Thursday’s Hot Clicks: Manager Gets Ejected, Hits Pantomime Homer, Circles the Bases
This guy knows how to get ejected
Back in 1992, when he was hired a manager of the Red Sox at age 40, I bet Butch Hobson didn’t think that 26 years later he’d get ejected from a game while wearing a shirt that says “weiners”—and on his birthday, no less.
Hobson, 67, is the manager of the Chicago Dogs in the independent American Association. When he got ejected during a game last weekend, he decided to re-enact one of his 98 career MLB home runs.
If you feel like you’ve seen him do this kind of thing before, it’s probably because you have. During a game earlier this month, Hobson had another post-ejection blow-up and gave away third base to a kid in the stands.
I was ready to get all conspiratorial and suggest that Hobson’s antics were all a ploy by the league to please the fans and garner media coverage, but it seems like Hobson has a history of going nuts when he gets tossed.
In fact, the giving away a base stunt is his signature move.
Hell, I’d buy a Chicago Dogs ticket to see that.
Isn’t it weird that baseball players wear belts?
I think that’s what Jesus Aguilar was thinking when the ball sailed over his head.
His belt suddenly popped open during live play and rather than call time or simply ignore it, he tried to fix it while the pitcher attempted a pickoff. At least the second baseman was there to back him up.
Bits & Pieces
This is a lovely photo gallery of Jon Hamm talking smack to Jason Bateman during a Dodgers-Cardinals game. ... Sports gamblers in New Jersey now have competition for where to place their bets by smartphone. ... CBS is finally pulling the plug on The Big Bang Theory. ... Olive Garden is giving 1,000 people unlimited pasta for a year, for only $300. ... New Twins first baseman Tyler Austin had to yell at his dad after he attacked his old team (the Yankees) on Twitter. ... The New York Times did a story about the Japanese sport of bo-taoshi, where you attempt to topple a tall wooden pole.
A fun little tool to remind you of your mortality
This is a cool site that lets you know who the first MLB player younger than you was, and the last MLB player older. The first player younger than me was Jurickson Profar. The last player older than my dad was, not surprisingly, Julio Franco.
As if having a bad Madden rating wasn’t humiliating enough
If you pay $200 for a foul ball hit by Oliver Perez, you have a problem
Too(th) many puns here
Thinking about quitting sportswriting and running for Congress
This never gets old
Finally, J.J. Redick can speak the truth
Just a little too close for comfort
I’m extremely ready for the new season of It’s Always Sunny
Some Little League baserunning in honor of the LLWS
A good song
A reader named Mike suggested I make a playlist of the music I use here, so I did.
Email dan.gartland@simail.com with any feedback or ping me on Twitter. Bookmark this page to see previous editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day. By popular request I’ve made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.
