Napoli is Going Going, Back Back to TEXAS

Photo: Mike Napoli Instagram

First Josh Hamilton, and now Mike Napoli.

Oh yeah, Napoli is once again a Texas Ranger. The deal went down last Friday which will send Napoli back to Texas for cash or a player to be named.

This could be huge for Texas. If you can remember, Napoli was a huge contributor to the Rangers during their road to the World Series in 2011. Although they would end up losing to the St. Louis Cardinals, Napoli’s clutch hits did not go unnoticed.

But hey, props to him, because he did what they couldn’t do over at the Red Sox- Won himself a championship and a nice piece of bling in 2013. 💁💍

Nap has said he doesn’t care where he plays back in Texas, he just wants to contribute to the team and help them win. This year he is batting .205, has 13 HR and 40 RBIS.

But what he can bring back to Texas goes beyond the field. Napoli is THAT guy. A leader with playoff and World Series experience. He knows how to fire up his teammates, as well as the stadium with his badass walk up songs.

Globe Life Park in Arlington will be hearing the chants of “NAP­O­LI” once again.

Love ya Nap, you the BOMB!

– Paige

“One, Two, Three Likes You’re Out of the Ball Game”

Pablo Sandoval aka “Panda”, the home run hitting, always smiling, large teddy bear of a third basemen for the struggling Boston Red Sox (sorry Red Sox fans) was benched for liking photos on Instagram during a game, while using the bathroom.

Jimmy Fallon hit it dead on after the instagram fiasco, “One, Two, Three Likes you’re out of the ball game!” YES JIMMY FALLON. YES.

Now I for one can understand how addicting Insta is- a quick double tap in the bathroom, no harm no foul right? WRONG.

Sandoval had to make a public apology to the team, the fans, the general manager, and has been a laughable topic of conversation on Boston sports radio shows and talk shows all week.

People even investigated the time stamp of the likes (approximately 9:20pm) while the Red Sox were batting in the seventh inning aka with Pablo due up in six batters. I now understand why this can be a bad look, not looking invested in the game and could have something to do with the “lax, laid back” vibe that Boston ownership and John Farrell are currently running over there at Yawkey Way.

Which photos did he like you ask? @diva_legacy an Atlanta based woman, and two of her “selfies”.

Barstool Sports’ Jarred Carrabis via twitter first reported the in game slacking.

Not to blow up the dude's spot, but uh…is Pablo Sandoval on Instagram during the game? pic.twitter.com/q8X4HoFDOT

— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) June 18, 2015

And Carrabis kept going…

Diva Legacy sees Pablo Sandoval get pulled from the game and immediately checks her likes. pic.twitter.com/KQ0ni8sV1N

— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) June 21, 2015

Still going…

Recording a new @Section10Pod today. Might hit on the Sandoval story a little bit. pic.twitter.com/sdeR6Wtwbq

— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) June 20, 2015

And the FINALE of just, YES.

This apparently happened. @jimmyfallon pic.twitter.com/PcbDtF5wCp

— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) June 20, 2015

It’s okay Panda, we understand the insta struggle and addiction. Sometimes you just gotta go like a couple selfies on insta… But from now on during games, just keep doing you on the FIELD and not on INSTAGRAM. 😉

– Morgan

Mike Napoli aka The Fireman

Mike Napoli is hot. I know that. You know that. Everyone knows that. There is no doubt about it. (Oh, you meant on a hot streak? Not physically striking? Oops. Whatever.) Either way, the first baseman for the Boston Red Sox is doing something right. He even made Bleacher Report’s “MLB Team of the Week”. Like hi, are you single?

If you follow baseball at all, you are well aware of how AWFUL his OPS really was: .533. We’re talking one of the worst hitters in the league. Like okay, even I could do better than that. And I haven’t hit a ball since my dad stuck me in front of a tennis ball machine in the back yard with a helmet and a bat and told me to hit as many as I could, as far as I could! I was maybe 12, by the way. *Hair flip*

But then something changed. First, he watched film and realized he was making several mechanical errors at the plate. And second, a 9-year-old signed his bat. No really, a 9-year-old signed his bat. And the best part is that is where he has attributed some of his successes ever since (can I bring you home to meet my mom now, or…). Now obviously just switching a few minor things around with the way you bat isn’t going to change everything, but obviously having a 9-year-old sign your bat will (duh). But in all seriousness, with a combination of his batting corrections, the faith (and signature) of a 9-year-old, and his hot momentum, Napoli is going off (and up, and not just on Tuesdays, people). Currently, Napoli’s OPS has been raised up to 1.080 over the course of the last few games.

Maybe this correlates with this year being his 9-year anniversary since his MLB debut? Maybe? Probably not.

When batters are on a hot streak the way Napoli is, pitchers want to avoid them at all costs. No one wants to face the hot guy, well, except for me. I want to face the hot guy. (Wait, you still mean on a hot streak? Dang!) Still, when a batter is on fire and absolutely killing the game, you want to stay far away from them like the game depends on it, because, well, it does.

So here’s to hoping this hot streak continues!

And Mike, if you see this (and your hot streak has ended, or maybe it hasn’t…but you’re still hot), call me. 😉

– Alexa

Guess Who’s Back.. Back Again.. Hammy’s Back! Tell Your Friends.

As we all know, Josh Hamilton has had his fair share of ups and downs. Perhaps that’s all over now. But who really knows. I guess we’ll just have to watch and see.

Brief recap: In February of this year, Hamilton suffered from a shoulder injury while with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Unfortunately, this injury then led to his relapse into his drug addiction which has been a battle for him in the past. He did report the relapse directly to the MLB, but the Angels still made an executive decision to trade him to  (dah, dahh, dahh) the Texas Rangers.

Right back to where he started.

It should be safe to say that Josh is home sweet home.

Before his first game back in Globe Life Park, he did play with the Rangers in three away games but was a bit rusty. Hamilton’s first at-bat in Globe Life Park was welcoming and heart-warming. The fans gave him a standing ovation.

 

According to USA Today, Hamilton said, “It’ll be a game I’ll remember forever.”

So, in return, Hamilton gave his fans something to cheer even more about: a double past right field.

But he had plenty more up his sleeve. The next day, Josh was listed in the Texas Rangers lineup against the Boston Red Sox once again. Hamilton hit TWO home runs that game.

It looks like Hamilton was ready to run home sweet home rather than walk. Quite the analogy huh? The Rangers ended that game with a win, 7-4.

Hamilton was not listed in the lineup for the series finale against the Red Sox, but with a tie game in the bottom of the ninth guess who gets brought in as a pinch hitter? Oh yeah. Hamilton. While at-bat, Hamilton drilled the third pitch for a walk-off double to win the game.

Talk about a welcome back that might as well be scripted for a movie.

Five of Hamilton’s six hits have come at “home” at Globe Life Park and if that doesn’t show a comfort level for Hamilton, I don’t know what would.

Clearly Hamilton is showing everyone, including his loyal Texas fan folk that he’s back & he’s ready.

And most importantly, Hamilton is showing Texas that their minimum investment is definitely paying off thus far.

– Hailey