and the worst record in baseball.

Didn’t see this one coming.

Two teams built to matter.

Right now?

Trying to stop the bleeding.

It’s April—so yes, relax.

A 10-game heater could change everything.

But bad baseball in April has a way of getting loud… fast.

Especially in New York and Philly.

Those aren’t fanbases.

Those are pressure cookers.

Money buys expectations.

Two contenders.

One ugly reality.

Meanwhile…

Happy 20th to Konnor Griffin.

First career homer.

Baseball moves fast.

⚾️ THE MOMENT — 107.8 MPH

You’ve gotta see this.

Logan Gilbert is on the mound…

A 107.8 mph line drive comes screaming right back at him.

No time to react.

He makes the catch… sorta.

The ball was hit so hard it tore through his jersey.

Gilbert hops off the mound—

Frantically looking for the ball.

Confused.

Finds it lodged in the middle of his jersey.

It’s ruled a hit.

Gilbert suffered a bruised stomach and a cut on his hand.

But he stayed in the game.

Later, calling the moment…. a blur.

But hey… at least he’s still standing.

⚾  Welcome Home, Cam

Imagine this.

You grow up a diehard Red Sox fan.
Massachusetts kid. Lived it.

Then baseball flips the script—
and you’re pitching for the Yankees.

That’s Cam Schlittler this week.

First trip into Fenway Park… as the enemy.
And his family received death threats—according to Schlittler.

So much for a warm welcome.

The Yankees–Red Sox rivalry is like none other.

Always has. Always will.

The chirping.
Fans leaning over the bullpen, letting you hear it.

Schlittler said he was fired up.

“I'm excited for it."

Gotta love it.

That’s baseball.

Thursday night, Schlittler beat the Sox again, going eight innings.

Afterward, he said the Sox fans were respectful.

Still… add this to his masterpiece against Boston in the ’25 playoffs…

Those future reunions might get a little uncomfortable.

Like they say—

Who says you can’t go home? 😂

⚾️ THE TAKE — All or Nothing 🧢

Chicks dig the long ball.

Remember the commercial?
Maddux. Glavine.
Dreaming of going yard like McGwire.

Still plays.

There’s just something about a 400-foot blast
that flips the energy in a stadium.

Makes me think of Japanese slugger, Munetaka Murakami.

When he came over, the report was simple:

Power.
Strikeouts.

All or nothing.

Plenty of teams had cold feet.

The White Sox didn’t.

They leaned in.

How’s that working out?

26 games in—

11 HR
35 K

Stretch that out—over 162—

69 HR
218 K

69 bombs?
That’s ridiculous.

You can talk about manufacturing runs all you want—
give me the swing that changes the game.

Murakami’s doing exactly that.

A lot of teams are eating crow.

Face it.

End of the day—

we all dig the long ball.

🚎 QUICK HIT — The Bus Trip

We all know what a cushy life MLB players have.

Traveling from city to city.
Chartered planes. Leg room. Food.
The good life.

But sometimes… things don’t go as planned.

Last week after beating the D-backs, the Blue Jays learned their plane had joystick issues.

Yeah… the thing used for takeoffs and landings.

Options?

Wait hours for a new plane…
or hop on a bus for a six-hour ride to Anaheim.

They chose the bus.

Three buses—cramped seats, cases of water—and they hit the road.

More like a minor league trip.

And Max Scherzer?

Mad Max was not happy.

He summoned manager John Schneider to Kangaroo Court. 😂

Schneider fired back—

“Why don’t you just buy a plane?” ✈️

They rolled in at 12:30 a.m.

Later that night…
they beat the Angels.

All’s well that ends well… right, Max?

🤬 THE ODDITY — Watch Your Mouth

Baseball fans love to talk.

Turns out… they also love to swear.

Shocking.

A new analysis of more than a million Reddit comments tried to answer an important question:

Who’s the most vulgar fanbase in baseball?

The winner?

The Athletics.

Makes sense, the way the team ditched them.

6% of their comments include swear words.
(Which honestly feels low, all things considered.)

Right behind them—

Red Sox and Angels …The Halos? Really?

But here’s where it gets interesting—

Boston didn’t just land near the top in profanity…

They’re also the most negative fanbase in baseball.

Nearly 28% of their comments? Negative.

Do you need a hug, Boston?

Meanwhile…

The Cardinals were the least foul-mouthed.

And the Rockies?

The most positive fanbase in the sport…
While losing 100 games like clockwork.

Lose enough… and peace finds you.

@#$%^&*!

CLOSER — Monday To the Rescue

50 years ago today.

A moment at Dodger Stadium
few will ever forget.

April 25, 1976.
Cubs vs. Dodgers.

When suddenly—

Two protesters ran into the outfield,
pulled out an American flag,
and tried to set it on fire.

Cubs outfielder Rick Monday saw it—
broke hard,
scooped it up,
and kept running.

Vin Scully was on the call:

“And Rick Monday runs in and takes it away from him!”

The protesters were arrested.

The crowd stood—cheering,
singing God Bless America.

The scoreboard lit up:

“Rick Monday—You Made a Great Play.”

Fifty years later…

An unforgettable moment.

More than a highlight.

Some plays save a game.

Some last a lifetime.

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John Boxley
High N Tight

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