Twitter Tuesday...February 9, 2010

First off...a big thanks to those of you who hit the site to check out the interview with Batting Stance Guy. If you didn't read it, you can check it out HERE.

The plan is to have another winner up tomorrow...so please check back.



Sunday was the SuperBowl and it seemed like everyone had a prediction...some better than others.

ESPY_TEAHEN (Mark Teahen): I'm pissed the 2 weeks of talking about every possible detail of the Superbowl is almost over.

JarrodBParker (Jarrod Parker): Let's go colts!

TheMayorsOffice (Sean Casey): Diggin out of the snow in Pitt but gonna watch SB...Colts gonna win!! Just think in end Peyton manning is gonna be to much!!

DrewStoren (Drew Storen): Colts by 14. That's my call. What's yours?

thisisdspan (Denard Span): I want the saints to win for the city but they got lucky against the vikes so I think they will lose by a modest margin of 2 tds

hanrahan4457 (Joel Hanrahan): I'm gonna throw my prediction out there now, I got the colts, 18 Is really good, not good enough o beat the gators but good

TheRealBJUpton (BJ Upton): Watching the game at the crib- i say colts by 3

realjustinupton (Justin Upton): OK so here is my Super Bowl Prediction- Saints 31- Colts 24- MVP is Drew Breeeeeeeeees.

What the fu...?!?

TommyLasorda: I met this guy at a disabled vets event. He lost his eye and replaced it with a Dodger eye!



Based solely on this tweet..."If New Orleans deserved the Super Bowl, how many gold medals does Haiti deserve in the Winter Olympics? All of them?" I am suggesting you follow OverTheBaggy.

Sure, Parker and I are both members of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance, so maybe I am biased...but any way you slice it, the dude brings the funny.

Talkin' Baseball with Batting Stance Guy

I’m pretty sure that, as a kid, Gar Ryness was like the rest of us.

He watched baseball.

He played baseball.

He lived baseball.

Armed only with a WiffleBall bat and his trademark backward cap and some well worn Converse All-Stars, Ryness would spend hours mimicking the plate antics of his favorite major leaguers.

Years later (and perhaps one too many Shooty Babbitt references later), Ryness has transformed into the internet superhero “Batting Stance Guy”. And instead of just humoring his friends and family, he is entertaining the masses with his wide array of imitations.

Head over to his website and you’re greeted with a simple welcome and a reference to what he calls “the least marketable skill in America”. But after millions, yes MILLIONS of YouTube hits and more hours up in the air traveling from city to city than Ryan Bingham…the “least marketable” skill has made the 36 year-old Ryness a household name to anyone who loves our nation’s pastime or a well executed Tommy Herr impersonation.

Recently, I had the chance to talk to Kent Hrbek’s number one fan and the only other guy I know on the planet who can appreciate a well-timed Tom Brookens reference…”Batting Stance Guy”.

HOVG: Obviously, you’re an incredibly huge baseball fan and most everyone knows the story of YouTube success. When exactly, did you realize that you had something there?

RYNESS: Three months after posting the Red Sox video and the videos for about 15 or so other teams, the Minnesota Twins FoxSportsNorth contacted me about making a pre-game show appearance. That was a big moment, but the HOLY SMOKES moment was during a Dodgers pre-game show when Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Bard, Wally Joyner and a bunch of other Padres told me they watched all our videos in the clubhouse. Huh? Really?!?

HOVG: Have you seen some of the pretenders out there? What makes you THE guy?

RYNESS: Right time, right place? I’m also young enough to know what YouTube is and old enough to know 30 years worth of baseball. My friends and family are pretty certain there’s a mild form of mental illness involved. Some of the younger pretenders have reached out to me for advice which is pretty cool. Some players are really good at imitations, like (St. Louis infielder) Brendan Ryan and (Milwaukee slugger) Prince Fielder.

HOVG: Did you grow up playing baseball?

RYNESS: Yes. It was always the main love of my life. Our towns’ little league all-star teams were always great, twice making to Williamsport. However, (New York Yankee) Randy Winn made it farther than me.

HOVG: Who did you root for?

RYNESS: I grew up in the (San Francisco) Bay Area but my first love was the Montreal Expos. It makes no sense, but I also loved the ‘80/90s Twins because Kent Hrbek became my favorite player. I’ve attended a million Giants and A’s games including the earthquake game in 1989.

HOVG: I've read that former Giants Jack and Will Clark are the easiest to imitate, but who was the first?

RYNESS: Second grade Halloween I went as Pete Rose.

HOVG: Who are you working on now and when can we see them unveiled?

RYNESS: This offseason has been a blast. We got a book deal. It’s a fun look at baseball framed around the 50 greatest stances of my lifetime. We have lots of categories, like best facial expression, best hair and most unbuttoned shirt. It is a celebration of baseball’s quirks and comedy.

HOVG: Last season, The Hall of Very Good celebrated “Mustache May”...have you ever considered donning a 'stache and doing a "best of" mustached players?

RYNESS: Awesome idea! This off-season I let the beard grow. I looked like Willie Wilson while writing the book. What’s the best setting for a ‘stache video? Front of a barber shop? Police Station? Fire Truck? Jeff Kent’s house?

HOVG: Do you have a Hall of Fame of sorts for your favorite stances? I don't mean Hall of Famers, but more like stances that are your favorite to do.

RYNESS: The top 50 in the book represents my stance Hall of Fame. I’m sure there will be some former players surprised they made the list.

HOVG: About a year ago or so, you served as the stand in for MLB The Show…how did it come about?

RYNESS: I had received a dozen or so emails that I figured was a friend playing a joke on me. That one was certainly one of those. I get the email saying, “We want you to help us with our motion capture, blah blah blah.” My thought is, how did my friends secure an email address with Sony Playstation in the title? Sure enough, it really was Sony Playstation. It was really fun and the first time I felt pressure to know the entire Pirates and Royals roster.

HOVG: What stance is most like your natural stance? Do you even have a “natural stance” at this point?

RYNESS: There are some VHS tapes in existence with me standing like Ryne Sandberg in real baseball. In college and post-college softball I like hitting lefty like Dave Justice, or when I’m trying to go opposite field…Will Clark.

HOVG: Since you are the foremost expert on hitting, have you ever been asked to give hitting advice?

RYNESS: Yes, mostly from young moms asking advice for their kids. If there is something I’ve learned from studying my favorite wacky stances, it’s that MLB players do whatever they do to get comfortable at the plate. Kids should do the same. This doesn’t count as advice, but I was walking through the Metrodome service hallways over the summer and was met by a blonde guy jogging who said, “Hey Batting Stance Guy. Can I see me? I’m Hank Blalock.”

HOVG: Has anyone ever tried giving you hitting advice?

RYNESS: I take flak for “swinging too high” online. Yes. I know Bernie Williams doesn’t swing at balls at his eye level.

HOVG: How would you fair against live pitching?

RYNESS: If ex-Giant Felix Rodriguez throws his patented straight fastball and I swing at the right time, I’m making contact. Everything else…not so much.

HOVG: What players have been the most receptive?

RYNESS: Mike Cameron and Prince Fielder put me in the center of the Brewers stretching circle last season. Cameron either laughs really hard at everything, or enjoyed himself. Honestly, I could have never predicted the player’s responses. To have Joe Mauer, Ryan Howard, Adam Wainwright, Todd Helton, Adrian Gonzalez, Pablo Sandoval, Alcedes Escobar, Mike Lowell, Corey Hart, Eugenio Velez and Kevin Youkilis all introducing themselves to me? Seriously, the world is upside down.

HOVG: Who has been critical?

RYNESS: Josh Beckett didn’t love me talking about imitating Mike Napoli hitting a homerun off him versus Mike Napoli hitting homeruns off the rest of the league. *Crickets* Nothing. Blank stare. Very awkward.

HOVG: This past season, you went stance to stance with the Dodgers’ Manny Ramirez...what did “Man Ram” have to say?

RYNESS: Manny is great to me. I’ve done pre-game shows for visiting teams at Dodgers Stadium and Manny will always scream and whistle across the field while I’m filming. “Do Ethier! Do Ethier!” I’ll then hold up a finger, as if to say, “Hold on Manny, I’ll come over there after this.” The first time that happened the Cardinals TV staff said, “wait, do you know Manny?” That’s when it hit me how weird the last two years have been.

HOVG: This past year, you’ve blown up…probably a lot more than you could have ever imagined. What were some of the highlights?

RYNESS: Getting in the middle of the stretching circles of Brewers, Dodgers, Giants, Twins, Angels, Cardinals, Red Sox and Rockies. Meeting Will Clark, having ESPN in my backyard, FoxSportNet taking me to lunch disagreeing with me that this is the least marketable skill in America and lastly, meeting Biff Henderson.

HOVG: You met Biff while in New York for your Late Show appearance in July. Describe how the whole Letterman thing came about.

RYNESS: His talent coordinator emailed me asking if I’d be available around the All-Star game week. It was surreal, figured I’d be a stupid human trick or small sketch and when friends called me saying they saw my name on their DVR for Monday’s Late Show, I found out they wanted me as a real guest. Crazy. The most insane part of it…my brother is on Broadway in the musical HAIR. He was on Conan the same night. Our parents don’t have TiVo. Luckily Kelly Clarkson went after me, so they got to see Bryce on Conan two minutes after me on Letterman.

HOVG: I think that is all...thank you again for allowing me this time. Anything you would like to add?

RYNESS: Livin’ the dream.

When he’s not in his backyard imitating the batting stances of some of baseball’s all-time greats (and not-so-greats) or hanging out in the batting cage, taking cuts with the Boston Red Sox, Ryness is a married father of two living in Southern California.

As referenced, “Batting Stance Guy” is looking to take his swings at another medium this summer when he releases his first book. In the meantime, you can check out all his videos over at his website or, if you’re lucky, he’ll be appearing at a stadium near you.

Twitter Tuesday...February 2, 2010

Alright, so what in the world happened around here while I was away...can't a guy take a week off without craziness ensuing?

Twitter Tuesday regulars Mike Bacsik was accused of grooving number 756 to Barry Bonds, with no hint or preview, Seth McClung got picked up by the Marlins and lastly, one of my favorite tweeters, Jose Canseco is talking about wanting to fight Herschel Walker.

God...I loveTwitter Tuesday.



Because Canseco is proving to be one of the most random tweeters out there (dude posts everything from pictures of his girlfriend to re-tweets of people praising him)...and I love him for it.

In 1989, I had a 40-40 poster hanging on my walls...and I was nowhere close to being an A's fan. Because of that, this week's Chatter is all you, Jose!

"This day in history: January 31st, 1865 ~ House passes 13th Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery in the US."

"Just came back from horse riding with my daughter & GF. My ass is chapped & my balls are bruised! Damn i hate riding horses."

"Meetings starting up tomorrow to kick start my next move. Everyone keep your fingers crossed it goes as planned!"

"I have a few television projects and a couple different movie opportunity's coming to life."

"I guess I may have to show Herschel Walker who the real bad Boy of the Sports industry is. If the powers that be are reading, I want in."

So...Nick Swisher appears in an episode of How I Met Your Mother and people are going nuts about it. Here's hoping that CJ Wilson achieves his lifelong dream of appearing on LOST before it ends in May.

Earth2Kim: Nick Swisher on How I Met Your Mother?!? I didn't recognize him without his A's uniform.

swarheely: nick swisher on how i met your mother was hilarious! hahah

SnapTheJap: Could Nick Swisher LOOK like a bigger douche??

Jessie__Louise: Nick Swisher is on How I Met Your Mother. He's got a lame fauxhawk though. Looks good otherwise

mpaynethird: If How I Met Your Mother wasn't my favorite comedy before it definitely is now that it has had a Nick Swisher cameo

houtexmajorin: how the hell did Nick Swisher get a spot on HIMYM? was Quinton McCracken unavailable? John Vander Wal?

ayetortuga: i was really enjoying tonight's episode of himym right up until the point where Nick Swisher walked into the bar

15munson15: Nick swisher for an Emmy

Raise your hand if you knew Tommy Lasorda was Canadien. Wait...what?!?

TommyLasorda: Congrats to Paul Quantril and Alan Roth for being inducted into the Canadian Baseball HOF. I was inducted in '06



Not that I usually do the old "Follow Friday" thing (I reserve it for Tuesdays), I DO have to give a good friend his due (again) and suggest that you all follow Gar Ryness.

You see, Gar has the "least marketable skill in America" and with that, comes a gazillion YouTube hits, a book deal (more on that later...stay close to this site) and an invite to appear on David Letterman's show.

If you're not following him already, please check out Batting Stance Guy.

Canton vs. Cooperstown Part 2

"I'm excited about what lies in front of me....and seeing what God's going to do next."

In what was a surprise to no one...former grocery store bagger and two-time MVP quarterback Kurt Warner announced his retirement from the NFL this afternoon.

Now, if you hit up Google and bang out "Kurt Warner Hall of Fame" you're going to get hundreds of thousands of responses. I mean, EVERYONE seems to think that this cat deserves a bust in Canton.

Are the credentials for enshrinement in Canton THAT much different than unlocking the doors at Cooperstown?

Apparently so.

Last season at this time, during the NFC Championship game, the commentators were all talking about the matchup between Warner and Donovan McNabb.

At some point, it became less about who was going to the Super Bowl and more about the legacy of each quarterback. Every time I heard that this particular game would determine who would end up taking up residency in the Pro Football Hall of Fame…I threw up a little in my mouth.

A fourth NFC Championship loss would spell doom for widely underappreciated McNabb, while a third Super Bowl appearance would, apparently, make Warner a lock.

If you listened to the announcers, each touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald was another step toward immortality for the former Hy-Vee bag boy.

In the second half, all that was pushed aside thanks to McNabb’s comeback. All of a sudden, he was likened to John Elway or Joe Montana.

Unless you were under a rock, you know that the game concluded with the Arizona Cardinals winning 32 to 25 and seemingly sent Warner to the tailor to get measured for his Hall of Fame jacket.

A week later, and following a spectacular comeback by Warner and his Arizona Cardinals, the Pittsburgh Steelers snuffed out Warner's chance at winning his second Super Bowl ring with a last-minute touchdown.

Can someone please tell me why we're talking about this guy as a Hall of Famer.

Last season, Warner wasn’t even slated to start the season under center...Matt Leinert was. This year, the tides were turned and Warner was a lock for the season opener.

His 2009 season was pretty good. Not All-Pro good...but pretty good nonetheless.

Overall, he has played four…count ‘em four FULL seasons as a starting quarterback. Sure, he made the Super Bowl in three of those seasons and his career winning percentage hovers around 57%, but in baseball terms…the guy is, and yes, I realize this is a stretch, more Jose Rijo (career winning percentage of 56% and a World Series MVP) than Curt Schilling (accolades too numerous to mention).

So what in the world does Kurt Warner have to do with baseball? There hasn’t been a “Warner” in baseball since 1966 and the closest any of them haven’t gotten to the Hall of Fame were the “Waner” brothers (Paul and Lloyd) of the 30s and 40s.

Consider this if you will.

Football is a game of “what have you done for me once” while baseball fans want to know exactly “what are you doing for me now”…just look at the history of the game.

Joe Namath, with his one ring and .500 record, has earned him some sort of legendary status. David Cone, with his FIVE rings, a perfect game and close to 200 Ws couldn't get four percent of the writers to vote for him last year.

Randall Simon has a new home

The guys at JoeSportsFan.com have the Cardinals. The Silva brothers from New York Baseball Digest have both the Yankees and Mets.

Here at The Hall (headquartered in lovely Rockford, Illinois) has...the Riverhawks?

That being said, the 2004 Frontier League Champion Riverhawks (they're now in the Northern League) made a splash signing former Major Leaguer Randall Simon.

“The first reason I signed him was identity, because he gives instant identity to our franchise,” RiverHawks co-owner and director of baseball operations Dave Ciarrachi said. “Everybody I have talked to has told me quality things about him, as a clubhouse guy and as a guy who likes to mentor young players."

"I am excited about making my return to the to Chicago area with the RiverHawks,” Simon said. “I have fond memories of the Cubs fans and how much they embraced me and look forward to a great year in Rockford."

Simon played parts of eight seasons in the bigs...suiting up for six teams. In 537 big-league games, the native of Curacao hit .283 with 49 home runs and 237 RBIs.

His minor-league numbers are no less impressive as he’s a career .293 hitter with 180 homers and 858 RBI in 1,297 games.

Last year, Simon hit .281 with 13 homers and 51 RBI in 75 games with the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. He struck out just 20 times in 325 plate appearances. His average of a strikeout per each 16.25 plate appearances led the Northern League.

Of course it is the 2003 "Sausage Race Incident" that Simon will best be remembered. Feel free to look up that video on your own!