(from press release)

Remarks by the First Lady at a “Let’s Move!” Baseball Clinic with Major League Baseball at Camden Yards (Tuesday, 20 July 2010)

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, man, those were cool.  Pretty cool.  That’s my first, like, major PSA.  What do you think, kids?  Good?  Two thumbs up?  Would you listen?  Yes, I thought so.  Okay.  (Laughter.)

Well, good afternoon, everybody.  And thank you, Tim, thank you for that introduction.  Thank you for all your support.  I want to join the thank yous to the entire Baltimore Orioles organization; to Pete Angelos and his family for hosting us today.

This is certainly a beautiful park.  Kids, don’t you think this is cool?  (Applause.)  You’re sitting in the middle of a ballpark!  Okay.  (Laughter.)

I also want to thank the Tampa Bay Rays and owner Stuart Sternberg and his family for their support.  Also thanks to Tony Clark and the entire MLB Players Association and all 30 players who agreed to be part of the public service advertising campaign.  So that’s — it just means so much to these kids to see you guys joining in this.  Your voice means so much more to them than anything we could say, and we’re just proud to have you on board.  So thank you so much.

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(from press release)

LOWELL, Mass. — The Lowell Spinners, Class-A Affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, made history Saturday evening, setting the World Record for most people popping Bubble Wrap simultaneously during the third inning of their July 17 game as part of the celebration of 50 years of Bubble Wrap.

Upon entry into the stadium, each fan received a 1-foot-by-1-foot sheet of Bubble Wrap with instructions to not pop it until the middle of the third inning.

“We’re sure it was very difficult for many fans to resist the urge to pop the Bubble Wrap immediately upon receipt,” said Spinners Vice President of Communications Jon Goode. “I heard sporadic popping during the first few innings but I believe most fans wanted to be a part of history.”

In the middle of the third inning, the Spinners promotional team took the field and led a countdown as fans popped for 30 seconds. Players, staff and media members alike joined in the process as history was made to the sounds of popping. Following the popping fans were asked to pass their used sheet to the end of the row where they were collected by staff to be counted.

After the tedious process of counting was completed the Spinners came to a final tally of 3,692 popped sheets.

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(from press release)

The Southern Illinois Miners of the independent Frontier League are excited to announce that former St. Louis Cardinals baseball greats Al Hrabosky and Jack Clark will speak at the All-Star Luncheon and participate in the Celebrity Softball Game during All-Star Week presented by Peoples National Bank.

“We are excited to bring two popular St. Louis ballplayers and game analysts to Southern Illinois,” Miners General Manager Tim Arseneau said. “This will add to the great atmosphere of All-Star Week.”

The All-Star Luncheon is scheduled for Tuesday, July 13, 2010 at Rent One Park. The autograph session, at which Hrabosky and Clark will participate, will begin at 11 a.m., and the luncheon will begin at 11:45 a.m. Tickets are $15, and tables of eight are available for $120.

That night Hrabosky and Clarkwill participate in the All-Star Celebrity Softball Game. The game will immediately follow the Home Run Derby, which begins at 7 p.m. Tickets for both events are still available at the Rent One Park Box Office or by calling 618-998-8499.

Al Hrabosky is in his 26th year as the color commentator on Cardinals telecasts. The “Mad Hungarian” pitched 13 seasons in the major leagues in which he compiled 97 saves and earned Fireman of the Year honors in 1975 with a league-leading 22 saves. Hrabosky is an active participant in Major League Baseball’s “Doin’ It Right” program.

Jack Clark played 18 years in the major Leagues with the Giants, Cardinals, Yankees, Padres and Red Sox. The four-time all-star first baseman/outfielder won the National League Silver Slugger Award in 1985 and 1987 and is second all time with 18 extra-inning home runs. He was a member of the 1985 National League Champion St. Louis Cardinals. He currently is a post-game show analyst on Fox Sports Midwest and 101 ESPN Radio.

(from press release)

Maybe Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano just isn’t a morning person.

A Major League Baseball pitcher’s natural sleep preference might affect how he performs in day and night games, according to a research abstract presented earlier this month in San Antonio, Texas, at SLEEP 2010.

Baseball pitchers who were morning types performed statistically better overall than those who were evening types. In early games that started before 7:00 PM, the earned run average (ERA) of pitchers who were morning types (3.06) was lower than the average ERA of pitchers who were evening types (3.49); however, in games that started at 7:00 PM or later, pitchers who were evening types performed slightly better (4.07 ERA) than morning types (4.15 ERA).

Individual pitchers showed a trend toward higher ERAs in the late games. Peak performance time for most athletes was between 3:00 PM-6:00 PM with a rapid drop in performance after 6:00 PM.

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(from press release)

Pete Rose, Jr., has signed on as hitting coach for the Independent Frontier League Florence Freedom.

Rose, Jr., 40, brings 21 years of professional playing experience to the Freedom dugout, including a 1997 call-up to the big leagues with the Cincinnati Reds.

“We’re thrilled to bring in Petey to be our hitting coach,” Freedom Manager Toby Rumfield said.  “He’s been by voluntarily before to work with our guys and they’ve been really receptive.  He’s going to be a great addition.”

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